Enemy

How To Behave With Your Enemies; This is for Christians Only

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Jesus tells up how to be a Christian, and He tells us how to treat those who may not like us and mistreat us:::

“And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same.  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Luke 6:33-36

Unseen Warriors

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And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, “Alas, my master! how shall we do?”  And he answered, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-17

This is an event in the life of Elisha, a disciple of Elijah,  and he even witnessed the fiery chariot which carried him away.

To recap what has happened prior to this we see the king of Syria planning an attack on Elisha.. Elisha knew just about every  move the king of Syria made so the king of Israel knew of any attack coming against them.  So the Syrian kings answer was to get Elisha out of the way.

Elisha’s servant had risen from sleeping through the night to go out at early light and saw the Syrian troops on the hills around them.  He runs and tells Elisha, and Elisha sees an even great army than that of Syria.  Then Elisha prays to the LORD to open the eyes of the servant.  The LORD hears his prayer and opens the servants eyes so he can see the massive Unseen Warriors of the LORD of hosts.  They are otherwise known as angels of the LORD.  Angels are here to serve us, and that is exactly what they are doing for Elisha.

I have at least one angel watching over me.  NO!  I do not know his name; and in fact I may have more than one.  One thing for which I am certain is that God watches over me and you.

“Open his eyes that he might see” was his prayer to the LORD, and God heard and the servants eyes were opened to see the Unseen Warriors – seeing the unseen.

LORD God Almighty always keep me alert spiritually to the work You do around me.  Sometimes I know I am blind to many things in Your word.  So I ask You Lord, today, to open my eyes that I might see.  I know that You are with me.  Help me O LORD to glorify Your most holy name.  Amen.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

The Enemy Is Exposed

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So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.  And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.” Then Esther the queen answered and said, “If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.”  Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?”  And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.” Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
Esther 7:1-6

We all have an enemy. He hates everyone of us, and seeks to drag us into his same destiny. Who is this enemy? I will reveal that in a few moments.

Right now let us look at the book of Esther. It is a book that never uses a single name of God. You know what? Though His name is never used His presence, His power, and work is clearly visible among God’s captive people. The enemy of the Jews is exposed by a Jewish girl who has become queen of the kingdom of Persia.

Haman, who has gotten in the kings good graces, has been elevated to the level just under the king, and sees opportunity to get rid of a people he hates. This hatred has been brewing for a few generations of the Agagites whom King Saul was supposed to destroy but completely fails to obey the LORD God. Now generations later this man Haman is set to destroy every Jew in the kingdom of Persia. His evil plot for the destruction of the Jewish people of Persia, was at first approved of by King Ahasuerus, because he is unaware of many things – that that would include his queen, as well as the man who once saved his life from an assassination attempt (Esther 2:21-23).

When the evil plan has been revealed God works through a dream reminding the king of his life being saved by Mordecai a Jew,  and it is told him, that he had never did anything for this man to show his gratitude. At just the right time Haman shows us before the king; after he has built a gallows for hanging Mordecai on. He is asked by the king, “What shall I do for the man I want to honor?” The pride of Haman gets him to thinking, “He is thinking of me,” so he tells the king such glorious ways of that time and culture. “Go and do that for Mordecai,” says the king. So he does and feels humiliated, and goes home weeping.

The above verses from Esther tells us of how the enemy was exposed. At a banquet made by the queen, the king and Haman being the only participants are there with her. The king asked her what she desired, and she says, “My life, and the life of my people.” The king does not understand and asked who was doing this, and she says, “That wicked Haman.” She also reveals the truth of who she is; a Jew, and niece of Mordecai.

Haman is dealt with severely. He is hanged on his own gallows built for the hanging of Mordecai. Later his ten sons are hanged on that same gallows. The enemy has been exposed.

Now, to answer the question who our enemy is. He is the enemy of every human being who has ever lived. He goes about seeking to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) every human life throughout the ages. He is God’s enemy. He especially hates all who are God’s people, and he will do all within his power to destroy you.

If you are God’s child through faith in His Son Jesus Christ then you cannot be touched by him. This evil one’s name is many, but he is known mostly as Satan or the devil. To this day he knows that he is already defeated, and that his destiny is the Lake of fire. He desires to take as many people to his final destination with him as possible. There is only one way to avoid going with him, and that is the cross of Jesus Christ. He paid our sin debt on the cross, He was buried carrying our sins away, leaving those sins as far away as east is from west in His resurrection coming out of that grave alive forever more. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved. Will you do that today?

The enemy is exposed.

When Things Get In The Way

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And the children of Joseph said, “The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.” And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: but the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.”
Joshua 17:16-18

It sounds as though the children of Joseph were not pleased with their part of the land as it was divided among all the tribes. It was not enough and the people who lived in the valley had weapons they did not feel like they could defeat.

Joshua had another idea though, and that was they could have the woods of the mountain, cut down those trees, and clean up the ground. Joshua gave them what they needed to take the land, however, they had not fully obeyed the LORD, in driving out the Canaanites out of that land (17:12-13),  and when they became stronger the made servants of the Canaanites. Joshua was telling them since you are strong use what land you have been given, drive out the giants, and God will give you victory even over iron chariots.

As the people of God we often let things get in the way of doing God’s will, and being obedient to Him, His word, and turn from the path He has laid out for us. There are spiritual leaders, pastors and deacons, and even other brothers and sisters in Christ who come into our lives to give us a word of exhortation, and encouragement, and plain ole rebuke and correction. When it cuts to the heart, it is probably a right word from God.

Like Joshua told the children of Joseph – Ephraim and Manasseh – “You are a great people and have great power…” and so are those who are in Christ Jesus. We let things get in the way of obedience, and faith in God’s ability to deliver us and give us the victory.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you will not even know what I am saying. If you will confess to Him that you have sinned against Him, and turn from your sins to Jesus Christ who died on a cross being the sinless sacrifice for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again to life, and when we put our faith in Him He gives us a new heart, and begins changing us into the likeness of God’s Son.

Let us not live with things in our way; preventing our victory over our enemy, which is the enemy of GOD.

Do not grow weary doing good

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But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
2 Thessalonians 3:13-15

Endangered Living to Save Others

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“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.”   Proverbs 24:17-18

“Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Acts 21:13

As Christians we can not rejoice at the fall of someone who hates us. We are to love our enemies, and pray for them who despitefully use us.

Let us be like the apostle Paul who obeying the words of the Lord Jesus risked his life in Jerusalem, knowing his life was in danger, “Loved not his life, unto death” and went to the city with the gospel of Jesus Christ anyway.

Do you love the Lord Jesus today. The Father loved you so much that he gave us His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ. That whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. He died for you, was buried, and He rose again.

Glad In The LORD

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“Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: that they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, ‘Who shall see them?’ They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing.
The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”  Psalm 64:1-10  (KJB)

How We Push Down Our Enemies

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“We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and plantedst them; Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them.
Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
Through Thee will we push down our enemies: through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Selah.”  Psalm 44:1-8  (KJB)

Let Your Light and Truth Guide Me

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“Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For Thou art the God of my strength: why dost Thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Psalm 43:1-5  (KJB)

Be Merciful To Me, and Raise Me Up

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“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But Thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
By this I know that Thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, Thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever.
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”  Psalm 41:9-13  (KJB)

In You, O LORD, Do I Hope

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“For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.                                              For I said, ‘Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.’  For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.  For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.  But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.  Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.” Psalm 38:15-22 (KJB)

My Heart Shall Rejoice In Your Salvation

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“How long will You forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest my enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”  Psalm 13:1-6 (KJB)

Jonah’s Anger

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“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, ‘I pray Thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.’ ” Jonah 4:1-3 (KJB)

I do not know, and yet I do know; I believe God was displeased with Jonah’s attitude; and he had to be disciplined.  I am not sure by the end of the chapter and short book that Jonah had learned about mercy and grace.

The prophet Jonah was a patriot to the nation of Israel. It was the godly nation.  It was the nation of God’s people. Here he is angry because God had mercy on a heathen people.

Let us who are saved by the grace of God through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ; the only begotten Son of God; was buried, and He rose from the grave, always remember that God desires the whole world to know that He is the LORD God.  That is stated again and again through out Scripture.

Let us rejoice that enemies of God and our faith become our brethren, and love the Lord just as we do.  We too, were once enemies of God, and the cross of Christ (Romans 5:8-10).

Rejoice every time a soul is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ.

Hope In The End

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“Thus saith the LORD; ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.’

Thus saith the LORD; ‘Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.’ ” Jeremiah 31:15-17 (KJB)

The prophecy of Jeremiah of the children after the birth of the Messiah, the Christ; and according to Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 2:16-18) is verse 15. It also may have been of near events of the prophecy as the taking of the young to Babylon, and the slaughter of innocents.  Consider Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and probably others.

There is a promise that these children would come again to their own borders.  The borders of the land of Judah and Israel. The borders of their tribes.  At any rate to the borders God would give them.  They would return.

We are all expected to have an end. This life is only temporary.  There is, however, much hope for those who are in Christ Jesus. This hope is built not upon wishful thinking, positive thinking, or the dreams of dreamers.

This hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and His righteousness.  He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and He rose again.  Because of this marvelous gift of God we now have access to the very throne of God. We are redeemed, bought with a price. We are promised eternal life by grace through faith in Him.

It has been said, “All good things must come to an end”; but eternity never ends. The promises of God have no end. They are eternal. Be a part of the promises of God by coming to Him through Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow

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“From where come wars and fightings among you? Come they not from this, of your lusts that war in your members?  You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.  You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume upon your lusts.
You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?’  But He gives more grace. Wherefore He says, ‘God rejects the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.’
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse hands, sinners; and purify hearts, double minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you that judges another?
Go to now, you that say, ‘To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:’ you who do not know what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  For that you ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.’  But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does not, to him it is sin.” James 4:1-17

REFERENCES: Job 7:7; 22:29; Proverbs 3:34; Ephesians 4:27; 1 Peter 2:1; 5:9; Matthew 7:1; Romans 1:20; 2:1; Acts 18:21; Luke 12:47

From Whence does Your Strength Come?

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Read about Samson in Judges 14 – 16…

“And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, ‘O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.'”  Judges 16:28 (KJB)

The man knew from whence his strength came.  Do you?  We often give credit to our physical health, and weight lifting, and exercise. We have even been known to give all the credit to doctors and such. Samson may have thought it came from his hair.

Samson was probably a strong man physically, but he was not a “Super power”.  He had been give a gift from God, and from birth.

His parents only child.  He was promised to them by the LORD, and they took the Nazarite vow for him, which included never cutting his hair, and…

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The Enemy and Us

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

“Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.”  Joshua 17:12-13

God’s command for Israel when they entered the Promised Land was to deal strongly with the enemy, and destroy the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.  We must understand these Canaanites were given, by God, over 400 years to repent and change their ways, yet they did not.

Now, we learn of tribes of Israel opening the door to the enemy of good and right because of their fear of iron chariots and horses; and due to their own weaknesses and lack of faith in God.  I do not mean to judge Israel.  I find in them the same weakness…

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The Power of GOD Over the Enemy

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“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”  Psalm 27:1-2  (KJB)

The commentary today is from Charles H. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David on Psalm 27:2…

This verse records a past deliverance, and is an instance of the way in which experience should be employed to reassure our faith in times of trial. Each word is instructive. “When the wicked.” It is a hopeful sign for us when the wicked hate us; if our foes were godly men it would be a sore sorrow, but as for the wicked their hatred is better than their love. “Even mine enemies and my foes.” There were many of them, they were of different sorts, but they were unanimous in mischief and hearty in hatred. “Came upon me” – advanced to the attack, leaping upon the victim like a lion upon its prey. “To eat up my flesh,” like cannibals they would make a full end of the man, tear him limb from limb, and make a feast for their malice. The enemies of our souls are not deficient in ferocity, they yield no quarter, and ought to have none in return. See in what danger David was; in the grip and grasp of numerous, powerful, and cruel enemies, and yet observe his perfect safety and their utter discomfiture! “They stumbled and fell.” God’s breath blew them off their legs. There were stones in the way which they never reckoned upon, and over these they made an ignominious tumble. This was literally true in the case of our Lord in Gethsemane, when those who came to take him went backward and fell to the ground; and herein he was a prophetic representative of all wrestling believers who, rising from their knees shall, by the power of faith, throw their foes upon their faces.

Whenever we are in the throes of the wicked, the enemy of God and all that is righteous and holy we can trust in the LORD to see us through.  God will not allow the wicked to triumph ultimately.

Jesus Speaks – Christmas Day One Hundred Eighty and One

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Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)

Believing that we love our neighbor, and our enemy most by living the truth before them, and sharing the truth to them; in true love; and that is in Christ Jesus; sharing the whole counsel of the word of God (Acts 20:27)…

What do I want for Christmas?

I want all those who hate me, who hate my family, who hate my Nation (the United States of America), and who hate my neighbor, and the nation of Israel; that God loves you so much He sent His only Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16); and that it is better than a false promise of 72 virgins, but the eternity God promise through His Son Jesus is with Him forever and forever; and that the only “Perfect” One is Jesus the Christ; Son of the Living God, who is God the Living Son.

When Will Jesus Return?

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Over the many years people and so called prophets, and preachers have predicted and set dates in which our Lord Jesus would come again.  We see that His people are still here and many of the “prophets” have went to eternity; wherever that may be.

The founder of the JW cult predicted that Jesus would return in 1914 or so, and we know that did not happen.  In 1988 there was a booklet that came out called “Eighty Eight Reasons Jesus Will Return in 1988”; and again he has not come.

Jesus Himself said,  “…I will come again, and receive you unto Myself…”  (John 14:3), and we were warned about people saying “…Where is the promise of His coming?…” (2 Peter 3:4).  Jesus Himself said,

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” Matthew 25:13 (KJV)

There is our answer to the question.  When will Jesus return?  We do not know.  Even Jesus; the Son of God and God the Son;  while He walked on earth among his fellow man did not know the time of His return (Matthew 24:36).

The reason we do not know is that this way we live in preparation for His coming.  We ought always be ready; bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galations 5:22), and continually being filled by the Spirit of Christ; being His witnesses in a dark world, and  ”…So much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25).

There are plenty of signs we can see that declares something is about to happen.  The nation of Israel is daily attacked by her enemy, Christians are daily persecuted by beheading, and sale as slaves in some parts of the world.  There is much fear.

Christian!  Lift up your head.  Your redemption draws near.

Jesus Speaks – Christmas Day Two Hundred and Three

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What do I want for Christmas?

I want the Word of God, and God the Son to be my only fuel/food for defense against the wiles of the enemy, when he endeavors to distract me from the work of God; and to like Jesus stand upon the power of His Word.

“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” [Jesus Christ] Matthew 4:4

Day Two Hundred Fifty and Eight

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Everyday as Christmas.

What do I want for Christmas?

I want to be able to live so that I can always be a help and benefit to others; my family, my neighbor, and any who might not even like me, and might even consider me their enemy. I do not consider anyone my enemy, except the one called Lucifer.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8 (KJV)

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7

 

God’s Word Will Stand

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Prisoners from Judah have been taken to Babylon. Jeremiah and a remnant of people have been left in Jerusalem and have been told by God through Jeremiah that they are to stay in the land and till, and tend it, and that God will bless them, protecting them, and keeping them from further harm from Babylon.

The people have asked Jeremiah to go to the LORD, and seek His direction as to what they are to do. They seem to mean by that: “Do we stay in Jerusalem, or shall we go down into Egypt?” God has told them to stay in Judah and trust Him. They have flat out rejected the word of the LORD, and said, “We are going to Egypt.” See Jeremiah 43:1-7.

“Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by My great name, saith the LORD, that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, Mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.” Jeremiah 44:26-30 (KJV)

After the people have arrived in Egypt God gives them a sign to show that it is His word that will stand; not theirs. That sign is that Babylon is going to come against Egypt, and the very thing that they feared will come to pass. All that refused to hear the word of the LORD, and obey will face famine, death, and pestilence.

Yet, there is a promise in these verses, “Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah…, and they shall know whose words shall stand, Mine or theirs”. That has part of the phrase that is mentioned throughout the Old Testament “They shall know…” mentioned so many times in Ezekiel’s prophecy.

Why is it so important for God’s people to know, to hear, and to do the word of God? So that we can better know Him, and live under His blessings and not His chastening, disciplining hand.

Jesus Christ is God’s living Word. When you hear Him, and follow Him you are cleansed, you are forgiven, you have eternal life through His death, burial and resurrection. His Word shall stand.

When We Pray God Hears: When We Sin God Chastises

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war. And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and He was intreated of them; because they put their trust in Him…” 1 Chronicles 5:18-20
“…And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.” 1 Chronicles 5:25 (KJV)

These tribes had their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. They had to fight to keep it. It is believed that these Hagarites were a desert people, that were growing restless due to the numbers of Israelites dwelling in the land.

They attack, and by the prayers of God’s people have God’s help in the victory over the Hagarites. “They cried to God in the battle…” He heard them, gave them the victory, because they trusted Him.

The people of God are warned to trust only in Him; remember the first commandment – “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Then these 2 and one half tribes transgress the law.

Because of the transgression God sent Tilgathpilneser to judge and discipline them to bring them back to Himself.

“And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.” (v. 26)

God does not leave His people without discipline, without correction, without judgment. Peter says, “Judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). One thing we must remember; and that is that “God loves us the way we are when we are coming to Him, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.” He will accomplish His work in us. He will be glorified.

For Sale: One Soul

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.” 1 Kings 21:20 (KJV)

The confrontation of Ahab by God’s prophet Elijah was following one of the most horrendous acts of murder and treachery in history and Scripture. With the direct scheming, plotting, and lies of Jezebel; to which Ahab was complicit; to murder, and rob citizen Naboth the Jezreelite, of his vineyard.

Note that Ahab considers Elijah an enemy. That in itself speaks volumes of Ahab’s heart. King David; even following his heinous acts of deceit and the murder of Uriah; welcomed the prophet Nathan into his courts (2 Samuel 12:1-14). Anyone who speaks the word of God should be our friend.

How does one begin to sell themselves? The selling of oneself to evil or good is up to that individual. To sell oneself to evil begins with the lust of the eye; the lust of the flesh; and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Jesus Himself was tempted in these three things; from which all sin comes; when He went into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)

All it takes to sell yourself to evil is to see God and His word as antiquated, and without merit in the world; or personal life and living. To see God as a liar; or even non-existent; and to make your own deities.

Hear the words of Jesus,

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37

Sell yourself rather to the Lord Jesus Christ. He has paid for you with His own life.  Call upon His name, trusting in His death, burial and resurrection, and He will deliver you from your sin and condemnation.