Eden

Healing

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“And He came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed all.” Luke 6:17-19 (KJB)

“…And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed” (Luke 6:17) is the verse that we look at in particular in today’s  study.  Why that one.

I do not believe it to be a new thing that there are troubled souls, troubled individuals in our day of 2019. There has always been vexed souls of men, women, even boys and girls. Ever since the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden there have been vexed souls and minds.

That vexing; that troubling; is from the realm of evil spirits, or demons. It all begins with a person by filling their minds with that which is self oriented, and always turning away from anything that is holy, right, and godly. In essence those demons have been virtually invited into the heart and mind of the afflicted party.

The gospels include these afflictions along with all the diseases of mankind. So I must as well.  However, there is no doctor, specialist, or medicine to rid one’s self of a demon presence.

The only way to be rid of the devil/demons is to call on the name of Jesus Christ, believing that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried, that He rose again; and that evil rascal must flee.

There is peace in Jesus Christ alone. Peace with God, and peace within.

Stop, Look, and Listen

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

This title are words of warning I learned as a child about Railroad Crossings, and crossing them: STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN.  Perhaps you remember them; and they are practical words for all of life.  Especially for the words of our Lord.

“Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” Isaiah 51:1-3 (KJV)

People will hear what they want to hear. Have you heard that statement before? It is illustrated by the story of two men walking on the busy streets and sidewalks of New York City. One man is telling the other of how people will only hear what they want to hear. The one being told this did not agree, so the one who made the statement dropped a coin, on the concrete sidewalk, and nearly everyone stopped.

How much do we miss by not listening and by not hearing what God has to say? Much. Very much I would say.

The words above, “Hearken to Me…” is the plea to God’s people to listen to Him. He makes this plea to the “righteous” to those “that seek the LORD”. Note what He is asking them to do. First He tells them to listen; then, He tells them to “Look”.

It is very basically a call to remember the promises He has previously given. Promises concerning Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:1-3). It is a promise that He will bring them back to the land of Promise; and that it will be prosperous once again.

This too is a promise of the fulfillment of all that God has promised to Israel, His nation, and Zion [Jerusalem]. That is a promise which will be fulfilled when Jesus comes to earth again.

Christian, we can rejoice in knowing that these promises of God are irrevocable, and that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29).  Take time today to STOP what you are doing; LOOK into the word of God; and then LISTEN and hear His invitation to come to Him for deliverance from your sins.

Be sure and listen to our Lord, Creator, and Saviour today, and everyday.

Day 1 – Genesis 1 – 14

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

The first day of reading through the Bible in ninety days is here.  I have completed the first 14 chapters.  As I told you in the last post I will be reading the Bible in the New Living Translation, which I realize is a weak “translation”, but it has an ease of reading which the KJV does not have, thus and can read without too much distraction by trying to decipher the days, months and years; lengths, weights  and such.

I did discover in my reading of the first fourteen chapters that there is much with the NLT which I have problems with in interpretation, but as I wrote of one of those problems in my journal, it could be a matter of perspective.

That problem was the NLT’s interpretation of Genesis 10:25,

“Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg—“division”—for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups and dispersed. His brother’s name was Joktan.”  Genesis 10:25 (NLT)

Now the KJV,

“And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” Genesis 10:25 (KJV)

The problem I have with the NLT here is that it provides and interpretation that is not present in the text.  The word “earth” in the KJV is “eh’-rets” in Hebrew and can mean various things,

“From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land): –  X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X nations, way, + wilderness, world.”  From Strongs Concordance — e-Sword.

The people had been divided by the change difference in languages, and there could have been a massive moving of the planet earth as well; not only causing a dividing of languages, but also of the land.  That is my thought on the matter.

We find in the reading of Genesis 1 – 14 that God is the Creator; that He created the earth and all things upon it in a seven day period.  On the sixth day having already prepared things for the crowning of creation He creates humanity, beginning with Adam, then his wife Eve.  Things were without problem in the garden God had prepared for them.  He even spent time with them in that garden, at least at one point He came to visit them, and found them hiding from Him.

Here we find the answer for all the ills and problems in our world today.  Why is there killing, sickness, disease, hardships of all sorts?  It comes down to this point that the first man and woman did not listen to God, nor obey His commandment.  That one commandment was,

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'” Genesis 2:16-17

Following their sin of disobedience, God comes to them, finds them hiding from Him and God drives them from paradise; places a guardian at the gate of Eden preventing their way to eternal life at the Tree of Life, and they begin to die.  Adam Eve have two sons Cain and Abel.  Rebellion sets in Cain’s heart even to the point of killing his brother.  God curses Cain.

Adam and Eve have other children.  We find the godly lineage in chapter 5; however there is much evil on the earth, and God destroys the earth and every land going animal; except for those He has chosen to save through the only justified man living.  “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (6:8).  The flood comes.  Noah, his wife, their sons, and their sons wives are in the ark of redemption with the chosen animals – 7 of each clean animal; 2 of each unclean.  My how God is full of grace and mercy.

From paradise to death to hope through Abram and a new land.  A new people, nation, a Promised Redeemer.

-Tim A. Blankenship