Marcie

In Tishri they will be redeemed

2009-01-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

Rosh HaShanah

It has been taught

Rabbi Eliezer Rosh haShanah 10b-11a says, “in the month of Tishri the world was created,…and in Tishri they will be redeemed in time to come.”

The book by Joseph Good: “Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come”

Says the following:

Rosh HaShanah emcompasses many themes and teaches many doctrines.

Repentance, (Teshuvah)
The time of Jacob’s Trouble
The Resurrection of the dead
The Natzal (plucking away) aka: The Rapture or Catching Away
The Coronation of the Messiah
The Beginning of the Messianic Kingdom
The Judgment
The Wedding of the Messiah

Joseph Good said, "The Day (or Time) of Trouble referred to here is scattered throughtout the Scriptures under various names: Birthpangs, Wrath of G-d, Tribulation, and so forth. It describes a seven year time period of judgement and cleansing on the earth "

Author of The Morning Comes and Also the Night , Pastor Byron MacDonald of Rosh HaShanah said,

“I do think the Day of the Lord is a 1007 year period of time that begins with the Great Tribulation - the wrath of God on the nations.”

And,

“I think the key date is Rosh Hashanna. I think the dating back to Jesus' birth is pretty accurate. I didn't see the history channel but I've seen similar dating based on when Zechariah was priest on duty in the Temple. I definitely think Jesus will come back for the church on Rosh Hashana, I just don't know which one. My preference is this year. Even so Lord Jesus come!”

January 30, 2009

Jesus Prays

2008-04-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

John 17

Jesus Prays for Himself

After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed:

"Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may Glorify You.

For You granted Him Authority over all people that He might give Eternal Life to all those You have given Him.

Now this is Eternal Life: that they may know You, the Only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

I have brought You Glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.

And now, Father, Glorify Me in Your presence with the Glory I had with You before the world began.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

"I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world.

They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word.

Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You.

For I gave them the Words You gave Me and they accepted them.

They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

I pray for them.

I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me,

for they are Yours.

All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine.

And Glory has come to Me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but

they are still in the world, and I am coming to You.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name—the Name You gave Me—so that

they may be One as We are One.

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that Name You gave Me.

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

"I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them.

I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Sanctify them by The Truth; Your Word is Truth.

As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

For them I Sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

"My prayer is not for them alone.

I pray also for those who will believe in Me

through their message, that all of them may be One, Father, just as You are in Me

and I am in You.

May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

I have given them the Glory that You gave Me, that they may be One as We are One:

I in them and You in Me.

May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I Am, and to see My Glory, the Glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.

"Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me.

I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them."

Overcome

2008-04-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21

Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He who was seated on the throne said,

"I am making everything New!"

Then he said,

"Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me:

"It is done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the Beginning and the End.

To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who Overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me,

"Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the

Holy City,

Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God.

It shone with the glory of God,

and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel,

like a jasper,

clear as crystal.

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

There were three gates on the east,

three on the north,

three on the south and

three on the west.

The wall of the city had twelve foundations,

and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.

The first foundation was jasper,

the second sapphire,

the third chalcedony,

the fourth emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth carnelian,

the seventh chrysolite,

the eighth beryl,

the ninth topaz,

the tenth chrysoprase,

the eleventh jacinth,

and the twelfth amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls,

each gate made of a single pearl.

The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into 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.

Jerusalem the Praise of the Earth: Zion

2008-04-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Zion's New Name

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;

for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.

As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons marry you;

as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

I have posted watchmen on your walls,

O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,

and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her The Praise of the Earth.

The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:

"Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;

but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary."

Pass through, pass through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.

The LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:

"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your Savior comes!
See, His reward is with Him,
and His recompense accompanies Him.' "

12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted

Isaiah 61

2008-04-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because 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
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
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.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.

"For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."

I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.

Melchizedek

2008-04-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 5

Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

No one takes this honor upon himself;

he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest.

But God said to him,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father."

And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Falling Away

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food!

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 4

2008-04-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

"So I declared on oath in my anger,

'They shall never enter my rest.' "

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words:

"And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."

And again in the passage above he says,

"They shall never enter my rest."

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.

Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today,

when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;

for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,

joints and marrow;

it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 3 - One Greater than Moses

2008-04-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Jesus Greater Than Moses

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Warning Against Unbelief

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,

where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.

That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

But encourage one another daily,

as long as it is called Today,

so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

As has just been said:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."[

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?

And with whom was he angry for forty years?

Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 2

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We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Jesus Made Like His Brothers

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

But there is a place where someone has testified:

"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor

and put everything under his feet."

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.

Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory,

it was fitting that God,

for whom and through whom everything exists,

should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.

So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

He says,
"I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

And again,

"I will put my trust in him." And again he says,

"Here am I, and the children God has given me."

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted

Hebrews 1

2008-04-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"?

And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

In speaking of the angels he says,

"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire."

But about the Son he says,

"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy."

He also says,

"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.

You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same,

and your years will never end."

To which of the angels did God ever say,

"Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet"?

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Read the Book of John

2008-04-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.

They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.

They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;

in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;

and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy

Some of his disciples said to one another,

"What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"

They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."

Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'?

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

In that day you will no longer ask me anything.

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

In that day you will ask in my name.

I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

Then Jesus' disciples said,

"Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions.

This makes us believe that you came from God."

"You believe at last!"

Jesus answered.

"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home.

You will leave me all alone.

Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world."

The Great American Experiment

2008-03-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Lesson 10 - The American Experiment: Stepping Stones

I. Introduction – God's design for the state – How close was the American Experiment?
A. Three rules: Won't deify America; won't deify Founders; won't cast stones
B. Basis for the three branches - Isaiah 33 – Lawgiver, Judge, and King
C. Early educational system – Instilling principles of Biblical Christianity
1. Primer and NEA – Biblical doctrine and prayer were essential to education
2. Founding and original mottos of Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia
II. Foundations of Religion and Morality – Basis for Freedom and Liberty
A. Dr. Tackett's personal journey – America 101
1. Murals in Capital rotunda
2. Revelation 2:5 - Remember, Repent and Return
3. Washington's Farwell address
B. Foundations of this country - Religion and Morality
1. Consistent theme in virtually all of the Founder's writings
2. They saw a strong connection between virtue and liberty
C. Purpose of Civil Magistrate - Punish evil and condone good – Romans 13
III. Foundations of Law
A. Blackstone – Valid human laws must be based upon God's laws
B. Influence of Darwin radically changed law in America – Case study methodology
1. Legal Positivism – The state is the authority for determining right and wrong
IV. The Larger Story
A. Original charters and constitutions – Acknowledgment of God's authority and recognition that the state was subject to and accountable to God
B. Pilgrims intent – "preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the gospel"
C. Historical revisionism – Founders depicted as Deists and secularists; stripping God and Christianity from all historical accounts; pursuing a secular basis for law
V. Conclusion – How has this happened?
A. Men have forgotten God
B. Cycle of Nations – Hosea 13:6 – Judgment and destruction upon proud nations
C. Jesus removing the lamp stand – Our hope: Light always overtakes darkness
For this tour we will remain in the southwest sector of the compass long enough to examine a special sub-category of our last topic of discussion: the design of the state. In particular, we want to take a brief look at the question, "What should God'sminister on earth (Romans 13:4) look like? What is a proper form for this agency that is divinely appointed and commissioned to administer justice, punish evil, and encourage goodness among its citizens or subjects?" We will approach this task by considering the American Experiment.

Themes
From the beginning, Dr. Tackett lays down three ground rules for this study: first, we will not seek to deify America; and second, we will not seek to deify the Founding Fathers (the third ground rule will be dealt with at the end of the lesson). Having established these guidelines, he hastens to point out that there are compelling reasons for giving special attention to the subject of this tour. The American Experiment has the potential to prove unusually conducive to a deeper understanding of God's design for the state precisely because it is unique in the history of the world. Here on these shores, and here alone, people with a strong Christian worldview have been afforded an unparalleled opportunity to create from scratch what they considered an ideal system of government – a system designed in careful conformity with the principles outlined in Lesson 9.
We begin by establishing the biblical character of that worldview. The NewEngland Primer, the second best-selling book (after the Bible) of the colonial era, provides an intriguing window into the attitudes of early Americans. In particular, it reveals an outlook and a way of life powerfully shaped by the teachings of Scripture. The pervasiveness of this outlook is further demonstrated in statements made by America's early political leaders, legal and social architects, and educational pioneers – people like Benjamin Rush, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Charles Carroll, Noah Webster, and the founders of Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia Universities. In spite of the fact that not all of them were practicing Christians, these luminaries agreed with President John Adams that the success of America's republican form of government would prove directly dependent upon the virtue and morality of her people, and that virtue and morality are necessarily founded upon religion – by which all meant the Christian religion. All of these early thinkers were convinced that the state must be held accountable to the authority of a higher ethical and spiritual standard – the "Natural Law" or the "Law of Nature's God" – if the human rights abuses they had observed in Europe and throughout history were to be hopefully avoided on this continent.
Tragically, however, America is quickly turning away from these principles. It is hard to put a finger on the exact reasons, but one clear element came as Darwinian evolutionary theory made its influence felt in the field of law. In 1869, Harvard Law School Dean Christopher Langdell advanced the view that law is not based upon the transcendent standard of "Nature's God," but is rather a fluid and constantly mutating body of "doctrine," a set of purely human ideas that inevitably change "by slow degrees." In other words, law and ethics, like biological species, are continually "evolving." Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes expanded on this theme by declaring that the law is "simply an embodiment of the ends and purposes of a society at a given point in its history," thus effectively granting to the state the power to establish society's ethical norms. John Dewey implemented these ideas in the realm of public education. "There is no God," said Dewey (nicknamed "The Architect of Modern Education"), "and there is no soul. Hence, there are no needs for the props of traditional religion."
These statements, says Dr. Tackett, bring us to the present moment. Today, America has largely forgotten God and denied the validity of her biblically based Christian roots. As a result, we see the power of the state expanding in our time. This, too, is a manifestation of the perennial Cosmic Battle, which is always fought most fiercely in the social realm. Ultimately, we must face the fact that the American Experiment is likely to fail altogether if we do not take intentional and deliberate steps to salvage it. This is a task which falls primarily on the shoulders of Christian people. As believers, we need to remember God's call to prayer and repentance in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. There is nothing to be gained, says Dr. Tackett, by casting blame on non-Christians (this is the third ground rule for our study).
Points to Watch for
This last point should be kept in mind throughout the entire discussion. From beginning to end, Dr. Tackett seeks to communicate the thought that the American Experiment makes sense only when understood as the brainchild of Christians who operated on the basis of a biblical worldview. Just as the experiment was instigated by believers, so it must be carried on by believers – believers who care deeply and passionately about their country – if it is to survive and continue to succeed.
Discussion Questions
• Here are some of the key items: Early American educational system; the New England Primer and "play not with bad boys"; Harvard rules and Columbia's seal; Dr. Tackett's journey in Washington D.C.; Washington's Farewell Address; the foundations of religion and morality; the myriad of quotes from Washington, Adams, Benjamin Rush, Daniel and Noah Webster, and others; the basis of the phrase "the law of nature"; Blackstone's Commentaries on the Law; Delaware's oath of office, good law is based upon God's law; the evolution of law in America; Elliot and Langdell at Harvard and the removal of Blackstone and the institution of the case method; Benjamin Franklin's address to the Constitutional Convention; Lincoln's call for fasting, humiliation and prayer; the call for our involvement.
• It was during a re-enactment of Washington's Farewell Address, says Dr. Tackett, that he was struck by the "sinking feeling" that he had been "lied to." What "lies" does he have in mind, and how do they fit the pattern of the other lies we've encountered during the course of our worldview tours? Have you been subjected to such lies yourself? (The heart of the lie is contained in Bishop Paul O'Brien's ( Universal Life Church) statement that "The United States was started by men we today would call pagans … [and] Deists." The motive behind the lie is the same one we have observed in our discussions of philosophy, science, and history: exclude God from the system – i.e., construct a cosmic cube with a closed lid – and man can regard himself as free to do whatever he wants. He is no longer accountable to a higher authority.)
• Name some of the early sources for the idea of "the laws of Nature and of Nature's God" referenced by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Why was this concept so important to the founders of the American system of government? What risks do we run in replacing this idea with Langdell's notion of "evolving law?" (Contrary to much popular opinion, the "natural law" was not primarily a Deistic concept. It was extremely important to the theologians of the Protestant Reformation; consider, for example, The SecondHelvetic Confession, Chapter XII: "This law was at one time written in the hearts of men by the finger of God" [based upon Paul's teaching in Romans 2:14, 15]. It is a prominent theme in the writings of Sir Edward Coke [1552-1634] and John Locke [1632-1704], both of whom tied their ideas of "natural law" securely to thewill of God. Locke made special use of it in arguing against the "Divine Right of Kings." It was this aspect of the theory that made it particularly appealing to Jefferson and the other founders, who saw in it a re-affirmation of the truth that rulers must be held accountable to a higher authority. If we jettison the "natural law" and put ethics in the hands of the state, we run the risk of re-incurring the very dangers that Locke and Jefferson were resisting: tyranny and totalitarianism.)
• What did John Adams mean when he affirmed that "… Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other"? What does this imply about the foundations of the American Experiment and the basic structure of the system of government it established? (In essence, Adams was agreeing with Franklin, who claimed, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom." In other words, the American Experiment was based upon the assumption that people who accept the Christian worldview are capable of governing themselves internally where ethical and moral issues are concerned. Thus, conceptually speaking, the architects of America's early government structure envisioned the Republic supported by a foundation of common morality, and morality resting on the bedrock of religion and Christian faith.)
• Why, according to Dr. Tackett, is it in vogue to hate America today? To what extent is this hatred justifiable, and to what extent is it a manifestation of the Cosmic Battle? (As Christians, we must not be afraid to admit that the history of this nation has been anything but perfect. Not only should we be the first to acknowledge the sins of the past and the present – we should also lead the way to repentance, reformation, and the renewal of the Founders' vision. At the same time, we should not be ignorant of the larger spiritual dimension of the cultural struggle we are facing today. America may not be pure and blameless, but her form of government has been built upon a foundation that was laid firmly and securely upon a biblical worldview and the concept that man and the state must be held accountable to a higher law. It is this, says Dr. Tackett, that has inspired the lion's share of the hatred currently directed toward the American Experiment.
• What should we do when Adams's assumptions no longer appear to be valid – that is, when it becomes evident that Americans can no longer be characterized as a "moral and religious people" as he understood the phrase? How do we apply the Founders' ideas to a "multicultural" America where a flood of moral and spiritual perspectives – e.g., Buddhism, spiritism, Islam, Native American religions, and Wicca – have become part of the cultural fabric? (This, in a sense, is the crux of the entire discussion; for Dr. Tackett tells us again and again that we have in fact come to a place where the Christian God has been largely forgotten in American public life. Our response to this situation is crucial. We will accomplish nothing by striking out in anger against those who no longer share our Christian worldview. Instead, we must take upon ourselves the burden of praying, repenting, caring, and actively working to salvage the experiment. Most of all, we must resist the temptation to take our freedoms for granted.)
Revisionist History: Bradford and the Pilgrims

In his introduction to Governor William Bradford's Letter Book,1 John C. Kemp, Associate Director of Colonial Interpretation at Plymouth Plantation, rightly contends that this "little treasure trove of documents and letters to and from Plymouth Colony in the 1620s" – a collection of source material that Bradford himself never intended to publish – casts a valuable light on the story of New England's earliest settlement. Unfortunately, he obscures that light by twisting the significance of these documents to serve his own ends.
Kemp's thesis, stated broadly, is that Bradford himself was America's first writer of revisionist history. In the Letter Book, he tells us, we see the plain, unadorned facts of Plymouth's early history laid bare in such a way that we can no longer take seriously the "Calvinist vision" and "polemical Predestinarianism" that inform and animate Bradford's account of the same events in Of Plymouth Plantation. By studying these letters, he suggests, we may free ourselves at last from the "subtle power of the mythical Pilgrim" whose image has been foisted upon the American consciousness by Bradford and his uncritically patriotic interpreters. It's a remarkable argument – less for its cleverness than for the blatant violence it does to the obvious truth.
For example: Kemp says that pilgrims are conspicuously absent from the documents contained in Governor William Bradford's Letter Book. That's because the colonists who came over on the Mayflower never really considered themselves to be any such thing: "That part of the story, the idealizing of colonists into Pilgrims (Pilgrims with a capital 'P'), occurred in the late 18 th and 19 th centuries."2
Apparently forgetting that he is supposed to be talking about Bradford and his "17 th-century biases," Kemp informs us that America's "Pilgrim heritage" is largely the fabrication of men like John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster. Webster, we learn, "did much to popularize the Pilgrim Fathers" as "uniformly hard-working, right-minded, freedom-loving proponents of the virtues upheld in Victorian Boston throughout the 19 th century and well into the 20 th." The problem is that "these are not the struggling, precariously disorganized, and contentious people we find in the Letter Book."3
One has to wonder whether Kemp has actually read Bradford's account of the founding of New England. The settlers described in Of Plymouth Plantation are certainly hard-working, right-minded, and pious. But they are not uniformly so. What's more, Bradford is brutally honest about portraying his fellow colonists precisely as a "struggling, disorganized, and contentious" lot. That's because he wants us to see "the infinite qualitative difference between the human and the divine." Of Plymouth Plantation, says Francis Murphy,
affirms the possibility of grace without losing sight of the fact that man is fallen, that he is both creature as well as creator, and that he depends utterly on God's help for salvation … It is part of Bradford's genius to show us dramatically the struggle of Puritan piety to survive in difficult circumstances, often caused by themselves, and to describe the complex motives that underlie all human action.4That's not to mention that the Mayflower emigrants did in fact think of themselves as "pilgrims" in the best biblical sense of the word. As early as their sojourn in Leyden, the Scrooby Separatists were interpreting their difficult circumstances in terms of the language of Hebrews 11:13-16: "They knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits."5
In similarly skewed fashion, Kemp argues that Governor William Bradford's Letter Book makes it clear that the Plymouth colonists had little concern for the welfare of their Native American neighbors. Indians, like Pilgrims, are never mentioned in these documents, says Kemp. Why not? It's a bad reason, a very meaningful omission. In fact, after all the lofty words about friendship and Christian love when the colony began, the colonists' lack of concern for their Pokanoket or Wampanoag neighbors just a few years later says a great deal about colonialism. Colonists don't like to think about the people they are colonizing.6
But how are we to reconcile this statement with Bradford's many expressions of indebtedness to Samoset, Hobomok, and Squanto? His heartfelt grief on the occasion of Squanto's death? Or his detailed descriptions of relations with Massasoit, the Wampanoag chief who kept his treaty with the Plymouth settlers for over forty years? Even when compelled to use force against openly hostile Native Americans, as in the case of Wituwamat and Pecksuot, Bradford always did so reluctantly, bearing in mind the words of his pastor, John Robinson, who had written from Leyden: "Oh! How happy a thing had it been, if you had converted some, before you had killed any!"7
The fact of the matter is that there is another reason – a very simple and straightforward reason – for the glaring "omissions" Kemp has noted. Most of the documents contained in Bradford's Letter Book are examples of business correspondence. They deal primarily with finances, accounts, inventories, and the profits the London Adventurers hoped to receive from Plymouth colony. It's not surprising that writings of this nature should have little to say about the spiritual idealism of "pilgrims" or the day-to-day challenges of maintaining relations with indigenous tribesmen. What can have driven a responsible scholar like Mr. Kemp to promote such blatant misrepresentations of the facts? Lacking an explanation from his own pen, we are left to speculate. But given the spirit of the times in which we live, it seems reasonable to suppose that his motives might be similar to those of the school textbook writers who have seen fit to edit phrases like "In the name of God, Amen" out of the Mayflower Compact. Like them, Kemp understands that the prize to the victors in the battle over history is power: power to control the present and shape the course of the future. This is the power of historical revisionism, fiddling with the past to control beliefs in the present.
1Governor William Bradford's Letter Book, Introduction by John C. Kemp ( Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 2001), iii-x.
2 Ibid., iii. 3 Ibid., vii. 4 Francis Murphy, Introduction to William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647 (New York: Modern Library College Editions, 1981), xvii, xix.
5 William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 50. "It was owing to this passage, first printed in 1669, that the Mayflower's company came eventually to be called the Pilgrim Fathers." (Samuel Eliot Morison, footnote 4.)
6 Kemp, iii.
7 Cited in Gary D. Schmidt, William Bradford: Plymouth's Faithful Pilgrim ( Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999), 133.

From The Truth Project Lesson 10

The King of kings

2008-03-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said,

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

A psalm of David

2008-03-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Lord Jesus prays to God the Father

Psalm 23

The LORD is My Shepherd, I shall not want;

He makes Me lie down in green pastures,

He leads Me beside still waters;

He restores My soul.

He leads Me in the path of righteousness

for His name's sake.

Though I walk

through the valley of the Shadow of Death,

I will fear no evil,

for Thou art with Me;

Thy rod and Thy staff,

they comfort Me.

Thou preparest a table before Me

in the presence of My enemies.

Thou anointest My head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and Mercy shall follow Me

all the days of My life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

Peace shall be between them both.'

2008-03-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 6:12-13

Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says:

'Here is the Man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the LORD.

It is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on His throne.

And He will be a priest on His throne. And the Counsel of Peace shall be between them both.'

John 15:1-5

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

God will again choose Jerusalem

2008-03-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Haggi 2:6-8

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all nations, and the Desired of All Nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,'

says the LORD Almighty.

Zechariah 1:12-17

Then the angel of the LORD said,

"LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?"

So the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
Then the angel who was speaking to me said,

"Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says:

'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.'

"Therefore, this is what the LORD says:

'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty.

"Proclaim further: This is what the LORD Almighty says:

'My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.' "

Zechariah 2: 7-13

"Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!"

For this is what the LORD Almighty says:

"After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye-

I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me.

"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion.

For I am coming, and I will live among you,"
declares the LORD.

"Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people.
I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.

The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

there we sat

2008-02-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

JERUSALEM

By the rivers of Babylon,

there we sat,

sat and wept,

as we thought of Zion.

There on the poplars

we hung up our lyres,

for our captors asked us there for songs,

our tormentors, for amusement,

"Sing us one of the songs of Zion."

How can we sing a song of the Lord on alien soil?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand wither,

let my tongue stick to my palate

if I cease to think of you,

if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory

even at my happiest hour…

(Psalm 137:1-6)

Trees

2008-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Review of the "trees" Bible study shows that God uses the "trail of the trees" to reveal a some of the future/prophecy of the New Jerusalem and His Glory.
Trail of Trees

Let me explain the reason I am going for all the trees in the Bible. I believe the trees are sort of like a powerpoint presentation. God shows us the importance of the entire Bible and the Trees are a Thread of Truth or a trail.

So I am calling this study the Trail of Trees.

In mentioning the curse of those who hang from a tree, and the Cross of Christ I am getting ahead of myself so lets go back to the beginning.

Here we start with Genesis. The first reference of trees in the Bible.

Genesis 1:11-12

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.

The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 2:9
And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
The Fall of Man
Genesis Chapter 3
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."
17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life

Ezekiel 47 (see verse 12) healing of the nations
The River From the Temple
1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.
3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. 6 He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.
12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."
The Boundaries of the Land
13 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph.

14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.
15 "This is to be the boundary of the land:
"On the north side it will run from the Great Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad, 16 Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the north boundary.
18 "On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the east boundary.
19 "On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the south boundary.
20 "On the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the west boundary.
21 "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
23 In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD.
Revelation 22 (healing of the nations) The last mention of “trees” in the Bible
The River of Life
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

2down the middle of the great street of the city.

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

6The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
Jesus Is Coming
7"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
9But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
10Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.
11Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20He who testifies to these things says,
"Yes, I am coming soon."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

Esther

2008-02-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Read The Book of Esther using this symbolic imagery.

Hebrew name Hadassah means- “Myrtle”

Esther means “Star”- A church within a church, The Bride of Christ. The church within us.

Vashti-Independent , Rebellious Spirit of Mankind.

Mordecai-Holy Spirit Revealing Truth

Hamon-Flesh, Natural Man

Shushan-Lily City, City on a hill that cannot be hidden

The king – How do we approach The King?

"If it please the Lord"

"For a time such as this."

"If I perish, I perish."

The names below are the advisors to the king, and they represent worldly attitudes and views.

7 Eunuchs
Mehuman- I have been faithful
Biztha - I have served you, you owe me a bit
Harbona - My own decisions
Bigtha - In the winepress through many afflictions
Abagtha - Father of the wine press
Zethar - I’ll bring you out on top
Careas – Bound one

Advisors
Carshena – Change thou the Lamb
Shethar – I’ll search out your answers
Admatha - Unrestrained or without discipline
Tarshish - It will cause poverty, or will
Meres – Worthy, you deserve more honor
Marsena – Bitter or cancerous
Memucan – Their poverty, what will your decision cost?

• A TYPE is a person, thing or event that represents another, especially another that is to come in the future.

• An ALLRGORY is a story in which people, things and happenings have symbolic significance, not merely a literal one. Usually morally instructive.

when I make atonement

2008-02-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel 16: 49 -62

" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:

She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

They were haughty and did detestable things before me.

Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

Samaria did not commit half the sins you did.

You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.

Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

" 'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort.

And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the LORD.

" 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger.

I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "

...each go to his own land

2008-02-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 51

This is what the LORD says:

"See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.

I will send foreigners to Babylon
to winnow her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
in the day of her disaster.

Let not the archer string his bow,
nor let him put on his armor.
Do not spare her young men;
completely destroy her army.

They will fall down slain in Babylon,
fatally wounded in her streets.

For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
by their God, the LORD Almighty,
though their land is full of guilt
before the Holy One of Israel.

"Flee from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
It is time for the LORD's vengeance;
he will pay her what she deserves.

Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand;
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.

Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.

" 'We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to his own land,
for her judgment reaches to the skies,
it rises as high as the clouds.'

" 'The LORD has vindicated us;
come, let us tell in Zion
what the LORD our God has done.'

"Sharpen the arrows,
take up the shields!
The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
The LORD will take vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.

Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,
prepare an ambush!
The LORD will carry out his purpose,
his decree against the people of Babylon.

You who live by many waters
and are rich in treasures,
your end has come,
the time for you to be cut off.

The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself:
I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts,
and they will shout in triumph over you.

"He made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

"Every man is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
His images are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including the tribe of his inheritance—
the LORD Almighty is his name.

"You are my war club,
my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter nations,
with you I destroy kingdoms,
with you I shatter horse and rider,
with you I shatter chariot and driver,
with you I shatter man and woman,
with you I shatter old man and youth,
with you I shatter young man and maiden,
with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
with you I shatter governors and officials.

"Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the LORD.

"I am against you, O destroying mountain,
you who destroy the whole earth,"

declares the LORD.
"I will stretch out my hand against you,
roll you off the cliffs,
and make you a burned-out mountain.

No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
nor any stone for a foundation,
for you will be desolate forever,"
declares the LORD.

"Lift up a banner in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations for battle against her;
summon against her these kingdoms:
Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a commander against her;
send up horses like a swarm of locusts.

Prepare the nations for battle against her—
the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officials,
and all the countries they rule.

The land trembles and writhes,
for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand—
to lay waste the land of Babylon
so that no one will live there.

Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting;
they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted;
they have become like women.
Her dwellings are set on fire;
the bars of her gates are broken.

One courier follows another
and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his entire city is captured,
the river crossings seized,
the marshes set on fire,
and the soldiers terrified."

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
"The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time it is trampled;
the time to harvest her will soon come."

"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us,
he has thrown us into confusion,
he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
and then has spewed us out.

May the violence done to our flesh be upon Babylon,"
say the inhabitants of Zion.
"May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,"
says Jerusalem.

Therefore, this is what the LORD says:

"See, I will defend your cause
and avenge you;
I will dry up her sea
and make her springs dry.
Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
a haunt of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,
a place where no one lives.

Her people all roar like young lions,
they growl like lion cubs.
But while they are aroused,
I will set out a feast for them
and make them drunk,
so that they shout with laughter—
then sleep forever and not awake,"
declares the LORD.

"I will bring them down
like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams and goats.

"How Sheshach will be captured,
the boast of the whole earth seized!
What a horror Babylon will be
among the nations!

The sea will rise over Babylon;
its roaring waves will cover her.

Her towns will be desolate,
a dry and desert land,
a land where no one lives,
through which no man travels.

I will punish Bel in Babylon
and make him spew out what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
And the wall of Babylon will fall.

"Come out of her, my people!
Run for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of the LORD.

Do not lose heart or be afraid
when rumors are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
rumors of violence in the land
and of ruler against ruler.

For the time will surely come
when I will punish the idols of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced
and her slain will all lie fallen within her.

Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will shout for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north
destroyers will attack her,"
declares the LORD.

"Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain,
just as the slain in all the earth
have fallen because of Babylon.

You who have escaped the sword,
leave and do not linger!
Remember the LORD in a distant land,
and think on Jerusalem."

"We are disgraced,
for we have been insulted
and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the LORD's house."

"But days are coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will punish her idols,
and throughout her land
the wounded will groan.

Even if Babylon reaches the sky
and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
I will send destroyers against her,"
declares the LORD.

"The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,
the sound of great destruction
from the land of the Babylonians.

The LORD will destroy Babylon;

He will silence her noisy din.

Waves of enemies will rage like great waters;
the roar of their voices will resound.

A destroyer will come against Babylon;
her warriors will be captured,
and their bows will be broken.
For the LORD is a God of retribution;
he will repay in full.

I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep forever and not awake,"
declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty.

This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Babylon's thick wall will be leveled
and her high gates set on fire;
the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,
the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames."

This is the message Jeremiah gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. He said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. Then say, 'O LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither man nor animal will live in it; it will be desolate forever.'

When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.

Then say, 'So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall.' "

The words of Jeremiah end here

2008-02-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 50

A Message About Babylon

This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:

"Announce and proclaim among the nations,
lift up a banner and proclaim it;
keep nothing back, but say,
'Babylon will be captured;
Bel will be put to shame,
Marduk filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
and her idols filled with terror.'

A nation from the north will attack her
and lay waste her land.
No one will live in it;
both men and animals will flee away.

"In those days, at that time,"
declares the LORD,
"the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
will go in tears to seek the LORD their God.

They will ask the way to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come and bind themselves to the LORD
in an everlasting covenant
that will not be forgotten.

"My people have been lost sheep;
their shepherds have led them astray
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill
and forgot their own resting place.

Whoever found them devoured them;
their enemies said, 'We are not guilty,
for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture,
the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'

"Flee out of Babylon;
leave the land of the Babylonians,
and be like the goats that lead the flock.

For I will stir up and bring against Babylon
an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.
They will take up their positions against her,
and from the north she will be captured.
Their arrows will be like skilled warriors
who do not return empty-handed.

So Babylonia will be plundered;
all who plunder her will have their fill,"
declares the LORD.

"Because you rejoice and are glad,
you who pillage my inheritance,
because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain
and neigh like stallions,

your mother will be greatly ashamed;
she who gave you birth will be disgraced.
She will be the least of the nations—
a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.

Because of the LORD's anger she will not be inhabited
but will be completely desolate.
All who pass Babylon will be horrified and scoff
because of all her wounds.

"Take up your positions around Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,
for she has sinned against the LORD.

Shout against her on every side!
She surrenders, her towers fall,
her walls are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance of the LORD,
take vengeance on her;
do to her as she has done to others.

Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword of the oppressor
let everyone return to his own people,
let everyone flee to his own land.

"Israel is a scattered flock
that lions have chased away.
The first to devour him
was the king of Assyria;
the last to crush his bones
was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."

Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
"I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
as I punished the king of Assyria.

But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture
and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
his appetite will be satisfied
on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

In those days, at that time,"
declares the LORD,
"search will be made for Israel's guilt,
but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

"Attack the land of Merathaim
and those who live in Pekod.
Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,"
declares the LORD.
"Do everything I have commanded you.

The noise of battle is in the land,
the noise of great destruction!
How broken and shattered
is the hammer of the whole earth!
How desolate is Babylon
among the nations!

I set a trap for you, O Babylon,
and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured
because you opposed the LORD.

The LORD has opened his arsenal
and brought out the weapons of his wrath,
for the Sovereign LORD Almighty has work to do
in the land of the Babylonians.

Come against her from afar.
Break open her granaries;
pile her up like heaps of grain.
Completely destroy her
and leave her no remnant.

Kill all her young bulls;
let them go down to the slaughter!
Woe to them! For their day has come,
the time for them to be punished.

Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon
declaring in Zion
how the LORD our God has taken vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.

"Summon archers against Babylon,
all those who draw the bow.
Encamp all around her;
let no one escape.
Repay her for her deeds;
do to her as she has done.
For she has defied the LORD,
the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,"
declares the LORD.

"See, I am against you, O arrogant one,"
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
"for your day has come,
the time for you to be punished.

The arrogant one will stumble and fall
and no one will help her up;
I will kindle a fire in her towns
that will consume all who are around her."

This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"The people of Israel are oppressed,
and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
refusing to let them go.

Yet their Redeemer is strong;
the LORD Almighty is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause
so that he may bring rest to their land,
but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

"A sword against the Babylonians!"
declares the LORD—
"against those who live in Babylon
and against her officials and wise men!

A sword against her false prophets!
They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!
They will be filled with terror.

A sword against her horses and chariots
and all the foreigners in her ranks!
They will become women.
A sword against her treasures!
They will be plundered.

A drought on her waters!
They will dry up.
For it is a land of idols,
idols that will go mad with terror.

"So desert creatures and hyenas will live there,
and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
or lived in from generation to generation.

As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
along with their neighboring towns,"
declares the LORD,
"so no one will live there;
no man will dwell in it.

"Look! An army is coming from the north;
a great nation and many kings
are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.

They are armed with bows and spears;
they are cruel and without mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon.

The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
and his hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped him,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?"

Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Babylon,
what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
he will completely destroy their pasture because of them.
At the sound of Babylon's capture the earth will tremble;
its cry will resound among the nations

God Will Preserve Israel

2008-02-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

Jeremiah 46:27-28

"Do not fear, O Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, O Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.

Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
for I am with you," declares the LORD.
"Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only with justice;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

Restore Zion, Dear Lord as in Jeremiah 33

2008-02-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah Chapter 33

While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time:

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name:

'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: 'They will be filled with the dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

" 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it;

I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before.

I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.

Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'

"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,

"Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever."

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without men or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.

In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD.

" 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

" 'In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line;
He will do what is just and right in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:

The LORD Our Righteousness.'

For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.' "

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

"This is what the LORD says: 'If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.' "

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

"Have you not noticed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation.

This is what the LORD says:

'If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.' "

Amen,
Dear Lord, Your Word is my Hope, and my prayer.

God reads the heart, it's called: Prayer

2008-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Prayer

The prophet Jeremiah was not a popular man. When he declared the truth God had given him-that Judah would soon start seventy long years in captivity-the people threw him into prison.

Yet in such dire circumstances, Jeremiah learned something profound about prayer, Jeremiah 33:1-3 says, “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord who made it, (the Lord is His name): “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know”’”

Prayer is a very real part of a vital relationship with God. It is not for some special spiritual elite; it is for you.

Three principles within these verses can transform your old notions about prayer into something fresh and new.

First, God says, “Call to Me.” He wants to hear from you. His all-loving, omnipotent heart desires to hear your innermost thoughts and feelings. He wants to hear from you in the hard times and when life is going smoothly. In fact, your sweetest times of prayer happen when you come before Him simply to praise and worship and give thinks for what He has done.

Second, God says, “I will answer you.” Do you believe that? Perhaps you once asked God for something He did not give you, and since then, you have harbored secret worries that He did not hear or did not care to answer. But God Himself says to you “I will answer you.” That answer may not take the form you anticipate or come when you desire, but He will respond. He might say “yes”, “no” or “wait”. You may not understand the reasons behind His answer-but you can trust that they are the best for you... Romans 8:28 applies for believers who love Him and work for His purpose: “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.”

Third, God says “I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” You have finite wisdom and understanding; God knows all. He knows the big picture; you see merely a tiny piece. When you ask Him to guide you, He works to direct you as part of His higher vision and calling.

If you take that first step of calling out to Him, prayer can become an important part of a dynamic relationship with almighty God. Do it today-He waits to hear your voice.

The above lesson on prayer is from Charles Stanley Life Principles Bible page: 900.

I totally agree with what Dr. Stanley says about prayer.

Once after reading a book about the Bible, and study of the Bible, I came to the point of understanding that God is real.

I acknowledged the God of the Bible, the God of Israel, and Way of Jesus as His "Truth" in my heart and God blessed me with the Holy Sprit as a deposit of my faith.

I haven’t been the same since, Thank God! Ask God to do the same for you, He will.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Singleness of heart

2008-02-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 32:38-42

They will be my people, and I will be their God.

I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.

I will make an everlasting covenant with them:

I will never stop doing good to them, and

I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.

I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

"This is what the LORD says:

As I have brought all this great calamity on this people,

so I will give them all the prosperity

I have promised them.

"Zion for whom no one cares"

2008-02-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 30

Restoration of Israel

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD :

"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the LORD."

These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: "This is what the LORD says:

" 'Cries of fear are heard—
terror, not peace.

Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
every face turned deathly pale?

How awful that day will be!
None will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.

" 'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty,
'I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.

Instead, they will serve the LORD their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.

" 'So do not fear, O Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, O Israel,'
declares the LORD.

'I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.

I am with you and will save you,'
declares the LORD.

'Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only with justice;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.'

"This is what the LORD says:
" 'Your wound is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.

There is no one to plead your cause,
no remedy for your sore,
no healing for you.

All your allies have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy would
and punished you as would the cruel,
because your guilt is so great
and your sins so many.

Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.

" 'But all who devour you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.

But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,'
declares the LORD,
'because you are called an outcast,
Zion for whom no one cares.'

"This is what the LORD says:
" 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.

From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.

Their children will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established before me;
I will punish all who oppress them.

Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me,
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?'
declares the LORD.

" 'So you will be my people,
and I will be your God.' "

See, the storm of the LORD
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.

The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand this.

Time is Short

2008-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Time is short.

From what I read in the Bible, this is what I think is going to happen before Damascus is destroyed and Ezekiel 38-39 takes place.

I think the Rapture and the Day of the Lord will be as soon as this year on Rosh Hashanah, the blowing of the trumpets that calls the current believers home and ushers in the end time events to be faced by those left on the earth.

I think Jeremiah 25, and Rev. 18 show that “The Day of the Lord” is going to be a day of disaster that will also be when true Christians are “Caught Away” like a mother cat who grabs her kitten”, snatched away from danger.

I know God is longsuffering and wishes any who will, to wake up and call on Him for salvation and to hold onto their new found faith till Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives. Revelation 3: 9-11 “I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

I think The Day of the Lord will be a successful sneak attack that God allows to come to punish evil, from Russia, Osama, N. Korea and Iran that is so sudden and total that “we don’t know where it comes from” and it totally devastates America and causes all survivors to return to their native land.

I think it will be the time leading up to the power of the anti-christ in Europe and the Middle East that will lead to the 7 year accord with Israel.

I think it will be a time when God returns the focus of world events back to the Middle East to fulfill all He has written in His Word, the Bible.

I think Ezekiel 37 shows that the “whole house of Israel” the surviving Jews from the whole world will return to Israel at that time.

I think, then, Zechariah 12 will be fulfilled in Glory. All Jews, who place their trust in the Living God will know and trust Him from then to eternity.

Jeremiah 25:32-38

“This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Look! Disaster is spreading
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth."

“At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.”

“Weep and wail, you shepherds;
roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered has come;
you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.

The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
the leaders of the flock no place to escape.

Hear the cry of the shepherds,
the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
for the LORD is destroying their pasture.
The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

Like a lion he will leave his lair,
and their land will become desolate
because of the sword of the oppressor
and because of the LORD's fierce anger.”

Isaiah 13:13-15

“ Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;
and the earth will shake from its place
at the wrath of the LORD Almighty,
in the day of his burning anger.

Like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd,
each will return to his own people,
each will flee to his native land.

Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
all who are caught will fall by the sword.”

Ezekiel 37:11-14

“ Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

Zechariah 12:1-5

“This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the LORD. "I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.'”

God bless the reading of His Word in the world,
Marcie

Cursed or Blessed, your choice!

2008-02-05T07:34:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 17:5-10

This is what the LORD says:

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.

"But Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?

"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."

A Sad Warning

2008-02-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

For a life changing experience join a local "The Truth Project" Bible Study at your church or find one in your neighborhood.

One point Dr Del Tackett makes in the study is that God has made Himself known to mainkind in two ways;

First by His Creation

Second by His revealed Word.

It is our choice to listen to Him or not because Free Will is a gift from God.

Jesus came to "Testify to the Truth". If you really want to know what the TRUTH is then read what Jesus says.

Start by reading John 18:37 "I came to bear witness to the truth."

Read all of the book of John.

It is the Gospel of Love, it is a love letter from God to you, if you'll read it with all your heart, and mind and let God speak to you through your study.

The choice is yours, believe it or not.

But the Bible comes with a warning for those who do not believe, a sad warning:

Jeremiah 13:17

"But if you will not hear it.
My soul will weep in secret for your pride;
My eyes will weep bitterly
And run down with tears,
Because the Lord's flock has been taken captive."

The Bible reveals the Nature of God in its pages.

Be set free from the lies of this world.
Read and Listen with your heart.

Blessings to you,
Marcie

Don't

2008-02-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

The recognition of God’s power to heal your hurts is a key component to experiencing His tender love. In the midst of great pain, Jeremiah acknowledged his sadness and the ability of God to comfort him. So he cried out,

“O my Comforter in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.” Jeremiah 8:18

Centuries earlier, King David moaned,

“Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters,
but I found none.” Psalm 69:20

In the people around him he could find no solace; but near the end of his song, his tune had changed:

“The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!
The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.” Psalm 69:32,33

Where do you look for comfort?

If you have relied on human remedies, you know how their effectiveness diminishes over time. Some try food, or alcohol, or drugs, or escape into fantasy-anything to attempt to outrun the pain. But when the artificial glow wears off and the dream ends, the ache remains.

There is no such thing as a life without pain and trial, and therefore no such thing as a person without need of comfort.

Don’t let anyone deceive you into thinking that the key to leading a joy filled Christian life is avoiding pain; that simply is not possible in this sinful world, and neither is it profitable for us.

God could choose to insulate you from hurt, but instead He allows you to experience the tough times that draw you closer to Him.

Out of your pain comes a need for God.

As He ministers to you and you accept it with thanksgiving and a desire to learn, you become equipped to minister.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

II Corinthians 1:3,4

Hurting individuals know there is no substitute for experience.

You can reach for God’s comfort right now. Ask Him to give you solace-and find yourself wrapped in the love that will not let you go.

(Excerpt from Charles Stanley Study Bible page 868)

This is what the LORD says:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

But let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"

declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23,24

There is no substitute for study of God’s Word,
It will teach, and give your whole life,
It will take your whole life to study,
Never stop, it teaches His Way and His Nature.

On my knees
With a humble heart
With thanksgiving and praise on my lips
With peace in my heart I pray
Thank you Lord, Amen

weeping and of crying will be no more

2008-02-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 65 : 17

"Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.

I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.

humble and contrite

2008-02-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 66

This is what the LORD says:

"Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?"
declares the LORD.

"This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.

But whoever sacrifices a bull
is like one who kills a man,
and whoever offers a lamb,
like one who breaks a dog's neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig's blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense,
like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;

so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me."

Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
"Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,

'Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!'
Yet they will be put to shame.

Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying his enemies all they deserve.

"Before she goes into labor,
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.

Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.

Do I bring to the moment of birth
and not give delivery?" says the LORD.
"Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?" says your God.

"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn over her.

For you will nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance."

For this is what the LORD says:
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants,
but his fury will be shown to his foes.

See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.

For with fire and with his sword
the LORD will execute judgment upon all men,
and many will be those slain by the LORD.

"Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of] those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things—they will meet their end together," declares the LORD.

"And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.

"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.

And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to My Holy Mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD -on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD.

"They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD.

"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.

"And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

"Your God reigns!"

2008-01-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

Lose Yourself

2008-01-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

You don’t need to “find” yourself in this world. You need to “lose yourself” in God’s Love.

There are 7000 Promises in the Bible. Study and know them and you will be better able to understand the Holy Nature of God.

I do not want to get to heaven without doing my Homework.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 22:36-38
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

II Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

But let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

Amen and Amen

7000 Promises

2008-01-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

Listen to Hal Lindsey's report this week regarding 2008.
He posted it today 1/28/08
Interesting stuff.

For instance, did you know there are 7000 promises in the Bible.

http://hallindsey.org/

I know I'm going to bank on them.

Blessings,
Marcie

Direct me Dear Lord, for I am weak

2008-01-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 40

Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."

You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?

Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.

To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?

As for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.

A man too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

End Quote

Direct me Dear Lord, for I am weak.
Amen and Amen

The breath of the Lord, kindles it.

2008-01-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 30

"Woe to the obstinate children,"
declares the LORD,
"to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;

who go down to Egypt (Any Nation)
without consulting Me;
who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, (Beside Me)
to Egypt's shade for refuge.

But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame,
Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace.

Though they have officials in Zoan
and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,

everyone will be put to shame
because of a people useless to them,
who bring neither help nor advantage,
but only shame and disgrace."

An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev:
Through a land of hardship and distress,
of lions and lionesses,
of adders and darting snakes,
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys' backs,
their treasures on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,

to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.
Therefore I call her
Rahab the Do-Nothing.

Go now, write it on a tablet for them,
inscribe it on a scroll,
that for the days to come
it may be an everlasting witness.

These are rebellious people, deceitful children,
children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction.

They say to the seers,
"See no more visions!"
and to the prophets,
"Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.

Leave this way,
get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!"

Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says:

"Because you have rejected this message,
relied on oppression
and depended on deceit,

this sin will become for you
like a high wall, cracked and bulging,
that collapses suddenly, in an instant.

It will break in pieces like pottery,
shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
for taking coals from a hearth
or scooping water out of a cistern."

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.

You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee!
You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill."

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!"

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.

See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar,
with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,
and his tongue is a consuming fire.

His breath is like a rushing torrent,
rising up to the neck.
He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction;
he places in the jaws of the peoples
a bit that leads them astray.

And you will sing
as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;
your hearts will rejoice
as when people go up with flutes
to the mountain of the LORD,
to the Rock of Israel.

The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice
and will make them see his arm coming down
with raging anger and consuming fire,
with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.

The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria;
with his scepter he will strike them down.

Every stroke the LORD lays on them
with his punishing rod
will be to the music of tambourines and harps,
as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.

Topheth has long been prepared;
it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath of the LORD,
like a stream of burning sulfur,
kindles it.

"Have you considered the Jew, your Majesty?"

2008-01-26T11:52:00.000-08:00

This posted on Hal Lindsey this week and I thought it was well worth the reading. http://hallindsey.org/

There is a legendary story concerning an agitated Frederick the Great who, in frustration, demanded from his cabinet that somebody provide him with proof of the existence of God. There was a momentary silence before one of his counselors spoke up: "Have you considered the Jew, your Majesty?" he asked.

The continuing existence of the Jew is proof positive of God's existence, just as the existence of a Jewish state is proof positive that we are living in the last days of human government as foretold by the Bible prophets of antiquity.

There are three distinct statements made within the Divine promise of blessing given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The first is that God will bless those who bless the Jews.

When the United States wrested its seat at the council of nations from England, it became the first nation on earth to grant full citizenship to Jews.

It was the first nation to allow the Jews an unrestricted vote. It was the first nation to recognize the incomparable blessing the Jewish people have been to humanity.

America's second president, John Adams, said, "The Jews have done more to civilize men than any other Nation. They are the most glorious Nation that ever inhabited the earth. The Romans and their Empire were but a bauble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of Mankind more, and more happily than any other Nation, ancient or modern."

And no nation on the face of the planet today, or at any time in recorded history, has been more greatly blessed than the United States of America.

The second is that God promised that in the Jews "shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Without the Jews, there would be no Bible. Jesus came to earth as a Jew. Without the Jewish Jesus, there would be no Christianity.

Apart from the theological argument, a quick look at the last hundred years or so proves the promise isn't confined to religious blessings alone.

From 1901 to 2001, the world's 6 billion people competed for the scarce 844 Nobel Prizes that have been awarded. Among those 6 billion people are nearly 2 billion Muslims – roughly 20 percent of the global population.

Of those 2 billion Muslims, eight have been singled out to receive the Nobel Prize – (seven if you consider that one of them was a politically motivated award mistakenly given unrepentant terrorist Yasser Arafat).

In any case, Muslims account for less than 1 percent of the total Nobel Prizes awarded in the last hundred years.

In the middle of the 20th century, the Nazis exterminated some 6 million Jews, more than half the world's Jewish population. There are today about 14 million Jews left.

Even with half their number exterminated at the century's midpoint, 159 of the remaining 836 Nobel Prizes were awarded to Jews, or roughly 18.8 percent of all the Nobel Prizes awarded in Nobel's history.

(If you're keeping track, that is about 20 times as many prizes divided among 14 million Jews than were shared by the 2 billion Muslims worldwide)

In America, the influence of American Jews is hugely disproportionate to their numbers. Conspiracists point darkly to the "Jewish influence" in education, banking, law, medicine, government, media and entertainment as evidence of a Jewish conspiracy to control the world.

They accurately point out that American Jewry accounts for less than 2 percent of America's general population, but then draw their conclusions without the benefit of Scriptural discernment.

The "Jewish influence" in American life is part of God's blessing on America – the "Jewish conspiracy" canard given them in reward is part of God's curse on Israel.

"Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of My land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for My Name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations" (2 Chronicles 7:20).

The curse was partially lifted, beginning in 1948, but will not be entirely lifted until the close of the Tribulation Period.

"And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong" (Zechariah 8:13).

The Jews have returned to the Land, but they remain a "proverb and a byword among all nations" to this day.

Finally, God promised that He would "curse them that curse you." The precision with which God kept this promise is nothing less than astonishing.

During the Crusades from 1095 to 1270, Jews in Southern Europe fled to Spain, England, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe as the result of severe persecution and wholesale massacres of the Jews.

England turned out to be the wrong place to go, because in 1290 King Edward I expelled the Jews. King Charles II did the same thing in 1394 by forcing all Jews from France. Interestingly, Spanish Jews found peace and security in Spain and Portugal while those countries were under Muslim rule.

At that point in history, Europe was fractured, ignorant and in constant turmoil, while that same period of time is known to history as the Golden Age of Islam.

The Moors were world-renowned for their knowledge of astronomy, medicine and science, and the Islamic world boasted the most extensive libraries that had ever existed to that time.

In the 1400s, the Moors were kicked out of Spain by the Papal forces of Europe. In 1492, on the same day Columbus set sail for the New World, Spain expelled any unconverted Jews who had survived the Spanish Inquisition. This time they fled back to England where the Protestant reformation now welcomed them.

Spain's global empire lasted less than a century after it expelled its Jews, to be replaced by the Jew-friendly British Empire whose reach extended to every corner of the globe. In 1917, the British captured Palestine from the Muslims. The British Crown offered the Jews a homeland via the Balfour Declaration, and a year later, England won the First World War.

After the war, the British broke most of their promises to the Jews, restricted Jewish immigration to the Holy Land, and in the years since have increasingly turned their backs on the Jews that brought them such great blessings for more than 300 years.

The British Empire upon which "the sun never set" in 1900, had, by 1948, lost its last colony when Burma declared independence, and the British Empire was no more.

In 1933, Germany was among the most cultured and sophisticated nations in Europe. Old Berlin was Europe's Crown Jewel. The Nazis turned on the Jews, together with most of Eastern Europe, and 12 years later, Europe's Crown Jewel was a pile of burning rubble.

The Arab world, which had been so blessed during its Golden Age, collapsed into its present state of affairs, with most of it still operating as if electricity had never been harnessed.

The Arab Muslims supported Hitler, opposed Jewish immigration, waged repeated wars against Israel, deny Israel its rightful territory, and now mount a global jihad to finish Hitler's goal of total extermination. The backward nature of modern Islamic culture and society are the fruits of those efforts.

Historically, wherever the Jews were welcomed, that nation flourished and prospered. Where the Jews were persecuted, those nations floundered.

It is more than just coincidence; it is an identifiable historical pattern that has continued, without deviation, since the days of the Babylonian captivity.

Babylon prospered when its Jews prospered, it fell to Persia when Neboplasser turned against them. Persia prospered until it turned on the Jews, whereupon it fell to Alexander's Greece. And so on, throughout history, up to and including the impending collapse of the rabidly anti-Semitic United Nations.

God's Word is true, and Bible prophecy is always 100 percent accurate. Jesus said that before He returned, ALL Bible prophecy would be fulfilled – to the tiniest "jot and tittle" – (the two most insignificant characters in the Hebrew alphabet).

In tracing Israel's history from Babylon to the present, we see the incredible detail with which God keeps His Word. Although America continues to be Israel's principle protector, and continues to enjoy the concomitant blessings that come with it, America's good fortunes began to wane about the same time the White House forced Israel into the Oslo Agreement.

The "land for peace" formula called for Israel to give up some of the land of Promise in exchange for peace. In other words, it was a form of blackmail whose terms were drawn up in Washington and forced upon Israel for the express purpose of undoing what God had already done, including dividing Jerusalem and taking part of it from the Jews.

"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it" (Zechariah 12:3).

People can certainly deny any biblical connection, but the hard reality marches on with the growing shadow now falling across global society. Now it is America's turn to discover just how serious God was about the whole "blessing and cursing" thing.

And by the time circumstances force America to recognize the danger it faces, it will be too late to do anything to affect the outcome.

"So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My Mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it " (Isaiah 55:11)
End Quote

All I can add to this article is; Amen!

Woe to David's City

2008-01-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 29

Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, (also known as Jerusalem)
the city where David settled!
Add year to year
and let your cycle of festivals go on.

Yet I will besiege Ariel;
she will mourn and lament,
she will be to me like an altar hearth.

I will encamp against you all around;
I will encircle you with towers
and set up my siege works against you.

Brought low, you will speak from the ground;
your speech will mumble out of the dust.
Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth;
out of the dust your speech will whisper.

But your many enemies will become like fine dust,
the ruthless hordes like blown chaff.
Suddenly, in an instant,

the LORD Almighty will come
with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.

Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel,
that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,
with a vision in the night-

as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating,
but he awakens, and his hunger remains;
as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking,
but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched.
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
that fight against Mount Zion.

Be stunned and amazed,
blind yourselves and be sightless;
be drunk, but not from wine,
stagger, but not from beer.

The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep:
He has sealed your eyes (the prophets);
he has covered your heads (the seers).

For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read."

The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.

Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their work in darkness and think,
"Who sees us? Who will know?"

You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?

In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
and the fertile field seem like a forest?

In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.

Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD;
the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

The ruthless will vanish,
the mockers will disappear,
and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down-

those who with a word make a man out to be guilty,
who ensnare the defender in court
and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob:

"No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
no longer will their faces grow pale.

When they see among them their children,
the work of My hands,
they will keep My name holy;
they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
those who complain will accept instruction."

Amen

Enter your rooms

2008-01-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 26:20-21

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until His wrath has passed by.

See, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her;
she will conceal her slain no longer.

John 14:2-3

In my Father's house are many chambers; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Galatians 4:26-27

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

God directs the nations of the world

2008-01-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 21:1

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

Visit Jerusalem this year 2008

2008-01-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Geneva, I join you in prayer for Jerusalem. How lovely it would be if we could visit there this year.

Dear Lord, please send us to Israel to visit your Beautiful Land, and encourage the chosen people, enrich our own faith by seeing the land of Zion, and Praising Your Name in Israel. As your word says in chapter 62 of Isaiah, we will give ourselves no rest till she shines like the dawn and is the praise of the earth.

But even if we cannot go there physically, we are there Spiritually as Mother Jerusalem lives in our heart. And we know that some day we will live in the New Jerusalem, because Your word says we will.

In Jesus Name we pray.
Marcie and Geneva

P.S. Geneva, these are some of my favorite verses to pray for Jerusalem Praise God for His Word and His promises.

Zech 12:3 "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."

Zech 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Galatians 4:26 "But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother."

Isaiah 62

Zion's New Name
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah ;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.

5 As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,

7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.

8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
"Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;

9 but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary."

10 Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.

11 The LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.' "

12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.

Geneva wrote; Pastor Chuck is taking a group (which filled up right off the bat) in April. He is taking back ups, Chuck Missler, Greg Lorie, Open Doors,So. West Radio and more are all going to be there April/May for the 60th year celebration of the Jews coming back to their land (May 14, 1948) so this is the year. I would give anything to go if my leg,ancle, BODY would hold up to all the walking. I know it would because God would be pleased if we were in HIS land for this. Let's both pray on it.
Yes, I can't believe what God has in mind using Bush to do what he is doing. And, can you imagine what will happen in Texas when he TRIES to give his Ranch back to Mexico? What a riot that will cause---worse than in Israel. It will give the mexican's a real reason to be proud of taking over Calif, etc. Anbd, I guess that is why Bush has not gone along with the fence at the border.
Love ya and we are at the desert--it is beautiful but cold.
Geneva

Marcie wrote; Yes Geneva, I am very interested in the articles that interest you. I am more inspired to pray for Israel when I see the things that concern them. I am disappointed in the statements of President Bush too. I wish I could go to Israel this year.
There is a trip planned by many who love and stand with Israel. I pray I could go and stand with Israel too.
Love and Blessings,
Marcie

Pride

2008-01-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

God’s Hatred of Human Pride

Life Principles Study

By Dr. Charles F. Stanley…… page 741 from Life Principles Bible NKJV 2005

The Bible makes it very clear that God hates human pride.

James 4:6
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."

The same message gets stated in the Scripture no less than three times.

Proverbs 3:34
“He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5

“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."

Elsewhere, the Bible lists pride among four things that the Lord hates: pride gets lumped together with arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

Proverbs 8:13

“To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.”

In yet another passage, pride finds a place among seven things that are an abomination to God:

Proverbs 6:17-19

17 “ haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.”

God puts pride in the same category with murder!

Why does God hate human pride so much? Because it is the one sin that keeps us from allowing God to use us for His purposes. When we commit ourselves to doing things our way, we are in no position to do things God’s way.

Pride renders us useless in the kingdom of God. We fall prey to pride when we forget that God does not exist for us, but we exist for Him.

The Lord refuses to share His glory with anyone. When we seek to take His glory for ourselves-saying, in effect, “Look at me!” Look at who I am!”- we deny that everything we accomplish comes about because God enables and empowers us to accomplish it. Any good in us is by His design and redemption. Anything noteworthy that we become, we become because He wills it. We have no goodness apart from God’s goodness imparted to us.

Most people know some version of Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” While not all destructions are caused by pride, pride always ends in destruction-and usually, we lose the very thing we feel most proud about having achieved, earned, owned or accomplished.

Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.

Note: If you get a chance pick up one of Dr. Stanley's Bibles, they've been around since 1985 and were reprinted as late as 2005. It's a lovely study Bible. Marcie

Anger

2008-01-17T09:51:00.001-08:00

Charles F. Stanley’s comment on anger

Proverbs 14:10 “The heart knows its own bitterness, and the stranger does not share its joy.”

How can I deal with the anger or bitterness of another?

The unfortunate fact is, sooner or later, all of us will run into someone who feels angry or bitter toward us. What should you do when you find yourself the object of another’s bitterness? How should you respond to someone’s red-hot anger aimed straight at you? Responding to bitterness with more bitterness leads only to a combative and even explosive situation. So what should you do?

First, tell yourself the truth about the situation. What happened? How did the situation unfold? Are you really at fault? It may be that you can’t entirely reconstruct the event in question, but try your best to honestly recall what lead to the outburst.

Second, listen carefully to what the bitter person is saying. Bitterness and anger are usually the offshoots of deep hurt. Say something like, “It seems that you are really upset. Can we talk about it?”
Even such a simple question may help to defuse the situation... And even if it doesn’t you may not be able to turn the bitterness around in someone else’s life-you can stop it from taking root in your own heat by asking God to help you understand why this person feels the way he or she does.

Third, any time you come under personal attack, it is very important to recall God’s personal love for you. You may have made mistakes, but that does not change the Lord’s feelings about you. Ask Him to encourage you through His Word.

Fourth, ask God o help you respond with His love and Grace, and to protect you from angry attacks. In Psalm 64, we read how one man prayed for God’s deliverance from the attacks of an embittered enemy. Bitterness is a simple expression of quick anger. It is a satanic stronghold and needs to be faced in an honest manner. God tells us to beware “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

When you find yourself the target of a bitter accusation or a hateful personal attack, pray for God’s protection. Ask Him to give you wisdom in dealing with the other person, as well as a healthy perspective on the entire matter. Your reaction to the assault is the most important issue with God.

Therefore, be firm but loving in what you do and say.

Fight all your battles on your knees and you will win every time.

Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.

Psalm 147

2008-01-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

1 Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!

2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
His understanding has no limit.

6 The LORD sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
make music to our God on the harp.

8 He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;

11 the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.

12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion,

13 for He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.

14 He grants peace to your borders
and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

15 He sends his command to the earth;
His word runs swiftly.

16 He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.

17 He hurls down His hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand His icy blast?

18 He sends His word and melts them;
He stirs up His breezes, and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed His word to Jacob,
His laws and decrees to Israel.

20 He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the LORD.

The Relativity of Moral Values

2008-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Relativity of Moral Values

This myth, in the words of Chuck Colson;

“The 'relativity of moral values' hides the dividing line between good and evil, noble and base. It has thus created a crisis in the realm of TRUTH.

When a society abandons its transcendent values, each individual’s moral vision becomes purely personal and finally equal. Society becomes merely the sum total of individual preferences and since no preference is morally preferable; anything that can be dared will be permitted. This leaves the moral consensus for our laws and manners in tatters.

Moral neutrality slips into moral relativism.

Tolerance substitutes for truth; indifference for religious conviction and in the end, confusion undercuts all our creeds.”

Psalm 2

2008-01-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

3 "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, "You are my Son ;
today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter ;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Israel the Chosen

2008-01-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 44

Israel the Chosen

"But now listen, O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.

This is what the LORD says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.

They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.

One will say, 'I belong to the LORD ';
another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, 'The LORD's,'
and will take the name Israel.

The LORD, Not Idols

"This is what the LORD says—
Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let him foretell what will come.

Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.

Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit him nothing?

He and his kind will be put to shame;
craftsmen are nothing but men.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and infamy.

The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.

The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in the form of man,
of man in all his glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.

He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is man's fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."

From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
"Save me; you are my god."

They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"

He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

"Remember these things, O Jacob,
for you are my servant, O Israel.
I have made you, you are my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you."

Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this;
shout aloud, O earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

"This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the LORD,
who has made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,

who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,

who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,'
of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,'
and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,'

who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,'

who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt,"
and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." '

Leading them to a knowledge of the truth

2008-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 2

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.

Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

A Workman Approved by God

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2008-01-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

2 Thessalonians 2

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

And now you know what is holding him back(the Holy Spirit), so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Kiss the Son

2008-01-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

Psalm 2:6-12

"I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :

He said to Me,

You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

Ask of Me,
and I will make the nations Your inheritance,
the ends of the earth Your possession.

You will rule them with an iron scepter;
You will dash them to pieces like pottery."

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for His wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Truth

2008-01-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Colossians 2:2-3

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Righteousness and Peace kiss each other in Him

2008-01-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

What is Truth?

Truth is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.

From Genesis to Revelation it is the story of Jesus.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Psalm 85:10-13

Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and Righteousness looks down from heaven.
The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before Him
and prepares the way for His steps.

Comment: The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

2007-12-31T09:49:00.000-08:00

A.J. Jacobs, I admire your book The Year of Living Biblically. The details are amazing! With your phenomenal research you captured thoughts and elaborated on them in amazing honesty. Yet you were able to do this in an engaging and funny book that clearly looked at very serious matters while remaining who you are, a secular, agnostic, Jew.

I did not buy your book. It was a Christmas gift this year from my Jewish brother-in-law. He knows I love things of the Bible because I have made it known to him that I am a Christian who reads my Bible. So he thought that naturally I’d be interested in your premise. I was a little reluctant when I picked it up because I was afraid of any tangents that might take you to harsh conclusions about believers, but I found not a word amiss. Thank you for your honesty with the written word.

The journey you proposed is one I wish everyone would take and that is why I am enthusiastic about your book. The Bible is the book of the ages and I think it is a love letter from God to mankind. It is important because, as you found with the Answers in Genesis believers, we believe we are all brothers on this earth, and if we are all cousins then we’d better learn what God has said to us in His Bible, after all one of His names is The Word..

You took obscure subjects from the Jewish and Christian cultures and helped us to see where they came from and what they meant to the followers. So I learned a lot of things I have never thought about before like the blowing of the shofar every month, dancing with Hasidic Jews, the kaparot ritual, and the work of Dear Mr. Berkowitz.There are so many other interesting things in your book, things where you found beauty and dignity without being critical and derogatory, only factual, and that truly kept me riveted, I read your book in two days. I was sorry when I finished and I wished you would have kept on going with the lives of the apostles because of your knack for details. Oh to have you live the life of Paul or Peter as you danced with King David.

At many times you made it clear that your secular, Jewish, agnostic background kept you guarded and objective on this journey. So you looked at these things with the touch of a scientist looking under a microscope with bemused bewilderment. You came to the door of faith and saw the glorious light shining all around the edges of a closed door. You even looked through the keyhole and were dazzled by the faith you saw in others. At times you even identified with being a man of faith during that year as you enjoyed the brotherhood of believers because of your appearance. But you did not turn the handle and open the door for yourself. It reminds me of Jesus words in Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

I became a Christian 34 years ago after a time of searching, somewhat similar to what you have done with this book. But the difference between you and me is that at the end of my journey I realized, “God has a plan!” A beautiful plan for all mankind, laid out here in the Bible, His Holy Scriptures and I said to myself in my heart, “I believe”. It was that simple, and I became a Christian all by myself standing in my parents’ family room when I was a 21 year old woman. I experienced the bewildering awe of the Holy Spirit falling on my spirit with Great Joy, my own personal epiphany. The Holy Spirit is the deposit spoken of in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Thank you for the personal glimpse into your family. Your wife Julie is very funny and well grounded in reality. The “Helmet” comment is terrific as well as the other comment she made from time to time, “Things happen for a reason”. It makes it even more poignant when we read about the “favoritism shown to Joseph at the expense of his brothers in Genesis Chapters 37-50 that these things indeed, “happen for a reason”. Nothing happens without God’s notice. Luke 12: 6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies]? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

You are so right in saying that we need to raise our children with morals and guidance. I would suggest that for a future project you tackle “The Truth Project” by Dr. Del Tackett.

I identified strongly with your comments on circumcision; I had two such experiences when my sons were born. First in 1975 just before my son was born, I asked my OB-GYN Dr. Bernard Weiss, in Torrance California, if my son could be circumcised on the 8th day. He responded, “Why?!? You’re not Jewish!” He refused to listen to my reasons. One being my love for the Bible and its traditions, the other being my faith that God had good reason to require such things and there may be better immunization or blood clotting on the 8th day. Nevertheless, my son was circumcised right after birth in the hospital. Looking back I regret that I did not quit that doctor the moment he said what he said to me, but I was young and did not realize I had a choice in the matter.

My second son was born in 1977 in Culver City California at a birthing clinic run by Dr. Victor Berman. What a fine doctor he was to me in every respect. He did not question my wishes, he made all the arrangements. My son was circumcised on the 8th day. He put him in a “circumstrant” and told me to offer my thumb knuckle for Todd to “bite” with his toothless gums. I did, and we both cried as it was done. It was a moving experience that I’ll never forget. Yes, it did seem cruel and barbaric to bring such pain to my dear little boy. But, he soon forgot and now it’s done. I am grateful to Dr. Berman for his compassion and I’ll never forget his kindnesses to me.

When you went to the south to visit Jimmy Morrow regarding snake handling as in the scripture found in Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
I believe Jimmy is correct that “God locked the snakes jaws” so he was not bitten at the age of 13 years and that it was a profoundly spiritual experience. I believe it was because God knew Jimmy would preach the Gospel to others to win souls. Just like Paul was spared death from a snake bite in Acts 28:3-5

“Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.’ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.”

I believe this was because God told Paul in Acts 26:17-18 that he had a mission to spread the Gospel, “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

I also believe we are not to test or tempt God in these matters as in a vaudeville or circus display because God reads the heart and we better be very careful because in. Matthew 4:7 “Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' Here Jesus was quoting from the beautiful Psalm 91.

I wonder what your comments would be on some other verses in the Old Testament like; Zechariah 12:3 “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” Because of this verse I would not want to be Osama Bin Ladin because he said this week, “I would not give an inch to the Jews”. According to my understanding of “Recompense” OBL may end up on the receiving end of that curse.

Or what you would say about Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”
As you can imagine, I don’t agree totally with your friend Pastor out to Pasture regarding “cafeteria” style religion. I may not be able to live up to the Word but I still think we’re supposed to try to the best of our ability.Yes, we fail, but the teaching is to not give up, not stop trying, and to encourage each other. Jesus said, (do a word search on the word ‘overcome’) in many places in the Bible that we cannot do it on our own strength. But if we try, from the heart (do a word search on ‘heart’) then we have this (and many)promise(s);

“He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son...” Revelation 21:6-7

Personally, I am looking forward to it.

Thanks for the book, God Bless you and your family.

Marcie

marciegram.com

Peace of Jerusalem

2007-12-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

Daniel 3:16 - 18

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Dear Lord help us to take courage, stand on our faith, trust the Truth of the Bible and pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Amen

as in the days of King David

2007-12-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Israel National News.com

posted this story today 12/26/07

by Hana Levi Julian

(IsraelNN.com) "Ten Iranian Jewish families – 40 Iranian Jews in all -- began new lives Tuesday night when they came home to Israel. “How they were brought to Israel and information about who they are is classified information,” Jewish Agency spokesman Michael Jankelovitch said in an exclusive interview with Israel National News.
“This is a new initiative,” said Jankelovitch, “a joint project of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews headed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the Jewish Agency for Israel.”
A total of 200 Iranian Jews made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) this year, triple the number from just a year ago, when only 65 Jews made Aliyah to Israel from Iran. According to Jankelovitch, the majority of the Jews who left Iran permanently this year came to Israel.
Why Iranian Jews, and why now?
“Because their lives are at stake,” answered Jankelovitz simply. “They are in a unique situation because of the regime. There are increased cases of discrimination. Learning the Hebrew language has been banned. Jewish day schools have been closed down – all of them. There are no more Jewish day schools in Iran,” he said.
Jewish children have to go to school on Shabbat, and on all Jewish holidays including Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
“They come with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a small suitcase with almost no money at all,” said Jankelovitch. “Their money is worthless because of the exchange rate. People live in a beautiful house which they sell and it is not even worth $10,000.”

In order to balance that hardship, each new immigrant from Iran, including the children, receives a grant of $10,000. A family of five thus receives a total of $50,000 with which to begin their new lives in addition to the usual basket of new immigrant benefits received by everyone else who comes to make Israel their home.
Leaving 'Takes Guts'

Although there is no problem leaving Iran permanently to live elsewhere, emigrants cannot travel directly to Israel, said Jankelovitch. Nor is America an option at this point due to the political situation. The U.S. has imposed strict sanctions against Iran in the hopes of forcing the Islamic Republic to abandon its headlong rush toward development of what both the U.S. and Israel suspect is a nuclear weapon which could be aimed at the Jewish State."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124706

Praise God!

Psalm 27 Of David.
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Thank you Dear Lord for answering the prayers of these 10 families and bringing them to Zion. May more come! We pray for Your will Dear Lord to make Israel a strong nation that again loves and seeks after You as in the days of King David.

May all the promises in the Holy Scriptures be fulfilled according to Your time and Your plan.

In Jesus Name,
Amen,
Marcie

...the meditation of my heart ...

2007-12-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Praise of the Earth, The New Jerusalem.

2007-12-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Twelve Tribes of Israel as stated in Revelation 7:5-8

Judah, Reuben , Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin.

Revelation 21:4

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelation 21:12

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Revelation 21:7

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Revelation 21:14

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:23

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Isaiah 62:1

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

Isaiah 62:6-7

6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.

Galations 4:26
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

Those that love the Lord, Pray that these things come to pass in God's Time and that it be soon. Praise God.

Amen

Godlessness in the Last Days

2007-12-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy Chapter 3

Godlessness in the Last Days

But mark this:

There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Paul's Charge to Timothy

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.

Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Encouragement to Be Faithful

2007-12-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Encouragement to Be Faithful

I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.

May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Glory to God, He is in Control

2007-12-14T08:12:00.001-08:00

Job 12:21-25
He pours contempt on princes,
And disarms the mighty.
He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and guides them.
He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Overcome

2007-12-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Job 4:12-17

"A word was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper of it.

Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
fear and trembling seized me
and made all my bones shake.

A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.

It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:

'Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

Job 5:7-27

Yet man is born to trouble
as surely as sparks fly upward.

"But if it were I, I would appeal to God;
I would lay my cause before him.

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.

He bestows rain on the earth;
he sends water upon the countryside.

The lowly he sets on high,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

He thwarts the plans of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.

He catches the wise in their craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.

Darkness comes upon them in the daytime;
at noon they grope as in the night.

He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth;
he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.

So the poor have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.

"Blessed is the man whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

For he wounds, but he also binds up;
he injures, but his hands also heal.

From six calamities he will rescue you;
in seven no harm will befall you.

In famine he will ransom you from death,
and in battle from the stroke of the sword.

You will be protected from the lash of the tongue,
and need not fear when destruction comes.

You will laugh at destruction and famine,
and need not fear the beasts of the earth.

For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

You will know that your tent is secure;
you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.

You will know that your children will be many,
and your descendants like the grass of the earth.

You will come to the grave in full vigor,
like sheaves gathered in season.

"We have examined this, and it is true.
So hear it and apply it to yourself."

Revelation 2:7

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:11

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Revelation 2:17

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Revelation 3:5

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation 3:21

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 21:1-8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into 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.

The enemies of Israel

2007-12-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

II Chronicles 20:29-30

29 The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

For the battle is not yours, but God's

2007-12-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

2 Chronicles 20:6, 15-17

(New International Version)

6 and said:
"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem!
This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.

17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

King Josiah

2007-12-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

II Kings 23:25

"Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses."

I pray soon that both Judah and Israel turn to The Lord their God as King Josiah did so that God will visit Jerusalem with the blessing of their inheritance.

In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen

Chariots of fire all around Elisha

2007-12-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

II Kings Chapter 6: 8-23

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there."

So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

"None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

"Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."

Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.

After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"

"Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."

So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.

Lead me in the way everlasting

2007-11-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

You have established your people Israel

2007-11-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

11 Samuel Chapter 7:8-29

"Now then, tell my servant David,

'This is what the LORD Almighty says:

I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.

And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel.

I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

" 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you:

When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.

But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me ; your throne will be established forever.' "

Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David's Prayer

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant.

Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD ?

"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?

You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.

"And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!'

And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.

O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

Warning Against Falling Away

2007-11-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 5

Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.

This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest.

But God said to him,

"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father."

And he says in another place,

"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Falling Away

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food!

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

"Today, if you hear his voice,

2007-11-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 4

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words:

"And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."

And again in the passage above he says,

"They shall never enter my rest."

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.

Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

....because of their unbelief.

2007-11-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Warning Against Unbelief

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

"Today, if you hear his voice,
8do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.

That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'

So I declared on oath in my anger,

'They shall never enter my rest.' "

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?

And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Abraham's descendants

2007-11-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 2

Warning to Pay Attention

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Jesus Made Like His Brothers

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
and put everything under his feet."

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

He says,

"I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

And again,

"I will put my trust in him." And again he says,
"Here am I, and the children God has given me."

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

"Sit at my right hand

2007-11-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 1

The Son Superior to Angels

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"?

Or again,

"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"?

And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

In speaking of the angels he says,

"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire."

But about the Son he says,

"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom."

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

"therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy."

He also says,

"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.

You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.

But you remain the same,
and your years will never end."

To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet"h]?

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Don't cast Lots for Jerusalem

2007-11-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

The vision of Obadiah.
This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom—
We have heard a message from the LORD :
An envoy was sent to the nations to say,
"Rise, and let us go against her for battle"-

"See, I will make you small among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
'Who can bring me down to the ground?'

Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,"
declares the LORD.

"If thieves came to you,
if robbers in the night—
Oh, what a disaster awaits you—
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?

But how Esau will be ransacked,
his hidden treasures pillaged!

All your allies will force you to the border;
your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,
but you will not detect it.

"In that day," declares the LORD,
"will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau's mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.

Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed forever.

On the day you stood aloof
while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.

You should not look down on your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in the day of their trouble.

You should not march through the gates of my people
in the day of their disaster,
nor look down on them in their calamity
in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
in the day of their disaster.

You should not wait at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives,
nor hand over their survivors
in the day of their trouble.

"The day of the LORD is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Just as you drank on my holy hill,
so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
and be as if they had never been.

But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
it will be holy,
and the house of Jacob
will possess its inheritance.

The house of Jacob will be a fire
and the house of Joseph a flame;
the house of Esau will be stubble,
and they will set it on fire and consume it.
There will be no survivors
from the house of Esau."
The LORD has spoken.

People from the Negev will occupy
the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
the land of the Philistines.
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,
and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
will possess the land as far as Zarephath;
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
will possess the towns of the Negev.

Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
to govern the mountains of Esau.
And the kingdom will be the LORD's.

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,

2007-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 26:40-43

" 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees.”

Deuteronomy 30:5

“ He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.”

Deuteronomy 30:14

“ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”

Deuteronomy 30: 19-20

“ This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.
For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 32:36

The LORD will judge his people
and have compassion on his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.

Deuteronomy 32:43

Rejoice, O nations, with his people,
for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
and make atonement for his land and people.

Deuteronomy 33:26-29

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, (term of endearment for Israel)
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.

The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, 'Destroy him!'

So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob's spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.

Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD ?

He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places."

The LORD your God will restore Israel

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Then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you

Deuteronomy 28

Blessings for Obedience

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.

Deuteronomy 29

29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

Deuteronomy 30:1-5

Prosperity After Turning to the LORD

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.

Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back.

He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it.

He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion

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1 Peter Chapter 5

To Elders and Young Men

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,

because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.

Stand fast in it.

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

The end of all things is near.

2007-11-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

1 Peter Chapter 4

Living for God

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

The end of all things is near.

Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.

But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

2007-11-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

1 Peter Chapter 3

Wives and Husbands

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.

He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

"Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."

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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom[d] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly

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1 Peter Chapter 2

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame."

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe,

"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submission to Rulers and Masters

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth."

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.

Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

I Peter

2007-11-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

1 Peter

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Personal Greetings from Paul

2007-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.

I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.

They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Greet also the church that meets at their house.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them.

Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the churches of Christ send greetings.

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.

Keep away from them.

For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.

By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.

I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.

Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ!

Amen

2007-11-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Romans 15

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written:

"The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:

"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing hymns to your name."

Again, it says,
"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."

And again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and sing praises to him, all you peoples."

And again, Isaiah says,
"The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will hope in him."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.

So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.

Rather, as it is written:
"Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand."

This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain.

I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there.

For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.

I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

The God of peace be with you all.

Amen.

The Weak and the Strong

2007-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 14

The Weak and the Strong

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge someone else's servant?

To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother?

For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.

But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.

Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.

Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Love, for the Day is Near

2007-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.

Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love, for the Day is Near

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Love does no harm to its neighbor.

Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Living Sacrifices

2007-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 12

Living Sacrifices

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love

Love must be sincere.

Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God's people who are in need.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.

Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:

"It is mine to avenge;
I will repay," says the Lord.

On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

He himself will redeem Israel

2007-11-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

The Remnant of Israel

2007-11-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

I ask then:

Did God reject his people?

By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.

Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:

"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?

And what was God's answer to him?

"I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

What then?

What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did.

The others were hardened, 8as it is written:
"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes so that they could not see
and ears so that they could not hear,
to this very day."

And David says:
"May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever."

Ingrafted Branches

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?

Not at all!

Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

I am talking to you Gentiles.

Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches.

If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."

Granted.

But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"

For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!

Amen.

I will remember the land.

2007-11-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 26:40-45

" 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them.

They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them.

I am the LORD their God.

But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God.

I am the LORD.' "

I will make you envious

2007-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Romans 10

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law:

"The man who does these things will live by them."

But the righteousness that is by faith says:

"Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)

"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord,"

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.

For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."

Again I ask: Did Israel not understand?

First, Moses says,
"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."

And Isaiah boldly says,
"I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."

But concerning Israel he says,
"All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."

"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble ."

2007-11-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Romans 9

God's Sovereign Choice

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.

Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.

Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

It is not as though God's word had failed.

For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.

Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written:

"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

What then shall we say?

Is God unjust?

Not at all!

For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?

"Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,

'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
"Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.
For the Lord will carry out
his sentence on earth with speed and finality."

It is just as Isaiah said previously:

"Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah."

Israel's Unbelief

What then shall we say?

That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it,

a righteousness that is by faith;

but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

Why not?

Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

More Than Conquerors

2007-10-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

Romans 8

Life Through the Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Future Glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors

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.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a wretched man I am!

2007-10-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Romans 7

An Illustration From Marriage

Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Struggling With Sin

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin?

Certainly not!

Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.

For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.

Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

What a wretched man I am!

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

2007-10-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Romans 6

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

What shall we say, then?

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

By no means!

We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

What then?

Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

By no means!

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves.

Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?

Those things result in death!

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Justified through Faith

2007-10-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Romans Chapter 5

Peace and Joy

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Abraham Justified by Faith

2007-10-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Abraham Justified by Faith

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

What does the Scripture say?

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

6Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written:

"I have made you a father of many nations."

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him,

"So shall your offspring be."

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

“ Do not fear; At that time I will bring you back

2007-10-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Zephaniah 1

1 The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

The Great Day of the LORD
2 “ I will utterly consume everything
From the face of the land,”
Says the LORD;
3 “ I will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens,
The fish of the sea,
And the stumbling blocks[a] along with the wicked.
I will cut off man from the face of the land,”
Says the LORD.
4 “ I will stretch out My hand against Judah,
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,
The names of the idolatrous priests[b] with the pagan priests—
5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;
Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD,
But who also swear by Milcom;[c]
6 Those who have turned back from following the LORD,
And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.”
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD;
For the day of the LORD is at hand,
For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
He has invited[d] His guests.
8 “ And it shall be,
In the day of the LORD’s sacrifice,
That I will punish the princes and the king’s children,
And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
9 In the same day I will punish
All those who leap over the threshold,[e]
Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 “ And there shall be on that day,” says the LORD,

“ The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate,
A wailing from the Second Quarter,
And a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh![f]
For all the merchant people are cut down;
All those who handle money are cut off.
12 “ And it shall come to pass at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men
Who are settled in complacency,[g]
Who say in their heart,

‘ The LORD will not do good,
Nor will He do evil.’
13 Therefore their goods shall become booty,
And their houses a desolation;
They shall build houses, but not inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.”
14 The great day of the LORD is near;
It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter;
There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.
17 “ I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the LORD;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse.”
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the LORD’s wrath;
But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land.

Zephaniah 2A

Call to Repentance
1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable[a] nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!
3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’s anger.
Judgment on Nations
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the LORD is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines:

“ I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant.”
6 The seacoast shall be pastures,
With shelters[b] for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;
They shall feed their flocks there;
In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.
For the LORD their God will intervene for them,
And return their captives.
8 “ I have heard the reproach of Moab,
And the insults of the people of Ammon,
With which they have reproached My people,
And made arrogant threats against their borders.
9 Therefore, as I live,”
Says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,

“ Surely Moab shall be like Sodom,
And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—
Overrun with weeds and saltpits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The residue of My people shall plunder them,
And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”
10 This they shall have for their pride,
Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats
Against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11 The LORD will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
Peopleshall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all the shores of the nations.
12 “ You Ethiopians also,
You shall be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north,
Destroy Assyria,
And make Nineveh a desolation,
As dry as the wilderness.
14 The herds shall lie down in her midst,
Every beast of the nation.
Both the pelican and the bittern
Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars;
Their voice shall sing in the windows;
Desolation shall be at the threshold;
For He will lay bare the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city
That dwelt securely,
That said in her heart,

“ I am it, and there is none besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
A place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
Shall hiss and shake his fist.

Zephaniah 3

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city!
2 She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the LORD,
She has not drawn near to her God.
3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;
Her judges are evening wolves
That leave not a bone till morning.
4 Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people;
Her priests have polluted the sanctuary,
They have done violence to the law.
5 The LORD is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But the unjust knows no shame.
6 “ I have cut off nations,
Their fortresses are devastated;
I have made their streets desolate,
With none passing by.
Their cities are destroyed;
There is no one, no inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
You will receive instruction’—
So that her dwelling would not be cut off,
Despite everything for which I punished her.
But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

A Faithful Remnant

8 “ Therefore wait for Me,” says the LORD,

“ Until the day I rise up for plunder;[a]
My determination is to gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.
9 “ For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,
That they all may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me;
For then I will take away from your midst
Those who rejoice in your pride,
And you shall no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.”

Joy in God’s Faithfulness

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see[b] disaster no more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“ Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “ I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.

20 At that time I will bring you back,

Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the LORD.