Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Can you cast away your confidence? Yes. People do it all the time. You can cast it away when you let fear replace the confidence, when you let worry, when you let anxiety in any way interfere with your confidence. Having confidence means what?
Confidence
CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
2. Trust; reliance; applied to one's own abilities, or fortune; belief in one's own competency.
3. That in which trust is placed; ground of trust; he or that which supports.
4. Safety, or assurance of safety; security.
5. Boldness; courage.
6. Excessive boldness; assurance, proceeding from vanity or a false opinion of one's own abilities, or excellencies.
We can't trust in anyone- not even ourselves- we have to trust SOLELY in Christ. Our confidence has to be IN CHRIST- not in ourselves. The reward for the confidence we keep in Christ is eternal life. Having confidence in Christ is TRUSTING in Christ, relying on Christ, being assured by Christ, Christ is our all in all, He has to be! We cannot get any reward in and of ourselves in anything we do but trusting in Christ- that's it! When we trust in Christ it is everything.
Read some more verses on confidence--
Psa 65:5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
God is the confidence of all the ends of the earth!
Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Our confidence has to be in the LORD!
Psa 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
Trust in the LORD!
Pro 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
The LORD shall be our confidence!
Pro 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
The LORD!
I love this--
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the HOPE firm unto the end. Our hope is Christ!
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
HOLD the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end-- the beginning of our confidence is Christ! Salvation in Christ and Christ alone!
1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Wonderful!
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Confidence toward God- God is greater than our heart! Our hearts must be Christ's heart- He alone has the purest heart!
1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
His will! Confidence in Him, according to HIS WILL! We don't have to understand but we have to believe, we have to have faith in our Savior- our Hope- our Confidence!
Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
We cannot ever cast away our confidence in our Savior, NOT EVER! The reward is being with Christ forever and ever without end without sin.
What is our confidence? CHRIST! And we can NEVER CAST AWAY CHRIST, NEVER!!!
By HIS amazing grace!
By His amazing mercy!
By His LOVE!
Amen!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Heaven Bound
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do you remember when you first came to the knowledge of Christ as your personal Savior? For most it is a memory worthy of personal celebration, isn't it? It should be. The first moments of realization that you are no longer condemned but there is hope for eternal life is something amazing. Because our lives vary so greatly it'd be hard to say that instantly afterwards our lives took a turn for the worse- at least in a worldly way. Some are born again in Christ under the loving influence of family members. Others are born again into salvation with like believers eager to surround them with their love. Still others aren't quite so lucky, they have the experience of joyous conversion and then shortly thereafter are thrust into a life surrounded by people who ridicule them for their faith. On a completely opposite end of the spectrum some embrace their Savior's promise and are instantly facing a life of torture for their beliefs.
When we read these verses people were living in a time when Christianity was new and rejected by the majority. There was no- do as you please as long as you don't bother me. Professing Christianity was a reason for death. It's like that even today in some countries- really- it is! Look up Christian persecution on Google and see what it brings up.
Here's a few examples-
China threatened by Christian meeting
China is not allowing Christians to attend the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism in South Africa as officials claim their attendance to the mission-minded gathering is a "threat to national security."
More than 230 Chinese Christian leaders were invited, mostly through the underground church movement, to the conference, but they were stopped one-by-one at airports in China and turned away. Some were placed in detention, but ChinaAid founder Bob Fu says his information indicates a handful were able to go.
"The Chinese government [is] basically saying that the Chinese church should not participate as long as they are not under the total control of the Chinese government," Fu laments.
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NEWS ALERT: Iran Releases Pastor's Wife as Husband Faces Execution
Posted on: 2010-10-18 02:00:30
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)-- The wife of a prominent evangelical pastor in Iran was free Monday, October 18, after four months of detention, but her husband still faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, the Church of Iransaid.
Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was released October 11 by a court in Gilan province,in northern Iran, an official linked to the Church of Iran told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
"The release of Fatemeh Passandideh comes ten days after the announcement of the death sentence for her husbandPastor Youcef Nadarkhani," he said, speaking on earlier agreed conditions of anonymity, amid security concerns.
Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of "apostasy", or leaving Islam, last month by the 11th Chamber of the Assize Court of theprovince of Gilan. The pastor's attorney is expected to file an appeal against the ruling after he reportedly found"serious procedural flaws" in the case.
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Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Christian Homes, Farms
Posted on: 2010-09-30 02:52:08
by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
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8 Christians Captured, Forced to Return to Buddhism in Bangladesh
Posted on: 2010-09-24 02:14:14
by Joseph DeCaro
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Worthy News) -- Buddhist extremists held eight Chakma Christians for four days in order to force them to return to Buddhism.
The Buddhists held a pastor, a church secretary, a village leader and five members from a Baptist church in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The captives were all forced to wear Buddhist robes, shave their heads, bow down before a statue of Buddha and clean the temple; they were also threatened with beatings and even death if they tried to escape.
Detained Aug. 23, they were initially told they would be confined to the temple for one to two weeks, but after four days the Chrsitian captives were released provided they remained Buddhist.
"They are not allowed to pray to Jesus, nor read Bibles, but they say they are still Christian in their hearts," said Josette Lindem, who added that 10 new Chakma churches formed with about 300 Chakmas professing their faith in Jesus. However, persecution of Chakma believers soon increased.
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These are JUST A FEW articles on Christian persecution today in our world. Christian persecution DID NOT end with modernization, with civilization's advancement. Christian persecution might not be something people in democratic societies face but that doesn't mean it's stopped existing altogether- it hasn't and it won't- ever. So reading these verses of Christian persecution is very relevant to us all.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do we know this? Do we have this experience in our lives? Or is this something we need to use our imagination to capture for us?
Have YOU ever been made a gazingstock for you faith? Have you ever faced reproach and afflictions for your faith? Have you ever been put into bonds for your faith? Have your goods been spoiled because you believe in Christ? Most likely you'll be able to answer no to most of these questions. Most likely if you can answer yes, the things you endured were miniscule compared to what others are suffering or have suffered at the hands of those who would rather see Christian's dead than suffer them to live. No matter the form or the intensity of Christian persecution we've faced or others face we ALL need to take this advice--
Heb 10:34 '...knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.'
We have in heaven a BETTER and ENDURING SUBSTANCE!
Here we do not have anything! We don't! We kid ourselves when we think we have good things and become content in those good things knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that all the good things here on earth can be stripped from us in a moment. Yet we allow ourselves to take comfort in our things, in our life the way it is, in our family around us, in our marriages, in our free time we use to do things that bring us pleasure and comfort, relaxation. We hold onto our lives as if they are the greatest treasure and is it no wonder when our lives are shattered that we are sometimes willing to blame God for it and turn from Him? Where are we supposed to be focused? Where is our mind supposed to be turned? Where??????? On the next trip to the store to gather our goods- whatever they might be? On a visit to our friends or family where we can chat and visit? On tomorrow's existence continuing to be on an even keel without sickness or hurt? Where?
IN ALL WE DO, yes, I'm shouting, IN ALL WE DO we need to have our minds on HEAVEN FIRST AND FOREMOST. Is it any wonder we are to pray… 'THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN'? Is it any wonder Jesus prayed… 'Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ' We have to be heaven focused. When we wake up in the morning we need to focus our minds heavenward, to our heavenly reward. We need to pray to have a constant desire for the heavenly over the earthly. We need to pray that we are focused heavenward. We need to pray God's will be done and mean it. We need to pray for acceptance that our earthly life might be a life of torture and pain, heartache and ruin, but our heavenly life is safe in our Savior, a life He promises to us that when He comes again we will go with Him to heaven. We will suffer here on earth, we will. And even if we are flowing in earthly riches, earthly treasures; even if we have the love and respect of all those around us, we have to realize it all is nothing compared to our heavenly rewards. The heavenly… in heaven we have a better and an enduring substance.
Let us remember by the grace and mercy of our Savior we live with hope in Him for a NEW life, a life that is heaven bound.
In His love!
Amen!
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do you remember when you first came to the knowledge of Christ as your personal Savior? For most it is a memory worthy of personal celebration, isn't it? It should be. The first moments of realization that you are no longer condemned but there is hope for eternal life is something amazing. Because our lives vary so greatly it'd be hard to say that instantly afterwards our lives took a turn for the worse- at least in a worldly way. Some are born again in Christ under the loving influence of family members. Others are born again into salvation with like believers eager to surround them with their love. Still others aren't quite so lucky, they have the experience of joyous conversion and then shortly thereafter are thrust into a life surrounded by people who ridicule them for their faith. On a completely opposite end of the spectrum some embrace their Savior's promise and are instantly facing a life of torture for their beliefs.
When we read these verses people were living in a time when Christianity was new and rejected by the majority. There was no- do as you please as long as you don't bother me. Professing Christianity was a reason for death. It's like that even today in some countries- really- it is! Look up Christian persecution on Google and see what it brings up.
Here's a few examples-
China threatened by Christian meeting
China is not allowing Christians to attend the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism in South Africa as officials claim their attendance to the mission-minded gathering is a "threat to national security."
More than 230 Chinese Christian leaders were invited, mostly through the underground church movement, to the conference, but they were stopped one-by-one at airports in China and turned away. Some were placed in detention, but ChinaAid founder Bob Fu says his information indicates a handful were able to go.
"The Chinese government [is] basically saying that the Chinese church should not participate as long as they are not under the total control of the Chinese government," Fu laments.
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NEWS ALERT: Iran Releases Pastor's Wife as Husband Faces Execution
Posted on: 2010-10-18 02:00:30
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TEHRAN, IRAN (Worthy News)-- The wife of a prominent evangelical pastor in Iran was free Monday, October 18, after four months of detention, but her husband still faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam, the Church of Iransaid.
Fatemeh Passandideh, the wife of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, was released October 11 by a court in Gilan province,in northern Iran, an official linked to the Church of Iran told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
"The release of Fatemeh Passandideh comes ten days after the announcement of the death sentence for her husbandPastor Youcef Nadarkhani," he said, speaking on earlier agreed conditions of anonymity, amid security concerns.
Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of "apostasy", or leaving Islam, last month by the 11th Chamber of the Assize Court of theprovince of Gilan. The pastor's attorney is expected to file an appeal against the ruling after he reportedly found"serious procedural flaws" in the case.
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Ethiopian Muslims Burn Down Christian Homes, Farms
Posted on: 2010-09-30 02:52:08
by George Whitten
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)-- Twenty-five Muslims burned down ten Christian homes, leaving eighty Christians homeless in Ethiopia, a Washington-based rights' group said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said on July 15 at 8 PM local time, attackers who were led by a local government militia, destroyed the homes in the Goda district of Jimma, Ethiopia. They also set fire to their barns, killing their animals and destroying their harvest.
"The assailants asked the Christians to leave their homes and told them, 'We will show you what we are going to do to your homes, and if you inform this to anyone we will burn you the way we burn your homes.' Then they set the Christian homes on fire and began celebrating by singing near the burned homes," ICC quoted a Christian leader, who apparently spoke anonymously due to security concerns.
The attackers then prevented the victims from leaving the village for 16 days. Finally, one of the Christians managed to escape and report the attacks to district officials after walking for 16 hours. The police temporarily arrested the person who led the attack and a local official. However, they were later released on bail.
The Muslims have prevented the Christians from rebuilding their homes and the Christians now live under trees.
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8 Christians Captured, Forced to Return to Buddhism in Bangladesh
Posted on: 2010-09-24 02:14:14
by Joseph DeCaro
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Worthy News) -- Buddhist extremists held eight Chakma Christians for four days in order to force them to return to Buddhism.
The Buddhists held a pastor, a church secretary, a village leader and five members from a Baptist church in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The captives were all forced to wear Buddhist robes, shave their heads, bow down before a statue of Buddha and clean the temple; they were also threatened with beatings and even death if they tried to escape.
Detained Aug. 23, they were initially told they would be confined to the temple for one to two weeks, but after four days the Chrsitian captives were released provided they remained Buddhist.
"They are not allowed to pray to Jesus, nor read Bibles, but they say they are still Christian in their hearts," said Josette Lindem, who added that 10 new Chakma churches formed with about 300 Chakmas professing their faith in Jesus. However, persecution of Chakma believers soon increased.
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These are JUST A FEW articles on Christian persecution today in our world. Christian persecution DID NOT end with modernization, with civilization's advancement. Christian persecution might not be something people in democratic societies face but that doesn't mean it's stopped existing altogether- it hasn't and it won't- ever. So reading these verses of Christian persecution is very relevant to us all.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Do we know this? Do we have this experience in our lives? Or is this something we need to use our imagination to capture for us?
Have YOU ever been made a gazingstock for you faith? Have you ever faced reproach and afflictions for your faith? Have you ever been put into bonds for your faith? Have your goods been spoiled because you believe in Christ? Most likely you'll be able to answer no to most of these questions. Most likely if you can answer yes, the things you endured were miniscule compared to what others are suffering or have suffered at the hands of those who would rather see Christian's dead than suffer them to live. No matter the form or the intensity of Christian persecution we've faced or others face we ALL need to take this advice--
Heb 10:34 '...knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.'
We have in heaven a BETTER and ENDURING SUBSTANCE!
Here we do not have anything! We don't! We kid ourselves when we think we have good things and become content in those good things knowing somewhere in the back of our minds that all the good things here on earth can be stripped from us in a moment. Yet we allow ourselves to take comfort in our things, in our life the way it is, in our family around us, in our marriages, in our free time we use to do things that bring us pleasure and comfort, relaxation. We hold onto our lives as if they are the greatest treasure and is it no wonder when our lives are shattered that we are sometimes willing to blame God for it and turn from Him? Where are we supposed to be focused? Where is our mind supposed to be turned? Where??????? On the next trip to the store to gather our goods- whatever they might be? On a visit to our friends or family where we can chat and visit? On tomorrow's existence continuing to be on an even keel without sickness or hurt? Where?
IN ALL WE DO, yes, I'm shouting, IN ALL WE DO we need to have our minds on HEAVEN FIRST AND FOREMOST. Is it any wonder we are to pray… 'THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN'? Is it any wonder Jesus prayed… 'Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ' We have to be heaven focused. When we wake up in the morning we need to focus our minds heavenward, to our heavenly reward. We need to pray to have a constant desire for the heavenly over the earthly. We need to pray that we are focused heavenward. We need to pray God's will be done and mean it. We need to pray for acceptance that our earthly life might be a life of torture and pain, heartache and ruin, but our heavenly life is safe in our Savior, a life He promises to us that when He comes again we will go with Him to heaven. We will suffer here on earth, we will. And even if we are flowing in earthly riches, earthly treasures; even if we have the love and respect of all those around us, we have to realize it all is nothing compared to our heavenly rewards. The heavenly… in heaven we have a better and an enduring substance.
Let us remember by the grace and mercy of our Savior we live with hope in Him for a NEW life, a life that is heaven bound.
In His love!
Amen!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Terrifying Fear of the Living God
Heb 10:31
(ASV-American Standard Version) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
(ISV- International Standard Version) It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
(KJV- King James Version) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Fearful-
G5398
phoberos
Thayer Definition:
1) inspiring fear, terrible, formidable
2) affected with fear, timid
Part of Speech: adjectiv
*******
When a person is given into the hands of someone throughout the Bible in mainly signifies they are going into something unpleasant, look at these examples--
Jdg 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
2Sa 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
Eze 7:21 And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.
Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men
Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Act 28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
Do you see what I mean? So what does this mean- 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.'
I'll tell you exactly what it means- just what it says in plain language. Yes, it is FEARFUL to fall into the hands of the living God. We don't like to think about that though. We want to stress the God is love part, not the God is exacting part. We don't want to read of God's wrath, only His love. Thinking about the wrath of God isn't pleasant and it's not meant to be pleasant.
Let's look at a few more verses--
Psa 78:31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Falling into the hands of the living God, that isn't saying lovingly being cradled in the hands of God. Remember this VITAL piece of information-- God does NOT force us to Him! Those who ultimately choose NOT to be on God's side will fall into His hands for punishment. They won't be left alone to do as they please. A time will come and is FAST approaching when the fate of everyone is decided. This world the way it is will NOT go on forever.
Tonight at our Bible Study we listened to a lecture on Bible prophecy. People are very caught up in things of a physic nature and have been for a long, long time. If you had a person come up to you and tell you that next year your life will change and then proceed to tell you what would change, things totally beyond your control, and then the next year those things come to pass, you would be shocked and awed wanting to see that person again. They told you the future and it happened, really happened. God did the same thing. Hundreds of years before things happened God foretold them and they ALL came true. God also predicted other things along with those things that came to pass- things we now call history. Those other things predicted WILL come to pass just as all before them came to pass. There were no empty prophecies, no false prophecies, no faltering prophecies they all came true and if they ALL came true NOTHING will stop the rest of the prophecies from coming true. This is one prophecy--
Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Dan 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
Dan 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Dan 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Babylon Head of Gold
Medo-Persia Chest/arms of Silver
Greece Belly/thighs of Brass
Rome Legs of Iron
Europe divided Toes of Iron and Clay
Kingdom of God Stone cut without hand
Is Europe still divided into many different countries? Undisputedly - YES.
Europe will remain divided until the Kingdom of God destroys the old world and brings in the new.
These are truths! These are facts. Did Babylon exist? Yes, without any doubt. Did Medo-Persia exist? Yes, without any doubt. Did Greece once have control over the empire? Read this--
Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great (Greek: Μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος, Mégas Aléxandros), was a Greeki[›] king of Macedon. He is the most celebrated member of the Argead Dynasty and the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history.
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A Greek king- one of the LARGEST empires in ancient history!
Yes, Greece as a ruling empire existed! And Rome? Was Rome a great empire? Beyond any doubt!
After Rome has there ever been another empire like it or any of the preceding empires? No, simply….no. The lands of the Middle East, the lands of Europe have never had another great empire in control but rather several smaller empires (countries). Has there been any ambition to unite Europe? To have another GREAT empire that does away with all the little ones by absorbing them. Yes, all you have to do is consider the World Wars we've had to know that fact is very true. A war is inherently a decider of land/people control. Someone wants to control the way you are running things, and wants you to run them their way. They want your land to be known as their land, or land greatly influenced by you because you've conquered the land. You can't have a war without two or more opposing sides.
So the answer is yes, people have wanted to conquer the world but it hasn't happened and it won't happen! God has told us prophetically that it will not happen and we need to believe Him. History proves God if you can't simple go by faith look at your own world history!
The wrath of God is REAL! Falling into God's hands for punishment is REAL. There should be a fear, a terrifying fear in us that we could come under the wrath of God.
Let's read these two verses together--
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.
God's vengeance should be fearful. Don't shake your head, don't turn away, don't let yourself be deceived! Are these scare tactics? So what if they are? Seriously! Scare tactics used on people often have good results. And often parents use scare tactics to impress upon their children the seriousness of a situation. Is it possible to abuse scare tactics- for humans, yes, certainly. Satan loves when we abuse situations that could otherwise be used for good if they were done in moderation. If you go overboard when you shouldn't then no, putting the fear of something into someone isn't a good thing. Has God gone overboard with scare tactics? Ask yourself this- what exactly is at stake?
Eternal life.
With eternal life at stake is it possible for the true FEAR, terrifying fear of God's wrath to ever be too much to bear? Can our gentle natures be too weak to comprehend the magnitude of God's wrath? Would we much rather just dwell on the loving, kindness of God? We are told that there is a wrath of God for ALL who are not God's. We are told this so we wake up and realize that our LOVING FATHER is warning us out of LOVE because He WANTS US WITH HIM in HIS LOVE! HE WANTS US!!!! HE DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE A SINGLE ONE OF US!!!! Will He have to lose a lot of us? Yes, but not for want of His trying to bring us into His love.
So when we read about it being fearful, of it being terrifying to fall into the hands of the living God it really, truly is. There will be a punishment the greatest part of that punishment will be eternal non-existence, missing out on the eternal love of our God, the eternal love of life as God would have it be for us in a world that will never again have sin in it, no lovers of sin will be there, not a single one.
May the knowledge of God's wrath, of God's exacting vengeance, of the true fear- terrifying fear of God be ours so that we know that God wills that we all be with Him in His love, not in His wrath. May God's will be done in our lives no matter what circumstances arise- trying to interfere with God's ultimate will- that we be His and He be ours.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord, of our Savior!
Amen.
(ASV-American Standard Version) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
(ISV- International Standard Version) It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
(KJV- King James Version) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Fearful-
G5398
phoberos
Thayer Definition:
1) inspiring fear, terrible, formidable
2) affected with fear, timid
Part of Speech: adjectiv
*******
When a person is given into the hands of someone throughout the Bible in mainly signifies they are going into something unpleasant, look at these examples--
Jdg 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
2Sa 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
Eze 7:21 And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.
Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men
Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Act 28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
Do you see what I mean? So what does this mean- 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.'
I'll tell you exactly what it means- just what it says in plain language. Yes, it is FEARFUL to fall into the hands of the living God. We don't like to think about that though. We want to stress the God is love part, not the God is exacting part. We don't want to read of God's wrath, only His love. Thinking about the wrath of God isn't pleasant and it's not meant to be pleasant.
Let's look at a few more verses--
Psa 78:31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Falling into the hands of the living God, that isn't saying lovingly being cradled in the hands of God. Remember this VITAL piece of information-- God does NOT force us to Him! Those who ultimately choose NOT to be on God's side will fall into His hands for punishment. They won't be left alone to do as they please. A time will come and is FAST approaching when the fate of everyone is decided. This world the way it is will NOT go on forever.
Tonight at our Bible Study we listened to a lecture on Bible prophecy. People are very caught up in things of a physic nature and have been for a long, long time. If you had a person come up to you and tell you that next year your life will change and then proceed to tell you what would change, things totally beyond your control, and then the next year those things come to pass, you would be shocked and awed wanting to see that person again. They told you the future and it happened, really happened. God did the same thing. Hundreds of years before things happened God foretold them and they ALL came true. God also predicted other things along with those things that came to pass- things we now call history. Those other things predicted WILL come to pass just as all before them came to pass. There were no empty prophecies, no false prophecies, no faltering prophecies they all came true and if they ALL came true NOTHING will stop the rest of the prophecies from coming true. This is one prophecy--
Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Dan 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
Dan 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Dan 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Babylon Head of Gold
Medo-Persia Chest/arms of Silver
Greece Belly/thighs of Brass
Rome Legs of Iron
Europe divided Toes of Iron and Clay
Kingdom of God Stone cut without hand
Is Europe still divided into many different countries? Undisputedly - YES.
Europe will remain divided until the Kingdom of God destroys the old world and brings in the new.
These are truths! These are facts. Did Babylon exist? Yes, without any doubt. Did Medo-Persia exist? Yes, without any doubt. Did Greece once have control over the empire? Read this--
Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great (Greek: Μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος, Mégas Aléxandros), was a Greeki[›] king of Macedon. He is the most celebrated member of the Argead Dynasty and the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Pasted from
A Greek king- one of the LARGEST empires in ancient history!
Yes, Greece as a ruling empire existed! And Rome? Was Rome a great empire? Beyond any doubt!
After Rome has there ever been another empire like it or any of the preceding empires? No, simply….no. The lands of the Middle East, the lands of Europe have never had another great empire in control but rather several smaller empires (countries). Has there been any ambition to unite Europe? To have another GREAT empire that does away with all the little ones by absorbing them. Yes, all you have to do is consider the World Wars we've had to know that fact is very true. A war is inherently a decider of land/people control. Someone wants to control the way you are running things, and wants you to run them their way. They want your land to be known as their land, or land greatly influenced by you because you've conquered the land. You can't have a war without two or more opposing sides.
So the answer is yes, people have wanted to conquer the world but it hasn't happened and it won't happen! God has told us prophetically that it will not happen and we need to believe Him. History proves God if you can't simple go by faith look at your own world history!
The wrath of God is REAL! Falling into God's hands for punishment is REAL. There should be a fear, a terrifying fear in us that we could come under the wrath of God.
Let's read these two verses together--
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.
God's vengeance should be fearful. Don't shake your head, don't turn away, don't let yourself be deceived! Are these scare tactics? So what if they are? Seriously! Scare tactics used on people often have good results. And often parents use scare tactics to impress upon their children the seriousness of a situation. Is it possible to abuse scare tactics- for humans, yes, certainly. Satan loves when we abuse situations that could otherwise be used for good if they were done in moderation. If you go overboard when you shouldn't then no, putting the fear of something into someone isn't a good thing. Has God gone overboard with scare tactics? Ask yourself this- what exactly is at stake?
Eternal life.
With eternal life at stake is it possible for the true FEAR, terrifying fear of God's wrath to ever be too much to bear? Can our gentle natures be too weak to comprehend the magnitude of God's wrath? Would we much rather just dwell on the loving, kindness of God? We are told that there is a wrath of God for ALL who are not God's. We are told this so we wake up and realize that our LOVING FATHER is warning us out of LOVE because He WANTS US WITH HIM in HIS LOVE! HE WANTS US!!!! HE DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE A SINGLE ONE OF US!!!! Will He have to lose a lot of us? Yes, but not for want of His trying to bring us into His love.
So when we read about it being fearful, of it being terrifying to fall into the hands of the living God it really, truly is. There will be a punishment the greatest part of that punishment will be eternal non-existence, missing out on the eternal love of our God, the eternal love of life as God would have it be for us in a world that will never again have sin in it, no lovers of sin will be there, not a single one.
May the knowledge of God's wrath, of God's exacting vengeance, of the true fear- terrifying fear of God be ours so that we know that God wills that we all be with Him in His love, not in His wrath. May God's will be done in our lives no matter what circumstances arise- trying to interfere with God's ultimate will- that we be His and He be ours.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord, of our Savior!
Amen.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Vengeance is the Lord's
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.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Who hasn't heard the saying- 'Vengeance is mine, sayth the Lord?'
Who among us hasn't want to exact vengeance ourselves and not leave it to God?
Our carnal nature tells us that we deserve vengeance for all the wrongs done to us. Does the same nature tell us that we deserve to have vengeance taken up on us when we wrong another? Or does that nature in us justify our own wrong actions to make the seem right? We say- they just got what they deserved- even if we don't know if that's true. We say- that's just the way life is. But is it the way life is supposed to be? We make excuses for our actions, and we not only do that before our fellow human beings but before God as well.
We don't want God to take vengeance, why? Because we want the satisfaction of exacting vengeance ourselves. We've been wronged and who likes to be wronged? No one. It hurts, and even the biggest, toughest, angriest, meanest man get hurt by being wronged- whether they'd ever admit it or not. They'd much rather disguise the hurt with other things. But it is hurt, betrayal hurts.
God is wounded by our transgressions. God is wounded by our betrayal of Him. We wrong God when we turn our backs on Him, when we refuse to believe He is the great I AM. When we deny He is our Creator, our Sustainer of life! When we turn our backs on LOVE, because He is LOVE!
Vengeance is God's. God alone has the right to vengeance. We are fallible He is Infallible. Our justice is not His justice. When we strive for vengeance we are often consumed by it and our vengeance exceeds any sort of justice. Even if we get it right, we are not showing any sort of mercy- and if we expect mercy for our own many, many transgressions we have to show mercy, all the mercy we can show in fact!
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Read that again!
Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Live peaceably with ALL men.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Avenge NOT yourselves.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
If thine enemy hunger…. Who? THINE ENEMY! Feed him
If thine enemy thirst…Who? THINE ENEMY! Give him drink.
Why? Because being good to those who despitefully use you only reveals your mercy and their lack of mercy. We need to show our mercy in all things and we show way too little mercy towards others who hurt us in any way. How then can we hope to ever obtain mercy?
We are told...
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Our greatest example of this is God's only Son and the great sacrifice He made to overcome evil.
We need to remember this…
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Can we ever believe we are good enough in anyway? Can we? Seriously? Are we willing to believe that we have righteousness that is our own? Can we stand before God and tell Him we're good enough? No. We don't dare! Christ is righteous and we can only hope that His righteousness is ours as we accept Him as our Savior.
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.
Vengeance is the Lord's, not ours.
Mercy is ours to extend through the righteousness and mercy of our Savior.
May God open our eyes and hearts to see the truths before us, to see where we need to replace our natural desire for vengeance with mercy in all things the great and the small.
By His love!
Amen.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Who hasn't heard the saying- 'Vengeance is mine, sayth the Lord?'
Who among us hasn't want to exact vengeance ourselves and not leave it to God?
Our carnal nature tells us that we deserve vengeance for all the wrongs done to us. Does the same nature tell us that we deserve to have vengeance taken up on us when we wrong another? Or does that nature in us justify our own wrong actions to make the seem right? We say- they just got what they deserved- even if we don't know if that's true. We say- that's just the way life is. But is it the way life is supposed to be? We make excuses for our actions, and we not only do that before our fellow human beings but before God as well.
We don't want God to take vengeance, why? Because we want the satisfaction of exacting vengeance ourselves. We've been wronged and who likes to be wronged? No one. It hurts, and even the biggest, toughest, angriest, meanest man get hurt by being wronged- whether they'd ever admit it or not. They'd much rather disguise the hurt with other things. But it is hurt, betrayal hurts.
God is wounded by our transgressions. God is wounded by our betrayal of Him. We wrong God when we turn our backs on Him, when we refuse to believe He is the great I AM. When we deny He is our Creator, our Sustainer of life! When we turn our backs on LOVE, because He is LOVE!
Vengeance is God's. God alone has the right to vengeance. We are fallible He is Infallible. Our justice is not His justice. When we strive for vengeance we are often consumed by it and our vengeance exceeds any sort of justice. Even if we get it right, we are not showing any sort of mercy- and if we expect mercy for our own many, many transgressions we have to show mercy, all the mercy we can show in fact!
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Read that again!
Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Live peaceably with ALL men.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Avenge NOT yourselves.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
If thine enemy hunger…. Who? THINE ENEMY! Feed him
If thine enemy thirst…Who? THINE ENEMY! Give him drink.
Why? Because being good to those who despitefully use you only reveals your mercy and their lack of mercy. We need to show our mercy in all things and we show way too little mercy towards others who hurt us in any way. How then can we hope to ever obtain mercy?
We are told...
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Our greatest example of this is God's only Son and the great sacrifice He made to overcome evil.
We need to remember this…
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Can we ever believe we are good enough in anyway? Can we? Seriously? Are we willing to believe that we have righteousness that is our own? Can we stand before God and tell Him we're good enough? No. We don't dare! Christ is righteous and we can only hope that His righteousness is ours as we accept Him as our Savior.
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.
Vengeance is the Lord's, not ours.
Mercy is ours to extend through the righteousness and mercy of our Savior.
May God open our eyes and hearts to see the truths before us, to see where we need to replace our natural desire for vengeance with mercy in all things the great and the small.
By His love!
Amen.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Despite unto the Spirit of grace
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Under Moses' law- Moses' law entailed blood sacrifices of animals to obtain mercy and forgiveness.
The law after Moses' law entails ONE blood sacrifice and that of the Son of God to obtain mercy and forgiveness.
Despising the form of forgiveness offered before Christ's ultimate sacrifice, warranted death.
Despising the form of forgiveness offered to us after Christ's ultimate sacrifice, warrants death.
Which form of forgiveness is better? Which covenant is better? The one that looks towards the ultimate sacrifice or the ultimate sacrifice itself?
The realization of the true ultimate sacrifice is better without a doubt.
Rejecting the lesser covenant was bad enough, but rejecting the better covenant is worse- much worse.
When we reject our Savior we deserve death. We can reject our Savior right now. You can despise the better covenant in Christ. You can abuse the Spirit of grace. These are facts. There is no such thing as forced salvation.
There is eternal life and eternal death, we will all choose one or the other. Our lives are a living testament to the choice we make. When we die- we can NO longer make the choice. While we live we make the choice. Our witness is the Spirit of grace, our witness sees everything, our witness knows our hearts- only by choosing to accept our Savior do we have any hope because only the Savior's heart is pure and deserving.
The facts are- we have NO hope without Christ. If we neglect so great a salvation we are guilty, guilty, guilty and deserving of any and all punishment reserved for us.
Remember this verse--
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him
We won't escape.
We will be punished and deservedly.
1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
1Ti 5:25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.
Our sins are not hid from God.
Psa 69:5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.
Eternal death is the result of denying our Savior. This is something we can't let ourselves forget. We have to daily accept our Savior as our advocate, daily accept His sacrifice, daily accept that He pleads our cause before God, daily accept Him as our High Priest- worthy of all honor, all praise, all glory, all of our love, all of our worship!
We cannot not trod under our feet the Son of God and have hope in salvation. To some of us the very idea of stepping on the Son of God as if He were nothing more than dirt is unthinkable! Yet every day many, many, many people do just that as they reject His salvation, as they despise His blood shed for them. To many people Christ isn't a real living, breathing being, but rather a being of fantasy, something fictional. Many people don't know Him personally, and many treat Him despitefully by living their lives as if He's not real, and His commands are not real, and life in Him is not real. Is it any wonder Christ will say to many people that think they know Him, that He doesn't know them at all?
By His grace and His mercy, only and always in HIM!
Amen!
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Under Moses' law- Moses' law entailed blood sacrifices of animals to obtain mercy and forgiveness.
The law after Moses' law entails ONE blood sacrifice and that of the Son of God to obtain mercy and forgiveness.
Despising the form of forgiveness offered before Christ's ultimate sacrifice, warranted death.
Despising the form of forgiveness offered to us after Christ's ultimate sacrifice, warrants death.
Which form of forgiveness is better? Which covenant is better? The one that looks towards the ultimate sacrifice or the ultimate sacrifice itself?
The realization of the true ultimate sacrifice is better without a doubt.
Rejecting the lesser covenant was bad enough, but rejecting the better covenant is worse- much worse.
When we reject our Savior we deserve death. We can reject our Savior right now. You can despise the better covenant in Christ. You can abuse the Spirit of grace. These are facts. There is no such thing as forced salvation.
There is eternal life and eternal death, we will all choose one or the other. Our lives are a living testament to the choice we make. When we die- we can NO longer make the choice. While we live we make the choice. Our witness is the Spirit of grace, our witness sees everything, our witness knows our hearts- only by choosing to accept our Savior do we have any hope because only the Savior's heart is pure and deserving.
The facts are- we have NO hope without Christ. If we neglect so great a salvation we are guilty, guilty, guilty and deserving of any and all punishment reserved for us.
Remember this verse--
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him
We won't escape.
We will be punished and deservedly.
1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
1Ti 5:25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.
Our sins are not hid from God.
Psa 69:5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.
Eternal death is the result of denying our Savior. This is something we can't let ourselves forget. We have to daily accept our Savior as our advocate, daily accept His sacrifice, daily accept that He pleads our cause before God, daily accept Him as our High Priest- worthy of all honor, all praise, all glory, all of our love, all of our worship!
We cannot not trod under our feet the Son of God and have hope in salvation. To some of us the very idea of stepping on the Son of God as if He were nothing more than dirt is unthinkable! Yet every day many, many, many people do just that as they reject His salvation, as they despise His blood shed for them. To many people Christ isn't a real living, breathing being, but rather a being of fantasy, something fictional. Many people don't know Him personally, and many treat Him despitefully by living their lives as if He's not real, and His commands are not real, and life in Him is not real. Is it any wonder Christ will say to many people that think they know Him, that He doesn't know them at all?
By His grace and His mercy, only and always in HIM!
Amen!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Fearful looking for of judgment
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.
So are we all doomed? Some people will take this verse- plucking it out of the Bible as if it stands all on it's own and tell you that you are damned, we are all damned and there isn't anything anyone can do about it because we are sinners. If not blatant thieves, adulterers, liars, murderers- then sinners in thoughts, in coveting, in white-lying, in jealousy, if putting "things" before God. It doesn't take all that much to sin, it's rather easy to do. Because we are carnal- because we are flesh- we've inherited sin from the womb.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Sinning is easy- all have sinned. Sin entered the world and the result of sin was death and we all have the ability to die.
We will all die and we will all have a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation if we do not have the knowledge of truth- understanding the truth that Jesus alone can save us. If we wilfully choose to keep our Savior out of our lives hoping to save ourselves we are doomed. The truth is Jesus died for us. Once we realize this if we choose to believe there is salvation in any other there is no hope.
Only in our Savior- Jesus, only in Him and the Sacrifice He made can we hope to escape the judgment leading to the fiery indignation.
If after you come to the knowledge of truth you reject that knowledge there is no hope.
Those who do reject the knowledge of truth will be judged and they will have NO advocate to plead their case. They will have NO Savior. They will have NOTHING to lay claim to and say they are forgiven. They will stand before the judgment seat, they will stand as the books of judgment are opened and they will be told they rejected the knowledge of truth after they received it - and I imagine they even can be shown exactly when, where, and how they rejected the knowledge of truth. Once shown how they rejected their only hope for salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and His righteousness, His forgiveness, His love, they will then be shown all the sin in their lives - sin that they committed willfully, sin that proves they are lovers of sin, lovers of self more than lovers of God. Sin that will prove they don't belong in a sinless world.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
There is hope on in one place and one place only- there is only eternal death without that hope.
Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior- our High Priest, our Sacrifice, our Redeemer - He alone is truth.
We cannot reject the truth, we cannot reject our only hope, we cannot reject our Savior and believe there is still hope left- all that is left is despair and fearfulness.
By the grace of our Savior may we ever hold fast to Him as the truth having knowledge of salvation in Him, let us never reject our hope, our only hope, let us never turn from the truth. May God forgive us, show us mercy, us sinners. May God look to His Son's righteousness and not at our sins as we have been born again in Christ, accepting Him as our Savior- our only hope.
Amen
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
So are we all doomed? Some people will take this verse- plucking it out of the Bible as if it stands all on it's own and tell you that you are damned, we are all damned and there isn't anything anyone can do about it because we are sinners. If not blatant thieves, adulterers, liars, murderers- then sinners in thoughts, in coveting, in white-lying, in jealousy, if putting "things" before God. It doesn't take all that much to sin, it's rather easy to do. Because we are carnal- because we are flesh- we've inherited sin from the womb.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Sinning is easy- all have sinned. Sin entered the world and the result of sin was death and we all have the ability to die.
We will all die and we will all have a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation if we do not have the knowledge of truth- understanding the truth that Jesus alone can save us. If we wilfully choose to keep our Savior out of our lives hoping to save ourselves we are doomed. The truth is Jesus died for us. Once we realize this if we choose to believe there is salvation in any other there is no hope.
Only in our Savior- Jesus, only in Him and the Sacrifice He made can we hope to escape the judgment leading to the fiery indignation.
If after you come to the knowledge of truth you reject that knowledge there is no hope.
Those who do reject the knowledge of truth will be judged and they will have NO advocate to plead their case. They will have NO Savior. They will have NOTHING to lay claim to and say they are forgiven. They will stand before the judgment seat, they will stand as the books of judgment are opened and they will be told they rejected the knowledge of truth after they received it - and I imagine they even can be shown exactly when, where, and how they rejected the knowledge of truth. Once shown how they rejected their only hope for salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and His righteousness, His forgiveness, His love, they will then be shown all the sin in their lives - sin that they committed willfully, sin that proves they are lovers of sin, lovers of self more than lovers of God. Sin that will prove they don't belong in a sinless world.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
There is hope on in one place and one place only- there is only eternal death without that hope.
Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior- our High Priest, our Sacrifice, our Redeemer - He alone is truth.
We cannot reject the truth, we cannot reject our only hope, we cannot reject our Savior and believe there is still hope left- all that is left is despair and fearfulness.
By the grace of our Savior may we ever hold fast to Him as the truth having knowledge of salvation in Him, let us never reject our hope, our only hope, let us never turn from the truth. May God forgive us, show us mercy, us sinners. May God look to His Son's righteousness and not at our sins as we have been born again in Christ, accepting Him as our Savior- our only hope.
Amen
Monday, October 18, 2010
Provoke, Assemble, Exhort
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
So many people believe this is talking about a church setting, telling them they have to go to church or they are forsaking the assembling of themselves together. It's not. This is advocating, or admonishing, people who believe in Christ as their Savior and want to live for Him to get together to help each other out- to provoke to love, to provoke to good works, to encourage each other - something that should be done more and more the closer to the end we get.
If you belong to a church that does this and holds fast to all the truths as the Bible reveals them, praise God! Many however simply go to church because it's expected of them, it's a duty, it's a chore, it's what a Christian is supposed to do. They go to see the latest fashion on those around them, or to hear a very eloquent preacher relay His own personal study on what He believes you might be interested in hearing. Some go so they can be assuaged of guilt they've built up through the last week, others go because it's what they've been taught to do and want their children to do. There are many, many reasons people attend church that have NOTHING to do with provoking others to LOVE and to GOOD WORKS. Many reasons that don't involve exhorting anyone, they don't go to encourage anyone because Christ is coming soon. If you go to a church JUST to listen to a sermon and be on your way after a few handshakes, hugs, and smiles you haven't come together with a group of like believers in the manner Christ would have you do so. So if it's not how Christ would have you get together- it's coming together in a manner someone else would like you to get together as you *play pretend* at being a Christian and that someone is your enemy, an enemy that LOVES when you play pretend Christian.
When you get together with others that believe in Christ and His soon coming just like you do, you should get together to PROVOKE them to love and to good works, you should get together to encourage one another. This is INTERACTION. This isn't being preached at and going on your way back to your every day life in front of the computer, or the tv, maybe both- or even doing yard work, or visiting grandma and grandpa, or who knows maybe it's time for you to get a big meal ready. This isn't what we are told to do.
Think about how you personally can provoke someone of like faith to love and good works. How do you do that?
Provoke
PROVO'KE, v.t. [L.provoco, to call forth; pro and voco, to call.]
1. To call into action; to arouse; to excite…
To call into action their LOVE, their GOOD WORKS.
To arouse them to LOVE, to GOOD WORKS.
As we consider each other- as we think about each other- we are to arouse the desire to love and good works in each other. Notice that LOVE and GOOD WORKS go hand in hand. It's out of love we do good works, isn't it? Love is an action, love is a choice. I'm not talking about the fake- I love you- that means absolutely nothing. I'm not talking about the - I'm infatuated with you love- that means absolutely nothing. I'm talking about the CHOICE you make to do unto others as you would have done to yourself, the choice you make to put aside self and help another. I'm talking about the love that chooses to ACT selflessly- not selfishly. I'm not talking about feelings here and too many associate love with a feeling and not a fact. If they're NOT feeling it, then they don't love- according to the mainstream. To be able to look at someone who is despitefully using you and choose to act in a manner of LOVE, to choose to do good unto them- that is love.
LOVE is a choice of action. Love is a choosing to respond as Christ would respond, not as our own feelings might be egging us on to react. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice without feeling all wishy-washy and sentimental. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice - in fact we are to LOVE all others and if that means taking on some false flowery I'm better than you because I love you so that makes me good-attitude that's NOT love. To say 'I love you' without ANY meaning- isn't love. To say 'I love you' and really choose to love that person is love. And really choosing to love that person means really being interested in their well-being now and their eternal well-being too. No, YOU shouldn't be solely concerned with their eternal well-being. What good does it do to tell someone about the love of Christ and the way to eternal life through Him if they are starving for food and you have the means to give them food but don't?
Love is a choice, love is an action borne out of the choice. Is it any wonder at all we are told to provoke one another to love and good works? To do both? Jesus' example to us was filled with love- filled with His choosing to love others and that love was revealed in every action. He spent a lot of time healing, a lot of time helping- He didn't just stand up on a rocky podium and preach- He healed, He LOVED, and He taught. He was example of how we are to love- in word and deed.
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
DON'T tell ANYONE you love them- but rather show them that love first. Make that love real and then say it.
I'm not saying you have to show it by gifts and such, you can show your love in the act of listening, in the kind word, in the thoughtful gesture that is selfless. Be loving before mouthing the words. What good does it do to tell someone you love them if you have NO intention of being loving towards them? LOVE isn't just a word to say haphazardly and hold up, waving around like a banner to try and get others to believe you are a Christian. Love isn't just something you automatically say in response so you appear 'good'. Love isn't something you feel, IT'S A CHOICE you make! And in making that choice to love, you have to be loving, not just say the 'L' word.
If you're the type of person who easily has the 'love' word sliding from your tongue to those you meet, I'm not saying to stop saying the words- just make sure that you mean them. The next time you tell someone you love them ask yourself if you've 'loved' them. Have you acted in love towards them? Do you care about them, really care, are you choosing to be loving towards them.
Christ loved us and died for us- this was His example. For us to love and reveal His UNSELFISH love, to be willing to die for each other. And if we're willing to die for each other surely we have to be willing to suffer for one another. And if we're willing to suffer we must be willing to be a little put out for each other. Choosing to love doesn't mean enjoying the idea of death, or enjoying the idea of suffering, or wanting to be put out- it means choosing to do the right thing no matter the feeling. Yes, we are to count it joy when we suffer for Christ's sake, but that doesn't mean we are to enjoy the pain. We are to realize that we are Christ's and take joy in that- not joy in the pain, the suffering, the annoyance.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The only way we can provoke follow believers in Christ- and to Salvation through Him- is to be in contact with them in some way. Without that contact there is no provoking, no encouraging. So yes, we are to be in contact with each other- and maybe we can't do that physically but we have a huge world of communication available to us on the world wide web- the internet. Do I have to touch you physically to communicate with you? No. We can assemble together in many different ways. If you can't find a group of people who follow Christ as you've been led by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ, then pray that God will guide you to someone, anyone and be open to that guidance to come in any number of ways. We know as the day draws near there will be fewer and fewer people on that narrow path, we can't abandon the narrow path to sit in a church on the wide path.
May God bless us and keep us firmly rooted and ground in Him, in His love, teaching us to love one another as He would have us love one another in word and deed, helping each other as we face the trials of life that Satan would have ruin us and tear us from the narrow path before us.
By the grace and mercy of our loving Savior, through HIS righteousness, in His holy name now and forever- Amen.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
So many people believe this is talking about a church setting, telling them they have to go to church or they are forsaking the assembling of themselves together. It's not. This is advocating, or admonishing, people who believe in Christ as their Savior and want to live for Him to get together to help each other out- to provoke to love, to provoke to good works, to encourage each other - something that should be done more and more the closer to the end we get.
If you belong to a church that does this and holds fast to all the truths as the Bible reveals them, praise God! Many however simply go to church because it's expected of them, it's a duty, it's a chore, it's what a Christian is supposed to do. They go to see the latest fashion on those around them, or to hear a very eloquent preacher relay His own personal study on what He believes you might be interested in hearing. Some go so they can be assuaged of guilt they've built up through the last week, others go because it's what they've been taught to do and want their children to do. There are many, many reasons people attend church that have NOTHING to do with provoking others to LOVE and to GOOD WORKS. Many reasons that don't involve exhorting anyone, they don't go to encourage anyone because Christ is coming soon. If you go to a church JUST to listen to a sermon and be on your way after a few handshakes, hugs, and smiles you haven't come together with a group of like believers in the manner Christ would have you do so. So if it's not how Christ would have you get together- it's coming together in a manner someone else would like you to get together as you *play pretend* at being a Christian and that someone is your enemy, an enemy that LOVES when you play pretend Christian.
When you get together with others that believe in Christ and His soon coming just like you do, you should get together to PROVOKE them to love and to good works, you should get together to encourage one another. This is INTERACTION. This isn't being preached at and going on your way back to your every day life in front of the computer, or the tv, maybe both- or even doing yard work, or visiting grandma and grandpa, or who knows maybe it's time for you to get a big meal ready. This isn't what we are told to do.
Think about how you personally can provoke someone of like faith to love and good works. How do you do that?
Provoke
PROVO'KE, v.t. [L.provoco, to call forth; pro and voco, to call.]
1. To call into action; to arouse; to excite…
To call into action their LOVE, their GOOD WORKS.
To arouse them to LOVE, to GOOD WORKS.
As we consider each other- as we think about each other- we are to arouse the desire to love and good works in each other. Notice that LOVE and GOOD WORKS go hand in hand. It's out of love we do good works, isn't it? Love is an action, love is a choice. I'm not talking about the fake- I love you- that means absolutely nothing. I'm not talking about the - I'm infatuated with you love- that means absolutely nothing. I'm talking about the CHOICE you make to do unto others as you would have done to yourself, the choice you make to put aside self and help another. I'm talking about the love that chooses to ACT selflessly- not selfishly. I'm not talking about feelings here and too many associate love with a feeling and not a fact. If they're NOT feeling it, then they don't love- according to the mainstream. To be able to look at someone who is despitefully using you and choose to act in a manner of LOVE, to choose to do good unto them- that is love.
LOVE is a choice of action. Love is a choosing to respond as Christ would respond, not as our own feelings might be egging us on to react. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice without feeling all wishy-washy and sentimental. YES, you can LOVE someone by choice - in fact we are to LOVE all others and if that means taking on some false flowery I'm better than you because I love you so that makes me good-attitude that's NOT love. To say 'I love you' without ANY meaning- isn't love. To say 'I love you' and really choose to love that person is love. And really choosing to love that person means really being interested in their well-being now and their eternal well-being too. No, YOU shouldn't be solely concerned with their eternal well-being. What good does it do to tell someone about the love of Christ and the way to eternal life through Him if they are starving for food and you have the means to give them food but don't?
Love is a choice, love is an action borne out of the choice. Is it any wonder at all we are told to provoke one another to love and good works? To do both? Jesus' example to us was filled with love- filled with His choosing to love others and that love was revealed in every action. He spent a lot of time healing, a lot of time helping- He didn't just stand up on a rocky podium and preach- He healed, He LOVED, and He taught. He was example of how we are to love- in word and deed.
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
DON'T tell ANYONE you love them- but rather show them that love first. Make that love real and then say it.
I'm not saying you have to show it by gifts and such, you can show your love in the act of listening, in the kind word, in the thoughtful gesture that is selfless. Be loving before mouthing the words. What good does it do to tell someone you love them if you have NO intention of being loving towards them? LOVE isn't just a word to say haphazardly and hold up, waving around like a banner to try and get others to believe you are a Christian. Love isn't just something you automatically say in response so you appear 'good'. Love isn't something you feel, IT'S A CHOICE you make! And in making that choice to love, you have to be loving, not just say the 'L' word.
If you're the type of person who easily has the 'love' word sliding from your tongue to those you meet, I'm not saying to stop saying the words- just make sure that you mean them. The next time you tell someone you love them ask yourself if you've 'loved' them. Have you acted in love towards them? Do you care about them, really care, are you choosing to be loving towards them.
Christ loved us and died for us- this was His example. For us to love and reveal His UNSELFISH love, to be willing to die for each other. And if we're willing to die for each other surely we have to be willing to suffer for one another. And if we're willing to suffer we must be willing to be a little put out for each other. Choosing to love doesn't mean enjoying the idea of death, or enjoying the idea of suffering, or wanting to be put out- it means choosing to do the right thing no matter the feeling. Yes, we are to count it joy when we suffer for Christ's sake, but that doesn't mean we are to enjoy the pain. We are to realize that we are Christ's and take joy in that- not joy in the pain, the suffering, the annoyance.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The only way we can provoke follow believers in Christ- and to Salvation through Him- is to be in contact with them in some way. Without that contact there is no provoking, no encouraging. So yes, we are to be in contact with each other- and maybe we can't do that physically but we have a huge world of communication available to us on the world wide web- the internet. Do I have to touch you physically to communicate with you? No. We can assemble together in many different ways. If you can't find a group of people who follow Christ as you've been led by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ, then pray that God will guide you to someone, anyone and be open to that guidance to come in any number of ways. We know as the day draws near there will be fewer and fewer people on that narrow path, we can't abandon the narrow path to sit in a church on the wide path.
May God bless us and keep us firmly rooted and ground in Him, in His love, teaching us to love one another as He would have us love one another in word and deed, helping each other as we face the trials of life that Satan would have ruin us and tear us from the narrow path before us.
By the grace and mercy of our loving Savior, through HIS righteousness, in His holy name now and forever- Amen.
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