Thursday, September 30, 2010
One Year Bible - September 22
ISAIAH 39:1 - 41:16
CASING THE JOINT: The King of Babylon came ostensibly to bring a congratulatory gift to King H. They were "casing the joint" (looking to see what was worth stealing - where the escape routes were, the best way to break in, etc.) FLATTERY is deceitful and a trap. It is like counterfeit money. It looks good, but you can't spend it. And so, King H. showed them "all that is in my house....my treasures."
PEACE AT LAST! Peace comes about as the result of righteous judgment and then war against UN-righteousness. Chapters 1-39 were the OT portion of Isaiah and discussed God's judgment of sin. Chapter 40 begins the restoration process - not in the Last Days, but in the Kingdom of God (which is Bible-talk for manifest the Presence of God.) It also foreshadows the "day of Jesus Christ" - the NT days which began with the appearance of John the Baptist, "the voice crying in the wilderness". Restoration comes about as a result of repentance.
BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY: In Revelation, it is revealed that Babylon is a type of the world-spirit of antichristians, led by "the kings of the earth". Coming out of Babylon is not the same as coming out of Egypt. It is the difference between bondage (Egypt) and captivity (Babylon). Egypt represents being a slave to sin and is a result of being "in Adam" - having a sin nature. Babylon represents being in exile in sin and is the result of sinning. (deeds, not nature). We are released from Egypt by the Blood, and from Babylon by the Word of Truth. We leave Egypt by faith, and we leave Babylon by obedience. This is important because Isaiah is writing with the full knowledge that they are about to be dragged off to Babylon in captivity because of their sinning and idolatry.
BUT THERE IS HOPE: Being confronted by our own sinfulness and failure, our hope is that God will rescue and restore the REMNANT who cling to Him. "Double for all her sins" - Exo and Deut show us that a thief repaid double in restitution. The goal: is v.5 - that God's glory be revealed so everyone can see it. "Glory" is the revelation of full potential. (Michael Jordan is in "his full glory" on the basketball court.) Just think what God's "full glory" looks like! All God's potential - - - we see it all the time, but just don't realize it.
"PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD": Hindrances must be removed through REPENTANCE and SANCTIFICATION. Part of the preparation for Jesus to come (in 4 BC and even now into our circumstances), is the declaration that the Word of God is everlasting and never changes. It can be trusted. Circumstances can changed quickly, but not God. Whatever God says can be absolutely relied on, despite appearances to the contrary.
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! He is the Great and Mighty Creator. He did not need to consult anyone about any of it! God alone is the Originator of knowledge and justice. "All nations are before Him as nothing...." Other so-called deity can't even be compared to God. (NOTE: Isaiah said God sits "upon the circle of the earth". This was Christopher Columbus' proof Scripture in a time when man believed the earth was flat.) When we feel forsaken by God and that we will never be avenged of injustice, remember this: God will strengthen us and we shall remain in the race. God is our inexhaustible power and strength Source. He never sleeps. He sees it all, He knows it all, and He makes us a powerhouse when we need it. To those who "wait on the Lord." (WAIT = firmly and aggressively anticipate God's action; intentionally wrapping ourselves into God's Presence.)
CHALLENGE TO GOD'S ENEMY: (enemy nations and their so-called gods) (V.4) God is God alone, first and last. (V. 8) Israel is His servant and under His protection. They are descendents of Abraham, God's Friend (who was called out of idolatry). God brought Abraham out of Babylon, and He will bring us out too. He has not rejected us. I may be a "worm", but God will still help me. (V. 10) shows how tenderly God reassures us. The Amplified Bible says that God "will harden you to difficulties." God will cause the nations (the devil, the flesh, the world) to be afraid of us. Every hunger and thirst will be satisfied by God Himself. Other "gods" are impotent, ignorant, uncaring, unfeeling. They are "nothing". God's power is irresistible and all opposition will fall before Him. He has infallible foresight. Anything else (substitutes, idols) is "all vanity" - empty, unable to satisfy, unable to do any of the things God does.
RESPONSE: King H. did something stupid. But God "bailed him out". Often I have to repent and ask God to help me out of my hole. I talk too much, say things I wish I hadn't, make faces I shouldn't have, ignored little stuff that grieves the Holy Spirit. But God continues to bail me out because I am the "Seed of Abraham, GOD'S FRIEND".
EPHESIANS 1:1-23
EPHESIANS should probably have been the first book of the Bible because it tells what God was thinking before He created the foundations of the earth. It is all about God Himself, His Will, His Eternal Purpose and His Counsel. JESUS IS THE CENTRAL THEME. Jesus is shown as the Head of the Church (chap 1), the Head of the Temple (chap 2), the Head of the Family (chap 3), the Head of the Body (chap 4), the Head of the Bride (chap 5), the Head of the Army (Chap 6). These units are all definitions of the Church for whom Jesus died, and through whom He expresses Himself.
"Spiritual blessings in heavenly places." "Spiritual" because they come to us via the Holy Spirit: forgiveness of sins, access to the Father, purification and perfection, hope. They are outcomes of the heavenly depths: the Divine will of God and the Divine wealth of God.
"HEAVENLY PLACES": This is not talking about the "by-and-by". It is speaking of the invisible Presence of God NOW. It is where Jesus' throne is (1:20-23), far above the second heaven where the "principality and powers" are located. This "heavenly places" is also called the "third heaven" in 2 Cor 12:2-4, and "paradise". The "principalities and powers" of Eph 6:12 occupy the first and second heavens. The first heaven is the "cosmos" - the temporary order of the world, and it hates God. Jesus has forever cleansed the 3rd heaven with His advent and ascension (Rev 12:10; Luke 10:18; John 16:11). With Jesus Christ's victory, Satan was judged, defeated, cast down and his kingdom put into irreversible defeat (Luke 11:21-22; 1 John 3:8; John 12:31). The rending of the veil exposed Satan's original lie against God's character; it became plain to see that God had withheld nothing from man! The war in heaven is over. The war on earth is strictly a defensive move by Satan. It is not that Satan is powerless; but that his assault on Jesus was a failure. It is our assignment as believers to follow Jesus as His kingdom comes on earth (NOW, through prayer) - and "occupy til He comes". (Luke 19:13)
TO KNOW THREE THINGS:
(1) "THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING: This is the hope of "the Life" to which God summons us, characterized by union with the Father through Jesus; and the completeness (fullness, perfection) of that Life because of faith in the revealed Truth of the Gospel. This hope stimulates the effort to cling to God in union.
(2) "THE INHERITANCE": God inherited us, and we inherit God. We belong to one another. We obtain our inheritance in a practical way through obedience, worship, and transformation in this life. This is also how we express belonging to God. We lay hold of Him and He lays hold of us through our obedience, worship and transformation.
(3) "THE IMMEASURABLE POWER WORKING IN US": Because of the bond between the Head and the Body, the bond between the Head and the Bride, between the Head and the Church, between the Vine and its Branches - we are knit together as One, in such a way that what One is, the other is also. We know that power by personal experience because we have experienced it as it surges and rejoices into our abysmal emptiness. We have felt its force when we are weak. We should NEVER doubt the greatness of God's power at work in us.
RESPONSE: I sure am glad I went to Bible college! I know just enough to be glad I don't have to know it all right now in order to experience it. We have access to so much more than we take advantage of. God is so good.
PSALM 66:1-20
AFFLICTION: The Bible deals with the topic of affliction more than any other topic. The purpose of affliction is to "mortify" (Col 3:5 - kill) and to "crucify" (Gal 5:24 - to impale on a cross in death) the flesh. Affliction should cause us to die to self and live to God. Earthly desires must be replaced with yearnings for the Kingdom of God, then you "forget what lies behind you". (Phil 3:13) God's goal is not our happiness, but our holiness - that He might express His life in us and through us. We forfeit our lives and receive His Life and His nature. . V. 12 says that when we have gone through fire and through water (Num 31:23, we come out into a wealthy place of abundant, full, and overflowing satisfaction.
PROVERBS 23:25-28
There is no better way to make your parents happy than to walk with the Lord and live in His Presence. There is no quicker way to damn yourself than to fall for prostitutes or adulteresses.
RESPONSE: Like I always say, "you can come easy or you can come hard". Once we belong to God, He has ways of getting what He wants from us - for His glory and our good, of course. And "let me tell you what He has done for my soul". When I repent and quit "cherishing iniquity in my heart"(quit indulging it and making provision to carry it out, treating iniquity as a friend) - then God hears my prayers and shows mercy on me. "Blessed be God" - even tho it was me who repented, it was GOD Who heard me by His grace.
Monday, September 27, 2010
One Year Bible - September 21
ISAIAH 37:1 - 38:22
IN "THE DAY OF TROUBLE": There is always a REMNANT of righteous believers. God will move for them. "The children have come to birth"... All King Hezekiah's scheming of the past has come to haunt him. He has already lost the treasures he gave Assyria in an attempt to hold them off. He has lost several cities, and even people have been carried off. He has nothing left. He is ready to trust God now.
I'M TELLING GOD ON YOU! God had already told Isaiah that He would take care of the problem, and Isaiah passed that on to King H. A rumor caused the King of Assyria to go home, and he was killed there later. When King H. got a letter from the enemy, it was the last straw for him. He took the letter and spread it out in front of God and told God to read it! The Assyrians had already destroyed other lands and other gods. Their letter blasphemed Jehovah and claimed to be able to destroy Him too! So God should destroy the Assyrians to protect His own reputation!
GOD'S ANSWER: The Assyrians have overstepped; they were great only because God made them great. Now they would be destroyed because of their arrogance. God would put a hook in their nose and drag them home. All this in fulfillment of God's own plan! God's plans don't revolve around any of us. They revolve around Himself and His purposes for this world. "The Angel of the Lord" killed over 185,000 Assyrians in one night. The Assyrian king was killed by his own sons. (God was making a way for Babylon to come into power.)
LOOKING BACK: (Take my word for it, 38:6 had to have happened before chapters 36-37). So, Hezekiah was real sick about 14 years before, while the Assyrians were still barking at his door and before they were slaughtered by God.
SICK TO DEATH: Picture this: you are sick, sick, sick! Can't even get out of bed. A trusted prophet comes and tells you that you are doing to die! So Hezekiah faced the wall in his bed and cried and prayed. The prophet had to come right back and tell him, "Okay, you get 15 more years." And, that God would save them from the Assyrians. As proof, God would cause a shadow on the sundial to go backwards from the sun. However, King H would still die prematurely, so he was depressed and sorrowful and said he would wander about the rest of his remaining days in bitterness of soul. He had a boil!
RESPONSE: I have used King H's scheme too. One time an employer cussed me out, spent a lot of time and table-banging to do it. When he was finished, I just said, "I'm going to tell God on you!" Then I went into the Ladies' Room and prayed. When I came out, I got an unsolicited apology! And can a person die from a boil? Maybe before they had antibiotics.
GALATIANS 6:1-18
BURDENS: Rather than "provoking one another", we need to be part of the restoration process when another believer falls into temptation unintentionally. Someone was caught off guard, and committed the trespass in a rash moment or under provocation. This may even be talking about someone who was trapped in legalism and had become unfeeling and critical. His restoration will not come from "the irritable and resentful" who might aggravate the situation, but from an experienced and matured believer. Meekness signifies a fellow-sinner, saved by grace, who knows his own weaknesses. We are not free to refuse to bear another's burden, because it is "the law of Christ" that we do. (v.5) The "burden" we are to bear ourselves is our "assigned duty". It is the "light burden" (Mat 11:30) that Jesus imposes on us.
YOU CAN'T OUTWIT GOD! Sowing to the flesh is living for myself, selfishly pleasing myself. If I sow to the spirit, I am selfless, taking every opportunity to deny the flesh. Bearing burdens is one way we sow to the Spirit. But if you are not wanting to be forgiven and restored, don't let your self-deception lead you to hell! You can't outwit God. Sooner or later, your "crops" are going to come in. You can't behave any way you want to just because you are "free". You will reap what you have sown. You can't sneer at God's laws or even at natural laws of the universe. Living to satisfy the flesh will lead to decay and death. Well-doing leads to rewards if you don't give up.
"GOD FORBID...." "Glory in the flesh" VS "glory in the cross." Trying to keep the Law is glorying in the flesh. Relying on the death and resurrection of Jesus is glorying in the cross. "God forbid" actually means "may it never be, no, no, no, absolutely not, under no circumstance will I ever honor or praise or worship anything but the cross of Jesus Christ." And the cross changed my relationship with the world (Gr: "kosmos" - world-spirit, world-systems, world-thought, etc.) We have parted company - the world is dead to me, and I to the world. It no longer dominates my life. I am not controlled by why 'they" think.
"THE ISRAEL OF GOD": This is ALWAYS been interpreted as referring to the CHURCH. (6:16) No one ever questioned it, from earliest times, until the 1850's. This is actually an indirect ridicule of the vain boasting of the false teachers. Circumcision was cammoflage (outward show). This is written to the children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:29), and thus includes all believers, whether Jews or Gentiles, who are united into One Church.
RESPONSE: I spent years wondering why everyone criticized everything I did! I couldn't seem to get anything right. People at work criticized my abilities, my communication "skills", my clothes. People at church said I was unfriendly and stand-offish. My family didn't like me either - and criticized me all the time. One day I came across this verse - and realized that I was REAPING! I was hyper-critical of everyone. I believed that "behind every silver lining, there is a cloud." I was suspicious of people's motives and thought most Christians were hypocrites. (at least the happy ones were) I was reaping corruption. People took what I sowed, multiplied it (which seeds always do) and gave it back.
PSALM 65:1-13
THOSE GOD BRINGS NEAR: God "purged away" (atoned for) our transgressions and sins and iniquities so that we could be close to Him. When we come near into God's Presence, we will be "satisfied", it says. We should never leave His Presence until we are full.
PROVERBS 23:24
We all want our children to be "righteous" and "wise". They will be if they highly prize TRUTH.
RESPONSE: God has gone to great lengths, including self-sacrifice, to bring us close. The word "approach" or "bring near", is also the word for "sacrifice" ("korban"). We learn from Gen 22:5 that all worship is sacrificial (first usage). When we are worshipping God, it overcomes our obsession with ourselves. John 4:4 says we are to worship Him "in spirit and in truth". The "spirit" part is our inward submission, and the "truth" is outward submission of obedience.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
One Year Bible, September 20
ISAIAH 33:14 - 36:32
WHAT ARE "SINNERS" DOING IN ZION? Zion represents the Church within the Church - just like Zion is a place within Jerusalem. In their midst were living "sinners"(chaff) who live according to the flesh....and believers with "chaff-y" areas of their lives...and all the chaff will be burned away (1 Cor 3), leaving only the righteous few (a stripped-down believer, in some cases). The moral of this story? Repent of EVERYTHING that's not right before you get tried by fire. Judge yourself! Purify yourself! Be obedient to God without being threatened!
THE STANDARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS: "Walks uprightly; speaks with sincerity; rejects unjust gain; does not take bribes; stops his ears and eyes from hearing or seeing bloodshed or evil" (on TV or movies).
THE BENFITS OF BEING RIGHTEOUS: He will dwell on the heights (in God's Presence); He is protected from His enemies there; His refuge is the impregnable Rock which no one can penetrate; God will provide all his needs; he will be watered financially. During judgment, we will see the "King in His beauty." Jerusalem is a type for the habitation of the righteous - God's manifest Presence. We will not be moved - God is the lawgiver AND the judge, and preserves His people in His Presence.
"THE NATIONS" - THERE'S A NEW KING IN TOWN!: In the OT "the nations" refers to heathens - unsaved, unbelieving, persecuting, devil-influenced people AND the world-spirit of antichrist. It also refers to imagi-nations, specu-lations, denomi-nations, opinio-nations, - - - you get it. We have un-sanctified areas of our lives that need to be exterminated or "cut off" (Mat 18:8). The only way for His Kingdom to come in holiness (Lord's Prayer), is for wickedness to be removed. Whenever a new king came to the throne, he destroyed all his enemies in order to establish his own kingdom; it is right that God would do the same! "THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN": The "second heaven" is inhabited by Satan, by demons, "principalities and powers". They will be displaced by believers. The lights of the night sky are a type of worldly leaders: potentates, movie stars, movers-and-shakers. Edom is the descendents of Esau, a type of the FLESH. (The last known Edomites were the Herods!)
"THE HABITATION OF DRAGONS": As you read this, think of the stench as being the smell from your own flesh. Determine to walk by the Spirit from this day forward! Only weird animals will be drawn to dead flesh.
THE NOW KINGDOM OF GOD: The Invisible Kingdom. No wicked live there (in God's Presence) There is joy and rejoicing, singing and shouting. "They will see the glory of the Lord..." We encourage the exhausted, strengthen the feeble, and tell the fearful to be strong. In the Kingdom, before God's Presence, everyone can dance, everyone can leap and shout, and everyone can sing. And do. Death gives way to Life. The Highway of Holiness is in God's Presence, and nothing evil can touch us there. (1 John 5:18)
WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT GOD: After paying "tribute" (bribes) to Egypt and then to Assyria in an effort to save themselves, Jerusalem is surrounded by the treacherous Assyrians with no way out. Egypt and Assyria represent the flesh and the world-spirit that hates God. If we have compromised with our flesh, we have to repent and cling to God or be destroyed. When God judges "the nations", if we are "on the playing field", we'll be destroyed along with them! Our own substitutes for God will be burned up along with everyone else's. We must teach our hearts to trust God and God alone. The enemy will try to intimidate us, to make us fear that God won't be enough. (Anyone with any kind of addiction will tell you that this is true.) Our own flesh will even use psychology to try to trick and manipulate us, and undermine our faith in God's sufficiency. These are called "arguments" and "high things" in 2 Cor 10:5.
RESPONSE: It's clear that we are no match for the enemy. But "the Greater One" lives in us. The Holy Spirit wars against our flesh, and warns us of enemy traps and lies. I think it's interesting that when the King wouldn't listen to the enemy, the enemy tried talking to the people on the wall (people on the periphery). He could scare them, and maybe they would talk the King into capitulating. But this King is too much for them. He prayed.
GALATIANS 5:13-26
(See yesterday's blog.)
FLESH vs SPIRIT: The deck is stacked. The Holy Spirit wars against our flesh; what chance is there that the flesh will "win"? When we love God, we WANT to live right. What we are dealing with is "the affections and lusts of the flesh." Unlawful longings that satisfy our flesh. Titus 2:12 says we "deny" them. Gal 5:16-17, 24 say to "crucify" them. 1 Jo 2:16 says that they are "not of the Father, but of the world." 1Co 10:6 says that lusting after "evil things" will disqualify us for the Kingdom of God. James 1:14 says that "human lust" will draw us away from godly living and cause us to sin.
The flesh wants what is wants and hinders the spirit from fulfillment in us. There is nothing of spiritual value in the flesh. In fact, it is marked for destruction. The Spirit wants what He wants and hinders the flesh from having sway over our behavior. As a result, we can't do anything - - - "BUT..." "IF we are led by the Spirit, we aren't under the law" - so we don't have to follow the dictates of our flesh. If we walk in the Spirit, we WILL NOT fulfil the lusts of the flesh - because they are the antithesis of one another. But that doesn't mean that our flesh gives up!
WORKS vs FRUIT: The flesh produces nothing but trouble and mean-spirited attitudes. The spirit produces characteristics that look like God. It is FRUIT because we don't grow it ourselves. It is a product of a Spirit-filled Life, walking by the Spirit. It is not produced by willpower or self-effort. It is EVIDENCE of Jesus living in us. We draw energy from the Life of God in us, and the evidence is "the fruit of the Spirit". This evidence is strengthened by the joy of purpose, which is the desire to please God.
RESPONSE: There is no Law that can stop Jesus from manifesting Himself in me. Self-control is NOT WILLPOWER, it is a RESULT of "walking by the Spirit". (If you are like me, you are adding....."whatever walking by the Spirit means".) We know what it is NOT: not willpower, or trying to APPLY the Word of God like camouflage. Or even trying to apply the principles of the Word like rules of conduct. The flesh is incorrigible and cannot be trained! It can only be "mortified" (killed). The Holy Spirit is our only source of Life. We draw our "energy" to live from Him by faith. To do this, we MUST dispossess the flesh (set it aside as dead) - we have no rights, no reputation, no dignity, nothing of "our own", we are "crucified". As I intentionally live with the Presence of God in me, communicating with Him continually, I will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Our spiritual union becomes a practical one as I begin thinking of the flesh as selfish, rebellious, sinful, proud, disgusting, rude, self-centered and reject its claims on me. Sanctification is a series of new habits. It becomes my habit to defer to the Spirit.
PSALM 64:1-10
SECRETS OF THE ENEMY (world-spirit of antichrist - the flesh):
(v.2) His plans: There is a conspiracy among the lusts of my flesh, to overtake my soul.
(v.3) His weapons: Bitter words used against my joy, against my spirit, against God, against my faith, against the "knowledge of God".
(v.4) His methods: Sneak up on me, spring out of nowhere, shoot from behind trees. Subtlety.
(v.5) His thoughts: They think no one sees them or knows about them. God won't find out.
(v. 7) His "reward": God will "suddenly" (without warning) destroy them. Their curses come home to roost.
PROVERBS 23:23
Truth is all that proceeds from God's mouth and God's throne. Wisdom, instruction, and understanding constitute our ability to live successfully. Not necessarily in wealth, but successfully.
RESPONSE: "Preserve my life from fear of the enemy". A long time ago, I was in the position of having to make a decision: fear God or fear death. All phobias find their power in the fear of death. But Jesus has rescued phobics and delivered us from fear: "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Heb 2:14-15)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
One Year Bible, September 19
ISAIAH 30:12 - 33:12
THE REMNANT: "And therefore will the Lord wait...." When we come to the Lord we find Him waiting with forgiveness and blessing. Instead of being led by the world-spirit, world-thought, world-systems, we are led by the Holy Spirit in paths of righteousness. As long as we keep going FORWARD, the voice of the Spirit will tell us when we need to turn. Think of it this way: The voice behind us, the promise in front of us. As we obey the voice, we walk toward the promise. We find our joy in the Lord God - He is not the means to an end, but He is the END of our search! Troubles and judgment can cleanse me and make me cling to God - - - or I can choose to rebel and the troubles will destroy me.
"WOE" TO GOD'S PEOPLE WHO TRY TO REBEL AGAINST HIM:
Chap 28: Woe to those who try to take God's glory for themselves (drunken thinking). Making deals with our flesh leads to self-destruction. Lies become a refuge. They make their bed and now they have to sleep in it.
Chap 29: Woe to those who turn away from God to do external "lip-service" and keep up appearances, while their hearts are unfaithful to God. Since they blinded themselves to Truth, God will cause them to be truly blind to spiritual things. And secondarily, woe to those who think they are smarter than God - who try to hide their plans and their sin from Him.
Chap 30: Woe to those to make plans without consulting the Lord, especially in making "deals" outside the will of God (compromising with the flesh). These plans always spiral out of control and into disaster. We can't rely on the "arm of the flesh" to save us - - - but must cling to God in obedience and trust. Real strength is in "sitting still". (30:7b)
Chap 31-32: Woe to those who rely on "might" to save them. Going to Egypt for help is like going back to our old life for "wisdom" in Life. Egypt (The world-spirit of antichrist) is marked for destruction, and if we are "on the playing field", we will be destroyed with them.
In the midst of trouble, the REMNANT will follow their "Righteous King" (Jesus). Each follower will be "a refuge from the wind, a shelter from the storm, streams of water in a dry country, and the shade of a huge rock in a parched land". The remnant become heavenly or godly INFLUENCE, CHANNELS OF BLESSING, MINISTERS OF COMPASSION. The women of Jerusalem are the complacent Church, never giving God a thought. Restoration will come when the Spirit is poured out and people get an eternal perspective, sowing God's Word everywhere and allowing God to have free reign in all we do.
CHAP 33: Woe to the "Destroyer" (Assyria): The principle is this: Whatever is done to God's people, whether good or bad, is taken personally by the Lord as if done directly against Him! God will see to it that everyone will receive in turn whatever he dishes out to others. (Gal 6:7). Isaiah interceded with God for the rescue of Judah, and God intervened. Vs.6, God alone shall be "the stability of our times and the strength of our salvation".
RESPONSE: Survivors come through troubled times untouched. The remnant gets their hair messed up because they become "refuge, shelter, waters, and shade." Our influence is most felt in the time of trouble. We must be ready all the time, because we never know when God is going to blow on someone. Of course, if we are relying on the same fleshly things or things that are part of the world-system as everyone else, then our substitutes and counterfeits will be blown away too!
GALATIANS 5:1-12
FREEDOM: Christ set us free for FREEDOM, not to go back into bondage again. Don't exchange one bondage (to sin and death) for another bondage (to legalism and the Law).
Circumcision is a commitment! Doing it for religious reasons signals a return to outward rituals. (1) If you can be SAVED by being circumcised, then Jesus died for nothing! If circumcision makes you righteous, then why not cut the whole thing off!!!? Jesus or Circumcision: which One will it be? You can't have both! (2) If you want to live under the Law, you become a debtor to the whole Law! See Jam 2:10. (3) You have fallen from grace. When you try to mix Law in with Grace, you lose the grace. Grace or Law: which one will it be? When we choose to operate in the flesh (Law) we close ourselves off from God's provision. Law and grace cannot work together; they are incompatible. (4) When we "fall from grace", we are excluded from righteousness. Righteousness is not from outside pressure, but from inside power. God GAVE it to us, and the indwelling Holy Spirit enacts it.
FREEDOM IS NOT: (1)The "right" to indulge the flesh. ("for an opportunity for the flesh") Freedom should not lead to corruption. Freedom does not mean we can do anything we want to. (2) The "right" to injure others. ("by love serve one another"). You don't have the freedom to "bite and devour one another". We are to be self-sacrificing in our attitude toward others and in that way, our freedom actually becomes a kind of slavery! (grin) (3) Freedom is not the "right" to ignore the laws of God. In fact, nothing could be further from the Truth! Freedom from the Law means being free from trying to earn salvation through keeping the law, and being free from the penalty of the law for not keeping it. The fact is, we are now subject to a higher law: LOVE.
RESPONSE: Submission and obedience to God (Truth) is the only way to stay free. It is WORK to be saved because our flesh is such a slave-driver! But the work involved is not trying to be GOOD. It is in trying to stay in ABIDING-relationship to God while our flesh is being crucified. So the "job" we have as believers, is actually to enjoy God. As we please God, staying close to Him, clinging to Him, obeying Him, trusting Him, we are free NOT to sin, NOT to be selfish and self-serving, NOT to fear going to hell, NOT to be afraid of what people think.
PSALM 63:1-11
WHEN I AM HUNGRY FOR GOD: Even my FLESH longs for God! We are sustained by "seeing" God when we worship. Don't leave His Presence until you are fully satisfied. In the desert with no water, no food, no friends, God is the ONLY THING that is absolutely essential to life. God is my defense, but even more, my Desire, and my Delight.
PROVERBS 23:22
I must quote this right from the source, because it is so offensive!
"Despise not thy mother when she is old." "A very necessary caution, as very old women are generally helpless, useless, and burdensome." (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)
One Year Bible, September 18
ISAIAH 28:14 - 30:11
"BOOK OF "WOES" (Chap 28-33): Written because Ephraim formed an alliance with Assyria to attack little, tiny Judah, and Assyria then promptly kept the army coming and ran right over Ephraim too! So, the Southern Kingdom, under Ahaz, turned to Egypt for help. Egypt was the country that had held them in slavery for over 400 years - and now they wanted to form an alliance with them! It is "trusting in the arm of the flesh," and the thing that we turn to for help in the flesh, becomes the thing that defeats us. The "Book of Woes" is the consequence of looking to the world-spirit or the flesh in the time of trouble.
(1) "Woe to the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim". Drunkenness in the Bible represents the opposite of being "soberminded". Spiritual drunkenness means to "play loose" with the Scriptures, sloppy thinking, to be uncertain about the realities of God. It is UNSAVED thinking. The covenant with Egypt is a "covenant of death" - Leaning on the flesh to save us is self-destructive. It puts us in agreement with hell!
(2) "Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt!" (Another name for Jerusalem) The city will look like it is doomed with no hope of recovery, but God will intervene, and all the bad stuff will seem like a bad dream. There is a second "woe" buried in this chapter - these people thought they could hide their plans (to form a pact with wickedness) from God! They thought they were smarter than God! So, in vs 17 God said He would turn things upside-down (do a reversal). Outsiders will become God's people, and the Judaites would become as enemies. What was the sin of Jerusalem? UNFAITHFULNESS. They were caught red-handed, ever AFTER being rescued. They became so numb to spiritual things, that God put a "spirit of sleep" on them, that took away their understanding. The Word of God became unintelligible because they were blinded by unbelief. Willful blindness leads to judicial blindness.
(3) "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me...." To go down to Egypt for help was like going back into the world for advice and strength. Egypt was the place where we were slaves in bondage to the flesh. To do this is WICKED because it involves "forgetting God." Quietly waiting on God manifests real STRENGTH. Be still and wait. Until we hear from Him, anything is presumption. Waiting ON God is an aggressive stance of rest and trust. (If you don't believe me, try it sometime! It takes real aggression against your flesh to "wait".) This time, God intended for them to fail - with or without His help! If you submit and cling to God, you become a remnant that is delivered. If you fight back, your spanking will last longer! SELF-effort is self-destructive.
"And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 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." (Lev 26:7-8) That was then! NOW it will be reversed because of their reliance on the flesh. 1000 will flee from one. (30:17)
RESPONSE: Relying on our own craftiness, our own plans, our own schemes, our own strength and prowess is DEADLY. There is really only one reason to do that - - - we have been bribed by sin to forget God.
GALATIANS 3:23 - 4:31
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW? If those under the law are subject to a curse, and Abraham's blessing ignores it, what is the purpose of the Law? The antithesis of the Law is the Promise, which is given to Abraham's true seed. However, the Law is NOT "against the promises of God." It's just that there is no Law that can make us righteous (give Life). Law and Promise exist on two different planes, Not in competition. (1) The Law is a MEDIATOR between the Promise and its fulfillment.
IN CHRIST VS UNDER THE LAW: (2) The Law defines and provokes sin. What was a latent tendency becomes a flagrant act of rebellion. The law shows us how bad we really are. (3) The Law is a ministry of grace in that it cuts us off from any other hope of salvation. It "kept” us (guarded and protected us) and "shut us up" - means to enclose us in a safe place until we come to faith. (4) The law was also our "schoolmaster" who taught us right-and-wrong and pointed beyond itself to Jesus. Once we came to faith, God called us "righteous" and we are "in Christ". When we were saved, we were clothed upon by Christ ("in Christ"), and now we are without race, without rank, and with gender. We are UNIFIED as ONE race, in ONE Kingdom. We ARE "Abraham's seed" and "heirs of the promise". So, the law comes BEFORE faith, not AFTER faith as if to finish anything that faith left undone! Faith is our emancipator! Don't go willingly back into the servitude of being immature children!
HEIRS OF THE UNIVERSE ("Lord of all"): IF God had a "parenthesis", it was the LAW, not the Gentile Church. We are heirs by faith, not by birth. We "escape" the curse and condemnation of the Law at the same time we inherit Abraham's blessing. The difference between Judaism and Christianity is that Jews are heir apparent (children waiting to become "of age"), and Christians are in possession of their inheritance (by possessing Christ).
SPIRITUAL INFANTS: We need to grow up. Until then, we have EXTERNAL "tutors and governors" - to protect us, cut us off from other things, lead the way, etc. The Father is the One Who determines when we are no longer infantile. "Elements of the world" are what holds us in bondage until then. They are the systems, the traditions, the "natural" rules of Law as opposed to being of the Spirit. Vs 9 calls them "weak and beggarly elements".
SONS, CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE-OUT: Maturity is not applied, but renewed by the Spirit dwelling inside. The "sending forth of God's Son" into our hearts ended our servitude! We don't SUPPLEMENT this with our "spiritual infant" behavior - we leave that behind! Then "God sent forth the Spirit of His Son" into our hearts so we would KNOW who we are and learn to LIVE from that that Life. Our old heathen life was one of slavery; the knowledge of God brings freedom. Christ lives is me, and is being "formed in me". "FORMED": (Gr: "morphoo") means "to fashion by adjusting the parts". This refers to an inward and REAL CHANGE. This results in a change of character and conduct that corresponds to that changed inward spiritual condition.
TWO SONS: Abraham had two sons. Ishmael was the son of a slave woman, Hagar, which made him a slave too. Isaac was the son of a freewoman, Sarah. These two sons represented two covenants, one given from Mt. Sinai and natural Jerusalem and one from spiritual Jerusalem. Although Ishmael was the firstborn, Isaac was the Son of Promise. Even now the product of FLESH (the fruit of unbelief) persecutes the product of the PROMISE (Spirit). They are incompatible. The Jewish persecution of the Church gave proof of their Ishmaelite spirit. Jerusalem is no longer the "mother" of freemen. The spirit of that nation is that of rebellious, discontented slaves. Paul has pronounced doom on Judaism. Her house is "left desolate", and she was been "cast out". The two systems are irreconcilable.
RESPONSE: The Church has declared its freedom and there is no turning back. If we turn back, we are "unfit". Heb 11:15 says that if we think about the land we come from, we will find opportunity to go back to it. The principle is this: if we look back at our old life in the flesh with longing, we will find an opportunity to forsake our faith and forsake God, and go back. That's what these people were in danger of doing. When pressure comes, we could start thinking about the old ways we handled it: losing our temper, walking away in a huff, smoking, taking a few "drinks", cussing. But instead, we are being called on to stay FREE - don't give up territory you have already conquered.
PSALM 62:1-12
STAYING QUIET UNDER STRESS: "Only" is used 6 times in this Psalm. ("Truly", "indeed", "surely", "nevertheless") We seek and wait for God ONLY. He is the ONLY One we trust. The words for "wait" in this Psalm mean to "wait in dumb silence". WHY? Because ONLY God decides what will happen to me. "Truly, my soul waiteth upon God." (Thy will be done). "From him comes my salvation." (I trust Him completely). "He only is my rock, and my salvation; he is my defense so that I shall not greatly be moved." (It is safe and right to trust God). THE REASON I WAIT IN SILENCE? Power belongs to God. And mercy belongs to God, too.
PROVERBS 23:19-21
Drunkards and Gluttons are on the wrong path. They both end up lazy and poor - because they spend all their money on food and booze! Both come to no good end.
RESPONSE: "God is a refuge for us." I think it is hard to be quiet under stress. I want everyone to know how pressured I feel so they don't add any more to the pile. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. I actually become more stressed out because of talking about it. Now I'm trying to explain to someone else WHY I feel stressed, because they usually don't get it. When they try to help me, they cause more stress because now they are "interfering". So I GET IT about waiting for God ONLY, and to trust Him ONLY. My expectation should be in Him ONLY. Our rewards come from Him, so He is really the ONLY One who matters anyway. My deliverance comes from Him, not my Hubby or a friend. He is my place of rest and refuge. What would I do without Him?
Monday, September 20, 2010
One Year Bible, September 17
ISAIAH 25:1 - 28:13
WHEN GOD JUDGES THE WORLD: No matter how bad things get, there will always be a REMNANT who love God and know how to cling to Him for deliverance. Rather than give this a FUTURISTIC interpretation, thus putting it beyond our reach, I prefer to take "all Scripture" as being "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:16-17) This means there are TWO WAYS to interpret this passage: literally as referring to the immediate time of judgment against Israel and the surrounding nations at the time, and then spiritually as being a time of judgment that is a PROCESS in me against the FLESH, and around me against the WORLD-SPIRIT.
We know from reading Ecclesiastes and from reading the NT that we live in a fallen, twisted, incomplete, and upside-down world (Rom 8:19-25) that is "subject to vanity". We also know that it takes God's wisdom and God's power to navigate through it in victory. We define "victory" NOT as the ability to ESCAPE hardship, but as the ability to go THRU hardship and be changed by it (for the better). We aren't SURVIVORS, we are a REMNANT.
What makes Isaiah 25, 26, and 27 so rich is that Isaiah is writing this in the midst of seeing the enemy at the gates, the Northern Kingdom already destroyed and taken captive. The people around him are heading for destruction and don't pay any attention to his warnings. Yet he writes, "I will praise Thy Name, for Thou hast done wonderful things..."
What can we learn about looking beyond our circumstances?
(1) True peace comes through knowing our salvation and deliverance comes from the Lord.
(2) God is faithful.
(3) God's grace is sufficient.
(4) God is able to deliver us, either from it or through it.
(5) God is just and will make "all things work together for good...." (Rom 8:28)
(6) It is SAFE, good and right to trust God.
(7) God sees it all.
(8) God will guide us through everything that comes along.
(9) God will erase the hurtful memories of our past "taskmasters" that held us in bondage.
(10) We will rise again, either in this life or in the next.
(11) God will judge the evildoers and the world-spirit of antichrist that influences them. (He already judged Satan.)
***(12) The purpose of being "smitten" is to purge the flesh, not to destroy us or "teach us".
(13) Every branch that does not bear fruit will be gathered up and burned. (John 15:6)
(14) During a time of judgment, many "outcasts" and prodigals will return to the Lord.
DISCIPLINARY SUFFERING: Chapter 28 begins a section of "WOES" against deep-seated hardness of heart and "forgetting" God. The sharp teeth of God's plow are to break up the hardness of our hearts - not to destroy us. The pain lasts only until He completes His purpose in us. The depth of pain is proportional to how "bullheaded" we are. God does not crush the grain; He only frees it from the chaff. By the way: Isaiah mentions "strong drink" here again - even among the clergy! And they've vomited on the tables. V.13: When we frustrate God's grace, we "go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."
"A COVENANT WITH DEATH AND WITH HELL": Judah pledged allegiance to Egypt even to the death if she will protect them. We would say that we have chosen to preserve SELF, even against the Truth of the Gospel. As a result, God will lay "In Zion for a foundation, a Stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone..." NAMED JESUS. And all who trust in Him will not panic and run when trouble comes. We will stand and go THROUGH, being purged, cleansed, refined of the FLESH.
RESPONSE: We can come easy, or we can come hard. Sometimes I feel like I "survived another day". And that's not what God wants. He wants me to CHANGE. Learn to trust Him, and to quit trying to "manage" everything! All this judgment stuff is out of Isaiah's control (and mine). What did we think would happen when we prayed, "Thy will be done...." ? The things we depended on, that "worked" before, won't help us now! God is doing a new thing! Little things matter. And if they matter to God, they had better matter with us! Obey God in the little things.
GALATIANS 3:10-22
SELF-EFFORT LEADS TO FAILURE: (1) Keep your eyes on the Cross! It will contrast sharply with self-interest and error. (2) Don't reject the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the One Who makes everything possible in our hearts. (3) Remember the suffering you've already gone through in living according to faith in the "Truth of the Gospel". All you've "won" in your spiritual life came by faith - don't surrender it now! Trying to live the Christian life by self-effort is pledging yourself to do the impossible! The Law actually had nothing to do with Abraham's promises! The "law-keeper - legalist" tries to make God believe in him - - - The righteous by faith believe in God!
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH: "Righteousness of faith" is older than Law; it began with Abraham, 430 years before the Law was given. Righteousness, covenant, promise, blessing - all rest on this: who are the children of Abraham? His children include "ALL NATIONS", "the heathen". God FORETOLD the Gospel going to ALL NATIONS. BUT....the "all nations" are included "by faith". "The just shall live by faith" - and everyone else is cursed and will die. The blessing of Abraham is RIGHTEOUSNESS. Before the Law, Abraham was made righteous because he trusted God's gift of grace, and God dealt with Abraham as a righteous man. FAITH IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! Faith in God is not in lieu of righteousness. This is not a tricky use of words. God GIVES what He demands. The "righteousness of faith" comes from self-surrendering trust in God's grace. We yield ourselves to this truth with "the obedience of faith". Faith unites me to the Source of righteousness. Unbelief severs me from it. Righteousness of character results from BEING righteous. (I say "meow" because I'm a cat! I don't say "woof" because I'm no longer a dog!) The ENABLEMENT or EMPOWERMENT for the righteous character is the "promise of the Holy Spirit by faith."
ONE SEED, ONE COVENANT: There is not a "natural seed" and a "spiritual seed". There is ONE SEED, and that is JESUS. And He is the only heir. There are not TWO COVENANTS or TWO PROMISES: There is ONE COVENANT, ONE PROMISE - and that is JESUS. Jesus does not have two bodies, but ONE BODY. Jesus is the Promise, the Seed, the Land, the Inheritance, and He has ratified our covenant.
RESPONSE: If "the promise" and "the blessing of Abraham" were given because of certain laws or rules we had to keep, then Abraham himself is excluded because he was born way before the Law was given! I am righteous because God said I am and I believed Him! The Law gives me NOTHING just because I believe in it. I must DO it. Because God calls me "righteous", I DO righteous deeds, emanating from a grateful heart of faith and love. Sometimes I surprise myself!
PSALM 61:1-8
WHEN I AM OVERWHELMED: When I feel muffled by trouble and am submerged in thick darkness, "lead me to the Rock" because I can't get there by myself! I must reaffirm God as my shelter and refuge: "I will cry to God", "I will abide", "I will trust in God to shelter my emotions", I will sing praise to His Name forever". It is WICKED to lose my hope in God; it is MIS-trust and unbelief.
PROVERBS 23:17-18
The "fear of the Lord" is the antidote to envying sinners (for their popularity, their wealth, etc). We wouldn't really want to trade places with them! We have hope for our future, they don't.
RESPONSE: My heart was overwhelmed by an "impossible" situation yesterday. No one knew what to do. I felt buried in pain, hopelessness, grief, sorrow, frustration, and darkness. Talking about it ("venting" - which is something I do NOT advocate!) only made it worse! Thankfully, my mother (who lives here), "led me to the Rock" and we prayed. And we prayed. And I stated my firm conviction that God can be trusted with my heart, with the situation, with the other people involved. He had a solution, but we just didn't see it yet. The solution came from a totally unexpected source, and it brought peace, resolution, and joy. I say again, "it is WICKED to lose my hope in God."
I repent. God, please forgive me. I was so wrong. I should never mistrust You. You ALWAYS come to my aid. I may not like Your solution; but I always say, "there are only two ways to do anything - - - God's way and the wrong way." Thank you for not letting me down. Again.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
One Year Bible, September 16
ISAIAH 22:1 - 24:23
VALLEY OF VISION: Jerusalem is BLIND, and is so undiscerning about her sin, that she is partying and having a good time, while judgment is at her door (I know PEOPLE like that!). They will be captured without a shot being fired because of their complacency. Isaiah weeps bitterly as he sees their destruction coming - - - while they just "party on". When we trust in our own strength and cleverness instead of on the Lord, we commit the "unpardonable sin" - and won't be forgiven, but judged and destroyed.
SHEBA VS ELIAKIM: Sheba represents an antichristian spirit, a usurper of power and advantage that God will "toss like a ball" out of his privileged position. He'll be replaced by faithful Eliakim, who represents Jesus.
KEY OF DAVID: Rev 3:7 tells us that Jesus holds those keys now. "Open doors" are the way IN to the Life of God. We come through Jesus or not at all. He, alone, opens and shuts those doors.
"WOE TO TYRE": Tyre is a type of arrogant human self-sufficiency (wealth & money). That is a work of the flesh, and marked out for destruction. Tyre actually didn't fall until Alexander the Great took it in 332 BC. The impact on the surrounding lands would be like destroying New York City. "Who would do this?" The answer is that GOD DID IT. Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, then restored, then "shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth."
"THE DAY OF THE LORD": Futurists try to steal this section of Scripture from us, but you hold fast. We don't need or desire to twist Scripture or add to it, or leave it to the "experts" to tell us what it says. We can read!
First of all, this describes the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. All their complacency and partying will come to an end and the "land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled". This judgment will affect EVERYONE. No one will escape. People have polluted the planet by breaking the laws of nature and so God's wrath caused them to waste away.
"Glorify the Lord in the fires" - "In the fires" is actually the safest place to be because that's where Jesus is! This is referring to the REMNANT (left behind after the reapers leave). The pressure and horror is with us after witnessing the destruction of the the "lukewarm ones". But, while the purging is still happening, while the pressure is still on, while the refining is still taking place, "Glorify the Lord".
"THE MOON AND THE SUN": These, being ruling lights, are illustrative of rulers, princes, movie stars, leaders of all kinds. They are people we depend on to tell us what to do. They will be disgraced and shown to be anti-God in nature. When God "turns their lights out", He is bringing their influence to a standstill.
RESPONSE: Once more, like human beings who think man is the center of the universe, we manage to re-interpret Scripture to mean something EXTERNAL, so that we don't have to deal with it. Scripture must be INTERNALIZED for it to wash us and correct us, train us, and "make us perfect" (Eph 5:26; 2 Tim 3:16). This passage is no different!
First of all, Isaiah prophesied Judah's destruction and captivity. We understand that. But what does that mean to ME? It means that I can't put my trust in anything or anyone but Jesus. That the world-systems (not the planet) and all the world-thought, world-interpretations, world-philosophies, etc. are all corrupt and will be destroyed. I need to "get off the playing field" or I will be destroyed with it. As people run in fear from one failure to another, they finally end up in total bondage.
GALATIANS 2:17 - 3:9
THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL: "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal 2:19-21)
This whole passage is printed unapologetically. It is a WONDERFUL masterpiece of Scripture. Sin is lawlessness and the law is "impotent" (powerless) when it comes to dealing with sin. Instead of crushing sin, the law stimulates sin and energizes it. The law provokes sin; grace provokes faith. LAW has a "legal hold" on us, and Romans 7:12 describes the Law as "holy, just and good". Therefore, the only way to get free of the law is if I die. Then I can "live unto God." Peter and the Jews were actually "setting aside the grace of God" in Antioch, and their example must not be followed.
Our union with Jesus in His Death and Resurrection: Jesus not only died FOR me, but He died AS me. Fancy words for this are are "substitutionary and representative." "My earthly life is governed by faith in Jesus, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." When Christ died, I died with Him. I am now inhabited by Jesus Christ, Who lives His life in me. Faith is what links the past crucifixion with our present world. Without faith, "Christ died in vain." We share Christ's death, His shame, His rejection, His pain and suffering, and felt the pain of death in us. AND.... "death lords it over us no more." (Rom 6:9) My "old man" is dead; and the "new creature" is risen with Christ. Faith is not an abstract thing any more. It is a working ENERGY that dominates my life. "The life I now live in the FLESH, I live by the faith of the Son of God." My body is now the sanctified vessel of GRACE. And this is THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL.
RESPONSE: Someone once said, "Licentiousness will kill you; but legalism will kill you quicker." These truths contained in this passage are foundational to what it means to be a Christian. I don't become holy; I learn to rest in His holiness in me. My efforts do not go into being good or being better. My efforts are to stay connected ("abiding") in Jesus Christ so He can live His life in me. I live by His compassion, His patience, His love. Let Him express Himself through me.
PSALM 60:1-12
WHEN GOD CASTS US OFF: God cast them off because they were foul and offensive to Him. Breaches were caused by King Saul's house continuing to oppose David, and so God plowed His own land. Breaches are healed by "a Man" (Ezek 22:30) named Jesus. When we cry out in Jesus' Name, God hears us and will avenge us and deliver us. And "though our God we shall do valiantly; for He it is that shall tread down our enemies."
PROVERBS 23:15-16
The wisdom of children is the joy of their parents. And their foolishness breaks our hearts.
RESPONSE: We must never lose sight of the fact that God loves us, He has a plan, and His counsels are the ones that stand. We live in a fallen, twisted, and upside-down world, and need God's wisdom to navigate through it. We also need God's compassion to know when to be a sacrifice in it. He may cast off a nation, but He promised NEVER to leave His individual believers.
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