We got a lot of problems in our nation right now. I don't think I need to go through the list because most of us in this country have an idea. Republicans blame democrats, democrats blame republicans, conservative v liberals, black/white/brown, men v women, You name it, there is a side and an opposite duking it out. Meanwhile there is the 400 pound gorilla sitting in the room. The Gorilla is sin.
Sin is something that for us humans comes natural. Lying, cheating, stealing, hating, blaming, accusing, slander, violence, bloodshed... it's there throughout our history as the human race. In the times we live in now, many sins are not only tolerated but even celebrated. There does not seem to be much holding back the sinfulness any longer. It goes on unabated and the sinners just puff their cigars and swig their brandy snifters all while chuckling their way to the bank enriching themselves with worldly lusts at the expense of others without even the slightest twinge of a guilty conscience.
Sin is a destructive force. It decays and rots things away. It leads to disease and war, famines and unrest. No good end comes to where sin reigns. Anger, hatred, suffering, poverty, and revolution are just some of the consequences that can be expected when sin has settled into a culture and permeates the fabric of a nation. It is characterized by self centeredness and self pleasure with a lack of caring about others.
I paint a grim picture, yes, but we are in grim times where we are witnessing what I have said and more. Our future looks even dimmer as the consequences of sin bury us ever deeper into chaos and anarchy. We are near the edge of collapse.
What we are seeing is a result of our choice as a people to walk away from Yahweh, the God of the Bible. We rose from a tiny little union of loosely confederated states to the greatest and richest nation in the history of the world based solely upon the principles of God found in scripture and extrapolated into the national culture. God honors those who honor him.
We have long ago left that path though, removing Bibles and prayer from the everyday teaching of our people. We took God and unceremoniously dumped him into the trash bins of our society and decided we in our greatness no longer needed His divine blessing or protection. We've spent the last 50 years removing every symbol of God from our town symbols and public places. The creator of the universe is relegated to a Sunday morning service in which many of the congregants don't even know God's ways much less desire to follow them.
While up until this point this seems like just one big rant, but it isn't. I am taking a brief look at the state of affairs as they are and considering how they might be fixed. There is only one way that I know of, and that is a revival. We as a people have to turn back from our wicked ways and commit ourselves to follow the Lord, and to do what he says to do.
It's funny how some people can't even stand to have the ten commandments in a courtroom, but if we would humble ourselves just a little and decide to follow them instead of trashing them, we would see a turnaround like no one has ever seen. Is it so bad to tell the truth? to honor parents? to not go after the neighbors wife? Isn't it best to have fair business dealings and not to cheat people?
I suppose in our sinful nature that might be too much to ask of any individual. We don't have to do this in our own strength though. God will help us. He will empower us to do what is right. He will give us a new heart that will desire to do what is good in the sight of Yahweh. We just have to acknowledge that we are screwed up, that sin controls us.
Once we come to that realization, we are then open to accept Gods fix for our sinful ways. God came down in flesh and dwelt among men. He lived a perfect life that we are unable to. He was beaten and killed; a punishment that we deserve for our wrongdoing. He took all of our guilt upon himself and offers to give us His righteousness in exchange so that we might be reconciled with our creator, Yahweh. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. If you love him, keep his commands. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself.
The reward is far more long lasting than just seeing the repair of an earthly nation, but it comes with an eternal reward of spending eternity with our creator in a perfect place where sin and corruption do not exist. There is no more pain, or sorrow. The streets are made of gold and the gates of fine jewels. A river of life runs through it. It is hard to even imagine such a place. No crimes, no hate, I don't know this for certain, but I don't even think there will be any dust bunnies collecting behind the sofa to have to clean up. lol.
The choice is yours. As for me... I choose the Lord.
Showing posts with label commandments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commandments. Show all posts
2014/12/09
2014/10/24
Beginning of Wisdom
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
That is a fascinating promise from the word of God. Let's break it down a little.
What is the "fear of the Lord"? Fear of the Lord can be looked at in several respects. One can be truly scared of Yahweh. One can respect Jehovah. One can honor the Lord. All the many aspects of fearing God should lead us to one thing; obedience. We should fear what God can do to us as sinners which should cause us to repent and change our ways to be more pleasing to Him. We should have respect For the Lord and understand that what He says is right and just and to do what he says is the same. We show honor to God when we are obedient to his ways.
I remember as a young lad in the 4th grade, I was on my way to school, and while on my way to school I saw a Tonka dump truck in a yard. I decided I wanted that Tonka truck and took it. I carried it to school and even brought it up to show the class during show and tell. during which I lied all about the truck until someone stood up in class and said, "hey, that is not your truck! I saw you take it!"
Well, next think I knew I was being walked by the ear down to the principles office. The principle then called my parents. I was scared to death. I didn't know what would happen. Surely there would be severe punishment. I was taken home by my mother. I was sent to my room and had to wait for my father to get up. It was an agonizingly long time, or so it seemed.
Finally it came... Dad walked into the room. The look on his face was at least as bad or even worse than any punishment that I was going to receive. I saw hurt on his face. I had disappointed him, disgraced everything he had tried to teach me. I loved my dad and wanted him to love me, and now I was not too sure he did. I cried and cried.
I did not get a spanking that day, if I recall. It was explained to me why what I did was wrong, and I was forced to go make it right by bringing the truck back to where I had gotten it. I could not just leave it there either. I had to knock on the door, tell the people what I had done, give them the truck back, and apologize for having taken it. It was one of the hardest things I had to do in my young life.
I loved my father. I had honor and respect for him and wanted to do nothing more than please him. I was afraid of what would happen if I let him down. I thought at first I feared getting a whoopin. That was not it though. It was a fear of harming our relationship that I feared the most. Because of that fear, I wanted to do what was right.
That for me was a beginning of wisdom. When we understand who Yahweh is, and what our relationship is to Him, we should want to do what is right. Yes there is fear of what he might do to us, but even more so we should fear what doing wrong would do to our relationship with him. We should want to be obedient not just to avoid getting a whoopin, but because we love the Lord and desire to please Him in what we do.
That fear is the beginning of wisdom. We will then seek to know and do His will. As we understand our Father more and more, we will understand better who He is and why He wants us to do the things He asks of us. Gaining knowledge of what is Holy to God and applying it to our lives gives us understanding of His principles.
When we learn and understand the ways of Jehovah, we find out that all those do's and don'ts lead us to living happier, healthier, and longer lives as a consequence. Not only do His principles have a consequence of those, but we also please Yahweh and He blesses us with longer life as well. It is sort of a compounding result.
Ultimately, understanding who God is and what He expects should lead us to realize that we ourselves cannot achieve that perfection, but only strive towards it. We recognize, through our own failures and the understanding of His word, that we need a savior. We will learn that God so loved the world, that includes you and I, that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, so that whosoever believes of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross will not perish, but have everlasting life. If we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus was raised from the dead, we shall be saved. And as saved, we will want to be obedient children and not displease our Father.
Fearing the Lord begins wisdom. Learning leads to understanding. Obedience leads to life; longevity in this life and eternally in the kingdom to come.
Proverbs 3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
That is a fascinating promise from the word of God. Let's break it down a little.
What is the "fear of the Lord"? Fear of the Lord can be looked at in several respects. One can be truly scared of Yahweh. One can respect Jehovah. One can honor the Lord. All the many aspects of fearing God should lead us to one thing; obedience. We should fear what God can do to us as sinners which should cause us to repent and change our ways to be more pleasing to Him. We should have respect For the Lord and understand that what He says is right and just and to do what he says is the same. We show honor to God when we are obedient to his ways.
I remember as a young lad in the 4th grade, I was on my way to school, and while on my way to school I saw a Tonka dump truck in a yard. I decided I wanted that Tonka truck and took it. I carried it to school and even brought it up to show the class during show and tell. during which I lied all about the truck until someone stood up in class and said, "hey, that is not your truck! I saw you take it!"
Well, next think I knew I was being walked by the ear down to the principles office. The principle then called my parents. I was scared to death. I didn't know what would happen. Surely there would be severe punishment. I was taken home by my mother. I was sent to my room and had to wait for my father to get up. It was an agonizingly long time, or so it seemed.
Finally it came... Dad walked into the room. The look on his face was at least as bad or even worse than any punishment that I was going to receive. I saw hurt on his face. I had disappointed him, disgraced everything he had tried to teach me. I loved my dad and wanted him to love me, and now I was not too sure he did. I cried and cried.
I did not get a spanking that day, if I recall. It was explained to me why what I did was wrong, and I was forced to go make it right by bringing the truck back to where I had gotten it. I could not just leave it there either. I had to knock on the door, tell the people what I had done, give them the truck back, and apologize for having taken it. It was one of the hardest things I had to do in my young life.
I loved my father. I had honor and respect for him and wanted to do nothing more than please him. I was afraid of what would happen if I let him down. I thought at first I feared getting a whoopin. That was not it though. It was a fear of harming our relationship that I feared the most. Because of that fear, I wanted to do what was right.
That for me was a beginning of wisdom. When we understand who Yahweh is, and what our relationship is to Him, we should want to do what is right. Yes there is fear of what he might do to us, but even more so we should fear what doing wrong would do to our relationship with him. We should want to be obedient not just to avoid getting a whoopin, but because we love the Lord and desire to please Him in what we do.
That fear is the beginning of wisdom. We will then seek to know and do His will. As we understand our Father more and more, we will understand better who He is and why He wants us to do the things He asks of us. Gaining knowledge of what is Holy to God and applying it to our lives gives us understanding of His principles.
When we learn and understand the ways of Jehovah, we find out that all those do's and don'ts lead us to living happier, healthier, and longer lives as a consequence. Not only do His principles have a consequence of those, but we also please Yahweh and He blesses us with longer life as well. It is sort of a compounding result.
Ultimately, understanding who God is and what He expects should lead us to realize that we ourselves cannot achieve that perfection, but only strive towards it. We recognize, through our own failures and the understanding of His word, that we need a savior. We will learn that God so loved the world, that includes you and I, that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, so that whosoever believes of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross will not perish, but have everlasting life. If we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus was raised from the dead, we shall be saved. And as saved, we will want to be obedient children and not displease our Father.
Fearing the Lord begins wisdom. Learning leads to understanding. Obedience leads to life; longevity in this life and eternally in the kingdom to come.
Proverbs 3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
2014/10/15
Ebola and Torah Observance
In the Bible are many rules for how we ought to live our lives. Some of these rules are extremely practical and were years ahead of science in the effectiveness of what they accomplished. Many of these rules are forgotten or ignored today. We are told that we no longer have to follow those old rules because they have been done away with or that we are no longer "under" them. I say in this time it might be important to look at and consider following some of them. It may not be for your eternal salvation, but it may be for salvation in this life.
By now, I think most people have heard of Ebola and have seen it spread first in Africa, and now to various other countries including the United States. This is a very serious deisease and despite the taking of some precautions, has spread to others who have been in contact with still others. Whatever the reasons given for this spread, and the mutations possible, mistakes, etc... I would argue that it comes down to this, people do not know and are not following the laws of God.
There were many rules about clean and unclean things. People with diseases were set apart from the camp. Women when menstruating were unclean. Anyone who touched a dead person or animal was unclean. All soldiers had to have a shovel so they could bury their human waste. Washing of hands, keeping storehouses clean, and other such ideas were all contained in Jewish law and tradition given to them by God. If we look at how the Ebola and other diseases are spread, following Torah rules would help in preventing the spread.
Isolation seems to be a key ingredient to holding down the spread of disease, biblically. For many reasons folks would have to separate themselves from the community when they were "unclean". They would also have to be inspected before they could return to the community as "clean". We seem to be ignoring this during this Ebola outbreak and have even seen leaders say that such isolation would be "inhumane". Inhumane? It only makes sense, but I guess if you do not follow God, anything is OK.
During the middle ages when the black plague pandemic killed of huge populations in Europe, there was one particular group of people who were far less effected by the plague than everyone else. It was the Jewish people. It was precisely because of their observance of Torah that allowed them to survive in greater numbers where others perished. It was their laws of clean living that prevented them from having the conditions present for the spread of the disease in the Jewish communities. As a result, they became economic powerhouses and gained the wealth that the dying had left. Because of their survival, the remaining who survived blamed the Jews and accused them of poisoning the water to take control of the countries. They were then expelled from the nations, or faced death.
If this Ebola grows into a pandemic, it may be those very laws in the Torah that allow you to survive. Keeping yourself clean, you area clean, and if society won't isolate the sick, we may have to isolate ourselves.
Even if Ebola does not grow into a pandemic, living this way will certainly keep you healthy and help you to live rather disease free, for the most part. It is a promise from God. And if that is not enough, all of it is verified by the science we know about. While we are not saved spiritually by looking to observance of the law, observing the law can save you. It might be time to take another look at the law and what it says.
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
By now, I think most people have heard of Ebola and have seen it spread first in Africa, and now to various other countries including the United States. This is a very serious deisease and despite the taking of some precautions, has spread to others who have been in contact with still others. Whatever the reasons given for this spread, and the mutations possible, mistakes, etc... I would argue that it comes down to this, people do not know and are not following the laws of God.
There were many rules about clean and unclean things. People with diseases were set apart from the camp. Women when menstruating were unclean. Anyone who touched a dead person or animal was unclean. All soldiers had to have a shovel so they could bury their human waste. Washing of hands, keeping storehouses clean, and other such ideas were all contained in Jewish law and tradition given to them by God. If we look at how the Ebola and other diseases are spread, following Torah rules would help in preventing the spread.
Isolation seems to be a key ingredient to holding down the spread of disease, biblically. For many reasons folks would have to separate themselves from the community when they were "unclean". They would also have to be inspected before they could return to the community as "clean". We seem to be ignoring this during this Ebola outbreak and have even seen leaders say that such isolation would be "inhumane". Inhumane? It only makes sense, but I guess if you do not follow God, anything is OK.
During the middle ages when the black plague pandemic killed of huge populations in Europe, there was one particular group of people who were far less effected by the plague than everyone else. It was the Jewish people. It was precisely because of their observance of Torah that allowed them to survive in greater numbers where others perished. It was their laws of clean living that prevented them from having the conditions present for the spread of the disease in the Jewish communities. As a result, they became economic powerhouses and gained the wealth that the dying had left. Because of their survival, the remaining who survived blamed the Jews and accused them of poisoning the water to take control of the countries. They were then expelled from the nations, or faced death.
If this Ebola grows into a pandemic, it may be those very laws in the Torah that allow you to survive. Keeping yourself clean, you area clean, and if society won't isolate the sick, we may have to isolate ourselves.
Even if Ebola does not grow into a pandemic, living this way will certainly keep you healthy and help you to live rather disease free, for the most part. It is a promise from God. And if that is not enough, all of it is verified by the science we know about. While we are not saved spiritually by looking to observance of the law, observing the law can save you. It might be time to take another look at the law and what it says.
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
2014/03/28
The First Commandment
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:2-3
This is the first of the 10 commandments given to the Israelites. This is an introduction as well. God reveals himself to the people here as the God behind all the miracles that delivered them out of slavery to the Egyptians. Having vanquished the gods of Egypt, God tells them, you will have none other before me.
What does it mean to have another god before Him? All it simply means is that you don't recognize Yahweh for who He is and make a choice that something else is more important than Him. That choice could be active in that you make a firm choice that He will not be your God. It could also be passive in that you just go about your life without acknowledging Him as your God. Or, it could be that you make your decisions based on your own understanding for your own gain rather than seeking out what God has to say and acting according to what God has said to do. Your 57 Chevy could be a god before Yahweh. Your job could be. Your spouse, children, house.... Anything that you put on a higher priority than Yahweh, is putting something before Him.
What it also means is that for those who choose to believe is that in everything you do, you acknowledge Him. That means thanking Him, and Praising him in both good times and bad. It means trusting in Him like a little child trusts, without question or debate. It means putting your well being into His hands and trusting that if you follow His ways, all of your needs will be met. It means believing that He will pull you through, even in the darkest of hours. It means putting aside your own desires to do what God says do.
Today we have so many choices as what to believe. There are many other religions, you could choose no be not religious. You could follow teachings of men like L Ron Hubbard or the myriad of other gurus who promote the self as the ultimate being. You could be an evolutionist and believe that we are just randomly formed and only the strongest survive and thrive. There are literally millions of options. The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob is above all those ways.
All those choices can be boiled down to one simple choice when it comes to this, the first commandment. Believe it or not. No one can make that choice for you. No one can coerce you into believing or not. No one can change your mind. Also, no one else will have to answer for that choice but yourself. We also have to make it a daily choice. Every day we have to make choices about what to do, say, act, think, buy, etc.. In all of those things we can choose to put god first and seek out His wisdom in making those decisions, or we can do it on our own.
If God is just a mythical being, well, then there is nothing to worry about and I am just wasting my life for nothing. If God is who He says he is, then an eternity hangs in the balance on what choice you make. As for me and my house, I choose to serve the Lord.
This is the first of the 10 commandments given to the Israelites. This is an introduction as well. God reveals himself to the people here as the God behind all the miracles that delivered them out of slavery to the Egyptians. Having vanquished the gods of Egypt, God tells them, you will have none other before me.
What does it mean to have another god before Him? All it simply means is that you don't recognize Yahweh for who He is and make a choice that something else is more important than Him. That choice could be active in that you make a firm choice that He will not be your God. It could also be passive in that you just go about your life without acknowledging Him as your God. Or, it could be that you make your decisions based on your own understanding for your own gain rather than seeking out what God has to say and acting according to what God has said to do. Your 57 Chevy could be a god before Yahweh. Your job could be. Your spouse, children, house.... Anything that you put on a higher priority than Yahweh, is putting something before Him.
What it also means is that for those who choose to believe is that in everything you do, you acknowledge Him. That means thanking Him, and Praising him in both good times and bad. It means trusting in Him like a little child trusts, without question or debate. It means putting your well being into His hands and trusting that if you follow His ways, all of your needs will be met. It means believing that He will pull you through, even in the darkest of hours. It means putting aside your own desires to do what God says do.
Today we have so many choices as what to believe. There are many other religions, you could choose no be not religious. You could follow teachings of men like L Ron Hubbard or the myriad of other gurus who promote the self as the ultimate being. You could be an evolutionist and believe that we are just randomly formed and only the strongest survive and thrive. There are literally millions of options. The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob is above all those ways.
All those choices can be boiled down to one simple choice when it comes to this, the first commandment. Believe it or not. No one can make that choice for you. No one can coerce you into believing or not. No one can change your mind. Also, no one else will have to answer for that choice but yourself. We also have to make it a daily choice. Every day we have to make choices about what to do, say, act, think, buy, etc.. In all of those things we can choose to put god first and seek out His wisdom in making those decisions, or we can do it on our own.
If God is just a mythical being, well, then there is nothing to worry about and I am just wasting my life for nothing. If God is who He says he is, then an eternity hangs in the balance on what choice you make. As for me and my house, I choose to serve the Lord.
2014/02/19
Does the Church have it Backwards?
Colossians 2: 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Most of the time when people use this verse, they are generally making the case that we are no longer under the law, that the law has been done away with, and that we therefore no longer have to be obedient to what God has said through the law. But, is this what the passage is really saying?
I propose that it may be saying just the opposite of what most people use it for. It may just be saying to let no man judge you for KEEPING the Sabbath and FOLLOWING the dietary commands, or using the Jewish calendar to denote holy days and keeping them. Some of the biggest debates in Christendom surround the idea that we need to be obedient to the whole Bible.
Many Christians today have been taught that they no longer have to do what the bible says to do because certain parts of the Bible have been done away with. Is this so? Christians often use the previous verses to substantiate their claims.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
The argument is that the OT laws
were blotted out. The truth is, what was
blotted out was the penalty for violation of Gods commands. Jesus himself said, Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
That fulfilling was His substitutionary death in our stead. In no way were any of Gods commands declared
null and void.
this easy believism and grace without responsibility is what has watered down the churches message. It has destroyed the witness of Christians. Rather than being separated from the world through obedience to God, the church has become part of the world, nearly indistinguishable from unbelievers. The rates of sin within the church are just as high, if not higher, than outside.
There is no more fear of Yahweh in believers any longer. The salt has lost its savor and is being trodden under foot. Every vestige of our heritage as Christians is being removed from society. Over the last 50 years God has been removed from nearly every institution. Where have the Christians been?
Believers! It is time to repent and return unto the way of the Lord. Time is short and the harvest is ripe. Turn away from the lie of grace as a license and do as thou wilt churchianity. It is time to submit yourself to do what God has commanded you to do. We serve a might God, not the other way around. God is not our magic genie to make us feel all warm and fuzzy and give us the things we want. We are His servants who are to do as HE commands of us. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2014/01/15
Did God just Say That? Part 2
In my previous blog, I related to you how God had spoken to me and shown me a little favor by providing me nice parking and quick checkout in an otherwise very busy shopping time. I seem to have gotten some blowback on this testimony from some in the Christian community. There are those who feel that God does not speak to people in this day and age. They argue that God no longer speaks to man, but only speaks through the Bible. In support of their claim, they use Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Do these verses say anything about how God communicates with man? Yes, in some ways it does. It tells us about prophets who were spoken to in different ways. Does it say this ended? No. It only says that in these last days God spoke to us by Jesus. Some people take that to mean the end times last days, but there is no real reason to think that. Paul is simply stating that in these last days, meaning the time they were in, not about any future time, or of the end times.
The first verse speaks to how God spoke through men in various ways pointing to the cross of Jesus. Once Jesus came along, He completed and fulfilled what the prophets spoke of. After that people spoke back to the cross, and also forward to Jesus’ return in glory. How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill that were spoken of by the prophets? Too many to be just a coincidence, that is for sure. Also in ways that could not have been intentionally fulfilled either. People today still talk about unfulfilled prophecies; so to say prophecy is dead and over with is obviously wrong.
The entire context of Hebrews first 2 chapters was showing the excellence and superiority of Christ and the necessity to believe based upon the Old testament prophecies that are fulfilled in Jesus. Then it slides into warnings against doubt and unbelief in chapter 3, then back to Christ’s superiority up into chapter 8, where the new covenant is shown to be superior to the old. It closes with exhortations to faith and holiness in the closing chapters 11-13. The book of Hebrews is about glory to Jesus. Nowhere is it saying that God stopped talking to men in various ways.
We can go to the book of Acts chapter 2 and see that God speaking through people in various ways was not dead or done away with, but was alive and well after Jesus’ day. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The writer of First John advises us to, "…test the spirits to see whether they be of God." (I John 4:1). The test is truth. God is the God of truth—all kinds of truth. This was also the test for a prophet. If what the prophet said was true, or came to pass as said, then He was truly a prophet. Jer. 28:9. "The
prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to
pass, [then] shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent
him." The fact that what I was told
ahead of time came to pass as said passes the biblical standard. It was truth.
2014/01/14
Prosperity or Persecution?
Recently, I posted a praise report on my Facebook page. It read as follows: I was going shopping at Wal-mart this evening. Before I got in the parking lot, I thought I heard God say he'd save me a front row spot, in an aisle where I would be facing away from the store. So, I go in the lot a few minutes later. I'm rolling along slowly, stopping to let people and other cars by, crossed the whole store to the far exit when right then, someone pulls out of the first spot, and I rolled right in. That's not all. In the store, I got the first cashier with nobody in line while the other lines were into the aisles. I zipped right through. That's not all. I got permission to go to McDonalds. When I went to the store, it was packed. When I stopped on the way back, not a single car in the drive thru. This is rush hour mind you, the whole time. And people laughed at John Osteen for saying God saves us parking spots. We serve a great and mighty God.
It certainly did not take long to hear some chime in with the negative. I heard about how we were only promised suffering in life. I heard about how if we are not being chastised by God, that we must not be His. I heard about how we are not blessed in material ways in this life. I heard about how God is not our magic genie to make our lives all comfy. Why is it so hard for people to accept the idea that at times, God may choose to bless His children with good things? And why would a praise report about the goodness of God make people react as if you have uttered some profanity? Maybe it was the Osteen reference, but I dealt with that issue on my last blog.
All throughout the Bible, we see the promises of blessing on those who believed. A quick perusal of the Book of Proverbs will quickly show this. Proverbs 10: 4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Is that not a promise from God? There are many more in this book and the other 65 books to be found. Mathew 7: 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? If God knows the very number of the hairs on your head, don’t you think he would be intimately involved in your daily goings on?
On the other hand, we also see throughout the bible men being tested, scorned, and persecuted. Look at what Joseph went through, and Job, and Jesus himself. We can cite a number of examples where we are told to shun riches and worldly things and look to spiritual things. Mathew 6: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Numbers of other examples can be found.
It seems to happen that people run to the extremes. Some will solely focus on teaching only prosperity and leave out the suffering. Others will focus on the suffering and forget about the blessings. Each of those extremes will miss out on what the real message is. You won’t handle suffering well if you think God only blesses, and you will pass on great blessings if you think this life is only about suffering. Neither one is the full council of God.
The truth is that there is a balance. When we submit ourselves to god, we are His to do with as He so pleases. If it pleases Him to bless us, we are so blessed. If it pleases Him to try us, we are so blessed, for we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28) I close with these words from Ecclesiastics 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
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