Mercy

Give No Consent To Sin

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My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Proverbs 1:10

These words though they are written by a man to his son, are good words to hear as if from God to His children.

We are to give no consent to sin in our lives. We are to flee temptation, that is our weakest point.

It can only be done with the power of Jesus Christ in us, who is the Holy Spirit.  He will not lead us into sin.  “Be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5:18.

Have a blessed and safe New Year.  Remember to read  your Bible daily and you will be hearing from God, Jesus who is God the Son.

More Tolerable…

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And He said unto them,
“In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”
Mark 6:10-11

Just before sending out His followers to preach the gospel of the kingdom, and heal sicknesses, cause the crippled one to walk, heal lepers He gives them these final words.

In those days if you stayed as a guest the host would wash your feet if you were welcomed in.  If they did not wash your feet that meant you were not welcome there.

So when one of His disciples came to such a home, or city, and their feet were not washed, they were to shake the dust off their feet as they were leaving that city.  That means if they gave no respect to disciples whom the Messiah had sent out, they had no respect or reverence for Him.

Jesus says that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and  Gomorrha than for that city which had rejected them.  Because such a city that refused to hear, refused hospitality to His own, rejects Him.  Sodom and Gomorrha had no witness of God’s love, grace, and mercy.  Judgment awaits any nation, province, island, and/or any government that refuses to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

If the people of the United States of America do not turn from their sins  to Jesus Christ our nation is headed for judgment, even more than we are seeing now.

The word we need to heed is, REPENT.  Turn from your sin to Jesus, the One who gave His life to pay our sin debt by dying on the cross, and was buried, and three days later He rose again, and He lives forever more.

Irrevocable

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As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Romans 11:28-32

The Jewish people are enemies only because they have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They have done so, so that, we Gentiles might become part of God’s kingdom as well as the Jew.

There seems to be a growing trend for some Christian speaker, preachers, teachers, and from all walks of life, teaching that the Church is the new Israel.  That is assuming that God has forsaken the Old Testament Israel, for the Church (which is the Body of Christ).  My question is: If the Church is the new Israel what will happen to Israel?

Verse 29 of our text says, “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance (are Irrevocable).”  Meaning that what God has said in the Old Testament concerning His covenant people will not fail to come to pass.  There are many prophecies of the Old Testament that have not yet come to pass.  Those prophecies and promises cannot be claimed to be the Church’s, except for our encouragement, and education, and growth.

God says, “I will be merciful to whom I will be merciful.”  God chose to blind the eyes of  many Jewish people to bring Gentiles to Himself.  Let us be thankful to the people of Israel for their part in our salvation; for it is through them that we have received our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from them we have received God’s word.

Antisemitism must stop among those who are Christian or God can set us aside as He has Israel.  God is not one who forsakes His people.  He has a remnant who believe Him and live for Him.  One day all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:25-27),  The apostle Paul was writing here of his people, not the Church.

“The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”  It is an encouragement to know that God’s word, prophecies and promises do not change.  It is comforting to know that He does not give up on His people.

Ignorance of Prophecy, Yet Fulfilled

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And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.  For Moses truly said unto the fathers, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
Acts 3:17-23

Going way back to Moses’s prophecy of a prophet greater than himself and He would be the Messaih who would suffer for the sins of humanity.

Who is this Messiah, also called Christ?  He is the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus.  The only Lord and Savior of the world.

The Law, The Prophets, and The Kingdom

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And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him.  And He said unto them,
“Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
Luke 16:14-17

Jesus has just told the Pharisees that you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon, that is be a servant to God and material things such as money.  Money is a big issue.  We need it to live, but we can be ruled by our wealth, rather than have rule of our money.  They did not like what Jesus said.  Does that surprise me?  Not at all.  They have not liked Him or anything He has said.  Their hatred for Him is clearly visible for all too see.

The Pharisees justified themselves in many ways.  One way was in taking money that was supposed to be used for their parents, and they call it for use in the temple (Mark 7:11).  They are probably holding it for themselves.  God knew their hearts, and He knows yours, and my hearts as well.  What we may value very much might just be an abomination in the eyes of God.

John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets; and the Law and the Prophets were until him.  Since Jesus has began His ministry on earth the kingdom of God is here,  and it will not pass  away.

In Jesus we have the assurance of being in the kingdom.  It is assured for us by the words of Jesus, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the Law to fail.”  If it has been written in the Law and the Prophets, it shall be done.   That includes our salvation by grace through faith.

…You Would Love Me

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Jesus said unto them, “If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent me.  Why do ye not understand My speech? Because ye cannot hear My word.  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not.  Which of you convinceth Me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe Me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
John 8:42-47

In these verses Jesus is speaking to Jewish religious leaders, who were supposed to be learned  in the Scriptures.  They were denying Scripture they “believed in” by  rejecting their Messiah who was standing in front of them.  They had called Him demon possessed, a lunatic, and a blasphemer.  He is either lunatic, liar, or He is Lord.  O reader where do you stand in the matter of who Jesus is?

Jesus tells them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me…”  It is very important to confess both the Father, and His Son Jesus.  If you deny the Son you deny the Father.  If you deny the Father you deny the Son.  Denying the Son as Deity is denying the Father as well.  To believe in Jesus is to believe in the Father.

Who are those who deny Jesus?  Those who have Satan as their father, the one who is a liar, and the father of all lies.  They will not hear the word the words Jesus speaks, but seek ways to destroy Him.  They will not hear His word, because they are not of God.

Dear reader where do you stand with Jesus Christ?  Maybe you are an atheist and you do not believe in God, but you do believe that a man named Jesus lived a long time ago, historically, but he was not deity.  May I give you a suggestion?  Go and purchase a Bible (New King James, English Standard, American Standard, or even the New Living).  Begin your reading in the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and let the word of God speak to you.

Maybe you are one who has never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ before;  that Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again.  If this fits you, then today is the day of salvation.  Call on His name turning from sin to Him, confessing Him as Lord, and believing that God has raised Him from the dead.  When you do this you will have eternal life, and will live eternally with Him.

He Is Like A Refiners Fire

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“Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come,” saith the LORD of hosts.  “But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me,” saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:1-5

The words of John the Baptist tell us of the One who was to come, and He came just as John said,

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:10-12

To Bring In Everlasting Righteousness

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Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 9:24-27

Daniel has just prayed, confessing his  own sins, and the sins of his people.  He is distressed about what sin had done to them all, and after he closes the prayer Gabriel who  is an angel, Daniel sees as a man, but this “man” is a messenger of the LORD with a message for Dan explaining the reason for the captivity of Israel/Judah in Babylon.

Verse twenty four gives us the answer as to why God’s people are in Babylon;

  1.  To finish the transgression;
  2.  To  make an end to sin;
  3. To make reconciliation for iniquity;
  4.  To bring in everlasting righteousness;
  5.  To seal up the vision and prophecy;
  6.  And to anoint the Most Holy.

Daniel had been reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah where he said that the captivity was for seventy (70) years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10 and Daniel 9:2)

What was the LORD’S purpose for the captives of Israel/Judah in Babylon?

To fulfill all of God’s purposes, especially the anointing of the Most Holy.  Which can be none other than the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ. He is the Most Holy.

He is the only One who can bring in everlasting righteousness.  He is also the only One who can cleanse and forgive our sins.  Because of Jesus there is no other, there  is no other way for forgiveness.  Because of the gift of His own life on the cross, His burial, and resurrection we can believe Him, trust Him, and surrender to His will and way.

Begin your new way, the right way of life today, by calling on the  name of the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith in Him, and Him alone.

Warn the Wicked and the Righteous

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And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.  When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die;’ and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 3:16-21

Who are the “Wicked”?  The wicked are those people who have rejected God’s love, mercy, and grace and have chosen to go their own way snubbing their nose at God.

Who are the “Righteous”?  The righteous are those who believe in God, believe His word.  In their daily lives they endeavor to do what is right, and to shun what is wrong. The righteous can be those who they have done no wrong, yet they claim something that can come only from God’s grace

The child of God who has been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ; we have no righteousness of our own.

Ezekiel is told by GOD that he is a Watchman for the wicked, and the righteous.  The watchman is to sound the alarm of an approaching enemy.  When the watchman is on duty he is responsible for every individual for that city, home, or nation.

As the pastor of a small country church I have a responsibility of warning the man or woman who has turned their backs on God, gone their own way, and ignoring the One who loves them, and snubbing the LORD God.

As a pastor to the congregation I also have the responsibility of warning those in the church of their sins, and the consequences of their transgressions.

Remember that Jesus became sin for us,  He was put to death on the cross taking the full fury of God’s wrath in our behalf.  The great thing about His death, is that He was buried taking our sins away, and was victorious in His atonement for us, because in His resurrection He proved every word He speaks in His word is  true.  In His death He gave us (those who called on His name) His Righteousness.  We are not  perfect or without sin, but we have been forgiven all our sins – past, present, and future sins are forgiven.

Every Christian, any follower of Jesus Christ, has a responsibility to warn the wicked, and the righteous.  It must be done in love, mercy, and grace and not condemnation.  Should we fail to warn the wicked and/or the righteous, and they do not turn from their sin to God; then we will be guilty of their blood.

A King Who Would Not Hear the Word of the LORD

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Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, “I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.”  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, “If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?” So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.”  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah,
“Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.”  And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”  But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me: and, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, ‘Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.’  So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.”
Jeremiah 38:14-23

The word  of God should be heard, believed, and practiced in and on any day that we live.  Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, and Governors need  to hear and take heed to the word of the LORD, so that they can learn  they are to be servants of the people, and do good to and for the people.

Zedekiah called Jeremiah asking counsel of what he was to do.  The prophet told him to go out to the king of Babylon, and surrender to him.  Had Zedekiah obeyed the LORD the king of Babylon would leave him alive, as well as his family and he would not destroy Jerusalem

Zedekiah does not hear and heed the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, and the word of God comes to pass just as He has spoken.  O, how we the people of God need to take heed to the word of the LORD.  The word of the LORD is good for living all of life; with it’s troubles and trials.

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is the Living Word of God, and God His Father, says to us “Hear Him” (Matthew 17:5) and the Father also says, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” You cannot get it any clearer than that.  If God says He is well pleased by His Son we need to ask “Why?” and that is because the Father knew that He was the only perfect Propitiate  for the sins of Adam  kind.  Jesus had no sin, and became sin in our place and took all the wrath of God on Himself on the cross, dying for our sins, being buried; carrying our sins away, and then on the third day He rose from that grave alive.

Today, there  is a Man in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, and He is our Mediator with the Father (1 Timothy 2:5).

Repenting of your sins turn to Jesus believing Him, putting all your trust in Him.  He will hear you when you call on His name.

…Return To The Land…

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The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.  For, lo, the days come,’ saith the LORD, “that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah,” saith the LORD: “and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”
Jeremiah 30:1-3

You can believe,  you can trust,  you can be confident that the LORD will fulfill all His word.  There will not be one single word He has spoken that fails to come to pass

Because of their rebellious and evil against the LORD, they had been scattered over the face of the earth, into Babylon and other nations.  They would not believe God concerning their exile, according to Jeremiah’s prophecy received from the LORD Himself.

Since the word of the LORD God are sure to come to pass, the negatives and the positives, then we need to take heed to them all.  GOD said of His Son Jesus, “This is My Son, Hear HIm.”

Jesus spoke, and tell us that if we know the Father we would know the Son; and if we know the Son, we know the Father.  He also tells us “If you have seen me you have seen My Father”  (John 14:9-10).  So if Jesus tells us “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” then it will be very beneficial, and miraculous for us to believe Him, then lives completely to Him.

There are many promises/prophecies of GOD that have yet to come to pass.  They will come to pass, just as He has told us, and what a joy, what wonder it will cause in the hearts of those who love Him as we see them come to pass.

Do You Desire To Have Peace With GOD?

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Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit; “Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.  And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘The LORD liveth;’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of My people.  But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 12:14-17

No one person, group, or nation can have peace with the LORD, unless and until they believe His word and obey His law.

What about mercy?  What about grace?

Reading the history of Israel/Judah they were disobedient to the LORD, again and again.  Yet, He had mercy on them and would free them from bondage to their enemies.  Sending the back to their land the LORD has given them.  What have they deserved?  To be forsaken by God, and leave them in bondage to their enemy.  What do they receive from God?  Grace.

The ones who will believe what God says about His Son Jesus, believing His who counsel of the word will at least have desire to live a life surrendered to the LORD as our Master.  If you do not desire to live a surrendered life to Him,  then you are apart from Him.

People Need The LORD

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“Therefore also now,” saith the LORD, “turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.  Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.  Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, ‘Spare Thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?’ ”
Joel 2:12-17

Our own nation (United States of America) needs the LORD now just as much as any other time.  Why?  Because even here lines are hard to see and confusing.  Even professing Christians are turning their backs on the LORD, not their face.  When you turn your backs on God’s word, no longer believing it is the holy, inspired of God, and infallible word of God; they have turned their backs on God.

When you have more confidence in science of men, or more confidence in your own abilities, than in God then You have shunned the LORD.

It is time for the LORD to work a work like Adam’s race has never seen.  We must be ready. Return to the LORD.

I need the LORD to continue to work in me.  You need the LORD as well.  All the people on earth need the LORD.

Come to the One who died on that old rugged cross, judged by His Father for our sins.  He was buried.  He rose up again, from the grave in which  He had been laid.  His return is imminent,  Are you ready.

One GOD of the Whole Earth

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Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.  In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.  For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
Isaiah 54:4-10

God is speaking here of being kind and merciful to His people.  His mercy and kindness.  He shows that He will do what He says He will.  Using the promise He made with Noah that he would never destroy the earth again with a flood.

Neither will His peace be removed.

The wrath which God  gave rebellious Israel/Judah was not permanent, and was for the good of their eternal destiny.

So is it with the people of God today who are called Christians.  We are disciplined by God for our good, and God’s glory and because we are His children.  It is good for us to remember that He is loving, merciful, kind and gracious.

There is only one true God, and His name is Jehovah/YHWH Elohym, and His Son’s name is Jesus, and Jesus lives in His people by the Person of the Holy Spirit.  He is love.

The LORD Ain’t Finished With the People of Israel, Yet

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“Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto Me, O children of Israel?” saith the LORD. “Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?”
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” saith the LORD. ” For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.  All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, which say, ‘The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.’ ” es
“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by My name,” saith the LORD that doeth this. “Behold, the days come,” saith the LORD, “that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.  And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them,” saith the LORD thy God.
Amos 9:7-15

There are many people who are against today’s Israel, and denying them their God given right to the land called Israel.  The people who call themselves “Jews” are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I do not know this to be so; but I think they have more knowledge of where they came from than most of us Gentiles do concerning their genealogy.

Present day Israel is only a small portion which the LORD has given them.  The time that Amos is speaking of in Amos 9:11-15 has never been fulfilled.    God will always fulfill the words that He speaks.  Not one jot or tittle will fail to come to pass,

If you will, note verse eight  above, where God says he is going to destroy “the sinful kingdom.”  Then He says, “I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob.”  He remembered His everlasting covenant.  He is sifting them to bring them to Himself through the Messiah to come.  The Messiah has already come, and Jewish religious leaders hated Him.   His name is Jesus.  “He came unto His own and His own received Him not” John 1:12.

The LORD, who created all things in heaven and earth does not give up.  When He begins a work he completes it and we Christians have that promise in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…”  Philippians 1:6.  When God starts a good work He will complete it too.  That is for the Christian and the Jew, and anyone who will totally give themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, our transgressions, and iniquities.  He died on that wooden cross as my substitute for sin, and for yours.

His promises do not fail.  If Jesus tells us that “Whoso ever believes in Him (that is Jesus) shall not perish, but will have everlasting life,” then you can trust that that is true.

Know this – If “God ain’t finished with His people Israel, yet,” then because of what Jesus has done for us; we can trust and believe that He will complete what He has started.

A Gift From God

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Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Did you know that all good things come from God?  Do you practice recognizing this?  Do you know that God is good all the time?

Where does greed come from?  It comes from a rebellious heart, against everything that God does, and everything that He says.  The heart of wicked men say, “I am going to tear down my old barns, and build bigger  and better ones so that I can accumulate all that I desire.” The story is in Luke 12:18-21.

Solomon was a wise, wealthy, and troubled man.  As a king he was an example for the people to follow.  Ecclesiastes is almost a journal of his life of wisdom, wealth and knowledge.  In chapter five and verses 18-20 we see Solomon having the wisdom to recognize the gift God gives us for our labors.  If you and I have food on the table, or in the pantry or in the field you have a gift from God.

Solomon is telling us that God gives us His gifts that we might have some personal worth.  Our labor is a gift of God.  Some people believe that work is part of the curse since the Garden of Eden.  It is not.  The curse is upon the land, and it requires harder labor than it would have been without sin coming into the world, through Adam.

Enjoy the blessings, the fruits of your labor.  Yes!  Be sure you know the One who gave it to You.  His name is Jesus Christ.  He died for our sins on a cross, was buried, and He rose from the dead, and He is alive forever more.  From the bondage of sin, turn to Him and receive  eternal life.  Thank You Jesus.  Thank You Jesus Christ Son of the Living God.

For The Sake Of The LORD’S Mercy and Truth

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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.

You LORD, Have Helped Me

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I will extol thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.
O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.  For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  And in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”
LORD, by Thy favour Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled.  I cried to Thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

Psalm 30:1-12

This is a Psalm of David which  was sung at the dedication of the house of David.

David was a man greatly blessed by God, who was the first and only king of Israel whom the LORD referred to him, “As a man after my own heart.”

This is a song of praise.

Christians are followers of Jesus Christ alone.  We are to worship Him and praise Him with our mouth and with our lives; loving Him, and living for His glory.

Excellent Loving Kindness

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The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.  The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.  For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.
O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.  Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 36:1-12

The loving kindness of the LORD is greater than our iniquities, and transgressions; far greater than our sin.  His proof of that is in sending His Son Jesus to die for us, paying the debt that was ours.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died, was buried, and He rose again giving us everlasting/eternal life.

It is limited to only those who will believe and call on His name.

Grant Us Your Salvation

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LORD, thou hast been favourable unto Thy land: Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.  Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Thou hast taken away all Thy wrath: Thou hast turned Thyself from the fierceness of Thine anger.
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause Thine anger toward us to cease.  Wilt Thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations?  Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?
Shew us Thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us Thy salvation.
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly.   Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.  Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.  Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.

Psalm 85:1-13

Psalm 85 was written for the sons and daughters of Korah. Korah was one of the organizers of a rebellious act against Moses and Aaron to seize power.  The other two were Dathan, and Abiram.  Read Numbers 16.

There were some of Korah’s children who did not participate with dear ole dad.  Read Numbers 26:11.

Be wary of people who are always speaking against those whom God has placed in positions of leadership.  There is not a President, neither Pastor who had not been placed where they are by the hand of God.  I am speaking of personal, physical, and verbal attacks.  It is a good thing to challenge their policies.

Christian Soldiers, Fear Not

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When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, “Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
Deuteronomy 20:1-4

As a Christian we are soldiers of the Lord, and there is not a time when we are not at war.  We however fight a different kind of warfare.  It is not in or of the flesh, but a spiritual battle (2 Corinthians 10:4-6); and we are to fight first of all to be personally holy and pure before God.

There are times when we may get fearful of something, or someone, and get all stressed out about it. There are  times I do anyway, and I have found that when I am that way, that I have allowed something to get between the Lord and myself.  When I realize it, that is when I pray, and turn it over to Him.

There are in this world many things that cause us fear, and mostly it is of things we can do nothing about, and it sometimes something that is future, whether there is going to be an economical collapse  or whether our nation will go to war or not.

Christian, let’s face it.  We are in a battle against the enemies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the leader of those against Him is known as Satan, or the devil.  The devil is a real being, a fallen, and defeated angel of darkness, who as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Know this; that roaring lion lost his teeth on the day Jesus died on the cross, and the resurrection seals the security of the saints in Christ Jesus.

Trust in the Lord, and fear not, Christian Soldier.

The Compassionate GOD

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When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.  And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.  But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice;  (for the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He sware unto them.
Deuteronomy 4:25-31

Deuteronomy is the writings of Moses before the wilderness sojourners are crossing into the Promised Land.  They are near to the very place they will be crossing.  Moses is reminding them of their covenant with the LORD God.  That covenant includes  their keeping His statutes and obeying His commandments.

Now Moses is telling them that after many years, they will start falling away, turning their backs on the LORD, and making their own gods.

Then. Moses warns them that they will be scattered among the nations, losing their land of milk and honey; and doing so they will be serving the gods of stone, wood which neither hear, see, smell, or hear – meaning of course that they are without life giving power.

That word from God is fulfilled many times in the beginning of there years before they had a king, and afterwards as well.

God tells them, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”  When they come to the place they realize that they need the LORD, then they seek for Him with all their heart and soul – that is their whole being –  then He will hear them, and deliver them.

According to our text today. “The LORD your God is a merciful God,” that we all can see He is by the many times He has redeemed Israel, and taken her back to Himself.

This is indicative of the loving, merciful, and gracious character of God seen in His sending His Son Jesus Christ into a dark world of sin, and death; to die on a cross for the sins of the world.

Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God is the essence of love, mercy, and grace.  He had to be perfect, without spot or blemish.   He was, He is, and forever shall be the Lord and Savior of all who will come to Him, believing Him.

A Psalm of Moses

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For a little less than a month now I have been reading through the Bible.  This time I am reading the Christian Standard Bible, and it is the DAY BY DAY Chronological Bible published by Holman Bible Publishers,  For my reading today, and every day,  I have been reading three days reading at a time.  That is so I can get through the Book before the end of 2025.

I am sharing this with you to let you know why I am sharing the following Psalm from the book of Psalms.  It is because it is most likely the chronological position it should be in the reading of the Book of Numbers 6 through 13; and there was Psalm 90; then I read Numbers 14 through 16; and there was Psalm 95,  Psalm 90 is called a Song of Moses; and Psalm 95 is not, but many  believe it to have been by Moses as well. I will have no other commentary on Psalm 90 for this post.

Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, “Return, ye children of men.” For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.  In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.  For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.  For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? Even according to Thy fear, so is Thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.  Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants. O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children.  And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.

Psalm 90:1-17

Defense

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If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. If the men of my tabernacle said not, “Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.” The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.  If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:  did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
Job 31:29-34

Job is reminding God of his life, and how he has helped people, and that he has not ever wished evil  or curse on  an enemy.  Neither should the one’s who are in Christ Jesus.

The Dreams

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And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.  And he said unto them, “Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.”  And his brethren said to him, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?” And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, “What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?”
Genesis 37:1-10

Here in the latter part of Genesis we begin to learn about Jacob’s son by Rachel. He is a special son to Jacob, and God is using Him to accomplish His purposes.

Joseph is a shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ; in that he was hated by his brethren.  He was sold for 20 pieces of silver – Jesus was sold by Judas for 30 pieces of silver.

Joseph spent most of his life in Egypt, with several of those years as a slave in Potiphars house; then when  he is falsely accused he is put in prison.

One of the things that has become clear to me in the reading of the story of Joseph is that the sovereign hand of God is very much at work.

Do you know that there are no surprised by any thing that happens in this world, in this nation or through out the whole world; neither is he surprised by anything in your or mine.

He directs the affairs of kings and queens, of presidents, and prime ministers, and even dictators, or despots.  He sets up kingdoms and He pulls them down with  a word.  So, if and since God is Sovereign over all things; why would He be surprised by anything we do.  This is a statement not a question.

Let us who are of God, that is Christian live as Christ Jesus would have us to live, being faithful to God and His word, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all who are perishing in their sin,  and lead them into the light.

Jesus Christ was hated by His own people, rejected by His brethren, and He was crucified on an old wooden cross dying for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again.  He is one day going to return. How will He find you?  Are you ready for Him to come?  Will He find you in His favor? Or will He find you in sinful behavior?