capital punishment 505 - 8 - 4

What is repentance? “It is a change of mind that leads to a change of heart that leads to a change in actions. This change involves both turning from sin and turning to God. [Hal Lindsey ministries]

Is repentance enough? No, redemption affords the person on death row the comfort of knowing that they will be with the Lord, however, actions have consequences.

For the  unredeemable capital punishment  guarantees that the person will never commit another crimes. This protects the public from at least those monsters of this fallen world who are caught and convicted.

Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” While Jesus assured the thief of his salvation, He did nothing to prevent the man from paying for his crimes with his life, justice was served.

Prisoners on death row are told when and what to eat, when and how to conduct personal hygiene, and more. They have lots of time “To reflect on their own lives, their own pasts, their own beliefs, their own convictions and guilt, and their own impending future. In addition to time comes atmosphere. The walls of the cells are daily reminders of what they’ve done”.

[Horn, Thomas; Howell, Donna (2014-11-21). Redeemed Unredeemable: When America’s Most Notorious Criminals Came Face to Face with God]

While the Bible speaks of a lake of fire I think hell is more of an absence from God and being alone with yourself for eternity. To me this would represent a burning of the Soul. Something of an equivalency to being on death row.

I remember when Karla Faye Turner was on death row for her part in the very violent ice pick murder of two people. Karla was strung out on drugs at the time but that is no excuse. On the surface it would seem that she was totally unredeemable. Then she went to a puppet show/ Bible study and the rest is history.

It was 14 years before Karla was executed and early in those 14 years she became a born-again Christian. Some refer her coming to faith as a death row conversion in the desperate hope that her sentence would be reduced to life imprison. However, several in the religious community petition for Karla to be spared the death penalty. Had she been spared the death penalty would this not have cheapened sincere death row conversions?

Karla paid the ultimate price for her crime and Justice was served. During her incarceration she led many to faith and perhaps she was there for such a time as that. The story goes that she was humming as she walked to the death chamber and died with a smile and eyes open. I rather expect that she was seeing Jesus who said “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Book of Numbers, great study 505 - 8 - 7

What did I learn in the Book of Numbers? God says what he means and means what he says. When in God’s will thing go smoothly, however, the reverse is true. Israel often was not doing God’s will.

God provided great detail for the transport of The Ark of the Covenant. Later in King David’s time it was placed on a cart counter to God’s directions. As a result, a man died.

Israeli’s lack of courage and faith at Kadesh-Barnea condemned them to the wilderness for nearly forty years. Numbers 14: 29, “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.”

Numbers 20:12, “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Known as the water of Meribah, rather that speaking to the rock Moses struck it. The rock was a type of Jesus who is woven throughout the Old Testament.

Israel failed to destroy all her enemies and inhabit all the land promised by God. Today Israel's enemies attack her verbally and/or physically. Gaza, the West Bank and The Golan Heights have been and continue to be a threat to the security of Israel. Also the Mantra of Israel being an occupier in these regions is being perpetuated by the liberals and the UN.

CM cited an equivalency between Dan and our spiritual walk. Jesus did it all on the cross and we are saved by grace and not by works. However, as it was with Dan, it is up to us to appropriate that gift. Once we truly internalize our justification by grace it's only natural that we will out picture it as we work out our sanctification as ambassadors for God.

God can use something meant for evil for good. Balaam was paid to curse Israel and instead blessed her with a Messianic prophecy. Numbers 23:17, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” Unfortunately, Balaam finally provided Israel’s enemy with insight into the Israeli’s weaknesses.

Often with God there is a hint of something hidden in plain sight, something of a Remez. This is the case with the layout of the camp forming a near perfect cross.

Then there is the accuracy of God. The numbering of the people and the very detailed genealogies are absolutely amazing. As someone who has done quite a bit of genealogy, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. The course Ezra and Nehemiah starts next month. I’m studying ahead in preparation for this class. I'm once again amazed at detail with which God organized the Jews with respect to which tribe, etc.

We serve an awesome God.

Scripture from KJV

Grieve not the Holy Spirit 537 - 6 - 3

Ephesians 4:29-31, “29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:”

Grieve, Strong’s Number G3076 is to distress, cause grief, grieve be in heaviness, sorrow, make sorry. Thayer’s Definition includes to offend, a word I consider more fitting.

 We are to edify the Church, not cause dissention among the community. The things that God hates includes; Proverbs 6:19 “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

The Holy Spirit is not to be taken lightly or to be offended. Matthew 12:31-32, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

Forgiven “neither in this world, neither in the world to come” really gets my attention and as I understand this is the unpardonable sin that would bring destructions. Also, taken in the context of Matthew 12:28-33, not only will those who oppose the working of Jesus “by the Spirit of God” be scattered abroad, if their tree is corrupt, so will their fruit be corrupt.

It seems that there is a difference between lying to the Holy Spirit and blaspheming it. Ananias and Sapphira sold their property and claimed to have given the full amount to the community of the early church. This was a lie as they had held back a portion of the price they had received for the property. While holding back the money was not a sin lying about it was. Both Ananias and Sapphira fell dead at Peter’s feet. First was Ananias and then several hours later his wife Sapphira. Peter gave Sapphira the opportunity to be truthful, however, she continued the lie. Ananias and Sapphira did not lie to the early church, they lied to the Holy Spirit. Lied but did not commit blasphemy.

A little off topic, James warns us in 5:12, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” Taking an oath and not honoring it can lead condemnation. This was something I had to learn as I used to say, “I swear that…”

Scripture from KJV

Trying to be third after Jesus and others 537 - 6 - 5

Matthew 22:37-40, “37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself which implies, not mere animal or worldly affection, but love from the highest moral considerations, without self-interest, holy. Our "neighbour" is every one with whom we are concerned, i.e. virtually all men. He is to be loved because he is God’s image and likeness, heir of the same hope as we ourselves, and presented to us as the object on and by which we are to show the reality of our love to God."

[The Pulpit Commentary]

Putting Jesus first is a given as he gave everything that I might be justified before God. In addition to his horrific death on the cross following a severe beating, Jesus went through life under the cloud of illegitimacy. Psalm 69 gives us some insight into his early life and rejection by his siblings. So Jesus first, absolutely.

Putting family ahead of oneself is natural. With the exception of abortion what mother would fail to protect her children, even with her very life? As for friends, there are people in my life as close as family members, so family and friends, second only to Jesus.

What I find difficult is placing the interests of others ahead of my own when they do the same or similar self-destructive things repeatedly resulting in a need. I winner in Quartzsite, AZ, which turns into a huge winter swap meet. As a result, we get many passing thru during the winter. Some get jobs for the winter but many have addictions. It can be difficult to see God’s image and likeness in addicts.

We have a local church whose pastor and members really manifests being third. During the swap meet season they provide a meal every day for those needing a meal as well as showers and clean clothes. Other churches in town help with meal preparation.

In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about the sheep and goat judgment. Verse 40, "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." This passage refers to the Jews, Jesus' brethren, specifically and perhaps by extension, generally to the Gentiles. As an aside, our current administration is putting the Jews a far distant third or possibly fourth or fifth. Lots of goats in the administration.

While I support the good work of organizations such as the Voice of the Martyrs and CBN, in my opinion, the same level of need is not nearly as prevalent here in the United States. Perhaps it's pride in the fact that I overcame great obstacles to get a good education resulting job opportunities that I have problems relating to the victim mentality that seems to be growing exponentially here in the United States. I like the concept of Leviticus gleaning.

In summary, Jesus as first, absolutely! Others as second, well, I often fail that one. However, Matthew 22:39 speaks to “as thyself” so perhaps…..

All about the “Tola?” 505 - 7 - 2

On the cross Jesus gave His life as a propitiation to bridge the gap between a righteous God and fallen man, something of a similitude to the Tola, the scarlet worm, who gives her life so that her young may have life. Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

After following in the footsteps of Jesus for three and a half years the disciples still didn’t get it. “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Luke 24:44

The prophecy of the incarnation of God as the man Jesus was prophesied in the Garden. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The scarlet thread that began in Genesis would have its culmination on a blood stained cross. Psalm 22 reads like it was dictated by Jesus from the cross and includes the mention of a worm. “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.” Psalm 22:6

Worm - H8438 - tôlâ‛ - a maggot, the crimson grub, in this connection of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith: - crimson, scarlet, worm. [Strong’s]

This harkens back to the Coccus ilicis, the scarlet worm. When she reproduces, the female attaches herself permanently to a tree and covers her eggs with her body. The worm gives her life to feed her baby worms resulting in a crimson liquid that leaves a red stain on the tree.

Alpha Omega Institute’s The Crimson or Scarlet Worm is an interesting read.

“After three days, the dead mother Crimson worm’s body loses its crimson color and turns into a white wax which falls to the ground like snow.”

[http://www.discovercreation.org/blog/2011/11/20/the-crimson-or-scarlet-worm/]

Perhaps there is a deeper meaning in the use of the word worm and the expression son of man in Job. “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. 6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?” Job 25:4-6.

How did Jesus perform the duty of the Azezel? 505 - 7 - 6

In surfing the Internet for Azezel I found an explanation that was nearly too much information: JewishEncyclopedia, The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia

“The name of a supernatural being mentioned in connection with the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xvi.). After Satan, for whom he was in some degree a preparation, Azazel enjoys the distinction of being the most mysterious extrahuman character in sacred literature. Unlike other Hebrew proper names, the name itself is obscure.”

Further in the article, “According to Talmudical interpretation, the term "Azazel" designated a rugged mountain or precipice in the wilderness from which the goat was thrown down.”

[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2203-azazel]

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is one of The Fall Feasts and falls on the 10th of Tishri, the 7th Month. It is a day of national repentance. Yom Kippur is the only time the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. In the unlikely event of the High Priest dying in the Holy of Holies a rope was secured to his ankle so his body could be pulled out. Two Goats were involved, one for the Lord and one as the the Azezel, the Scapegoat.

Leviticus 16:7,-9, "7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering."

The High Priest fastened a scarlet woolen thread to the head of the scapegoat and it was "presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." Leviticus 16:21-22, "21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness."

Jesus performed the duty of the Azezel as He hung on the cross. Rather than a scarlet woolen thread fastened to His head it was a crown of thorns. Jesus became sin and God would not look at Him. Matthew 27:46, "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" My God, not Abba, Father.  Jesus not only performed the duty of the Azezel He also perform the duty of the sin offering. 

The doctrine of Imminence and its impact my life 537 - 5 - 5

The doctrine of Imminence impacts my life with great expectations and interesting Bible study discussions. So is it's a Pre-Tribulation, Mid- Tribulation or Post-Tribulation Rapture? Perhaps a pan-Tribulation, it will all pan out in the end.

Matthew 25:13, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." Good advise I try to follow.

The Doctrine of Imminence deals with “next expectation.” According to “The Doctrine of Imminence” we can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. The Jewish Wedding is analogous to what will happen in the lead up to the rapture. Jesus, the bridegroom, ascended into his father's house to prepare a place for his bride, the Church, just as was done in biblical time.

Jesus told The Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25. At the midnight cry the five foolish virgins discover that they didn’t have oil for their lamps and rushed out to buy some. Unfortunately for them when the bridegroom arrived they shopping. The five virgins who were ready with oil went in with him to the wedding banquet “and the door was shut.” Just as the bride was to be ready as the bridegroom could come at any time, the Church should eagerly anticipate the coming of Jesus for his Church. Part of waiting on the Lord to call us home is to be as righteous as humanly possible befitting the bride of Christ.

Then there is Revelation 12:5-6. Here we read that the woman “gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.” The woman then fled into the wilderness to a place of safety (Petra) for the duration of 1,260 days, the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” The woman is the remnant of Israel fleeing the Antichrist mid-tribulation when he is totally indwelled by Satan and breaks the seven year covenant with Israel after three and a half years.

The Son of the woman/Israel is Jesus. Is His ascension to the Father is a representation the Church with Jesus as the Head the Church as the body. Does this imply a mid-tribulation rapture which goes against The Doctrine of Imminence? Or does a mid-Tribulation really go against The Doctrine of Imminence?

The danger of Replacement Theology 537 - 5 - 4

Replacement theology makes the claim that as Israel rejected Jesus as Yeshua she forfeited the promises/ covenants made to her by God and these passed to the Church which became “spiritual Israel.” The concept of replacement theology marginalizes Israel and the Jewish people making it easier for the world to turn its back on the Jews, most notably during the Holocaust.

The movie “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” is about two eight year old boys who became friends though on opposite sides of a fence surrounding a concentration camp. In another KI class I suggested that these boys were ultimate victims of replacement theology.

http://sallycp-inthebeginninggod.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-boy-in-striped-pajamas-ultimate.html

For the Jew, Replacement Theology and the Holocaust, little daylight between them. For the Christian, if God cannot be trusted to keep His word to Israel can Christians expect Him to keep his word to us and honor our salvation?

However, many church leaders either willfully or through ignorance practice a weak Hermeneutics leading them to claim that the Everlasting Covenants God made with Israel has passed to the church though Replacement Theology:

1. Israel forfeited her promises when she rejected her Messiah

2. The promises to Abraham passed to the Church

3. All the Old Testament covenants were conditional

Replacement theology is not unique to the Christian church. Always the student, a few years ago I attended a Mormon seminar and was surprised to hear that they expect New Jerusalem to come down in Middle America. This replacement theology teaching of Joseph Smith is totally non-biblical and easily ignored.

Last summer I spent a time of worship and discussion with my Seventh-day Adventists neighbors and their fellow believers. I was surprised to find out that they are proponents of Replacement Theology. So more surfing of the Internet searching for “Seventh‑day Adventist Church replacement theology,” nearly 26,500 hits including:

Replacement Theology and the End of Time

"Seventh-day Adventists are so close yet so far away from their brethren, the Jews, because of one missing link.  The Adventist church identity is closely wrapped around the ideology that they are “Spiritual Israel”.  Adventists feel that they have taken the place of the House of Judah and the House of Israel in any future applications or interpretations of End Time prophecies.  Their interpretation of the apocalyptic end times is ego-centric to Adventism. The end of times is a spiritual battle between the Adventist and the Catholics, the good versus the bad."

[http://www.biblesearchers.com/christian/replacement/replacement1.shtml]

Then there is Islam. Those of the Islamic faith falsely claim that Ishmael is the child of promise offered as a sacrifice by Abraham rather than Isaac. Both Joseph Smith and Mohamed were visited by an “angel” who gave them a series of revelations.

Replacement theology is a heresy and perhaps the advocates of this corrupt theology are risking their eternal soul. Also, by rejecting Israel the church rejects much of the truths found in the Old Testament thereby losing connection to our Jewish roots. We have been warned in Genesis 12:3 and in Zechariah 12:3, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

 We in the United States should take heed to Jeremiah’s warning. God will take care of Israel; however, our country runs the risk of being cut in pieces by this burdensome stone.

The brazen serpent of Numbers and it's relationship to Jesus 505 - 6 - 1

Again the people murmured. Numbers 21:6, "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died."

Moses sought God's consult and God proposed an interesting anecdote. Numbers 21:8, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”

Moses did as directed and when those who had been bitten looked upon the serpent lived.

As an aside,  Nachash is the ordinary word for serpent. The word saraph which seems to mean "burning one," stands (by itself) for a serpent. [The Pulpit Commentary]

Serpent(s) are referred to throughout the Bible, 34 times in the Old Testament and 15 times in the New Testament.

The first mention is in Genesis 3:1 where Satan in the guise of a serpent seeks to cause Eve to question God. Last mention is Revelation 20:2, "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." After the thousand years there will be those having a fallen nature, "after that he must be loosed a little season."

The shedding of blood as a covering/ atonement for sin is found in Genesis 3:21, "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Earlier God had given a hint of a requirement for a future sacrifice, Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

In Genesis 4 Abel’s blood sacrifice of a lamb was acceptable God while Cain's offering was not. Cain killed Abel, another type of blood sacrifice brought about by jealousy. Genesis 4:10, "And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

Fast-forward hundreds of years to the time that Jesus spent instructing his disciples and, in this case, Nicodemus.  John 3:13, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” Here Jesus is alluding to his divine nature.

John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:” The act of Moses in lifting the brass serpent was prophetic of Jesus being lifted up on the cross. Jesus carried our sin to the cross and provided us with the gift of justification before God.

Jesus, the ultimate blood sacrifice, cried from the cross, “It is finished.” 

Before Jesus uttered “It is finished' from the cross he suffered complete abandonment by God. Our righteous God could not look on Jesus as he was our propitiation for sin. Matthew 27:46, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” No Abba, Father, rather my God. Fulfillment of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

The “errors” of Balaam" 505 - 6 - 7

According to CM there are three errors of Balaam:

Errors of Balaam

• “Way of Balaam”: making religion his source of wealth.

• “Error of Balaam”: attempting to oppose God’s will and curse Israel

• “Doctrine of Balaam”: marriage with the world.

Balaam was a soothsayer, a “prophet for profit,” for hire. He agreed to use his ability contrary to God’s will.  When blocked, Balaam then suggested a work-around.

Balak, king of the Moabites, feared the Israeli so he sent messengers to Balaam and asked him to curse Israeli. God intervened. Numbers 22:12, "And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

At first Balaam refused to curse Israel and eventually traveled to Moab but not until after a conversation with his donkey. Every time Balaam tried to curse Israel he ended up blessing them in accordance with God’s word. Finally he usedthe doctrine of Balaam, “to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel,” to cause them to be unfaithful to God so He would then “turn His hand against them.”

Later Balaam was killed, Joshua 13:22, “Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.”

Fast forward to the present. Today we have the televangelists who have, in my opinion, gone the way of Balaam in a marriage with the world. Like Balaam they are “hireling” marketing their gift of being persuasive speakers. Their doctrine tickles the ears rather than convicting the listeners of their sinful nature and the need for redemption. Most of these televangelists run the risk of “Sacrificing eternal riches for temporal gain.” Eventually they will stand in judgment for casting stumbling blocks before their followers.

Our world is becoming increasingly evil. The Theory of Evolution has become a religion and our Creator God is marginalize, from goo to you by way of the zoo. So little value has the unborn that millions have been sacrificed on the altar of a woman’s choice. Those in academia who suggest intelligent design often lose their positions or at the very least are ridiculed. Romans Chapter One speaks to what happens to those who deny our Creator God, the judgment of homosexuality.

Rather than verbally cursing Israel, our current administration is undermining Israel, ironically a political party that has a donkey as its icon.

The “prince of the power of the air” and the Lame-stream media 537 - 4 - 3

Isaiah 14:12, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” In his pride Lucifer sought to exalt himself above God and was thrown out of heaven. To paraphrase Peter, he certainly does wander around like a roaring lion bent on destroying God's people.  He is aided by the corrupt left leaning lame stream media works to shape opinion rather than to accurately report world events.

In Daniel 10:13 we read that the Prince of the kingdom of Persia held up God's messenger for 21 days and he required the help of the archangel Michael. Daniel 10:14, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days." So here we are in the latter days and the vision is for now. Satan and his minions use the corrupt media to confuse those not under God's protection, we who have the gift of discernment.

1 Peter 5:7-9 is very relevant today. 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Jesus, our center and protection from the half-truths and innuendos presented as fact by a very corrupt left leaning lame stream media.

1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” While the lame stream media doesn't wander around as a roaring lion, it certainly seems to seek destroys balanced reasoning and has a worldwide megaphone via satellite. Truly an instrument of the Prince of the air.

1 Peter 5:9, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  Indoctrination and incitement of mob rule is occurring throughout the world. Responsible parties? The Illuminati, the establishment, the elite?

Ephesians 2:2 was the only passage in the Bible containing the expression “the prince of the power of the air.” Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” “Children of disobedience,” evil aided by the media?

Through Ezekiel God tells of the annihilation of "the anointed cherub that covereth and his minions. Ezekiel 28:18, "Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee." times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

As in 1 Peter 5:9, we are to those “Whom resist stedfast in the faith….” 

How I discern God’s will? 537 - 4 - 6

To me discerning God's will is an internalized knowing not so much what is His will, rather knowing what is not.

Romans 5:19, “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” We are living in a fallen world and I have inherited a fallen nature. Thankfully God had a solution to the fall. His son and our Savior Jesus is our propitiation.

I've read and quoted the following verses many times and each time I get what could be described as the warm fuzzes. I know there is nothing that I can do to justifying myself before a righteous God; thankfully I'm covered by the blood of Jesus.

Ephesians 2:7-9, “7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I know that when I am trying to do it myself rather than relying on God I'm acting under my will rather than His. I usually know when I’m acting in God’s will, well, maybe. When I’ve “missed the mark” it’s the Oops feeling I get in my mid-section. Staying in God’s will is getting more difficult in this upside down world. I remind myself that I am in this world but not of it, however, it is easy to get pulled into the drama of this quickly imploding world.

I find that avoiding those out of fellowship with God helps to keep me in God’s will. 2 Thessalonians 3:6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” I often withdraw almost to the point of being a recluse, again, in the world but not of the world as I work on sanctification.

I work at keeping my mind stayed on Jesus as the perfect role model and ask myself “What Would Jesus Do” if faced with a given situation. I often fall short of the mark and experience that Oops feeling I get in my mid-section.

There is the Word. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” So here Paul tells us that Scripture speaks to what is right, what is not right, how to get it right and how to stay right. 

Moses broke the Third Commandment by striking the rock rather than talking to it. 505 - 5 - 6

In Exodus 17:6 God tells Moses to smite the rock ay Horeb and "there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” Later while in Kadesh the people again murmuring about not having water. God tells Moses in Numbers 20:8 to speak to the rock and “it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock.”

Being fed up with the murmuring of the people and in disobedience to God Moses struck the rock rather than talking to it. Thus it appeared that the water came forth through the effort of Moses and not as a gift from God.

There was a price to pay, Numbers 20:12, “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Moses would not see the Promised Land until hundreds of years later when he and Elias joined Jesus on Mount Hermon, "The Mount of Transfiguration."

Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” is The Third Commandment. Before CM and KI I naïvely thought the third commandment had to do with swearing. Now I realize that taking the Lord’s name in vain has to do with being a poor ambassador for God.

As a born again Christian I am an ambassador for Christ. It is incumbent upon me to represent the God and the Word in such a way that I’m not a stumbling block to others. Paul tells us in ll Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  Also, we are not to lightly use God’s name in the making of an oath.

Today there are many professing to be ambassadors for God who misrepresent His Word. The prosperity tele-evangelists of the “name it and claim it” ilk are leading thousand down the wide path that leads to destruction. “Demons Work - Live In Church!” is a montage of telemarketing hustle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsxcaG4Myyk&list=RDIsxcaG4Myyk

Not all tele-evangelists are delivering messages of deception. Dr. David Jeremiah pastors a mega-church while holding to the Word of God. In his book I Never Thought I'd See the Day!: Culture at the Crossroads. He writes "It never occurred to me that the Bible could be marginalized and even vilified publicly as it is today." 

references about rocks that have messianic overtones 505 - 5 - 7

CM often states that the Bible is an integrated whole. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments the rock and/ or stone is used a type of the Messiah.

All through The Book of Psalms King David referred to God as the rock of salvation, refuge. Jesus is our rock of salvation, our refuge.

Exodus 17:6, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Jesus, our living water.

Again in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

Numbers 20:8, "Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”

Moses was to speak to the rock, a type of Jesus, instead he struck it twice. Strong’s H5553 includes rock as a fortress or a stronghold. Here this rock is a type of Jesus, our fortress, our stronghold and the provider of Living Water. Striking the rock was a harbinger of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Isaiah 8:14-15, “14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”

1 Peter 2:8, “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Here Jesus is the stone of stumbling to unbelievers, harkening back to Isaiah 8:14-15.

Romans 9:33, “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Today just the mention of the name Jesus is often an offence to unbelievers.

Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

The precious corner stone is picked up again in 1 Peter 2:6, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, Precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”

Ephesians 2:20-21, “20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord”

Matthew 7:24-25 concerns a house built upon a rock, the floods came and the wind blew and beat upon the house but it stood just as our faith does when it is built on Jesus, the precious corner stone, a sure foundation.

Reflections on the Shema 537 - 3 - 6

"In Judaism, A mezuzah (from the Hebrew for "doorpost") is a small parchment inscribed with short Torah passages in Hebrew. The parchment is rolled up, placed in a decorative case, and attached to the doorpost of Jewish homes.

The primary purpose of hanging a mezuzah is to fulfill this biblical command. The mezuzah also serves as a reminder of God's laws and presence and is a symbol of Jewish identity."

[http://www.religionfacts.com/mezuzah]

Keeping one’s mind stayed on God is facilitated by a physical reminded. God’s decree to have a mezuzah, Deuteronomy 6:9, is repeated in Deuteronomy 11:20, "And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:"

Drilling down on The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 with thanks to Strong’s:

Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:”

Lord - H3068, The self-Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: - Jehovah, the Lord.

God - H430; Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates. H433; a deity or the deity: - God, god.

A hint of the Trinity?

Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Heart - H3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything understanding, willingly, wisdom.

Soul - H5315; From H5314; properly a breathing creature, H5314; A primitive root; to breathe; passively, to be breathed upon, that is, (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air)

Might - H3966; From the same as H181; properly vehemence, that is, (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated): - diligently, especially, exceeding.

H108; From the same as H181 (in the sense of enveloping); a fog: - mist, vapor.

Deuteronomy 6:6, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:”

Heart, again the center of everything, understanding, willingly, wisdom.

Deuteronomy 6:7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Deuteronomy 6:8, “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”

Frontlets are a decorative band or ornament worn on the forehead. The Jews write passages from Exodus on parchment and fashion them with a little square of hard calf-skin into what is called the “Tephila of the head. The Most devout Jews put it on both at morning and noonday prayer.”

[http://biblehub.com/topical/f/frontlets.htm]

2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”

Deuteronomy 6:9, “And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

Again, keeping one’s mind stayed on God.

Defrauding the Body of Christ 537 - 3 - 2

As for the question,” How does one defraud the Body of Christ,” CM seems to be referring to non-performance in being a prayer warrior. I’m more concerned that I might defraud the Body of Christ in another way due to what I perceive as my gift, that of discernment.

Paul had much to say about the gifts of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:7, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” Paul lists them in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, “8, For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10, To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” My best fit is in verse 10, discerning of spirits.

For me it is Sola Scriptura. Unfortunately there are many organizations claiming to be Christian while promoting a very shaky doctrine. Some in the New Apostolic Reformation are claiming to manifest gold teeth, gold dust and gemstones. Nothing new here as this is just recycled Eastern spirituality as practiced by the late Guru Sai Bara for decades.

In the 90s I circled the drain of the New Age, a fact that gives me greater discernment along with common ground with the New Agers than I would have otherwise. 2 Timothy 3:5 pretty much sums up the New Age, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” Too often new agers think they are a little gods in the making. I remember when we would greet each other with “The Christ in me sees the Christ in you,” Better would be the Holy Spirit, however, not supercilious enough.

While I have the discernment to spot New Age enticements even in my church family I need to be more able to ascertain that I am correct in my discernment. I have already nearly lost church friends over disparaging Ms. King regarding her supposed visit to the Third Kingdom by comparing it to Paul. Many discussions with church family concerning 1 Corinthians 12:10 and speaking in tongues. Several church members would be speaking in tongues at the same time and no interpretation of tongues. To me babbling rather than an orderly use of the gift.