The following excerpt is from an article written by Doug Eaton. Please follow the link to his full article.
Cursing
Blessing In The Storms
As I sit and write this morning rain is coming down in our area. Rain is a much needed item here in Southwest Missouri for hay, crops which are grown here, and for all our gardens. Rain, in short, is a wonderful blessing. However, there are times it may seem a bit like a curse upon us when we get what we may deem ” a little too much”.
We can see the rain as a blessing when the ground gets too dry, and especially after drought conditions have prevailed for several months. I think we are in a drought condition spiritually. I need some rain, and maybe even some storms to come into my life. We all do; or we just dry up.
I think we need to hear what Job said to his wife when she told him, “Curse God, and die”.
“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Job 2:9-10 (KJV)
How would we know comforts if we did not know discomfort? How would we know pleasure, if we knew no pain? How would we know good, if we knew no evil?
God is working for the good of those who love Him; and for His own honor and glory. Let’s rejoice in the storms and evil which comes our way.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Inquire Of YHWH Alone
I find it fruitless to discuss with some (especially those who have “left Christianity”) the elements of Christianity. If they had truly ever known Jesus Christ there would be no way they would leave. The people are still longing, looking for fulfillment, even though they say they have found it. Instead have become instruments of Satan; destroyers of that which is of God; and never destroying that which is godly. They are looking to their families for fulfillment. Maybe their jobs or careers, and yet they have no peace within. The only place for genuine peace is with God.
Hear the Word of God through the prophet:
“Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” Isaiah 8:18-22 (KJV)
Why is it that a people of God would turn against Him, such as has been brought to our attention by Isaiah, and the other prophets. In the first place they have taken their eyes off Him and put them in the material. These mentioned in the verses above find more pleasure in going to the “Mediums and the necromancers”. All they get from them are the same you get from them today. Words that could fit anybody anywhere in the world.
There are television programs on the air now espousing the doctrines of speaking with the dead [necromancers and mediums]. You have the show “Medium”, and “Ghost Whisperer”. I have not seen either one of them. I will not watch them. They have no value whatever to a child of God; but then, there are not many TV shows that do. These are tools of the enemy of God; who is also the enemy of mankind, and who is seeking to destroy mankind, but knows his time is short.
If what the mediums and necromancers speak does not agree with God’s Word, then, you can know it is not of God and that there is no light in them. How is it that the popular atheistic authors are writing against something that does not exist [according to their thinking]. My question is how do you fight against a non-existent being. That sounds like an oxymoronic thought to me. They are not speaking according to the Word of the Lord. They are looking to the same things of the mediums and necromancers, trusting the same things, and the same person.
The people who have turned their back on God through their prideful heads [“turning their faces upward”] into the air as to say, “I will have it my way”. They do not believe God nor His prophet, and they will face the judgment coming looking to the things of earth, and they will fail them, and receive distress, darkness, the gloom of anguish, and, “they will be driven into darkness” (NKJV).
I used to believe that those who have rebelled against God will have their eyes opened in hell, but too late. I have changed that belief to be that even while they cursed and rebelled against God while living in earth, they will go through eternity cursing God, and all through the time of their eternal suffering. May eyes be opened and people come to faith in YHWH through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ the eternal God-man, Son of God.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Renewed Covenant
Abraham’s faith is really amazing. He believes God to within inches of taking the life of his son Isaac. We must not overlook, though, the faith of Isaac; the trust he places in his father, and in God. The two, father and son have gone that journey up the mountain which the LORD told Abraham of, and they have gone alone.
The man of faith built the altar, tied the hands and feet of his son, laid him on the wood, then took the knife to slay his only promised son. His hand is stayed by the angel of the LORD; and the LORD speaks to Abraham:
“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.” Genesis 22:15-19 (KJV)
The “angel of the LORD” speaks as being the LORD Himself. “By Myself have I sworn…”. The beginning covenant is renewed. His son has been restored to him, and totally given to the LORD at the same time. He gave up what he could not keep to gain what he could never lose. This “angel of the LORD” is most certainly, again, the preincarnate manifestation of the Living Word of God; the Son of God who would become flesh and dwell among us. He spoke as God, for God, because He is God. This was no created being who was speaking; this was God speaking. This was God who spoke with authority. It was God who made, and renews the covenant with Abraham.
It is sad to see that in our day many nations are turning against Israel, the people who have been given this covenant. In the end it will mean certain judgment upon any and all nations who will not be a blessing to Israel. All the nations have been blessed through Israel.
It is through Israel that we have the written word of God; from Genesis through the Revelation these have been written and preserved by the people of Israel; their priests, prophets, kings, fishermen, with the exception of maybe one; and that is the doctor Luke who penned down the Gospel of Luke, and the book of “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” or “Acts”. We have also received from Israel the One who has done more for Israel and the nations of the world than all the men and women who have ever lived; and done more for every individual who has ever lived – He is Jesus.
The final verse of our text for today tells us that only Abraham returned to the servants who were left while Abraham and Isaac went to the mountain top alone. Where is Isaac? There is another picture given us here by the silence, and the absence of Isaac in the text. He is not mentioned, nor seen again until chapter 24. There Isaac is mentioned as father Abraham and his servant prepare to find a bride for him.
The picture given is of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ from the grave, ascended to glory in the presence of His Father, while the Father and the Servant who glorifies our Lord, seeks for Him a bride. Isaac is not seen again in the text until Genesis 24:62-67, and it is when Rebekah is brought to him to be his bride.
The Father and the Holy Spirit are working today in the absence of our Lord Jesus preparing a Bride for our Savior, the Son of the Living God. While He is absent from us in body, we; those of us who know Him; have the promise of His soon appearing to claim His chosen Bride. We are daily being prepared to appear before Him.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Speaking From the Mind
SPEAKING FROM THE MIND
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. Exodus 20:7 (KJV)
Again, Jesus said, “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.” Mark 12:30 (KJV).
It is certain, at least to me, that many people of our society need a renewed mind. I know that Jesus also said that, “…From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh…” (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45), but is it not the mind that gives the mouth the ability to speak. And, we do often “Speak our mind”. We say things like, “…I will give them a piece of my mind…”, and usually when we cannot afford to give them any.
God’s name is often used, even by professing Christians who use His name without thought. It has been said that the Hebrew scribes, when writing the Scriptures would change “pens” to write the name of God. It was so special that the name of God is not even clearly revealed in the original languages. In the Hebrew language all we know of the name God is YHWH. That name has been transliterated to Jehovah or Yahweh. The best name we have for God is J-E-S-U-S. And, how often we hear His name used vainly.
The precious name of God. He is precious because there is no other like Him. God, of whom I am writing, is the Creator of all that is, both seen and unseen with the human eye. He also made those things that can only be seen by microscopic means, as well. Even those things that have not yet been discovered by the finite mind of man.
Often when we hear this commandment our first thought is of those who use the name in cursing or swearing. We often think that is the only way of “Taking God’s name in vain”. The name of God is precious we must use our lips and our mind to honor Him.
We have looked at loving God “…with all our heart, soul…” and now we look at loving God ” …with all your mind…”. That requires thought. Before you speak – THINK. From the way I have heard many people speaking their minds have gone into the “Amusement” mode. The word “Muse” means ‘to think’ and anytime you add the letter “A” to another word like “Muse” it means “No”. So to “amuse” is to not think.
His name is PRECIOUS. Let us THINK before we speak.
The heart that is abundant with the things of God and Jesus His Son will speak from that abundance. An abundant heart will have a clear, thinking mind. The abundant heart will speak things which will glorify the Father and the whole God-head. When your heart and soul are filled with God, are you going to speak vainly of God? No way.
There are those who use God’s name in vain by cursing and swearing. What about those who speak God’s name, seemingly in a reverent manner on Sunday at church, but the rest of the week live like the world in the way they speak? It seems to me to be the height of hypocrisy. Not just a hypocritical act but the act of a Hypocrite.
There is nothing that turns off a person away from God quicker than someone who professes Christianity on Sunday, but imbibes in the world the rest of the week. This is a taking of God’s name in vain as well. God help us to guard our minds, by always speaking reverently of God. “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” (Psalm 111:9).
What about those who do all the churchy, traditional things, but overlook doing right toward their neighbor? “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” (Isaiah 29:13). “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9). “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” Luke 6:46-48 (KJV)
There is judgment for taking this precious, holy, loving, righteous name in vain. God says in the commandment itself, that, “…the LORD will not hold him guiltless…”. If you have ever used God’s name vainly/emptily you are guilty before God.
Give your heart, soul, mind and strength to the Lord through the Lord Jesus Christ. He took your guilt upon Himself, died for all our sins, carried them away, and was raised from death to life. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
The Fire and Hammer 