Isaiah {26:2} Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. {26:3} Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind[is] stayed [on thee:] because he trusteth in thee. {26:4} Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength
Which keeps the truth.
The truth.
There are fundamental aspects to the Bible we keep coming back to. There are certain aspects in the Word of God that are prominent and shout for attention.
The truth shouts loudly and demands to be heard.
Only a righteous nation will keep the truth. Only righteous people will keep the truth.
Jesus is the truth.
All other rigteousness is deception.
When we hear people loudly proclaim that we are being too limiting in our demand that Jesus is the Truth, we know they are being led by Satan. Maybe not completely trapped by Him but led by Him. I'll readily agree that I let myself be led by Satan for a long time. That I was one of those who readily accepted the belief that God would save good people no matter what. That God to be a loving God would have to save all those who had good intentions in their hearts because He knows the heart. I believed it didn't matter what you believed, even if you practiced devil worship and hurt no one doing it as long as you did it with a good heart God would understand. It sounds so idyllic. Believe what you want and as long as you're a nice person you're saved. Where is that in the Bible? Oh, that's right, who needs the Bible, all you have to do is be nice, have a good, kind heart and that's that.
We can't seem to acquaint niceness with evil. The two are at odds, opposites like black and white. We see a nice person and we think good. We see a bad person and we think evil. If niceness is good, then the murderer with his nice smile helping an old lady with her groceries every week, checking on her every afternoon to make sure she's okay and needs nothing, then is he good or bad? His niceness is surely good, but his evil isn't. When he strangles that young woman every month or so it's pure evil, right? And yet he has on the guise of goodness.
Not all goodness, not all those who are super nice people we would never dream of being bad, not all those who live in harmony with the world and people around them- not even the people who are truly good and are murderers in disguise, will be God's.
We can't equate niceness with salvation.
We can't point a finger and say, my friend so and so is sooooo sweet, they're definitely saved. We can't say that of anyone, we don't know the hearts, we don't know the walk they have with Christ.
We sometimes can know that they don't believe in salvation by grace through Jesus Christ our Lord, they'll tell us they don't believe in the God stuff. But even then we cannot judge their eternal life as if we know for certain they'll never accept Jesus as their Savior.
We see through a glass darkly--
1 Cor. {13:12} For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
We don't see the eternal, we only see bits and pieces of lives people choose to let us see and no more.
There are truths, basic truths and the Bible is very big on the truth because it is the truth in Jesus that saves us. It is the truth that sets us free.
Christ is our righteousness and this is the Truth. Truth is our righteousness. Keeping the truth in Jesus Christ, keeping that and holding it dear to us, keeping it as we breath in air, such as sustains our lives, this is what will give us eternal life.
Isaiah {26:3} Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Like the air we breath, we live by the grace and mercy of Jesus, trusting in Him now and forever through all.
Perfect peace in a world full of turmoil seems all but impossible. Perfect peace when the world comes crashing down around you and threatens your very ability to sustain your life, impossible? When all hope seems gone, hope is all we have to cling to. Our hope in Jesus. Our trust in Jesus. Our faith in Jesus.
Why is it call perfect peace? Because any other peace is imperfect. All the peace the world offers to us is imperfect and can be taken from us in the blink of an eye. Peace that is dependent upon Jesus and Jesus alone is perfect peace.
When our minds are stayed upon someone we can't stop thinking about them. We think about them during all we do.
Remember being newly in love? Remember that feeling of having thoughts of another bring a smile to your lips? Remember being caught day dreaming away? Remember waking up and thinking of someone? Remember having the hope in you of seeing that person, hearing from them, of constantly living in the hope of being with that person? We place our hopes on them and then when things interfere we get upset because we aren't able to be with them, to hear from them, and it just brings a weight down on us until we can once again renew the hope of a future meeting, until we can grasp hold of the anticipation once more and place our hope in that future.
We understand this on a human to human level and we need to understand it on a human to human/God level. We need to have our minds stayed upon Jesus.
Stayed upon meaning we can't take our minds off Jesus, they need to be stayed upon the Hope, the Way, the Truth, the Life, Jesus Christ our Savior!
{26:4} Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength
By the grace and mercy of Jesus, may our trust in the Lord be forever, may our minds be stayed upon Jesus, and may we find peace in Jesus.
Amen.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The End of the World is Coming Whether We Like It or Not.
The End of the World is Coming Whether We Like It or Not.
Formation of a one world government is a precursor to Satan impersonating Christ- and yes, making Jerusalem the site of his power.
Rev. {16:13} And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. {16:14} For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev. {13:7} And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. {13:8} And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev. {13:14} And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Dan. {11:41} He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and
Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. {11:42} He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. {11:43} But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps. {11:44} But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. {11:45} And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
2 Cor. {11:14} And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. {11:15} Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Rev. {14:6} And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, {14:7} Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. {14:8} And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. {14:9} And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, {14:10} The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: {14:11} And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. {14:12} Here is the patience of the saints: here [are]
they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. {14:13} And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
*
Would people knowingly worship a beast?
Would people worldwide and openly, knowingly worship Satan other than those who profess to be Satanists? Could you even imagine the President of the USA standing up and declaring he worships Satan? What about the UK's Prime Minister, Brown? The Chancellor of Germany, Merkel? The leader of any country? Can you picture them standing up to address their country before millions and millions of people who are looking to them to guide their country and hear the words coming out of their mouths---
"I'd like to inform you, I worship Satan."
No, it's not something we can imagine, not in any sort of reality.
Why?
Because first off, church and state are supposed to be separate in most of your countries with power.
Is this perhaps why Israel who claim their Jewish hertiage proudly are so despised? Probably not, you have your Isalmic countries who have no qualms about staying stedfast to their religion, Islam.
Americans and many other countries can't lay claim to their countries truly being *God-fearing* because they've embraced the belief that all are free to worship whatever god they choose.
Still, even the USA and other countries that uphold religous freedom don't have leaders proudly announcing they worship Satan. It's practically unthinkable.
Practically being the key word there.
We have leaders claiming to believe in God, and of course as soon as they claim they believe in God they have to admit they believe in Satan-- Biblically you cannot have one without the other, it doesn't work. Unless of course you're not believing in the God of the Bible, and that could be the case for many.
Right now in the days we live in, we expect our President to take His inaugural oath with a hand on a Bible. It happened this year, even if things were flubbed a bit and later on when it was redone there was no Bible in sight.
The public as a whole here in the USA are a religious people in some respects, and they tolerate others who aren't. They've been taught at great lengths to accept people no matter what they believe, they've been hounded to not put one faith above another.
We live in a time when *universal* relgious belief is strong, very strong.
Let's get the Baptist together with the Methodist and the Catholic, and sure invite the Hindus and the Moslems along and don't forget to snag a Jewish representative while you're at it. We're one big happy family and the things that separate us should be overlooked for the things that join us together- say - world peace.
We all want world peace right? Who doesn't want world peace? It's almost criminal to say you don't, because as soon as you say don't want world peace you are saying you're supporting wars and discord between people and well, heck, that just isn't right.
World peace will be the standard held high and if it can be achieved while each person is allowed to believe in whatever god (or no god if they choose) then all the better.
World peace, we can all come together and you know what... it's only possible if we SET aside any and all principles that demand we hold fast to our own beliefs.
I can hear it now. That's not what's happening, not really, it's just an agreement not to IMPOSE one's god upon another's god. It's keeping religions apart where they differ, but listen up close...it's bringing them together on the parts they don't differ on.
Common ground, and there we are and we come full circle back to World Peace.
Only there is a problem with that, a serious, serious problem with world peace.
God, the one and only true God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of you and me-- He doesn't want to be sacrificed for World Peace.
God doesn't want the standards and principles set aside. He doesn't want to agree that it's right to worship whatever god you choose, or no god at all. He is a jealous God. Throughout history He's let everyone know that He is the One and True God. He sent His Only Son to die to save people from their sins, but now as we push God aside in favor of world peace, we are pushing His commandments aside and we're pushing aside the very reason Christ came to earth as man and died for us!
Seriously, sin is the transgression of God's law.
If you don't believe in God's law then you might say sin is anything mankind deems sin and punishable, but not that Godly commandment stuff.
Wrong.
Sin is the transgression of God's law! God's law was broken. Mankind was guilty and saved by Jesus... but... hold on... that's the Christian religion right?
Right.
So what happens when Christians set aside God's law and say it's okay to have more than one god? It's okay to have your own god, it's okay if you don't have a god at all, and you know what...it's okay if you even worship satan... as long as we can finally have-- here it comes -- drumroll please --
WORLD PEACE.
But wait there's more.
By setting aside differences and embracing commonalities to foster peace, we tell ourselves that we are NOT breaking any of God's laws because God wants us to foster peace and embrace differences and love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us. So there, I can have my God and I can foster world peace too.
We lie to ourselves.
We sacrifice God and when we do that who are we really embracing under the guise of love, under the guise of world peace, under the guise of goodness and mercy? Who? Who is there whispering in the ears of people telling them that God isn't really a jealous God, not if you can accomplish something as monumental as World Peace? Who is the beguiler? The deceiver? The greatest counterfieter of all?
Satan.
And the whole world will be deceived.
Rev. {12:9} And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Deceiveth the whole world.
Matt. {24:24} For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
The Great Deceiver!
When we are told all this how in the world can we ever hope not to be deceived?
The faithful-
Keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.
{12:17} And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
A bride who makes herself ready-
Rev. {19:7} Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. {19:8} And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
'...and his wife hath made herself ready.'
Made herself ready.
How does a wife make herself ready for her husband, for her marriage? She submits to Him and His will, trusting in Him in all things. She gives herself fully over to His care. She gives up her self so that she may be one with her husband. She no longer clings to her independence. She willing, lovingly and with her whole heart joins with her bridegroom and they are truly one.
The faithful-
Able to live during such a time that they will stand out and make themselves targets because while all the world is beguiled by the false Christ and his answers to all the world's woes, they will denounce this worldly savior and seem to be of the devil himself.
Rev. {14:12} Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
That's right, when World Peace is being herald by all and claiming to be the universal answer to all the worlds ills-- the saints will be standing up against the universal answer and shouting loudly- Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come! Worship Him that made the Heavens and the Earth! Keep His commandments!
We'll be a strange people who shun peace because most will be deceived into believing that peace is what God wants, when in truth, it's obedience and love that God wants.
If we are going to be willing to die to keep God's commandments when all the world is fighting against us, we have to be willing to keep God's commandments when NO one is fighting us. We have to be so deeply entrenched in our love for God's word, for God's law, for His commandments that we wouldn't dream of not keeping them. What makes anyone think we will suddenly foster a love of commandment keeping when we are threatened with death? No. If we do not have the love of God in us now when the waters are calm and the sea is without a single wave, we can't hope to suddenly have the love of God when our faith is to be tested and tried.
Now...
John {4:23} But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. {4:24} God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
Rev. {12:10} And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. {12:11} And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. {12:12} Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time
Now.
Please Lord, be merciful to us sinners. Please Lord, we believe, help our unbelief. Please Lord, we want you to know us! Please Lord, let Your Holy Spirit utter that which I cannot, that which we cannot. We would be Yours, wholly Yours now and forever. Please.
By Your grace, your mercy.
Amen.
Formation of a one world government is a precursor to Satan impersonating Christ- and yes, making Jerusalem the site of his power.
Rev. {16:13} And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. {16:14} For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev. {13:7} And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. {13:8} And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev. {13:14} And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Dan. {11:41} He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, [even] Edom, and
Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. {11:42} He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. {11:43} But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians [shall be] at his steps. {11:44} But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. {11:45} And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
2 Cor. {11:14} And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. {11:15} Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Rev. {14:6} And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, {14:7} Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. {14:8} And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. {14:9} And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, {14:10} The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: {14:11} And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. {14:12} Here is the patience of the saints: here [are]
they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. {14:13} And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
*
Would people knowingly worship a beast?
Would people worldwide and openly, knowingly worship Satan other than those who profess to be Satanists? Could you even imagine the President of the USA standing up and declaring he worships Satan? What about the UK's Prime Minister, Brown? The Chancellor of Germany, Merkel? The leader of any country? Can you picture them standing up to address their country before millions and millions of people who are looking to them to guide their country and hear the words coming out of their mouths---
"I'd like to inform you, I worship Satan."
No, it's not something we can imagine, not in any sort of reality.
Why?
Because first off, church and state are supposed to be separate in most of your countries with power.
Is this perhaps why Israel who claim their Jewish hertiage proudly are so despised? Probably not, you have your Isalmic countries who have no qualms about staying stedfast to their religion, Islam.
Americans and many other countries can't lay claim to their countries truly being *God-fearing* because they've embraced the belief that all are free to worship whatever god they choose.
Still, even the USA and other countries that uphold religous freedom don't have leaders proudly announcing they worship Satan. It's practically unthinkable.
Practically being the key word there.
We have leaders claiming to believe in God, and of course as soon as they claim they believe in God they have to admit they believe in Satan-- Biblically you cannot have one without the other, it doesn't work. Unless of course you're not believing in the God of the Bible, and that could be the case for many.
Right now in the days we live in, we expect our President to take His inaugural oath with a hand on a Bible. It happened this year, even if things were flubbed a bit and later on when it was redone there was no Bible in sight.
The public as a whole here in the USA are a religious people in some respects, and they tolerate others who aren't. They've been taught at great lengths to accept people no matter what they believe, they've been hounded to not put one faith above another.
We live in a time when *universal* relgious belief is strong, very strong.
Let's get the Baptist together with the Methodist and the Catholic, and sure invite the Hindus and the Moslems along and don't forget to snag a Jewish representative while you're at it. We're one big happy family and the things that separate us should be overlooked for the things that join us together- say - world peace.
We all want world peace right? Who doesn't want world peace? It's almost criminal to say you don't, because as soon as you say don't want world peace you are saying you're supporting wars and discord between people and well, heck, that just isn't right.
World peace will be the standard held high and if it can be achieved while each person is allowed to believe in whatever god (or no god if they choose) then all the better.
World peace, we can all come together and you know what... it's only possible if we SET aside any and all principles that demand we hold fast to our own beliefs.
I can hear it now. That's not what's happening, not really, it's just an agreement not to IMPOSE one's god upon another's god. It's keeping religions apart where they differ, but listen up close...it's bringing them together on the parts they don't differ on.
Common ground, and there we are and we come full circle back to World Peace.
Only there is a problem with that, a serious, serious problem with world peace.
God, the one and only true God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of you and me-- He doesn't want to be sacrificed for World Peace.
God doesn't want the standards and principles set aside. He doesn't want to agree that it's right to worship whatever god you choose, or no god at all. He is a jealous God. Throughout history He's let everyone know that He is the One and True God. He sent His Only Son to die to save people from their sins, but now as we push God aside in favor of world peace, we are pushing His commandments aside and we're pushing aside the very reason Christ came to earth as man and died for us!
Seriously, sin is the transgression of God's law.
If you don't believe in God's law then you might say sin is anything mankind deems sin and punishable, but not that Godly commandment stuff.
Wrong.
Sin is the transgression of God's law! God's law was broken. Mankind was guilty and saved by Jesus... but... hold on... that's the Christian religion right?
Right.
So what happens when Christians set aside God's law and say it's okay to have more than one god? It's okay to have your own god, it's okay if you don't have a god at all, and you know what...it's okay if you even worship satan... as long as we can finally have-- here it comes -- drumroll please --
WORLD PEACE.
But wait there's more.
By setting aside differences and embracing commonalities to foster peace, we tell ourselves that we are NOT breaking any of God's laws because God wants us to foster peace and embrace differences and love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us. So there, I can have my God and I can foster world peace too.
We lie to ourselves.
We sacrifice God and when we do that who are we really embracing under the guise of love, under the guise of world peace, under the guise of goodness and mercy? Who? Who is there whispering in the ears of people telling them that God isn't really a jealous God, not if you can accomplish something as monumental as World Peace? Who is the beguiler? The deceiver? The greatest counterfieter of all?
Satan.
And the whole world will be deceived.
Rev. {12:9} And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Deceiveth the whole world.
Matt. {24:24} For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
The Great Deceiver!
When we are told all this how in the world can we ever hope not to be deceived?
The faithful-
Keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.
{12:17} And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
A bride who makes herself ready-
Rev. {19:7} Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. {19:8} And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
'...and his wife hath made herself ready.'
Made herself ready.
How does a wife make herself ready for her husband, for her marriage? She submits to Him and His will, trusting in Him in all things. She gives herself fully over to His care. She gives up her self so that she may be one with her husband. She no longer clings to her independence. She willing, lovingly and with her whole heart joins with her bridegroom and they are truly one.
The faithful-
Able to live during such a time that they will stand out and make themselves targets because while all the world is beguiled by the false Christ and his answers to all the world's woes, they will denounce this worldly savior and seem to be of the devil himself.
Rev. {14:12} Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
That's right, when World Peace is being herald by all and claiming to be the universal answer to all the worlds ills-- the saints will be standing up against the universal answer and shouting loudly- Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come! Worship Him that made the Heavens and the Earth! Keep His commandments!
We'll be a strange people who shun peace because most will be deceived into believing that peace is what God wants, when in truth, it's obedience and love that God wants.
If we are going to be willing to die to keep God's commandments when all the world is fighting against us, we have to be willing to keep God's commandments when NO one is fighting us. We have to be so deeply entrenched in our love for God's word, for God's law, for His commandments that we wouldn't dream of not keeping them. What makes anyone think we will suddenly foster a love of commandment keeping when we are threatened with death? No. If we do not have the love of God in us now when the waters are calm and the sea is without a single wave, we can't hope to suddenly have the love of God when our faith is to be tested and tried.
Now...
John {4:23} But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. {4:24} God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
Rev. {12:10} And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. {12:11} And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. {12:12} Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time
Now.
Please Lord, be merciful to us sinners. Please Lord, we believe, help our unbelief. Please Lord, we want you to know us! Please Lord, let Your Holy Spirit utter that which I cannot, that which we cannot. We would be Yours, wholly Yours now and forever. Please.
By Your grace, your mercy.
Amen.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him!
Isaiah {25:7} And he will destroy in this mountain
the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail
that is spread over all nations. {25:8} He will swallow up
death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears
from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take
away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it.
]{25:9} And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our
God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is]
the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and
rejoice in his salvation. {25:10} For in this mountain shall
the hand of the LORD rest,
He will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people.
He will destroy the vail that is spread over all nations.
Coverings and vails what do they typically do? Hide things, right? They hide things either from someone seeing in or someone seeing out. When you cover your head you prevent others from seeing your head but you also limit your own ability to see outward.
1 Cor. {13:12} For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known.
Our understanding is limited by sin it can be no other way. Sin corrupts and warps things, and we are born with the propensity to sin. Sin limits us with it's presence in our lives and in the world. We know in part, we see through a dark glass, our vision, our knowledge is limited. Even with our limited knowledge we are allowed to see, to know the way to Christ. Our salvation is not hidden from us, it is found in Jesus and all have the opportunity to know Him, to know the Love of God. We are given enough light through that dark glass, we are allowed to know in part but one day we will see clearly. One day there will be no dark glass, nothing hidden.
He will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people. He will destroy the vail that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory.
The Lord God will wipe away tears from off faces.
No more death.
No more tears.
Revelation {21:4} And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away.
Praise God! Such hope! Such promise!
Isa. 25:8...and the rebuke of his people shall he take
away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it.
]{25:9} And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our
God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is]
the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and
rejoice in his salvation. {25:10} For in this mountain shall
the hand of the LORD rest,
All praise and glory to God!
In that day we will say... Lo, this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him and we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!
Can you picture it? Close your eyes for a moment and just imagine being able to say those words.
Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him!
We wait for Him, He is our promise. Our hope isn't in ourselves, it is in Jesus!
We need to take our eyes off ourselves and place them on our One and Only Hope, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior!
Praise the Lord!
Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him!
He will save us!
This is the Lord we have waited for Him!
We will be glad and rejoice in His Salvation!
Praise be to God now and forever!
Amen
the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail
that is spread over all nations. {25:8} He will swallow up
death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears
from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take
away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it.
]{25:9} And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our
God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is]
the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and
rejoice in his salvation. {25:10} For in this mountain shall
the hand of the LORD rest,
He will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people.
He will destroy the vail that is spread over all nations.
Coverings and vails what do they typically do? Hide things, right? They hide things either from someone seeing in or someone seeing out. When you cover your head you prevent others from seeing your head but you also limit your own ability to see outward.
1 Cor. {13:12} For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am
known.
Our understanding is limited by sin it can be no other way. Sin corrupts and warps things, and we are born with the propensity to sin. Sin limits us with it's presence in our lives and in the world. We know in part, we see through a dark glass, our vision, our knowledge is limited. Even with our limited knowledge we are allowed to see, to know the way to Christ. Our salvation is not hidden from us, it is found in Jesus and all have the opportunity to know Him, to know the Love of God. We are given enough light through that dark glass, we are allowed to know in part but one day we will see clearly. One day there will be no dark glass, nothing hidden.
He will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people. He will destroy the vail that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory.
The Lord God will wipe away tears from off faces.
No more death.
No more tears.
Revelation {21:4} And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away.
Praise God! Such hope! Such promise!
Isa. 25:8...and the rebuke of his people shall he take
away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it.
]{25:9} And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our
God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is]
the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and
rejoice in his salvation. {25:10} For in this mountain shall
the hand of the LORD rest,
All praise and glory to God!
In that day we will say... Lo, this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him and we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!
Can you picture it? Close your eyes for a moment and just imagine being able to say those words.
Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him!
We wait for Him, He is our promise. Our hope isn't in ourselves, it is in Jesus!
We need to take our eyes off ourselves and place them on our One and Only Hope, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior!
Praise the Lord!
Lo, this is our God we have waited for Him!
He will save us!
This is the Lord we have waited for Him!
We will be glad and rejoice in His Salvation!
Praise be to God now and forever!
Amen
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth
Isaiah
{25:1} O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Thy counsels of old...
are faithfulness and truth.
Faithfulness and truth.
Time and time again we hear of faithfulness.
We need faith.
We need the truth.
These two things are essential.
People say they want proof- not faith. They want something substanial- not faith. They want something solid- not faith. They want facts- not faith. They call anything other than tangible evidence folly and those who believe deluded.
Faith.
Heb. {11:1} Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen
Hope.
Can you put your hands around hope?
What is hope?
Dict.
hope (hop) verb
hoped, hoping, hopes verb, intransitive
1. To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.
2. Archaic. To have confidence; trust.
verb, transitive
1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation: We hope that our children will carry on our family traditions.
2. To expect and desire. See synonyms at expect.
noun
1. A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
2. Something that is hoped for or desired: Success is our hope.
3. One that is a source of or reason for hope: the team's only hope for victory.
4. Often Hope (hop) . The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.
5. Archaic. Trust; confidence.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Hope isn't something we touch. You can say you place your hope in someone, but that hope is in the something that someone is doing, not really in that person, it's in an accomplishment they have the possibility of fulfilling.
Hope - theological virtue - desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Faith is the hope of a future fully absorbed in God's love. Faith is the hope of a world without sin. Faith is the hope of a world the way it was intended before sin took over.
Abraham, Moses, David had faith. They had this hope that God, their creator would rule, that He would be the God of all one day, that His reign would be realized. They all lived in a world just as we do, with some believing and others not believing, with some following and others not following. They all lived in a world full of sin and temptations towards that sinning. They shunned the sinning and grasp hold of a better world. Or, they repented of their sin and grasped hold of a better world, an unseen world, a promised world.
When you're promised something as a rule, the promise is for something that isn't seen.
When a man and woman promise to love each other until death do they part for as long as they both shall live- they are hoping for a future live that will keep them together in love until death. That promise isn't realized until way down the line when one or the other dies and they've lived a life together through all the hardships, the ups and the downs, and then they can say that promise was kept.
When you promise someone you'll get them a present that person will wait for the present and until that present arrives all they have is the promise of tha present, the hope of the present and that the promise will be kept.
We you promise to meet someone at a certain place and time, until the moment of the meeting the promise is unkept, but once the meeting takes place the promise is realized.
Great men and woman of God throughout the Bible held fast to the future promise, they had hope in that promise, they lived believing that God would fulfil the promises made to them. They had faith- hope in the promises even when there was no evidence to support the promises. Even when their lives seemed such that those promises being fulfilled would seem to be impossible. Even when DEATH was inevitable and they were tasting the precusors of the end of their lives, they still HOPED. They believed in something more and they trusted in God.
People say it's crazy to have such hope, to believe in such a thing, that here and now is all we can really trust and believe in. They call it false hope, and foolish dreaming. They say it's a waste of a good life and a chance to have all sorts of worldly pleasures when people deny themselves that pleasure because they are hoping in something better in the future, a future promise that might not even be realized in their lifetime. They have hope beyond the grave, beyond their deaths.
When EVERYTHING seems to be telling us, tickling our senses, tempting us to grasp hold to ONLY what we can see, touch, smell, feel, taste we have to look beyond all that, way beyond all that to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ, to the promise that God gave to Abraham and extended right on down to us.
People as a whole will never agree to look beyond the here and now.
As individuals we have to look beyond, we have to have hope and faith in God's promises.
Isaiah
{25:1} O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
We need to exalt in God, our God. We need to praise His name. He has done wonderful things. His counsels of old are-- faithfulness and truth.
Faithfulness and truth.
God has made promises.
God has give us prophecies and allowed us to look back through history and see the prophecies fulfilled.
God tells us what will be and by faith in God who has done wonderful, wonderful things, we have to have faith- hope in Him, He will keep His promises, He is truth.
John {14:6} Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The way, the truth, the life, may we find it all in our Lord and Savior, through His wondrous grace and mercy, in Jesus Christ, now and forever...
Amen.
{25:1} O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Thy counsels of old...
are faithfulness and truth.
Faithfulness and truth.
Time and time again we hear of faithfulness.
We need faith.
We need the truth.
These two things are essential.
People say they want proof- not faith. They want something substanial- not faith. They want something solid- not faith. They want facts- not faith. They call anything other than tangible evidence folly and those who believe deluded.
Faith.
Heb. {11:1} Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen
Hope.
Can you put your hands around hope?
What is hope?
Dict.
hope (hop) verb
hoped, hoping, hopes verb, intransitive
1. To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.
2. Archaic. To have confidence; trust.
verb, transitive
1. To look forward to with confidence or expectation: We hope that our children will carry on our family traditions.
2. To expect and desire. See synonyms at expect.
noun
1. A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
2. Something that is hoped for or desired: Success is our hope.
3. One that is a source of or reason for hope: the team's only hope for victory.
4. Often Hope (hop) . The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.
5. Archaic. Trust; confidence.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Hope isn't something we touch. You can say you place your hope in someone, but that hope is in the something that someone is doing, not really in that person, it's in an accomplishment they have the possibility of fulfilling.
Hope - theological virtue - desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Faith is the hope of a future fully absorbed in God's love. Faith is the hope of a world without sin. Faith is the hope of a world the way it was intended before sin took over.
Abraham, Moses, David had faith. They had this hope that God, their creator would rule, that He would be the God of all one day, that His reign would be realized. They all lived in a world just as we do, with some believing and others not believing, with some following and others not following. They all lived in a world full of sin and temptations towards that sinning. They shunned the sinning and grasp hold of a better world. Or, they repented of their sin and grasped hold of a better world, an unseen world, a promised world.
When you're promised something as a rule, the promise is for something that isn't seen.
When a man and woman promise to love each other until death do they part for as long as they both shall live- they are hoping for a future live that will keep them together in love until death. That promise isn't realized until way down the line when one or the other dies and they've lived a life together through all the hardships, the ups and the downs, and then they can say that promise was kept.
When you promise someone you'll get them a present that person will wait for the present and until that present arrives all they have is the promise of tha present, the hope of the present and that the promise will be kept.
We you promise to meet someone at a certain place and time, until the moment of the meeting the promise is unkept, but once the meeting takes place the promise is realized.
Great men and woman of God throughout the Bible held fast to the future promise, they had hope in that promise, they lived believing that God would fulfil the promises made to them. They had faith- hope in the promises even when there was no evidence to support the promises. Even when their lives seemed such that those promises being fulfilled would seem to be impossible. Even when DEATH was inevitable and they were tasting the precusors of the end of their lives, they still HOPED. They believed in something more and they trusted in God.
People say it's crazy to have such hope, to believe in such a thing, that here and now is all we can really trust and believe in. They call it false hope, and foolish dreaming. They say it's a waste of a good life and a chance to have all sorts of worldly pleasures when people deny themselves that pleasure because they are hoping in something better in the future, a future promise that might not even be realized in their lifetime. They have hope beyond the grave, beyond their deaths.
When EVERYTHING seems to be telling us, tickling our senses, tempting us to grasp hold to ONLY what we can see, touch, smell, feel, taste we have to look beyond all that, way beyond all that to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ, to the promise that God gave to Abraham and extended right on down to us.
People as a whole will never agree to look beyond the here and now.
As individuals we have to look beyond, we have to have hope and faith in God's promises.
Isaiah
{25:1} O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
We need to exalt in God, our God. We need to praise His name. He has done wonderful things. His counsels of old are-- faithfulness and truth.
Faithfulness and truth.
God has made promises.
God has give us prophecies and allowed us to look back through history and see the prophecies fulfilled.
God tells us what will be and by faith in God who has done wonderful, wonderful things, we have to have faith- hope in Him, He will keep His promises, He is truth.
John {14:6} Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The way, the truth, the life, may we find it all in our Lord and Savior, through His wondrous grace and mercy, in Jesus Christ, now and forever...
Amen.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Lord turns the earth upside down
Isaiah
{24:1} Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and
maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth
abroad the inhabitants thereof.
The Lord maketh the earth empty.
The Lord maketh the earth a waste.
The Lord turns the earth upside down.
The Lord scatters everywhere the inhabitants of the earth.
Amazing isn't it?
We don't like to think of God this way, we just don't.
It goes against the *love your enemy, do good to those who despitefully use you* teachings of Jesus.
Some people rouse themselves up and say that God was done away with in the Old Testament, Jesus and His teachings are the real way.
I say the Lord God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews {13:8}
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
John {1:1} In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. {1:2} The same was in
the beginning with God. {1:3} All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made. {1:4} In him was life; and the life was the light of
men. {1:5} And the light shineth in darkness; and the
darkness comprehended it not.
John {1:14} And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The Old Testament God is not the *bad* God. The Old Testament God was the same God with Jesus in the Beginning. They are of one purpose, they are like-minded. Jesus came and revealed God to us, but He didn't change the God of the Old Testament.
Before mankind sinned they were warned of the consequences of the sin.
We can see this sort of behavior in our own parenting, or from our own parents when they warn us before we do something we'll regret. They warn us because they Love us. They tell us of the consequences of our behavior should we go ahead and do the thing they warn us against. We get the wrath of our parents, or the children feel our wrath when they disobey and then they have to suffer the consequences, or we have to suffer it if we were warned. You know what I'm talking about here. It's common knowledge, it's the bit in us that we can see and understand.
Man chose to sin and the consequences of that action will be with mankind until sin is totally gone.
God constantly reaches out to mankind seeking a people who will follow Him out of love, and it's the love that understands actions that some might call unloving are in fact the most loving.
The Lord maketh the earth empty.
The Lord maketh the earth a waste.
The Lord turns the earth upside down.
The Lord scatters everywhere the inhabitants of the earth.
{24:2} And it shall be, as
with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so
with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as
with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with
the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of
usury to him.
In this day it will matter not what sort of profession you hold. It won't matter at all if you are a master or a slave. In God we are all equal and the same standard for one will be with another.
{24:3} The land shall be utterly emptied, and
utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. {24:4}
The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world
languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the
earth do languish. {24:5} The earth also is defiled under the
inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the
laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant.
Why do we have to have such utter destruction? Because the inhabitants of the earth- that's you and I and every single other person on the earth- have sinned, we've transgressed the laws of God, we've changed the way God would have us live in Him, we've broken the covenant He's sought to make with us to redeem us to Him.
That covenant, that redemption is found in Jesus, by His grace. Jesus who upheld every single law of God and did not transgress a single one. Jesus the innocent One.
{24:6} Therefore hath the curse devoured the
earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the
inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. {24:7}
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the
merryhearted do sigh. {24:8} The mirth of tabrets ceaseth,
the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp
ceaseth. {24:9} They shall not drink wine with a song;
strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. {24:10}
The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut
up, that no man may come in. {24:11} [There is] a crying
for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the
land is gone. {24:12} In the city is left desolation, and the
gate is smitten with destruction.
There will come a day when absolutely nothing will make mankind happy. Nothing. Because they'll realize that they spurned salvation and all that's left is a bitter ending.
{24:13} When thus it shall be in the midst of the land
among the people, [there shall be] as the shaking of an olive
tree, [and] as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
There will be a people in that time, a very few people who will be shaking out from the rest.
{24:14} They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the
majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
{24:15} Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, [even]
the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
{24:16} From the uttermost part of the earth have we
heard songs, [even] glory to the righteous. But I said, My
leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers
have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have
dealt very treacherously. {24:17} Fear, and the pit, and the
snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. {24:18}
And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the
noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up
out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the
windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the
earth do shake. {24:19} The earth is utterly broken down,
the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
{24:20} The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression
thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise
again. {24:21} And it shall come to pass in that day, [that]
the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are]
on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. {24:22}
And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and
after many days shall they be visited. {24:23} Then the
moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the
LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem,
and before his ancients gloriously.
Amazing! So amazing! Not unsurprising that such destruction has to come to rid the world of sin.
{25:1} O LORD, thou [art] my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful [things;
thy] counsels of old [are] faithfulness [and] truth. {25:2}
For thou hast made of a city an heap; [of] a defenced city a
ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be
built. {25:3} Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee,
the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. {25:4} For
thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy
in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the
heat, when the blast of the terrible ones [is] as a storm
[against] the wall. {25:5} Thou shalt bring down the noise
of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; [even] the heat with
the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall
be brought low.
The Lord will save His people from destruction. Those who love Him, truly love Him will be saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, through His righteousness.
A storm is coming.
A storm that the world has known was on it's way.
A storm that like a woman in labor, the pains have been felt for some time.
No one can escape this storm.
There is a shelter from the storm and that shelter is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
The storm is a necessary storm, it's the storm that will ultimately cleansed the world of sin once and forever.
May the Lord keep us in the Storm. May we find Grace in the eyes of the Lord through our Savior Jesus. May we be cleansed of sin and be found in Him, living in Him, for Him, in love.
All praise and glory to our Lord God, our Savior, our Creator!
Amen.
{24:1} Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and
maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth
abroad the inhabitants thereof.
The Lord maketh the earth empty.
The Lord maketh the earth a waste.
The Lord turns the earth upside down.
The Lord scatters everywhere the inhabitants of the earth.
Amazing isn't it?
We don't like to think of God this way, we just don't.
It goes against the *love your enemy, do good to those who despitefully use you* teachings of Jesus.
Some people rouse themselves up and say that God was done away with in the Old Testament, Jesus and His teachings are the real way.
I say the Lord God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews {13:8}
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
John {1:1} In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. {1:2} The same was in
the beginning with God. {1:3} All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made. {1:4} In him was life; and the life was the light of
men. {1:5} And the light shineth in darkness; and the
darkness comprehended it not.
John {1:14} And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The Old Testament God is not the *bad* God. The Old Testament God was the same God with Jesus in the Beginning. They are of one purpose, they are like-minded. Jesus came and revealed God to us, but He didn't change the God of the Old Testament.
Before mankind sinned they were warned of the consequences of the sin.
We can see this sort of behavior in our own parenting, or from our own parents when they warn us before we do something we'll regret. They warn us because they Love us. They tell us of the consequences of our behavior should we go ahead and do the thing they warn us against. We get the wrath of our parents, or the children feel our wrath when they disobey and then they have to suffer the consequences, or we have to suffer it if we were warned. You know what I'm talking about here. It's common knowledge, it's the bit in us that we can see and understand.
Man chose to sin and the consequences of that action will be with mankind until sin is totally gone.
God constantly reaches out to mankind seeking a people who will follow Him out of love, and it's the love that understands actions that some might call unloving are in fact the most loving.
The Lord maketh the earth empty.
The Lord maketh the earth a waste.
The Lord turns the earth upside down.
The Lord scatters everywhere the inhabitants of the earth.
{24:2} And it shall be, as
with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so
with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as
with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with
the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of
usury to him.
In this day it will matter not what sort of profession you hold. It won't matter at all if you are a master or a slave. In God we are all equal and the same standard for one will be with another.
{24:3} The land shall be utterly emptied, and
utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. {24:4}
The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world
languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the
earth do languish. {24:5} The earth also is defiled under the
inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the
laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant.
Why do we have to have such utter destruction? Because the inhabitants of the earth- that's you and I and every single other person on the earth- have sinned, we've transgressed the laws of God, we've changed the way God would have us live in Him, we've broken the covenant He's sought to make with us to redeem us to Him.
That covenant, that redemption is found in Jesus, by His grace. Jesus who upheld every single law of God and did not transgress a single one. Jesus the innocent One.
{24:6} Therefore hath the curse devoured the
earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the
inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. {24:7}
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the
merryhearted do sigh. {24:8} The mirth of tabrets ceaseth,
the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp
ceaseth. {24:9} They shall not drink wine with a song;
strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. {24:10}
The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut
up, that no man may come in. {24:11} [There is] a crying
for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the
land is gone. {24:12} In the city is left desolation, and the
gate is smitten with destruction.
There will come a day when absolutely nothing will make mankind happy. Nothing. Because they'll realize that they spurned salvation and all that's left is a bitter ending.
{24:13} When thus it shall be in the midst of the land
among the people, [there shall be] as the shaking of an olive
tree, [and] as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
There will be a people in that time, a very few people who will be shaking out from the rest.
{24:14} They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the
majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
{24:15} Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, [even]
the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
{24:16} From the uttermost part of the earth have we
heard songs, [even] glory to the righteous. But I said, My
leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers
have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have
dealt very treacherously. {24:17} Fear, and the pit, and the
snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. {24:18}
And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the
noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up
out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the
windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the
earth do shake. {24:19} The earth is utterly broken down,
the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
{24:20} The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression
thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise
again. {24:21} And it shall come to pass in that day, [that]
the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are]
on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. {24:22}
And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and
after many days shall they be visited. {24:23} Then the
moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the
LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem,
and before his ancients gloriously.
Amazing! So amazing! Not unsurprising that such destruction has to come to rid the world of sin.
{25:1} O LORD, thou [art] my God; I will exalt thee, I
will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful [things;
thy] counsels of old [are] faithfulness [and] truth. {25:2}
For thou hast made of a city an heap; [of] a defenced city a
ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be
built. {25:3} Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee,
the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. {25:4} For
thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy
in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the
heat, when the blast of the terrible ones [is] as a storm
[against] the wall. {25:5} Thou shalt bring down the noise
of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; [even] the heat with
the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall
be brought low.
The Lord will save His people from destruction. Those who love Him, truly love Him will be saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, through His righteousness.
A storm is coming.
A storm that the world has known was on it's way.
A storm that like a woman in labor, the pains have been felt for some time.
No one can escape this storm.
There is a shelter from the storm and that shelter is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
The storm is a necessary storm, it's the storm that will ultimately cleansed the world of sin once and forever.
May the Lord keep us in the Storm. May we find Grace in the eyes of the Lord through our Savior Jesus. May we be cleansed of sin and be found in Him, living in Him, for Him, in love.
All praise and glory to our Lord God, our Savior, our Creator!
Amen.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Destruction from the Almighty.
Isaiah
{13:6} Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Throughout history there have been many days the Lord has exacted punishment for the various and many sins of His people.
With Isaiah being a prophet it's not always easy to understand things, not for this ordinary layperson who has no background in theology or even history. Do I always interpret things correctly? I'd be the first to admit that I only do the best I can with the knowledgde I do have and pray that the Holy Spirit guide me into understanding.
Can a prophecy hold duel meanings? I'm not sure. I do know that prophecies can be given in more ways than one. Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 for instance. Some might expound more on what was at first given.
God's ways are mysterious and we have to seek to understand, to know, and to realize that God gives prophecies to us for our edification.
I read stuff like this...
{13:6} Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
And it makes me think of the last days before Christ's return and the chaos that will be going on. Howl, cry out, and we know many will be doing just that when they realize that the day they never imagined would come is finally here. We know the Bible tells us many will be deceived--
Matthew {7:22} Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? {7:23} And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
There will be plenty of howling when the deceived realized their deception, when instead of waiting and eagerly looking for Christ to redeem them they have gone after other ways, deceptive ways. Ways, so deceptive that just like Eve in the garden of Eden the only defense will be I was beguiled, only unlike Eve the people will realize that they allowed themselves to be deceived when they had didn't have to, they welcomed the deception, the heart will be revealed and unlike Eve's heart, people will know that they embraced sin rather than the truth because the price of the truth was too much for them to bear- they couldn't give up enough of themselves to God's will, they had to try and save themselves and the deception will be great.
Reading on...
{13:7}
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart
shall melt: {13:8} And they shall be afraid: pangs and
sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a
woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another;
their faces shall be as flames.
The agony of realizing you've been deceived will be horrific won't it? How could it be otherwise? We see horror movies, even if we don't watch the movie itself we see advertisements for them, we know they exist, we know what they are and even the worst horror movie we've ever seen or know exists will not compare to the true pain described here. Even the worst tortures man has endure will not be as this. Eternal life lost. There can be no greater horror to endure.
{13:9} Behold, the day of
the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it.
Sin must be destroyed ultimately and of course sinners don't like to believe that can happen. Fairytale and yes, another horror story or movie to be told. End of the world stuff sells. Yet there is a reality here that people want to keep fictionalized. As long as it stays a mere story it's okay. Suspecting there might be truth to it is a bit frightening, and people will equate it with being lunatic, being freaks, being an oddity. Keep it fictional and all is well. Make it reality then either facing it or joking it away are options a person has. It's easier to make a joke of it. It is easier to not think about it because thinking about it will call your life into accountability and well, who wants that, it's no fun. We call sin fun and the majority of the world has made sin acceptable. Is it no wonder the world has to be destroyed, that God's wrath and fierce anger are coming? That when sin is wiped away the world will be desolate.
{13:10} For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall
be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause
her light to shine. {13:11} And I will punish the world for
[their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will
cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low
the haughtiness of the terrible. {13:12} I will make a man
more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden
wedge of Ophir. {13:13} Therefore I will shake the
heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the
wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce
anger.
The world will be punished for it's evil.
The wicked will be punished for their sins.
The arrogant, the proud will no longer exist, there will be no more haughtiness.
Those of God's left will be precious and pure through Jesus Christ.
God's wrath is real.
God's wrath is coming.
No one has ever seen the fierce anger that God possesses towards sin and the sinner.
People would much rather talk of love than hate.
Yet God's love for us, the greatest love of all brought His Only Son, Innocent of all sin to die for us sinners.
Love conquers sin.
God's love will defeat the hateful sin, not accept it, defeat it. Sin will be wiped away, not indulged, not overlooked.
There will come a day when there is no more sin.
God's love will reign because it is so much more powerful than sin.
May the day of the Lord's fierce wrath find us protected in love and by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May we look only to Jesus and know of ourselves we can do nothing, let alone save ourselves.
By the glory and will of our Lord now and always.
Amen.
{13:6} Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Throughout history there have been many days the Lord has exacted punishment for the various and many sins of His people.
With Isaiah being a prophet it's not always easy to understand things, not for this ordinary layperson who has no background in theology or even history. Do I always interpret things correctly? I'd be the first to admit that I only do the best I can with the knowledgde I do have and pray that the Holy Spirit guide me into understanding.
Can a prophecy hold duel meanings? I'm not sure. I do know that prophecies can be given in more ways than one. Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 for instance. Some might expound more on what was at first given.
God's ways are mysterious and we have to seek to understand, to know, and to realize that God gives prophecies to us for our edification.
I read stuff like this...
{13:6} Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
And it makes me think of the last days before Christ's return and the chaos that will be going on. Howl, cry out, and we know many will be doing just that when they realize that the day they never imagined would come is finally here. We know the Bible tells us many will be deceived--
Matthew {7:22} Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works? {7:23} And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
There will be plenty of howling when the deceived realized their deception, when instead of waiting and eagerly looking for Christ to redeem them they have gone after other ways, deceptive ways. Ways, so deceptive that just like Eve in the garden of Eden the only defense will be I was beguiled, only unlike Eve the people will realize that they allowed themselves to be deceived when they had didn't have to, they welcomed the deception, the heart will be revealed and unlike Eve's heart, people will know that they embraced sin rather than the truth because the price of the truth was too much for them to bear- they couldn't give up enough of themselves to God's will, they had to try and save themselves and the deception will be great.
Reading on...
{13:7}
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart
shall melt: {13:8} And they shall be afraid: pangs and
sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a
woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another;
their faces shall be as flames.
The agony of realizing you've been deceived will be horrific won't it? How could it be otherwise? We see horror movies, even if we don't watch the movie itself we see advertisements for them, we know they exist, we know what they are and even the worst horror movie we've ever seen or know exists will not compare to the true pain described here. Even the worst tortures man has endure will not be as this. Eternal life lost. There can be no greater horror to endure.
{13:9} Behold, the day of
the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it.
Sin must be destroyed ultimately and of course sinners don't like to believe that can happen. Fairytale and yes, another horror story or movie to be told. End of the world stuff sells. Yet there is a reality here that people want to keep fictionalized. As long as it stays a mere story it's okay. Suspecting there might be truth to it is a bit frightening, and people will equate it with being lunatic, being freaks, being an oddity. Keep it fictional and all is well. Make it reality then either facing it or joking it away are options a person has. It's easier to make a joke of it. It is easier to not think about it because thinking about it will call your life into accountability and well, who wants that, it's no fun. We call sin fun and the majority of the world has made sin acceptable. Is it no wonder the world has to be destroyed, that God's wrath and fierce anger are coming? That when sin is wiped away the world will be desolate.
{13:10} For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall
be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause
her light to shine. {13:11} And I will punish the world for
[their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will
cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low
the haughtiness of the terrible. {13:12} I will make a man
more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden
wedge of Ophir. {13:13} Therefore I will shake the
heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the
wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce
anger.
The world will be punished for it's evil.
The wicked will be punished for their sins.
The arrogant, the proud will no longer exist, there will be no more haughtiness.
Those of God's left will be precious and pure through Jesus Christ.
God's wrath is real.
God's wrath is coming.
No one has ever seen the fierce anger that God possesses towards sin and the sinner.
People would much rather talk of love than hate.
Yet God's love for us, the greatest love of all brought His Only Son, Innocent of all sin to die for us sinners.
Love conquers sin.
God's love will defeat the hateful sin, not accept it, defeat it. Sin will be wiped away, not indulged, not overlooked.
There will come a day when there is no more sin.
God's love will reign because it is so much more powerful than sin.
May the day of the Lord's fierce wrath find us protected in love and by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May we look only to Jesus and know of ourselves we can do nothing, let alone save ourselves.
By the glory and will of our Lord now and always.
Amen.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor
Isaiah {11:1} And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: {11:2} And
the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; {11:3}
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of
the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: {11:4} But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked. {11:5} And righteousness shall be
the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his
reins. {11:6} The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and
the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
lead them. {11:7} And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat
straw like the ox. {11:8} And the sucking child shall play
on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his
hand on the cockatrice’ den. {11:9} They shall not hurt nor
destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea
'And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes.
Neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor.'
The only way we do judge is with the sight of our eyes and hearing of our ears.
We only have the ability to judge in those ways, right?
We have no righteousness in ourselves with which to judge with because we are all sinners and subject to judging only as sinners.
The judges we have in courts are they righteous?
No.
They like to claim impartiality and fairness but all their judging is colored by their own sinfulness.
The juries we use to judge others are filled with sinners.
We like to think we are fair and for the sinners we are just maybe we are as fair as we can be, yet there is no getting around the fact that we judge without the purity that only the Lord can judge us with.
He judges without sight, without hearing, but with righteousness.
We are told not to judge--
Matthew
{7:1} Judge not, that ye be not judged. {7:2} For with
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Does this mean we cannot judge anything at all? If this were the case how could we even judge right from wrong? This doesn't mean we aren't to judge for ourselves, it means we are not to judge for others.
You'll get a lot of people shouting and condemning others, pointing their fingers at them and telling them they're doomed. Even in our Bible we have those men of God who went to the people and told them if they didn't change their ways they'd be destroyed. We have to know right from wrong to be able to judge the difference. We can judge an action, we can shout the penalty for wrong actions, but we cannot condemn anyone, we cannot judge their eternal life- that is only for the one and only Righteous One to do, the One who can judge without sight or hearing but with righteousness.
Am I saying we shouldn't have judges and juries, trials and hearings, jailings and dismissals? No. We do what we need to do in society to keep people safe and such.
We can't claim to know anyone's eternal life status.
We might think we can, but we can't.
We can judge actions, but not the eternal life.
I can judge that the action of a person as being an action that is wrong, I can tell that people what they are doing is wrong, I can even tell the person that if it's not repented of they may lose eternal life, but ultimately I cannot tell that person they are unsaved and never going to have eternal life. I cannot be that judge, I only judge with what I see and hear, I don't know the heart, I can't know their thoughts. The One who judges with Righteousness, He knows it all.
There is a special reassurance for all of us that we will be judged with Righteousness and not as men judge one another. God will judge with pure righteousness. This is why we cannot be saved of our ownselves in our own righteousness-
Romans {3:10} As it is written, There is
none righteous, no, not one.
2 Peter {1:1} Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us
through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ
Through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Gal. {5:5} For we through the Spirit
wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Our hope, our faith, our righteousness is found only in Jesus Christ.
We have no righteousness of our own, our righteousness exists by faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
There is comfort knowing we are not judged by our own righteousness which falls far short of any righteousness at all.
This doesn't mean we aren't to judge between right and wrong actions and follow after what we know to be right, it does mean that ultimately every one of us sinners has to rely on Christ and His righteousness, we have no righteousness of our own that is even comparable to the righteousness of Christ.
There is hope in knowing we aren't to be judged by sight, by hearing as we know it but by righteousness, Christ's righteousness. There is hope and the knowledge that it is only by the mercy and grace of our Lord will we be saved by His righteousness.
May the Lord bless and keep us, by faith in Christ may we live.
Amen.
Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: {11:2} And
the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; {11:3}
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of
the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: {11:4} But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked. {11:5} And righteousness shall be
the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his
reins. {11:6} The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and
the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
lead them. {11:7} And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat
straw like the ox. {11:8} And the sucking child shall play
on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his
hand on the cockatrice’ den. {11:9} They shall not hurt nor
destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea
'And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes.
Neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor.'
The only way we do judge is with the sight of our eyes and hearing of our ears.
We only have the ability to judge in those ways, right?
We have no righteousness in ourselves with which to judge with because we are all sinners and subject to judging only as sinners.
The judges we have in courts are they righteous?
No.
They like to claim impartiality and fairness but all their judging is colored by their own sinfulness.
The juries we use to judge others are filled with sinners.
We like to think we are fair and for the sinners we are just maybe we are as fair as we can be, yet there is no getting around the fact that we judge without the purity that only the Lord can judge us with.
He judges without sight, without hearing, but with righteousness.
We are told not to judge--
Matthew
{7:1} Judge not, that ye be not judged. {7:2} For with
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Does this mean we cannot judge anything at all? If this were the case how could we even judge right from wrong? This doesn't mean we aren't to judge for ourselves, it means we are not to judge for others.
You'll get a lot of people shouting and condemning others, pointing their fingers at them and telling them they're doomed. Even in our Bible we have those men of God who went to the people and told them if they didn't change their ways they'd be destroyed. We have to know right from wrong to be able to judge the difference. We can judge an action, we can shout the penalty for wrong actions, but we cannot condemn anyone, we cannot judge their eternal life- that is only for the one and only Righteous One to do, the One who can judge without sight or hearing but with righteousness.
Am I saying we shouldn't have judges and juries, trials and hearings, jailings and dismissals? No. We do what we need to do in society to keep people safe and such.
We can't claim to know anyone's eternal life status.
We might think we can, but we can't.
We can judge actions, but not the eternal life.
I can judge that the action of a person as being an action that is wrong, I can tell that people what they are doing is wrong, I can even tell the person that if it's not repented of they may lose eternal life, but ultimately I cannot tell that person they are unsaved and never going to have eternal life. I cannot be that judge, I only judge with what I see and hear, I don't know the heart, I can't know their thoughts. The One who judges with Righteousness, He knows it all.
There is a special reassurance for all of us that we will be judged with Righteousness and not as men judge one another. God will judge with pure righteousness. This is why we cannot be saved of our ownselves in our own righteousness-
Romans {3:10} As it is written, There is
none righteous, no, not one.
2 Peter {1:1} Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us
through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ
Through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Gal. {5:5} For we through the Spirit
wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Our hope, our faith, our righteousness is found only in Jesus Christ.
We have no righteousness of our own, our righteousness exists by faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
There is comfort knowing we are not judged by our own righteousness which falls far short of any righteousness at all.
This doesn't mean we aren't to judge between right and wrong actions and follow after what we know to be right, it does mean that ultimately every one of us sinners has to rely on Christ and His righteousness, we have no righteousness of our own that is even comparable to the righteousness of Christ.
There is hope in knowing we aren't to be judged by sight, by hearing as we know it but by righteousness, Christ's righteousness. There is hope and the knowledge that it is only by the mercy and grace of our Lord will we be saved by His righteousness.
May the Lord bless and keep us, by faith in Christ may we live.
Amen.
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