Hide God's Word in Your Heart

Psa 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

We are COMMANDED to keep God's precepts.

Psa 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Psa 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

We will NOT be ashamed when we have RESPECT unto ALL God's COMMANDMENTS.

Psa 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

There is RIGHTEOUSNESS in God's judgments.

Psa 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

We MUST keep God's statutes.

Psa 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

How do we cleanse our ways? Yes, this verse says 'young man' but in truth don’t we ALL need to cleanse our ways?

We cleanse our ways by TAKING HEED to God's word.

Psa 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Seeking God with our whole heart, not half heartedly, but with our whole heart. By NOT wandering from God's commandments!

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Hiding God's word in our HEARTS keeps us from SINNING against God.

Psa 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

*******

So many people want to be God's but they do not want to listen to God at all. They want to make up a fantasy God, someone they can worship on their own terms, not God's terms. It's true, all too true and people give that fantasy God of theirs just enough of the real God's attributes that they convince themselves He's the real thing. In truth Satan loves when we worship gods of our own creation. He loves when we piece our own God together using bits and pieces of what we deem acceptable. As long as we don't take it too far everything is okay we assume, when that is far from the truth. Yes, the God of our own making might not want us to steal, but he's okay with a little harmless taking where we are quick to assume that the other person won't mind at all- besides everyone does it don't they? And our god might not mind if we covet a little bit because hey, everyone does that too it's in our natures and why should we repent of our nature it's not our fault we were born this way, right? And think about it, a touch of lying isn't so wrong, right? Harmless stuff that hurts no one that is perfectly fine, in fact it might be quite helpful for us and for others to sometimes lie to them, for them, about them. We tell ourselves God understands, and we have to believe it don’t we or how else could we live with our corrupt lives? When we hold our lives up to the light of God's righteousness, when we allow ourselves to believe in God, the REAL God, we truly see how unrighteous we are and how much we need to repent. We see the filth of our sins in the light and purity of God's righteousness and we can't help but be appalled with ourselves. We'd much rather make up a god who accepts our sinning than believe in a God who calls us to account for our sins as plentiful as they are, as horrific as they are. When we understand our sinning we are called to - GO and SIN NO MORE. And the problem with that is we want to sin more so we try to hide from God's commandments, we try to lessen those commandments, to bend them, to mold them, to shape them into something we like and when we do that we are sinning grievously.


We have to HIDE God's words in our HEARTS, not change God's words!
We have to believe that by keeping God's words in our hearts that we are protected by God, because we ARE!


When we sin we need to repent.
When we sin we need to feel the remorse for that sin, not an acceptance.
When we sin we need to understand the gravity of the sin NOT ignore it, NOT accept it, NOT try to make it something it isn't.


Sin is the transgression of the law. GOD'S LAW!
Sin is worthy of death.
We are worthy of death.
Jesus Christ our Savior did NOT transgress God's law! This is where Jesus is WORTHY of life everlasting.

To say Jesus was sinless is to say that Jesus kept God's law perfectly.

Why do people forget that? Why do they ignore that part? Why? Because they do NOT want to believe there even is a law to keep. They'd rather believe there no longer exists a law as if Jesus did away with it by keeping it perfectly. As if that law were the sword in the stone and He alone could pull it out leaving a sword there no longer. God's law remains and will remain until heaven and earth are GONE! If God's law remains then we live in the light of that law and that light reveals our sinfulness.

Before ANYONE begins to believe I think that our keeping the law perfectly will save us, I don't. I believe only our Savior was capable of keeping the law perfectly. We however through Him, by His grace, by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS can keep the law. By clinging to HIM and allowing the Holy Spirit to live within us, we can live as He lived. Only HE saves us! We have to stand in the light of the law and do so without any excuses for our failings. We need to let our filthiness be revealed so that we can REPENT, so that we can ask for forgiveness, so that we can cling to Christ our Savior! If we for even a moment believe we are clean of sin by some act of our own we are heaping filth upon ourselves. Only Christ can clean us, but we must stand in all our filthiness before God and NOT hide as sin often makes us want to do.

Remember Adam and Eve after sinning, their first act was to hide from God. We cannot HIDE from God! We cannot put up a false God in place of God because when we do that we are lost, completely lost.

Let's NOT create a false god whose commandments are changeable as the wind blowing every which way. Let's NOT hide from the truth. Let's NOT throw away God's Commandments.

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.


Let us HIDE God's word in our hearts so that we might NOT sin against Him!


All through His grace, all through His righteousness, all through His amazing LOVE!

Amen.

Honor thy father and mother...

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Honor thy father and thy mother. Let's read some more verses on mothers and fathers--

Exo 21:15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

To death!

Exo 21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

To death!

Amazing, truly amazing. Talk about having RESPECT for your parents. Why do you think this is so important? We live in a day when respecting- when honoring your parents seems to be optional, not truly required. Millions, yes, I said millions because it's true- millions of children disobey their parents, they don't honor their parents, not really. Talking back to them, lying to them, outright disobeying them, cursing at them, mouthing off in so many ways, this it the norm, not the exception. Even little children are commonly seen and known to be disrespectful of their parents- I'm talking 2-3 year olds that are allowed to get away with beginning their rebellious ways that develop into 4-5 year olds that only continue to behave horribly and so on. You know what I'm talking about. We even see if portrayed in comedies on televison and in the movies where they highlight children with defiant attitudes, mouthy children who act as if they are the parent not the child at all and those movies applaud those children, they are the stars of the shows. All this glorifies disobeying God's command!

Why is this so important, because God is our HEAVENLY FATHER! He is our FATHER! If we have no respect, no honor for our earthly parents is it possible at all to truly have honor and respect for our Heavenly Father? It's not. Our God may allow us to go through severe trials and tribulations and we are to do so without dishonoring Him. I'm talking SEVERE trials, horrific trials and so those people who have horrific parents are STILL required to honor them and respect them- this is a trial they are called to bear. Is it easy? Do I say this lightly? NO! And NO! Children who are called to endure parents completely undeserving of respect and honor face an amazing trial of their faith.

Let's read more verses on mothers and fathers--

Lev 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Pro 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother

Pro 23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Pro 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Pro 23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Pro 23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Pro 28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

Mat 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Mat 15:5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Mat 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

*******

Now let me ask a question we've been asking of every commandment we've studied so far- should there ever be a time when this commandment should no longer matter? Should this commandment ever be done away with? NO, and NO!

Why would there ever come a time when it would be okay to dishonor your parents? At what point in history would this be applicable? Did Christ's coming and fulfilling the law do away with this? Never! We've already studied and know that Christ did not do away with any of the ten commandments of God, not a single one. Our Savior was able to keep - to fulfill- all the laws perfectly revealing that they are all just and good, that they are all written and given through LOVE.

By the grace of God may we - through the LOVE of God keep all the commandments fully in Him. May we HONOR, truly HONOR our Father and Mother as God would have us honor them. May we fully honor God our Heavenly Father in all ways. Please Lord, bless us! Help us! Keep us! Forgive us! Love us!

Amen.

Without Love No Law of God Can Be Kept

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Do you feel more freedom when you have laws or less freedom?

Children often cannot wait to escape the laws their parents have set for them because in their youth they believe the laws are in place to restrict their freedom. People living under unfair laws feel the same way. But people living under laws designed for their protection feel incredibly more free than if those laws never existed. How free would you feel if you lived where it was the law that you could kill anyone you wanted to kill? How free would you feel if you lived where it was perfectly fine, in fact, the law to take things that didn't belong to you? Would you feel a sense of freedom in your marriage if it were the law to have martial relations with anyone you desired and not just your spouse? Living in the supposed land of the free we have many, many laws we follow- we agree to follow those laws by living here. If all those laws were gone what takes their place? We've heard of living in the lawless west- in a time before the western part of the United States was civilized. The lawless west where you could go and take your chances on finding cheap land and build a homestead, but in truth you knew that once you set out for that land you were facing a lot of danger and fear. Living where there are no laws is scary, very scary. Living in parts of the world where the laws differ from your own laws can be scary too. Living in a place where you are NOT guaranteed a speedy trial can have you in perfect innocence sitting behind bars for years and years before you can even present your case for innocence. Living in a place with unfamiliar laws you run the risk of breaking those laws until you learn what they are. It's a wise decision when visiting any other country to learn their laws- at least in a general manner, because you could find yourself in jail for something that is perfectly fine to do in your own country. Laws are designed for many reasons, but if we really stop and think about it, a lot of our laws are designed to protect our freedom, not hinder it and keep us from things we've agreed are acceptable.

A law of liberty.
A law of freedom.

This law is NOT a law that takes away all other laws so you are free to break those old laws at will.

Jesus kept ALL the laws.

Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The great commandment- Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul and with ALL thy mind.

The second greatest commandment- Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.

Did Jesus tell the man that asked which is the great commandment that there was a NEW commandment and all the old commandments are gone? No.

People will argue that Jesus said we have to follow HIS commandments as He followed His Father's- meaning we don't have to follow the Father's commandments. Yet how do those people account for this--

Luk 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

And this--

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Till heaven and earth pass- perish, go away- till heaven and earth disappear not one dot of an I or cross of a t will be taken away from the law.

Has heaven and earth perished? No. Obviously, no.

Jesus fulfilled the law- Jesus kept the law perfectly!

Just because one person fulfills the requirements of something doesn't make those requirements disappear for everyone else! Everyone has to fulfill the SAME requirements. Think of all the tests and such that people have to take and how everyone who passes the test must meet the requirements of passing. Just because the smart person in the class passed the test doesn't mean he passed it for everyone. Just because my great great grandmother passed a test years and years ago doesn't mean she passed it for me and everyone else. Every person who takes the bar exam has to pass it for himself, not for anyone else.

Jesus passed the test- Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law perfectly and that is something WE cannot do. Jesus didn't pass the test then throw the test out- He passed the test and then told us that THROUGH Him we can pass the test too. It is through Him we are able to fulfill the same law, the same commandments that He fulfilled- His Father's commandments. How we do this is by LOVING. Jesus wanted us to realize that the commandments He fulfilled were fulfilled by LOVE and the commandment He gives to us is to LOVE, and out of that love we will be able to fulfill all the law.

Love God.
Love our fellow man as if we were loving ourselves- how we want to be loved.

Jesus said PLAINLY He did NOT come to destroy the law. He had to say it plainly because so many believe that's exactly what He did. He wiped the Ten Commandments off the face of the earth and replaced them with the love commandments.

Don't you see, sin is the breaking of the law.
Jesus didn't sin.
Jesus didn't break the law.
Jesus was able to live His entire life fulfilling the law, meeting the requirements of the law, something we have never been able to do and never can do without Him, it is through Him we are able to keep the law- through HIS righteousness.


Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.


Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.


The perfect law of liberty is loving as Jesus loved, showing mercy to all. If we show no mercy we receive no mercy. Remember the Lord teaching the apostles how to pray… in that prayer guideline we find this--

Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And this…

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This was sorely lacking in the keepers of the law before our Savior came, in some cases completely lacking. They'd kept the law but destroyed the love that belonged in that law. All too often people will be steadfast in their beliefs, so steadfast that they forget that without love all their beliefs mean NOTHING. They can keep all ten great commandments perfectly and without love they've broken every single one. The law was a law of liberty- a law that brings us freedom in life- all through LOVE. God gave the ten commandments originally out of love and that's NEVER changed! God did NOT free the Hebrews from the Egyptians only to want to put them back into a form of bondage to Him! God wanted to give them a freedom they'd never known before. And man so degraded by sin turned God's perfect law into something loveless. By the time Jesus came the Hebrews were so entrenched in their loveless law keeping they felt threatened by the true revelation of the law being fulfilled in Jesus Christ through love.

Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but He came to keep the law in perfect love and this perfect law of love brings a liberty unlike anything offered elsewhere.


Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.


We look into the perfect law of liberty and know it's a perfect law of love. Jesus' command that we love revealed His love in the law.

We are free in the law knowing how love penetrates each and every word of the law from the first to the last. If we tell people they are still accountable to keep the laws of God and forget to tell them of the love found in those laws we are missing the most important aspect of those laws. People do not want to be bound to loveless laws, they need to see the richness of the love deeply embedded in God's commandments to us. They want to understand that it is out of a pure love unlike anything we possess that we should keep God's laws. There are scores and scores of people who keep laws to the letter and yet have broken them all by stripping the love from those laws. Jesus commands we love for without love no law can be kept, not a single one!


By His grace, through HIS amazing LOVE may we love His law!

All through Him!

Amen.

Perfect Law of Love

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.


The fourth commandment of God.
Did Jesus keep the Sabbath all 33 years He lived on earth?
Yes.
Did Jesus tell anyone that the Sabbath day would be changed from the seventh to the first day of the week?
No.
Did Jesus tell anyone to celebrate His resurrection by changing the Sabbath day from the seventh day to the first day of the week?
No.
Did Jesus institute any celebrations?
Yes.

Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
DO THIS- in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

THIS DO- in remembrance of me.

As OFTEN as ye eat this…and drink this… ye show the Lord's death till He come.

This decree by our Savior had NOTHING to do with keeping the Sabbath.

As often as we take bread, give thanks, brake the bread we are to remember our Savior's body given for us.
As often as we take the cup, we are to remember our Savior's blood which was shed for us.

Feasibly this could be much more often than once a week, once a quarter, once year. Who put the restriction on how often we are to remember our Savior living and dying for us? Who? Certainly not God. The apostles broke bread wherever they went and did NOT restrict themselves to any ONE day. Some believe this is so because the first day is mentioned on once occasion, but we know for a fact they broke bread often.

Let's read this passage-

Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Act 20:8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
Act 20:9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Act 20:10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
Act 20:11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
Act 20:12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.


On the first day of the week the disciples gathered and broke bread with Paul who was going to leave the next day. Now Paul gave a speech with last until midnight. A young man fell from a window and Paul embraced him, and he lived. Then Paul did what… he BROKE bread again! So tell me if they broke bread TWICE in one or two days… is this placing a restriction upon the breaking of bread? NO. The whole idea behind getting together with others and breaking bread and doing so in what we call a communion, or partaking of the Lord's Supper was to do so in REMEMBRANCE of our SAVIOR'S LIFE and DEATH. Now ask yourself a very serious question- how often do you thing Jesus wanted us to remember His life and death? Once a week? Once a month? Once a quarter? Once a year? Seriously! Ask yourself that question right now! How often do you think Jesus wanted to be remembered? I'll tell you the answer…

EVERY DAY!

Jesus did NOT institute a practice with restrictions on how often we would celebrate living for Him, remembering all He'd done for us! This institution in NO WAY did away with the Sabbath day, not in any way, shape, or form! If anything the fact is pointed out that Paul did not begin his journey on the Sabbath day- but began it on the first day of the week. From sundown to sundown the days were counted back then. So that Saturday evening began the first day of the week and it continued until sundown the next day and by that time Paul was gone having left at the break of day- when the sun rose. Paul began his journey NOT on the Sabbath day but on the first day of the week. The Sabbath wasn't for long journeying- and Paul would not begin such a journey on the day He considered the Sabbath.

Try as people might they cannot find anywhere in the Bible stating that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day to the first day- people have offered thousands of dollars for someone to prove the change and they can't because it's not there.

So if God did not institute a change in His law, who did? Who would think to change God's times and laws?

Dan 7:19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
Dan 7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
Dan 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Dan 7:25 AND HE SHALL SPEAK GREAT WORDS AGAINST THE MOST HIGH AND SHALL WEAR OUT THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH AND THINK TO CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.


We've studied this in our prophecy studies in the recent past and know that this power would be the Papacy power (If you want more information on that please don't hesitate to read past blogs on prophecy it's truly enlightening!).


Read a few of these excerpts from various websites-

"The Pope has the power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ." "The Pope has the authority and often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ." -Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop. Cap. (The Pope can modify divine law.) Ferraris' Ecclesiastical Dictionary.

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctified." James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (1917 ed.), pp.72,73

"If protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath Day, that is Saturday. In keeping Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church." Albert Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the cardinal in a letter of Feb. 10, 1920.

"Have you not any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?"
"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her, she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the Seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority" Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism 3rd ed. p. 174

"The Catholic Church,... by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." The Catholic Mirror, official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893.

"Is Saturday the 7th day according to the Bible and the 10 Commandments?"
"I answer yes".
"Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the 7th day, Saturday, for Sunday, the 1st day?"
"I answer yes".
"Did Christ change the day?"
"I answer no!" Faithfully yours, "J. Cardinal Gibbons" Gibbons' autograph letter.

Which is the Sabbath day?
Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemity from Saturday to Sunday."
Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1946 ed.), p.50. Geiermann received the "apostolic blessing" of Pope Pius X on his labors, January 25, 1910.


This isn't some widely kept secret- it's out there, it's known to those who want to know the truth.

Some say it doesn't matter which day is kept as long as you keep one out of the seven.

Well answer me this.. If that were true then why did God after instituting this law have His people gather twice as much manna on the sixth day and none on the seventh? Seriously? Why?

God was teaching His people that it DOES matter! They couldn't go out and gather double manna on any other day. If they gathered double manna on any other day it went bad- it became rotten, but on the seventh day it remained fresh. This is by the divine hand of God! This was God teaching the importance of His law and the day it's kept.

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

A memorial of CREATION!

Who created all things?

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

For by JESUS were ALL things created.

The Son of God before He even became the Son of God taking on human flesh was right there in the beginning WITH God when all things were created.

The Sabbath is a memorial of Creation- of our Creator. The Sabbath even holds the distinction of being the seal of God. Seriously. What makes up a seal? The Name, the title, the territory, this is what makes it official. The fourth commandment has all three of those things.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The LORD made heaven and earth, the sea --

Name (LORD), and title (Creator), heaven, earth, and sea (Territory).


AMAZING!

This most amazing fourth commandment will NEVER be done away with, never. There will never come a time when this will be something obsolete, never. As long as we exist we will forever be the creatures and God our Creator- way too many people have forgotten this fact! There will NEVER come a time that we won't have to remember our CREATOR, never! There will NEVER come a time when we will not have to obey this commandment, NEVER!

Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

Every month and every Sabbath we will worship before the LORD!

Why every month as well as every Sabbath?

Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The tree of life- we will eat from the tree every month!

Why every Sabbath?

Because forever will our Creator be worthy of our worship on the seventh day when He finished creation.

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Our creation will perpetually be recalled, never forgotten, never! The Sabbath was made for us! It was a GIFT to us! Yet way too many just view is as a restriction, a duty, a chore. This beautiful gift will protect us.

At Bible study tonight we were discussing the image of the beast and how those who are not saved will worship the image of the beast. When we worship on God's true day of worship we are being given a protection from this sort of false worship. We are truly, truly blessed beyond anything we can fully comprehend. Is it any wonder God made the Sabbath for us? He wanted to protect us! He was giving us an amazing gift, so incredibly amazing and yet the majority of people would much rather ignore this gift or change this gift as if it weren't perfectly given to us by God in His immutable law!

By the grace and will of God may we forever keep His Sabbath day holy, following His law of love. Protect us with thy love, with thy law. Forgive us please Lord for all the sins we commit. Wash us Lord, make us whiter than snow in YOUR righteousness!


All in Your love!

Amen.

Do Not Misuse God's Name

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exo 20:7 Do not misuse my name. I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. (CEV-Contemporary English Version)

God's name.

What's in a name?


NAME-
A primitive word (perhaps rather from H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare H8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character: - + base, [in-] fame [-ous], name (-d), renown, report.

A MARK, or MEMORIAL of INDIVIDUALITY.
HONOR, AUTHORITY, CHARACTER.

A name represents a person- it is a MARK a MEMORIAL of INDIVIDUALITY.

When I say your name you want it said with respect, don't you? Seriously. When you say a person's name with derision you're dishonoring them. They ARE their name. We are our names. When we MISUSE someone's name we are in essence misusing that person. We are doing wrong against them. I cannot say your name and curse as I say it without it being offensive to you. Maybe you're thinking about now that people nowadays say derogatory things all the time but in a playful affectionate manner meaning no harm, and you know what, that is just another sign of our times. The LACK of RESPECT we have for each other is astounding, literally astounding! You might now say that it's not done out of a lack of respect, not at all, it's all in fun but you know what…when we can use a derogatory term and make it term of affection we are warping things, we are distorting things and as that is done there is a part of us that recognizes the offensive meaning and that part of us even subconsciously knows that the word being used is normally used disrespectfully.

People often believe that we take the Lord's name in vain just when we swear using it, but they don't believe it's in vain just to say His name in exasperation, or even during moments of pleasure. Watch television for a few nights and try to count the number of times God's name is said, and not said in prayer with reverence, with respect- it's horrendous! Watch a few movies and it's the same thing. Even movies that would otherwise would be wonderful are sullied by this shamefully accepted abuse of our Lord's name.

Is it WRONG of God to want our respect? NO! It goes hand in hand with God wanting us to have NO other gods before Him. It goes hand in hand with God not wanting us to worship idols. God should be first always in all things and when we MISUSE God's name we are NOT putting Him first, we are not respecting Him at all. When we misuse God's name we are dishonoring God Himself. Everything is in our names.

Why have people come to accept the callous misuse of God's name? Because of Satan. Satan loves when people dishonor God and stops at nothing to make it acceptable to do so. People barely blink an eye when God's name is misused it's a sad, sad world we live in. A sad, evil world we exist in and Satan would have us all believe the commandments of God are completely obsolete.

Should there ever come a time when it is okay to misuse God's name? Ever? NO!

This is one of God's ten commandments and it will NEVER be gone, never. Why do people think these commandments are breakable? Why do people think these commandments are something to set aside? Why do people believe that Jesus no longer wants us to keep these commandments? Can you ever imagine Jesus using His Father's name in vain, misusing His Father's name? No. He never would, never and we must never do so.

God forgive us please, forgive us for misusing Your name.

In Your love, through Your righteousness, by Your grace, forgiveness, and mercy always.


Amen.

No graven images

Yesterday we studied the first commandment. We saw clearly that at the very point where man first sinned, God was countering that move. Where man decided they wanted to listen to another and not believe in God- God said we shall have NO other gods before Him, NONE. Is this commandment as important today as it was the day God uttered it and wrote it upon the stone tablets? Is this commandment as important today as it was when God came in the flesh as Jesus, our Savior who lived His entire life obeying this commandment? The answer to these questions is a resounding, YES. Never has there been a time, not even a single moment when this commandment was unimportant. Never will there ever be a time when it becomes unimportant and IF anyone thinks that this commandment will ever be done away with then they have no truth in them, none. God. Our Creator. God our Heavenly Father. God our Savior. God who we owe our very lives to, our very existence comes from God and NO other, NO OTHER. It is crucial for us to recognize that this GREAT commandment is forever, it is enduring, it … as God… was, is, and ever will be.


The second commandment--

Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.


Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
Psa 115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psa 115:4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
Psa 115:5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
Psa 115:6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
Psa 115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
Psa 115:8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Make NO images.
Make NO likenesses.
Bow down to NO images, NO likenesses.
Serve NO images, NO likenesses.

Idols of silver and gold.
Works of men's hands.
They have mouths- but DO NOT speak.
They have eyes- but DO NOT see.
They have ears- but DO NOT ear.
They have noses- but DO NOT smell.
They have hands- but DO NOT touch.
They have feet- but DO NOT walk.

ANYONE who makes an idol is like that idol.

We are not to make images, we are not to make anything and worship it any way! Why? Because NOTHING we could ever make and worship is God. Nothing we can make is ALIVE. Nothing we make can think of its own accord and speak from those thoughts. Nothing we can make can see, ear, smell, touch, walk… of its own accord. Yes, we can make mechanical things that do our bidding, we can program things we make to simulate living things, but they are NOT alive. They are in essence- dead things.

People who make these things are in essence dead too. If we do NOT worship God we will NOT have eternal life. If we worship dead idols it is the dead worshipping the dead, the lifeless worshipping the lifeless.

Psa 115:8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

If you make idols, if you don't make them but you trust in them, you are like those idols you are dead.

How can this commandment EVER change?
How can this commandment EVER be unimportant?
How can this commandment EVER be tossed aside, done away with?

Why would it be changed, why would it become unimportant, why would it be tossed aside or down away with, ever?

When would there ever come a time it would be okay to worship lifeless objects? When? Why would we want to? Why would people rather worship something they've made with their own hands- knowing its limitations, rather than worship a living God?

People PRETEND their dead gods live, they make themselves believe their dead gods have powers when they have none. They give these dead gods attributes of our living God but those dead, lifeless, powerless gods are nothing but abominations to God.

We are NOT to bow down or serve dead, lifeless, powerless idols. We are NOT to bow down and worship any thing or any one else- living or dead. We are to worship God only, we are to bow down and serve God only. He is our Creator and none other is.

When people decide to worship things as if they are themselves god, they are putting things on the same level as God. We are to worship God because He created all things, not worship the things He created. He never told us to worship created things, never. Yet so many people try to convince others that they worship the nature God created, or they worship nature that exists and they can touch, see, feel, smell because it is real. People come up with many, many reasons why they are better off worshipping people who have lived seemingly good lives and died. We are not to worship any, not the Apostles, not Moses, not David, not Abraham. God alone deserves our worship, our bowing down- our subservience, our service.

By the grace of God may we NEVER bow down or serve lifeless idols, never! If we want to live, we must serve a LIVING God! We must serve the CREATOR!


In His love!

Amen.

Choose God First

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Is this a selfish commandment on God's part? Why does God want us to have NO other gods before Him? We have to think about this because this IS one of those commandments people have tossed aside as if it doesn't matter at all. In fact, people have put so many idols in front of themselves that God on that list is way down near the bottom. Then again you will have people who have God up near the top, but still NOT first. These people think they're close enough to earn points but there is NO close enough. You either put God first or you are breaking this commandment there is not other way. Now why SHOULD we put God first, just because He tells us to? Isn't that enough? Do we need any other reason to follow a commandment from our Creator? If we TRULY believe He is our Creator. If we truly believe He is our Heavenly Father, then do we need anything other than His word in order to follow His commands? Is it Satan's desire that we believe we need more? He did tell Eve this…


Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.


Satan says- God says you should eat of every tree of the garden.
Eve says- Every tree but the tree in the middle of the garden, we can't touch it or eat of it or we'll die.
Satan says- You won't die.

Obviously Satan is telling Eve that God is a LIAR. In fact Satan embellishes that.

Satan says- God knows that if you do eat of that tree your eyes are going to be opened up, your understanding is going to be like His. You'll understand all the things that God understands. You'll know what good things are and what evil things are. You don't know what evil is, God is keeping that from you. God doesn't want you to be like He is. God doesn't want you to know about evil because then you'd know good. See you can't tell what's really good unless you know what's really bad.

Okay, so Satan didn't say all those things but can't we read between the lines a little bit and understand that Satan's purpose for getting Eve to take a bite from that forbidden fruit was all just to get them to sin, to disobey God's command, to NOT listen to their Creator.

Was God supposed to explain the reason for His command to Adam and Eve? Was He supposed to sit down and tell them all about good and evil and why it's a good idea not to have their understanding opened? We want to say- yeah, He should have done that and then they wouldn't have sinned. See, we have all the answers, all the excuses and if one isn't good enough we can think up many more.

The truth is… God, our Creator gave us a command and we broke it. God, our Creator told us to do ONE thing, listen to Him and we chose not to listen to Him. We chose to disobey. We chose to listen to another before God.


Did you read that… We chose to listen to another BEFORE God. We listened to Satan BEFORE God. Our first sin was choosing another over God, choosing to listen to Satan over God. So is it any wonder at all that God's FIRST commandment is…

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

He's saying LISTEN, You chose to follow another, now if you want to follow me you cannot choose to follow any others over me, I must come first in your life. You can't have any other gods before me, I must be first. You left me once, now if you want me back in your life you will have to choose me and stay with me. Satan in the disguise of many evils will try to get you to choose others all of them controlled by Him, and you cannot choose them over me. You will be tempted, you will be tried. You are living with the propensity towards sinning unlike my first humans, so you will have to put all your hope, all your trust in Me and NO other. Look to Me. Make Me first so that I can restore you to Me in all purity. You will NOT be able to do this alone, but find your HOPE in Me!

There is SO much in this commandment that we need to consider, so incredibly much beyond the eight words.


More tomorrow…all by the grace of God. May we CHOOSE Him to be first, may we CHOOSE Him to be our HOPE always, trusting in no other but Him.


In His amazing LOVE.


Amen.

God is Love

Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
Psa 111:8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.


Commandments.

A general commands an army.
A president commands a country.
We command our households.

Very few people, if any, truly live without any rules it's just not feasible.

From the time we are young we are given rules. In fact at the youngest of age we are not allowed to eat our fill or we'd eat until we were sick to our stomach. We are taught not to touch things that might injure us even when we want to because we're just too young to comprehend that we are in any danger. As we grow the understanding of what danger is becomes something we learn and yet stop for a moment and imagine a life where a parent didn't stop their child from doing things but let them do whatever they desire. How long do you really think that child would live? I'm not talking a parent neglecting their child, they'd feed, bath, clothe their child but outside of that they'd let the child do as the child pleased. So tell me how long do you think the child would live before that child did something to hurt themselves?

A parent protects their child sometimes even a neglectful parent will protect the child so that they are kept from harming themselves. Abusive parents even keep their children alive, mostly, and before anyone thinks I'm standing up for abusive parents I'm not, I think they are the lowest of the low and Jesus said this…


Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.


The point I'm trying to make here is that as a rule, most parents protect their children in thousands of ways they themselves aren't even aware of, they do it because it's the right thing to do. Keep a baby warm, keep a child well fed, keep harmful things out of reach, and so on.

We don't call them commands because that sounds too stringent and overbearing, in fact we think it very archaic when we hear the words… 'I command you.' If someone said that to you, 'I command you…' you'd probably laugh at them because it's so preposterous. Yet we are giving commands and getting them all the time. We grow up following the commands of our parents or disobeying those commandments and when we follow them everything usually goes well for us, and when we disobey things go bad for us, we are punished. We understand this concept- we grow up with it, most everyone grows up with it and yet when it comes to our Creator giving us commands we somehow want to look at them as being more restrictive and binding, more geared towards punishing us before we even do something wrong. People have taken those commandments and torn them apart. They've separated the ten commandments of God and saved the ones they agree are generally good all around, and they've tossed aside the ones they find silly and not really applicable to people in the real world.


Our Creator did not leave us unattended. Our Creator did not neglect us. Our Creator is not an abuser. Our Creator gave us every single command we'd ever need to follow in order to live our lives safely. We just have forgotten, or never really knew the truth of the matter. Those commands were given to children from their Heavenly Father- all ten of them.

Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
Psa 111:8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.


Read them, go on, go to Exodus 20 and read those ten commandments from our LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER. Read them and think about the love God has for us, think about the love Jesus has for us as you read them and take your time, find the LOVE in those commands because they are ALL about love, and love is protecting, caring, kind, giving…you know what love is…God is love.

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

By the grace of God…more tomorrow!

In His amazing LOVE!

Amen.

Do we?

Psa 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

We are told. We are given instruction. Will we follow?

Seriously, will we follow the instructions we are given? It's a choice we have to make, all of us. There are NO exemptions. Not ONE person will be excused from making the choice. When a person is given instructions and they refuse to follow them what hope do they have of accomplishing the task set before them? None.

We are told to fear the Lord… that is wisdom.

We are told that we should depart from evil and that is understanding.

Do we fear the Lord?
Do we depart from evil?
Do we do HIS commandments?

If we have a good understanding then we do his commandments.

Is it any wonder at all why so many will be tragically lost, why so many will lose life eternal? We are given the ability to follow instructions and if we choose not to that is on us, and no one else.

Please Lord, please help us to understand, please help us to follow Your commandments, help us to depart from evil. Without you we are powerless, without you we are completely without hope. Please Lord bless us, keep us from evil so much of it surrounds us.


In Your love, all in Your love!


Amen.

By Faith

Deu 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Deu 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.


Why? Why did God not want us to make graven images and likenesses of things in heaven and on earth and below the earth? Why? Because these graven images were intended for WORSHIP, not for minor aesthetic pleasure. These idols were worshipped in place of God. It was thought by the worshippers that these idols had power.


Exo 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

They wanted gods MADE for themselves. They believed Moses their deliverer was gone for good and so instead of entreated the God they'd just made a covenant with, they turned to Moses' brother and asked him to MAKE THEM GODS! Make them idols, make them a graven image, make them a lifeless object that they could place before them who would guide them. They were so used to Egyptian gods they believed that a lifeless god, a lifeless idol could truly guide them. Hey the Egyptians had many idols and they prospered so their gods had to be good gods, they had to be powerful gods. The people of God wanted a powerful god object to worship, to give their allegiance to. They weren't asking Aaron to make them a pretty statue so they could enjoy the beauty of it harmlessly. They wanted a GOD made. They wanted to make their OWN GOD! They wanted to CREATE their own God, as if that were EVER possible.

Read more--

Exo 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Exo 32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
Exo 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

A golden calf.
These be thy gods.
It was THIS golden calf which delivered us.
How horrific is this, seriously! They KNEW, they ALL KNEW it was NO golden calf, No earthly object that had delivered them. They KNEW the power of GOD, they'd trembled at it, but they chose to forget quickly all about that- perhaps it was all a fluke generated by Moses himself and with Moses gone so was Moses God. They believed themselves God-less because they no longer had the EVIDENCE before their eyes. Yet such a short while before, a little over a month before they were making a covenant with God. Obviously they lacked faith in God, obviously they equated Moses with God, not God using Moses, but Moses the bringer of God to them. It's like being in a room with a police officer, you check yourself, you are more aware of the laws of the land when a law enforcer is right there in your presence, not that you're guilty of anything at all it's just that your senses towards what the law enforcer represents is right before you. But after that police officer leaves gradually that heighten sense diminishes. You don't forget any laws, they just are being represented visually to you by an enforcer. You have NO right to break the law just because the law enforcer is out of sight, do you? No. There is a GREAT message, an IMPORTANT message being given to us here, to all of us. These people of God were quick to give up on God altogether in favor of worshipping idols all because they no longer had the law enforcer in their presence. They were choosing to live WITHOUT FAITH! They wanted to see and touch their god rather than live by faith.

Let's read more...

Exo 32:5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
Exo 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Aaron made a proclamation. After he'd made the idol he proclaimed a day of feasting to that idol, to the golden calf he'd fashioned- and called God. He called that THING God, as if his hands could truly fashion an object God could live in.

Exo 32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
Exo 32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

They corrupted themselves.
They turned aside quickly out of the way.
They made an idol.
They worshipped that idol.
They made that idol their god.

Exo 32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
Exo 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
Exo 32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
Exo 32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
Exo 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
Exo 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.


Idol worshipping. Worshipping ANYTHING in place of God. Living not by faith but by sight. This is a serious commandment here, in fact aren't they all- every single commandment? Not one commandment is greater than the other, all are built on loving God and loving our fellow man. There isn't a single commandment given by God of those ten He etched in stone by His own finger that could ever be accounted worthless, not ONE. God set up His laws so that they could be easily distinguishable one from another- ceremonial, dietary, civil, His great laws written by His own finger.

Exo 31:18 And when He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave to Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Deu 5:5 I stood between Jehovah and you at that time to declare to you the Word of Jehovah; for you were afraid from the face of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain, when He spoke, saying:
Deu 5:6 I am Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
1st Commandment Deu 5:7 You shall have no other gods before Me.
2nd Commandment Deu 5:8 You shall not make a graven image for you, any likeness of anything in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, and in the waters from under the earth.
Deu 5:9 You shall not bow yourself to them nor serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of fathers on sons, and on the third, and on the fourth generation of those that hate Me,
Deu 5:10 and doing kindness to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3rd Commandment Deu 5:11 You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4th Commandment Deu 5:12 Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Jehovah your God has commanded you.
Deu 5:13 Six days you shall labor, and shall do all your work,
Deu 5:14 and the seventh day shall be a sabbath to Jehovah your God. You shall not do any work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male slave, nor your female slave, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger that is within your gates; so that your male slave and your female slave may rest like yourself.
Deu 5:15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm. On account of this Jehovah your God has commanded you to keep the sabbath day.
5th Commandment Deu 5:16 Honor your father and your mother, as Jehovah your God has commanded you, so that your days may be prolonged, and so that it may be well with you in the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you.
6th Commandment Deu 5:17 You shall not commit murder.
7th Commandment Deu 5:18 And you shall not commit adultery.
8th Commandment Deu 5:19 And you shall not steal.
9th Commandment Deu 5:20 And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10th Commandment Deu 5:21 You shall not lust after your neighbor's wife; nor shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, nor his male slave, nor his female slave, his ox, nor his ass, nor anything which is your neighbor's.
Deu 5:22 Jehovah spoke these Words to all your assembly on the Mount, out of the midst of the fire of the cloud and out of the thick darkness with a great voice. And He added no more; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and gave them to me.

To NOT make the distinction is to deceive ourselves and endanger ourselves into believing that when the New Covenant was created that these laws along with the ceremonial were all done away with. People love to believe that because it frees them up to do as they please, believing they have no accountability at all towards God to keep the Ten Commandments.

Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them

Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

The law is NEVER done away with, NEVER. The law is love in action, it is love lived. Jesus kept all the law, not breaking any of the law. Jesus did not come to do away with the law but to live it as it was meant to be lived.

Deu 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Deu 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Deu 4:25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
Deu 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Deu 4:27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
Deu 4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Deu 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Deu 4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Deu 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Deu 4:32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
Deu 4:33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Deu 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Deu 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
Deu 4:36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
Deu 4:37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;
Deu 4:38 To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
Deu 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
Deu 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

The SAME God who spoke with Moses and the people led out of Egypt is alive today- He is from everlasting to everlasting. He was, is, and ever will be. We live in a time like the children of promise toiling under the hand of the Egyptians who knew they were promised so much more. They longed for a Deliverer, WE long for a Deliverer, we live under the wicked hand of Satan all around us enslaving us to this world which is so incredibly far from the world God intended it to be. We are enslaved and we need to be delivered and we WILL be delivered, our Great Deliverer Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is going to deliver us from this wicked world, and we must believe this by faith in God. We must believe in this time when there is no clear prophet to lead as there was in the days of Moses, as there was in the days that Jesus walked the earth. We MUST live by faith as Abraham lived by faith, as Moses lived by faith, as Noah lived by faith, as Enoch lived by faith, as the Apostles lived by faith. We must live without evidence, we must hope and put all our hope in our Savior. As people more and more claim to desire evidence, to desire proof, to call belief a foolish pastime for foolish people, we have to have faith and have our faith grow in Jesus Christ. Wicked, wicked times are coming, more wicked than we can truly imagine or want to imagine and we must live by faith in our Savior and faith alone.


By His love!

Amen.

Serve God or Serve Him Not

Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

It's this simple. People love to complicate things but the truth is…it's as simple as this…

Whether we are righteous or wicked will depend upon whether or not we serve God or serve Him not.

So ask yourself that very, very important question- do you serve God or do you serve Him not?

*******

Psa 50:1 ...The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
Psa 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Psa 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
Psa 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
Psa 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Psa 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
Psa 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

God will gather His saints unto Himself.
God will gather those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice.

Before you quickly point out we don't offer sacrifices any longer, think again.

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

True sacrifice is not the offering of the life of an animal, but it's having a broken spirit, a contrite heart before our God knowing that it is the sacrifice of the Lamb of God which saves us. We must sacrifice self, all of ourselves to God. We do make a covenant with God by sacrifice-- without the sacrifice, without the shedding of Christ's innocent blood and our acceptance of that sacrifice as ours, we have nothing.

*******

Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

He comes to judge the earth.
He comes to judge the world.
He judges with righteousness.
He judges with His truth.

No on escapes judgment, no one. When you are judged you will be found among the righteous or the wicked- there is no middle ground, none. Those who serve God and those who do not serve God.

Remember the verse we read above-

Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

*******

Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

The judgment of God is a fearful thing. We have to understand our place in the grand scheme of things and we are NOT the ones calling the shots. We are NOT the ones in control. Not even the most powerful human being upon earth is in control. When we realize that we are not in control we must then defer to the One who is in control. And when we understand that we do answer to a power greater than humanity, in fact the Creator of humanity we must know that He has the infinite power to judge with righteous judgment.

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God


2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

*******

Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.


Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jud 1:17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Jud 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Jud 1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jud 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

*******

It's as simple as this, remember? Either believe and serve God or don't believe and serve self, but know this- judgment is coming whether you believe it will or not and the choice you make now while there is still time to choose will decide your fate in the coming judgment- no one escapes-

Behold, the Lord cometh ... To execute judgment upon all.


Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Amen.

In the volume of the book it is written of me

Heb 10:1 For the (CEREMONIAL) law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

The ceremonial law which was set up to enact the varying necessary ceremonies of sacrifices so that God's people could realize the results of their sinning, was a SHADOW of the sacrifice that would be necessary in order for sins to truly be forgiven. Every year, every day sacrifices were made- the ceremonies enacted- but those ceremonial sacrifices could NOT make the people sacrificing the animals perfect.


Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Truth. The entire sacrificial system pointed to the INNOCENT LAMB being sacrificed. Yesterday we studied a bit about Abraham who was put into the situation where he had to offer up his only begotten son- this was a SYMBOLIC act! God WOULD offer up His only begotten Son, but Abraham's hand was stayed. The symbolic gesture was made. We can fully empathize with Abraham as parents. We can fully comprehend that God was requiring FAITH on Abraham's part- and revealing that agony that He- God would have to endure Himself as a Father watching His Son made flesh suffer a horrifying death. Such sacrifice was necessary by the Father- but NOT by us as human's towards our own children. God would NEVER require us to kill our Children in sacrifice- something that was common in the pagan religions. God stayed Abraham's hand and kept him from sacrificing Isaac, but NO HAND stayed those of the men sacrificing the Son of God. Only that PERFECT Sacrifice could truly satisfy the penalty of sinning, of disobeying God's laws- laws that the Son, as God with God before He took on flesh and became God's Son, created. Every single law of God was known to the Son in flesh, and known to be just and good, not to be done away with, not to be set aside, not to be changed.


Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

In the VOLUME of the BOOK it is WRITTEN of ME!

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

*******

Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

*******

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

*******

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

*******

Isa 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.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

*******

Read Isaiah 41,42, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53

*******

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

*******
Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Mal 3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

*******

The entire Bible in truth is all pointing towards our Savior if we can open our hearts and let the Holy Spirit guide our understanding then we can see that the Old Testament is prophetically giving one example after another of the battle between good and evil with good triumphing, this is all symbolic of our Savior, our God triumphing over sin and Satan. Only the blind will refuse to see, the willingly blind who do not want the truth because it interferes with their selfish desires, their sinfully selfish desires.

May God help us to see, to know, to understand, to believe all through HIM. We need to understand the truth of our Savior and His great sacrifice for us and what was truly done away with at His death and what was not done away with.

Please Lord Help Us!
Please Lord give us comprehension through Your Holy Spirit!

All in Your Love, All by Your Grace and Mercy!


Amen.

Jerusalem - a holy city

Psa 87:1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
Psa 87:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah


Zion (Hebrew) (also transliterated Sion, Tzion or Tsion) is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem.[1][2] The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE. It commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion), on which stood a Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was named the City of David. The term Tzion came to designate the area of Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and later became a metonym for Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem and generally, the World to Come.
Pasted from


2Sa 5:7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.


Jerusalem is mention 767 times in the Bible. Clearly it is of great importance. We've been studying Jerusalem a bit in connection with God's people. We've looked at Wikipedia information on Jerusalem and it give a lot of its history.

Undisputedly Jerusalem has been a very important place for a very long time.

Today they say this--

Jerusalem is a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions— Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Pasted from

A holy city to THREE major Abrahamic religions. Only one of those religions recognizes the Son of God as Savior and that's Christianity. The two other major religions are therefore worshipping a false god, not Abraham's God at all.

Abraham who lived such an important foretelling of our Savior's sacrifice knew of God's promise given in the garden of Eden to Adam and Eve. He knew this--


Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

A hatred would exist between the seed of the Serpent (Satan) and the seed of the Woman (God's people) The seed of the Serpent would bruise the heel of the of the seed of the Woman. But the seed of the Woman would bruise thy head of the seed of the Serpent.

One would triumph over the other. Our Savior would triumph over Satan.

Abraham knew there was an enmity between the chosen of God and Satan. By Faith Abraham lived listening to God, following His commands. By faith Abraham offered Isaac- but to what end?

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Now it's important to note that Isaac wasn't Abraham's only son- Ishmael was.

Gen 16:15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

So when we read this-- 'By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son', what does it mean? Isaac was the son of PROMISE.

Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.


Gen 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Gen 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Gen 16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Abram hearkened to the voice of his wife, not the voice of God. God did not tell Abram that His seed would come through an Egyptian handmaid. Ishmael was MAN'S doing, not God's. Ishmael was NOT the promised seed.


Gen 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
Gen 17:16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Gen 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Gen 17:22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Sarah was way past childbearing age.
Abraham wanted Ishmael to 'live' before God- to be God's promised seed.
God wanted Sarah to bear the promised son. God wanted the MIRACLE of a barren womb to be filled miraculously through HIS power and HIS power alone! Through that miracle child the covenant would be established not through the child born through man's contriving.
Ishmael would be blessed and fruitful- having a great nation as well but that nation would not be God's promised nation. The great nation that would come from Ishmael would not have the covenant promise.

Isaac was born - the miracle son, the ONLY begotten son - the son of promise.
Jesus was born- the miracle son, the ONLY begotten son - the son of promise!

Isaac was offered as a sacrifice (ONLY the hand of God staying Abraham's stopped Isaac from dying.)
Jesus was offered as a sacrifice.

Abraham knew that this great sacrifice He was being told to make was important and it is still important today.

So when I say this--

Jerusalem- a holy city to THREE major Abrahamic religions. Only ONE of those religions recognizes the Son of God as Savior and that's Christianity. The two other major religions are therefore worshipping a false god, not Abraham's God at all.

I'm speaking TRUTH! While the other two religions lay claim to Abraham, they refuse to lay claim to the Son of God, the ONLY begotten Son of the Father! Isaac typified our Savior in more than one way and yet those other religions refuse to acknowledge this, they refuse to see in the prophecies of God the fulfilled coming of the Messiah, the fulfilled death of the Messiah, the fulfilled resurrection of the Messiah, they close their hearts to the truth and hold fast to lies and deception.

Yes, Jerusalem is a holy city, and isn't it just like Satan to want what is God's so much so that he in his prince of this world way has established TWO major religions opposing the ONE true religion- the religion the comes from recognizing God's Son as Savior. Am I saying all who are Christian's are automatically saved? NO! No more than all who have been proclaimed to be God's chosen of the old covenant were saved because they were of that religion. There are certain undeniable truths that cannot be forsaken, truths our Savior lived when He walked the earth, and we must have these truths if we are to be His, fully His.

Jerusalem was mourned by Jesus, a lot of those who clung to the old covenant were destroyed in Jerusalem when it was destroyed- prophesized by Jesus.

Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

There were NATURAL branches- those chosen to be God's people, those of the Jewish nation direct descendents of Abraham. There were branches GRAFFED IN- those who are not descendents of Abraham, but rather from the Gentiles.

Jesus KNEW His people would reject Him no matter what miracles He performed, their hearts were hardened against Him. Jesus would call ALL men unto Him.

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Jesus knew that the city of Jerusalem would remain important until His return and He told us to watch the signs. We are watching and by the grace of God we are being guided to understand all that He would have us know, have us realize concerning His soon return. We don't want to be deaf, dumb, and blind, our hearts hard to the truths of our Savior. He would have us watch, He would have us pray. He didn't want us to ignore the sign He gave to us. May we continue on in His love, living our lives as He would have us do so- fully in His love- preaching the gospel of the Kingdom to all we can, bringing the good news of Salvation in Christ, through Christ's righteousness.

Lord help us because without Your help we have no hope, all our hope is in YOU.

Guide us Lord, let the Holy Spirit touch our hearts, opening our understanding all so we can be Yours as fully as we can be through You.

In Your love!


Amen.