Month: September 2019

What Happened At Shiloh?

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“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

‘Thus saith the LORD; ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: if so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent Me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.” Jeremiah 26:1-7 (KJB)

Shiloh is the place where the ark of the covenant was kept in the Tabernacle in the wilderness which Moses had made after the pattern of God’s in Heaven.  Shiloh was the place from which it was taken foolishly by the priest thinking it had special powers even when the hearts of the people had turned against hearing the word of the LORD.  It would do the reader good to read 1 Samuel 1 – 4 to get the background of what Jeremiah is saying.

When people will not hear the word of the LORD, and do what He says then you can be sure no amount of prayer, special offering, sacrifice will suffice to please God. He is pleased when we hear His word, and do it.

There are many places that are alive with activity in the name of the Lord, but full of ignorant, disobedient, sacrificing, giving people; separated from God, and do not even realize it. Their lives are empty and without meaning, because these places have a whole lot of fire, but not fire from God in Heaven. They will not hear and heed the word of the LORD.

“Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name,…. The temple, as in Jer_7:11, for though it was called by his name, and his name was called upon in it, yet this could not secure it from desolation; for so the name of the Lord was set in the tabernacle at Shiloh, and yet he forsook it through the wickedness of the people:

wherein ye trust; they trusted in the sacrifices there offered up, and the service there performed; in the holiness of the place, and because it was the residence of the divine Majesty; wherefore they thought this would be a protection and defence of them; and this was trusting in lying words, as in Jer_7:4,

and unto the place which I gave unto you and your fathers; meaning either Jerusalem; and so the Syriac version renders it, “and to the city”; or the whole land of Judea, as in Jer_7:7,

as I have done to Shiloh; See Gill on Jer_7:12.”  From John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible on Jeremiah 26:6

O hear the word of the LORD. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.  That is a starting place.

Destruction happened at Shiloh.  Life eternal happens at the cross of Jesus Christ. Hear the word of the LORD.

The Good Discipline of the LORD

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“Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

‘Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for good. For I will set Mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull down; and I will plant them, and not pluck up. And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.’” Jeremiah 24:4-7 (KJB)

Many people in the United States of America have and are seeing the word discipline as antiquated, outdated, and unnecessary. They might use it as a word for exercise, or disciplining themselves for a good workout, but to be disciplined by another?  Just forget it.

When it comes to the LORD God, our Creator, our Savior, our Lord He will discipline those who are His.  Often times that discipline is not pleasant. Such as we read about in Jeremiah’s prophecy. Judah was going into captivity due to the overwhelming, blatant sin against God.  Many of the “Good people” were going into the Babylonian captivity too.

Christian keep Hebrews 12:5-8 in mind, “If you are without discipline from God, you are not His”.

I will leave you with commentary from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown…

v. 5  “acknowledge — regard with favor, like as thou lookest on the good figs favorably.

for their good — Their removal to Babylon saved them from the calamities which befell the rest of the nation and led them to repentance there: so God bettered their condition (2Ki_25:27-30). Daniel and Ezekiel were among these captives.

v. 6  “(Jer_12:15).

not pull … down … not pluck … up — only partially fulfilled in the restoration from Babylon; antitypically and fully to be fulfilled hereafter (Jer_32:41; Jer_33:7).

 

v. 7 “(Jer_30:22; Jer_31:33; Jer_32:38). Their conversion from idolatry to the one true God, through the chastening effect of the Babylonish captivity, is here expressed in language which, in its fullness, applies to the more complete conversion hereafter of the Jews, “with their whole heart” (Jer_29:13), through the painful discipline of their present dispersion. The source of their conversion is here stated to be God’s prevenient grace.

for they shall return — Repentance, though not the cause of pardon, is its invariable accompaniment: it is the effect of God’s giving a heart to know Him.”

From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary for verses 5 – 7.

You become God’s through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Holy Son of God.

Watched for My Halting

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“For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. ‘Report, and we will report it.’ All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, ‘Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.’ But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

But, O LORD of Hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them: for unto Thee have I opened my cause.

Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.” Jeremiah 20:10-13 (KJB)

Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets.  These prophecies have long been a source of encouragement, and strengthening of my faith in the awesomeness of God, and His mercy and grace.

He was born into a family of the priesthood, was probably expected to be a priest of the temple by his father.  God had another plan and purpose for Jeremiah. He had a heart for God. He saw the evil of His day, how the people of God had turned their back on the LORD of Hosts, worshiping Him in hypocrisy, while worshiping Baal of the heathen neighbors; offering child sacrifices to the fires of their altars.

Many of Jeremiah’s friends (familiars) and those who feigned being with him was watching him, waiting for him to fail, even to fall from what God called him to do.  His calling was to call the people of Judah to repentance and faith in God alone. They were to put away their idols; the physical ones and the ones of their own hearts.

Reading Jeremiah, as a matter of fact, as I read the whole of Scripture I have come to the conclusion that the people of the Bible are really no different from the people of 2019 in the United States of America.

We have Christians feigning worship to God while at the same time harboring idols of heart, mind, and of the physical kind (materialism).  God is today calling His people, calling the true Christian of 2019 to repentance.  Turn back to God.  Believe His word.  His word is the truth.  It is the absolute truth. Anything that is contrary to the Bible is a lie.

Let us put away our idols. Whether we like, or want to admit it or not, there is Baal worship in our land.  Children are being offered on fiery altars, slain, and slaughtered in death clinics, supposedly for women’s health. More for personal convenience, and supposed “women’s rights”.

O Christian, Hear the word of the Lord. He loves you with an everlasting love; but He loves you too much to leave you in your sin.  If you are His He will do whatever it takes to make you holy.

If you are without God, you do not know Him. He has made the way for you to come to Him. That Way, the only Way is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ His only begotten, and Holy Son.  Call on His name to day.

I for one will not halt from preaching, and teaching the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God; and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God the Son who died that Adam’s race might be saved.

The Way of the Wicked Heart

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“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  I the LORD search the heart, try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.” Jeremiah 17:9-11 (KJB)

Let me get right to the point. There is no male or female who is without a wicked heart, until that heart has been changed through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the perfect, sinless, Son of God; the only One who did not have a wicked heart.

Apart from the grace of God displayed on the cross that wicked heart can still make an appearance if we stray for walking with the LORD.

The part of these verses that caught my attention this morning was verse 11 dealing with the partridge; apparently a bird that could have been known for taking eggs of another bird, sitting on them, an leaving them at the first sign of trouble.

The wicked heart of Adam’s kind steals from others, and is shown to be a fool in his end.

God knows your heart.  You may think you do.  When you have seen some evil, wicked thing; you may have thought, or even said out loud, “I would never do anything like that”. That wicked heart you do not believe you have can show up suddenly, and openly, then the whole world around you will see. It is, in fact, your wicked heart that would lead you to think, and/or say such a thing.

O you of Adam kind will you give your heart, your soul, your mind to Jesus Christ? Do so today.

When the LORD Reveals Your Sin

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“Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.” Jeremiah 13:16 (KJB)

Jeremiah would appear to be the only prophet of God; and he was warning Judah of impending judgment due to their sinful, debaucherous, greedy, living. Committing spiritual adultery against the LORD God who had given them all things.

The false prophets were telling the people what they wanted to hear. Babylon would not come against them. Jerusalem would not fall.  They were blessed, and would continue to be so. WOW! That is just the kind of stuff people in 2019 like to and want to hear.

Jeremiah’s words above are for God’s people today as well.  Their sinfulness has been exposed to them. They are being called on to repent of their sins, “Give glory to the LORD your God…”

The idea is to confess your sins, and in doing so you turn to God in repentance, leaving the old sins in the muck and mire where it belongs.  That will give glory to the LORD God.

If you do not, or will not, then there will be darkness, and not light, and His judgment will come upon you.

The way of genuine repentance is given to us through the cross of Jesus Christ. His life’s blood was shed for our salvation; our redemption; He was buried, and He rose from the dead.  He is waiting to hear your plea for forgiveness and mercy.  He will hear, and He will forgive. “Give glory to the LORD your God…” for He tells us that “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The LORD, My Portion

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“Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

The Portion of Jacob is not like them: for He is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of His inheritance: The LORD of Hosts is His name.” Jeremiah 10:14-16 (KJB)

The prophet lived among many people of Judah who were in pretense worshiping the LORD God, and yet they worshiped demons in the form of idolatry the other days of the week.

Some of these people may have even been the idol makers, and sold them for a profit.  After all it is only business. Right?  Wrong.  It is forbidden by God Himself to make or to set up idols.

You may be thinking, “Well people do not worship idols today”.  Really? Some of them roll around on four wheels.  We call them automobiles.  They are only a tool to serve us.  What about those things you see attached to peoples hands and ears, called “Cell phones” are they not worshiped? Some worship their children and grandchildren.  Anything can be an idol.

I have heard it said, “Man makes god in his own image”.  You know kind of a slur on God’s word where He tells us “Let Us make man in our image”.  The gods the race of Adam makes are things created by our own hands, by our own minds. These gods are weak. They can be burned. They can be destroyed. They can die.

The LORD, my Portion is not weak, but Mighty; Almighty, as a matter of fact.  The LORD, my Portion can not be burned; He cannot be destroyed; and He cannot die. He is the One who made all things; the seen and the unseen; every planet, every star, every molecule that is in the Universe. He bows to no one.

He did come to earth as a Man, the God Man Jesus Christ, and gave His life to redeem Adam’s fallen race unto Himself.

Would You Like a Visit From The LORD?

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“Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the LORD.

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of My people? Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

Shall I not visit them for these things?’ saith the LORD: ‘shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?'” Jeremiah 9:6-9 (KJB)

My answer to the title question is; Not the kind of visit verse 9 is speaking of.  I enjoy and I am blessed when I really see that God has come visiting me. Yes! I know He is with me always.

We need to see a few things about the above verses…

  1. God is speaking to Jeremiah in verse six of the kind of people he is living among;
  2. God is grieved with the people of Judah and Israel because of their lies, deceit, their hypocrisy in worship;
  3. God is grieved because of their personal hypocrisies with one another;
  4. God says that He will come visit them (meaning of course in judgment) if they do not change their ways.

These thoughts lead me to ask,,,

  1. What about the people where I live and what about me; How is my relationship with God and my neighbor?
  2. Do I live honestly with my neighbor, and remember that they also are a people made in the image of God?
  3. Is there anything in our lives that resembles false worship? Do we have a passion for something else more than God; forsaking the assembling of ourselves with other believers in Christ Jesus; or maybe assembling but living a different life the other days?
  4. Do we want the visitation of God on us for the kind of living that does not honor and glorify Him?

No! We cannot live a sinless life. We can live a redeemed life because of the cross of Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son.  He is God’s greatest, and gracious visitation to all Adam kind.

Let Us Now Fear the LORD Our God

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“Neither say they in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

For among My people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah 5:24-31 (KJB)

From  F. B. Meyer…

“Diogenes, the cynic, was discovered one day in Athens in broad daylight, lantern in hand, looking for something. When someone remonstrated with him, he said that he needed all the light possible to enable him to find an honest man. Something like that is in the prophet’s thought. God was prepared to spare Jerusalem on lower terms than even Sodom, and yet He was driven to destroy her. Both poor and rich had alike “broken the yoke and burst the bonds.” The description of the onset of the Chaldeans is very graphic. They settle down upon the land as a flock of locusts, but still the Chosen People refuse to connect their punishment with their sin. It never occurred to the Chosen People that the failure of the rain, the withering of their crops, and the assault of their foes, were all connected with their sin. There is nothing unusual in this obtuseness for as we read the history of our own times, men are equally inapt at connecting national disaster with national sin.

How good it would be if the national cry of today were that of Jer_5:24 : Let us now fear before the Lord our God! Notice the delightful metaphor of Jer_5:22. When God would stay the wild ocean wave a barrier of sand will suffice. The martyrs were as sand grains but wild persecutions were quenched by their heroic patience.” F. B. Meyer’s THROUGH THE BIBLE DAY BY DAY titled “Widespread Corruption”

And with these words I say Amen.  “Let us now fear the LORD our God”. Begins by humbling ourselves at the cross of Jesus Christ.

 

Trust the LORD and Be Prepared

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This is a post I shared on August 10, 2013, and it was titled “The Making of The Preacher”…

The call of the prophet was one of separation. It was one for Jeremiah that would separate him from his family, due to the message he would be proclaiming, it would even keep him from marriage. There were times he would even feel that God had forsaken Him. We will see these things as we progress through this wonderful prophecy which our LORD God has given us.

The passage of the prophet for today is chapter one, verses 17-19;

“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” Jeremiah 1:17-19 (KJV).

The idea of “girding up the loins” is the idea of getting one’s self ready for the task at hand. You might say of a preacher called by God, “Get yourself ready to do My bidding”. As Paul spoke to Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV). Jeremiah was called to preach the Word of the Lord and he must be prepared. He must know that calling is sure, because there were going to come times in his ministry where that would be all that he had.

“Arise”, get up and get going, the time is short. “Speak to them all that I command thee”. There can be no changing of the message to soften the impact. It must be spoken as God has given it. It is sad to say and to think, but there are many preachers, who are pastors of churches and preach (if you can call it that) messages that are watered down versions of the truth, thus not the truth, but lies. They would rather be popular with their people. Popular with the people unpopular with God. Which would we be? God says to the prophet, “Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them”.

If we as preachers neglect to preach Jesus; His death on the cross; His burial; His bodily resurrection; and His promise… “I will come again” then we fail to preach the Word of God.  That is the essence of all of Scripture.

The prophet is called to stand, to be strong. God tells Jeremiah, “I have made you this day a defenced city, an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests , and against the people of the land.” This is God’s promise to Jeremiah of God’s protection from harm. Even when the judgment comes on the land, even though the people, the kings, the princes, and the priests turn against him Jeremiah is promised protection. His life will be kept and preserved. Someone has said, “The man of God in the will of God is immortal, until God is through with him”. That is a profound statement. Of course the one who made that statement must have been speaking of this temporal life we live here on earth, because with Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are immortal anyway.

The promise of God for protection would be a mighty force in the faithfulness of Jeremiah. The promise is a mighty power in our lives as well. To think that his own family, friends, king, princes, and others would try to harm him, even try to kill him, and he having the promise of God’s protection and keeping. “They shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.” Would you rather have the friendship of the world, or the protection and power of God on your life? Think about it. You cannot have both, if you are going to be a preacher of God’s Word.

You That Tremble At His Word…

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“Thus saith the LORD, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me, and where is the place of My rest? For all those hath Mine hand made, and all those have been,’ saith the LORD: ‘but to this man will I look, to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.

He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.’

Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at His word; ‘Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake, said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified:’ but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to His enemies.” Isaiah 66:1-6 (KJB)

Common Place Religion

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Please go to this blog written by Doug Eaton at The Fight of Faith.  Here is one paragraph…

The problem is that the way to find this glory and joy in God is to do the exact opposite of what you think you should do. It is like being submerged under a waterfall struggling for air. The most natural thing to do is to try to swim to the surface, but you will never get there because the crashing water will keep pushing you under. The right thing to do in that moment is swim down. It is only by swimming down that the water will spit you out down stream. This counter-intuitive nature is the same in the Christian life. If you are looking for true joy, he must increase, and we must decrease.

 

Make Mention of The LORD

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“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” Isaiah 62:6-7 (KJV)

The prophet, speaking for the LORD makes mention of “Watchmen”. There were men set to guard the city, watching for an approaching enemy, and shouting out warning, or blowing the warning sound.

This is a call of the remnant of God to be strong in the LORD, His faith, His word, and to be faithful to Him; and to pray.  Pray even to reminding God of His promises to Israel. To do so as though they were giving God no rest.

It seems that is what diligent, fervent prayer is really.  Just for a side note. Prayer is for the people of God. Faith also is not a power of  its own; but of God, and in God alone.  God, the LORD, the Creator of all that is; also the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Godhead.

The watchmen are the preachers, the prophets, the priests of God who still cherish  the LORD God, His word, His work, and His will. These will proclaim the word of God without fear, favor, or compromise calling God’s people to repentance and faith in Him.  They also will get a hold of God in prayer and never let Him go, reminding Him of His promises; though He never forgets them.

The power of prayer is through the faith of the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, His burial, and resurrection.  He is the Son of God, God the Son. The God Man.

The LORD the Everlasting Light

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“Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Thy people also all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.” Isaiah 60:15-22 (KJB)

This is a prophecy, and promise to the people called Israel who was Jacob. It is not a promise to the  Church. This will be a result of the work of God’s grace through the Messiah of the Hebrew people, and their realization that He is the Messiah, and He is Jesus Christ.

When the Righteous Perish

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“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil.” Isaiah 57:1 (KJB)

First of all we need to understand who the righteous are. The righteous are those whom God declares righteous, and none other. In the context of Scripture these righteous are a  remnant of Israel who were ashamed of the sin, debauchery, and evil in the land, and they kept themselves from it. The righteous of today are those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ death on the cross; His burial and resurrection proving the deal.

The death of the righteous is just as likely as the death of the evil. It is most likely going to happen, and none knows the day. The death of the righteous is not eternal.  The death of the wicked is eternal. There is a place in Heaven prepared for the righteous.  There is no place found for the evil in Heaven, so the only place for them is Hell.

When the righteous die there will be many wicked who applaud that death saying something like “Well that  trouble maker is gone, and good riddance”, maybe just thinking it. The wicked always see the righteous as the cause of  trouble. At any rate they do not care at their passing.

The merciful are the same as the righteous, and will be taken away from the evil that God has declared judgment upon.  God knows how to deliver the righteous from the evil…

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished…” 2 Peter 2:9

Become one who is righteous before God. Call on the name of the One who died on the cross for you, was buried, and He rose again.  His name is Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son.

As war clouds gather in the Gulf, Arab, Israeli & Christian media provide extensive coverage of Evangelical Delegation to Saudi Arabia, while U.S. media largely ignore. CBN News granted exclusive, historic access to the Kingdom. Here’s the latest. Please pray.

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Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

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After speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), President Trump says US forces in the Gulf are “locked and loaded,” strongly suggesting he may order retaliatory military strikes against Iran, possibly within the week.

All eyes are once again on the Middle East, yet the US media has largely ignored a group of American faith leaders who met with MBS and have direct knowledge of how he views Iran and the state of the US-Saudi alliance.

Here’s a roundup of the media coverage of our meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — including our two-hour meeting with the Crown Prince — which occurred just days before the horrific attacks by 12 cruise missiles and 20 drones on Saudi oil facilities that have brought the region, once again, to the brink of war.

With the notable exception of the Associated Press, the trip received rather little original coverage in the…

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Fear Not; For You Shall Not Be Ashamed…

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“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of Hosts His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.” Isaiah 54:4-5 (KJB)

I love the “Fear not” of these verses, and all of Scripture.  This one seems to be extra powerful.  It is probably due to the prophecy before it of our Suffering Servant Savior prophecies in chapters 51-53. Their Messiah would come, suffer, and die even by their own religious establishments hands, yet He is “Smiten of God and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4).

Through the sacrifice; the suffering, the bleeding, the dying of Jesus Christ, all of sins debt was paid.

I leave you with more thoughts from F. B. Meyer…

“We have heard the exiles summoned to leave Babylon, and have beheld the Savior becoming the sin-bearer. Here our attention is recalled to the still desolate condition of Jerusalem. See Neh_1:3; Neh_2:3; Neh_2:13-17. Jehovah says, Sing, but Israel replies that she cannot sing so long as she lies desolate. In reply God declares His inalienable love: He is their husband still and has sworn that the waters of death and destruction shall never be able to separate them from Himself. The kindness of His mercy is everlasting, and His covenant of peace shall outlast the mountains and hills.

In the closing paragraph, Isa_54:11-17, we behold the chosen city emerging from her heap of ruins. Watched by the eye of the great Architect, wrought by unseen hands, tested by the line and plummet of righteousness, she arises to fulfill her mission to the world. To inspired hearts it seems as though her common stones are jewels. Her children are taught of the Lord. Every accusing voice is hushed. All weapons of destruction are impotent. The New Jerusalem seems to have come down from heaven.” THROUGH THE BIBLE DAY BY DAY – F. B. Meyer “The Wondrous Love of God” on Isaiah 54:1-17

The Storm rages on…

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From a sister in Christ. Great words of comfort and encouragement.

Providence Cottage Blessings

This morning I awoke to the sound of our bulldog barking uncontrollably. Something outside had set her off to be sure because she is not one given to barking all the time. Only when she hears something out of the ordinary does she let us know. She let us know early. . . As I looked out the window on to front porch, I could not see what had bothered her, but I did see the early morning beauty. The sun was coming up and a haze surrounded our neighborhood. It was a beautiful day. Lately, it has been storms that have set off my four legged friend. I have been studying the significance of storms recently and came upon something I had not seen before in Psalm 107:25, “For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.” There are times when you may…

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Exactly As GOD Said

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“I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6 (KJB)

This is a prophecy of the  trial, pain, beating, the suffering of the sinless Son of God as He gave Himself as the propitiation for our sins. A prophecy given to the prophet Isaiah around 700 years before Jesus was even born in the manger.

From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on verse six…

“smiters — with scourges and with the open hand (Isa_52:14; Mar_14:65). Literally fulfilled (Mat_27:26; Mat_26:27; Luk_18:33). To “pluck the hair” is the highest insult that can be offered an Oriental (2Sa_10:4; Lam_3:30). “I gave” implies the voluntary nature of His sufferings; His example corresponds to His precept (Mat_5:39).

spitting — To spit in another’s presence is an insult in the East, much more on one; most of all in the face (Job_30:10; Mat_27:30; Luk_18:32).”  From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

O, come to Jesus Christ who loved us so much He gave Himself to redeem us to the Father God in Glory.

He Has Spoken, He Has Purposed…

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“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure: calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth My counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11 (KJB)

God has spoken, and every word He has spoken shall come to pass just as He has said.  He has purposed, and every purpose will be done.

From F. B. Meyer

“Here is a startling contrast! Babylon is broken up. An invading army of stern monotheists have slain the idolatrous priests at their altars and are engaged in carrying out the idols for the bonfire. And as the Jewish remnant is witnessing the extraordinary spectacle, they are reminded that their God does not require to be borne. Nay, on the contrary He has borne His people from the earliest days and will continue to bear them till the heavens have passed away.

The contrast is a perpetual one. Some people carry their religion; others are carried by it. Some are burdened by minute prescriptions and an external ritual; others yield themselves to God, to be borne by Him in old age as they were in the helplessness of childhood. They are persuaded that He will bear them “as a man doth bear His son,” in all the way that they go, until they come to the prepared place. See Deu_1:31; Isa_63:9. God immediately responds to a trust like that, and His salvation does not tarry.”  From Through the Bible Day by Day – F. B. Meyer on Isaiah 46:1-13

What He has spoken concerning His Son Jesus will come to pass.  What He has purposed concerning you and me will be done.

Israel’s Redemption

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By the grace of Holy God…

“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant: I have formed thee; thou art My servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.

Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel.

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; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, ‘Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, ‘Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: that saith to the deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: that saith of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, ‘Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, ‘Thy foundation shall be laid.’ ” Isaiah 44:21-28 (KJB)

The Redemption of the nation Israel is solely a work of God’s mercy, grace and love through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A great day coming when the redeemed remnant of Israel shall look upon the One whom their forefathers crucified; and they shall call Him LORD (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37; Revelation 1:7; Daniel 7:13).

He Is…

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Far too many times we get the idea that we know our situation better than God does.  May we never forget that “He Is” not only the All Wise, All Knowing God but He is also our Creator who made everything we see, and the things we do not see…

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counsellor hath taught Him?  With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:12-14 (KJB)

Who am I to even question God?  Who am I to even question why things are as they are? We all have doubts, fears, discouragements, and anguish, grief, and hostilities.

God has not asked for my help in how He directs and leads in the affairs of this world. He has called me to hear Him, to believe Him, to follow His Son Jesus who is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; yet one GOD. I am not asked, neither commanded to explain the Tri-unity of God, neither to understand it.

I am called to believe that “He Is”, and that “He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is there life eternal in the presence of Holy God, there is peace, and forgiveness of all sin.

The Face of Evil

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Amen.

Nephos

The anniversary of 9/11 always brings back the emotions that swept over me that day. Eighteen years! And I can still remember those feelings.

Whenever an act of evil such as this takes place, it is in our human nature to try to categorize it. What form does evil assume? What does it look like?

Some deny its existence. Others try to identify it by external appearance or influences. Some look for commonality of race, creed, education level or economic background.

The events we remember today demonstrate that evil takes many forms. We can’t always recognize it until it happens. Friends and acquaintances of those who commit horrendous acts frequently use words like “shocked,” “unexpected,” and “surreal.” There was “nothing that stood out” about them. If you look at their pictures, you see no indication of the atrocity they would commit.

We can’t always identify evil because it is not…

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When The King Prays

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“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.  And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,

‘O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth.

Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open Thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.  Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD, Thou only.’ ” Isaiah 37:14-20 (KJB)

The enemy was at the gates of Jerusalem. Threatening letters had been sent, mocking letters and words had been written and said for the people on the wall to hear.  The purpose was to cause them to fear.

Fear has a way of crippling, and handicapping the victim. Fear makes victims of its prey.  Fear is a coward which is a sneak; because it creeps in unseen, and often unheard until it strikes.

We all deal with it.  Notice what Hezekiah did when he received the fearful, mocking letter from the king of Assyria; he went to thee LORD, laid out the letter before Him and prayed.

God heard the king’s prayer and sent word to him, by way of the prophet; and God took care of the mocking king; and over night killed 185,000 of the soldiers of Assyria.

What is attacking you today? Have you put your faith and trust in the Lord by believing what  He says about His Son Jesus the Christ? Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He was buried, and He rose again.  When you know Jesus you have access to the very throne of God (Hebrews 4:16).

When fear from the enemy comes in, you now have the authority of Heaven to take your case to the  Throne.

 

When The Righteous King Reigns

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“Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.” Isaiah 32:1-8 (KJB)

 

From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on Isaiah32:8…

“liberal — rather, “noble-minded.”

stand — shall be approved under the government of the righteous King.”

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10