Idols

The LORD Hates Hypocrisy…

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

sI will also stretch out Mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; and them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for Him.
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.  In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
Zephaniah 1:4-9

The LORD hates hypocrisy as it shows in the above verses.  He hates it, especially among His own people.

You can see that they were worshiping idols made by men, false gods, which are inspired by demons (Leviticus 17:7;  Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; and Psalm 106:37) for example.  You could also read Psalms 115 and 135 to see what the value and worth is of any idol.  It can do nothing for you, but keep you in the darkness of evil.

Judah was worshiping the heavenlies – the stars, sun and moon and other idols; and at the same time worship the LORD,  The worshiping of idols, and then in pretense worshiping the LORD on the Sabbath is hypocrisy.

You might say to me, “No one worships idols in our country,” but we do.  Power, prestige, money (a big bank accounts), science, government, etc..  I hope you get the point.

May we who are Christians come the conclusion that only GOD is to be worshiped, honored and feared (I do not want to offend Him in any way).  I want to live for Him; and the only way I can do that is through the gift of grace through Jesus Christ who paid my sin debt on the cross, was buried – carrying my sins away, leaving them there in the grave, then, He came out of that grave alive.  Because He did that for me, He alone deserves my allegiance completely; not partial, but wholly.

For The Sake Of The LORD’S Mercy and Truth

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, “Where is now their God?” But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.  They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.
The LORD hath been mindful of us: He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.  The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.  But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 115:1-18

I do not know how many people, Christians especially, know that idols are really demons.  That is not my opinion, it is from what God says in His word.

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.  Deuteronomy 32:17

And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. Leviticus 17:7

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

In Psalm 134:15-18 the Psalmist says nearly the same as verses 4 – 8 of Psalm 115.  The worship, exaltation of any thing, or any one other than the Most High God whose Son is Jesus Christ is worshiping demons.

We are to give glory to the LORD for the sake of His mercy and truth,  There is only one way into God’s presence and that  is through Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son who died in our place, for our sins.  He died on a cross.  He had no sin, but became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Worship Him for His mercy and truth’s sake.

You become like what  you worship.  Always worship Jesus for what He has done, and because of who He is.

Learn Not The Way Of The Heathen

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, “Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”
Jeremiah 10:1-5

Light Has No Fellowship With Darkness

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?   And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
“I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The LORD Is Great, and Greatly To Be Praised

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; shew forth His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
Honour and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”  Psalm 96:1-6  (KJB)

The Selfish Shepherd

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” Zechariah 11:17 (KJB)

Some thoughts from John Wesley…

“The idol shepherd – To them that are but the images of shepherds. That leaveth – Casts off the care of the flock. The sword – Of the enemy, shall break his strength and be – fool his counsels. Dried up – They that have gifts which qualify them to do good, if they do it not, they will be taken away. They that should have been workmen, but were slothful, and would do nothing, will justly have their arm dried up. And they that should have been watchmen, but were drowsy, will justly have their eye blinded.”  JOHN WESLEY’S NOTES ON THE BIBLE for Zechariah 11:17

John Gills notes on Zechariah 11:17…

“Woe to the idol shepherd,…. Or, “the shepherd of nothing” (w); that is, no true shepherd, that is good for nothing, for an idol is nothing in the world, 1Co_8:4 and who is an idol himself, sits in the temple of God, and is worshipped as if he was God. 2Th_2:4 and is an encourager and defender of idolatry:

that leaveth the flock; has no regard to its spiritual concerns; does not feed it, but fleece it, and leaves it to the cruelty and avarice of his creatures under him:

the sword shall be upon his arm; with which he should feed the flock:

and upon his right eye; with which he should watch over it:

his arm shall be clean dried up; his power shall be taken away from him; the antichristian states, which supported him, shall withdraw from him; the ten kings shall hate the whore, strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire, Rev_17:16,

and his right eye shall be utterly darkened; not only given up to judicial blindness, which has been always his case; but his kingdom shall be full of darkness, Rev_16:10 his hidden things of darkness shall be exposed; all his crafty schemes will be confounded; and all his wit, cunning, and subtlety, will cease; and everything desirable to him will be taken away from him. His “arm” may denote his secular power, which shall be taken away from him: and his “right eye” his knowledge of the Scriptures, judgment in controversies, and infallibility pretended to by him, which wilt cease, even in the opinion of men. Ben Melech interprets it the eye of his heart or mind; and so Aben Ezra.”  JOHN GILL’S EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE

But The LORD Is In His Holy Temple

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

The following is reposted from May 1, 2008.

“Woe unto him that saith to the wood, ‘Awake;’ to the dumb stone, ‘Arise,’ it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

But the LORD is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:19-20 (KJB)

We have looked at the previous four promises from chapter 1:3; 2:3, 4, 14, and the final one now in 2:20. These are wonderful promises. It is especially wonderful that the final promise is one which gives us assurance that the LORD is in His temple. There is assurance in that, because, that tells us that He is still in control.

From the MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE we read, “2:20 holy temple. A reference to heaven, from where the Lord rules (Ps. 11:4) and answers the prayers of those who seek Him (1 Kings 8:28-30: Ps. 73:17).” p. 1321.

It seems that there is something here very personal for the follower of Christ as well. Since the Father who is in His holy temple sent His Son, and His Son died on the cross for our sins, and He rose again; He then sent His Spirit to dwell within all those who are His. “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Romans 8:9a (NKJV). Jesus Christ is in you who know Him and are known by Him. The LORD will not leave His temple.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV).

When all the earth comes to realize that God is the Supreme Ruler all will be silent before Him. The Psalmist wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10. In the New Testament we read,

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11 (NKJV).

The worship of idols always requires much noise, adulation, because they have nothing to offer. Thus much false fire. The God who made the heavens, the earth and all things in it and on it cries for our silence. Let Him be glorified by His own glory. On Habakkuk 2:20 the CRISWELL STUDY BIBLE states: “2:20 “But” signifies a striking contrast with the nothingness of idols. Jehovah the invisible God is occupying His holy temple, ready to intervene omnipotently for the deliverance and protection of His people and the destruction of their enemies. He inspires solemn adoration and profound silence (cf. Ps.68:5; Zeph. 1:7; Zech. 2:13)” p. 1047 KJV.

Only false gods [idols] require much hoopla, and noise. Our God, Father of Jesus is the light of His own glory. Rest in Him who is in His temple.

The LORD, My Portion

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Table

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

The LORD’s One Table

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

We hear the word today that Christians should be more tolerant of other “Faiths” which are other religions; “After all”, they say, “We are all going to the same place”. Is this a true or a false statement? If we believe God’s Word to be true the statement must be seen as being false. All ‘faiths’ and religions do not lead to the same place.

Any religion that is man-made, man enabled and man edifying is not of God. It will lead to Hell and eternal destruction, not eternal life. All man-made religion is idolatry, and idolatry is what we are looking at when we see many ways to God and heaven. Paul tells us, “…the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God.” (v. 20).

OUTLINE –

I. FLEE FROM IDOLATRY – WHICH IS ANYTHING THAT IS WORSHIPPED OTHER THAN GOD (v. 14).
II. WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST THROUGH HIS SHED BLOOD, AND BROKEN BODY (vv. 15-18).
III. THERE IS NO POWER IN AN IDOL – EXCEPT THAT IMAGINED BY ITS WORSHIPPER (vv. 19-20).
IV. THE LORD’S ONE TABLE – THERE IS NO OTHER (vv. 21-22).

I. FLEE FROM IDOLATRY – WHICH IS ANYTHING THAT IS IN THE PLACE OF GOD – BEFORE OR AFTER (v. 14)

A. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (EX. 20:3).

1. And He does not mean you can have some after Him; “After you have worshipped Him on the Lord’s day, then you are free to worship whomever or whatever you please”.
2. All praise, all glory is to be ascribed to the One who created all things.

B. No angel, no human being, no thing of any kind is to ever, at any time to be held in place of honor, worship and praise over God, or under Him.
C. The previous verses show us the peril of idolatry in the heart of believers.

1. Twenty three thousand died as a result of the corporate worship with the Moabites (v. 7; NUM. 25).
2. The “…eat and drink, and rose up to play…” comes from verse seven of our text’s chapter and Exodus 32:6 .

D. We all are to FLEE FROM IDOLATRY, and hang onto Christ.

II. THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS AND HIS BROKEN BODY WE ARE ONE (vv. 15-18).

A. The shedding of the blood is the taking of life – unlike a little bleeding this means all the blood was shed for the remission/forgiveness of our sins.

1. We are united to Christ and with Christ by His blood shed on the cross.

a. “Communion” is much more than just united it is also – it is from the Greek, G2842

“κοινωνία

koinōnia

koy-nohn-ee’-ah

From G2844; partnership, that is, (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: – (to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-), distribution, fellowship.”

b. It is the word used for ‘Fellowship’ as well.

2. Fellowship was something we never had with God until the blood shed of Jesus on the cross.

B. The broken body was broken by pain and suffering, though no bone in His body was broken, just as the Scriptures had said.

1. We are in the ‘Body of Christ’; the unbroken body of Christ.
2. We are all partakers of the “one Bread”

C. Just as the people of were partakers of the sacrificial altar, so too, are we the “One bread” of Jesus’s body.

III. THE IMAGINARY POWER OF THE WORSHIPPED IMAGE (vv. 19-20).

A. The idol is nothing except that that is given by the people who hold it dear.

1. Some people hold numbers in their lives to be dear and powerful, thinking by using them they could obtain great wealth or fame.
2. Some pray to images of “saint”, and angels, and this is nothing, but mere superstition, and idol worshipping.

B. These worshippers are thoroughly deceived, will not have peace, and are actually worshipping demons.

1. To which Paul says, “That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice ot devils [demons], and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” (v. 20).
2. Having just shared with us of having fellowship with God through the blood and body of Christ, he gives warning of fellowshiping with demons.

IV. THERE IS ONE TABLE – THE LORD’S ONE TABLE (vv. 21-22).

A. There are two things very noticable here; 1) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; 2) You cannot be a partaker of the Lord’s table and the table of the devils.

1. You must be either all for the Lord, or all against Him.

a. The challenge has been given endlessly; from Joshua we hear, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…” Joshua 24:15; Elijah cried, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21; and Jesus said many times even till the end of Scriptures and time; “Come, follow Me”.

2. Jesus said, “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” Matthew 12:30; also Luke 11:23.

B. The One Table of the Lord is the table where all the true saints of God will be gathered and we will behold the broken, scarred hands of our Savior break the bread, and we shall know Him by the breaking of that bread.
C. To partake of another table will be to provoke our Lord to jealousy – that is rebellion – that is what we cannot do.

SUMMARY –

I. WE LIVE IN AN IDOLATROUS LAND WITH PEOPLE GOING TO TEMPLES AND ALTARS AT THEIR WHIM AND PLEASURE FOR THE SAKE OF THE KIDS – WE MUST FLEE FROM IT.
II. THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST MAKES US ONE BODY IN HIM AND IT IS UNBROKEN, JUST AS THE SCRIPTURES HAVE SAID.
III. WE SHOULD NOT CORPORATELY WORSHIP WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY SACRIFICE AND THE ONLY TABLE OFFERED TO US.
IV. THE LORD’S ONE TABLE IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO KNOW JESUS – AT THIS ONE TABLE WE DO NOT PROVOKE THE LORD TO JEALOUSY, BUT WE INVOKE PRAISE.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Let the Earth Keep Silence

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But the LORD is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:18-20 (KJV)

Habakkuk was a prophet like others, and other people who have asked the question “Where is God in the matter of justice?”; or “Why does God not judge wickedness?”  I have noticed in reading these questions, and having asked them myself a time or two, that God never gives a direct answer, but always takes us to Himself.

God had told this prophet that He was basically judging evil, even by using an evil king and nation to do it.  I have learned that if we want to know about evil and justice, then we first need to look inward.

With Habakkuk, the LORD was showing that this nation which He was using to chastise His own people was idol worshipers.  They would one day find out that they were going to experience justice as well; the judgment of God.

Every idol will one day be exposed for what it is.  There is idolatry in every nation on earth; yes, even the U. S. of A.  We have an idol in New York harbor, that we hold more dear than we do the word of the LORD.  We revere the words of physicians over the word of the LORD.  We hold the word of financiers as more valuable than the word of the LORD.  We value science over the word of the LORD.  These idols will one day come crashing down.

However, “…The LORD is in His holy temple…”, and that is speaking of His heavenly throne, and in this world His temple is also within those who have believed in Him through His Son Jesus, and the cross, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Son of God, God the Son (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Let the children of God, all Christians, cast off the works of the flesh, and put on the garments of salvation (Romans 13:12, 14; Galatians 3:27), and show forth the glory of Jesus our Lord and Savior.  This would be revival in the truest sense of the word.

When God’s people repent of their sins, and come out of the world, then by the grace and power of God, there will be change in the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of the earth.

 

Prophets Speak – Christmas Day One Hundred Fifty and Four

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

““O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone.”” Isaiah 37:16-20 (NKJV)

The verses above speaks of what godly leaders do when their people and nation are threatened, by a supposedly invincible enemy.

What do I want for Christmas?

I want a godly leader for our nation – the United States of America – one who is not afraid to pray in the midst of chaos, and attacks for enemy forces, one who will live before God and the people not with empty words of “faith”, but with conviction, and believing God (Not politics, and policies) is our only hope for deliverance, and influence in the world.

Demons of Worship

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: but were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.” Psalm 106:34-38 (KJV)

Some human intellect of years ago made the statement: “Man creates god in his own image.” Basically turning the Biblical teaching of “God created man in His image”. That human intellect may have upset some Christian folks, but think about that for a moment.

Is it not possible that men and women do create god in their own image? Some believe in a god who is all loving, but there is no wrath about him/her; he/she hates nothing, but loves everything, and everybody. Then there are some people who believe god believes everything they believe, and they base their belief system around that. There are some who may believe that god is a god of pleasure; and he/she is all about them being happy and fulfilled; and they have the right to go about achieving their pleasure any way they choose.

Congratulations! If you fit into any one of those molds you have made a god in your own image. Oh, there could be many more; as many more as there are people on the earth.

The Ten Commandments and the Bible tells us of only one God, His name is YaHWeH [Jehovah], and He has a Son whose name is Jesus. To worship any other is to worship idols.

The children of Israel were to purge the Promised Land of all the heathen nations, and their gods, lest they fall into the worship practices of those people, and worship demons in the process. Even the apostle Paul recognizes this in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).

The Psalms later points out to us that people become like what we worship (115:4-8; 135:15-18). For instance in this Psalm even it is said,

“They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.” (Psalm 106:19-20)

You can go on believing in false gods if you choose and you will become like what you worship. You can also choose to believe the God of the Bible. He made you in His image and likeness, and He desires to make you like Himself. He is holy, righteous, and undefiled. We become like Him through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You can continue worshipping demons, or you can worship the One who created all things.

Words for Christian Living – Known of Him

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.”  1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (KJV)

Knowledge is a wonderful thing.  It is a blessing we have received from our Creator.  Paul was speaking to a Church living in a profligate society; and the sad thing is they were also participating in that society; living as where no one could tell the difference from Christian and non-Christian.

To love God is more important than “Knowledge”; and the one who loves God is “Known of Him”.  One can be “Known of Him” only by way of God’s way.  That is the cross of Jesus Christ.  The cross of Christ Jesus is the only way to God; to love God, and to be “Known of Him”.

There will be some who will say, “Well, I thought God knew everyone.”  He knows who you are; He knows your name;  He knows every detail about your life.  However, to be “Known of Him” is an intimate, personal relationship where both God and you walk together.  It is God’s salvation.

“Whosoever shall call  upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

-Tim A. Blankenship

The Reason for GOD’s Discipline

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.  And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.  And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.”  Ezekiel 6:8-10 (KJV)

God desires that people know that He is the LORD.  Therefore He will do what it takes to get His people to Himself.  Someone has said, “God loves us the way we are; but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.”  See Hebrews 12:6-8.

-T.A.

To Know the LORD

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.  Israel shall cry unto Me, ‘My God, we know Thee.’  Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.  They have set up kings, but not by Me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.”  Hosea 8:1-4 (KJV)

Hosea is speaking to the people who claim to be God’s children.  Those who claim to know God, “My God, we know Thee.”  Yet, they do not keep His law.  They do not heed His word.

The LORD counts it a vile, wicked and unruly thing for those who claim to know Him, and do not obey His law, nor keep His Word.  There is judgment for those who claim to be God’s people, yet live as the people of the earth.

GOD is full of mercy and grace which is found and received only through the death, burial and bodily resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.  Hear Him.  Believe Him.  Be saved today.

-T.A.

Power Over Nations

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; ‘These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 2:18-29 (KJV)

For further study and reading follow this link.

-T.A.

Day 42 – Thoughts from Psalms; Creator

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

When it comes to the Psalms we find much to sing and say about our Creator.  Some of the intellect of our day believe that all that is just came to pass by chance, or cosmic explosion alone; but where, O where did the materials come from that “caused the explosion”?

My reading today was Psalms 94 – 107 for my 14 chapters for the day.  My reading in the Psalms is not taking me as long in time as previously reading in Genesis through Esther; however, it is still quite fulfilling, and a great learning adventure.

The Bible speaks much about GOD, and His creating of all that is.  We seem most of it in the reading of the first two chapters of Genesis, but the rest of the Bible reveals things about creation as well.  We will today, look at the Creator, rather than His creation.

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.  Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; shew forth His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.”  Psalm 96:1-5 (KJV)

The psalmist sings “unto the LORD  a new song”, and calls on “all the earth” to sing unto the LORD.  Is there some reason for the psalmist to sing out and call for the earth to “Sing unto the LORD”?  Most certainly it is because the Creator is worthy of our song and singing.  The one’s who sing this “new song” unto the LORD are people who have experienced “His salvation” and we are to show it forth to all the earth every day.

There are far to many people who profess to know God, and who will give Him honor one day a week, but then, will live solely for themselves the other six days in a week.  They are ruthless, ungodly, cruel, and demeaning in the business place, and are indeed no blessing to the LORD during those days.

Those who sing the new song unto the LORD speak of His wonders among all the people.  We speak of the wonderful salvation He has provided for us through His Son Jesus Christ.  We speak of the glories of the cross, His burial, and His bodily resurrection; that He still lives, and is our intercessor daily before the throne of God.

Some might say, “Well the Bible recognizes that there are other gods”.  Oh really?  It recognizes that there are idols that people through deception have chosen to worship, but that is not a recognition of other gods.  It is a recognition of the frailty, rebellion and sin of the human.  It could also be seen as the need of the human to worship something greater than one’s self.  However, idols are man made, and are patterned after something GOD created.  As the psalmist has said elsewhere, “They that make them are like unto them” (Psalm 115:8; 135:18).  The only thing on earth that is supposed to be in the image of GOD, is the human race; and due to sin that image has been greatly marred.

That is why Jesus Christ came, bled and died on a cruel, rugged cross; was buried, and bodily rose from the grave, and eternally lives.

“Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the LORD: for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.” 96:12-13

-Tim A. Blankenship

Observations From Deuteronomy – 022511

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Reading from Deuteronomy 14 – 16.

We will focus on chapter 16 and verses 18-22.

Fair judgment seems to be quite fickle among the courts of human governments.  Even in the USA, it seems sometimes that the ones who have the money for a good lawyer can get off from even serious crimes, while those who don’t have the time or money to pay a good attorney can be found guilty, even of a crime they did not commit.  That is not how God desires His people to conduct themselves.

“Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.  Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.  That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.   Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.  Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.”  Deuteronomy 16:18-22 (KJV)

I will never cease to be amazed at the number of Christians, even preachers who spend time preaching, who labor to make the Word of God relevant and/or applicable to the times we live in.  The more we labor at it the less relevant and applicable it may become.  It is already relevant and applicable.

In lands/countries where they have dictators ruling masses of people; it is most often unjustly.  We have heard the horror stories of Hitler, and more recently Saddam Hussein of Iraq.  Even more recently the now “former” President of Egypt Mubarrak, evidently took billions of dollars that were meant for the aid of the Egyptian people; and has even been allowed to leave the country with it.  The people are probably more happy to have him gone than they are concerned about the billions.

Every Christian should be concerned about just judges in judgment.  Murderers go free because they have powerful, high price attorneys who know how to manipulate courts, judges, juries and they whole legal system of the USA.

The text above tells us the cities of the Promised Land are to have judges at the city gates [“Gates” implies one’s with authority in a city].  These judges were to make just rulings.  They were not to determine a case by the money or material offering one might give or offer the judge, but by the evidence in the case; and each case on its own merit.  They were not to pervert judgment.

There is much perverted judgment today.  In some cases men and women are tried because of accusations by children that they were molested by this adult; when in fact they were not; but this adult, which is their mother or father merely disciplined them; taking the keys of the child’s car, preventing them from going out; or of some nature as that.  “If you will only plead guilty they are told, then, you will get a lighter sentence.”  they are told.  Some actually follow through with the “lighter sentence”, and it ruins their lives.  Perverted justice.  For sure.  It is especially perverted when a judge receives a payment from a former spouse or lawyer to bring a certain verdict.

A perverted system that allows drunk drivers to walk free after killing innocent individuals is going to come under the judgment of holy God.  It happens more times than you or I would like to think.  You can probably think of other injustices that happen in our USA.

The second  part of our text has to do with “trees” near the altar of God.  God was cutting off the practice of worshipping of idols near the place where He is worshipped.  The LORD hates the worship of idols; which is the worship of demons (1 Corinthians 10:19-21).  Therefore the follower of Jesus Christ is not to worship anything except the LORD God of hosts.

Remember to read Deuteronomy 14 – 16 today.

-Tim A. Blankenship