Randy Green's Blog, page 469
August 22, 2012
Dawn in the Desert – Part 1
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship [Romans 12:1].
It is dawn in the camp of Israel out in the wilderness. The tent of meeting is prominently constructed in the center of the camp. The wall of curtains around the entire tabernacle worship structure sets apart this area from the day-to-day functions in the rest of the camp.
Around the outside of the wall of curtains are four camps:
1. the priests on the east
2. the Kohathite clan on the south
3. the Gershonite clan on the west
4. the Merarite clan on the north
These four camps encompass the entire tribe of Levi. The Levites are camped in that location according to the precise instructions of the Lord. The Levites, you see, keep the other tribes of Israel from approaching the Lord’s ministry at the bronze altar and inside the tent. The Lord chose the tribe of Levi to be His priests and ministry servants. The other Israelites were excluded by the Lord.
And speaking of the bronze altar, it was located before the doorway to the tent of meeting. Its purpose was to provide an appropriate instrument for the blood offerings which the Israelites presented to the Lord. The priests alone could sprinkle the blood on the altar. The priests alone were permitted to enter the tent to minister inside. These were the Lord’s choices, and His alone.
Well, every morning and evening a whole burnt offering was offered up on the bronze altar. These offerings were Old Testament types of the “living sacrifice” which the Apostle Paul made reference to in Romans 12:1.
But there was one significant difference to the whole burnt offerings of the Old Testament and the living sacrifices of the New. Allow me to portray a whole burnt offering, so that we may better understand this distinct difference.
Normally when an Israelite presented an offering to the Lord, he brought it to the priest at the bronze altar. He then laid his hands on the animal’s head to identify the animal as representing himself. Then the Israelite offerer slit the throat of his substitute sacrifice.
The animal, you see, represented the offerer. It died in his place. Even more, he killed himself vicariously, in acknowledgment that he is sinful and unable to approach the holy Lord. He deserved death for his sins, but he availed himself of this method of approaching the Lord, a method which the Lord Himself authorized.
In the case of the continual burnt offering which we are examining, an individual Israelite didn’t present it to the Lord. The morning and evening whole burnt offerings were on behalf of the entire congregation of Israel. So who was to lay hands on the offering and kill it then? Hmm. Now that’s a toughie.
We’ll stop and ponder the question a bit, as we sit with Jesus a while. Tomorrow we’ll share the answer. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
It is dawn in the camp of Israel out in the wilderness. The tent of meeting is prominently constructed in the center of the camp. The wall of curtains around the entire tabernacle worship structure sets apart this area from the day-to-day functions in the rest of the camp.
Around the outside of the wall of curtains are four camps:
1. the priests on the east
2. the Kohathite clan on the south
3. the Gershonite clan on the west
4. the Merarite clan on the north
These four camps encompass the entire tribe of Levi. The Levites are camped in that location according to the precise instructions of the Lord. The Levites, you see, keep the other tribes of Israel from approaching the Lord’s ministry at the bronze altar and inside the tent. The Lord chose the tribe of Levi to be His priests and ministry servants. The other Israelites were excluded by the Lord.
And speaking of the bronze altar, it was located before the doorway to the tent of meeting. Its purpose was to provide an appropriate instrument for the blood offerings which the Israelites presented to the Lord. The priests alone could sprinkle the blood on the altar. The priests alone were permitted to enter the tent to minister inside. These were the Lord’s choices, and His alone.
Well, every morning and evening a whole burnt offering was offered up on the bronze altar. These offerings were Old Testament types of the “living sacrifice” which the Apostle Paul made reference to in Romans 12:1.
But there was one significant difference to the whole burnt offerings of the Old Testament and the living sacrifices of the New. Allow me to portray a whole burnt offering, so that we may better understand this distinct difference.
Normally when an Israelite presented an offering to the Lord, he brought it to the priest at the bronze altar. He then laid his hands on the animal’s head to identify the animal as representing himself. Then the Israelite offerer slit the throat of his substitute sacrifice.
The animal, you see, represented the offerer. It died in his place. Even more, he killed himself vicariously, in acknowledgment that he is sinful and unable to approach the holy Lord. He deserved death for his sins, but he availed himself of this method of approaching the Lord, a method which the Lord Himself authorized.
In the case of the continual burnt offering which we are examining, an individual Israelite didn’t present it to the Lord. The morning and evening whole burnt offerings were on behalf of the entire congregation of Israel. So who was to lay hands on the offering and kill it then? Hmm. Now that’s a toughie.
We’ll stop and ponder the question a bit, as we sit with Jesus a while. Tomorrow we’ll share the answer. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 21, 2012
Heights and Highs – Part 5
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see LORD, we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The English Bible translates God’s personal name as “LORD” (all capital letters). The title “lord” or “master” is translated as “Lord” (only the L is capitalized).
With that understanding in mind, now read the four quotations a third time. Jehoshaphat doesn’t want to hear the false prophets proclaim so-called words from idols. He wants to hear what Yahweh has to say. Jehoshaphat is a good Hebrew. He knows there is only one real God and His name is Yahweh.
So Jehoshaphat says, “Let me hear what Yahweh has to say about us going to Ramoth-gilead.” Ahab sends for his false prophets, who claim their “master” (“Lord”) says… Jehoshaphat insists to Ahab that the supposed words of idols won’t suffice for him. Get him a prophet of Yahweh to speak. Micaiah obliges by proclaiming the Word of Yahweh to Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.
Now be honest. Knowing this distinction between “LORD” and “Lord” as used in the English translations of the Bible, doesn’t the tale of Micaiah ben Imlah come alive so much more? We can better understand the Old Testament interaction between the prophets of the LORD and the false prophets, when we look for these distinctive signs.
But there is something more we must needs emphasize about this distinction. The Lord revealed His personal name to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai. He did so because Moses was to return to Egypt and be the Lord’s prophet, as He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land.
This plan of the Lord was the fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant. A covenant is a personal relationship between the Lord and another or others, in this case Abraham’s progeny, the Israelites. A personal relationship entails knowing a person’s personal name. Hence when we see LORD, we should train ourselves to immediately recognize that covenant and personal relationship is involved.
Ahab and all those who practice idolatry are out of relationship with the LORD. They don’t know Him personally, so using His personal name is awkward and inappropriate on their part.
His name is higher than any other. Even though Ramoth-gilead was the heights of Gilead, God’s personal name is far far higher than Ramoth. We cannot rise higher than the name Jesus, dear friends. His name is special. It is precious. His name along with He Himself is HIGH above all else.
Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally? If you don’t, it is inappropriate for you to use His personal name, and it should be awkward to you if you did so.
I know the solution. Why not call on the Lord Jesus right this moment? Confess your sins to Him, ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord. Then spend time alone with Him daily, reading and musing over His Word and talking to Him in prayer. You’ll get to know Him real well in no time flat. And you’ll never be the same again.
So what are you waiting for already?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 20, 2012
Heights and Highs – Part 4
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Lord’s prophet Micaiah warned King Ahab that he would die at Ramoth-gilead, if he went there to conduct war against Aram. But that smug idolater didn’t care what the Lord had to say about anything.
So off to Ramoth-gilead went Ahab and Jehoshaphat, leading their armies to the battle field. Now here’s where Halloween comes into the story. Ahab donned a disguise so that the Aramean soldiers wouldn’t recognize him as the king. He told Jehoshaphat to impersonate him, and Jehoshaphat was dufus enough to do so! Didn’t exactly flatter him, did he?
All the disguises in the world couldn’t thwart the Word of God. The Lord pronounced through Micaiah that Ahab would die on the heights of Gilead, so die Ahab must. The Aramean soldiers saw Jehoshaphat bedecked in his kingly garb and mistook him for Ahab. But try as they might, they failed to kill or even wound Jehoshaphat.
On the other hand, Ahab went into the battle looking like…well, not like a king, let’s put it that way. So the Aramean soldiers didn’t pay Ahab any mind. It didn’t affect God’s plan one iota though. By accident an Aramean archer shot his arrow and killed Ahab! The Word of the Lord came true, as we should know it always does.
Now I want to bring out a point of import from the story, one which the average English reader wouldn’t notice. But it bears the utmost importance in Biblical teaching, so we mustn’t miss it. This point has to do with the words spoken by Jehoshaphat and the true prophet Micaiah on the one hand, and by the false prophets on the other.
King Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
The false prophets claimed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Jehoshaphat didn’t like what Ahab’s false prophets said, so he rejoined, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
Then Micaiah declared, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD.”
Read those four quotations again, except very slowly. Do you see the difference in who they prayed to? Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the Word of the “LORD”. The false prophets spoke the word of the “Lord”. Micaiah proclaimed the Word of the “LORD”.
In the English Bible when you see the word “lord” in all capital letters (“LORD”), in the original Hebrew it is the actual name of God. God’s personal name is YHWH (aka Yahweh or Jehovah). The word “lord” with only the first letter capitalized (“Lord”) is not a name at all. It is a title which means “lord” or “master”.
Hmm. Interesting tidbits those. Except they’re not tidbits at all, and tomorrow we’ll learn why. For now let’s enjoy time alone with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 19, 2012
Heights and Highs – Part 3
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Ahab could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from a prophet of the LORD. King Ahab had no choice but to send for Micaiah, even though he hated the dude. So he dispatched the guards to the dungeon to fetch Micaiah from his jail cell. Before the guard left though, King Ahab bent over and whispered in the guard’s ear, “Be sure to warn him in no uncertain terms that he had best agree with what my own prophets have proclaimed.”
So the guards fetched Micaiah ben Imlah, the Lord’s prophet, from the dungeon and read him the riot act. Standing before the two august kings, Micaiah spoke the words of a sycophant…but he did so with the utmost sarcasm. “Go, O King Ahab, to Ramoth-gilead. The Lord gives it to you, like your toadies said.”
King Ahab snapped at him, “I told you to never tell me lies, Mike! Let’s hear the truth.”
So Micaiah ben Imlah gave him the unadulterated Word of God, “I saw all Israel on the heights of Gilead, wandering about without a shepherd.” Uh, the shepherd of Israel was old King Ahab. That didn’t sound to promising for the king’s longevity.
“See!” Ahab bellowed at Jehoshaphat. “I told you he never says anything good about me. Not even by accident! Why’d you have to ruin a perfectly good day by insisting on hearing from him anyway?”
Micaiah wasn’t finished with the Word of the Lord yet. He added,
I saw the throne room of God in heaven. The angels were gathered around the throne, and the Lord asked, “Who will go and convince King Ahab to march off to Ramoth to face his death there?”
Well, one angel had this idea and another angel had a different one. They couldn’t seem to come up with a plausible plan. Then this other angel stepped forward and boldly declared to the Lord, “I’ll do it!”
The Lord wanted to know the angel’s plan, so the angel told him, “I’ll go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab’s false prophets. He always listens to them because they always say what he wants to hear.”
The Lord responded, “Go. You’ll certainly succeed with that plan.”
Now be sure to take in the scenario in the throne room of Ahab in Samaria. There were the 400 false prophets and there was Micaiah, the lone true prophet. Did you catch what he said about all 400 of those rascals? Could you be so bold and audacious as to confront 400 deceivers and denounce their deception? Only the Lord Himself inside Ahab could instill such confidence, that Micaiah didn’t even flinch when the false prophets attacked him.
King Ahab ordered Micaiah sent back to the dungeon, and to be left there with his needs unattended to until Ahab returned from Ramoth. Micaiah got off a parting shot, “If you ever return from Ramoth, then the Lord didn’t speak through me!” Folks, that is holy boldness in the extreme!
And that spells a fine time to call it a day. We’ll return to this spot on the morrow. Now let’s betake ourselves to the prayer closet.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Heights and Highs – Part 2
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
King Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go with him to Ramoth-gilead, so as to take back his territory from the king of Aram. That king was a bad dude, you see, so Ahab wanted some moral support…and some extra fire power on Jehoshaphat’s part.
And that is where King Jehoshaphat entered the story. He was visiting his buddy Ahab at his palace in Samaria. King Ahab decided to take advantage of the opportunity by putting Jehoshaphat on the spot.
Hey, Josh! Now that you’re here, maybe you can give me a hand. That no good sidewinder in Damascus is occupying my territory in Gilead at Ramoth. I want it back. Care to come along with me and take it away from him?
Jehoshaphat was on the spot. If he declined he’d look like a scaredy-cat. The alternative was to go fight Ahab’s war for him. Hard choice, huh? Not! Jehoshaphat didn’t want anyone to think he was a wuss, so he jumped right into the fray like a real dufus.
Yes, by all means. Let’s go kick the scalawag’s heinie and take back Ramoth-gilead! But first let’s consult the Lord. Let the prophets give us His Word about the matter.
Well, back in the day folks knew better than to get on the king’s wrong side. Any self-styled prophet who wanted a life worth living knew to tell the king what he wanted to hear…or else! So Ahab’s four hundred flunkeys gathered in the throne room before the two kings. “O King. Go up to Ramoth and take back what is yours. The Lord gives the king of Aram into your hands. You’re the man!”
But wait a sec! King Jehoshaphat didn’t much fancy those smarmy pagan prophets. They didn’t speak the Word of God. They uttered their own malarkey in the name of the heathen idols. So Jehoshaphat waxed bold and objected,
Hold your horses, Nellie, er, I mean Ahab! I want to hear the Word of the Lord, not the words of man under pretense of being words of the gods. Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord in Samaria?
Ahab was taken aback by Jehoshaphat’s rebuttal. He was used to seeing the king of Judah playing the role of yes-man to him. So Ahab was a bit slow in responding. He had to compose himself first, so as not to lay the lumber to Jehoshaphat for his display of temerity.
Oh, of course. I almost forgot. You’re from Judah and they like to worship the Lord down there. Up here we prefer our own gods. Well, in answer to your inquiry, yes, there is still one prophet of the Lord left in my kingdom…unfortunately. But I hate to give him a pulpit because he never says one good thing about me. He always castigates me and banishes me to the deepest, darkest recesses of the nether world. But for you I will allow him to speak…but just this once! Guards! Go fetch that worthless Micaiah from the dungeon and bring him here at once.
Awkward for Ahab? Yes. But even more so for Jehoshaphat, who should never have had such close involvements with an idolater like Ahab. The Law of Moses specifically forbade it, but Jehoshaphat was a slow learner.
We’ll continue this theme in our next study. Jesus requests our presence now. Let’s not keep Him waiting.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 17, 2012
Heights and Highs – Part 1
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” [1 Kings 22:5-7]
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living their know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Every year on October 31 masses of folks across America don costumes and pretend to be somebody they are not. Usually they don’t feign being a prominent contemporary figure. Most often they disguise themselves as a fictional character, say, for example, Frankenstein or Snow White. Famous historical personages receive their share of the attention too, like Napoléon or Caesar.
This annual rite of passage for the adolescent and the adolescent-at-heart goes by the name “Halloween”. The adolescents parade the streets, going from door to door with a big sack in their hands. When residents answer their doorbell, they are greeted with kiddies shouting, “Trick or treat!” If the folks living their know which side their bread is buttered on, they had best drop a copious supply of treats in the bag. Otherwise they might well discover a trick the following morning.
The adolescents-at-heart don’t practice the same routine. They prefer to gather at some party location and have an extravaganza. Each person there wants to receive special attention for his/her costume. To be the talk of the town is a prize highly coveted by adolescent hearts, it seems.
1 Kings 22 narrates a true historical account. The story revolves around six cast members, with miscellaneous supportive cast members tossed in for good measure. The six major members of the cast are these:
1. Yahweh (aka YHWH or Jehovah)
2. the Lord
3. King Ahab of Israel
4. King Jehoshaphat of Judah
5. Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh
6. the prophets of the Lord
It seems old King Cole, er, I mean old King Ahab felt cheated by the king of Aram (Damascus). When the Israelites conquered the entire east bank lands under Moses’ leadership, the land of Gilead was included in the spoils of war. An area in the far northeastern part of Gilead known as Ramoth was a part of Israel’s domain.
Well, around three years prior, the King of Aram beat up on Israel and seized Ramoth-gilead. The name Ramoth-gilead means “the heights of Gilead” or “the high places of Gilead”. A “high place” refers to a lofty location where heathen idolatry was practiced.
Anyway, King Ahab wanted Ramoth back. He didn’t much relish the mortification of being a toady to the king of Aram. That bully came into his yard and stole something of his, and he was determined to get it back and give the bully a black eye in the process. Trouble was, the king of Aram was a bully because he was one of the big kids on the block. So giving him a black eye wasn’t going to be so easy.
We’ll find out what Ahab did about it in our next study. In the interim why not enjoy fellowship with the Lord?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 16, 2012
A Clarion Call – Part 6
In the last days…men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…haters of good, treacherous…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these…who…captivate weak women weighed down with sins…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [2 Timothy 3:1-7].
As a society and even as Christians we’ve relegated the Bible to the back burner at best. Hence we have women and children leading us, setting the standards by which we are to live if we don’t want to be considered a failure. We love pleasure when we should love God. And, yes, pleasure and God are pretty much at odds, when it comes to the reality of daily living.
Ergo, we go into the Christian community and come face to face with folks who are “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power”. They get this way because they are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.
The truth is to be culled from the Bible. When the Christian community shuns daily Bible reading—and I mean Bible reading, not parts-of-the-Bible reading—how are they to come to a knowledge of the truth? Oh, they can learn all right, learn man’s words and doctrines and soapbox issues. But the truth is not attained anywhere but from the Bible.
Without the truth they build humongous cathedrals, sit in the pews twice and thrice weekly, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, be nice to their workmates, and help little old ladies cross the street—but this is no more than “holding to a form of godliness”. Real “godliness” is not a form. It is a heart condition which grows outward fruit, viz., good works. Forms of godliness only show supposed fruit without having the heart condition.
So with Christians shunning the Bible and embracing man’s words and works in its place, the heart condition is eliminated and the form alone remains. Voilà! church services today, with their programs and activities and manmade contrivances.
I wish this wasn’t the reality, dear friends. I really do. I have to live in the worldly mess right along with all of you. Alas, but it is spiritual reality today. We have become an antichrist society, and God’s witness via the Christians has been conformed to the world. No light, no salt, no Christ is given out to the world. Manmade ideas of right and wrong and good and bad have replaced them.
And small wonder. The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. But the Bible has been lost in the temple, and no one even knows it’s missing! A clarion call to arms goes out to would-be spiritual leaders. The trumpet soundeth:
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn [Isaiah 8:20].
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
As a society and even as Christians we’ve relegated the Bible to the back burner at best. Hence we have women and children leading us, setting the standards by which we are to live if we don’t want to be considered a failure. We love pleasure when we should love God. And, yes, pleasure and God are pretty much at odds, when it comes to the reality of daily living.
Ergo, we go into the Christian community and come face to face with folks who are “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power”. They get this way because they are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.
The truth is to be culled from the Bible. When the Christian community shuns daily Bible reading—and I mean Bible reading, not parts-of-the-Bible reading—how are they to come to a knowledge of the truth? Oh, they can learn all right, learn man’s words and doctrines and soapbox issues. But the truth is not attained anywhere but from the Bible.
Without the truth they build humongous cathedrals, sit in the pews twice and thrice weekly, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, be nice to their workmates, and help little old ladies cross the street—but this is no more than “holding to a form of godliness”. Real “godliness” is not a form. It is a heart condition which grows outward fruit, viz., good works. Forms of godliness only show supposed fruit without having the heart condition.
So with Christians shunning the Bible and embracing man’s words and works in its place, the heart condition is eliminated and the form alone remains. Voilà! church services today, with their programs and activities and manmade contrivances.
I wish this wasn’t the reality, dear friends. I really do. I have to live in the worldly mess right along with all of you. Alas, but it is spiritual reality today. We have become an antichrist society, and God’s witness via the Christians has been conformed to the world. No light, no salt, no Christ is given out to the world. Manmade ideas of right and wrong and good and bad have replaced them.
And small wonder. The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. But the Bible has been lost in the temple, and no one even knows it’s missing! A clarion call to arms goes out to would-be spiritual leaders. The trumpet soundeth:
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn [Isaiah 8:20].
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 15, 2012
A Clarion Call – Part 5
In the last days…men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…haters of good, treacherous…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these…who…captivate weak women weighed down with sins…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [2 Timothy 3:1-7].
Not long ago society knew responsibilities. We knew not to disturb the neighbors just because we wanted to do something. We put society and others first and fit in. We knew right and wrong because the Bible taught us right and wrong. But no longer.
I’m being serious, dear friends. Nowadays most people don’t recognize right and wrong, and this includes the authorities! If anyone complains about disturbances of the peace, they are complainers. The criminal becomes the victim and the victim the criminal.
This is the season of the witch! It proves we’ve lost all semblance of Bible reality in our society, and the Christians fall right into the same pattern of behaviors too. Paul refers to this behavior by the phrase “lovers of self”. Biblical love gives. Worldly “love” takes.
Not long ago our society thought in terms of others, and this is known as “responsibilities”. The concept of responsibilities leads us to give. Today’s society thinks in terms of “I-me-mine”, and this expresses itself as “rights”. The concept of rights leads us to take.
Paul’s list is extensive and more than we can expound upon in this venue. It would be a good spiritual exercise for each of us to read each behavior and attitude, then weigh its application in today’s society. Let us draw from our conclusions examples of how we are conformed to the world. Finally let us determine to be in prayer about this, conducting spiritual warfare with vim and vigor to overcome these worldly behaviors and mindset in our lives.
If we will have any success in reviving our society—and if we don’t we’ll degenerate into an utter socialist train wreck in a generation or two—but to succeed we must grow into mature men and women of God. We need Biblical spiritual leadership, not doctrinal carnal leadership. Man’s words brought us to our present unspiritual condition. We must flee from man’s words and embrace the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Not convinced? Read another of Paul’s worldly behaviors: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. Our kids today think they are entitled to an easy, comfy life. Society owes it to them, and the parents had better produce. And we parents have swallowed this antichrist sentiment hook, line, and sinker! We go on guilt trips if our sweet, little child can’t keep up with the Joneses. Oh, the poor dear. Pooh pooh… I’ll bet he is scarred for life, never again to be heard from in cultured society.
Methinks the Lord would prefer we raise the little tyke to know Him, to teach him to feed on the Bible daily and talk to Him in prayer. The worldly things are secondary, a remote and distant secondary at that. But we put worldly success up front. We’ve done this for so long that we don’t know any different. We’ve reached the point where the Bible just isn’t relevant, so why waste time reading it?
A sad note on which to finish the song. Praise the Lord! It’s not the finish. The fat lady hasn’t finished singing yet. We’ll look for a ray of hope in our next study. Here comes Jesus now. Won’t you let Him in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Not long ago society knew responsibilities. We knew not to disturb the neighbors just because we wanted to do something. We put society and others first and fit in. We knew right and wrong because the Bible taught us right and wrong. But no longer.
I’m being serious, dear friends. Nowadays most people don’t recognize right and wrong, and this includes the authorities! If anyone complains about disturbances of the peace, they are complainers. The criminal becomes the victim and the victim the criminal.
This is the season of the witch! It proves we’ve lost all semblance of Bible reality in our society, and the Christians fall right into the same pattern of behaviors too. Paul refers to this behavior by the phrase “lovers of self”. Biblical love gives. Worldly “love” takes.
Not long ago our society thought in terms of others, and this is known as “responsibilities”. The concept of responsibilities leads us to give. Today’s society thinks in terms of “I-me-mine”, and this expresses itself as “rights”. The concept of rights leads us to take.
Paul’s list is extensive and more than we can expound upon in this venue. It would be a good spiritual exercise for each of us to read each behavior and attitude, then weigh its application in today’s society. Let us draw from our conclusions examples of how we are conformed to the world. Finally let us determine to be in prayer about this, conducting spiritual warfare with vim and vigor to overcome these worldly behaviors and mindset in our lives.
If we will have any success in reviving our society—and if we don’t we’ll degenerate into an utter socialist train wreck in a generation or two—but to succeed we must grow into mature men and women of God. We need Biblical spiritual leadership, not doctrinal carnal leadership. Man’s words brought us to our present unspiritual condition. We must flee from man’s words and embrace the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Not convinced? Read another of Paul’s worldly behaviors: “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. Our kids today think they are entitled to an easy, comfy life. Society owes it to them, and the parents had better produce. And we parents have swallowed this antichrist sentiment hook, line, and sinker! We go on guilt trips if our sweet, little child can’t keep up with the Joneses. Oh, the poor dear. Pooh pooh… I’ll bet he is scarred for life, never again to be heard from in cultured society.
Methinks the Lord would prefer we raise the little tyke to know Him, to teach him to feed on the Bible daily and talk to Him in prayer. The worldly things are secondary, a remote and distant secondary at that. But we put worldly success up front. We’ve done this for so long that we don’t know any different. We’ve reached the point where the Bible just isn’t relevant, so why waste time reading it?
A sad note on which to finish the song. Praise the Lord! It’s not the finish. The fat lady hasn’t finished singing yet. We’ll look for a ray of hope in our next study. Here comes Jesus now. Won’t you let Him in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 14, 2012
A Clarion Call – Part 4
In the last days…men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…haters of good, treacherous…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these…who…captivate weak women weighed down with sins…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [2 Timothy 3:1-7].
Snowballs plummeting down a mountain slope? You are wondering what all this has to do with 2 Timothy 3, aren’t you? Well, my daily living brings me into contact with a world full of folks who are living according to the patterns and behaviors expressed in the first seven verses of 2 Timothy 3. We are indeed in the last days, and the reality smacks me in the face daily.
Alas, but the folks who display this to me—and I don’t mean the non-Christians because they are expected to act this way—but the Christians who display the behaviors and attitudes enumerated by Paul, they haven’t a clue that they are replicas of the devil’s kids, and often down to the most minute detail! They might had a born again experience several decades ago, but they still live in a spiritual nursery, lying in a spiritual crib, and crying to be fed and have their diapers changed.
Babies in the crib, you realize, don’t know they are babies in a crib. They don’t know the difference. They are only behaving naturally. In rebirth we become newborns in a crib. We need spiritually mature mom’s and dad’s to rear us to spiritual adulthood, else we remain spiritual babes in a crib for decades until the Lord brings us home. And what a wasted life that is!
Here’s the problem we face today—and let me be quite frank about this, as a prophet speaking the truth in love. What happens when the Christian community is parented by babies in a crib? What happens when “capricious children will rule over them” (Isaiah 3:4) and “women rule over them” (Isaiah 3:12)?
Isaiah’s words pronounced God’s judgment on a sinning nation. Israel’s sin was that she deserted the Lord her God by ignoring His Word and doing what seemed right in her own eyes. So the Lord left her to her own devices. Since the Lord established male leadership, the first thing to transpire when God’s Word is rejected is for women and children to be the rulers.
Voilà! the good ol’ USA of today! And the behaviors and attitudes Paul enumerated in 2 Timothy 3 are the norm in our society too. For example, once upon a time in a far away land—not! I was just funning you a bit. Not long ago in our society it was normal to consider our actions in terms of society and the neighbors.
If I wanted to blast the stereo, I knew it was wrong to do so in the middle of the night or with it so loud that it disturbed the neighbors. The same applied if I wanted to have dogs. If the dogs barked they needed to stay inside, or else I needed to train them not to bark. If I wanted to build a patio out the back door or repair an automobile engine in the driveway, I knew better than to do so at 2:00 AM.
Let’s pause here and betake ourselves to the prayer closet for a fine time alone with Jesus. See you in our next study.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Snowballs plummeting down a mountain slope? You are wondering what all this has to do with 2 Timothy 3, aren’t you? Well, my daily living brings me into contact with a world full of folks who are living according to the patterns and behaviors expressed in the first seven verses of 2 Timothy 3. We are indeed in the last days, and the reality smacks me in the face daily.
Alas, but the folks who display this to me—and I don’t mean the non-Christians because they are expected to act this way—but the Christians who display the behaviors and attitudes enumerated by Paul, they haven’t a clue that they are replicas of the devil’s kids, and often down to the most minute detail! They might had a born again experience several decades ago, but they still live in a spiritual nursery, lying in a spiritual crib, and crying to be fed and have their diapers changed.
Babies in the crib, you realize, don’t know they are babies in a crib. They don’t know the difference. They are only behaving naturally. In rebirth we become newborns in a crib. We need spiritually mature mom’s and dad’s to rear us to spiritual adulthood, else we remain spiritual babes in a crib for decades until the Lord brings us home. And what a wasted life that is!
Here’s the problem we face today—and let me be quite frank about this, as a prophet speaking the truth in love. What happens when the Christian community is parented by babies in a crib? What happens when “capricious children will rule over them” (Isaiah 3:4) and “women rule over them” (Isaiah 3:12)?
Isaiah’s words pronounced God’s judgment on a sinning nation. Israel’s sin was that she deserted the Lord her God by ignoring His Word and doing what seemed right in her own eyes. So the Lord left her to her own devices. Since the Lord established male leadership, the first thing to transpire when God’s Word is rejected is for women and children to be the rulers.
Voilà! the good ol’ USA of today! And the behaviors and attitudes Paul enumerated in 2 Timothy 3 are the norm in our society too. For example, once upon a time in a far away land—not! I was just funning you a bit. Not long ago in our society it was normal to consider our actions in terms of society and the neighbors.
If I wanted to blast the stereo, I knew it was wrong to do so in the middle of the night or with it so loud that it disturbed the neighbors. The same applied if I wanted to have dogs. If the dogs barked they needed to stay inside, or else I needed to train them not to bark. If I wanted to build a patio out the back door or repair an automobile engine in the driveway, I knew better than to do so at 2:00 AM.
Let’s pause here and betake ourselves to the prayer closet for a fine time alone with Jesus. See you in our next study.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
August 13, 2012
A Clarion Call – Part 3
In the last days…men will be lovers of self, lovers of money…disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…haters of good, treacherous…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these…who…captivate weak women weighed down with sins…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [2 Timothy 3:1-7].
When I was born again I chose not to read books about the Bible, but to read only the Bible. Accordingly I read the entire Bible in my first year of rebirth. It was the King James Version because I grew up on it and knew that version was accepted by everyone as a good translation. After that I read the Bible through every year at least once, and most years at least twice. For half of those years I read the Bible through three and four times a year.
So I’ve read the entire Bible over one hundred times now. This doesn’t include reading portions of the Bible as quoted in commentaries and other books. Nor does it take into account reading the Greek New Testament six or seven times and the Hebrew Old Testament considerably. Neither does it include Bible reading where I spend time with Jesus in prayer, and meditate on portions of the good Word of God while sitting at His feet.
I don’t state this to gain clout, or as a status symbol. I don’t win any brownie points for reading the Bible! I read the Bible because it is spiritual food. The new life we receive when we are born again needs to be fed, just as our natural bodies need natural food daily, even thrice daily, to stay healthy and grow.
So I note my Bible reading to tell you that I have stopped thinking in terms of the evening news, or in terms of movies and TV shows. I don’t see the world the way most folks I encounter see the world.
This is readily apparent to me in most of the conversations and comments I share with others. Most of mankind is under the mind control of the evil one. Man has lost the reality of the Bible and gone to feeding in the scorched earth pastures of the world and its prince, the devil.
Daily I am beleaguered by worldly behaviors and thinking, yea, even by Christians, self-professed Bible-believing Christians. These kind folks do things and say things contrary to the express teachings of the Bible, and they haven’t a clue they are being anti-biblical because they are conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).
When a Christian doesn’t feed daily on the spiritual food of the Bible, eating all the food God places on the table from Genesis through Revelation, then he is malnourished, anemic, spiritually enervated. The world and its thinking dominate him and make it even harder for him to read the Bible or schedule time to be alone with Jesus.
This has a snowball effect, rolling down the mountain at increasing speeds and growing bigger with each revolution, until all that exists is the snowball. The snowball is the old way of life, the sin nature which focuses on self and enjoying its own pleasures.
Snowballs are fun when we have a handful of snow in our mits. But a humongous uncontrollable mass of snow plummeting down the mountain slope? Now that is an entirely different matter! We will continue our study tomorrow. Greet Jesus and allow Him to refresh you today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When I was born again I chose not to read books about the Bible, but to read only the Bible. Accordingly I read the entire Bible in my first year of rebirth. It was the King James Version because I grew up on it and knew that version was accepted by everyone as a good translation. After that I read the Bible through every year at least once, and most years at least twice. For half of those years I read the Bible through three and four times a year.
So I’ve read the entire Bible over one hundred times now. This doesn’t include reading portions of the Bible as quoted in commentaries and other books. Nor does it take into account reading the Greek New Testament six or seven times and the Hebrew Old Testament considerably. Neither does it include Bible reading where I spend time with Jesus in prayer, and meditate on portions of the good Word of God while sitting at His feet.
I don’t state this to gain clout, or as a status symbol. I don’t win any brownie points for reading the Bible! I read the Bible because it is spiritual food. The new life we receive when we are born again needs to be fed, just as our natural bodies need natural food daily, even thrice daily, to stay healthy and grow.
So I note my Bible reading to tell you that I have stopped thinking in terms of the evening news, or in terms of movies and TV shows. I don’t see the world the way most folks I encounter see the world.
This is readily apparent to me in most of the conversations and comments I share with others. Most of mankind is under the mind control of the evil one. Man has lost the reality of the Bible and gone to feeding in the scorched earth pastures of the world and its prince, the devil.
Daily I am beleaguered by worldly behaviors and thinking, yea, even by Christians, self-professed Bible-believing Christians. These kind folks do things and say things contrary to the express teachings of the Bible, and they haven’t a clue they are being anti-biblical because they are conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).
When a Christian doesn’t feed daily on the spiritual food of the Bible, eating all the food God places on the table from Genesis through Revelation, then he is malnourished, anemic, spiritually enervated. The world and its thinking dominate him and make it even harder for him to read the Bible or schedule time to be alone with Jesus.
This has a snowball effect, rolling down the mountain at increasing speeds and growing bigger with each revolution, until all that exists is the snowball. The snowball is the old way of life, the sin nature which focuses on self and enjoying its own pleasures.
Snowballs are fun when we have a handful of snow in our mits. But a humongous uncontrollable mass of snow plummeting down the mountain slope? Now that is an entirely different matter! We will continue our study tomorrow. Greet Jesus and allow Him to refresh you today.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
