Monthly Archives: March 2012

Saturday’s Solace

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~Psalms 34:17 {The righteous} cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

~Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I {will be} with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

~Psalms 30:5b Weeping may endure for a night, but joy {cometh} in the morning.

~1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

~Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

~Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew {their} strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; {and} they shall walk, and not faint.

~1 Corinthians 1:3-4 Grace {be} unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and {from} the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed {be} God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

~Psalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

~Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I {am} with thee: be not dismayed; for I {am} thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

~Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them {to this end}, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

~Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

~Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy {shall be} upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; {and} sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Question of the Day – Explain the Parable of the Ten Virgins

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MATTHEW 25:1-13  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh

When reading Scripture, one needs to remember who God used to write the book, who the book was written for, and the message that God desired to communicate. Matthew was used to write this book and it was written to the Jews. Chapter 25 discusses Christ’s coming and His establishing the kingdom of God in Israel (Matthew 25:31-34).

The virgins were divided into two groups: the foolish virgins and the wise virgins.  What differentiates the two?  The answer is the oil which was needed for their lanterns. The foolish virgins didn’t have any oil for their lanterns (Matthew 25:3-4) and were caught unawares without oil. As we read the passage, we can see that the foolish virgins were not saved and the wise virgins were saved.  The saved virgins had oil for their lamps and, therefore, did not miss the bridegroom’s return.

When oil is spoken of in Scripture, it is known to mean one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit – the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

~Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Jesus said,

~Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

~sHebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

~1 John 2:20, 27 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

The Holy Spirit, then, is known as the “anointing oil” given to the believers to teach us (1 John 2:20, 27); to heal those who are sick amongst us according to the will of the Father  (James 5:14-15); and to be our Comforter (John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26-27, and John 16:7).

In closing, the foolish virgins did not have the anointing of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, were not saved.  The wise virgins, however, did have the anointing oil of the Spirit and were ready when the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, came.  What a beautiful picture of the saints who are alive at the time of the Rapture!  :-)


Question of the Day – What Does it Mean to Walk in the Light?

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In today’s obsession with the paranormal, you read statements about people who have had near-death experiences and how they walked “toward the light.” Let’s not be deceived by the “feel good” stories out there.  Rather, we must compare these stories with the Scriptures where all truth lies.

The Bible says that the devil is deceiving and appears as an angel of light.  Therefore, we must compare stories and phenomenons with God’s word before putting our trust and faith in it.  The devil wants nothing more than to deceive the masses so they won’t be searching for salvation through Jesus Christ, the Saviour. Jesus told us to beware of those false prophets who are led by the devil.

~Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

~2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

The Lord gives us the Scriptures so we can be armed with power to overcome these deceptions.

~Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

The Bible is the armour that protects us from the enemy who works evil and promotes the works of darkness.

~Ephesians 6:11, 13 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Walking the Christian path is like walking in the dark with a flashlight.  It’s a great comparison, actually.  When one walks with a flashlight, only what is seen in the light’s path is our line of vision.  However, with a map of the roadway, one can know the turns up ahead.  As well, with warnings from those who have walked the same path in the past, we are alerted to what is ahead.  This is what the Scriptures do for us.  They lead us to salvation and have the power to save the lost (Romans 1:16) and lead the Christian in the way he/she should go.

~Romans 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].

Our flashlight is only as strong as its battery.  We get our fuel from God’s word (1 Peter 2:2) as we get nourishment and physical fuel from food.  As we charge our spiritual battery through reading the Scriptures, we can clearly see what things in our lives we are to eliminate and what hurdles may lie ahead of us.  Romans 13:13-14 give us an idea of those things we should remove from our lives: rioting (indulging in excessive feasting), drunkenness, chambering  (immodest behavior), wantonness (sportiveness, frolicsomeness, negligence of restraint, lewdness), strife, envying, and fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

Whatever I choose to do, I should see if it falls under any of these categories.  If it does, I am to stay away from it. If it reflects Christ, then I am walking in the light of His word.

~John 8:12, 9:5 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

~Psalm 119:105 NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Question of the Day – What Does it Mean, “Many are called, but few are chosen?”

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~Matthew 22:1-14 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them]. 7 But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen.

This parable from Jesus is a beautiful depiction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached to all. Whosoever believes the precious Gospel shall be saved.

~Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is no mystery that Israel is God’s chosen nation and the Jews are His chosen people.

Deuteronomy 7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.

Those who were first called to the wedding feast were the Jews. God’s special people were entrusted with His oracles:

~Romans 3:1-2 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

They were given every opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ. God’s word says that the Jews look for a sign and Christ gave them many miracles – He gave them every opportunity to recognize their Messiah spoke of in those same Oracles.

~1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Instead, most refused to believe and, therefore, they killed God’s messenger, Jesus Christ.

The parable continues on to say that because of this, God said to His servants to go into the highways and find as many as possible to come to the marriage. This a wonderful depiction of where God opened up salvation to all (Matthew 22:10).

~John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

~Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

~1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

~2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

~Revelations 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The wedding guests were all furnished with a wedding garment (Matthew 22:12). Through Christ’s shed blood, we are clothed in His righteousness in robes of white.

~Revelations 7:14b … and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

~Revelations 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Some try to come to salvation by another method, but cannot and, therefore, cannot wear the wedding garment. Only those whose robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb can wear these garments.

What happens if one doesn’t want to be saved? Matthew 22:13 says that those without the wedding garment, will be sent into outer darkness, where that shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:14 states, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.” Only those who have the wedding garment on can enter in. There is only one way to Heaven and that way is not going to be walked by many.

~Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There is only one way to Heaven and that is to wear that precious white robe, the wedding garment, that is washed in the blood of the Lamb.

~John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

~Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The way is narrow because there is only one way to Heaven and that is through repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ.

~Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Question of the Day – What Does it Mean to Sacrifice Myself?

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~Romans 12:1-2 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.

There are many religions today that misinterpret this verse and it is so sad.  To harm or mutilate and punish one’s own body because of sin in order to bring the body under subjection is absolutely wrong teaching. Christ paid the price for our sins. He took the punishment.  Bringing our bodies under subjection is a figure of speech which encourages us to transform our minds! It is possible to sin less – we must view sin the way God views it!

~Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

We do not need to do anything for our sins over and above what Christ has already done. This desire to do so is as old as Cain! Nothing we do will wipe away our sin.  It is all God’s doing through Christ’s death. After we, through repentance and faith, accept the fact that Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), we can then and only then start working at putting to death our old man and giving up sin (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

~1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Offering up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to the Lord is our calling to put to death the worldly things in our lives and replace them with that which is holy and acceptable!  Just as the priests of the Old Testament offered up sacrifices, we are to offer up our own selves, if you will – yielding ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit as He molds us into the image of Jesus Christ.

~2 Tim 2:19-20 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

How do we offer spiritual sacrifices to the Lord? It is a daily work – yielding ourselves to what is good and right and forsaking what is sin. It’s a choice, friend!  Notice the word “yield” in the verses below – yes, we make the choice to yield!

~Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. 

~Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

If you are consistently committing the same sin over and over, you’re not yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit but to the devil.  When a child of God continues in sin and chooses to disobey, God will do as any good parent would do and He will chastise His child (Hebrews 12:6 and Revelations 3:19). As well, it stands to reason that if you are yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit, you are sacrificing those things which you know offend God. You are putting your body to death toward the things of the world.

~1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Why would we let sin dwell within us? We are the temple of God! We have the power to say no – we have the ability to overcome because the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us! The unsaved cannot at this because they don’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help them.  We have no excuse – we have the Holy Spirit and, therefore, have the ability to say no to sin.  Granted, there will be times when we will have to ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9).  However, this will occur less and less as we heed the Holy Spirit’s prodding in our lives. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

Question of the Day – Why Does God Allow Suffering?

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~Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Death and suffering were not God’s intentions from the beginning.  It is not God that causes the suffering. God created (Genesis 1:1) the heavens, the earth and everything in and on the earth – they were made perfectly by a perfect God.  When He saw all that He had created, He said that it was very good (Genesis 1:31). Man had everything he needed in the Garden of Eden.  There was no death or sickness.  However, man wanted more and by choice, man sinned.  God didn’t keep it a secret as to what would happen if Adam and Eve disobeyed – He didn’t generalize either – He was very specific.  But Adam and Eve did disobey and, again, it was by choice.  According to today’s text, this is where pain and suffering began and it is because of their disobedience that we experience it today. Man brought on the curse of death all by himself with no help from God.  It is not God that caused man to disobey.  The devil was at the root of it and man’s will fulfilled that disobedience.

Now that we know the how’s, where’s and why’s of suffering, we can deal with the question of the day.  God is not responsible for the outcome of bad choices.  The choices are ours to make and the outcome is a result of those choices.  We have the opportunity to walk alone during suffering or we have the choice to have the Lord be a part of our lives and, therefore, reap the benefit of His peace during the suffering! Despite man’s disobedience, God’s love for us was so great that He provided man with the blessed opportunity to seek Him, find Him and believe in Him. (Romans 6:23)

God has left His light for us through the Bible so that we can find Him.  The Bible has been translated in almost 2,500 different languages.  Throughout its pages are God’s words leading us to Him, despite man’s rebellion and his sin choice.

~Psalm 119:105 NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

It’s our choice to sin and it’s our responsibility to seek God for forgiveness.

~Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

He shows the way through the Scriptures.  Some will read the words of God and accept them, and some will reject His words. It’s man’s responsibility to respond to God’s word, not God’s.  God does not force Himself on anyone.  The seed of faith is planted and then man must make a choice (Matthew 13:18-23). Those who desire to seek after God will be shown the way.  The Ethiopian eunuch desired to know what God’s word said so God sent Philip to show him (Acts 8:26-40).

You can speak to any Christian who is strong in his faith and he will tell you that without the Lord, he would be nothing.  He would say that without the Lord, he would not be able to go through the trials that come his way.  The trials of suffering build the Christian’s faith and that Christian rests in His care.  However, the unbeliever reacts differently and blames God for those trials. We can’t speak for God – we can’t know His thoughts or His ways for they are a mystery to us.  But He does choose to reveal things to us through His word.

Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

God may allow trials to strengthen our faith so that we may act according to His word.  To the unsaved, trials and suffering may be allowed so that they can turn to Him and come to know Him. We can’t know all of God’s thoughts. It is not for us to know at times.

~Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

I heard this story once about a man and his little boy walking in the woods side by side.  The little boy slipped on wet leaves and fell down an embankment, tearing his pants and scraping his knee. The father picked him up, comforted him, wiped away his tears and cleaned his scraped knee.  That father was walking right beside his son but yet the accident still happened.  However, it is the outcome to which you must take notice.  Had the child been walking alone, he would not have had his father to comfort him. Suffering happens in our lives, but God picks us up, comforts us, wipes away our tears and cleans us up. Walking with the Lord provides us with a constant companion – One who desires only the best for us.

Will suffering continue to happen?  Absolutely! Some suffering is due to our own stubborn will (like smoking).  Some suffering comes from a total accident.  However, all the results of our suffering come by choice.  We can choose to suffer alone without God or have Him present with us. (Psalm 23:4)

 

Sunday’s Balm

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~Matt 5:8
 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 



~Luke 6:45 
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 



~Luke 8:15
 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 



~Acts 15:8-9
 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 



~1Thes 3:13
 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 



~II Th 3:5
 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 



~1 Tim 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 



~2 Tim 2:22
 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 



~Heb 10:22
 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 



~James 4:8
 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 



~James 5:8 
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 



~1 Pet 1:22 
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 



~1 Pet 3:15 
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Saturday’s Solace

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~2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

~Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I {am} with thee: be not dismayed; for I {am} thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

~1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not {the author} of con- fusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

~James 3:16-18 16 For where envying and strife {is}, there {is} confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, {and} easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

~1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scrip- ture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be con- founded.

~Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

~Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

~Philippians 4:6,7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

~Psalm 30:5 For his anger {endureth but} a moment; in his favour {is} life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy {cometh} in the morning.

~Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I {will be} with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

~Psalm 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4 3 Blessed {be} God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

~Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things {are} honest, whatsoever things {are} just, whatsoever things {are} pure, whatsoever things {are} lovely, whatsoever things {are} of good report; if {there be} any virtue, and if {there be} any praise, think on these things.

~Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Question of the Day – Why Don’t People Believe the Bible?

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~Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

I became a born-again Christian at the age of 25 – nearly 32 years ago.  I totally understand today’s text because it speaks of me personally.  If I compare myself to God and His holiness and righteousness, I definitely am wicked.  God is our plumb line – HE is the definition of holiness and we are the definition of sinful – He is THE measuring stick to which we should compare ourselves. I am not a scholar but I do understand God’s word.

Think about it for a moment, if every person on earth was sinless, there would be no death, no crime, no need for prisons, etc.  The earth would be a perfect place.  However, God’s word says that men’s hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked! Furthermore, sin darkens the heart – blinds it from that which is holy and righteous.

~Romans 3:10-11 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

People don’t believe the Bible because they are blinded.  I remember before I was saved, I would open the Bible and it was all mumbo jumbo to me.  However, after salvation, it was as though a veil had been removed from my eyes and I was able to understand what I was reading. The unsaved have “spiritual cataracts” covering their eyes of understanding.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The god of this world is none other than the devil, Satan.  He convinces people that they are on the right track so they do not pursue after Christ and spiritual matters.  He puts just enough “spirituality” in what they hear at church or he keeps people thinking they are O.K. just the way they are. He won’t reveal his true nature because people might recognize what he was trying to do.

~2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Satan blinds their minds. Those who are not saved are under his power.  However, once we are born again, we are no longer – we are free and are no longer blind.

~Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Those who do not believe the Bible are growing in numbers because of the times that we are in.  The devil knows his time is short and is doing all he can to discredit the Bible.  There are over 200 versions of the Bible out there – all since 1900.  If the devil can succeed in causing people to believe that God’s word is not really with us today, then people won’t have the faith needed to believe what is written in their version!

~2 Peter 3:3-7 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

These last-days-scoffers are willingly ignorant. Their sinfulness prevails in their lives and, therefore, they do not wish to follow after righteousness.  Instead, they soothe their consciences by following what the world says about the Bible, rather than studying it out for themselves. As long as sin rules in their lives, they will not believe the Bible.

Question of the Day – What is Sin?

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~Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s word tells us that there is a penalty for sin in our lives and that is the penalty death. So exactly what are we going to be penalized for? Let’s take a look at what sin is according to God’s word.

The definition of sin according to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is:

1. The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God’s commands or law. 1 John 3. Mat 15. James 4.

The very first mention of the word sin can be found in Genesis 4:7a If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.

This passage deals with Cain and Abel.  It was time for them to bring their lamb for sacrifice as they were taught by their parents.  Abel offered a lamb; however, Cain didn’t.  Instead, he decided that he would give the fruit of his own labor.  Maybe he was jealous of Abel … maybe he didn’t want to have to go buy a lamb from Abel’s flock.  We aren’t told.  What we are told is that Cain didn’t do as God wanted him to do.  When God rejected his offering, Cain was wroth (Gen. 4:6) – meaning he was very angry. Why? He was angry because his offering of the works of his hands was not an accepted sacrifice by God. God told Cain in verse 7 “If thou does well, shalt thou not be accepted?” In other words, had Cain obeyed and followed God’s process taught to him (just as it was taught to Abel), his offering would have been accepted by God. God also says, “and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” Cain’s offering was not accepted – he sinned against God by trying to get to God in his own way. In fact, the spirit of Cain is alive and well today. People try to get to Heaven by the work of their own hands.

What does the Bible say about sin? There are 1292 mentions of sin in the King James Bible. I can’t cover each verse but we can get an idea of how God views sin. The second mention of sin is found with the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 13:13 and Gen. 18:20) We, therefore, see two areas we know God considers to be sin, even before the Ten Commandments were given: (1) the sin of trying to get to Heaven by any other way than what God has provided in His word; and (2) the sin of sodomy (homosexuality) – in fact, this sin is said to be very grievous according to Gen. 18:20.

When the Ten Commandments were given, they formed the foundation for civilization as we know it.  Many courthouses still have the Ten Commandments on their walls.  Sadly, liberals are working desperately to have them removed.  It’s so very sad because this is what God considers to be sin! The exact wording can be read in Exodus 20. A brief paraphrased outline of these Ten Commandments are:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
5. Honor thy Father and thy Mother
6. Thou shalt not kill
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
8. Thou shalt not steal
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
10. Thou shalt not covet

It’s not rocket science to understand what God considers to be sin. These same are still considered sin by God today. He does not change! (Malachi 3:6a For I [am] the LORD, I change not;)

It doesn’t end there. James says in James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. If man knows to do good, then it must be ingrained in man to do good.  When man does not do what he knows in his heart to be good, then he has committed sin according to God’s word.

It’s pretty overwhelming to the one who has not accepted God’s gift of salvation. God’s word says in Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, one must repent toward God and have faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.  No longer do we need to offer sacrifices for our sins as in the Old Testament!  Now we have the opportunity to have our sins forgiven through Jesus Christ (John 3:16, John 14:6, John 3:3, Romans 6:23)

Until we recognize that we are sinners and we need to repent, we will be a slave to sin. (Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. There is no other way to Heaven except by repenting toward sin and having faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21, John 14:6).