The following is intended as an advertisement of sorts but also as an endorsement of Paul Flynn's ministry of Megiddo Films (http://megiddofilms.org/) as well as his podcasts as found on Pod-o-matic, Megiddo Radio (http://megiddofilms.podomatic.com/).
Quite soon he will be releasing a new film called OF CHAOS and CONFUSION. Here is a brief clip of what to expect:
Of CHAOS and CONFUSION: The MODERN CHURCH (note: the clip states this film will be released in the winter of 2011, but Paul updated the release date to the summer of 2012, which is very soon!).
The chaos and confusion that has overtaken the church which has for the most part lost her ability or at least her volition to discern the teachings and dogmas that are being promoted in our day.
We have addressed this issue of discernment on TTUF with the article:
Is The Discernment Gene Becoming Recessive in the Body of Christ?
And the following article from The RED PILL Consortium:
Our State of Affairs: Nationally and Spiritually
I am greatly anticipating this film from our brother Paul and would eagerly suggest that you likewise order this film from his ministry web site. Once we obtain copies of these, may we share them with other believers and continue to be on guard against any such "leaven" that is, false teachings and practices that are encroaching and infiltrating our church fellowships, even ones that were formerly solid doctrinally.
I'm sure we have all felt the anguish of teachers of the WORD whom we received from and been blessed by their ministry in the past, but since then have gone wayward, joining the apostasy of this present age.
This is why it's vital that every believer, every disciple of Jesus Christ truly be a student of the Word of God, studying for themselves and learning the truth of Scripture and not depending on a pastor or teacher for the entirety of their spiritual nourishment and edification.
John 8: 31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
2 Tim. 2: 15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (emphasis mine)
2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
May the LORD bless you and keep you in HIS TRUTH, free from the entanglements of deception, spiritual lethargy, lukewarmness and the chaos and confusion of this present age; and secure in the grace, peace and truth and the love and joy of the LORD!
~ ~ ~ WHOEVER ~ ~ ~ READS ~ ~ ~ THIS ~ ~ LET ~ ~ ~ HIM ~ ~ ~ UNDERSTAND ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ www.fromthemindoffire.blogspot.com
Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The WORTHY ONE: The Once and ALWAYS KING!
THE ONE WORTHY OF RULE and THOSE HE IS SANCTIFYING TO JOIN HIM -JUST LOOK at the current situation the world over, in each nation, in every government over the course of the last century; examine the history books (that is, those that have not been tampered with by Revisionist fingers) and witness how rulers of nations and representatives in governments have conducted themselves throughout time.
Even if one examines the history of kings that ruled over Israel (and Judah when the two regions separated into two different houses) the performance of most of these kings is quite weak and bleak to say the least.
It's been said before that if a man cannot govern his own heart, then how can he rightly govern his family, or a city, or a nation? Or in the biblical example, if one cannot rule well his own family, how then can he take care of the church (1 Tim. 3:5)?
When the deplorably illicit conduct of former President Clinton came under the spot light, the question was asked if this man was worthy of the office of the Presidency. Many held the opinion that "whatever he does in his personal life is his own affair (every pun intended by yours truly); this by no means, they said, affects his professional career and his ability to function in office as the President."
I couldn't disagree more! Whether personal or professional, its the very same person that operates in both. If there is a lack of morality, integrity, trustworthiness and good character in one area, it will inevitably 'spill over' into all other areas (a little leaven, leavens the whole lump, as it were!). Later it was revealed to varying degrees on just how much 'spilled over' into this man's so-called professional career.
Yet Clinton is not alone. Look at our current administration - or the one immediately preceding it. Look at the leaders of the nations of the world and one can readily recognize a lack of good character and upstanding integrity in any of the world's leadership, most especially among the 'Goblins'; that oligarchal band of nefarious globalists that want to remake the world according to their own (and even more relevantly, Satan's!) desires.
If the world is starving for economic security and stability, its well nigh starved to death (even if they don't recognize it) for worthy governance and rightful rule.
Nietzsche spoke about "the will to power" which essentially means that those who should rule, will have the propensity and the endowments inherent within to pursue and obtain power by any means possible, regardless of any moral right or representation. The "ends justifies the means" philosophy. These are the sort that will intimidate, manipulate, connive, cheat, lie, steal and do whatever is necessary in order to seize power and control and keep it, and thereby push those less ambitious beneath themselves (in their minds: where they belong!)
It's been said that the only difference between crooks and politicians is that politicians are elected to office! Obviously this comparison of politicians to crooks isn't universally applicable to all of them. There may yet be some idealistic, moral folks who are interested in politics and running for office within the various tiers of government, but I fear that these ranks are diminishing all too rapidly!
Where can this weary world look for proper leadership, for those whose character and life rightly reflect the propriety of ruling over mankind? How is such leadership - if it even exists - developed and established?
We as Christians understand that there is still a brilliant hope, the ONLY Hope - the Blessed Hope (!) for mankind; that even if all of the oceans of humanity is discounted as unworthy - there is still one shining example of One who is absolutely and entirely worthy:
Revelation 5: 5 - 10
5 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Here is a scroll in the hand of the Almighty - and it's stated that its written within and without. Typically, scrolls in that day were written only on one side. The process whereby papyri was manufactured would involve smoothing one side so as to make it suitable for writing. However legal documents were often so detailed, it required the use of both sides of the papyri, and so for these special scrolls (of such things as title deeds) required this process.
This is what the LORD God held in His hand: the title deed of the whole world! And the question rang out, "Who is worthy to open this book?" No one was worthy - none at all. If such a demand was asked today, it would be with the same result. No one is worthy to open this title deed of the world, or even (if there are such things) title deeds of the many different nations over which our present rulers preside.
It's no wonder that John wept, because without any to open that title deed, expressing ownership, then by default the world would remain under the tyranny of Satan the great Oppressor, whose own children (those who are not born again in Christ Jesus) follow his example of tyranny and oppression, and the human race would be utterly without hope,bent on self-destruction!
Yet from the ranks of those that dwelled in heaven, One made His way to that Throne, to the sublimely delightful joy and blessing of all the onlookers. No hesitation or doubt was observed in the confident stride of this Man, the Servant of the LORD (Is. 42: 1-3; Matt. 12:18), whose wounds were evidence aplenty (Zech. 13:6) of His holy service to God the Father and to the vast assembly of the human race (Is. 53: 10); this Man Who came not to receive service, but to serve the unfortunate and damned souls that He intended to redeem (Matt. 20:27-29): not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His own blood (Heb. 9: 12; 10: 3-5; 13:12), freely spilled by His magnificently holy heart of pure grace and love!
On that glorious Day, came forth Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, the King! He Who is the I AM, the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Shepherd and Bishop of saved souls, the Head of the Church, the Lamb of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! The KING of Kings and LORD of Lords and lay hold of that title deed, and this brought all of heaven - saints, angels and living creatures alike - to their knees in worship! Hear again their words of adoration:
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" And elsewhere, more of the same:
Revelation 5:11-13
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Here is glory and majesty in all of its holy brilliance whose least and lowest emblems would shame the greatest claims of royalty of any king that ever lived. This High and Exalted KING of Heaven will ever receive such adoration and worship throughout eternity; the songs of the saints reverberating across the halls of heaven, without end!
Yet this KING was not granted the right and privilege out-of-Hand, as was Adam - who was created to rule the Earth but lost the stewardship to Satan (Gen. 1:28; 3: 6-7; Matt. 4: 8-10). He would have to gain this right by going the long way; to be born of the virgin Mary, to grow up in the midst of fallen, sinful humanity (Is. 53:1-3) , to reach and teach disciples who were so very slow to learn and found bickering among their ambitious selves to obtain the highest degree of rulership (Luke 22:24); to know grief, bitterness, shame, ridicule, abuse and rejection from religious leaders, His own people and pagan soldiers alike.
Finally to suffer the ultimate shame, deplorable abasement and absolute agony upon the Cross - where He suffered the full, undiluted wrath and judgment of His Holy Father who vented and depleted His entire store of retributive reckoning upon Him (Is. 53: 5-7; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21), rather than on the world that He "so loved . . . that whoever would believe in [JESUS] might not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)!
A spiritual Truth that cannot be abrogated or disannulled is that any who exalts himself will be abased (eventually) by God - a prime example is Lucifer (See Is. 14: 12-17; Ez. 28: 12-19); those that humble themselves are those that will be exalted by God - and there are none that have humbled themselves to the degree of the LORD Jesus!
Philippians 2:7-9
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Yet before He came to this point, He had to endure life here, and learn obedience by the things He suffered (Heb. 5:7-9). And through this time, He was "made perfect" that is 'complete' in His human character as the Son of Man, displaying all the evidences that proved His worthiness for rule. Let us examine some of the verses that elaborate on this.
We already looked at Rev. 5:11-13 where the saints explode in exuberant worship of Him Who was [willingly] slain for their sins. This willingness to sacrifice for others at the cost of oneself is a worthy attribute for ruler-ship. Too many leaders today are willing to sacrifice others for their own benefit! Not so with the LORD Jesus!
Isaiah 11: 1 - 5
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Just look at the treasure trove of spiritual endowment placed upon the LORD Jesus and witness to the truth that here we have the ultimate ruler whose virtues are literally unparalleled by any other! There is none so wise as He! None with greater knowledge and understanding! None that exhibits the pure and absolute trust in and faithfulness to God the Father, as He! Who is as Righteous and Just as the LORD Jesus? Who possesses the depths of His compassion and tender mercies upon the broken hearted, the enslaved and the meek as the LORD Jesus Christ, our Beloved?
Who can deny this Man's worthy right to rule over humanity? (See also Isaiah 61: 1-3)
Matthew 11: 28-31
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
We know that Jesus is God (John 10:30) , and that God is love (1 John 4:8), thus the description of love ("charity") in 1 Corinthians is a perfect portrait of the LORD Jesus, God the Son:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
The fruit of the Spirit is a competent and complete roster of the character found in the LORD Jesus, this Once and ALWAYS KING:
Galatians 5: 22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
In their many times of argument and strife, when the disciples quarreled among themselves as to who should be the greatest, the LORD Jesus explained His kingdom principles to them in no uncertain terms: Hear now the testimony of the Gospel writers!
Matt. 20: 20 - 28
20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 9: 33-37
33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Luke 22: 24-27
24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
John 13: 13-17
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
The ambition for greatness was never something that the LORD Jesus rebuked; He only reproved His followers by the methods they chose - by means of self-exaltation and argument as to why they themselves were 'more worthy' than their colleagues.
Any that would be great, must follow our KING's example of servanthood. I believe the one ambition allowed for the saint is that declaration made by John the Baptist:
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
As we allow the LORD to sanctify us by His Word and His Spirit (John 17:17; Rom. 15:16; Heb. 10:10, 14) as we are conformed to Christ (Rom. 8:29-30), and transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-3) so that we think (1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2: 4-6) behave, and conduct ourselves (Phil. 3:11-13; 1 Peter 5:10) in the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST, being conformed to His death (Phil. 3:10b), and raised to continually new resurrection life (Phil. 3:10a; Rom. 6:4), as we die to self (Rom. 8: 12-14; Col. 3:5) and are made alive in Him (1 Cor. 15:21-23) and display His spiritual fruit, His character, His holiness - we are then powerful servants, able ministers, and well suited to sit besides our KING as His bride and rule heaven and earth with Him, our BELOVED!
All that is required is that we overcome by faith in Jesus Christ (1 John 5:4) - that is, overcome the 'old man' of sin (Eph. 4:21-22) and the world and Satan that still plagues us (1 John 4:4), to put on the 'new man' in Christ (Eph. 4:23-25), that He increase in us, and we ourselves decrease, so that Jesus is manifest (Gal. 2:20) in our lives as we exemplify servanthood to God and to others. Such overcomers will find themselves as ever blessed by the Once and ALWAYS KING!
Phil. 2: 9-11
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Rev. 3:21-22
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 2:25-27
25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
May the LORD truly bless us in causing us to be conformed to the image of His dear SON and thereby have His glorious character and nature manifested in us, future co-regents of the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords!
Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The PROTOCOLS of the GREATEST PROPHET: The Ministry of John the Baptist
Yet, as we all know, the one to receive the title of the greatest prophet according to our LORD Jesus was John the Baptist:
MATTHEW 11:10-11
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Yet John the Baptist performed no miracles (JOHN 10:41), not even one; nor did he ever set pen to parchment and write a single word as Inspired by God. So what made John the greatest of all the prophets? Have you ever wondered that?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Polarization via Different Unities - John 17
If you've never seen it or can't remember it (I bet those of you over 50 years old do!) here is the commercial for your viewing:
Then of course there was that song that was produced by numerous famous song writers:
Now, don't get me wrong - it's not my intention to denigrate or criticize the intentions and purpose of this effort, but it does demonstrate certain false assumptions that serve to create a sense of false unity in the world.
Before I get too far into this examination however, I must admit that as I watched the video, I did get a bit misty-eyed. Who doesn't yearn for peace and harmony in our world? Who doesn't want charitable and loving gestures of compassion to be expressed to everyone in our world?
Everyone would be happy to see an end to suffering, to poverty, to war and violence and injustice of course - but upon what basis? What vehicle will be utilized as the foundation for this peace that we are all seeking for in our world?
Here are a couple of lines from the song, We Are The World:
"We're all part of God's family" Tina Turner sang.
"God has shown us by turning stone to bread" and Willy Nelson added.
Isn't it interesting that this twisting of Scripture should be done in just this manner.
God never changed stone to bread; it was Satan's temptation of Jesus to do so when He was on His forty day fast (LUKE 4:1-13). And what was the LORD's answer? "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word of God." While such charity is commendable for the poor and needy of Africa (I used to collect for UNICEF as a child (something I don't recommend however due to UN policy) and today I sponsor a child through Compassion Int'l.) but after feeding their bodies, what was done for their eternal souls?
We are indeed to "LIVE by EVERY WORD of GOD"!
Of course, and sadly - it's not at all true that we are all part of God's family, though God would have it so, I'm sure, such is His love for the souls He has created, but the truth must be told.
We are not all God's children:
JOHN 1:10-13
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The world did not know Him - the very One that is their Creator! He was a stranger to them all, and just as was the case with Israel ("His own") so too with the majority of the world: "they received Him not" (See LUKE 13:22-24; MATT 7:13-15; JOHN 3:18-20).
To be a part of God's family one must receive Christ, and then through the supernatural act of God, be born spiritually anew "by the will . . . of God". Until a person is reconciled to God (make peace) for the sins committed in their lives by receiving the atonement of Jesus and His shed blood on the Cross for those sins, they can never know true, lasting peace in their hearts. And if no peace exists in the hearts of humanity, there can be no peace in this world! None (though a false peace is coming via the anti-Christ in the last days to come)!
So there are actually 'two families' represented in the world - the family ("children") of God: see
ROM 8:16-17,21; GAL 3:26; 1 JOHN 5:2, among many other passages.
ROMANS 8:15-17
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
And the children of disobedience, children of the devil the wicked one, of darkness:
MATT 13:38; JOHN 8:43-45; COL 3:6; 1 JOHN 3:10; 1 THESS 5:4-8.
1 JOHN 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Of course any that "does righteousness" are those who trust Jesus Christ the Righteous as their LORD and SAVIOR; those that trust in His work on the Cross have only one work to fulfill themselves:
JOHN 6:28-29
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
But as mentioned previously, those who are the children of the devil will not believe, will not receive and thus remain part of this present world and not included in the kingdom of God.
Thus we have a polarization in our reality - ever since the beginning of time (and perhaps even before then) a disunity was created when Lucifer rebelled against God and one third of the angels joined with him (REV 12:4).
That disunity, that inharmonious cacophony was spread to the earth when Satan (either in form or possession of the serpent in the garden) tempted Eve and both she and Adam fell into sin, procuring then a sin nature that was passed onto their progeny - thus subjects of the new ruler ("god") of this world (2 COR 4:4) who has been the lord over all of the world system now for well over six thousand years.
How can one teach the world to sing "in perfect harmony" when we are as a race in rebellion against our Creator? Upon what foundation would such a harmony be built if not upon God and His Truth?
It will be built upon the foundation of God's enemy, Satan and based upon the lie instead (2 THESS 2:10-12).
Yet when Christ Jesus came to this world, lived among us, taught us the Truth, and finally died upon the Cross for our sins, rose from the dead and imparted the life-giving Spirit to indwell all who would by faith, receive such salvation and become the children of God (Remember JOHN 1:12), there was a union restored with our Creator Who then became our "Abba, Father".
We can see this polarization then between the children of light - God's own; and the children of darkness - those still enslaved by Satan and sin. There are those in the church today, wolves and heretics all: who are trying to blur the lines of this spiritual distinction; that we of the church can and should have fellowship with and work alongside the people of this world. They teach that we are to be busy about building God's kingdom on earth.
Yet no where in Scripture is the church given this mandate. We are to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls, delivering them from sin and death and hell through no other authority but by Christ Jesus - to Whom belongs all the glory as this is truly His work through us and not our own. We are to be committed to those things which are above, that is the eternal kingdom of God; not temporary things below here in this world - we are to "set [our] affections" in heaven! (COL 3:1-3).
The Kingdom will arrive only when the King does (DAN 2:34-35, 44-45), and on that Blessed Day we the church will be coming along with Him out of heaven (JUDE 1:13-15).
In John's account of the Gospel, chapter 17, the LORD JESUS prayed to the Father:
JOHN 17:15-21
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
This is the only unity and "one"ness that can ever endure, because it's not founded on human will power nor on the deceptions of Satan (that "all men are brothers") - that oneness that we are blessed with in our communion with the LORD Jesus Christ, Who is in some spiritual, unfathomable sense joined with our spirit (1 COR 6:16-17).
Do you know that all the effort among churches and denominations to create unity is wasted? All the plans and actions that so many are working laboriously for in instilling a sense of unity for the church is non-essential.
Too often such efforts are terribly unbiblical as we hear the cry "unity at any cost! Let's not get hung up on doctrine!"
There are those who desire to point out falsehood and deceits, bad teaching and erroneous theology who are labeled as divisive and unloving - but wait a minute!
Nothing could be more loving than giving the truth to others; the truth will bring every benefit there is to those who will receive it; lies and deceptions or even teaching that is 98% true and 2% false will eventually wreak spiritual ruin (1 COR 5:6-7; GAL 5:8-10)!
As for being divisive, it most certainly is not the one that is pointing out genuine, unbiblical errors that's being divisive, but the one who is teaching something contrary to the Word of God which is our very foundation as the body of Christ!
We need the pure Word of God for the unity that the LORD Jesus prayed for us in John 17, and as well as this, the Spirit of God:
EPHESIANS 4:3 -6
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
One Spirit. One faith (that is, credence in allegiance to the Word of God in the expression of a living faith that transforms us by His Spirit). Ecumenism is a very poor (and most often Satanic!) substitute for the unity that we already have in possession! All we are called to do is "keep" that which is already given "in the bond of peace" through the Prince of Peace, the LORD Jesus Christ!
So we can see that all the world can be divided into these two different groups: children of light and children of darkness. Tares and wheat. Sheep and goats. Good fish and bad (EPH 5:8; MATT 13:24-30,47-48; 25:32-33).
We are ambassadors to this world (2 COR 5:20) and foreigners and pilgrims (1 PET 2:11) but we are not of this world even as our LORD is not of this world (JOHN 17:16). Our associations with the world are to be maintained very lightly and only in regards to demonstrating the life of Jesus as His Spirit resides in us, not partaking of the life and love for the things of this world (2 COR 6:13-15), but rather committed to the proclamation of the Gospel.
1 JOHN 2:14-16
I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Let us be aware always of this determined distinction between the things of the world, and most especially the religious world! - and the things of Christ and His Holy Word. Compromise, 'conversation and dialogue', consensus, 'getting along' should not be in the vocabulary of the saint of God where it jeopardizes our witness and testimony for our LORD or does damage to our representation of the truth.
Let us likewise have great joy and expectation for the Day is indeed coming when there will INDEED be harmony restored, and all the world (those who will honestly and willingly bend the knee in repentance to the LORD Jesus Christ and receive His salvation via the Gospel and reject the prince of this world (Satan) and sin) will sing His praises and worship Him Who is wholly worthy of our worship!
PSALM 68:31-35
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. 32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: 33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. 35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
PSALM 66:3-5
Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
GLORY TO GOD!!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Lament Over Lazarus?
There are many titles of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures - the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God, The Son of David and the Good Shepherd being just a few of them.
Another that we don't usually think of right away is "a man of sorrows."
ISAIAH 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
If left to our imagination, would we ever think of God Almighty, come to earth as a human being someone Who would be "acquainted with grief"? Or Someone that was not "esteemed"?
Yet such was (and is) the case in this world of rebellion, sad to say.
In the Scripture, it speaks of a couple of times specifically when Jesus wept. Once when He was overlooking the city of Jerusalem. Let's go and visit that time for a brief moment:
God's Grief over His City -
In Luke Chapter 19, the LORD invites Himself to Zacchaeus' house - he who was a tax collector and despised by the Jews as a traitor that collected money from his brethren for Rome. Yet here was a man who expressed repentance and salvation, as so declared by the LORD Jesus Himself.
He then spoke a parable against the Pharisees and religious leader that despised Him as well as this tax-collecting sinner; a parable that nailed those religious hypocrites to the wall!
Then having gone through Jericho and nearing Bethany and Bethphage, He began to ascend up (in elevation) to Jerusalem and ordered His disciples to get a particular colt for Him so that He might ride into the city.
As He did so, His disciples took of their own garments, and palm leaves from nearby trees and strew them for a path, and began to rejoice for all the works that the LORD had done, which they personally witnessed:
LUKE 19: 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Lament over Lazarus -
Then there was that time in JOHN 11, a very personal and intimate time of grief at the grave of a beloved friend of whom it was said by his surviving sisters (Mary and Martha) "Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick".
The shortest and yet one of the most powerful verses in the Scriptures:
JOHN 11:35 Jesus wept.
There are many different thoughts about why the LORD wept at Lazarus' tomb. Some said that He wept because of the unbelief of those around Him, concerning His claim to be the Resurrection and the Life and doubted His abilities to raise Lazarus from the dead. Others suppose that in His humanity, He was simply grieving at the loss of His beloved friend.
I don't see any reason why both assertions couldn't be true. Yet I think there was something much more than simply these things, valid though they are.
Goblins and Monkees -
Now what has this got to do with this exhortation, you might ask? What is this about 'goblins and monkees, James?' you would inquire - 'something about a transgenic experiment that resulted in flying monkeys like on the Wizard of Oz (those monkey creatures gave me nightmares as a little kid!)?'
As most of you know, I write for two other sites besides this one; one of them is The RED PILL Consortium, and the latest series of articles I've written on that blog is a survey of sorts on Dr. Stan Monteith's book, The Brotherhood of Darkness - Part 6. This link will bring you to the latest of this series; if you wish to read the other previous five articles, you can follow them by the links found at the right hand column.
I caution you however that this subject matter is very heavy and dark and at times very depressing. It reveals how Satan is ever at work, through his witting and unwitting minions at gaining territories for his own kingdom of darkness . . . the very reason why we as children of Light ought to be "redeeming the time because the days are evil" (EPH 5:16).
When I completed the sixth installment of this series, explaining further on the schemes, plans, actions and deeds of these globalist 'goblins' it was only a matter days before I learned of the news concerning Davy Jones, former member of the Monkees. A singing musical group that had their own comedy show in the early 60s.
I was very saddened by this news, remembering as a child all the silly antics and fun that I roared in laughter at while watching their show. Then something surprising happened to me while I thought of the demise of this man; I actually choked up and found my eyes misting over with tears!
This is the end of the Innocence?
I was thinking to myself, Well any death is sad and tragic of course, but what's all this for a TV personality? As I pondered the reasons for this rather peculiar lament, I found that I was not only mourning the death of this man, but also thinking about that 'innocent' time of childhood; (we all understand we have a sin nature and that no one except Jesus is really innocent in nature, but...) as children we are most usually unaware of our own depravity and we generally think of the world in a naive way as being friendly, good and non-dangerous.
Researching all of what's happening in today's world (and yesterday's for that matter) I have come to learn more and more that this world is decidedly NOT friendly OR good OR non-dangerous! It's a very wicked world full of danger and deceit where the rich and powerful oppress the poor and weak just as they've always done throughout history (read the Psalms and look at all the times the writers of such plead with God to deliver them from their oppressors!).
I was not only mourning the death of a beloved and funny lil guy like Davy Jones, but also mourning that time of relative innocence as a child, and also mourning the deplorable, wretched condition of mankind where ambition to subvert freedom, subjugate peace, pervert justice and ruin genuine love is the game of choice which these goblins love to play.
A Plan Perverted, Then Postponed -This is not the ideal world which God originally had in mind! It's a fallen world full of fallen people, some of which believe that they are 'holier than thou' (ISAIAH 65:6) religiously righteous folk when in actuality they are spiritually blind, miserable and naked and seek to war against the true saints of the LORD who express genuine faith in Him and His Word, apart from the religious accouterments and trappings (MATT 23: 16, 24; REV 3:17). Others are deplorably self-interested predators who seek only for themselves and are entirely unsympathetic towards their fellow man.
God Who is perfect in holiness looks down upon this unholy world full of unholy people committing unholy thoughts and unholy deeds; even we Christians have only a partial understanding of what holiness is . . . Every soul born into this world has known only an existence of sin as the reality we all have known since we aware of this world. A person who was born sick and has remained so every day of their lives has no concept or understanding of what health is like; the same could be said of those born blind and dear in relationship to colors and sounds.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY -
Yet God is fully aware of holiness as an integral part of His Being; Jesus, being God made flesh, Who dwelled in that perfect domain that is heaven, suffered by even entering into this world of sin and enduring such sinners as we (HEB 12:3)! Only God Who is perfect in Holiness can really and truly understand how terribly sick and wretched we sinners are and how this dreadfully powerful force had ruined us!
Weeping For This Night in the World -
And God weeps. The paragon of His creation, spiritually murdered by Satan, and impoverished of the riches that He endowed upon our First Parents Adam and Eve and all the tumultuous trial and trouble that we have experienced since that fateful day is witnessed by the LORD of Heaven and His heart is broken for us.
I believe that was primarily why the LORD Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb - what sin had brought into the world: death like that of a beloved friend; destruction like that of the beloved city Jerusalem - because of sin and ignorance of God's Truth, we are vulnerable and even naked in protective provisions from an enemy who is fervently lusting for our utter ruin. And God the Son weeps.
PSALM 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
The Genuine JOY of JESUS -
Yet this man of sorrows, acquainted with grief is also the LORD of glory, Who endured the cross, despised the shame and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God and looks on with JOY, sublime; holy JOY with the eyes of eternity and sees us complete in HIM - free from the marr and stain of sin and misery, delivered from destruction, loosed from the livid and evil lusts that plague us, no longer weighed down with oppression, loneliness, suffering, injustice and heartache.
He sees us beautified in the Spirit as the Bride of Christ, whose garments are white and without wrinkle (REV 19:6-7; EPH 5:27), and jeweled with the character of Jesus our LORD! His weeping endured for the width and breadth of that night of sin, the blackness of depravity that was draped upon His holy soul at the Cross - and He actually became sin for us Who knew no sin - and we are made the righteousness of no one less than God Himself (2 COR 5:21)! But that time is over in Eternity, and there is the JOY of our LORD which we will enter into when we shall finally see our Beloved face to Face!
What a blessed time we will experience, a time never ending; a reality of "the abundance of peace" which we will delight in -
PSALM 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
ISAIAH 65:19
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
ISAIAH 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
LUKE 1: 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Another Smoke Signal - NOT IN SERVICE
We've all been there; standing in front of a vending machine, or an elevator, or on the sidewalk watching the bus go by that says "not in service". We can't have our needs met there. There is no availability to procure what we are lacking or desiring.
Yet when we go to church service, we go with the expectation of getting needs met. There are those that would seek something from the benevolence fund to furnish their dining table with. Others might look for some monetary assistance to pay a bill. Still others are looking for justification for some deed done, and be told that they were on the side of right. And a multitude of other expectations besides . . .
However, as the LORD Himself stated:
Matt 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We would do well to follow our LORD's counsel; seeking first His kingdom is the priority for the saint. But what does it mean to seek the kingdom?
Putting it simply, I would say that meant to see to the business of the King! To follow His commands, to go where He leads, to place His own objectives and desires above our own - or even more radically, to allow His to nullify our own so there is nothing in our lives except His commands, objectives and desires.
It must be said, that before one can venture into such service (a.k.a. ministry) one must be born into the kingdom, that is, born into the family of God via Jesus Christ and the spiritual new birth by which we both see and enter into the kingdom as a newly inducted royal citizen (John 3:3, 5).
We are to preach the Gospel to lost souls (Mark 16:15). We are to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20), teaching and sharing our lives with those new to the faith (Phil 2:1; 1 John 1:3). We are to encourage the downcast saint, to warn the unruly (1 Thess. 4:1; 5:14), to be vigilant for wolves and false teachers and safeguard the flock of God (Acts 20:28-32; Eph. 5:11).
These are affairs of state; as well as this, the worship of our King Who is Himself God; prayers, petitions and intercessions are likewise courses of duty, but not merely so - also it's our passion and love and joy to enter into such exercises!
Yet these things are not to be conducted only "in service" where we both give and receive ministry; we are likewise to "go out" among the world as salt (Matt. 5:13) and light (5:15), and conduct ourselves as holy ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20) before a blind, unbelieving, unhealed, unsaved world that desperately needs Who we have: JESUS!
Yet salt does no good while remaining in the shaker; light can offer no help if covered over. Salt must be applied to food for taste or to wounds for purifying; light must be shed abroad in order to provide guidance, clarity and cheer.
I've been reading some books by Emergent authors (for apologetic purposes), and while there is much, far too much in such material that is either extra-biblical or even anti-biblical, there are a few grains of truth and justifiable criticisms laid against the evangelical church:
Rather than having a frontier mentality and going out to the far reaches (or even across our neighbors fence) of our city, state, nation and the world itself, we have a kind of siege mentality, where we reinforce the walls and doors we hide behind, and if we conduct any kingdom business, it's done there but no where else.
We are not being our "brother's keeper" that is, our fellow man, who we would seek to become our genuine brother in Christ, and not just another lost son of Adam - and as these days grow darker and more wicked, we are sorely tempted to withdraw all the more.
Yet, even as my pastor once said in a recent sermon: "the armor of God is to insulate us while in the world, but it's never to isolate us from the world."
Think of the Holy LORD of Glory Who Himself left the purely holy realm of heaven, took on human flesh, and dwelled among us sinners in this terribly fallen world - can we who are sinners redeemed and now saints refrain from such incursions into this realm of iniquity? We have no excuses to forego this needful enterprise that our Holy LORD engaged (and still does engage) in.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Hebrews 12:2-4
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Let us all (myself included) examine our hearts and seek God's will on these matters. If we haven't already, let us adopt that 'frontier mentality' of adventure and see where the LORD would take us! Let's leave behind us the 'siege mentality' and the walls that would keep us from these precious souls that the LORD would redeem and deliver to them the Gospel which alone can save them, and that precious Name of Jesus Christ, the only one given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)!
Mat 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Philippians 2:15
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
So by God's grace, may He find us, 'not in service' so much as serving those who are spiritually dead and in dire need of receiving eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD (Romans 6:23), as well as reaching out to those wayward saints who could use a guiding hand back to the fold of the LORD.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
GOD IN A BOX
When it comes time to buy a new Bible, we've all pondered the different versions, type size, format and study aids that each kind affords. And when we make the final decision and purchase we bring it home and then . . . ?We take it out of the box in which it is contained. That is, the physical Holy Book comprised of paper and ink.
In today's world we often hear the admonition, "Don't put God in a box" and I would like to examine this notion, for in some respects, it's valid, and yet in other cases, it decidedly and most certainly is NOT . . .
When Anne Kisly and I did a couple of rebuttal articles at TTUF on the novel, The Shack, (to review these, go to www.thetruthunderfire.com and type in "The Shack" at the search engine provided) we received a number of comments and responses from readers.
A few of those responses had the admonition of "Don't put God in a box", because we were critical of the portrayal of the Trinity in that novel, and of the statements and actions each of them made. It was the opinion of these readers that since God is Almighty and limitless in power and knowledge, He could do anything He wanted (even the things spoken of in that novel?).
Which is not exactly accurate: being God, there are some things He can't do! Such as the following -
God can't create a rock so big that He can't move it - that would entail His bringing into existence something greater than Himself, and since He is all powerful (omnipotent), this would be impossible.
God cannot learn: He knows everything (omniscience). He cannot travel, because He exists everywhere (omnipresent); He cannot lie as He is the embodiment of truth; God cannot change because He is perfect and immutable: were He to change He could only migrate from perfection to something less than perfection (and if He were to become 'absolutely perfect' it would mean that He was less than perfect before).
God cannot force anyone to love Him, because love is something that must be volitional or it is meaningless.
There are times and occasions when we inappropriately put God in a box; we see this even in the Scriptures:
PSALM 78:19, 41 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
We can put God in a box by questioning His power and His compassion; sometimes even against our intellectual understanding, our hearts betray Him by doubting His power and love for us. The Hebrews in the wilderness doubted that God could or would care for them and feed them (a number exceeding two or three million people!) in the midst of a barren wilderness. We can limit God - the Holy One of Israel, by our lack of faith and unbelief, just as they did.
MARK 6:5-6
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching (Compare this with the account recorded in MATT 8:5-11).
Even His own disciples struggled in their faith in the LORD (MATT 17:18-20), as well as those who were intimately associated with Him, like Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Both sisters expressed the same complaint to the LORD Jesus when He arrived only after their brother died:
JOHN 11:21
. . . Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died (and again in vs. 32).
In each case, a lack of faith restrained what the LORD would desire to do; preconceived notions and ideas about God, confined Him to a box of unbelief (He could have healed Lazarus, but now he's dead and so it's too late).
Another example I find interesting shows a mix of belief and unbelief co-existing in the heart of a distraught father on behalf of his ailing son:
MARK 9:21-24
And He asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
And ofttimes it [demonic spirit] hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
The LORD didn't leave the father to tend his son all on his own; He saw the faith of the man, and despite some doubts, brought healing to the boy, casting out the demonic spirit. Fractions of doubt, in the midst of believing God, He can deal with and work such things out of our lives. It's the wholesale and skeptical doubt and unbelief (like that of John the Baptist's father, Zacharias as found in LUKE 1:11-20) that allows no faith at all that seems to prohibit God from working in an individuals life and situation (but by no means deters Him from fulfilling His plan!).
Getting back to the children of Israel in the desert, under the leadership of Moses, its most notable that the only two people who successfully made the journey (out of the millions in the Exodus) into Canaan land were Joshua and Caleb; the only two that expressed faith in God's Word as He declared it to that nation (NUM 13:30-38).
We err when we limit God by doubting His Almighty power and His infinite love for us personally (too often its not a matter of believing God's ability, that He can do the impossible; but rather His willingness - does He really love me enough to answer my prayer?).
However, we commit another error when we believe God will do anything and in any manner He chooses, even if it contradicts His Word! Joshua and Caleb both believed God's Word, as did Abraham before them, and Noah before him - and countless others throughout recorded Scripture, and God proved Himself faithful by abiding by His Word.
This is a biblical 'box' that God willingly places Himself in! While His power and love are limitless, His character, His nature, His plan of action for the world are restricted by none other than God Himself as He inspired various writers to record Scripture that reveals such things to us!
AMOS 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
ISAIAH 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
God has declared through various (8 to be precise) biblical covenants, promises He has made to the people of the world, and specifically to the nation of Israel, and even more denotatively to such as Abraham and David.
He has bound Himself to abide by these 'agreements' some of which are conditional and requires the faithfulness and obedience of the recipient, and others are unconditional that reside solely in the responsibility of God Himself (such as the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants).
Let's have a quick look at one of the passages that deals with the Davidic Covenant: Psalm 89 . . .
PSALM 89:3-4, 28-29, 34-36
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
That sounds pretty resolute doesn't it? A solid, biblical promise uttered from the lips of God Himself! There are Bible promise books of different varieties (I have one version myself) and as you look through them, understand that God has placed Himself in this 'Bible Box' and will keep His promises, but never in violation with His nature, character and overall plan for the ages.
At the same time, we must understand that these promises will hold up - even under the most dire and impossible of situations because God's Word is true, His power is limitless and His love unfathomable!
The two primary attributes of God are His holiness and His love:
Holiness of God -
EXODUS 15:11
Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (See more on the holiness of God here: 1 SAM 6:20; PSALM 99:9; ISAIAH 6:3; EZEK 39:7; HAB 1:13; REV 4:8; 15:4).
Love of God -
DEUT 7:8-9 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
(See also: JER 31:3; JOHN 3:16;16:27; ROM 5:8; EPH 2:4-5; 1 JOHN 3:1;4:9,16)
Other attributes are His sovereignty . . .
(DEUT 4:39; 1 CHRON 29:12; JOB 9:12; PSALM 29:10; 47:2; 83:18; DAN. 2:20; MATT 6:13; ACTS 17:24 and ROM 9:19).
. . . and as mentioned earlier:
His omnipotence (JOB 42:2; PSALM 115:3; ISAIAH 43:13; MATT 19:26; LUKE 1:37; REV 19:6).
His omniscience (JOB 26:6; 31:4; 34:21; PSALM 147:5; HEB 4:13; 1 JOHN 3:20).
His omnipresence (DEUT 4:39; PSALM 139:8; PROV 15:3; ISAIAH 66:1; JER 23:24; ACTS 17:27).
And His immutability (PSALM 102:27; MAL 3:6; HEB 1:12; 13:8; JAMES 1:17).
Therefore in summary, let us 'let God be God' in all of His power and authority, not diminishing His ability in matters of faith, prayer and His love and good will towards us by putting Him in an unqualified box, but at the same time understand that He never contradicts His Word and so we can be sure that His attributes are unalterable which enables us to perceive that which is of God and that which is not. In this regard, we know where God is coming from - from His Biblical Box!
God bless you!
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