Monday, March 31, 2014
Baal-Peor Prophets Killed.
Bible Questions Answered:
“Elijah killed 450 prophets because
they worshiped Baal. We can differ in our views, but we don't kill
people. I think this was wrong, and not from God...”
John/ Portland, Oregon U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
I Kings 18:40 KJV (Read the
whole story I Kings 18:1-40/ See also Numbers 25.)
And Elijah said unto them, Take the
prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and
Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Baal-Peor (lord of the opening) was the
pagan idol god of the Moabites. Baal worship involved sexual
immorality and perversions, idol worship and the sacrificing of
infants to the fiery god Baal.
Though the Baal prophets cried aloud
and cut themselves, for 9 hours, their false god, did not, would not
answer them!
Note of warning to those
who, yes, even today, worship Baal-Peor! Satan, is Baal, and the
reward Satan will give someone who has faithfully served him all
their life-is pain and never ending torment in hell!
Satan is faithful to no one. Satan's
heart is not filled with “love,” but hate! And Satan hates God,
and all those who have been fashioned in His image!
Elijah's prayer to The Living God, was
answered immediately, not only that but....
*Fire came from heaven, and burnt up
the...
*Sacrifice
*Wood
*Stones
*Dust and
*Water
And all the people cried out saying
I Kings 18:39 KJV
And when all the people
saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The
Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God.
Then we read:
I Kings 18:40 KJV
And Elijah said unto them, Take the
prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and
Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Now it doesn't take very much
imagination, to realize that the prophet Elijah could hardly slay 450
men single handedly! They would all run for their lives.
But what is it that we read-
“And Elijah said unto them, Take the
prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they
took them:”
This was “not,” the sole action of
just one man! All of Israel, realized that they had sinned against
The Living God! “all the people
saw it, they fell on their faces:”
This was a community action.
The Israelites killed the prophets of Baal.
Now was this unjust? We will not take the time to reemphasize the
hellish sins of Baal worshipers, only to say, that they because of
their hellish ways, had sent many thousands of souls to hell!
“Where a people have no morals, they will live immorally!” Joseph
J. Reine
Now what about today.
Where is the state, or country where “the death sentence,” does
not exist?
Capital Punishment, exists around the world for the hell bent
being who, rapes, tortures or kills at will!
And it is safe to say, that it always
will.
Why? Because decent, men, women and
precious little children have every right to live, and that in
freedom from the very demons of hell.
And what of our world today? Our world
is doing its best to shake off any idea of morals. Morals are for
those who are not free (they would say).
Romans 6:16 NLT
Don’t you realize that you become
the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin,
which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to
righteous living.
Joel 3:14 KJV
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley
of decision: for the day of The Lord is near in the valley of
decision.
Psalm 95:6-11
NLT
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before The Lord our maker,
7 for He is our God. We are the
people He watches over, the flock under His care. If only you would
listen to His voice today!
8 The Lord says, “Don’t harden
your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the
wilderness.
9 For there your ancestors tested
and tried My patience, even though they saw everything I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with
them, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from
Me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in My anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter My place of rest.’”
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Christ Would Profit Them Nothing!
Bible Questions Answered:
“...Paul said that Christ would
profit them nothing!....”
Ericka/ Bangalore, Karnataka (India)
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Galatians 5:2 KJV
Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if
ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Yes, Paul said
those words, but what was the context of his speaking!
The Apostle was
talking about keeping the injunctions and prohibitions of Jewish Law.
Galatians 5:1-6
NLT
1 So Christ has truly set us
free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get
tied up again in slavery to the law.
2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If
you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God,
then Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3 I’ll say it again. If you are
trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey
every regulation in the whole law of Moses.
4 For if you are trying to make
yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut
off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
5 But we who live by The Spirit
eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised
to us.
6 For when we place our faith in
Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being
uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in
love.
To believe in the
law, (Mosaic Law), for salvation,
is to separate
yourself from salvation by faith in the finished work of Jesus
Christ!
One cannot believe
in both!
The keeping of the
Law, and the life of faith in Jesus Christ, these two are mutually
exclusive of each other, that is they cancel each other out.
Homily:
On one side of the coin is The Law. On the other side of the coin is Salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ.
OK, toss the coin!
It cannot land on both sides, either it will be one or thee other, but certainly not both!
One must either
believes in salvation by works-the law or not.
And if that is what
one believes The Word tells us....
James 2:10 KJV
For whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
No one could,
perfectly keep the law, all failed!
Galatians
3:24,25 KJV
24 Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we
are no longer under a schoolmaster.
The Law, taught
mankind one thing, no man could be perfect before the Law.
Galatians
3:13,14 NLT
13 But Christ has rescued us from
the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He
took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in
the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
14 Through Christ Jesus, God has
blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing He promised to Abraham,
so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit
through faith.
Romans 6:14 KJV
For sin shall not have dominion over
you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Galatians
4:21-31 NLT (The two sons of Abraham.)
21 Tell me, you who want to live
under the law, do you know what the law actually says?
22 The Scriptures say that Abraham
had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.
23 The son of the slave wife was
born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s
promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own
fulfillment of His promise.
24 These two women serve as an
illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar,
represents Mount Sinai where people received the law
that enslaved them.
25 And now Jerusalem is just like
Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery
to the law.
26 But the other woman, Sarah,
represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is
our mother.
27 As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O
childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful
shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now
has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”
28 And you, dear brothers and
sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.
29 But you are now being persecuted
by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child
born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power
of The Spirit.
30 But what do the Scriptures say
about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the
slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s
son.” (Ed.
Note-that is the keeping of the law.)
31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we
are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free
woman.
So, did the Apostle
say “Christ shall profit you nothing”? Yes, but he said it in
light of some. who thought they could earn salvation by the keeping
of Jewish customs and ordinances.
Galatians 2:16
KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified.
Ephesians 2:8,9
KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is The Gift Of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should
boast.
Homily:
Salvation to the Jews, was to be
constantly, earnestly, attempting to keep the law.
Something akin to workers in a boat
yard making and crafting great boats, for sea worthiness.
There was no end to their work, for to
have salvation, they must relentlessly, fail or no, be at the work of
craftsmanship. Oh, they could not sail, for there was no time for that, for
they were bound to their work.
The Christian, is
at sea in liberty. The winds may howl and blow, yet the ship of
faith, holds them, and they have seen the face of their Captain, and
are not afraid.
Isaiah 61:1 KJV
The Spirit Of The Lord God is upon
me; because The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
are bound;
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Guardians Of The Sacred
Bible Questions Answered:
“In Matthew its words we are not to
cast pearls before swine. Whats Christ's meaning here?...”
Mert/ Mansoura, Egypt (Daqahlia)
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Matthew 7:1-6 NLT
1 “Do not judge others, and you
will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you
treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by
which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in
your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4 How can you think of saying to
your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’
when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the
log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the
speck in your friend’s eye.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on
people who are unholy (KJV- Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs). Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the
pearls, then turn and attack you.
These were our
Lord's words to His disciples, His emissaries of The Good News.
Three short
parables regarding:
1) Criticism 2)
Hypocrisy and 3) Sacred Guardianship.
The Messengers Of The Gospel, Must Not Criticize Others.
1 “Do not judge others, and you
will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as
you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by
which you will be judged.
Psalm 82:1-4 KJV
1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty..."
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the
wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and
needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the
wicked.
Isaiah 53:6 KJV
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and The Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all.
John 8:7 KJV
(The story: 1-11)
So when they continued asking Him,
He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Romans 3:10,23
KJV
10 As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:
23 For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;
The Messengers Of The Gospel, Must Not Be Hypocrites.
3 “And why worry about a speck in
your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
4 How can you think of saying to
your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’
when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First get rid of
the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with
the speck in your friend’s eye.
Matthew 7:21 KJV
Not every one that
saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
I Corinthians
9:13,14 KJV
13 Do ye not know
that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the
temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the
altar?
14 Even so hath The
Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the
gospel.
The
Messengers Of The Gospel, We Must Be Guardians Of That Which Is
Sacred.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on
people who are unholy (KJV- Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs). Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the
pearls, then turn and attack you.
As messengers of
the New Covenant, we must guard well the things of God!
The Apostle Paul:
I Timothy 4:7
NLT
Do not waste time arguing
over godless ideas and old wives’ tales..."
I Timothy
6:20,21 NLT
20 Timothy, guard what God has
entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with
those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.
21 Some people have wandered from
the faith by following such foolishness..."
II Timothy
2:15,16 NLT
15 Work hard so you can present
yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who
does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains The Word Of
Truth.
16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk
that only leads to more godless behavior.
17 This kind of talk spreads like
cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus.
18 They have left the path of Truth,
claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in
this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.
19 But God’s Truth stands firm
like A Foundation Stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows
those who are His,” and “All who belong to The Lord must turn
away from evil.”
Christians
Are To Be Guardians Of The Sacred:
The Name Of
God:
Exodus 20:7 KJV
Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that
taketh his name in vain.
Leviticus 19:12
KJV
And ye shall not swear by My name
falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God:
I am The Lord.
Matthew 6:9 KJV
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed (Holy) be thy name.
The House Of
God:
Leviticus 19:3o
KJV
Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and
reverence My sanctuary: I am The Lord.
Psalm 89:7 KJV
God is greatly to be feared in the
assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that
are about Him.
John 2:13-17 KJV
13 And the Jews' passover was at
hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And found in the temple those
that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money
sitting:
15 And when He had made a scourge of
small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and
the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the
tables;
16 And said unto them that sold
doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house
of merchandise.
17 And His disciples remembered that
it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten Me up.
Ephesians
1:22,23 KJV
22 And hath put all things under His
feet, and gave Him to be The Head over all things to the church,
23 Which is His body, the fulness of
Him that filleth all in all.
The Gospel Of
Jesus Christ:
John 5:39 KJV
Search the scriptures; for in them
ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.
II Timothy
3:16,17 KJV
16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
II Peter 1:20,21
KJV
20 Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved
by The Holy Ghost.
Revelation
22:18,19 KJV
18 For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book.
God's
Messengers Must Guard Well, The Rite Of Marriage:
Genesis 2:18-24 KJV
18 And The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be
alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground The Lord God formed every beast of the
field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see
what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living
creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air,
and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an
help meet for him.
21 And The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he
slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof;
22 And the rib, which The Lord God had taken from man, made He a
woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my
flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Proverbs 18:22 KJV
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of
The Lord.
I Timothy 5:14 KJV
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children,
guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak
reproachfully.
Hebrew 13:4 KJV
Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whore
mongers and adulterers God will judge.
God's
Messengers, Must Guard Life:
Genesis 2:7 KJV
And The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul.
Job 33:4 NLT
For The Spirit Of God has made me, and The Breath Of The Almighty
gives me life.
Psalm 22:9 KJV
But thou art He that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me
hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psalm 71:5,6 NLT
5 O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from
childhood.
6 Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb
you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!
Psalm 104:30 KJV
Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created..."
Psalm 139:13-16 NLT
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me
together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your
workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I
was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded
in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had
passed.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit
shall return unto God who gave it.
Isaiah 44:2,24 KJV
2 Thus saith The Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the
womb..."
24 Thus saith The Lord, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from
the womb, I am The Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth
the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;
Isaiah 46:3,4 NLT
3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob (True of all God's
people.), all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since
you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair
is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry
you along and save you.
Isaiah 49:5,15,16 KJV
5 "... The Lord that formed me from the womb..."
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I
not forget thee.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy
walls are continually before Me.
Jeremiah 1:4,5 NLT
4 The Lord gave me this message:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart..."
Acts 17:29,29 KJV
28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.
29 "...we are the offspring of God..."
Our Lord knew well, there were, and there would be, those who lived
to blaspheme the things of God.
Their fate sealed by their own hands. God's Messengers, Be On
Guard!
“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy (KJV- Give
not that which is holy unto the dogs). Don’t throw your pearls to
pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
I Timothy 4:1,2,11-16 KJV
1 Now The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron;
Apostle Paul's closing words:
11 These things command and teach.
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in Spirit, in faith,
in purity.
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to
doctrine.
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that
thy profiting may appear to all.
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in
them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that
hear thee.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Self-Righteousness
Bible Questions Answered:
“...I've seen some of those holier
than thous and I don't want any part of it...”
Kelly/ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 KJV
15 All things
have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that
perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that
prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not
righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why
shouldest thou destroy thyself ?
17 Be not over
much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before
thy time?
18 It is good
that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw
not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
The
Preacher (King Solomon), seems to be saying, (Be not
righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise:) don't
be overly righteous.
At first glance, it would seem as though Solomon is against going
over board in any spiritual direction, and that middle ground living
is what is called for.
Actually Solomon had seen some holier than thou's in his time, and he
was speaking of “Self-Righteousness.” People who
are holy in their own eyes.
Proverbs 12:15 KJV (Solomon)
The way of a
fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto
counsel is wise.
Proverbs 20:6 KJV (Solomon)
Most men will
proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who
can find?
Proverbs 30:12 KJV (Solomon)
There is a
generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not
washed from their filthiness.
Well, if Solomon was talking about the dangers of
self-righteousness, what did he think about serving God, with all
ones heart?
Proverbs 2:1-9
KJV (Solomon)
1 My son, if
thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou
incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to
understanding;
3 Yea, if thou
criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou
seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt
thou understand the fear of The Lord, and find the knowledge
of God.
6 For The
Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding.
7 He layeth
up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a Buckler (Shield) to
them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth
the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.
9 Then shalt
thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every
good path.
Proverbs 3:5-10
KJV (Solomon)
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 Honor 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.
Proverbs 30:5
KJV (Solomon)
Every Word
of God is pure: He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in
Him.
Ecclesiastes
2:26 KJV (Solomon)
For God giveth
to a man that is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy..."
Ecclesiastes
7:18 KJV (Solomon)
It is good that
thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not
thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
Ecclesiastes 8:12 KJV (Solomon)
Though a sinner
do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I
know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before
Him:
Ecclesiastes
12:13,14 KJV (Solomon)
13 Let us hear
the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Self-Righteousness, is sin, living obediently to The Lord, gives
life, and honors God.
Jeremiah 2:35
KJV
And yet you
say,‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’
But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not
sinned.
II Corinthians 10:12 NLT (Apostle Paul)
Oh, don’t
worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other
men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing
themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of
measurement. How ignorant!
Leviticus 20:7
KJV
Sanctify
yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am The Lord your
God.
Matthew 7:21 KJV
Not every one
that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in
heaven.
I Peter 1:15,16
KJV
15 But as He
which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation;
16 Because it
is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Bible Lesson: Parable-Our Lord's: The Patched Garment.
Bible Lesson: Parable-Our Lord's:
The Patched Garment.
Occasion: Jesus
Spoke To The Pharisees.
Lesson: A
Change In Heart Is Needed!
Bible Text:
Matthew 9:16 NLT
"...Who would patch old
clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away
from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
Mark 2:21 NLT
"...Who would patch old
clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away
from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
Luke 5:36 NLT
Then Jesus gave them this
illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and
uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be
ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.
Any tailor will
tell you, when it comes to clothing there are some basic rules! One
of these basic rules is, you may not patch an old garment with new
cloth! And of course the reasons are obvious. When washed, the new
cloth will pull away from the old (shrinkage).
An other reason why
is because the color which is bright in the new cloth, will stand out
from the older cloth, which is faded, because of washings and age.
Now why, oh why,
would The Savior be lecturing the Pharisees on clothes repair?
He was using
several illustrations to show that holding to Jewish Mosaic Laws as
their salvation, they could never enter the kingdom of heaven. And
why, because to enter the kingdom of heaven, they had to become New
Creatures, created in Christ.
John 3:1-21 NLT
1 There was a man named Nicodemus,
a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.
2 After dark one evening, he came to
speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has
sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is
with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you The
Truth, unless you are born again, you cannot
see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed
Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and
be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no
one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and The
Spirit.
6 Humans can reproduce only human
life, but The Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
7 So don’t be surprised when I
say, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it wants.
Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or
where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of The
Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?”
Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a
respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these
things?
11 I assure you, we tell you what we
know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.
12 But if you don’t believe me
when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if
I tell you about heavenly things?
13 No one has ever gone to heaven
and returned. But The Son Of Man has come down from heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze
snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up,
15 so that everyone who believes in
Him will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world so
much that He gave His one and Only Son, so that everyone who believes
in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent His Son into the world
not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
18 “There is no judgment against
anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him
has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and Only
Son.
19 And the judgment is based on this
fact: God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the
darkness more than The Light, for their actions were evil.
20 All who do evil hate The Light
and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
21 But those who do what is right
come to The Light so others can see that they are doing what God
wants.”
The Apostle Paul
spoke to the Galatians concerning the law and Christ.
Galatians 2:16
KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works
of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:21
KJV
I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead
in vain.
Galatians 3:6-29
NLT
6 "...“Abraham believed
God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
7 The real children of Abraham,
then, are those who put their faith in God.
8 What’s more, the Scriptures
looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be
righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good
news to Abraham long ago when He said, “All nations will be blessed
through you.”
9 So all who put their
faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham
received because of his faith.
10 But those who depend on the
law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the
Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe
and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book
of the Law.”
11 So it is clear that no one can
be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the
Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person
has life.”
12 This way of faith is very
different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying
the law that a person has life.”
13 But Christ has rescued us from
the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He
took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in
the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
14 Through Christ Jesus, God has
blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing He promised to Abraham,
so that we who are believers might receive The Promised Holy Spirit
through faith.
15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s
an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend
an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.
16 God gave the promises to Abraham
and his Child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his
children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to
his Child”—and that, of course, means Christ.
17 This is what I am trying to say:
The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years
later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking His
promise.
18 For if the inheritance could be
received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of
accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a
promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given? It
was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the
law was designed to last only until the coming of The Child who was
promised. God gave His law through angels to Moses, who was the
mediator between God and the people.
20 Now a mediator is helpful if more
than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not
use a mediator when He gave His promise to Abraham.
21 Is there a conflict, then,
between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law
could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying
it.
22 But the Scriptures declare that
we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of
freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
23 Before the way of faith in
Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We
were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith
was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The
law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we
could be made right with God through faith.
25 And now that the way of faith
has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
26 For you are all children of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 And all who have been united with
Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
28 There is no longer Jew or
Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in
Christ Jesus.
29 And now that you belong to
Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and
God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Men And Animals Alike?
Bible Questions Answered:
“...men or animals we are all alike,
come and pass and thats it. Solomon said that.....”
Winnie/ Cardiff, Wales (United Kingdom)
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 NLT
(Solomon spoke of the unfairness of Life.)
16 I also noticed that under the sun
there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are
corrupt!
17 I said to myself, “In due
season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their
deeds.”
18 I also thought about the human
condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals.
19 For people and animals share
the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no
real advantage over the animals. How meaningless!
20 Both go to the same place—they
came from dust and they return to dust.
21 For who can prove that the human
spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?
22 So I saw that there is nothing
better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are
here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we
die.
Are men, mere animals? Is there nothing
after death?
Is that what these words are saying?
Never!
Here is what King Solomon has said.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 NLT
I said to myself, “In due
season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their
deeds.”
Yes men will live as they wish, but
after death, there will be a great reckoning, one day with God!
Acts 10:34 KJV An Honest Judge
(See: James 2:1-13)
Then Peter opened his mouth, and
said, Of a Truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment:
Will the spirits of
man go up? (“ human spirit goes up”.)
Yes, one day all
will stand before and give an account of his life and his works
before God.
I Peter 4:4-6
NLT
4 Of course, your former friends are
surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and
destructive things they do. So they slander you.
5 But remember that they will have
to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.
6
That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so
although they were destined to die like all people, they now live
forever with God in the Spirit.
King Solomon:
Ecclesiastes 12:6,7,13,14 NLT
6 Yes, remember your Creator now
while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the
golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at
the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.
7 For then the dust will return to
the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
13 That’s the whole story. Here
now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this
is everyone’s duty.
14 God will judge us for
everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
This is what King Solomon believed!
But if he believed this what did he
mean when he said.....
Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 NLT
18 I also thought about the human
condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals.
19 For people and animals share
the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no
real advantage over the animals. How meaningless!
20 Both go to the same place—they
came from dust and they return to dust.
Are people like animals?
Do we share the same fate?
Do men and animals, go to the same
place?
In what regard, Solomon tells us!
We are all “mortal (of the flesh),
meaning, we all will die!
Yes we share the same fate, as far as death is concerned!
In this regard, there is no difference
for we all die, we all return to the dust (or the grave).
But as shown above, King Solomon
believed “men,” not animals, would one day after death stand
before The (Honest-and-Godly) Judge Of All The Earth.
Dear friend, do you know Him, are you living for Him?
Psalm 96:13 KJV
Before The Lord: for He cometh, for
He cometh to Judge the earth: He shall Judge the world with
righteousness, and the people with His Truth.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Perfection- 2
Bible Questions Answered:
“How does God expect us to be perfect
as he is?”
Cassie/ Exeter, England United Kingdom
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Matthew 5:38-48 NLT
38 “You have heard the law that
says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth.’
39 But I say, do not resist an evil
person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other
cheek also.
40 If you are sued in court and your
shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.
41 If a soldier demands that you
carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
42 Give to those who ask, and don’t
turn away from those who want to borrow.
43 “You have heard the law that
says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
44 But I say, love your enemies!
Pray for those who persecute you!
45 In that way, you will be acting
as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight
to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the
unjust alike.
46 If you love only those who love
you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do
that much.
47 If you are kind only to your
friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is
perfect.
Let there be no
doubt as to the absolute holiness of God!
Exodus 15:11 KJV
Who is like unto thee, O Lord...who
is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing
wonders?
Psalm 99:9 KJV
Exalt The Lord our God, and worship
at His holy hill; for The Lord our God is holy.
Isaiah 6:1-4 NLT
1 It was in the year King Uzziah
died that I saw The Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the
train of His robe filled the Temple.
2 Attending Him were mighty
Seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their
faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
3 They were calling out to each
other, “Holy, holy, holy is The Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The
whole earth is filled with His glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to
its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
Revelation
15:3,4 KJV
3 And they sing the song of Moses
the servant of God, and the song of The Lamb, saying, Great and
marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy
ways, thou King Of Saints.
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall
come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
When our Lord
stated in ….
Matthew 5:48 NLT
But
you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Was
He saying that His followers must become as God?
No,
for in this world, sinless perfection or absolute sanctification, is
impossible.
We
live in a sinful world, and though we try, our spiritual best, the
honest truth is, we fail!
Else,
why would our Lord have taught us to pray.....
Matthew 6:9-13
KJV
9
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11
Give us this day our daily bread.
12
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Well,
what then did Jesus mean, when saying “be perfect, even as your
Father in heaven is perfect.”
The
Apostle Paul, explains....
Philippians
3:12-14 NLT (Pressing on to the
goal.)
12
I don’t mean to say
that I have already achieved these things or that I have already
reached perfection. But I press on to possess that
perfection for which Christ
Jesus first possessed me.
13
No, dear brothers and
sisters, I have not achieved it,
but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking
forward to what lies ahead,
14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly
prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
OK,
dear readers, if the beloved Apostle Paul, said he was not absolutely
sanctified, (or had reached sinless perfection), who today, can say
that “they,” have? Answer, NONE.
But
the point here is, if Paul, had not reached any kind of spiritual
perfection, what had The Lord called us to?
And
the Apostle goes on to give us his answer.
Paul
“pressed on to possess
that perfection (vs.
13).”
14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly
prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Perfection for God's child is that
of always “striving,”
always “pressing on,”
to be like our Living God.
Being separate from sinners, and
pressing on for the holiness of God.
II Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV
14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath Light with darkness?
15
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel?
16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the
temple of The Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith The
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith The Lord Almighty.
Leviticus 20:7,8 NLT
7
So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am The Lord your God.
8
Keep all My decrees by putting them into practice, for I am The Lord
who makes you holy.
I Peter 1:15,16 KJV
15
But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner
of conversation;
16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Will we ever reach perfection in
this life, the Apostle has already answered that, but we have a
wonderful hope...
I John 3:1-3 KJV
1
Behold, what manner of love The Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew Him not.
2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like
Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
He is pure.
Luke 6:36 KJV
Be
ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
John 13:15 KJV
For
I have given you an
example, that ye should
do as I have done to you.
I Timothy 4:12 KJV
"...be
thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in
charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
I Peter 2:21 KJV
For
even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example,
that ye should follow His steps:
Monday, March 17, 2014
Job-Given To Satan?
Bible Questions Answered:
“Why did God give Job to the devil?...”
Jeff/ Hampton, Virginia U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
James 1:13 NLT
"...God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.
Reading Job's story, we realize that it was Satan, who brought about all Job's problems, not God!
Job 1:8-12 NLT
8 Then The Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to The Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.
10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” The Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left The Lord’s presence.
Satan's plan was two-fold, first to prove God a liar, and to destroy Job.
Now as a Bible Prayer Line reader, check the flyleaf of your Bible. There is our answer.
Psalm 145:17 KJV
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
Now although God did not precipitate Jobs dilemma, yet He did have a purpose to “allowing,” Satan's challenge.
Satan's agenda was all too clear, but God had something in mind too, and it was that, though Job was a righteous man, God wanted Job to have yet a better image of just who He was.
Servants, animals and children gone, through all Satan's evil destruction, Job remained faithful.
Again Satan appeared before The Lord.
Job 2:2-10 NLT
2 “Where have you come from?” The Lord asked Satan. Satan answered The Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
3 Then The Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged Me to harm him without cause.”
4 Satan replied to The Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life.
5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” The Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
7 So Satan left The Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Again, Job was faithful to The Lord.
Then three friends of Job, arrived, Zophar, Eliphaz and, Bildad. Their message, was not one of comfort, but of condemnation for sin.
Job 32:1 KJV
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Then The Lord visited Job, out of a whirlwind (Chapters 38-42). Now Job would have his answers.
Job had an encounter with The Living God.
When all was said and done, righteous Job said these words....
Job 42:5,6 KJV
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job had defended his righteousness before, but when he received a visit of The Lord Of Glory, his righteousness faded away in the light of God's eternal holiness.
Satan's plans had failed, God's intentions had succeeded!
Job had received a vision of The Lord, and was blessed by Him.
Job 42:10-17 NLT
10 When Job prayed for his friends, The Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, The Lord gave him twice as much as before!
11 Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials The Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
12 So The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
13 He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters.
14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
15 In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
16 Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren.
17 Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.
Oh how easy it is to rest in our righteousness!
Easy that is, until we humble ourselves to receive a new vision of The Glory Of God.
There at the altar, like Job of old we will “ abhor (our-self), and repent in dust and ashes.
Isaiah 6:1-5 KJV
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is The Lord Of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen The King, The Lord Of Hosts.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
Psalm 17:15 KJV
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness
Salvation Prayer
“Why did God give Job to the devil?...”
Jeff/ Hampton, Virginia U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
James 1:13 NLT
"...God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.
Reading Job's story, we realize that it was Satan, who brought about all Job's problems, not God!
Job 1:8-12 NLT
8 Then The Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to The Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.
10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” The Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left The Lord’s presence.
Satan's plan was two-fold, first to prove God a liar, and to destroy Job.
Now as a Bible Prayer Line reader, check the flyleaf of your Bible. There is our answer.
Psalm 145:17 KJV
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
Now although God did not precipitate Jobs dilemma, yet He did have a purpose to “allowing,” Satan's challenge.
Satan's agenda was all too clear, but God had something in mind too, and it was that, though Job was a righteous man, God wanted Job to have yet a better image of just who He was.
Servants, animals and children gone, through all Satan's evil destruction, Job remained faithful.
Again Satan appeared before The Lord.
Job 2:2-10 NLT
2 “Where have you come from?” The Lord asked Satan. Satan answered The Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
3 Then The Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged Me to harm him without cause.”
4 Satan replied to The Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life.
5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
6 “All right, do with him as you please,” The Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
7 So Satan left The Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
Again, Job was faithful to The Lord.
Then three friends of Job, arrived, Zophar, Eliphaz and, Bildad. Their message, was not one of comfort, but of condemnation for sin.
Job 32:1 KJV
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Then The Lord visited Job, out of a whirlwind (Chapters 38-42). Now Job would have his answers.
Job had an encounter with The Living God.
When all was said and done, righteous Job said these words....
Job 42:5,6 KJV
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job had defended his righteousness before, but when he received a visit of The Lord Of Glory, his righteousness faded away in the light of God's eternal holiness.
Satan's plans had failed, God's intentions had succeeded!
Job had received a vision of The Lord, and was blessed by Him.
Job 42:10-17 NLT
10 When Job prayed for his friends, The Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, The Lord gave him twice as much as before!
11 Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials The Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
12 So The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
13 He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters.
14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
15 In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
16 Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren.
17 Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.
Oh how easy it is to rest in our righteousness!
Easy that is, until we humble ourselves to receive a new vision of The Glory Of God.
There at the altar, like Job of old we will “ abhor (our-self), and repent in dust and ashes.
Isaiah 6:1-5 KJV
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is The Lord Of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen The King, The Lord Of Hosts.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
Psalm 17:15 KJV
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness
Salvation Prayer
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