5 ¶ Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
All of God’s ways are judgment.
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
All of mankind is facing God’s judgment for the sin of Adam, which we inherited, much like a cat inherits its need to hunt or a dog to run in a pack. Sin is one of a human’s few instincts, something he hungers to do. But Christ is the remedy for sin.
Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Even under the Law of Moses people who walked in God’s ways tried to do right.
Psalm 119:1 ¶ ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
Evil men do not get it. They don’t see that they are natural born sinners by instinct. They don’t see the human’s spiritual heart as wicked.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Evil men don’t understand. They simply don’t see that fornication, covetousness, envy, malice, a love of violence, revenge, perversion, etc. are all a consequence of turning your back on God, on who He is, and on His love for mankind expressed at the cross of Christ and, most of all, on His judgment. (See Romans 1:16 to 2:3.)
When God’s judgment is on a person or a nation they often do not understand it and seek to find temporal causes. After more than a century and a half of ripping apart God’s word with so called “Higher Criticism” and destroying the faith of many so called Christians even the Kaiser embraced occultism and Germany was released to a barbaric paganism and Hitler’s persecution of the Jews and suffered horribly in two major wars that nearly destroyed it. And yet, men will look to political and economic reasons for the wars and read back into history their own justifications. Why? They don’t understand God’s judgment.
Great Britain had, perhaps, the greatest empire in the history of mankind. It is said that the “sun never sets on the British flag.” And yet, within a generation of the disastrous revision of the Authorized Version of the Bible and its replacement by the Revised Version on the mission field, within a generation of their genocide of Indians on the Deccan Plateau by starvation, and after attempting to go back on their promise for a Jewish homeland in Palestine; the land given by God to the Jews, their empire began coming unglued. Men, unaware and unbelieving in God’s judgment, will look to purely political reasons or economic reasons but ignore the possibility that God’s view of history by way of the Bible’s statements is different than their own.
Can you, as in individual, see events in your life as God’s judgment steering you toward His will or trying to turn your heart from sin and idolatry to Him? Do you understand judgment? Are you receptive to the Holy Spirit’s leading?
As it said back in Psalm 119:2 I quoted earlier that those that seek Him with the whole heart are blessed. They that seek the Lord may not know who Disraeli or Gladstone were or who Bismarck was but they do know God’s word. They know what He has promised and they know what the eventual outcome of human history will be and if they are immersed in God’s word they know His will for their lives and how they should live before men. They understand all things that are important to God in their lives; their salvation first and then their sanctification; being made a useful vessel for His work and that the affairs of all men are under God’s judgment. They know that, as Ben Franklin said, in a speech he gave to the Constitutional Convention on June 28, 1787, “I have lived sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
It was Abraham Lincoln who implied in his October 3, 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation that the Civil War was a judgment on the entire nation for slavery. But, most men do not understand why nations are sifted like wheat and why individual people rise and fall. They’ll say, “oh, it was such and such a cause,” and write books about that opinion. But, even the men who engaged in our war for independence against Great Britain knew that a divine hand was involved. If I get the quote right I believe it was John Page who wrote to Thomas Jefferson and said, “Do you not think that an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?”
Now, do you understand what’s happening to America today?
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Proverbs 28:4 commentary; the conflict we are in
4 ¶ They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
Psalm 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
Of course the law being talked about here is the law of God given to Moses. We remember that;
1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
And people who like to sin, who live by it, whose very character is defined by it, not only want the freedom to do it but take great pleasure in being confirmed in their obsessions by other people doing the same.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
However, we are not justified, since Christ’s resurrection and the beginning of the church age, by keeping the law.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
But, as under the law in Ancient Israel, men who did wrong according to the law were in constant conflict with those who followed the law, so today, there is a spiritual and sometimes political war going on between those who follow Christ and seek to obey Him in their human frailty and those who worship their own lusts and desire to sin. There will always be a conflict between those two groups as long as there is faith on the earth.
Those people, in our country for instance, who seek to ignore God, make the country God neutral, so to speak, or simply flaunt their contempt for His word and His people will always have constant conflict with the people who worship God. As the godless get more and more powerful and faith gets more and more watered down with less of a dependence on God’s word and more of a dependence on the opinions of, the agendas of, and the fear of men in pulpits across the land and people in the congregations the godless will take their vengeance on God’s people.
Tribulation and martyrdom are the natural and eventual outcomes for the people of God in that situation. As government has afforded citizens a constitutional right to murder their unborn children for the purpose of simply another type of birth control, as sexual perversion of all kinds becomes more normalized and more accepted, as non-Christian religions and ideals become pre-eminent, as more and more of mainstream Christianity moves from the supernatural power of God’s word to the weakness of a fluid civil religion, as a constant state of warfare becomes necessary to support the globalist one world agenda, and as wealth becomes gathered in fewer and fewer hands and the middle class is erased with one group owning the wealth and the other needing government help just to survive as they work for faceless corporations or government itself, the spiritual and political war will become more intense. In America, this began with Christians looking more and more to government as God’s agent on earth and then, eventually, as a replacement for God, until their faith lost its salt and became as tasteless as the white of an egg.
There will come a time and is already here when people who actually believe the Bible will be marginalized, looked at as fruitcakes, in the way of progress, unpatriotic, unworthy to be parents, to hold a good paying job, to serve in government, the armed forces, and eventually will be driven back to the days of the early church to worship in private homes under peril of being arrested.
There will always be conflict in the public and private spheres of life between those who forsake God and those who keep His word.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This Civil War has been going on since the tragedy of the Garden of Eden. It will not end until we enter eternity and God is acknowledged for what He is, Lord of all.
Psalm 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
Of course the law being talked about here is the law of God given to Moses. We remember that;
1John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
And people who like to sin, who live by it, whose very character is defined by it, not only want the freedom to do it but take great pleasure in being confirmed in their obsessions by other people doing the same.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
However, we are not justified, since Christ’s resurrection and the beginning of the church age, by keeping the law.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
But, as under the law in Ancient Israel, men who did wrong according to the law were in constant conflict with those who followed the law, so today, there is a spiritual and sometimes political war going on between those who follow Christ and seek to obey Him in their human frailty and those who worship their own lusts and desire to sin. There will always be a conflict between those two groups as long as there is faith on the earth.
Those people, in our country for instance, who seek to ignore God, make the country God neutral, so to speak, or simply flaunt their contempt for His word and His people will always have constant conflict with the people who worship God. As the godless get more and more powerful and faith gets more and more watered down with less of a dependence on God’s word and more of a dependence on the opinions of, the agendas of, and the fear of men in pulpits across the land and people in the congregations the godless will take their vengeance on God’s people.
Tribulation and martyrdom are the natural and eventual outcomes for the people of God in that situation. As government has afforded citizens a constitutional right to murder their unborn children for the purpose of simply another type of birth control, as sexual perversion of all kinds becomes more normalized and more accepted, as non-Christian religions and ideals become pre-eminent, as more and more of mainstream Christianity moves from the supernatural power of God’s word to the weakness of a fluid civil religion, as a constant state of warfare becomes necessary to support the globalist one world agenda, and as wealth becomes gathered in fewer and fewer hands and the middle class is erased with one group owning the wealth and the other needing government help just to survive as they work for faceless corporations or government itself, the spiritual and political war will become more intense. In America, this began with Christians looking more and more to government as God’s agent on earth and then, eventually, as a replacement for God, until their faith lost its salt and became as tasteless as the white of an egg.
There will come a time and is already here when people who actually believe the Bible will be marginalized, looked at as fruitcakes, in the way of progress, unpatriotic, unworthy to be parents, to hold a good paying job, to serve in government, the armed forces, and eventually will be driven back to the days of the early church to worship in private homes under peril of being arrested.
There will always be conflict in the public and private spheres of life between those who forsake God and those who keep His word.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This Civil War has been going on since the tragedy of the Garden of Eden. It will not end until we enter eternity and God is acknowledged for what He is, Lord of all.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Proverbs 28:3 commentary; the poor oppressing the poor
3 ¶ A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
People who forget where they came from and turn and oppress people who, like they once were, suffer from poverty and want are like the hard rain that doesn’t refresh the land but exposes the roots and washes away the crops, ruining the harvest.
We have, in this country, politicians who came from poor backgrounds but through circumstance, talent, and the generosity of others were able to rise up out of poverty and yet, they take advantage of the poor from which they came. As H. Rap Brown, the militant from the 1960’s complained, poverty programs are buyoffs and aren’t designed to end poverty. These politicians use poor people as a guaranteed pool of votes by their throwing change at them. Other politicians, viewing themselves as part of an elite, who have earned their way out of poverty or have been helped, treat other poor people as inferior and oppress them because they didn’t or weren’t able to “grab the brass ring.”
We have, in this country, people who came from poor backgrounds but in the same manner were raised up to run a business or be a part of a large corporation that preys on the poor and takes advantage of their lack of knowledge and naievete’ or desperate need for work.
African-Americans, even radicals like H. Rap Brown, have complained of some of their own people being as much the oppressor as the “white establishment.”
This is a great Proverb to remind a poor person “on the rise” in ancient Israel not to forget where he came from and not to take advantage of his own people. But, what about the Christian? Part of the Christian’s calling is to take care of the poor in the church.
Romans 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
Galatians 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
The Christian is never to think too highly of himself, particularly in respect to his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The Christian has no right or excuse to oppress his brothers or sisters in Christ or any person for any reason.
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Even an Elder in the early church, in his spiritual authority, is not to oppress or “lord it over” his flock.
1Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
This goes both ways. Many Christians assume that if a brother or sister has risen from poverty to own a business or to have money that they can treat their debt obligations to them rather cavalierly. I have known people who were discouraged because the Christians that availed themselves of a brother or sister’s business services didn’t feel compelled to pay their bill promptly in the same way they would have if the business had been owned by a non-Christian. Oh well, he’ll understand.
Within the early church there was to be an equality; not like modern communism which allows for no God or Godly authority, nor like modern socialism, fascism, or capitalism that allows only for theft by taking or selfish indulgence, manipulation, and exploitation of others, but by a voluntary giving out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not done at gunpoint for fear of losing life or property nor is it done by trickery or deception to relieve one of his hard earned cash unfairly so that another may benefit. Here was Paul’s advice to the early church, not a commandment, but an urging to live as you preached.
2 Corinthians 8:7 ¶ Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
So, as the poor in the world because we don’t value the world’s idea of wealth (if we’re faithful to God’s word), we are not to be oppressors of anyone, particularly not the poor in the church, but anyone anywhere. When Christian brothers and sisters, poor in the world, oppress Christian brothers and sisters or an unbeliever, it is indeed like a torrential rain that destroys and leaves nothing of use in its wake. May God have mercy on a church body with that going on in its midst.
People who forget where they came from and turn and oppress people who, like they once were, suffer from poverty and want are like the hard rain that doesn’t refresh the land but exposes the roots and washes away the crops, ruining the harvest.
We have, in this country, politicians who came from poor backgrounds but through circumstance, talent, and the generosity of others were able to rise up out of poverty and yet, they take advantage of the poor from which they came. As H. Rap Brown, the militant from the 1960’s complained, poverty programs are buyoffs and aren’t designed to end poverty. These politicians use poor people as a guaranteed pool of votes by their throwing change at them. Other politicians, viewing themselves as part of an elite, who have earned their way out of poverty or have been helped, treat other poor people as inferior and oppress them because they didn’t or weren’t able to “grab the brass ring.”
We have, in this country, people who came from poor backgrounds but in the same manner were raised up to run a business or be a part of a large corporation that preys on the poor and takes advantage of their lack of knowledge and naievete’ or desperate need for work.
African-Americans, even radicals like H. Rap Brown, have complained of some of their own people being as much the oppressor as the “white establishment.”
This is a great Proverb to remind a poor person “on the rise” in ancient Israel not to forget where he came from and not to take advantage of his own people. But, what about the Christian? Part of the Christian’s calling is to take care of the poor in the church.
Romans 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
Galatians 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
The Christian is never to think too highly of himself, particularly in respect to his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The Christian has no right or excuse to oppress his brothers or sisters in Christ or any person for any reason.
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Even an Elder in the early church, in his spiritual authority, is not to oppress or “lord it over” his flock.
1Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
This goes both ways. Many Christians assume that if a brother or sister has risen from poverty to own a business or to have money that they can treat their debt obligations to them rather cavalierly. I have known people who were discouraged because the Christians that availed themselves of a brother or sister’s business services didn’t feel compelled to pay their bill promptly in the same way they would have if the business had been owned by a non-Christian. Oh well, he’ll understand.
Within the early church there was to be an equality; not like modern communism which allows for no God or Godly authority, nor like modern socialism, fascism, or capitalism that allows only for theft by taking or selfish indulgence, manipulation, and exploitation of others, but by a voluntary giving out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not done at gunpoint for fear of losing life or property nor is it done by trickery or deception to relieve one of his hard earned cash unfairly so that another may benefit. Here was Paul’s advice to the early church, not a commandment, but an urging to live as you preached.
2 Corinthians 8:7 ¶ Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
So, as the poor in the world because we don’t value the world’s idea of wealth (if we’re faithful to God’s word), we are not to be oppressors of anyone, particularly not the poor in the church, but anyone anywhere. When Christian brothers and sisters, poor in the world, oppress Christian brothers and sisters or an unbeliever, it is indeed like a torrential rain that destroys and leaves nothing of use in its wake. May God have mercy on a church body with that going on in its midst.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Proverbs 28:2 commentary; a political statement
2 ¶ For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
Many leaders over time destroy a country by their stupidity and pride. Over time, successive leaders will, through pride, corruption, and greed fritter away a nation’s wealth or in one or more poorly thought out wars reduce a nation to poverty and helplessness. One of the stated strategies of the communist governments of the Soviet Union and Red China was to engage the United States in as many brushfire wars as possible to bankrupt and demoralize the country. One of the actions of many of our presidents after Eisenhower has been to get involved in as many brushfire wars as possible to justify some geopolitical agenda or policy. We are a bankrupt nation just as many others. So, tell me, if you can, who was the enemy; the ones who wanted to harm us or the ones who did?
It would take a great leader, Godly, moral, and with an understanding of the realities of world politics to turn our nation to a steady and sane course. Notice I did not say “turn our nation back” because we have never been on a sane course. Things got out of hand very early in our nation’s founding. The founders didn’t deal with slavery and that failure nearly ended the country’s existence as a nation, the question of how to treat the Native Americans was out of control very quickly and much to our discredit great evil was done, we had a great revival of religion that took a wrong turn and we began to think of government as God, we became an imperial power against the advice of wise Christians like William Jennings Bryan when we conquered tired Spain’s remaining colonies, we disturbed the balance of power in Europe during World War One and made World War Two possible, we let the United Nations whose founding documents and policies were written by Soviet agents dictate strategy and tactics in the Korean Conflict with every action of the United States and its allies reported to the Chinese Communists even before it happened right down to the number of artillery shells we would use, and the list goes on and on. Internally, we have had good intentioned social policies administered carelessly and wastefully so much so that we can no longer afford to care for the people these policies were meant to help.
We’ve had many leaders in office in all three branches of government who have led us down the path we find ourselves on. But, one good man of understanding and knowledge can turn us onto a path of fiscal sanity and a foreign policy that is consistent with our principles. Of course, he will have to deal with a Congress full of leaders who hunger to fill the coffers of their own supporters and to be re-elected. We need to start being careful in electing a President, though. We need someone with experience but not corruption, with understanding but not arrogance, with knowledge but also with a transparency that lets us know the real intention behind his choices. We need a man who loves Jesus Christ but does not respect political religion in the least; who desires to be a competent and honest leader of our country but not a messiah or the national pastor.
Look down the list of the kings of Israel and Judah and see how each one added his own bit of leadership to put the kingdoms in the position of receiving God’s judgment. Read the account of each one’s reign carefully and you will see a pattern of disobedience to God’s commands for them, very clearly laid out and very simple to understand in the Law given to Moses. One man of understanding and knowledge can prolong the life of the state, but is that man even in sight? Of course, it’s hard to find a leader that has qualities that the American people themselves don’t have. That’s why our country needs to be transformed from the ground up with a national revival of faith and devotion to what is right and not just what is mine. America will never get good leaders until America gets right with God. It should not be “God bless America” on the portable sign along the road but “America, bless God.”
Many leaders over time destroy a country by their stupidity and pride. Over time, successive leaders will, through pride, corruption, and greed fritter away a nation’s wealth or in one or more poorly thought out wars reduce a nation to poverty and helplessness. One of the stated strategies of the communist governments of the Soviet Union and Red China was to engage the United States in as many brushfire wars as possible to bankrupt and demoralize the country. One of the actions of many of our presidents after Eisenhower has been to get involved in as many brushfire wars as possible to justify some geopolitical agenda or policy. We are a bankrupt nation just as many others. So, tell me, if you can, who was the enemy; the ones who wanted to harm us or the ones who did?
It would take a great leader, Godly, moral, and with an understanding of the realities of world politics to turn our nation to a steady and sane course. Notice I did not say “turn our nation back” because we have never been on a sane course. Things got out of hand very early in our nation’s founding. The founders didn’t deal with slavery and that failure nearly ended the country’s existence as a nation, the question of how to treat the Native Americans was out of control very quickly and much to our discredit great evil was done, we had a great revival of religion that took a wrong turn and we began to think of government as God, we became an imperial power against the advice of wise Christians like William Jennings Bryan when we conquered tired Spain’s remaining colonies, we disturbed the balance of power in Europe during World War One and made World War Two possible, we let the United Nations whose founding documents and policies were written by Soviet agents dictate strategy and tactics in the Korean Conflict with every action of the United States and its allies reported to the Chinese Communists even before it happened right down to the number of artillery shells we would use, and the list goes on and on. Internally, we have had good intentioned social policies administered carelessly and wastefully so much so that we can no longer afford to care for the people these policies were meant to help.
We’ve had many leaders in office in all three branches of government who have led us down the path we find ourselves on. But, one good man of understanding and knowledge can turn us onto a path of fiscal sanity and a foreign policy that is consistent with our principles. Of course, he will have to deal with a Congress full of leaders who hunger to fill the coffers of their own supporters and to be re-elected. We need to start being careful in electing a President, though. We need someone with experience but not corruption, with understanding but not arrogance, with knowledge but also with a transparency that lets us know the real intention behind his choices. We need a man who loves Jesus Christ but does not respect political religion in the least; who desires to be a competent and honest leader of our country but not a messiah or the national pastor.
Look down the list of the kings of Israel and Judah and see how each one added his own bit of leadership to put the kingdoms in the position of receiving God’s judgment. Read the account of each one’s reign carefully and you will see a pattern of disobedience to God’s commands for them, very clearly laid out and very simple to understand in the Law given to Moses. One man of understanding and knowledge can prolong the life of the state, but is that man even in sight? Of course, it’s hard to find a leader that has qualities that the American people themselves don’t have. That’s why our country needs to be transformed from the ground up with a national revival of faith and devotion to what is right and not just what is mine. America will never get good leaders until America gets right with God. It should not be “God bless America” on the portable sign along the road but “America, bless God.”
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Proverbs 28:1 commentary; paranoid or unafraid?
1 ¶ The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
The Hebrews were warned that if they, being a people created by God, rejected His standards, despised His judgments, and turned their back on a national relationship with Him then He would bring all kinds of ruin on them, in Leviticus 26:14-39. One of the punishments that God would bring would be faintness of heart, fear, paranoia, and running from an enemy that wasn’t even pursuing them.
Leviticus 26:37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
But, just before that, He had told them that their obedience to Him would translate into great courage against their enemies, with God on their side.
Leviticus 26:7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
The Christian has no earthly nation from which to fight. His warfare is not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). The Bible believing Christian conducts no war of murder and slaughter of men in the name of God. His wafare is spiritual in conquering sin and deception.
The righteous, under the doctrines of Christianity in the letters written by Paul, are righteous by view of the fact that they have the Spirit of the righteous Christ in them. They have no righteousness of their own based on the flesh as the Christian knows that He can’t keep God’s standard of His own will.
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
But, if a Christian is not submitted to Christ through His words written in His Book and if they adopt a manmade religion of ritual and obedience to the law of men who place their own authority higher than God’s…….
2Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
…then by comparing this Proverb written under the Law to the Christian, who is a type of the nation of Israel of old, we can see that fear, paranoia, hatred, and being deceived will be his or her fate. Christians who have not submitted to God’s word will live in fear of everyone; the government, homosexuals, Muslims, the Vatican, secularists, or anyone they perceive as being an enemy of the God of the Bible, and by extrapolation, their enemy. They will burn Korans, scream unintelligible Bible verses through megaphones at “gay pride” parades, dare the government to take their weapons from their “cold dead hands”, rail against Rome, and spew venom at public schools and anywhere where their version of the Christian faith is not promoted.
The Christian who has chosen to turn His back on God’s word and to follow men, shutting their ears and eyes to what God has said, and chosen the religion of faith in a demagogue on television, in the halls of Congress, or behind any given pulpit in the land will run when no one pursues, and will be unable to stand. Why? Because he or she does not have the assurance that God will triumph in the end, that Christ is returning to take over the kingdoms of the world, or that he or she is actually on the winning side. He or she wants to build a physical kingdom of God on earth as they see it without the King present and without His authority to do so.
Why? Because they have itching ears….
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The faithful Christian will be bold as a lion when facing death, sickness, temptation, and the wickedness of this present evil world. He will face persecution without fear or uncertainty and live with peace and joy in his or her heart even when life itself is in the balance. His fortune, his earthly home, even his own flesh will be of less importance to him than Christ’s glory and triumph over a sinful world and the sin of his own heart. He will be thankful of everything God gives or permits including illness, loss, grief, poverty, and pain just as he will give thanks for all of his success, pleasures, and happiness to God alone. He will not be angry or love violence, or take pleasure in sin as entertainment. He will unite with a local church body in worship and good works spreading the gospel of Christ, read His Bible, hear it preached, pray constantly, and focus on heaven, not the earth. He or she will feed the hungry, comfort the sick, and attend to the things of God, which do not include greed and selfish promotion.
Are you running now? Or standing bold as a lion? Your salvation is not found in the halls of Congress or the White House. Your enemy is not some deceived, lost person who is a child of Satan. Surrender to God’s word and be made fearless.
The Hebrews were warned that if they, being a people created by God, rejected His standards, despised His judgments, and turned their back on a national relationship with Him then He would bring all kinds of ruin on them, in Leviticus 26:14-39. One of the punishments that God would bring would be faintness of heart, fear, paranoia, and running from an enemy that wasn’t even pursuing them.
Leviticus 26:37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
But, just before that, He had told them that their obedience to Him would translate into great courage against their enemies, with God on their side.
Leviticus 26:7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
The Christian has no earthly nation from which to fight. His warfare is not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). The Bible believing Christian conducts no war of murder and slaughter of men in the name of God. His wafare is spiritual in conquering sin and deception.
The righteous, under the doctrines of Christianity in the letters written by Paul, are righteous by view of the fact that they have the Spirit of the righteous Christ in them. They have no righteousness of their own based on the flesh as the Christian knows that He can’t keep God’s standard of His own will.
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
But, if a Christian is not submitted to Christ through His words written in His Book and if they adopt a manmade religion of ritual and obedience to the law of men who place their own authority higher than God’s…….
2Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
…then by comparing this Proverb written under the Law to the Christian, who is a type of the nation of Israel of old, we can see that fear, paranoia, hatred, and being deceived will be his or her fate. Christians who have not submitted to God’s word will live in fear of everyone; the government, homosexuals, Muslims, the Vatican, secularists, or anyone they perceive as being an enemy of the God of the Bible, and by extrapolation, their enemy. They will burn Korans, scream unintelligible Bible verses through megaphones at “gay pride” parades, dare the government to take their weapons from their “cold dead hands”, rail against Rome, and spew venom at public schools and anywhere where their version of the Christian faith is not promoted.
The Christian who has chosen to turn His back on God’s word and to follow men, shutting their ears and eyes to what God has said, and chosen the religion of faith in a demagogue on television, in the halls of Congress, or behind any given pulpit in the land will run when no one pursues, and will be unable to stand. Why? Because he or she does not have the assurance that God will triumph in the end, that Christ is returning to take over the kingdoms of the world, or that he or she is actually on the winning side. He or she wants to build a physical kingdom of God on earth as they see it without the King present and without His authority to do so.
Why? Because they have itching ears….
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The faithful Christian will be bold as a lion when facing death, sickness, temptation, and the wickedness of this present evil world. He will face persecution without fear or uncertainty and live with peace and joy in his or her heart even when life itself is in the balance. His fortune, his earthly home, even his own flesh will be of less importance to him than Christ’s glory and triumph over a sinful world and the sin of his own heart. He will be thankful of everything God gives or permits including illness, loss, grief, poverty, and pain just as he will give thanks for all of his success, pleasures, and happiness to God alone. He will not be angry or love violence, or take pleasure in sin as entertainment. He will unite with a local church body in worship and good works spreading the gospel of Christ, read His Bible, hear it preached, pray constantly, and focus on heaven, not the earth. He or she will feed the hungry, comfort the sick, and attend to the things of God, which do not include greed and selfish promotion.
Are you running now? Or standing bold as a lion? Your salvation is not found in the halls of Congress or the White House. Your enemy is not some deceived, lost person who is a child of Satan. Surrender to God’s word and be made fearless.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Proverbs 27:23-27 commentary; work hard and work smart
23 ¶ Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
Christians are told to not be slothful in business in Romans 12:11. These Proverbs encouraged the Hebrew of old and the Christian today to work hard and to work smart. We are not to take things for granted, even in faith, but to apply ourselves to our employments, whether they be for our own business or under the authority of someone else.
Farmers of old were fairly self sufficient producing almost everything they needed to clothe, feed, and house themselves and their families. Of course, they had no expectations of cheap, plastic junk made in China or cell phones, computers, televisions, etc. like we do today.
Our work ethic is given in many verses but with regard to our employments it is specifically said;
1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
The more self sufficient you are, the better for you. We all can’t be completely self reliant but our efforts should be toward being as debt free as possible and capable of producing something useful that we can rely on to help sustain us. Being dependent on others or a government is not a good testimony for the Christian. There are circumstances where we have no choice but to lean on the help of other people but our efforts from a very young age should be to work hard, prepare for our old age, and to give our children the best start in life we can provide, both spiritually and physically. Sadly, in our consumer culture since World War II we tend to view being entertained and experiencing pleasure as a need and a vital necessity so much of our earned money is spent on those two frivolous pursuits which tend to make us unprepared for the realities of life and eventually make us dependent on others for support.
Young people, work hard and work smart, say no to yourself at least once a day, take your entertainments and pleasures as a treat to yourself and not a daily need, put away money for your own old age, and teach your children to be as self reliant and disciplined as is possible for you to teach. Just remember your needs; your wants won’t kill you. Never spend money you don’t have. Finally, remember;
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Christians are told to not be slothful in business in Romans 12:11. These Proverbs encouraged the Hebrew of old and the Christian today to work hard and to work smart. We are not to take things for granted, even in faith, but to apply ourselves to our employments, whether they be for our own business or under the authority of someone else.
Farmers of old were fairly self sufficient producing almost everything they needed to clothe, feed, and house themselves and their families. Of course, they had no expectations of cheap, plastic junk made in China or cell phones, computers, televisions, etc. like we do today.
Our work ethic is given in many verses but with regard to our employments it is specifically said;
1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
The more self sufficient you are, the better for you. We all can’t be completely self reliant but our efforts should be toward being as debt free as possible and capable of producing something useful that we can rely on to help sustain us. Being dependent on others or a government is not a good testimony for the Christian. There are circumstances where we have no choice but to lean on the help of other people but our efforts from a very young age should be to work hard, prepare for our old age, and to give our children the best start in life we can provide, both spiritually and physically. Sadly, in our consumer culture since World War II we tend to view being entertained and experiencing pleasure as a need and a vital necessity so much of our earned money is spent on those two frivolous pursuits which tend to make us unprepared for the realities of life and eventually make us dependent on others for support.
Young people, work hard and work smart, say no to yourself at least once a day, take your entertainments and pleasures as a treat to yourself and not a daily need, put away money for your own old age, and teach your children to be as self reliant and disciplined as is possible for you to teach. Just remember your needs; your wants won’t kill you. Never spend money you don’t have. Finally, remember;
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Proverbs 27:22 commentary; hard to separate a fool from his foolishness
22 ¶ Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
In Proverbs we have been taught that foolishness is the opposite of knowledge.
Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
And that it is sin, not just silliness as some would use the word today.
Proverbs 24:9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, links it to madness and wickedness;
Eclesiastes 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
Eclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Look at the company it keeps, according to the Lord Jesus Christ;
Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Here, in this Proverb, a fool’s foolishness, which is clearly more than just some kind of silliness or childishness, can’t be separated from him. Remember, in context, this verse is right after a verse about seeing what a man’s true character is by how he handles praise.
John Gill points out several verses in relation to this verse, like Isaiah 1:5 and Jeremiah 5:3 concerning Judah.
Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
A fool will continue to do evil no matter how hard he is pressed or punished. He simply will not change because it is part of his nature to do what he does. A fool will not even so much as believe in God.
Psalm 14:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
This, is in spite of the fact that all existence declares the truth of God.
Psalm 19:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Romans 1:19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
He refuses to be corrected for his wickedness: his foolishness.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
If you have had the Gospel of Jesus Christ shared with you and you insist on rejecting God’s mercy and plunging willfully headlong into Hell and a burning, Christless eternity then you are a fool. If you think you are going to have eternal life with Christ on any other terms than depending on His righteousness and not your own to get to Heaven then you are a fool. If, although saved, you will not read the words of God, hear them truthfully preached, and let them change you by degrees into the person Christ wants you to be, then you are a Christian fool but a fool nonetheless. And lest the Holy Spirit of God show you mercy and break through your foolishness you will likely remain one even though you be ground up and crushed like wheat under the efforts of a mortar and pestle.
In Proverbs we have been taught that foolishness is the opposite of knowledge.
Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
And that it is sin, not just silliness as some would use the word today.
Proverbs 24:9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, links it to madness and wickedness;
Eclesiastes 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
Eclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Look at the company it keeps, according to the Lord Jesus Christ;
Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Here, in this Proverb, a fool’s foolishness, which is clearly more than just some kind of silliness or childishness, can’t be separated from him. Remember, in context, this verse is right after a verse about seeing what a man’s true character is by how he handles praise.
John Gill points out several verses in relation to this verse, like Isaiah 1:5 and Jeremiah 5:3 concerning Judah.
Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
A fool will continue to do evil no matter how hard he is pressed or punished. He simply will not change because it is part of his nature to do what he does. A fool will not even so much as believe in God.
Psalm 14:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
This, is in spite of the fact that all existence declares the truth of God.
Psalm 19:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Romans 1:19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
He refuses to be corrected for his wickedness: his foolishness.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
If you have had the Gospel of Jesus Christ shared with you and you insist on rejecting God’s mercy and plunging willfully headlong into Hell and a burning, Christless eternity then you are a fool. If you think you are going to have eternal life with Christ on any other terms than depending on His righteousness and not your own to get to Heaven then you are a fool. If, although saved, you will not read the words of God, hear them truthfully preached, and let them change you by degrees into the person Christ wants you to be, then you are a Christian fool but a fool nonetheless. And lest the Holy Spirit of God show you mercy and break through your foolishness you will likely remain one even though you be ground up and crushed like wheat under the efforts of a mortar and pestle.
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