Wonderful, Wonderful !!! by Gary Rose

What a fantastic picture! Makes me miss the change of colors that I used to see each fall in upstate New York. And then there is that cave, with that beautiful and unusual colored blue water flowing from it! WOW!

Then, as I considered the beauty of the foreground, I thought of what lies on the other side of that “tunnel”. From the brightness at the top of the opening it appears to much brighter there.

It made me think of the following passage from the last book of the Bible...

Revelation 21 ( World English Bible )

  ⁹  One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb’s bride.”  ¹⁰ He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,  ¹¹ having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  ¹² having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.  ¹³ On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.  ¹⁵ He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.  ¹⁶ The city is square, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand twelve stadia.  Its length, breadth, and height are equal.  ¹⁷ Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.  ¹⁸ The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.  ¹⁹ The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;  ²⁰ the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.  ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  ²² I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.  ²³ The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  ²⁵ Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),  ²⁶ and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.  ²⁷ There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 

Revelation 22 ( W E B )

 ¹ He showed me a*river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,  ² in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  ³ There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants serve him.  ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  ⁵ There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever. 

The beauty we see in the here and now, will be as nothing as compared to lies beyond our present existence! More than that, our relationship with God will be something more beautiful than we can even imagine. This brethren, is what we have to look forward to; it is our future, our destiny and our hope!!!

I can only describe it using the words of that great showman Lawrence Welk: Wonderful, Wonderful !!!

Bible Reading January 9 and 10 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading January 9 and 10

World  English  Bible

Jan. 9

Genesis 9

Gen 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Gen 9:2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand.

Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you.

Gen 9:4 But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat.

Gen 9:5 I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man.

Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.

Gen 9:7 Be fruitful and multiply. Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it."

Gen 9:8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,

Gen 9:9 "As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,

Gen 9:10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.

Gen 9:11 I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth."

Gen 9:12 God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

Gen 9:13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.

Gen 9:14 It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,

Gen 9:15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Gen 9:16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

Gen 9:17 God said to Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."

Gen 9:18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.

Gen 9:19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.

Gen 9:20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.

Gen 9:21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

Gen 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

Gen 9:23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness.

Gen 9:24 Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.

Gen 9:25 He said, "Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers."

Gen 9:26 He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.

Gen 9:27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant."

Gen 9:28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.

Gen 9:29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died.

Jan. 10

Genesis 10

Gen 10:1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.

Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

Gen 10:3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

Gen 10:4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

Gen 10:5 Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.

Gen 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Gen 10:7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

Gen 10:8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.

Gen 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh."

Gen 10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Gen 10:11 Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,

Gen 10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (the same is the great city).

Gen 10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

Gen 10:14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.

Gen 10:15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,

Gen 10:16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,

Gen 10:17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,

Gen 10:18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.

Gen 10:19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.

Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.

Gen 10:21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.

Gen 10:22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

Gen 10:23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.

Gen 10:24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.

Gen 10:25 To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother's name was Joktan.

Gen 10:26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

Gen 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

Gen 10:28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

Gen 10:29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

Gen 10:30 Their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.

Gen 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations.

Gen 10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations. Of these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

Jan. 9,10

Matthew 5

Mat 5:1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples cJame to him.

Mat 5:2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Mat 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:11 "Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden.

Mat 5:15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

Mat 5:16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Mat 5:17 "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Mat 5:18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.

Mat 5:19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.'

Mat 5:22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

Mat 5:23 "If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,

Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Mat 5:25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

Mat 5:26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.

Mat 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;'

Mat 5:28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

Mat 5:30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

Mat 5:31 "It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,'

Mat 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

Mat 5:33 "Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,'

Mat 5:34 but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

Mat 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Mat 5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black.

Mat 5:37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Mat 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'

Mat 5:39 But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Mat 5:40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Mat 5:41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Mat 5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Mat 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'

Mat 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

Mat 5:45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

Mat 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

Mat 5:47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

Mat 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

The Foreknowledge of "I AM" by T. Pierce Brown

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Brown/T/Pierce/1923/iam.html

The Foreknowledge of "I AM"

Most of us are aware of, and perhaps have meditated upon the answer God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14 when Moses wanted to know what he should say when he was asked who had sent him. Part of the verse reads, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'I AM hath sent me unto you.'" We have probably come to the conclusion that regardless of what other wonderful things may be involved in that answer, it suggests that God is eternal -- timeless. There is neither past nor future with God, but everything is now. He can thus "declare the end from the beginning" (Isa. 46:10).

It has long been a problem for philosophers, theologians and even for brilliant Christian scholars to explain how, if God foreknew that a thing would happen and thus it had to happen, could man have any freedom to choose. It appears to me that the problem becomes relatively simple, although fantastically profound, if one recognizes that the word "foreknew" is merely a word that applies to man, not to God. From God's standpoint, God knew a thing because to Him it was as if it was happening at that moment, for God is not subject to time as we are. He could say to Joshua, in Joshua 6:2, "I have given into thine hand Jericho," because to Him it was a present reality, though to Joshua it was future. He could say to Abraham in Genesis 17:5, "A father of many nations have I made thee," for it was done, as far as God was concerned, though to Abraham it was future. 

Many astute philosophers, theologians, scholars and those who have wrestled with the problem, even those who deny the false assumptions of Calvin, have reasoned like this: "If God knows anything that will happen in the future, then those things are unchangeable and the effect is the same as if God had predestined that they happen." But we may fail to realize that it is not a matter of God "knowing what will happen in the future" for there is no "future" in God's experience, for God is timeless. He only speaks of "future" to accommodate man's understanding. It is what is called an "anthropomorphism," or using human language to accommodate man's perspective. This is common in the Bible. For example, in Isaiah 59:1 we find, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." Surely most of us understand that God does not have a hand or ear as man has, and when "his eyes run to and fro throughout the earth" (Zech. 4:10) we understand the metaphorical language. 

Surely most of us do not think that in Genesis 18:21 where God says, "I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know" that God had to literally go down and find out personally if Sodom and Gomorrah were sinful. In Genesis 22:12, when God says, "Now I know that thou fearest God" surely few of us would assume that God did not know this before the event. The language is simply adapted to man's way of thinking and speaking, as when a teacher has solved a math problem on the board and says, "Now we know that x equals 6." She knew that x was equal to six before she worked the problem. So, when God says, "It will happen" it is not a matter of his making a decision that it will happen and man therefore has to abide by his decision. It is a matter of his ability to see what IS happening (for the future and the past are all present with him) and simply saying so. 

It is presumed that if God foreknows (or knows) everything, we are but pawns in his hand. This is not so, for God knows that man has freedom of choice, for he made us that way, and God can know that man is freely choosing to do what he does. A good question for those to answer who assume that God's knowledge leaves man no freedom of choice is this: Did God know before the foundation of the earth that he would send Jesus to redeem mankind? If so, he knew that mankind would sin, but in no case does the Bible suggest that God was the cause of man's sin, or predestined that he had to sin. 1 Peter 1:20 states that not only was it known, it was "foreordained." Then he must have known that man would sin, and need redemption. Calvin and his followers then assume that since God foreknew that man would sin, man had to sin and that every act of man was foreordained of God. That is not so, as we have pointed out, not because God did not know that man would sin, but because God knew that man would, of his own free will, choose to sin. Let us repeat: It is not that God knew man would do it, so man had to do it. It is the case that God sees Adam choosing to sin as a present reality (from His perspective), and plans for his redemption. He foreordained that Christ would come to redeem man, and what God foreordained could not be changed by any act of man, and would not be changed by any act of God. God did not foreordain that Judas would betray him, but God "foreknew" that Judas would, of his own free and wicked will choose to betray him. In Ezekiel 3:18, God is represented as saying to the wicked, "Thou shalt surely die." Did God know that some of those would not surely die? Of course, for he tells what will happen so they would not die. He was not lying when he told what would happen, but there is not the remotest indication that he made it happen, or that it had to happen because he said it would. He simply knew that some would repent, and when they did, God is represented as repenting. He is not represented as repenting because he changed his mind and did not know what would happen. 

1 Samuel 15:29 says, "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent." So when the Bible says that God did repent (Ex. 32:14, Jonah 3:10) it is not teaching that God did not know what was going to happen, and changed his mind because he had made a mistake. He had already told us in Ezekiel 33:8-18 that when the wicked changed, God would change, relative to him. God did not change in himself, or in his essence, nature or purpose. He did not need to say, "I am sorry for what I did, for I did not really know what would happen," for God is always sorry when man sins, and is always glad when he repents. So when the Bible says that God does repent, it is not contradicting the statement that says God does not repent. God does not repent in the same sense that man does, but only repents relative to man. God knew (foreknew from man's viewpoint) that he would destroy Israel (Deut. 9:14) and Nineveh (Jonah 3:4) if they did not repent. He told Jonah to preach "Forty days and you will be destroyed." Was God lying? Of course not, although they were not destroyed after forty days. And when he "repented of the evil that he would do, and did it not," was God sorry because he was going to do evil and decided he had made a mistake? Surely not. He already knew what would happen, but from man's viewpoint, he repented or changed relative to man. God is an unchanging God in himself, but is represented as changing toward man because when man acts properly God is pleased, and when man does not, God is displeased. "In him is no variableness, nor shadow of turning" (James 1:17) yet he is represented as turning when man turns.

Then when we find in the case of Judas as recorded in Acts 1:16 that "the scripture must needs have been fulfilled" it is often assumed that since God had prophesied before that Jesus would be betrayed, Judas was forced to do it, for God had already decreed that he would. If we can look at it from God's standpoint, so to speak, we can see that God is looking at Judas, long before Judas was born, and sees Judas of his own free will, because of a covetous heart, deciding that he would betray the Lord. So it is not a situation where God determined that it had to be that way, and foreordained it, but that He sees what is happening and tells it like it is, when from man's standpoint it has not yet happened. So in various passages like John 17:12, where it seems to imply in the King James Version that the son of perdition (Judas) had to be lost in order to make sure that the scripture was fulfilled, the truth would be better served to realize that the expression should be translated "with the result that the scripture was fulfilled." The idea that God had to make people wicked whether or not they chose to be wicked in order to make one of his predictions come to pass is totally out of harmony with the whole tenor of the scriptures. 

When we read in John 18:31-32, "The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die," surely we do not need to assume that in some way God made the Jews say something in order to make sure that what the scriptures had said would come to pass. Rather it is as Thayer indicates on page 304 "with the result that the scripture was fulfilled." There are several such passages that in most versions may sound as if the event had to be that way because God ordained that it be that way in order to fulfill what He had said would happen. But the truth is that God did not ordain that it be that way and thus had to overrule the will of some person or persons. God merely saw the event taking place as if it were what we would call "present time" and said so. When it happened as a result of the free will of man, the result was that the scripture was fulfilled.

This realization will help us to understand many things that may be a mystery to us. For example in Acts 2:23 we find, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." If one wonders how or why one can accuse a person of having wicked hands when he does what God had already determined that he do, the answer is relatively simple, although profound. God had determined long ago that Christ was to die for our sins. The Bible teaches that many times, and the first hint of it is given in Genesis 3:15. However, at no place in the Bible are we taught that God had determined that some specific person would do the wicked deed. God knew who would, of their own free will, do the wicked deed, for all future events (from man's standpoint) were present events from God's standpoint. Remember that God can declare the end from the beginning, but that does not say nor mean that God predestinates the end from the beginning. This is why predestination and foreknowledge are not the same thing, though many have assumed they have to be for they reason that if God knew that a thing would happen, He must make it happen. Again the simple explanation is that God knows a thing will happen because from His viewpoint it is happening. For God to be able to see the future (from our viewpoint) as present (from His viewpoint), does not necessitate his determined purpose or plan that it happen. God does have some specific fixed purposes, and all that man can do will not change those. But not everything that happens is because God had a fixed purpose that it happen that way, as John Calvin and his followers assumed. For example, God does not have a fixed purpose that any should perish (2 Pet. 3:9) but many will, and God knows that and has said it will happen. When it does it could be written, "These are lost that the scriptures might be fulfilled that said, 'Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat.'" But the expression, "that the scriptures might be fulfilled" would be better understood if it were stated, "thus the scriptures were fulfilled," for that expression does not suggest that God decreed that certain persons be lost and at the same time other scriptures said that he did not so decree, nor was it his will. Remember that the primary key to your ability to grasp that which seems so hard for many brilliant persons and great scholars to grasp is the realization that God said, "I AM." He is eternal, and sees everything that has been or will be as a present reality. Do not be disturbed if when you read this, you think, "I simply can't understand that." Of course you cannot understand infinity, or eternity, or omnipresence. You cannot understand how God can see any future event as certain, nor how God can be everywhere in the universe, although he is represented as "coming down" to some mountain or other place. 

Someone may say, "I believe that God has the ability to foreknow some things and the ability to choose not to foreknow some other ones." The main problem with that concept is that in order for God to choose not to foreknow some specific thing, He would have to know what he chose not to foreknow before he could choose not to foreknow it. That is simply a contradiction that cannot be resolved with man's words. If one can comprehend the idea that whatever is going to happen (from man's viewpoint) is now happening from God's standpoint, he can at least grasp the idea I am trying to present. To state it another way, all events, past, present and future have already happened from the standpoint of an eternal God. There is a great deal of difference in the fact that we cannot understand an eternal God for whom time means nothing, and who can be everywhere (omnipresent) at the same time and our not believing in those realities that the Bible reveals. That man freely acted and is responsible for his actions God has always known. The fact that God knew that Adam (or any part of mankind) would sin does NOT involve the idea that God predestined that Adam, or any other man, would sin. But God had to know that or he could not have foreordained that Christ would come and redeem mankind from sin. From His timeless perspective, God simply sees Adam (and us) sinning as we choose to do so. Adam is responsible for his sin, and we are responsible for ours. God did not foreordain us to sin, although He did foreknow that we would.

We will continually be confused if we do not differentiate between what God knew (foreknew is the way we put it), and what God determined would take place. The whole idea of Calvin and those who follow his assumptions, even when they do not realize they are doing it, is contrary to God's will and His revelation. Man does have freedom of choice, and if God predestined him individually to be saved or lost, he would not have it. Man's freedom of choice cannot change that which God predestined. He predestined that Christ would die for the sins of the world, and regardless of who did what, Christ would have died for the sins of the world. He was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8) and no power in the universe would change that. Man's salvation depends on his submission, but the fact that God knew that man would rebel and that He would provide a way for man to be saved in spite of that rebellion did NOT mean that God predestined man to rebel and made certain that he would, so that he could gloriously save his specific predetermined elect. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden" is still God's message, even if He knows some will not. He knows beforehand that some will not, but he has not predestined every thing he knows beforehand, for he is not willing that any should perish.

T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Selfish saints and their critics by Jim McGuiggan

https://web.archive.org/web/20160426085858/http://jimmcguiggan.com/nonbelievers2.asp?id=55

Selfish saints and their critics

When Christians become self-absorbed, concerned only about their moral fine-tuning (as if they were clients at a moral body-sculpturing club) they’ve forgotten the meaning of the creation and the revelation of God’s incarnation in and as Jesus Christ. Written all over the biography of God in biblical history is FOR OTHERS. And in the incarnation that message becomes focussed and eternal.

We’d insist that God’s "for others" expresses his own glory and that it’s aimed to lead us to glorify him. He must rejoice in the highest that he knows just as we must (P.T Forsyth) if we’re to be the best we can be. It is his glorious nature that is the ground for human greatness and that moral splendour is expressed "for others".

Karl Barth, the Swiss theologian, has taught us that the astonishing truth is, that God does not choose to be God without us. His moral glory involves the creation and redemption of the human family that it might live in joy-filled holiness and righteousness before him. It isn’t divine self-absorbed egotism.

And if Christians become self-absorbed, thinking only of their spiritual growth that they might enjoy deeper blessing from God, to that degree and in that way they are blurring the image of God they are called to reflect. For the church to gaze at itself ceaselessly and think little or nothing of the generations that come and go in an endless stream, they shame themselves and pass a judgement of "of little value" on their fellow humans throughout the world.

And all the preaching/teaching/writing that promotes such self-centredness is an abomination, however popular it is. Trust me when I tell you that many Christians are sickened by this sugary sweet diet that pampers the richly blessed and assures them (if only by default) that life with God has more in common with Tennyson’s The Lotus Eaters than with the biblical doctrine of election. It coddles and consoles and doesn't convict or call upward by calling them outward. Such preaching/teaching is an enemy of the kingdom of God and devalues the peoples of the world.

Non-believers would do well not to ground their case against Jesus Christ on the basis of a poor response from Christians. It’d be a mistake for Christians to lump all non-believers together, though in light of the millions that are plainly hedonistic they’re tempted to do that. The idea that all non-believers are sweet-spirited and lovers of truth is sheer and palpable nonsense and when the critic of the Church speaks, he is armed with materials given to him by the church. She may be a cracked mirror that distorts the image of Jesus Christ but without the truth she does convey, the non-believer wouldn’t know how to say "you hypocrite!"

The thing for us to do is to try and give a fair hearing to the best that is offered on either side. The best the Christian has to offer is not her well-reasoned arguments (though these have their place) or even the fine lives she has nurtured (and these certainly have their place) but the gospel she has come to know. If a non-believer is truly interested in uncovering or meeting up with truth, he/she should listen for the exposition of the gospel. Don’t judge the tree by the worst specimen and think that that is the true picture. Give the best you can find a real hearing.

The biblical Story is rich and complex and disturbing. Only "juvenile" non-believers sneer at what they haven’t really taken time to understand. Only sour non-believers shove Jesus Christ out of the way to "get at" the weakest of his followers. Only ranting hacks that profess the name of Christ grin in genuine pleasure as they damn to hell all non-Christians. Sin (I speak as a Christian) affects us all—no exceptions—and we need the grace of the gospel of God to open our eyes.

The Church of Christ – It’s Foundation Can’t Be Moved by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/07/page/2/

The Church of Christ – It’s Foundation Can’t Be Moved

When we attend to the necessities of being a Christian, it is obvious there are times we must be in attendance of the Lord’s Church. How can we teach, and admonish one another in psalms and hymns; How can we partake of the Lord’s supper; How can we give of our means to support the ministry, the needy saints, and the daily needs of the church; How can we edify the body of Christ; how can we fellowship with one another; except we gather together with the saints of God? This Lord’s Day, let your attendance be felt in the church whose foundation can’t be moved, the Churches of Christ. It’s necessary, it’s commanded, and it’s our privilege.

Eph 5:10; Col 3:16; 1 Cor 16:1,2; Eph 4:11,12; Acts 2:42; Heb 10:25; Acts 20:7; Mt 16:18; Rom 16:16; Ps 122:1;

Serving the Enemy (part 3) By Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1381

Serving The Enemy – Another Tool of the 

Devil (Part 3)

Serving the Enemy    (part 3)

By Ben Fronczek

Story of Benedict Arnold

He was a troubled boy, but when war began to break out against the British when while in his mid 20’s, he jumped right in and got permission from the leaders in Massachusetts to lead an attack on the British garrisons at Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga. He knew that their canons would be useful in fighting the British as they were entering the Revolutionary War. On the way he met up with Ethan Allen and the fierce Green Mountain Boys and they took the strongholds.

George Washington saw something in this young man and so he was given the commission of Colonel. He was later given the mission to try to take the British stronghold in Quebec. It was an extremely difficult mission because of the time of year, and small pox, and he simply did not have enough men.  They failed their attempt to take Quebec, and this young man himself was shot in the leg.  But because of his zeal and bravery, Washington made him a Brigadier General and then later a Major General after taking Montreal and Danbury.

He served for another five years in one battle after another including a dangerous assault against the center of the British line at Saratoga where he was wounded in the leg again, and he had to have it removed.   It was said that no General was more imaginative than he, no field officer more daring, no soldier more courageous.

But even though this young man fought so heroically, he was not a happy man. He always felt that he deserved more than what he was being compensated for. He thought that he deserved a higher rank and more recognition, with expensive tastes, he thought that he deserved more financial compensation.  He eventually became bitter and resentful. After all he did, and the battles he fought he eventually made a decision to turn his back on our new country, and help the enemy.

He promised the British Commander that he would turn over West Point along with it’s 3000 defenders for a price (20,000 Sterling or well over a million dollars in today’s currency). It was agreed upon and though the plan was foiled, today no one remembers all the heroic campaigns he went on before that foolish act. He is only remembered as one of our nation’s most infamous traitors. His name, Benedict Arnold.

What does this story have to do with my lesson today? Much!

In the past two lessons we’ve looked at the dastardly work of the devil:

In the 1st lesson I talked about how devil is a thief, how he sets out to rob us:

. He out to rob us of our relationship with God

. He is also out to rob us of our relationship we have with one another

. And he also wants to rob us of our peace and confidence.

And our last we looked at one of the tools which he uses to rob us, and that is temptation.  As I mentioned, if you are breathing, you will be tempted, so we should not be surprised when these temptations come our way, rather we are to ready and be prepared to stand.

And the lesson today is still closely linked to the last two, regarding the way that the evil one uses to destroy us, and rob us of our relationship with God and others. It happens when we start serving the enemy, when we start doing the devil’s bidding, sometime without even being aware of what we are doing.

And you may be thinking to yourself, ‘I’d never do such a thing! I love the Lord.’

But I am here to show you today that good folks have unwittingly found themselves in this predicament, and they were serving the wrong master.

There are numerous examples in the Bible of people who for one reason or another turned and did the enemy’s bidding:

We don’t have enough time to look at all these individuals but lets consider a few in the New Testament:

– The Pharisees:  To the average Jew during Jesus’ time though that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were ‘the’ holy men of their day. But Jesus could see into their heart, HE could see the motive behind what they were doing.   Consider: Matthew 23:13-15;   and  John 8:42-47   (Click on verses to read) 

You see, even though many perceived them as holy godly men, they were actually doing the enemies bidding, wanting to kill Jesus the Messiah and destroy His work, which is the very work of God

– There was Judas, one of Jesus’ closest companions for 3 years, who like Benedict Arnold betrayed his Lord for a pocket full of silver.

– There was the young man Saul, who I truly believe loved God and loved his religion. As a matter of fact, he went after anyone who he thought was trying to undermine the Jewish faith.

But he did not fully understand who Jesus was and why some put faith in Him. So when Stephen was stoned to death because of this new found faith, he stood there and approve of his death. After that he personally started to seek out and try to destroy the followers of Christ; even going so far as to get permission from High priest and Jewish council giving him permission to arrest men and women for being a Christian.

And then he met the Lord on the way to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-19, and 22:1-10.) We read in Acts 9, that did not eat for three days until Ananias came and restored his sight and then Baptized him, washing away his sins.

I can’t help but believe that Saul, who we know as Paul couldn’t eat for those three because he was grieving and sickened because of the fact that he without knowing or realizing it, he was serving the enemy, not God. After that he went on to serve Jesus faithfully.

– Later we read where brethren, church members, who because of their actions,  were not glorifying our Lord, rather they were serving the enemy. For example, in the letter of I Corinthians, Paul had to address many things that were going on in that young church.

In chapter 1:10-17, he addresses their division and schisms in that church.

Some in the church wanted to follow this one, others wanted to follow   someone else. They were destroying unity within that church.

Did you ever hear the phrase, divide and conquer?  One way to destroy a church is do just that; splinter it into factions. They were serving the enemy’s agenda and probably did not even realize it .

In that letter Paul goes on talk about other things that were they were do that was hurting the church as well as the cause of Christ

– A man in the church was fornicating with his stepmother and the church wasn’t doing anything about it.

– He also writes that they had lawsuits and were suing one another.

– Some were having affairs with prostitutes.

– They were also letting their worship get out of hand, speaking out of turn, and celebrating the Lord’s supper in an improper manner

– Some were even teaching that there wasn’t going to be resurrection, trying to undermine the very hope of those early Christians.

Brethren, that church was a mess. And in that letter Paul does his best to address all these problems hoping that they would get back on the right track…Because they weren’t serving God by doing these things, they were serving the enemy and helping him destroy that church.

It’s hard to believe that we’d ever consider serving the enemy, the devil, who is trying to rob us of our relationship with God, and trying to rob us of the relationship we have with one another, and trying to rob us of our peace of mind and confidence.

Yet what happens when we start gossiping about one another, or when we refuse to make things right with brothers and sisters when we wrong them,

…or when we refuse to forgive,

…or when we’re the one behind a schism in the church.

…or when we cause another to stumble.

…or when we don’t feel like coming to church to encourage those one another.

…or when we refuse to reach out to the lost, those without Jesus around us…

Brethren we’re not serving our great and awesome God, we’re serving the enemy and become a tool in his hands.

So what do we do to prevent ourselves from falling into this insidious trap of serving the wrong master?

First realize it’s exactly what Satan wants you to do.    …He wants you to do his bidding.  He wants you to raise havoc and cause turmoil in your home, and in the church.  He wants you to hurt, or even ignore brethren in the church. He want you disobey the Lord Commands and teach error.   So we have to be on the alert.

And that’s why we need to put on the armor of God, because if we do so Paul wrote there in Ephesians  6:10-18  that we will be able to take our stand against the devil’s schemes.

I also believe we need to examine our heart condition. The greatest command in all the Bible is to Love – Love God and love one another.

When you truly put God first in your life, when you love Him that much, you’ll study His word not because you have to, but rather because you’ll want to. You will do your best to understand the one you love and His will for you.

When our commander and chief says ‘don’t do that’, you won’t – because you love Him. If He says to do something, you’ll do it – because you love Him. If He says go, you’ll go – because you love Him.   I believe a goal of our life should be to develop a love for Him ilike that. It has to be more than just lip service, rather our love for Him should motivate and drive us to glorify Him.

And 2ndly, we need to really learn how to love one another….so that we don’t hurt, or abuse one another. You may appear to be the greatest Christian in NY, you may have the Bible memorized, but if you don’t master how to love, how to seek the highest good of those around you, you’ll never come to understand what God want and expect of you.

That was Paul’s answer to that Corinthian church that was so divided and troubled.

Some of you may consider  I Corinthians 13:1-8a   one of Paul’s most familiar compositions, but many don’t realize that it was really the answer or solution to their problems in that ancient church, and our churches today   READ

Conclusion: Brethren, don’t let Satan use you. Don’t become his pawn or a tool in his hand.

We constantly need to be examining and asking  ourselves are my actions and words helping or hurting the cause of Christ.

Is what I said to sister so and so something that is going to hurt or help her.  By doing this or that, am I hurting or helping the reputation of this church.  Can my words and actions be seen as serving our Lord, or are they serving the enemy?

And if we realize we are in error, we need to make it right, make it right with the Lord, and make thing right with one another. And by doing so, you will not only feel better, you will also be giving Satan a blow

Benedict Arnold died a miserable man,  He had to live with the fact that he was a traitor. And Judas couldn’t even do that he couldn’t even live with knowing that he was a traitor, so he went out and hanged himself.

But what I think is sadder is those who are serving the enemy without even realizing it; feeling angry miserable and not even know why. Don’t let Satan use you. Jesus came that you may have joy and peace in your life and to set you free like what He did for Paul; so claim what He died to give you.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com