The prophet Ezekiel lived in exile in Babylon during the period and after the Fall of Jerusalem. His message was addressed both to the exiles in Babylonia and to the people of Jerusalem. He was a man of deep faith. Many of his insights came in the form of visions, and many of his messages is expressed in vivid symbolic actions.
The prophet Ezekiel emphasized the need for inner renewal of the heart and spirit and the responsibility of each individual for his own sins. As a priest, as well as prophet, he had special interest in the Temple and in the need of holiness.
The name Ezekiel means "power of God"and the power of God is none other than Christ our Lord. It is also written that Ezekiel was "son of Buzi, which means "despised."
To understand Ezekiel as a figure of Christ, we go to Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. It deals with problems of Christian life and faith that had arisen in the church that he had established at Corinth.
Paul says, "By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose."(1Cor:1:10) "Christ has been divided into groups!"(1Cor:1:13) "For the Message about Christ's Death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's Power."(1Cor:1:18) "God has shown that this World's wisdom is foolishness! For God in His Wisdom made it impossible for human beings to know Him by means of their own wisdom."(1:21) "For what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God's weakness is stronger than human strength."(1Cor:1:25) "From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. God purposely chose what the World considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and He chose what the World considers weak in order to shame the powerful. He chose what the World looks down on and 'despises' and think is nothing, in order to destroy what the World thinks is important."(1Cor1:26-28)
"By the River Chebar"(Ezek1:1). This refers to that very heavy River of the World. "And the Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, the priest."(Ezek1:3). This is the Word of the Lord who "in the beginning was God, the Word with the Father."(John1:1)
The Gospel according to John presents Jesus as the eternal Word of God, who "became a human being and lived among us." John identifies the eternal Word of God with Jesus. John says, "In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out." (John1:1-5)
In his Second Letter, Peter addresses to a wide circle of Christians about the work of false teachers and the immorality which results from such teaching. The answer to this falsehood is found in holding to the true knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, which has been conveyed by persons who themselves have seen Jesus and have heard Him teach. He says, "False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you, bringing untrue and destructive doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon them-selves sudden destruction. Even so, many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of Truth. In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling made-up stories. .. These people are bold and arrogant, and show no respect for the glorious beings above; instead, they insult them. Even the angels, who are so much stronger and mightier than these false teachers, do not accuse them with insults in the presence of the Lord. But these people act by instinct, like wild animals born to be captured and killed; they attack with insults anything they do not understand. ..Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites;
they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways! They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. ..These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm, .. They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among the people who live in error. They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits -for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us." (2 Peter 2:1-19)
"Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure Spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved." (1 Peter 2:1-2)
Psalm 82 says, "God presides in the heavenly Council; in the Assembly of gods He gives His decision:
'You must stop judging unjustly; You must no longer be partial to the wicked! Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans; be fair to the needy and the helpless. Rescue them from the power of evil people.
How ignorant You are! How stupid! You are completely corrupt, and justice has disappeared from the World. 'You are gods,' I said; 'all of You are children of the Most High.' But You will die like mortals; Your life will end like that of any prince." (82:1-7)
It is the Word of God that make believers into gods, therefore Ezekiel too was a god.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Sunday, January 14, 2018
LAMENTING THE FALL OF JERUSALEM.
This account of the siege of Jeru-Salem by Nebu-Chadnez-Zar should be compared with the narrative of its later destruction by Titus (70CE). History repeat itself presenting striking paralleles in the two cases: the close investment of the city, the desperate resistance, the horrors of famine within, the incidents of the capture, the burning of the Temple, the demolition of the walls, and the captivity of the people. Also, a coincidence occur when the sanctuary was fired by the soldiers of Titus, that it was on the very same month and day of the month on which the temple was burned by Nebu-Chadnez-Zar.
The earlier destruction fulfilled the predictions of the prophets, the later the predictions of our Lord.
The days that mark the different stages of the siege of Nebu-Chadnez-Zar are carefully remembered. The 9th Year of Zedek-Iah, in the 10th Month, in the 10th day of the month, Nebu-Chadnez-Zar came, he and his host, against Jeru-Salem; in the 11th Year of Zedek-Iah on the 9th Day of the 4th Month the famine prevailed in the city, and a breach was affected; in the 5th Month, on the 7th Day of the month, which is the 19th Year of the King Nebu-Chadnez-Zar, the Temple and other buildings were burned by Nebu-Zar-Adan, adviser to the king and commander of his army. We have the same careful dating in Jeremiah 39: 1,2; Jeremiah 52: 4,12 (in the latter passage 10th for 7th). They were observed afterwards as regular days of fasting. (Zechariah 7: 3,5; Zechariah 8:19)
Ezekiel 21 is a vivid prophecy of the siege. It announces the capture of the holy city. A sword is furbished to work terrible destruction. The prophet is directed to mark off two ways along which this sword is to travel -the one leading to Jerusalem, and the other to Rabbath of Ammon. The scene changes, and we see the King of Babylon standing at the head of the two ways, deliberating, which one he shall choose. He shakes the arrows, consults images, looks for omens in the liver of dead beasts. The decision given is for advancing first against Jerusalem. Now he is at its gates, and has appointed captains to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to built a fort. (Ezekiel 21: 21,22)
For a Year and 5 Months the siege dragged itself on. Jeremiah held out no hope. When Zedekiah, at the beginning of he siege entreated him, "inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us," Jeremiah plainly told him
that the city was delivered to the Chaldeans, and that Nebuchadnezzar would not spare them. (21:1-7)
Life was promised, however, to those who should surrender themselves to the enemy. This strain was kept up throughout, in spite of imprisonment, threats, and the contrary testimonies of false prophets.
(Jeremiah 32; 34; 37; 38) At one point the Egyptian army came forth to arrest the Chaldeans, and great hopes were raised, but Jeremiah bade the people not to deceive themselves, for the Chaldeans would prevail. By-and-by the misery of the people became extreme. The Book of Lamentations gives vivid glimpses of the horrors -the young children fainting for hunger at the top of every street; crying to their mothers, women eating their own offspring, etc.
Lamentations say: "How lonely lies JeruSalem, once so full of people! Once honored by the World, she is now like a widow; the noblest of cities has fallen into slavery."(1:1) "No one comes to the Temple now to worship on the holy days. The young women who sang there suffer, and the priests can only groan. The city gates stand empty, and Zion is in agony." (1: 2-4) "The splendor of Jerusalem is a thing of the past. Her leaders are like deer that are weak from hunger, whose strength is almost gone as they flee from the hunters." (1: 6) "Her honor is gone; she is naked and held in contempt. She groans and hides her face in shame. JeruSalem made herself filthy with terrible Sin. Her uncleanness was easily seen, but she showed no concern for her fate."(1:8-9)
Jeremiah says: "Nebu-Zar-Adan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers, and those who had deserted to the Babylonians. (Jeremiah 52: 15)
Exodus says: "The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites: 'You have seen how I, the Lord, have spoken to you from heaven. Do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gold to be worshiped in addition to Me. Make an altar of earth for Me, and on it sacrifice your sheep and your cattle as offerings to be completely burned and as fellowship offerings. In every place that I set aside for you to worship Me, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stone for Me, do not built it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on stones, you make them unfit for My use. Do not build an altar for Me with steps leading up to it; for if you do, you will expose yourselves as you go up the steps."(20: 22-26) "... I now make a Covenant with the people of Israel. In their presence I will do great things such as have never been done anywhere on earth among any of the nations. All the people will see what great things I, the Lord, can do, because I am going to do an awesome thing for you. Obey the Law that I am giving you today.I will drive out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as you advance. Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you."(34:10-12) "All the skilled workers among you are to come and make everything that the Lord commanded."(35:10) "Moses said to the Israelites, 'The Lord has chosen Bezal-El, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur from the Tribe of Judah. God has filled him with His Power and given him skill, ability, and understanding for every kind of artistic work, for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. The Lord has given to him and to Oholi-Ab son of Ahis-Amach, from the Tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their crafts to others. God has given them skill in all kinds of work done by engravers, designers, and weavers of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and other cloth. They are able to do all kinds of work and are skillful designers."(35: 30-35) "Bezal-El, Oholi-Ab, and all the other workers to whom the Lord has given skill and understanding, who know how to make everything needed to build the sacred Tent, are to make everything just as the Lord has commanded." (36:1)
Jeremiah says: "But Nebu-Zar-Adan left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and he put them to work in the vineyards and fields." (Jeremiah 52; 16)
Lamentations say, "The enemies robbed her of all her treasures. She saw them enter the Temple itself, where the Lord had forbidden Gentiles to go."(1:10) "There is murder in the streets even indoors there is death."(1:20) "The Lord in His Anger has covered Zion with Darkness. Its heavenly splendor He has turned into ruins. on the Day of His Anger He abandoned even His Temple."(2:1) "Her people groan as they look for something to eat; they exchange their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. 'Look at me!' she cries to everyone who passes by. 'No one has ever had pain like mine, pain that the Lord brought on me in the Time of His Anger. He sent Fire from above, a Fire that burned inside me. he set a trap for me and brought me to the ground, Then he abandoned me and left me in constant pain. He took note of all my Sins and tied them all together; He hung them around my neck, and I grew weak beneath the weight. The Lord gave me to my foes, and I was helpless against them."(2:11-14) "Our glittering gold has grown dull; the stones of the Temple lie scattered in the streets. Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold, but now they are treated like common clay pots."(4: 1-2) "People who once ate the finest food die starving in the streets; those raised in luxury are pawing through garbage for food. My people has been punished even more than the inhabitants of Sodom, which met a sudden downfall at the Hands of God."(4: 5-6) "The Will of the Lord alone is always carried out. Good and Evil alike take place at His Command. Why should ever complain when we are punished for our own Sin? Let us examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Let us open our hearts to God in heaven and pray, 'We have sinned and rebelled, and You, O Lord, have not forgiven us.' You pursued us and killed us; Your Mercy was hidden byYour Anger, by a cloud of Fury too thick for our prayers to get through.
You have made us the garbage dump of the World. We are insulted and mocked by all our enemies. We have been through disaster and ruin; we live in danger and fear. My eyes flow with rivers of tears at the destruction of my people. My tears will pour out in a ceaseless stream until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees us. My heart is grieved when i see what has happened to the women of the city. I was trapped like a bird by enemies who had no cause to hate me. They threw me alive into a pit and closed the opening with a stone. Water began to close over me, and I thought Death was near. From the bottom of the pit, O Lord, I cried out to You, and when I begged You to listen to my cry, You heard. You answered me and told me not to be afraid." (3: 37-57)
The earlier destruction fulfilled the predictions of the prophets, the later the predictions of our Lord.
The days that mark the different stages of the siege of Nebu-Chadnez-Zar are carefully remembered. The 9th Year of Zedek-Iah, in the 10th Month, in the 10th day of the month, Nebu-Chadnez-Zar came, he and his host, against Jeru-Salem; in the 11th Year of Zedek-Iah on the 9th Day of the 4th Month the famine prevailed in the city, and a breach was affected; in the 5th Month, on the 7th Day of the month, which is the 19th Year of the King Nebu-Chadnez-Zar, the Temple and other buildings were burned by Nebu-Zar-Adan, adviser to the king and commander of his army. We have the same careful dating in Jeremiah 39: 1,2; Jeremiah 52: 4,12 (in the latter passage 10th for 7th). They were observed afterwards as regular days of fasting. (Zechariah 7: 3,5; Zechariah 8:19)
Ezekiel 21 is a vivid prophecy of the siege. It announces the capture of the holy city. A sword is furbished to work terrible destruction. The prophet is directed to mark off two ways along which this sword is to travel -the one leading to Jerusalem, and the other to Rabbath of Ammon. The scene changes, and we see the King of Babylon standing at the head of the two ways, deliberating, which one he shall choose. He shakes the arrows, consults images, looks for omens in the liver of dead beasts. The decision given is for advancing first against Jerusalem. Now he is at its gates, and has appointed captains to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to built a fort. (Ezekiel 21: 21,22)
For a Year and 5 Months the siege dragged itself on. Jeremiah held out no hope. When Zedekiah, at the beginning of he siege entreated him, "inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us," Jeremiah plainly told him
that the city was delivered to the Chaldeans, and that Nebuchadnezzar would not spare them. (21:1-7)
Life was promised, however, to those who should surrender themselves to the enemy. This strain was kept up throughout, in spite of imprisonment, threats, and the contrary testimonies of false prophets.
(Jeremiah 32; 34; 37; 38) At one point the Egyptian army came forth to arrest the Chaldeans, and great hopes were raised, but Jeremiah bade the people not to deceive themselves, for the Chaldeans would prevail. By-and-by the misery of the people became extreme. The Book of Lamentations gives vivid glimpses of the horrors -the young children fainting for hunger at the top of every street; crying to their mothers, women eating their own offspring, etc.
Lamentations say: "How lonely lies JeruSalem, once so full of people! Once honored by the World, she is now like a widow; the noblest of cities has fallen into slavery."(1:1) "No one comes to the Temple now to worship on the holy days. The young women who sang there suffer, and the priests can only groan. The city gates stand empty, and Zion is in agony." (1: 2-4) "The splendor of Jerusalem is a thing of the past. Her leaders are like deer that are weak from hunger, whose strength is almost gone as they flee from the hunters." (1: 6) "Her honor is gone; she is naked and held in contempt. She groans and hides her face in shame. JeruSalem made herself filthy with terrible Sin. Her uncleanness was easily seen, but she showed no concern for her fate."(1:8-9)
Jeremiah says: "Nebu-Zar-Adan took away to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, the remaining skilled workers, and those who had deserted to the Babylonians. (Jeremiah 52: 15)
Exodus says: "The Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites: 'You have seen how I, the Lord, have spoken to you from heaven. Do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gold to be worshiped in addition to Me. Make an altar of earth for Me, and on it sacrifice your sheep and your cattle as offerings to be completely burned and as fellowship offerings. In every place that I set aside for you to worship Me, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stone for Me, do not built it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on stones, you make them unfit for My use. Do not build an altar for Me with steps leading up to it; for if you do, you will expose yourselves as you go up the steps."(20: 22-26) "... I now make a Covenant with the people of Israel. In their presence I will do great things such as have never been done anywhere on earth among any of the nations. All the people will see what great things I, the Lord, can do, because I am going to do an awesome thing for you. Obey the Law that I am giving you today.I will drive out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as you advance. Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you."(34:10-12) "All the skilled workers among you are to come and make everything that the Lord commanded."(35:10) "Moses said to the Israelites, 'The Lord has chosen Bezal-El, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur from the Tribe of Judah. God has filled him with His Power and given him skill, ability, and understanding for every kind of artistic work, for planning skillful designs and working them in gold, silver, and bronze; for cutting jewels to be set; for carving wood; and for every other kind of artistic work. The Lord has given to him and to Oholi-Ab son of Ahis-Amach, from the Tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their crafts to others. God has given them skill in all kinds of work done by engravers, designers, and weavers of fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; and other cloth. They are able to do all kinds of work and are skillful designers."(35: 30-35) "Bezal-El, Oholi-Ab, and all the other workers to whom the Lord has given skill and understanding, who know how to make everything needed to build the sacred Tent, are to make everything just as the Lord has commanded." (36:1)
Jeremiah says: "But Nebu-Zar-Adan left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and he put them to work in the vineyards and fields." (Jeremiah 52; 16)
Lamentations say, "The enemies robbed her of all her treasures. She saw them enter the Temple itself, where the Lord had forbidden Gentiles to go."(1:10) "There is murder in the streets even indoors there is death."(1:20) "The Lord in His Anger has covered Zion with Darkness. Its heavenly splendor He has turned into ruins. on the Day of His Anger He abandoned even His Temple."(2:1) "Her people groan as they look for something to eat; they exchange their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. 'Look at me!' she cries to everyone who passes by. 'No one has ever had pain like mine, pain that the Lord brought on me in the Time of His Anger. He sent Fire from above, a Fire that burned inside me. he set a trap for me and brought me to the ground, Then he abandoned me and left me in constant pain. He took note of all my Sins and tied them all together; He hung them around my neck, and I grew weak beneath the weight. The Lord gave me to my foes, and I was helpless against them."(2:11-14) "Our glittering gold has grown dull; the stones of the Temple lie scattered in the streets. Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold, but now they are treated like common clay pots."(4: 1-2) "People who once ate the finest food die starving in the streets; those raised in luxury are pawing through garbage for food. My people has been punished even more than the inhabitants of Sodom, which met a sudden downfall at the Hands of God."(4: 5-6) "The Will of the Lord alone is always carried out. Good and Evil alike take place at His Command. Why should ever complain when we are punished for our own Sin? Let us examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Let us open our hearts to God in heaven and pray, 'We have sinned and rebelled, and You, O Lord, have not forgiven us.' You pursued us and killed us; Your Mercy was hidden byYour Anger, by a cloud of Fury too thick for our prayers to get through.
You have made us the garbage dump of the World. We are insulted and mocked by all our enemies. We have been through disaster and ruin; we live in danger and fear. My eyes flow with rivers of tears at the destruction of my people. My tears will pour out in a ceaseless stream until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees us. My heart is grieved when i see what has happened to the women of the city. I was trapped like a bird by enemies who had no cause to hate me. They threw me alive into a pit and closed the opening with a stone. Water began to close over me, and I thought Death was near. From the bottom of the pit, O Lord, I cried out to You, and when I begged You to listen to my cry, You heard. You answered me and told me not to be afraid." (3: 37-57)
Saturday, January 13, 2018
PREDESTINATION.
The words translated "predestined" in the Scripture comes from the Greek word "proorizo,"which carries the meaning of "determine beforehand," "ordain," "to decide upon ahead of time."
Predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. Let's now open the Bible and see what it has to say about predestination.
The term is found in two of Paul's writings. Here is what the inspired apostle said about this subject:
Romans 8: 18-23, "I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with 'the glory' that is going to 'be revealed' to us. (Remember when Moses went down from Mount Sinai, his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord, but he did not know it). All of Creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal His children. (Remember Lamech words at the age of 182, when he had a son and said, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all our hard work;" so he named him Noah) For Creation was condemned to lose its purpose not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. (Remember God's Words to the man after his disobedience,"You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse.") Yet there was the Hope that Creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. ... But it is not just Creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us His children and set 'our whole being' free. ... God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with His Will. We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has predetermined according to His purpose. ... So those whom God predestined, he called; and those He called, He put right with Himself, and He shared His Glory with them.
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he said, "In our union with Christ God has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly World. Even before the World was made, God had already predestined us to be His through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of His love to the humankind God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children -this was His pleasure and purpose. ... In all His Wisdom and Insight God did what He had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan He had already decided to complete by means of Christ... to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head. ... God chose us to be His own people in union with Christ because of His own purpose, based on what He decided from the very beginning. (Ephesians 1: 1-13)
The apostle Paul, then, in his letter to the Romans, to prepare the way for a visit, he explains to them, "We know that the Law is spiritual; but I (Paul) am a mortal, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do; for I do not do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate. Since what I do is what I do not want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law is right. So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the 'sin' that lives in me... So I find that this Law is at work: when I want to do what is good, what is evil is the only choice I have. My inner being delights in the Law of God. But I see a different Law at work in my body -a Law that fights against the Law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the Law of Sin which is at work in my body. ....
Thanks be to God, Who does rescue me from this body that is taking me to death, through our Lord Jesus Chris! This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's Law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the Law of Sin. (7:14-25)
Predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. Let's now open the Bible and see what it has to say about predestination.
The term is found in two of Paul's writings. Here is what the inspired apostle said about this subject:
Romans 8: 18-23, "I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with 'the glory' that is going to 'be revealed' to us. (Remember when Moses went down from Mount Sinai, his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord, but he did not know it). All of Creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal His children. (Remember Lamech words at the age of 182, when he had a son and said, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all our hard work;" so he named him Noah) For Creation was condemned to lose its purpose not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. (Remember God's Words to the man after his disobedience,"You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse.") Yet there was the Hope that Creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. ... But it is not just Creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us His children and set 'our whole being' free. ... God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with His Will. We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has predetermined according to His purpose. ... So those whom God predestined, he called; and those He called, He put right with Himself, and He shared His Glory with them.
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he said, "In our union with Christ God has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly World. Even before the World was made, God had already predestined us to be His through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of His love to the humankind God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children -this was His pleasure and purpose. ... In all His Wisdom and Insight God did what He had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan He had already decided to complete by means of Christ... to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head. ... God chose us to be His own people in union with Christ because of His own purpose, based on what He decided from the very beginning. (Ephesians 1: 1-13)
The apostle Paul, then, in his letter to the Romans, to prepare the way for a visit, he explains to them, "We know that the Law is spiritual; but I (Paul) am a mortal, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do; for I do not do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate. Since what I do is what I do not want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law is right. So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the 'sin' that lives in me... So I find that this Law is at work: when I want to do what is good, what is evil is the only choice I have. My inner being delights in the Law of God. But I see a different Law at work in my body -a Law that fights against the Law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the Law of Sin which is at work in my body. ....
Thanks be to God, Who does rescue me from this body that is taking me to death, through our Lord Jesus Chris! This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's Law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the Law of Sin. (7:14-25)
Friday, December 23, 2016
MAN'S ENEMY, PEOPLE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.
Matthew, born in Palestine sometime in the 1st century CE, was one of the least known of the apostles, and a collector of customs at Capernaum, also known as Tell Hum, Khirbet Karazeh, Bethsaida, Kefar
Nahum, Capharnaum, Chorazim, Kafarnaum, Kefar Tanhum, Talhum, Tanhum.
Capernaum, in existence from the 2nd BC to the 7thCE, was built along the edge of the Sea of Galilee.
Today its ruins are owned by two churches: the Franciscans control the Western portion with the synagogue and the Greek Orthodox's property is marked by the white church with red domes.
Matthew wrote in Hebrew about an oracle that Jesus said:"A man's enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:36)
Jesus made Capernaum his home during the years of his ministry. Matthew 4 says: "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He went away to Galilee. He did not stay in Nazareth, but went to live in Capernaum, a town by Lake Galilee, in the territory of Zebulum and Naphtali. This was done to make come true what the prophet Isaiah had said, 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, on the road to the Sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee, land of the Gentiles! The people who live in Darkness will see a great Light. On those who live in the Dark Land of Death the Light will shine.' From that time Jesus began to preach His Message: 'Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near.'" (Matthew 4: 12-17)
"Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom and healing people who had all kinds of disease and sickness." (Matthew 4: 23)
"The news about Him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons, and epileptics, and paralytics -and Jesus healed them all."
Syria has been known as the cradle of prophets and apostles and the center from which the Good News grew, starting in Antioch (in Syria), and went to all over the World, paving the Way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through time and reaching our generation. God spoke on Mount Horeb, Hermon, and Golgotha, and most of the prophecies related to Syria were fulfilled. We are informed through the Scripture about the history and privileges of what God has done through all of Syria and to the whole World.
Matthew10 says, "Jesus called His 12 disciples and gave them "authority to drive out evil spirits" and to "heal every disease and every sickness." ... "These 12 men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: 'Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel... Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid. ... When you come to a town or village, go in and look for someone who is willing to welcome you, and stay with him until you leave that place. ... And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you that on the Day of Judgment God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that to the people of that town! ... I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. ... the Words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. ... But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. ... If the head of the family is called Beel'Zebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names! ... Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. ... Those who declare publicly that they belong to Me, I will do the same for them before My Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before My Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring Peace to the World. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a Sword. I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; your worst enemies will be the members of your own household.'"
"Those who love their father or mother more than Me are not fit to be My disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than Me are not fit to be MY disciples. Those who do not take up their cross and follow in My steps are not fit to be My disciples. ... Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. ... You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these My followers because he is My follower, will certainly receive a reward."
Nahum, Capharnaum, Chorazim, Kafarnaum, Kefar Tanhum, Talhum, Tanhum.
Capernaum, in existence from the 2nd BC to the 7thCE, was built along the edge of the Sea of Galilee.
Today its ruins are owned by two churches: the Franciscans control the Western portion with the synagogue and the Greek Orthodox's property is marked by the white church with red domes.
Matthew wrote in Hebrew about an oracle that Jesus said:"A man's enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:36)
Jesus made Capernaum his home during the years of his ministry. Matthew 4 says: "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He went away to Galilee. He did not stay in Nazareth, but went to live in Capernaum, a town by Lake Galilee, in the territory of Zebulum and Naphtali. This was done to make come true what the prophet Isaiah had said, 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, on the road to the Sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee, land of the Gentiles! The people who live in Darkness will see a great Light. On those who live in the Dark Land of Death the Light will shine.' From that time Jesus began to preach His Message: 'Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near.'" (Matthew 4: 12-17)
"Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom and healing people who had all kinds of disease and sickness." (Matthew 4: 23)
"The news about Him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons, and epileptics, and paralytics -and Jesus healed them all."
Syria has been known as the cradle of prophets and apostles and the center from which the Good News grew, starting in Antioch (in Syria), and went to all over the World, paving the Way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through time and reaching our generation. God spoke on Mount Horeb, Hermon, and Golgotha, and most of the prophecies related to Syria were fulfilled. We are informed through the Scripture about the history and privileges of what God has done through all of Syria and to the whole World.
Matthew10 says, "Jesus called His 12 disciples and gave them "authority to drive out evil spirits" and to "heal every disease and every sickness." ... "These 12 men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: 'Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel... Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid. ... When you come to a town or village, go in and look for someone who is willing to welcome you, and stay with him until you leave that place. ... And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you that on the Day of Judgment God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that to the people of that town! ... I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. ... the Words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. ... But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. ... If the head of the family is called Beel'Zebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names! ... Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. ... Those who declare publicly that they belong to Me, I will do the same for them before My Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before My Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring Peace to the World. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a Sword. I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; your worst enemies will be the members of your own household.'"
"Those who love their father or mother more than Me are not fit to be My disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than Me are not fit to be MY disciples. Those who do not take up their cross and follow in My steps are not fit to be My disciples. ... Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. ... You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these My followers because he is My follower, will certainly receive a reward."
Saturday, November 19, 2016
THE MEANING OF FAITH.
Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, and the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld. (Hebrew 11).
"Assured expectation" translates the Greek word 'hypothesis'. This term is common in ancient papyrus business documents. it conveys the idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. It is the title-deed of things hoped for.
The Greek meaning of the word e'le.khos, meaning 'evident demonstration', conveys the idea of bringing forth evidence that demonstrate something, particularly something contrary to what appears to be the case. Thereby this evidence makes clear what has not been discerned before and so refutes what only appeared to be the case. The 'evident demonstration', or evidence for conviction, is so positive or powerful that Faith is said to be it. Faith is therefore, the basis for Hope and the evidence for Conviction concerning unseen realities. Faith is based on concrete evidence. The visible creative works testify to the existence of an invisible Creator.
The person who may ridicule Faith usually has faith in tried and trusted friends. The scientist has faith in the principles of his branch of science. It bases new experiments on past discoveries and look for new discoveries on the basis of those things already established as true. Likewise, the farmer prepares his soil and sows the seed, expecting, as in previous years, that the seed will sprout and that the plants will grow as they receive the needed moisture and sunshine. Therefore Faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe constitutes a foundation for man's plans and activities.
Such stability is alluded to by the writer of Ecclesiastes when he says: "The sun also has flashed forth, and the sun has set, and it is coming panting to its place where it is going to flash forth. The wind is going to the South, and it is circling around to the North. Round and round it is continually circling, and right back to its circling the wind is returning. All the winter torrents are going forth to the sea, yet the sea itself is not full. To the place where the winter torrents are going forth, there they are returning so as to go forth." (Ecclesiastes 1).
The entire life course of a Christian is governed by Faith, enabling him/her to overcome obstacles that would hinder his/her service to God. It serves as a protective shield in the Christian's spiritual warfare, helping him/her to overcome the Devil and be a conqueror of the World. Faith cannot be taken for granted, because lack of faith is the sin that so easily entangles one.
To maintain a firm Faith requires putting up a hard fight for it, resisting men who could plunge one into immorality, combating the works of the flesh, avoiding the snare of materialism, shunning faith-destroy
philosophies and traditions of men.
When answering the apostles' question concerning His future presence and the conclusion of the existing system of things, Jesus Christ included a parable dealing with a "faithful and discreet slave" and an "evil slave by saying, Who, then is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth. ((Matthew 24: 45-51)).
In the parallel illustration at Luke 12, the slave is called a "steward," that is, a house manager or administrator, one placed over servants, though he is himself a servant.
Those forming the Christian congregation are referred to by the apostle Paul as "members of the Household of God."
Ephesians 2 says, "In the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins. At that time you followed the World's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God. Actually all of us (Paul himself) were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God's Anger. But God's mercy is so abundant, and His Love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience He brought us to Life with Christ. It is by God's grace that we have been saved. In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with Him to rule with Him in the heavenly world. ... You Gentiles by birth
-called "the uncircumcised" by the Jews, who call themselves "the circumcised" (which refers to what men do to their bodies)- remember Gentiles what you were in the past. At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the Covenants, which were based on God's Promises to His people, and you lived in this World without Hope and without God. But now, in union with Christ Jesus, you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Christ Himself have brought us Peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With His own body He broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies."(2: 1-14)
"He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with Himself, in this way making Peace. By His death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross He united both races into One Body and brought them back to God." (2: 15-16)
"Christ came and preached the Good News of Peace to all -to the Gentiles who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to Him. Therefore, it is Through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the One Spirit into the presence of the Father." (2: 17-18)
"Gentiles (Paul says), you are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now 'citizens' together with God's people and "members of the Family of God. You, too, are built upon 'the foundation' laid by the apostles and prophets, 'the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself.' He is the One 'Who holds the whole building together' and makes it grow into 'a Sacred Temple dedicated to the Lord.' In union with Him both races are being built together into a place where God lives through His Spirit." (2:19-22)
"Assured expectation" translates the Greek word 'hypothesis'. This term is common in ancient papyrus business documents. it conveys the idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. It is the title-deed of things hoped for.
The Greek meaning of the word e'le.khos, meaning 'evident demonstration', conveys the idea of bringing forth evidence that demonstrate something, particularly something contrary to what appears to be the case. Thereby this evidence makes clear what has not been discerned before and so refutes what only appeared to be the case. The 'evident demonstration', or evidence for conviction, is so positive or powerful that Faith is said to be it. Faith is therefore, the basis for Hope and the evidence for Conviction concerning unseen realities. Faith is based on concrete evidence. The visible creative works testify to the existence of an invisible Creator.
The person who may ridicule Faith usually has faith in tried and trusted friends. The scientist has faith in the principles of his branch of science. It bases new experiments on past discoveries and look for new discoveries on the basis of those things already established as true. Likewise, the farmer prepares his soil and sows the seed, expecting, as in previous years, that the seed will sprout and that the plants will grow as they receive the needed moisture and sunshine. Therefore Faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe constitutes a foundation for man's plans and activities.
Such stability is alluded to by the writer of Ecclesiastes when he says: "The sun also has flashed forth, and the sun has set, and it is coming panting to its place where it is going to flash forth. The wind is going to the South, and it is circling around to the North. Round and round it is continually circling, and right back to its circling the wind is returning. All the winter torrents are going forth to the sea, yet the sea itself is not full. To the place where the winter torrents are going forth, there they are returning so as to go forth." (Ecclesiastes 1).
The entire life course of a Christian is governed by Faith, enabling him/her to overcome obstacles that would hinder his/her service to God. It serves as a protective shield in the Christian's spiritual warfare, helping him/her to overcome the Devil and be a conqueror of the World. Faith cannot be taken for granted, because lack of faith is the sin that so easily entangles one.
To maintain a firm Faith requires putting up a hard fight for it, resisting men who could plunge one into immorality, combating the works of the flesh, avoiding the snare of materialism, shunning faith-destroy
philosophies and traditions of men.
When answering the apostles' question concerning His future presence and the conclusion of the existing system of things, Jesus Christ included a parable dealing with a "faithful and discreet slave" and an "evil slave by saying, Who, then is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth. ((Matthew 24: 45-51)).
In the parallel illustration at Luke 12, the slave is called a "steward," that is, a house manager or administrator, one placed over servants, though he is himself a servant.
Those forming the Christian congregation are referred to by the apostle Paul as "members of the Household of God."
Ephesians 2 says, "In the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins. At that time you followed the World's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God. Actually all of us (Paul himself) were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God's Anger. But God's mercy is so abundant, and His Love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience He brought us to Life with Christ. It is by God's grace that we have been saved. In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with Him to rule with Him in the heavenly world. ... You Gentiles by birth
-called "the uncircumcised" by the Jews, who call themselves "the circumcised" (which refers to what men do to their bodies)- remember Gentiles what you were in the past. At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the Covenants, which were based on God's Promises to His people, and you lived in this World without Hope and without God. But now, in union with Christ Jesus, you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Christ Himself have brought us Peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With His own body He broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies."(2: 1-14)
"He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with Himself, in this way making Peace. By His death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross He united both races into One Body and brought them back to God." (2: 15-16)
"Christ came and preached the Good News of Peace to all -to the Gentiles who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to Him. Therefore, it is Through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the One Spirit into the presence of the Father." (2: 17-18)
"Gentiles (Paul says), you are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now 'citizens' together with God's people and "members of the Family of God. You, too, are built upon 'the foundation' laid by the apostles and prophets, 'the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself.' He is the One 'Who holds the whole building together' and makes it grow into 'a Sacred Temple dedicated to the Lord.' In union with Him both races are being built together into a place where God lives through His Spirit." (2:19-22)
Saturday, November 5, 2016
THE 7 ABOMINATIONS OF THE HEART.
There are specific actions, thoughts, speech, or influence on ourselves and from us to others that God despises in His people.
Proverbs 6:16-19 says,"There are 6 things which the Lord hates, 7 which are an 'abomination' to Him: 1- Haughty eyes,
2- A lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood,
3- A heart that devises wicked plans,
4- Feet that make haste to run to evil,
5- A false witness who breathes out lies,
6- A man who sows discord among brothers."
Proverbs 5:1-2 says,"My son, Be attentive to My Wisdom, incline your ear to My Understanding; that you may keep discretion, and you lips may guard knowledge."
Proverbs 5:3-6 says, "For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, 'Sharp' as two-edged sword. Her 'feet' go down to Death; her 'steps' follow the 'path' to 'Sheol'; she does not take heed to 'the Path of Life'; her ways wander, and she does not know it."
5: 7-12 "Keep 'your way' far from her, and 'do not go' near the 'door' of her house; lest 'you give' your 'honor' to others and your 'years' to the merciless; lest strangers take their fill of 'your strength', and 'your labors' go to the house of 'an alien'; and at the 'end of your life' you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed.."
Isaiah 1:1-3 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.. Hear, O heavens, and give 'ear', O earth; for the Lord has spoken:"Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people does not understand."
1:4-6 "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged."
Jeremiah 8-4 You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: "When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? Why then has these people turned away in 'perpetual backsliding'? They hold fast to 'deceit', they refuse to return. I have given 'heed' and 'listened', but they have not spoken aright; 'no man repents' of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' "
8:7 "Even the stork in the heavens know her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but My people 'not know the Ordinance of the Lord'."
8:8"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us?' But, behold, 'the false pen' of the scribes 'has made it into a lie.' The 'wise men' shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; lo, they have 'rejected the Word of the Lord', and what wisdom is in them?"
Ezekiel 16:35-39 "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the Word of the Lord: 'Because your shame was laid bare and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers, and because of 'all your idols', and because of 'the blood of your children' that you gave to them, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you loathed; I will gather them against you from every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. And I will judge you as 'women who break wedlock and shed blood' are judged, and bring upon you 'the blood of wrath and jealousy.' And I will give you 'into the hand' of your lovers, and they shall 'throw down' your 'vaulted chamber' and break down your lofty places; they shall 'strip you of your clothes' and 'take your fair jewels', and leave you naked and bare."
16:40 "They shall 'bring up' a host against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. And they shall burn your houses and execute 'judgments' upon you in the sight of many women; I will make you stop playing the harlot, and you shall also give hire no more. So I will satisfy 'My Fury on you', and 'My jealousy' shall 'depart from you'; I will be calm, and will no more be angry."
Isaiah 1:11 Give 'ear' to the 'Teaching of our God', "What to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of Burnt Offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I 'do not delight' in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or the he-goats."
1:12"When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you 'this trampling' on My courts?"
1:13"Bring no more 'vain' offerings; 'incense is an abomination' to Me."
1:15"When you spread forth your hands, I will 'hide My Eyes' from you; even though you make many prayers, 'I will not listen'; your hands are full of blood."
1:16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; 'remove the evil' of your doings from 'before My Eyes'; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Proverbs 6:16-19 says,"There are 6 things which the Lord hates, 7 which are an 'abomination' to Him: 1- Haughty eyes,
2- A lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood,
3- A heart that devises wicked plans,
4- Feet that make haste to run to evil,
5- A false witness who breathes out lies,
6- A man who sows discord among brothers."
Proverbs 5:1-2 says,"My son, Be attentive to My Wisdom, incline your ear to My Understanding; that you may keep discretion, and you lips may guard knowledge."
Proverbs 5:3-6 says, "For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, 'Sharp' as two-edged sword. Her 'feet' go down to Death; her 'steps' follow the 'path' to 'Sheol'; she does not take heed to 'the Path of Life'; her ways wander, and she does not know it."
5: 7-12 "Keep 'your way' far from her, and 'do not go' near the 'door' of her house; lest 'you give' your 'honor' to others and your 'years' to the merciless; lest strangers take their fill of 'your strength', and 'your labors' go to the house of 'an alien'; and at the 'end of your life' you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed.."
Isaiah 1:1-3 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.. Hear, O heavens, and give 'ear', O earth; for the Lord has spoken:"Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people does not understand."
1:4-6 "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged."
Jeremiah 8-4 You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: "When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? Why then has these people turned away in 'perpetual backsliding'? They hold fast to 'deceit', they refuse to return. I have given 'heed' and 'listened', but they have not spoken aright; 'no man repents' of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' "
8:7 "Even the stork in the heavens know her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but My people 'not know the Ordinance of the Lord'."
8:8"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us?' But, behold, 'the false pen' of the scribes 'has made it into a lie.' The 'wise men' shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; lo, they have 'rejected the Word of the Lord', and what wisdom is in them?"
Ezekiel 16:35-39 "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the Word of the Lord: 'Because your shame was laid bare and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers, and because of 'all your idols', and because of 'the blood of your children' that you gave to them, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you loathed; I will gather them against you from every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. And I will judge you as 'women who break wedlock and shed blood' are judged, and bring upon you 'the blood of wrath and jealousy.' And I will give you 'into the hand' of your lovers, and they shall 'throw down' your 'vaulted chamber' and break down your lofty places; they shall 'strip you of your clothes' and 'take your fair jewels', and leave you naked and bare."
16:40 "They shall 'bring up' a host against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. And they shall burn your houses and execute 'judgments' upon you in the sight of many women; I will make you stop playing the harlot, and you shall also give hire no more. So I will satisfy 'My Fury on you', and 'My jealousy' shall 'depart from you'; I will be calm, and will no more be angry."
Isaiah 1:11 Give 'ear' to the 'Teaching of our God', "What to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of Burnt Offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I 'do not delight' in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or the he-goats."
1:12"When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you 'this trampling' on My courts?"
1:13"Bring no more 'vain' offerings; 'incense is an abomination' to Me."
1:15"When you spread forth your hands, I will 'hide My Eyes' from you; even though you make many prayers, 'I will not listen'; your hands are full of blood."
1:16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; 'remove the evil' of your doings from 'before My Eyes'; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Friday, November 4, 2016
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "CONVICTION".
Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit where a person is able to see himself as God sees him.
Conviction functions differently for the 'true believer' and the 'non-believer'. It is produced by:
-The Holy Spirit (showing the wrongness of our actions and provoking a true repentance),
-The Word of God (the continuity in learning His Will).
Both will develop 'Conscience' (God will judge people's secret thoughts through Jesus Christ), and how the Law act on the believer, and its consequences when it is not followed as commanded.
John16:8 says, "And He, when He comes, will 'convict' the World concerning Sin and Righteousness and Judgment."
If we do not desire by heart to follow the Word then we are in the World and we will be judge with the conviction that we preferred to be in it instead of being saved from it.
John15:18-25 says: Jesus Warns His Followers: "If the World hates you, remember that they hated Me first. If you belonged to the World, the World would love you as It loves its own people. But I have chosen You to Be Different from those in the World. So you do not belong to the World, and that is why the World hates you. Remember the lesson I told you:'Servants are not greater than their Master.' .. The people of the World will do to you whatever they did to Me, because you belong to Me. They do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to the people of the World, they would not be guilty of Sin. But now I have spoken to them. So they have 'no excuse' for their sin. Whoever hates Me also hates my Father. I did things among the people of the World that No One else has ever done. If I had not done those things, they would not be guilty of Sin. But they have seen what I did and still they hate Me and my Father. But this happened to make clear the full meaning of what is written in their Law: "They hated Me for no reason."
John3:19-21 says, "The Light has come into the World, and people loved the Darkness rather than the Light.. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, let his works should be exposed. But whoever does What Is True comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
2Corinthians 7:10 says,"For Godly grief produces a Repentance that leads to Salvation without regret, whereas Worldly grief produces Death."
Romans14:21-23 says,"It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble .. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from Faith is Sin."
Psalm32:1-7 says,"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord counts no Iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no Deceit. .. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my Iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the Iniquity of my sin."
John15:26 says, "I will send You the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father. When He comes, He will tell about Me. And You will tell people about Me too, because You have been with Me from the Beginning."
John16:4-15 says, "I did not tell you 'these things' at the beginning, because I was with You then. Now I am going 'back to the One Who sent Me'. And none of you asks Me, 'Where are you going?'
But you are filled with sadness because I have told you all this. Let Me assure you, 'it is better for You' that I go away, I say this because when I go away I will send the Helper to You. But if I did not go, the Helper would not come. When the Helper comes, He will show the people of the World how wrong they are about 'sin', about 'being Right with God', and about 'Jugdment'. He will prove that 'they are guilty of sin', because they 'do not believe in Me'. He will show them how wrong they are about 'How to be Right with God.'The Helper will do this, because I am going to the Father. You will not see Me then. And He will show them 'How wrong their judgment is', because their Leader has already been condemned. I have so much more to tell you, but it is too much for you to accept now. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will 'lead you into all Truth.' He will not speak his own words. He will speak only 'what He hears' and 'will tell you what will happen in the future'."
"The Spirit of Truth will bring 'glory to Me' by telling You what He receives from Me. All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will tell You What He receives from Me."
Amen
Conviction functions differently for the 'true believer' and the 'non-believer'. It is produced by:
-The Holy Spirit (showing the wrongness of our actions and provoking a true repentance),
-The Word of God (the continuity in learning His Will).
Both will develop 'Conscience' (God will judge people's secret thoughts through Jesus Christ), and how the Law act on the believer, and its consequences when it is not followed as commanded.
John16:8 says, "And He, when He comes, will 'convict' the World concerning Sin and Righteousness and Judgment."
If we do not desire by heart to follow the Word then we are in the World and we will be judge with the conviction that we preferred to be in it instead of being saved from it.
John15:18-25 says: Jesus Warns His Followers: "If the World hates you, remember that they hated Me first. If you belonged to the World, the World would love you as It loves its own people. But I have chosen You to Be Different from those in the World. So you do not belong to the World, and that is why the World hates you. Remember the lesson I told you:'Servants are not greater than their Master.' .. The people of the World will do to you whatever they did to Me, because you belong to Me. They do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to the people of the World, they would not be guilty of Sin. But now I have spoken to them. So they have 'no excuse' for their sin. Whoever hates Me also hates my Father. I did things among the people of the World that No One else has ever done. If I had not done those things, they would not be guilty of Sin. But they have seen what I did and still they hate Me and my Father. But this happened to make clear the full meaning of what is written in their Law: "They hated Me for no reason."
John3:19-21 says, "The Light has come into the World, and people loved the Darkness rather than the Light.. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, let his works should be exposed. But whoever does What Is True comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
2Corinthians 7:10 says,"For Godly grief produces a Repentance that leads to Salvation without regret, whereas Worldly grief produces Death."
Romans14:21-23 says,"It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble .. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from Faith is Sin."
Psalm32:1-7 says,"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord counts no Iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no Deceit. .. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my Iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the Iniquity of my sin."
John15:26 says, "I will send You the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father. When He comes, He will tell about Me. And You will tell people about Me too, because You have been with Me from the Beginning."
John16:4-15 says, "I did not tell you 'these things' at the beginning, because I was with You then. Now I am going 'back to the One Who sent Me'. And none of you asks Me, 'Where are you going?'
But you are filled with sadness because I have told you all this. Let Me assure you, 'it is better for You' that I go away, I say this because when I go away I will send the Helper to You. But if I did not go, the Helper would not come. When the Helper comes, He will show the people of the World how wrong they are about 'sin', about 'being Right with God', and about 'Jugdment'. He will prove that 'they are guilty of sin', because they 'do not believe in Me'. He will show them how wrong they are about 'How to be Right with God.'The Helper will do this, because I am going to the Father. You will not see Me then. And He will show them 'How wrong their judgment is', because their Leader has already been condemned. I have so much more to tell you, but it is too much for you to accept now. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will 'lead you into all Truth.' He will not speak his own words. He will speak only 'what He hears' and 'will tell you what will happen in the future'."
"The Spirit of Truth will bring 'glory to Me' by telling You what He receives from Me. All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will tell You What He receives from Me."
Amen
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