Pro 21:1
THE KING'S heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He
turns it whichever way He wills.
In the times we live in some (many?) American Christians seem overwrought about what is happening to “their” nation. But are we not seated with Christ in the heavenly realms? Is our conversation, our behavior as heaven’s citizens a duty and privilege of God’s heaven and Kingdom? Some have quipped “He is so heavenly minded He’s no earthly good.” It might be preferable than to be “so earthly minded” as not to be any “heavenly good.”
In the times we live in some (many?) American Christians seem overwrought about what is happening to “their” nation. But are we not seated with Christ in the heavenly realms? Is our conversation, our behavior as heaven’s citizens a duty and privilege of God’s heaven and Kingdom? Some have quipped “He is so heavenly minded He’s no earthly good.” It might be preferable than to be “so earthly minded” as not to be any “heavenly good.”
Rom 13:1 LET EVERY
person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no
authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those
that exist do so by God's appointment. [Prov. 8:15.]
Rom 13:2
Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities
resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those
who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty
due them].
Rom 13:3
For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good
conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him
who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval
and commendation.
Rom 13:4
For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you
should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword
for nothing. He is God's servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance)
on the wrongdoer.
Rom 13:5
Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath and escape
punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience.
Rom 13:6
For this same reason you pay taxes, for [the civil authorities]
are official servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very
service.
Rom 13:7
Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due,
revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to
whom honor is due.
Rom 13:8
Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another;
for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has
fulfilled the Law [relating to one's fellowmen, meeting all its requirements].
Rom 13:9
The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You
shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other
commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor
as [you do] yourself. [Exod. 20:13-17; Lev. 19:18.]
Rom 13:10
Love does no wrong to one's neighbor [it never hurts anybody].
Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.
Civil Governments
seem to me to be God’s programs for the management of sinners, nothing more and
nothing less. The thought has occurred to me that democracy may be the gateway
to socialism. The definition of democracy might surprise many who say Jesus is
their King and Lord. I’m not an historian, but I think for most of history most
nations were ruled by kings. Ironically Israel Israel
1Sa 8:5
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy
ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
Samuel was angry
but God told him:
1Sa 8:7 …
"Listen to the people, to everything they say to you; for it is not you
they are rejecting; they are rejecting me; they don't want me to be king over
them.
1Sa 8:8
They are doing to you exactly what they have been doing to me, from the
day I brought them out of Egypt
1Sa 8:9 So
do what they say, but give them a sober warning, telling them what kinds of
rulings their king will make."
1Sa 8:10
Sh'mu'el [Samuel] reported everything Adonai had said to the people
asking him for a king.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime [The Old Testament books]
were written for our learning,
that we through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope.
After Adam ate
the forbidden fruit the whole human race became one big reclamation project.
God wants men to return to Him and FOR THEM TO RECLAIM His RULE
OVER them. Apart
from God’s rule man is under the rule of satan. But man is contaminated with
satan’s ways of sin. He is made sarx, he is made a dead carcass, dead meat,
flesh by sin. Man in his own dead flesh cannot obey God.
It is amazing
that after all God had done in delivering Israel
from Egypt (1 Samuel 8:8) that the
children of Israel Israel
When we disobey the Lord we can expect
consequences. Those consequences could be like God saying to us: “Wake up and smell the
stink I would smell if your flesh were near my nose.” We should hope for the
spiritual sight to see the consequences God providentially bestows and to
understand it is our disobedience which requires them. It was sin; it was
disobedience that made us stink.
I am at the point of concluding almost dogmatically that satan’s
original sin was pride, and Adam’s original sin was disobedience. The
consequence for satan and for man is the same: separation from God and His Son.
That is separation from Life! That is DEATH, and it is everlasting death. Satan rejects God by disobeying Him
continually. No less than 100% of everything Satan says and does is
disobedience. And the flesh cannot do anything except follow Satan’s
disobedient sinful will!
The way back to God will require my
repentance, and my repentance requires my obedience and they will require my
faith in God! It may be said we are saved by faith plus nothing. One writer
said this is true and YOU are the nothing! Faith in God means trusting God.
Trusting Him enough to do what He says: “Do!” But perhaps more critical is to
trust God to be telling the truth. Part of the truth is that even when I fail
to obey, He will forgive me AND chasten me! And ALSO that in trusting Him,
WHATEVER He has planned for me to become and to do will not destroy me, but in
fact it will deliver and heal me!!!
It is unavoidably true that we will obey God if we love Him and if we defiantly disobey Him we don't love Him.
It is unavoidably true that we will obey God if we love Him and if we defiantly disobey Him we don't love Him.
Satan has somehow put it in the minds of
men that God is out to destroy them, and that what God desires of us will be
loathsome, burdensome and evil to our souls.
I once knew a fellow at work who told me that Christianity would drive
me crazy. My experience has been that the conflict between my faith and my
flesh does have that potential… it is perhaps the explanation for why I have a
diagnoses of bipolar depression. They say the definition of insanity is doing the
same thing over and over expecting different results. My flesh tried many
things over and over; I was seeking peace in pleasure without God, and the results did
often make me crazy. NEVERTHELESS I believe God to be finishing the good work He began in me.
Philippians 1:6 The Message (MSG) "There has never been
the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you
would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ
Jesus appears."
Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening [God's providential consequences for the mortification of our flesh, our sin nature] for the present seemeth to be joyous,
but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Pro 3:11 My son, do not despise or shrink from the
chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to
suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or
abhor His reproof, [Ps. 94:12; Heb. 12:5, 6; Rev. 3:19.]
Pro 3:12
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son
in whom he delights.
Pro 3:13 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the
man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing
it forth from God's Word and life's experiences],
Pro 3:14
For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the
profit of it better than fine gold.
Pro 3:15
Skillful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you
can wish for is to be compared to her. [Job 28:12-18.]
Pro 3:16
Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and
honor. [Prov. 8:12-21; I Tim. 4:8.]
Pro 3:17
Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed,
fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.
2Sa 11:27
And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house,
and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.
2Sa 12:1 AND THE Lord sent Nathan to David. He came
and said to him, There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.
2Sa 12:2
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
2Sa 12:3
But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought
and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own
morsel, drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to
him.
2Sa 12:4
Now a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own
flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the
poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest.
2Sa 12:5
Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to
Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son [worthy]
of death.
2Sa 12:6
He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no
pity.
2Sa 12:7
Then Nathan said to David, You
are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel :
I anointed you king of Israel
2Sa 12:8 And I gave you your master's house, and
your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah
2Sa 12:9 Why have you despised the commandment of
the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite
with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him
with the sword of the Ammonites. [Lev. 20:10; 24:17.]
2Sa 12:10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never
depart from your house, because [you have not
only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and
have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
2Sa 12:11
Thus says the Lord, Behold, I
will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives
before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your
wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa 12:12 For you did it secretly, but I will do
this thing before all Israel
2Sa 12:13
And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan
said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. [Ps.
51.]
2Sa 12:14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly
scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to
blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.
2Sa 12:15
Then Nathan departed to his house. And
the Lord struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, and he was very
sick.
2Sa 12:16
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in
and lay all night [repeatedly] on the floor.
2Sa 12:17
His older house servants arose [in the night] and went to him to
raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
2Sa 12:18 And on the seventh day the child died.
David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said,
While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our
voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?
2Sa 12:19
But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the
child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is.
How is it that we ever dare to sin, to even look at another man’s
wife, let alone touch her or her husband?
It seems clear that among the
needs we have a very great need is to believe God, and to read His Word (Rom
15:4 For whatever was thus written in
former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and
patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures
we might hold fast to and cherish hope.), and to BELIEVE
His Word, to seek Him to work with us in our minds, hearts and souls to drive
every evil thought into captivity, so that
the flesh cannot think our souls into sinning. We are commanded to mortify (put
to death) the deeds of the flesh, and we MUST put to death the thought deeds of
the fleshy carnal mind. Don’t eat the bread the flesh offers! READ John Ch. 6
and note especially verses 26 to 63!
John 6:1 ¶ After this Jesus went away to the other side
of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea
of Tiberias
2 And a large crowd was following him, because
they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he
sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was
at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a
large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy
bread, so that these people may eat?”
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew
what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii
would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother, said to him,
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley
loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now
there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in
number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had
given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish,
as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told
his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve
baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had
eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had
done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 ¶ Perceiving then that they were about to come
and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by
himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to
the sea,
17 got into a boat, and started across the sea
to Capernaum
18 The sea became rough because a strong wind
was blowing.
19 When they had rowed about three or four
miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they
were frightened.
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be
afraid.”
21 Then they were glad to take him into the
boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
22 ¶ On the next day the crowd that remained on
the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that
Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had
gone away alone.
23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place
where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not
there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum
25 When they found him on the other side of the
sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus
answered them, “Truly, truly,
I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you
ate your fill of the loaves.
27 Do
not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set
his seal.”
28 ¶ Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
29 Jesus
answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has
sent.”
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you
do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness;
as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say
to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from
heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down
from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread
always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not
hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
36 But I said to you that you have seen me and
yet do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do
my own will but the will of him who sent me.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that
I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last
day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that
everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and
I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he
said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down
from heaven’?”
43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among
yourselves.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who
sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will
all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes
to me—
46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he
who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes
has eternal life.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,
and they died.
50 This is the bread that comes down from
heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
51 I
am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread,
he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world
is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves,
saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever
feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
on the last day.
55 For
my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56 Whoever
feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
57 As
the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds
on me, he also will live because of me.
58 This
is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died.
Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as
he taught at Capernaum
60 ¶ When many of his disciples heard it, they
said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his
disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at
this?
62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man
ascending to where he was before?
63 It
is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But there are some of you who do not
believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe,
and who it was who would betray him.)
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no
one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back
and no longer walked with him.
67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to
go away as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
69 and we have believed, and have come to know,
that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you,
the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”
71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot,
for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Mr. Fleshmind is such a dodgy
character that he will take God’s law (and scriptures) and serve them back through himself to you in a way that condemns you, and all he to whom he would serve it. It is the self justifying nature of sinners to do that, with or without the scriptures. We need to know that the only thing that condemns any one to hell is that they have “not trusted
in the one who is God's only and unique Son” (see John 3:18). And what do we desperately need to trust
God’s Son Jesus for? Forgiveness!
Forgiveness is the
most powerful evidence of His
love for us. Forgiveness IS God's Son laying down His life for His friends, and for
His (and your!) enemies too! Mr. Fleshmind will not forgive you! He will take
advantage and even say : "Since you are forgiven a little (or a lot of) sin won’t
matter."
Pro 23:6 Eat not the bread of him [Mr Fleshmind] who has a hard,
grudging, and envious eye, neither desire his dainty foods;
Pro 23:7
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to
you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost].
Pro 23:8
The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, and your
complimentary words will be wasted.
Don’t eat the bread of cruel, score keeping
and greedy Mr. Fleshmind, and don’t go after what he prizes. He thinks only
about his profit and is alone in his desires. He does not care about you who
ARE the child of God. His food will harm your spirit, soul and even your body! If
you eat from his table you will get sick to your stomach and your time will be
wasted.
But God brings us to a banqueting table where we are lavishly covered, immersed in His Agape love and His Phileo Love too!
But God brings us to a banqueting table where we are lavishly covered, immersed in His Agape love and His Phileo Love too!
- http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=15&t=KJV#s=t_conc_1012015
- http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G5384&t=KJV
- http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=5&t=KJV#s=t_conc_1002020
- http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5368&t=KJV
2Sa 7:4
But that same night the word of Adonai came to Natan:
2Sa 7:5
"Go and tell my servant David that this is what Adonai says: 'You
are going to build me a house to live in?
2Sa 7:6
Since the day I brought the people of Isra'el out of Egypt
2Sa 7:7
Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Isra'el, did I ever speak a
word to any of the tribes of Isra'el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people
Isra'el, asking, "Why haven't you built me a cedar-wood house?" '
2Sa 7:8
"Therefore say this to my servant David that this is what
Adonai-Tzva'ot says: 'I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the
sheep, to make you chief over my people, over Isra'el.
2Sa 7:9 I
have been with you wherever you went; I have destroyed all your enemies ahead
of you; and I am making your reputation great, like the reputations of the
greatest people on earth.
2Sa 7:10 I
will assign a place to my people Isra'el; I will plant them there, so that they
can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will
no longer oppress them, as they did at the beginning,
2Sa 7:11
and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people
Isra'el; instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies. " 'Moreover,
Adonai tells you that Adonai will make you a house.
2Sa 7:12
When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will
establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and
blood; and I will set up his rulership.
2Sa 7:13
He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne
forever.
2Sa 7:14 I will be a father for him, and he will
be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and
blows, just as everyone gets punished;
2Sa 7:15 nevertheless, my grace will not leave
him, as I took it away from Sha'ul, whom I removed from before you.
2Sa 7:16 Thus
your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne
will be set up forever.' "
1Ch 28:2
Then David the king rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and
my people. I myself intended to build a house of rest for the ark of the
covenant of the Lord, as a footstool for our God, and I prepared materials for
the building.
1Ch 28:3
But God said to me, You shall
not build a house for My Name [and Presence], because you have been a
man of war and have shed blood.
1Ch 28:4
However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father's
house to be king over Israel Judah
to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah
he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased
to make me king over all Israel
1Ch 28:5
And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen
Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel
1Ch 28:6
And He said to me, Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts,
for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father.
1Ch 28:7 I
will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My
commandments and My ordinances, as he does today.
1Ch 28:8
Now therefore, in the sight of
all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and
seek [to be familiar with] all the commandments of the Lord your God,
that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your
children after you forever.
1Ch 28:9
And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal
knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and
cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For
the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of
the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as
your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever!
1Ch 28:10
Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the
sanctuary. Be strong and do it!
Consequences: it may be that we may
forfeit things that we might have done if we had not "shed blood." David could not build the temple. This is not a time to be a Calvinist. We need
to seek the Lord for the liberty He may give us to please Him and bless others while we live TODAY!
And of all the things I know of that please God which we ought to seek to do,
communicating the Gospel of God’s Agape
Kingdom
Isa
6:8 Then I heard the voice of Adonai
saying, "Whom should I send? Who will go for us?" I answered,
"I'm here, send me!"
And God sent Isaiah. Might that mean Isaiah was an apostle?
Remarkably God sent him to the spiritually deaf and blind! We can pray: Father God send
us to those who should be saved!
Act 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day
there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul:
and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men,
as every man had need.
Act 2:46
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of
heart,
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God. Heb 12:3 Yes, think about him who
endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won't grow
tired or become despondent.
Heb 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of
shedding blood in the contest against sin.
Heb 12:5 Also you have forgotten the counsel
which speaks with you as sons: "My son, don't despise the discipline of
Adonai or become despondent when he corrects you.
Heb 12:6 For Adonai disciplines those he loves
and whips everyone he accepts as a
son."
Heb 12:7 Regard your endurance as discipline; God
is dealing with you as sons. For what son goes undisciplined by his father?
Heb 12:8 All legitimate sons undergo discipline;
so if you don't, you're a mamzer and not a son!
Heb 12:9 Furthermore, we had physical fathers who disciplined
us, and we respected them; how much more should we submit to our spiritual
Father and live!
Heb 12:10 For they disciplined us only for a short
time and only as best they could; but he disciplines us in a way that provides
genuine benefit to us and enables us to share in his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now, all discipline, while it is
happening, does indeed seem painful, not enjoyable; but for those who have been
trained by it, it later produces its peaceful fruit, which is righteousness.
Heb 12:12 So, {1} strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees;
Heb 12:13
and {2} make a level path for
your feet; so that what has been injured will not get wrenched out of joint but
rather will be healed.
Heb 12:14 {3} Keep pursuing shalom with everyone
and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Heb 12:15 {4} See to it that no one misses out on
God's grace, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and thus
contaminates many,
Heb 12:16
and that no one is sexually immoral, or godless like Esav, who in
exchange for a single meal gave up his rights as the firstborn.
Heb 12:17
For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to obtain his father's
blessing, he was rejected; indeed, even though he sought it with tears, his
change of heart was to no avail.
Heb 12:18
For you have not come to a tangible mountain, to an ignited fire, to
darkness, to murk, to a whirlwind,
Heb 12:19
to the sound of a shofar, and to a voice whose words made the hearers
beg that no further message be given to them —
Heb 12:20
for they couldn't bear what was being commanded them, "If even an
animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death";
Heb 12:21
and so terrifying was the sight that Moshe said, "I am quaking with
dread."
Heb 12:22
On the contrary, you have come to Mount Tziyon, that is, the city of the
living God, heavenly Yerushalayim; to myriads of angels in festive assembly;
Heb 12:23
to a community of the firstborn whose names have been recorded in
heaven; to a Judge who is God of everyone; to spirits of righteous people who
have been brought to the goal;
Heb 12:24
to the mediator of a new covenant, Yeshua; and to the sprinkled blood
that speaks better things than that of Hevel.
Heb 12:25
See that you don't reject the One speaking! For if those did not escape
who rejected him when he gave divine warning on earth, think how much less we
will escape if we turn away from him when he warns from heaven.
Heb 12:26
Even then, his voice shook the earth; but now, he has made this promise:
"One more time I will shake not only the earth, but heaven too!"
Heb 12:27
And this phrase, "one more time," makes clear that the things
shaken are removed, since they are created things, so that the things not
shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28
Therefore, since we have received an unshakeable Kingdom, let us have
grace, through which we may offer service that will please God, with reverence
and fear.
Heb 12:29
For indeed, "Our God is a consuming fire!"
Jdg 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came
up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have
brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers; and I said, I will
never break my covenant with you.
Joh 6:62 Suppose you were to see the Son of Man going back up to where
he was before?
Joh 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help. The
words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life,
Rom
11:17 …if some of the branches were
broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become
equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree…
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