Commandments

Loving God and His Word

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PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed forThy commandments.
Look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as Thou usest to do unto those that love Thy name.
Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep Thy precepts.
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; and teach me Thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.

Psalm 119:129-136

The writer of this part (PE), one of what is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Each eight verse section begins with a letter in the Hebrew text.

Notice the love the Psalmist has for the word of God.  Notice, also his love for his fellowman; “Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law.”

We  need a great love for God and His word – commandments, etc; and great love for our fellow man.

Partial Obedience – Disobedience

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In the lessen of King Saul we learn that obedience is what God requires.  Saul did not obey the LORD.

Samuel also said unto Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.  And Saul said unto the Kenites, “Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, “It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1 Samuel 15:1-11

The LORD, through Samuel had given king Saul a command to go and destroy the Amalekites, because they had not treated Israel right when they were in the wilderness.

Now,  I know what people of today in the year 2025 are thinking as we read this event; “That is genocide,” or “That is very cruel,” yet that is God’s way of dealing with evil.  Who are we to question our Creator?  If God gives a command to do something, then we need to do it when, and where He says; and with haste.

As followers of Jesus Christ – Christians, we are to love our neighbors, and our neighbor maybe an enemy.   We must first deal with the evil within ourselves.  At a time a few years back, I was in prayer, and concerned about the evil I saw in the world, and I asked the Lord, “Why do you allow evil in the world? You could with the snap of Your finger destroy evil.”  Then this thought came to my heart and mind, “If God were to destroy evil, He would need to destroy me.”  That has been my answer for that question ever since then.

God will be compassionate to whom He will be compassionate.  He is merciful to whom He will be merciful.  The LORD God is wiser, and smarter than billions of the wisest people working together.

Something to think about concerning the complete destruction of a group of evil people is that the Amalakites is that there was evidently one that was shown mercy who grew up, and one of the descendants of Agag, was born as Haman in the  book of Esther.  Haman tried to kill all the Jews in Persia, but He failed.

When we fail to obey the commands of God we sin.  Even if we succeed in obeying in part of the command, and fail in the hard part, we have been disobedient children.  King Saul lost the kingdom – a dynasty that could have been his, but He failed to obey the LORD.

We are not redeemed, we are not saved, we are not justified by keeping commandments, but Jesus tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  Since we are justified by grace through faith, then we will desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him.  If You do not have a desire to always be on the right side of God, and do His will, then you are not justified by grace through faith.

Jesus Christ died for our sins; we were  a rebellious, disobedient, and evil people; yet God so loved us He sent His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ – to  go to the cross, become the curse of sin, taking the judgment that we  deserved, dying for us.  He was buried, and He rose again.  Because He rose again we can come to Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and He saves us unto eternal life.

Will you trust Him today?  It is His will that you do so.

The Commandments Of The LORD

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And God spake all these words, saying,
“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.
“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.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
“Thou shalt not kill.
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.
“Thou shalt not steal.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Exodus 20:1-17

It can be stated in two shorter “Laws”.  In the words of Jesus, ” And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”  And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:’ this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ There is none other commandment greater than these.’ “  Mark 12:28-31

This House

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And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
“Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I perform My word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.
1 KIngs 6:11-13

King David had a heart to build a house for the LORD. However, the LORD would  not allow David to build because he had been a man at war, and had shed much blood. God had told him, “Your son will build me an house,” and thus we see after Solomon is anointed King, that he begins to build that house.

The LORD is not so concerned with a physical house; as He is with the human heart. The heart of Solomon was what God wanted.

Could or would Solomon walk in the statutes of God? Would or could execute the judgments of God? Would or could he keep all the commandments of God? The answer to all three questions is; NO!

The house GOD wants to dwell in is the house of the human heart. That heart of the man or woman is corrupt and evil, unless that heart is changed by God Himself. Second  Corinthians 5:1through 2 speaks of this house. I leave the reference hear for you to investigate, and see for yourself.

GOD wants to make your heart His house to dwell in. He made that possible only through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on a cross. He was buried, and He rose from that grave and is alive forever  more.

If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, your shall be saved. Will you do that today.

A Chosen People

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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. The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them: He will not be slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his face.  Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
Deuteronomy 7-11

They are called an “holy people” and a people who have been chosen to be a “special people unto Himself, above all people on the face of the earth.” What makes these people a special people? It is not because they are good, or holy, or righteous, or because they are worthy. It is because God says He loves them. Who are these people?

They are the descendants of  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The people are not holy because they are good, but because they have been made so by God Himself. They are a people who that the LORD is their God. That He is the faithful God, and that He keeps His promises, and is merciful, and He loves all who keep His commandments. Who are these people?

They are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are not special by their own works; they are special because the LORD keeps His promises, and He declares them a special people. God does not love them because they are worthy of His love; He loves them because He keeps His word.

Where does the Bride of Jesus Christ fit into this? We are part of the Body of Christ because we have been born again through faith in Christ Jesus, and His death on the cross of Calvary, His burial, and His resurrection. Jesus Christ is a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and through Him we are a special people, a holy people, “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

We were not chosen because we were good, righteous, or holy. We were dying, condemned transgressors of the law of God, yet He loved us, and called unto Himself (Romans 5:8). We also keep His commandments, because we love Him; Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

There is a reason to fear what the end may be for one’s life. It is certain that you will die. It is just as sure and certain, that we will all, one day stand before the Lord, and will be judged by what we did with Jesus Christ. If you refuse Him you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe Him, trusting in Him and loving Him with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and all your strength, then you will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven.

Trust Him today, believe His word, His promises, and call on Him in repentance of sin.

Even When We Feel Inadequate

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Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:” but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.  Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.  So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.  And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
1 Samuel 13:19-23

Thou art near, O LORD; and all Thy commandments are truth.
Psalm 119:151

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
Proverbs 24:19-20

Even when we feel inadequate God is adequate to deliver. Our deliverer is the Lord Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection.

…He that trusts in the LORD…

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Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalm 32:10-11

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Proverbs 7:1-2

My Voice, My Charge, My Commandments, My Statutes, and My Laws

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And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.  And the LORD appeared unto him, and said,
“Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Genesis 26:1-5

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.  The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.  The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
Psalm 41:1-3

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 9:8-10

High Esteem for the Word of GOD

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My foot hath held His steps, His way have I kept, and not declined.  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.   Job 23:11-12

How important is food to you? Most of us in the United States of America eat three meals a day and without fail. We know there are many children and adults in this nation who do without far too many days, and that should not even be happening here.

How important is the word of GOD to you?

Job says in the above verses that holding to His steps, walking in His way, obeying His commandments as more highly esteemed than even his necessary food.

Why should we highly esteem the word of GOD? Why do we highly esteem our food we eat  every day? It is necessary for our sustenance, for life, for living in this world. I we do not eat food we grow weak, sickness sets in, and eventually we die. The same is true for our spirit and soul as well.

The redeemed spirit and soul of man will desire the word of GOD, hunger for it, will be one of our highest desires to know and grow in faith in the Lord our God and Savior. Through the word of God we learn about God, His love, mercy, grace, righteousness, holiness and justice. We learn of His sending His Son Jesus; and when we start in the book of beginnings we learn the book is about God loving the world that He would send His Son to die for the sins of the world.

If you do not have high esteem for the word of GOD, for reading, studying, and for personal application of the word in your life, you are most likely not His.

Trust the Lord Jesus Christ, believe Him, repent of your sins calling on His name and He will hear you. Through faith in Him you will have a high esteem for what He says.

He died for our sins on the cross, was buried, and He rose again. Believe Him.

To Whom the Lord Reveals Himself

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I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.
At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. John 14:18-21

“If you love Me…”

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If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  John 14:15-17

Prayer for January 8, 2021

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“Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.” WISDOM Proverbs 8:34
“‘A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.’ And He left them, and departed.”  Matthew 16:4

Lord GOD and Father, all worship and praise belongs to You. There is none other who is worthy. You are holy, holy, holy, Just, Righteous and wise. You are the Creator of all that is; the seen and the unseen, and Your Son Jesus the Living Word is the One in whom it all consist.

You, Lord, have blessed us beyond what we deserve and I thank You for the multitude of blessings; many for which we are even unaware. Thank You

We ask for wisdom today. We ask for the wisdom that is from You and pray for ignorance of the doing of evil ways of men in the earth. Always, may we hear the words of godly wisdom, heavenly wisdom, and never the wisdom that is of this world; and may we live wisely according to the commandments of Your word.

We pray that You will keep us in Your hands; and You do. We ask that You will always help us  to keep our eyes on You, not hoping for signs of guidance and direction, but looking at You always and the work of Your blessed, holy Son Jesus who bled and died on the cross for our sins and the sins of the world, He was buried carrying away all our sin, shame, guilt and condemnation, and He bodily arose and is forever seated at Your right hand. In You, O Lord, do we trust and not in any sign. We do ask Lord Jesus, that You will come quickly.

We ask, Lord, also that You make Your word come alive in us to better serve, honor, and glorify Your name; and that others might come to a saving faith of Jesus Christ. Lift up that name that is above every name – the name of Jesus. Amen.

Words of Jesus; Son of God, God the Son – John 14:15-21

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“If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.
He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”  John 14:15-21  (KJB)

Understand The Fear Of The LORD

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“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”  Proverbs 2:1-5 (KJB)

The Words Of Wise Counsel

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“My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, ‘Thou art my sister;’ and call understanding thy kinswoman: that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.”  Proverbs 7:1-5  (KJB)

When We Learn God’s Righteous Judgments

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“ALEPH.
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently.
O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.
I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments. I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.”  Psalm 119:1-8  (KJB)

Holy And Reverend Is His Name

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“Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He hath given meat unto them that fear Him: He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He hath shewed His people the power of His works, that He may give them the heritage of the heathen.
The works of His hands are verity and judgment; all His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is His name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever.”  Psalm 111:1-10  (KJB)

Do Not Keep Them From The Children

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“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.
For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments: and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”   Psalm 78:1-8 (KJB)

Wisdom and Flattery

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“Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
Say unto wisdom, ‘Thou art my sister;’ and call understanding thy kinswoman: that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.”  Proverbs 7:2-5  (KJB)

The Alpha and The Omega

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“‘Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.’
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, ‘See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.’ And he saith unto me, ‘Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’
‘And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’
Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”  Revelation 22:7-14  (KJB)

The Truth, His Commandments and Love

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“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment. That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”  2 John 1:4-11  (KJB)

When You Will Understand The Fear of The LORD, and Find Knowledge

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“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5 (KJB)

The Eyes and the Ears

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“The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

‘Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.’ ”  Ezekiel 12:1-2 (KJB)

I thank the Lord God of Heaven and earth, for my eyes and my hearing as often as I think of the blessing.  That is almost every day, and sometimes several times through the day.

The above text tells us that this rebellious house had eyes, but did not see; and ears, but did not hear.  That means to me that they had chosen not to see what God did; and chose not to hear what God said.

This is a people to whom God had blessed with His word, His commandments, and they would also (and did) be the people through whom God would bring the Savior into the world.

When Jesus came into the world many still refused to see and hear. Even though it was quite clearly spoken in their covenant word of God, many of the elite scribes and priests refused to see and hear the One God had sent.

The Body of Christ, the Christian Church needs to realize today that we have been given the one way to salvation from sin and death; we have only one word from God; and today, neither any other day is the day to refuse to see God fulfilling His word, or hearing what He says.

See, and witness the power of God through the cross of Jesus Christ. Hear what God says, and do it. Several times Jesus said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear”.

“eyes to see, and see not, … ears to hear, and hear not — fulfilling the prophecy of Deu_29:4, here quoted by Ezekiel (compare Isa_6:9; Jer_5:21). Ezekiel needed often to be reminded of the people’s perversity, lest he should be discouraged by the little effect produced by his prophecies. Their “not seeing” is the result of perversity, not incapacity. They are willfully blind. The persons most interested in this prophecy were those dwelling at Jerusalem; and it is among them that Ezekiel was transported in spirit, and performed in vision, not outwardly, the typical acts. At the same time, the symbolical prophecy was designed to warn the exiles at Chebar against cherishing hopes, as many did in opposition to God’s revealed word, of returning to Jerusalem, as if that city was to stand; externally living afar off, their hearts dwelt in that corrupt and doomed capital.”    From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary for Ezekiel 12:1-2

Our Faith

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves Him that begat loves him also that is begotten of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.  Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  1 John 5:1-5

Faith is a much used word.  “You can accomplish anything, if you have faith”.  Many of us have heard such a phrase, maybe with a few variations.  That is in fact, having faith in faith.  It is not faith that accomplishes anything.

Let us look at the verses above…

  1.  Believing that Jesus is the Christ, one is born of God;
  2.  The ones who believe Him, having faith in Him keep His commandments, loving the children of God;
  3.  Who ever is born of God overcomes the world system, the devil; which is out to do evil, and tries to destroy all that is good and godly;
  4.  It is Our Faith in Christ Jesus that overcomes the world, the works of the flesh, and the devil.

Those who love Him keep His commandments.  These are the ones who have the faith that overcomes the world.

REFERENCES: 2:22; John 1:12; 3:1-21; 16:33; 1 Corinthians 15:57