tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65788587243601670222024-03-08T18:04:08.913-06:00Make Straight the Way of the LordHe said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. John 1:23Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-7613045377083057712013-08-02T17:39:00.002-05:002013-08-02T17:39:49.441-05:00The Enmity<i>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. (Genesis 3:15)</i><br />
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God himself served notice on the Serpent that from this point forward there would be enmity between his seed and the seed of the woman. It has been the devil's goal from that time to do away with the natural enmity between good and evil by any means other than God and his plan of redemption. Satan tries to break down the enmity by seducing the people of God into agreeing with the wicked that evil is not so bad. It has worked very well for him through the ages.<br />
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We must get our bearings right about who we are talking about here from the beginning. The Serpent is the devil, and his seed are those who follow his example and choose the same path of evil that the devil has - to usurp God's authority over their lives.<br />
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<i>Seed - That from which any thing springs; first principle; original; as the seeds of virtue or vice. (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)</i><br />
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The seed of the woman refers to that part of humanity that chooses the way of righteousness, in particular the promised Messiah. The pronouns used mark the difference between her descendants who live for God and the very special descendant who will one day lead his people to bruise the Serpent's head.<br />
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<i>"…it (her seed) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his (Christ) heel.</i><br />
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The fact that there is enmity between good and evil is one of the basic facts of life. It is so simple and so true that it is overlooked when considering the problems we face in our lives, especially with other people. God ordained it from the beginning that good and evil could never be reconciled together. There always has been, and always will be that enmity between the two. They will never get along – evil will always hate good and that which is truly good will always hate evil. The righteous will always be hated and persecuted by the wicked simply because there IS enmity between good and evil.<br />
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<i>"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman." </i><br />
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Enmity was a new concept for Adam and his wife. Enmity is hatred, hostility, and mistrust. This was something that referred not only to a feeling, but also to a condition, a circumstance, or state of things. They had lived in a world of peace and harmony and had never known enmity, even with the serpent. The enmity between the woman and the serpent is evidence that she has turned from sin back to God. She has recognized her sin and confessed it to God and has forsaken, not only the sin itself, but that which led her into it. She not only hates her sin, but she hates the very things that took her there. God steps up and says, "And I will put enmity between…" - so we see that the entrance of God put enmity between the Serpent and the woman, and between his seed and hers. The presence of God among those who love Him brings peace and harmony, but the introduction of God into the social interactions of those who love God and those who do not causes enmity between those people.<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.</span> (Matthew 10:34)</i><br />
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Enmity is a thing that separates and divides people. Those at enmity with one another cannot live in harmony and cooperate together. They must separate from one another or one must abandon his views of good and evil and be converted to the other side. The only other solution is for one or both to be destroyed. This is the fact of reality, and yet sinful man has tried in vain for all these millennia to remove the enmity by somehow reconciling good and evil without God's intervention. The Serpent is the power behind this determined attempt to remove the enmity between good and evil without God. Removing the enmity is, and always has been, one of the devil's main goals. He does not want to remove the enmity by surrendering and submitting to God, but by removing all that speaks of God or makes people aware of his existence. The devil does not want the enmity removed so there will be peace, but because he hates God, loves evil, and wants to do away with all that pertains to God. He does not attempt to remove the hatred for good from those who are evil, but he always tries to remove the hatred for evil from those that are good.<br />
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Here, as he always does, he twists the truth of the Word of God to suit his own evil purposes. He abuses and misconstrues the idea of the love of God and how that we should love everyone no matter what. Our modern generation is not the first to swallow this distorted view of God and his Word. But the Bible is very clear about the fact that the enmity is still there and that as long as a holy God exists there will be enmity between good and evil.<br />
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<i>Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psalms 97:10)</i><br />
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<i>The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)</i><br />
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<i>Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:15)</i><br />
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<i>Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. (Luke 6:22)</i><br />
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<i>I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. (Psalms 101:3)</i><br />
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<i>Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. (Psalms 139:21-22)</i><br />
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Interesting that these two verses are followed by:<br />
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<i>Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)</i><br />
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The wicked must be made righteous for there to be any peace. The devil deceives people into believing that there can be peace by making the righteous wicked instead. But the Bible says,<br />
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<i>"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2)</i><br />
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Therefore, knowing that one of the main strategies of Satan is to remove the enmity we should guard our hearts in this matter. Anything that takes the edge off of our hatred for evil is from the devil - not from God. Anything that has that effect on us is the result of the presence and influence of Satan and not of God.<br />
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<div>
Mike Miller</div>
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August 2, 2013</div>
<div>
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church Website</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-36552580353613369212013-03-30T17:04:00.000-05:002013-03-30T17:04:02.852-05:00Good and Evil<br />
Man is a moral being and that means that he must continually choose between good and evil. Good and evil are either nothing more than personal ideas and opinions that are continually changing because they are subject to circumstances, cultures, historical periods, and other things, or they are fixed and eternal truths established by the Creator of the Universe. Good and evil are to the morals of man what north and south are on the compass. If they are continually changing we have no idea how to navigate through life and make moral decisions that affect our life and the lives of others forever. Unless north is always north and south is always south we are hopelessly and completely lost and without direction. Likewise, if good and evil are constantly being redefined the human race is bound to crash on the rocks.<br />
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There are only two sources from which we can determine good and evil. We either base our beliefs about good and evil upon God or we make them up out of the imagination of our own heart. All the debate about homosexual marriage and abortion is going nowhere because the opposing sides base their views upon two different foundations. The believer in God can argue until doomsday providing Scripture and sound reasoning, but those who have rejected God and his authority to determine right and wrong will never be persuaded to give up their own self-proclaimed right to determine for themselves what is right and wrong. They have decided that evil is good and good is evil. Gay marriage, abortion, fornication, and whatever else they want to approve is good and anyone who does not agree with them is evil. They have turned things completely upside down and backwards and the two sides will never agree. There is NO communion between light and darkness. NONE! They will never agree and the forces of evil (which has reversed roles and calls itself good) have no other goal in mind but to annihilate all who oppose them and erase all knowledge of God from the earth, since they have determined that to be the source of all evil.<br />
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We are made in the image and likeness of God and God is good. Therefore, all people choose and follow after what they consider to be good. We identify what is evil and reject it, and we identify what is good and embrace it. The confusion begins when we reject God's authority to define good and evil, and take it upon ourselves to do so. This was the very core message of the Serpent's lie to the woman in the garden. His suggestion to her was that she could decide for herself what was right and wrong and she would be better off if she did. She did not have to submit to God's authority. But before she could transgress against God she had to be convinced that what God had pronounced evil was really good. Every person does the same thing. Before we sin we must convince ourselves that what we have been told is evil is not really evil, but good. That is the only way our conscience will allow us to go ahead with it. By pronouncing evil to be good it is also necessary to pronounce good to be evil. No matter how we try to sort it out there must be good AND evil because those are the points from which we take our bearings. If we pronounce evil to be good then we will necessarily pronounce good to be evil. Then we become despisers of them that are good and we will embrace those who practice evil. Is that not the situation we find ourselves in now?<br />
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<i>Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)</i><br />
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There are many people who claim to believe in God but their view of good and evil is not in agreement with what the Bible says about God. God who created all things is a holy and a righteous God. So it is very simple, those who do not agree with God on what is good and what is evil do not believe in the God who rules the universe, but in a god they have created in their own imaginations. They are idolaters, not worshipers of the true God of Heaven.<br />
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God never changes, so if morals are based upon his law and character you can only change them by rejecting God and pretending He does not exist, or by creating your own version of God that agrees with your views. It is impossible to be at peace with God and disagree with Him on what is evil and what is good. It is important to remember that men may change their minds about what is right and wrong and make laws to force other people to go along with them, but God never changes his mind. What men pronounce good and what they pronounce to be evil has no bearing on the reality of what is really good and evil. They are only playing mind games and deceiving themselves. They will only go so far until the Judge of the universe will step in and act to set things in order again.<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;">Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. </span>(Matthew 13:43)</i><br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></div>
<div>
Church website: <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-76524795872450825722013-03-19T20:09:00.001-05:002013-03-19T20:09:26.988-05:00What Sin Hath Wrought - Part 4<i>(Genesis 3:15-21)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Every person who has ever lived has realized that things in this world are not like they should be. The conscience of every person is a consistent witness to the fact that man does not live according to what he was designed for. The world's modern wise men are as blind and as void of the knowledge of God as the rock from which they say they came. They try to convince everyone that we are evolving from our crude and primitive ancestors who were void of morals and lived like animals, and that man is continually getting better and better. But all the evidence is to the contrary. Man is descending into savagery and depravity right before our eyes. Man is not evolving or rising from a state of moral depravity to being a god. He started in the image and likeness of God and has been descending ever since. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The history, as well as the present condition of man, can only be explained by understanding what happened in the Garden of Eden and how it has affected the entire race. Man was formed a perfect model and has fallen from his high estate. No one can understand what the Gospel of Christ is about without understanding and believing this foundational truth. People who believe in evolution do not believe the foundational truths of God, humanity, and sin, and therefore cannot possibly have a grasp on what salvation, redemption, and regeneration are about.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The sentence of God upon sin is and always has been DEATH. Death is not being deprived of existence, but of life. Life is about living. The clearest example I can point to is a small child. To the child everything is wonderful, exciting, new, and there just isn't enough time or energy to experience it all. Children find pleasure in whatever is at hand. They use whatever they can see, touch, and taste to experience life. It doesn’t take much to make a child happy. They do not carry burdens and they do not perplex themselves over problems. Life includes all that we are capable of knowing and experiencing with the senses and consciousness God has created us with. So life is more than mere existence.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Death is being deprived of living, while the craving for life and living retains all its force in the spiritual part of our nature. The sweat and toil of life are difficult, and may cause physical pain and suffering. But the strong emotions that we suffer because of the difficulty of life cause us pain in the spiritual part of our nature. Our heart grieves because of the difficulty of life, for ourselves, and for others. This is the sorrow that was pronounced when the sentence was given in the Garden.</div>
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<i>Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (v. 16)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
While there have been seasons of plenty and seasons of dearth concerning the fleshly comforts and indulgences of life throughout man's history, his toil and sorrow has been consistent through all generations. But whether a man is rich or poor in the things of this world, he finds life to be hard, full of sorrow, pain, disappointment, and grief.</div>
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<i>Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. (Job 14:1)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Life is different for a woman than it is for a man. There are two separate sentences given here in God's judgment of their sin - one for her and one for him. Both contain the sentence of sorrow, but the sorrow of the woman is distinguished from that of the man in the areas of children, and her role as her husband's helpmeet. The things that were intended to make her life pleasant and rewarding were now blighted with sin and its consequences. She will be able to conceive more often than she would have without sin and its judgment. God greatly multiplied her conception. Childbearing will be full of sorrow for her, where it would have been with joy. <i>In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.</i> In a sin-cursed world a birth requires travail and pain. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Her husband would <i>rule over her</i>. This is the result of her sin and selfishness. When selfishness is the rule of life the weaker must serve the stronger. In this sinful world women in general have been treated as slaves. This is part of the curse and consequence of sin. This is not pleasant for the woman and she is deprived of life when sin is the rule of life in her or her husband.</div>
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<i>And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (v. 17-19)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The woman's sentence was short, (one verse) but Adam's sentence was long (three verses). Because of Adam's sin the ground was cursed. <i>In sorrow shat thou eat of it all the days of thy life.</i> First of all, this gives Adam to understand that his life now only contains a certain number of days. His days were not numbered before this. Secondly, the fruit of the trees was no longer his meat, but he would eat of the herb of the field. His food, his sustenance, which had been his freely without toiling now would require his very sweat and time and life to obtain. The herb of the field is grain that must be cultivated, which is quite different than the fruit which the trees of the garden produced. He would have to battle the thorns and thistles to get from the ground what he needed to survive and sustain his life and the lives of his wife and family. The herb of the field also requires much more work to process it for food. If there is a harvest after the plowing, sowing, droughts, floods, pestilence, and disease, he must reap it. Then he must thrash it and grind it and store it and cook it before he can eat it. The fruit of the trees required none of this. So life became much harder for Adam and his wife, and has been that way for all of his descendents.</div>
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<i>Till thou return unto the ground …<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
He was pronounced to be dust. This sentence included his wife, since she was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. Physical death is the culmination of the effects of sin. It is the separation of the soul from the body, <i>but not the end of existence</i>.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
In all of this dark tragedy there is hope given and faith is exercised for the first time.</div>
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<i>And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. (Genesis 3:20)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Now she has a name. Up until this point, she is the "the woman." She did not become "Eve" after she had children, but after what God had said. This reveals to us Adam's faith in what God had said. He knew that there would be children. There would be a Savior. (v. 15) There would be a way for his descendents to be reconciled to God. Although he had done a terrible thing all was not hopeless.</div>
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<i>Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Up until this point they are standing there naked and ashamed, but now God covers them. All the elements of salvation are present here. Adam and Eve both confessed their sin to God. They both acknowledged that what they had done was wrong and they were ashamed. The woman acknowledged that the Serpent had lied to her, so she was obviously no longer under any delusion about God and his truth, or the Serpent and his evil character. There was enmity between them and the Serpent now. An innocent life has been sacrificed to provide a way to cover their sins. Now God gives evidence of forgiveness and covers their nakedness.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
And through all the ages God has continued to do the same thing for men and women who will acknowledge their sin and turn from their own way unto God. As the millennia have passed God has revealed ever more clearly his plan of redemption for sinful man. We are now almost to the end of the church age and if we remain at enmity with God because of our sin we are completely without excuse and will be found exceedingly guilty when our earthly days are ended and we face a holy God as our judge.</div>
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<i>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)<br />
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I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)<br />
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And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:40)<br />
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But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)<br />
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Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)</i><br />
<em></em><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
Church Website: <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-30469733180311373382013-02-24T06:53:00.002-06:002013-02-24T06:53:59.612-06:00What Sin Hath Wrought - Part 3<i><div style="text-align: justify;">
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. (1 Timothy 2:14)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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</i><div style="text-align: justify;">
The devil's strategy for ruining mankind is worth taking note of. Satan thought out his plan very well and chose to approach the woman first. I have found that discussing this matter seems to be offensive to some women, but the fact remains that this is how God says sin entered into the world. This is not about laying the blame for the sin of mankind on the woman, and therefore making all women guilty. She is not to be blamed, any more than Adam, because he sinned also, just as every man and woman has since. So for women now to get up in the air about the account in the Bible of how sin entered the world is a very ungodly way to feel and think. There are some very obvious reasons why the Serpent approached the woman first instead of the man, and we are going to look at some of them.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Satan did not attempt to deceive or attack Adam in person, but entered into the situation by striking up a conversation with the woman and influencing her thinking. Her feminine nature was more susceptible to the subtle and deceitful reasoning presented by the Serpent. He took advantage of her God-given characteristics in order to prevail. Furthermore, the Serpent chose the woman first because she was made after God had given Adam the commandment about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so she had received the knowledge of God's command from her husband, while Adam had received it directly from God. Another advantage Satan had by going to the woman was that he knew she had much more power to influence Adam than he did himself, because of her relationship to him and her access to his heart. His goal was to bring to bear on the man such pressure that he would yield and disobey God. We should be aware that Satan never changes his strategy. He will not attempt to enter through the most fortified gates. We can be sure that he will work subtly and deceitfully through whatever person or median that has access to the mind and heart of the person he is out to destroy. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
What happened when Adam and Eve sinned has had far greater consequences than just the sorrow and hardship they suffered for the rest of their lives. There is no argument that the entire human race has been affected by their sin. Life has been made hard for all of us. Furthermore, it is obvious from observation, and confirmed by the Scriptures that all men are sinners, and that all men die. But we must look deeper than physical things in order to understand spiritual matters. What really happened when Adam and Eve ate that fruit? Did it change the molecular structure of their physical bodies? Did it cause a mutation in their genes that made all their offspring sinners by nature? Did it introduce some substance into their bloodstream called "sin" that is now passed from person to person like a disease? When put this way these ideas sound absurd, but they are in fact what most modern doctrine is based upon.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
What really happened when Adam and Eve sinned was that their eyes were opened and they saw that they were naked. They obtained the knowledge of evil - they already had the knowledge of good. They knew about the concept of evil, but now they knew evil experimentally. They knew evil was possible because God had established that fact by simply setting before Adam a forbidden object. But now they have identified themselves with evil instead of good - they have become sinners. Their souls have been altered from their original state of innocence and now are guilty. The pain and darkness and sense of loss that always accompanies sin is now a permanent part of their very being. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The manner in which one soul begets another is a mystery that is far too deep for our comprehension. Although man has dissected, analyzed, and studied all the physical aspects of how reproduction occurs, he cannot explain how a soul is created and set apart from another soul. </div>
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<i>That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)<br />
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</i>Man seems to have trouble grasping spiritual truths without trying to make them conform to physical processes. It is one of the great errors of our time that all moral and behavioral problems are believed to be based on physical things, and therefore treatable with physical means. There are so many problems now that have no identifiable physical cause that a new generic term has been invented to describe them - they call them "disorders." Many things that used to be considered immoral behavior are now considered to be simply a "disorder." It is interesting that they chose that word because it is certainly very appropriate. "Disorder" perfectly describes the behavior of people who do not behave according to the way they were designed. Believing that all behavior is somehow caused by physical composition or processes they assume there are drugs, surgeries, and mind games that will correct any "disorder." This is basically what is called sorcery in the Bible and is condemned by God as a most serious sin.<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Just as the soul of Adam descended from God, so the souls of our children are descended from us. Our offspring get more from us than physical traits and characteristics. We always see ourselves in our children - not just in their physical characteristics, but in their personality and disposition. They are not only our flesh and blood, but their soul is begotten of ours. Although God is without sin, Adam, being separate from God, sinned even though he was the offspring of God himself. Likewise, Eve, although she was the very flesh and bone of Adam, and her soul was descended from him, she was separate from him, and sinned. Now Adam and Eve begin to have sons and daughters.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Example is the strongest influence. What they had done was their example, and it could not be undone. When their children got old enough to begin to ask questions how did they explain the reason for covering their nakedness? They had sinned against God and life was difficult because of their sin in every respect. This was the kind of life that their children inherited from them.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
We can see in the first child born on earth that he followed the bad example of his parents. He made up his own mind about what was acceptable to God, and got angry with God for not agreeing with him and approving of his attempt to be his own moral authority. But we must also take notice that the second son was a righteous man who obeyed God and obtained the witness of God that he was righteous. He offered an acceptable sacrifice to God and ended up being murdered because of his righteousness. So of the first two children of Adam and Eve one was wicked and one was righteous. If sin were a physical substance transferred from the parents to the children then they both would have been wicked. The truth is that Cain and Abel were both able to choose to obey or to disobey God, just as their parents were. Their circumstances were just far more difficult than their parents were, and ours are even far more difficult still. The way we come into existence in this world now assures that selfishness will be rooted well in our hearts before we have any knowledge of God. That selfishness must be dealt with by parents who are usually selfish and immature themselves. So their walk talks louder than their talk talks and the children follow their example. Since the first parents sinned, sin has been the path of least resistance. As people multiply, so does the power of sin, and the resistance to righteousness increases. This is a truth that applies to all the social order of man - cities, nations, churches, etc. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The fact is that we cannot blame our sin on anyone or anything else but ourselves. </div>
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<i>So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)<br />
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For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)<br />
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</i><div align="JUSTIFY">
It is true that we live in a sinful world and the pressure is on us to follow their example. It is true that as long as we are in such a world we will be tempted to sin. It is true that lies and deception abound and that we are very vulnerable to being deceived. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
But it is also true that God has sent a Savior and has made an Atonement for our sin. It is also true that we can be forgiven of our sins which are past and be delivered from sins power and dominion by being born again and trusting in the Savior. We are not doomed to sin and to live under its power. We can walk with God and shine as lights in this dark and evil world. We can overcome all that is against us by the Spirit of God living in us and the written Word of God He has preserved for us.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
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<em>These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)</em><br />
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<em>Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)</em><br />
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<em>For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)</em><br />
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<em>He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)</em><br />
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<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church Website</a><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-45624443757332104562013-02-09T21:38:00.002-06:002013-02-09T21:38:44.794-06:00What Sin Hath Wrought - Part 2<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
<i>And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:7)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Adam and his wife were the first to sin, but we have all experienced the same thing they did. They sinned, "and the eyes of them both were opened." There is a point, a threshold of sin where everything is changed forever. It is the point of no return. They entered a whole new existence and were now experiencing emotions and thoughts that they had never known before. But the first sin, just as every other sin committed since, did not bring what was expected. They expected to gain, but found they had suffered enormous loss in every aspect of life. They expected to experience new feelings that were sweet and pleasant, but they discovered their new feelings to be painful, shameful, and bitter. They expected their way to be easier, but it became much more difficult. They expected to be enlightened and to be able to understand things more clearly, but found their soul in darkness and confusion. They had made their choices based upon lies and now found themselves lost, miserable, and at odds with God and all his Creation. They discovered that the same capacity their soul had for infinite happiness, it also had for infinite misery. They discovered that their sin had wrought permanent changes in their lives, their environment, and in their souls.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">If they had any doubts at first about sin's penalty being death, the years that followed taught them differently. As they watched each other age and saw the effects of toil, labor, sorrow, and time on their bodies they knew that they were slowly dying and their sin was the cause. David was not the first one to experience the fact that "my sin is ever before me." As they experienced the first childbirth, with its pain, travail, and blood - they remembered their sin. As they watched the conflict grow between their two sons they remembered their sin. As they buried Abel's bloody dead body in the ground they remembered their sin. As they mourned for Cain after he was banished from them, they remembered. As they lived for over 900 years and watched the earth begin to fill up with their offspring and saw how they forsook God and lived selfishly, trampling over one another's lives - they remembered their sin. Those few little words of God, "…I will greatly increase your sorrow…" rang more true as the years passed on.</span><br />
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The account of man's fall in Genesis 3 is extremely abbreviated. It is simply the basic foundation and outline of what happened. The rest of the Bible gives us much more understanding of what actually happened here. As time has progressed through the millennia God has revealed more and more to give us understanding about what happened in the garden and how it has affected the human race. So, we need to study these verses closely, but not without the light given in the rest of the Bible on this matter.
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<i>Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)<br />
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And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)<br />
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We must look at the facts and at reality and believe what the Word of God says. There is no way that I can explain to the satisfaction of every mind what has been debated and conjectured about for 6000 years, with no real consensus. The questions remain, and will continue to remain in the hearts of men who are looking for answers about the evils and difficulty of life outside of themselves. In other words, those who are looking for somewhere to place the blame for their sin and misery besides their own stubborn and selfish heart will never be satisfied with any doctrine that places the blame squarely on their own head.
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The best way to understand what God was doing here is to look around us and consider our own hearts and highest purposes. Why did God not ban the tempter from the earth? Why did God not make it impossible for Adam and Eve to be tempted? Because He created them in his own image and likeness, therefore, they had a free will to choose. To most, this seems to be an insufficient answer. That is because there is more to it than that. God imparted life to the man - his own life; the man was the offspring of God. The Bible calls Adam the "son of God." God did not remain attached to the man, but set the man free, on his own, to live independently of God. God reproduced himself in the man - as a separate being.
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Just as our children are with us, so were God's first children. We do our best to teach them the right way. The first word we teach them is "no" and we warn them of evil in all its forms, and our motive is to keep them from pain and suffering and destruction. We love them and desire the best in life for them, but we cannot MAKE them do what is right. We cannot hedge them about forever no matter how hard we might try. Those who attempt to do such a thing destroy the relationship and the lives involved. There comes a time when they must choose for themselves to believe what we have taught them and believe that we want what is best for them, or to listen to the voice of the serpent who is telling them they are missing out and it is we who are keeping them from really living. Even in the most godly families we will always see different degrees of faith and sin in the children.
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How is it that the whole human race became sinners because of one man's sin? This is the question that brings forth the strongest feelings I have ever encountered in preaching the gospel. It was the doctrine of original sin that caused the Catholic Church to murder thousands of Christians through the ages. Now sometimes it seems to me that the red hot hatred they had for Bible believing Christians has been passed on to many Baptists. The Catholic Church put people to death for not baptizing their babies. According to the doctrine of original sin, all babies are born guilty of Adam's sin and will go to hell if they die unless they are baptized by the Catholic Church. But that was not the only part of the doctrine of original sin. It was based upon a whole system of theology that has now been adopted by almost all of what is called Christianity. Although most Christians do not accept the idea of babies being damned because of Adam's sin, they have accepted all the ideas upon which that doctrine from hell is based. It has affected every major doctrine of the church and has actually become the foundation of the modern understanding of sin and salvation. Those who dare to stand against this doctrine of the devil are labeled as heretics, and always have been. They are immediately falsely accused of thinking themselves without sin, or promoting some other way of salvation, and many other vicious and unfounded lies.
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It is not only stated in the Bible that all men have sinned, but it is an obvious fact. The question is, how does that happen? Men always try to oversimplify matters in order to understand them in their darkened intellect. This is exactly the case in this matter because to come to the conclusion that sin is a physical matter and that it is transferred to others by physical means is the most abominable error ever introduced into the minds of men. It completely derails the working of God in the hearts of sinful men. Just as a pain pill eases the pain of a cancer-ridden body, but does nothing to cure the cancer, this doctrine does the same thing - it numbs the pain of guilt without removing it's cause. It provides a false comfort by suggesting that my sin is not really my fault, but Adam's. It provides an excuse for sin because I simply cannot help it, since it is what I am; it is what I am made of; sin is in my very genes and blood. Such foolish and abominable teachings completely divert the minds of sinners from the issue that has them at enmity with God. It lightens the whole matter of sin and forgiveness and then simplifies salvation into an intellectual exercise of accepting certain facts, or agreeing to an imaginary financial transaction of some sort. You "owe" a "sin debt" and Christ "paid your sin debt" for you. Therefore, all you need to do is believe that fact and you are saved. Such teachings do not even resemble the Gospel of Christ taught in the Bible, and when they are preached they are not accompanied by the power of the Spirit of God, because He does not approve what is not true.
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The question is not whether all men have sinned or not. It is clear from the Scripture and from observation that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The issue is how did it happen that all men became sinners because of Adam? As I mentioned earlier, there is no way I can ever answer that question to the satisfaction of every mind. But I can say that sin is a moral issue. It is a spiritual matter of the soul that is acted out in the body, because our body is that means by which we experience life in this world, and we have no other means by which our sin can be manifested. The heart is the source, or origin of all sin. Jesus said so:
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</span><i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">And he saith unto them, </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman;">Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> (Mark 7:18-23)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Since Jesus told us so very plainly where sin comes from we can be sure that it does originate in our "flesh" or our bloodstream, or our DNA. If it does, then we do not need Jesus and his death to fix the problem. Man will one day soon be able to find that "evil" gene, or that sequence in the DNA that causes sin and figure out a way to eradicate it without God and his Atoning Blood. They are looking for it already. It was reported in the news recently that researchers were studying the DNA of the young man who killed the school children in Connecticut recently to find the "evil gene." They are looking in the wrong place for evil. It was in his heart and they cannot see in there. We only see its effects when it is manifested through the body.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">God covered Adam and Eve. </span><br />
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<i>Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Those skins came from an innocent animal; another life was taken to cover their shame. As they felt the warm, bloody skins draped over their naked bodies they understood that God had forgiven them, but at the expense of an innocent life, with whom they were no doubt acquainted. Adam and Eve had acknowledged their sin and confessed it to God. Some might think that they cast the blame but they really only explained how it had happened. They did not defend themselves, but each of them said, as they stood naked before God, "I did eat." They admitted their guilt to God. Eve was aware that she had been beguiled, so that is evidence that she was no longer under any delusion about what God had said and what was true. Sin had introduced death into the world and it was by death that their sin was covered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The promise of a Redeemer was given in Gen. 3:15 who would one day make it possible for sinful men to be reconciled to the God they have rejected and offended. Adam and Eve understood this as they watched the first blood sacrifice made for their sin. All this was because they disregarded one law of God - they ate the fruit of a tree. How much worse is it when people commit adultery, steal, kill, curse God to his face, and disregard ALL of his laws? If the consequences for what Adam and Eve did were so enormous, what do you suppose it will be like for sinful men and women who have lived a lifetime of one transgression after another and refuse to repent?
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">But thankfully, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. God has revealed what a wonderful and merciful God he is by the fact that He would even think of redeeming such a race of people as we are. Just the fact that He would take us back at all is beyond our comprehension, but that He would do so at such great cost to himself is enough to melt the heart of the hardest sinner who ever lived when he is truly brought face to face with this truth.
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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. (Isaiah 1:18)<br />
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)</i> </span></div>
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Comments or questions?<br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email me</a><br />
Visit our church website at <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-31030127167975209622013-01-26T19:21:00.000-06:002013-01-26T19:41:47.053-06:00What Sin Hath Wrought<i><strong>The audio from this message is here: <a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/audio/2013/2013-01-06-am-what-sin-hath-wrought.wma">http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/audio/2013/2013-01-06-am-what-sin-hath-wrought.wma</a></strong></i><br />
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<i><strong>Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, …Ye shall not surely die… And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; …and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:1-13)</strong><br />
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</i>The tragedy of tragedies! What happened in these few verses was the beginning of every tear, every broken heart, every evil thing that has ever been done on the earth, and every death. The reason that life is so hard is found right here. The whole creation is groaning with pain since this event took place. (Rom. 8:22) There is no way to calculate, or even comprehend what immense suffering and misery has been wrought from this first act of sin. How could it have happened? But the greater question is "Why has the same thing happened in every one of our lives?" The way of the transgressor and the tactics of the tempter are always the same. If we can see what happened in the Garden we can surely gain some wisdom about our own lives.<br />
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The tempter's approach never changes. He brought the object God had forbidden before Eve's eyes and provoked her mind with questions about it. He got her attention on the forbidden object and she began to gaze upon it and think about it. This is the first step in all temptation. </div>
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Then he twisted the truth with subtle words in order to cast it in a negative view. He said, </div>
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<i><strong>"Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"</strong><br />
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</i>Although it was true that they were not to eat of EVERY tree of the garden this is not what God had said. THIS is precisely what God had said:<br />
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<i><strong>And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Genesis 2:16)</strong><br />
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</i>That is a very positive statement, but the Serpent framed his words to cause the listener to think about God's command in a negative way. He left out God's liberal benevolence and goodness toward man and spoke as if all God was concerned about was keeping things from them. <br />
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There was a negative part to God's command, but even it was designed for their benefit out of his love for them. </div>
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<i><strong>But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)</strong><br />
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</i>The devil and all those who are deceived and used by him do the same thing - they always look at the commands of God as something negative. They only hear "thou shalt not." They focus there on the forbidden rather than on the benevolence and liberality of God toward man. However, it is curious how they do not have the same way of thinking when it comes to sin,. They look only at the perceived benefits and pleasures that are offered and ignore all the negative aspects. Is it not amazing how people will trust the Serpent's lies so willingly and yet refuse to trust in God's truth so stubbornly? Is it not amazing how people will ignore the blessings and benefits of living for God and dwell on the negative, while at the same time they dwell on the promised benefits of sin, for which there is no evidence whatsoever, while ignoring it's obvious negative results? Only blind and deceived people can reason in such a way.<br />
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The next step in the tempter's subtle scheme is to direct her thinking so that she will come to a wrong conclusion. This is where the deceit happens. He simply made a statement that was not true at all and absolutely contrary to what she knew God had said. He did that with the intention of setting the wheels of her mind in motion. Every sin begins with a lie, and from that point the reasoning is flawed and headed in the wrong direction. The mind is working with false data, working from the basis of a truth that is not true at all. The lie starts begetting other lies and deceit in the mind, just like a snowball rolling down a hill. The first lie of the tempter is not to convince you, but to simply set your thoughts in motion to consider the thing and enflame your desire for it.</div>
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Next, the natural progression is to question WHY the thing forbidden is wrong. When there is doubt about what God has said, or doubt about God's motives, then the authority of God's Word is laid aside because it is no longer respected. The mind becomes obsessed with the idea that you are missing out, or being denied something. Then you become convinced that God or someone else has lied to you in order to keep you oppressed and under their thumb. Then rebellion rises up in that deceived and blinded heart and you step up into the place of God and determines for yourself what is right and wrong. Because your heart has been blinded and deceived it will approve what God has made clear that He disapproves. </div>
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<i><strong>And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, …</strong><br />
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</i>At this point she still has not sinned, but she is only a heartbeat away from it. This is temptation at its fever point, and all the red lights should be going off for anyone who has any understanding at all. It has become all about her now. God is no longer a consideration. Her husband and their lives together are not a consideration. The idea of facing her husband and God with what she is about to do is not even in her thoughts. The way this is going to affect her relationship with her husband and God is not a part of her thoughts at all. What appears to her to be sound reasoning and justice for herself is foolish and blind thinking that leaves out everyone and everything else in the universe. She has convinced herself that she is going to be able to do this and it will make no difference in anything except that she will "know" what it is like and will surely be better for it.<br />
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<i><strong>..she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.</strong> <br />
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</i>She crossed the line and stepped in. She stopped considering it and acted upon her flawed and deceived reasoning. This is the precipice from which there is no return - once you take this step you cannot take it back. It changes things forever and your life will never be the same again. Yes, it is possible to obtain forgiveness for sin from God, but most never do. Even if you do find forgiveness things will never be the same again. <br />
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<i><strong>And the eyes of them both were opened,</strong> <br />
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</i>Oh yes, their eyes were opened, but it sure did not look like she expected it to look just a moment ago. The devil had led her mind to believe that things would be better, but he is a liar. Sin never makes things better.<br />
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<i><strong>…and they knew that they were naked;</strong> <br />
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</i>There was immediate shame and a feeling between Adam and Eve that they had never experienced before. It would benefit us all to think deeply about that for a few moments. It was not pleasant, it was not good, it was not something to be desired, … and they sure did not feel wise anymore. They now had a lot of new feelings to deal with. Now they know what regret feels like. Now they know what it feels like for your heart to hurt. Now they know what fear feels like, and what it feels like to be a transgressor against God.<br />
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Guilt is not what people anticipate feeling before they "take of the fruit" and cross the line into sin. It is a cruel surprise that mocks them and torments their soul continually.</div>
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<i><strong>…and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.</strong> <br />
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</i>They ran for the darkness, for any place, or any way to hide themselves. This is what all sinners do. They are really trying to run from the guilt, but cannot escape it. As long as there is a God in heaven there will be guilt in a sinners heart. This is the one and only reason men try to get rid of God and ban him from their life and their thoughts. This is why it is so hard to get people to come to a church where God visits. The consciousness of God makes their guilt unbearable. When even the thought of sin passing through the mind leaves a stench behind it, what does it's real and permanent presence do to a soul? Adam and Eve saw their lives forever downgraded to toil, sweat, blood, tears, pain, and sorrow. This is what they saw when their eyes were opened. Satan is a liar, and he is deceiving people right now with the same tactics he used on the first man and woman. Sin ruins life, and if fact brings death when it is finished.<br />
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But thanks be unto God, He sent another Adam to take away the sin that the first Adam introduced into the world. The last Adam came to take away the sin of the world. He can actually take away the guilt of sin and make a man just before God. He can reverse the whole thing and He starts by introducing the truth into our thought process rather than the lies we have all believed.</div>
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<i><span style="color: red;">And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.</span> (John 8:32)<br />
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</i>Just as you were led into sin by believing a lie that made you frown at righteousness and smile at sin, the process is reversed and the truth makes you look favorably on righteousness and unfavorably on sin. The mind which hears and begins to consider the truth will come to some conclusions about themselves and God and will eventually take that step over the line into redemption and salvation and forgiveness.<br />
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Next: What Sin Hath Wrought - Part 2</div>
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<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-33412847287225885702013-01-19T18:11:00.001-06:002013-01-19T19:06:53.609-06:00What Went Wrong?NOTE: These blog posts are based upon messages preached at Straight Paths Bible Church. To hear the audio version of this message go to <a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/audio/2012/2012-12-30-am-what-went-wrong.wma">http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/audio/2012/2012-12-30-am-what-went-wrong.wma</a><br />
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<i>So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28)</i><br />
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God prepared Adam to live in harmony with God and others.</b><br />
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In creating the physical world God took what was "without form and void" and arranged it all in perfect order. Not only that, but He made it so that order would be sustained as long as the earth remains. When God made man He also started with the dust of the ground that was without form and void of life. Then he formed man out of the dust and breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul - a living, breathing soul apart from God that had the ability to reason, make choices, feel emotions, and love. Then God began the work of preparing the man to live with others.</div>
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God never intended for the human race to consist of only one man and one woman. From the beginning God's plan was for them to multiply and fill the earth. Since this is the first man the things that God does to prepare him to begin the human race are very important. First, the Lord God planted a garden and there He put the man. God "planted" a garden - this means He did not just speak it into existence. He did not seek out a really nice place that had grown up wild. The garden was "planted" by God, so therefore it had been thought of, planned, arranged and given order and purpose by a Maker. This showed Adam by example how he was to exercise his role as the one having dominion over the things of the earth. They were there for him to manage and arrange and cultivate, as well as for his pleasure and his sustenance. Adam was to give order to his dominion and life, just as God does with his.</div>
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Then God taught Adam how to communicate with language, which is most important if the human race is going to consist of more than one man alone. Man now has the ability to communicate what is in his heart - thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams. He is also able to comprehend and feel what is in the heart and mind of another beside himself.</div>
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<b>God established a moral sense in Adam so he could live in harmony with God and others and not be selfish.</b></div>
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Then God taught Adam the basis of morality and established in him the fact that there were boundaries for his behavior. The law God gave to Adam was very simple - of all the trees of the garden he could freely eat, but of one certain tree he was not allowed to eat. It was the most basic and simple way to instill in Adam that he was free to choose for himself, but that in choosing he must take into account the wishes, rights, and authority of another. It was the most basic and simple way to teach Adam how to choose NOT to satisfy himself, and to yield to the desires of another. Adam must yield to God's authority and rights before he will consider the rights of another person of any importance. This is why a person who is submitted to God's authority and lives with God's law in view will treat others with respect and will defer to them rather than please themselves at the expense of someone else. </div>
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<i>For even Christ pleased not himself; … (Romans 15:3)</i><br />
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This simple command established in Adam's mind that there were boundaries for him to live within, and that all his choices were not to be made simply on the basis of satisfying himself. For even two people to live in harmony there must be laws to govern their behavior, and God, not man, establishes these laws. If there is more than one person in the world then an individual cannot do as he pleases without affecting others. Even in a world that starts out perfect, if people choose to disregard the moral law of God and live selfishly, without any regard or concern for others, it will soon degenerate into misery and hatred and violence. Instead of everyone being free to do as they please they will all find themselves being abused by the lusts, hatred, and violence of others. They will find that life has become filled with fear and worry, and about little more than struggling to avoid the abuse and oppression of others. So there must be some rules to govern men or this thing will not work, and will eventually simply self-destruct. This is what God is establishing in the beginning by forbidding Adam from eating of the one tree in garden.</div>
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So now all is in order: God is the King, Adam has his domain, a free will, the ability to communicate with God and others, a place where he belongs, a job to do, and well defined boundaries for his behavior and the fulfillment of his God-given desires. Now it is time for God to put the final finishing touch on his creation - a woman for Adam.</div>
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<i>And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Genesis 2:21-22)</i></div>
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There is no doubt that Adam communicated to his wife everything that God had done up to this point. She knew their place in God's creation, and she knew the boundaries for their behavior that had been set by God. Eve heard the commands of God from her husband, who heard them from God. </div>
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Enter the serpent.</b><br />
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Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:1-6)</i><br />
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Satan came in the form of a serpent to the woman. We know it was the devil because the Bible identifies him plainly.</div>
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And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)<br />
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And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2)</i><br />
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<b>Eve's first mistake was in taking counsel from an inferior creature.</b><br />
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Satan appeared to her as a serpent and she is conversing with this creature that is her inferior. We should always look up for counsel, not down. When we begin to listen to the lower elements of this wicked world and allow them to reason with us about what God has said and what is right and wrong we are on the same road to destruction that Eve in here in Genesis 3.<br />
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<i>Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalms 1:1)</i></div>
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The devil lied to the woman and boldly contradicted what God had plainly commanded her husband. This was the first lie that was ever spoken on the earth and it was the first lie the woman had ever heard. An innocent mind is very vulnerable to lies because they naturally believe what they are told to be true. Words are supposed to be true, you know.<br />
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Eve is not the only one who has listened to the serpent's lie - all of us have. Every sin begins with a lie and ends in misery and death. Eve became convinced that there was really no danger in sin and in fact, there was actually some benefit to be found in it. She thought she would be better off after she had eaten the fruit. All temptation to sin follows the same path. There is not one of us who has not done the same thing as Eve, but she did it only once and we have done it many times. <br />
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The devil's lie that won her over was that she would be as a god. </b><br />
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What he was saying was that she would be able to make up her own mind about wat was right and wrong. She could become her own moral authority. He suggested to her that she had no need of any other authority in her life - she could make up her own mind. Thus, the devil's first lie was about "freedom of choice."</div>
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So the devil convinced Eve with lies that all men should have the right to decide for themselves what is right and wrong and live accordingly without any regard for what God says. Does that sound familiar? Is not this the philosophy of the generation in which we live? Almost everyone, including most professing Christians, believe they have the right to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and very few really believe the Bible is true anymore, so they have believed the same lie the Serpent's has used from the beginning. The devil convinced Eve that God was lying to her and oppressing her and was depriving her of what she could have out of life. The devil convinced Eve that her rights superceded everything else and that life could only be lived to the fullest if she indulged herself in everything that was pleasant to look upon, good for satisfying her lusts, and might make her wiser than others.</div>
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Her faulty reasoning, based upon lies, led her to cross the line and take that step that changed everything forever.<br />
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With this she took of the fruit of the tree and did eat thereof. She flushed her entire life down the drain with one little decision and one little act. At this point her husband did not matter. His feelings, his life, and how the consequences of her actions might affect him were not even considered by her, and if they were she did not care. Their life together was forever changed but in her moment of temptation and deception she threw it all away. It was not only the two of them who were affected by what she did but death was brought upon all God's creation, and the entire human race. </div>
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That is what went wrong with this world. That is what is still wrong with this world. The Serpent is still doing what he did in the garden and his original tactic works so well he has never had to change it. We sin because we listen to the lies of Satan and not because we have defective DNA or some physical quality that "makes" us sinners. In a perfect world with perfect, undefiled bodies, Adam and Eve sinned; how much more difficult is it in a world defiled and filled with sin now! We not only have the voice of the serpent wooing us and lying to us, we have the billions of sinners who are just like him saying the same things to us. Until we understand the truth about WHY we sin we will never have any hope of being delivered from its power.</div>
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The good news is that God did not abandon us because of what happened in the garden.<br />
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The Bible refers to Jesus as the "last Adam" and He is called the "KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS." He is able to reverse the process and set things back in the proper order in the lives of those who will hear and believe the truth, instead of lies. By beginning to reason based upon truth instead of lies a person can be brought into the light and to a saving knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. They enter his kingdom and Jesus becomes their King when they are born again. From that point their lives are ordered by God and his Word, instead of their lusts and opinions. Since they are accountable to God they treat their fellow man differently than sinners do. Since they live under the direction and influence of God they love other people and try to be a blessing and a help to them instead of using and abusing them for their own selfish interests. They are made to be overcomers, and do not live under sin's power any longer. This makes it very easy to distinguish them from those who are still in bonds of iniquity.</div>
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NEXT: What Sin Hath Wrought - Part 1<br />
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<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-35137547266300737222013-01-12T18:54:00.000-06:002013-01-12T18:54:16.659-06:00Prepared for a Help Meet<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:21-25)</i></div>
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<b>God did not create the woman immediately after he created Adam</b></div>
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There was a period of time between the creation of the two. During that time God prepared Adam to have a wife, and to live with other people. Adam learned language and acquired the ability to communicate his thoughts and feelings. God gave Adam a job and a purpose, which was to dress and keep the garden. Before God made the woman He made all the animals to pass before Adam so that Adam met and was acquainted with his inferior. God made himself known to Adam, so that Adam met and knew his Superior in his Creator. This gave Adam bearings on his own position so that he was prepared to meet his equal. Before God made the woman He instilled in Adam his moral character, which is the most important quality for a being who is going to live with and have dominion over other creatures. God made Adam to understand that there was right and wrong, good and evil, and to distinguish between the two.</div>
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The command to not eat of the tree was given to Adam before Eve was made.</div>
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<i>And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)</i></div>
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God commanded the man, and since He is his Creator He has that right. Since God is the One who made him God has every right to grant him rights or forbid him rights, and God is the only One who has the understanding and wisdom to know what to grant and what to forbid. It is the "Lord God" who makes a distinction between "good and evil" and establishes a reward of life or death as the consequence of man's choice.</div>
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<b>Before Adam was ready to have a wife he had to learn to submit to God himself.</b></div>
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He had to recognize and submit to his rightful place in God's divine order. He had to recognize God as his Creator and Lord, and therefore as his superior - this is the basis of morality. Anything else is simply an individual setting himself up as a little god and defining his own morals according to his own lusts and imagination.</div>
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Adam had to learn that although he was given dominion over all the earth he was not the lawgiver. He did not have the right to make the rules. It was not his to decide what was right or wrong, but to choose whether to obey or not. The whole issue with the forbidden tree is God's authority over the man and the man's faith in God's goodness toward him. With nothing forbidden there is no concept of right or wrong, or good and evil. With no boundaries and nothing forbidden we would trample on the rights and property of others, thus morality requires that there be things forbidden. If there were only one man in the whole world he could do as he pleases in everything and not transgress against anyone, but since there are others in the world there must be boundaries for every man's behavior.</div>
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Remember, the whole creation is set up in opposing elements and principles without which we could not even survive. Our reasoning is designed to choose between two things at a time and approve or reject one or the other. In our mixed up world everyone has been brainwashed into being "tolerant." In other words, to agree with both sides of every issue, and reject all moral absolutes. With such foolish philosophy we have completely lost our way, and the world is more polarized and divided than ever. There ARE absolutes and they are established by the Lord God, they are forever, and they are meant to make it possible for all of us to live together in harmony and peace. Rejecting these God-ordained absolutes of morality is what brings chaos and violence and war.</div>
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<b>Adam was free to eat of all the trees of the garden …but one.</b></div>
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Most people overlook the overwhelming benevolence of God and accuse Him of injustice because of the one tree that the man was forbidden to eat from. By the command of God NOT to eat of a certain tree Adam was made to understand that there was right and wrong, good and evil. Life was complete and full and wonderful without that one tree - everything else was given to Adam to do with as he pleased. There was only one exception to the complete indulgence of all his desires.</div>
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If Adam is going to live with others like himself, then any rights given to him must be given with a reserve to protect the rights of others. Adam must learn that he is not the center of the universe in spite of his exalted status as head of the race and ruler of the world. He must be made to realize concern for the rights and welfare of others, both those superior to him and those inferior to him before he is ready to live with someone his equal. All other creatures are not there simply to serve him and for him to take advantage of and use at his pleasure.</div>
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No man is ready for a companion until he is more concerned about pleasing God and others than himself. The tree was merely the thing reserved to mark boundaries and cause Adam to recognize God's rights in preparation for recognizing the rights of another like himself. There was nothing about that tree that was poison or magical and we have no reason to believe that some physical element in the fruit of that tree introduced sin into the world. It was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise - but God had said not to eat of it. The sin was disobeying God and failing to trust Him. That is where they obtained the knowledge of evil - experimental knowledge of disregarding God's clear command.</div>
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The shallow-minded infidel argues that God did evil in placing the tree in the garden to tempt the man. But even if there had been no forbidden tree, Adam would still have had to acknowledge the rights and authority of God at some point and in some way, because Adam was created in the image and likeness of God as a moral being. Adam would still have been capable of transgressing against God or another person by putting his own selfish interests first and disregarding the rights and welfare of others. The tree was the simplest way for God to teach Adam this important lesson and establish the basis of moral responsibility in his heart. Adam was made to have dominion with his wife over all the earth, but before he is qualified to be a just overseer he must have a proper sense of right and wrong, and his place in God's order. Without a moral sense he would be on the same level of existence as the animals.</div>
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<b>Morality is about recognizing the rights of others.</b></div>
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Jesus expressed it as doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.</div>
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<i><span style="color: red;">And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.</span> (Luke 6:31)</i></div>
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These words of Jesus prove that the moral law of God is written in the hearts all men. We know what is right and wrong simply by how our own heart responds to what other people do when we are on the receiving end. Since man is a moral being, not only his own rights, but the rights of all creatures must be defined, and they are defined by God, who wrote his moral law the heart of every man. The command concerning the trees of the garden show that our rights are granted by and derived from God - not inherited simply because we are born, or given to us by our government.</div>
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By understanding these things and being submitted to God there arose in Adam's living soul a sense of responsibility, of right and wrong, and of duty. He understood God's order and God's plan for life to have peace and harmony and joy. The man must first have these qualities before he can live in harmony with another like himself. Before he can have a wife to love, fellowship, commune, and live with intimately he must be the kind of being that desires to love and do good to others without putting his own selfish interests before theirs.</div>
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Thus, the entire moral law of God is reduced to two simple truths by Jesus Christ:</div>
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<i>Jesus said unto him, <span style="color: red;">Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. </span>(Matthew 22:37-40)</i></div>
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This was what God taught Adam before he made a woman to be his companion. This is still the only preparation that will bring peace and harmony to marriages, homes, churches, and nations.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-68061757845994791232013-01-05T19:56:00.000-06:002013-01-05T19:56:35.865-06:00Marriage - True Intimacy<div align="JUSTIFY">
<strong>God created male and female so man could have fellowship. </strong><br />
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The woman was the first person Adam had to know and get along with. The starting place for peace and harmony for the human race is still found in the home between the husband and wife. The Scripture tells us that Adam "knew Eve his wife" in Genesis 4:1. The word "know" means more than physical knowledge, or union. It means there is an open line of communication between two people where they know and understand one another's thoughts, ideas, and opinions. It is a transparent sharing of our spirit with someone else. Fellowship is more than knowing someone else's name - it is when we open up to one another and begin to share thoughts and ideas - to talk and communicate, and to care about the thoughts and feelings of someone else. Fellowship is when we do not just pass someone by, or take them for granted, but stop to talk to them and get to know them, and allow them to see into us, also. We may fellowship with a lot of people as we live day by day whom we never get to know very well. Fellowship is the first step in getting to know someone and it remains pretty shallow with most of the people we are around. Nevertheless, it remains an important part of the marriage relationship. It is the every day, shallow water you wade in together. This is where courtship starts and it is also where the breakdown of a marriage begins. Without exception, the communication shuts down between husband and wife long before the divorce papers are filed. Why does this happen?</div>
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<strong>Sin in either husband or wife will cause the communication to stop.</strong></div>
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<i>But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)<br />
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If both parties are not walking in the light there cannot be any fellowship between them. If either has secret sins they will not be willing to be open with their spouse, but will be continually hiding from and deceiving them. There will be a wall around their heart with the gate shut tight. If a person is hiding their soul it is either because they have darkness in their heart, or it is because their companion hurts them when they try to open up. A person who walks in darkness will keep the curtain drawn on their soul and whatever fellowship anyone has with them, including their spouse, will always be limited to very shallow and insignificant matters. </div>
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So the marriage relationship, by God's design, is very conducive to holiness and walking in the light. Being completely open and transparent with your spouse is a great obstacle to walking in darkness - you simply cannot do it and maintain fellowship, communion, and intimacy. Therefore, it is called "Holy Matrimony." A godly marriage makes living a holy life much easier to do.</div>
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<strong>Continued fellowship can lead to communion.</strong> </div>
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<i>Commune - To converse; to talk together familiarly; to impart sentiments mutually, in private or familiar discourse.<br />
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Communion is a step further than mere fellowship. It is when you begin to share each other's feelings and sentiments. It is when you reach out and touch each other's soul. It is when you begin to be concerned more with the happiness and wellbeing of the other than yourself. It is when you begin to understand each other and get close - you begin to be dependent on one another, and develop a real need for each other that goes beyond the physical. We have all heard it said about a certain couple that he or she could not live without the other, and we have seen examples of it in older couples who die sometimes within hours of each other. True communion is when you do not tire of each other's presence and company. To develop true communion with your spouse requires time and effort, it just does not happen any other way. You must regularly make time for each other where you have each other's undivided attention. Communion is important, but most people try to leap from fellowship to intimacy while skipping this important part of the relationship. Skipping communion of the hearts and then substituting physical intimacy for true intimacy leaves both feeling guilty, frustrated, unsatisfied, and used. This is what has happened in our loose-living world that has tried to make sex an amoral issue. True communion leads to true intimacy. </div>
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<strong>True intimacy is when love has developed beyond the shallow waters of fellowship and the communion of two hearts. </strong><br />
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It is when you have completely believed in one another, and you are no longer being driven by physical attraction alone, but by the character of the soul you have come to love. They have completely convinced you of their undying love for you, and have won your heart. It is when the two become one - one in mind, in heart, and in purpose, one in priorities and in affections. It is when you reach that point where you cannot live without the other. It is when you come to the point of giving yourself completely to your spouse without reserve. There is complete openness because there is nothing to hide and no secrets to keep. Therefore, there is no obstacle to total commitment to one another. For intimacy to be real and blessed of God it must flower behind the veil of commitment. This is what constitutes marriage and distinguishes it from fornication and adultery, also known in our day as just "living together."</div>
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<i>Intimate - When the thoughts are entrusted to another without reserve.<br />
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<strong>The Bible gives us a very good description of intimacy in Psalms 139:</strong><br />
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<i>To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. (Psalms 139:1-4)</i><br />
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Then later in the same Psalm David makes this request of God, even though he has already acknowledged that God knew everything about him:</div>
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<i>Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: (Psalms 139:23)<br />
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By God's design husband and wife are to experience this same type of knowledge of one another. They are to have this same kind of open access to one another's hearts. This is true intimacy, and it does not exist between a couple who will not publicly commit to one another, or who maintain their own separate secret places where the other is not included or welcome. </div>
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<i>And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen 2:25)<br />
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It requires absolute transparency. No secrets in the things we do and the places we go. In the other people with whom we fellowship. But it must go much, much deeper than that and include transparency in the innermost soul. A man cannot KNOW his wife if she will not open her soul to him, and a woman cannot KNOW her husband unless he will do likewise. So any kind of secrets or sin in either shuts down the intimacy and the relationship is grounded and severely limited. Although they may continue their physical intimacy it is unsatisfying and frustrating. Their relationship is more like that of good friends or roommates. They may know a lot about one another and have a lot of common experiences, but they never find that oneness of soul that God intended when He created a help meet for Adam. They may have feelings for one another and have no desire to break up their marriage, but they have missed what it is all about and robbed themselves of the greatest blessings of life. </div>
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<strong>Fellowship, communion, intimacy - this is the order in which the husband-wife relationship is supposed to develop.</strong> <br />
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When they think about it everyone knows this to be true, yet they skip carelessly down the path of courtship to marriage deceiving themselves about one another and their openness. It is considered by most people now to be domineering by the man to want to really know his wife, or his future wife. It is considered controlling and clinging if a woman really wants to know her husband, or her future husband. Everyone seems to be of the opinion that everyone needs their space and there should be parts of our life that are closed off to our spouse. We need to use some common sense here and not be unreasonable and ridiculous. It doesn't mean that we must be together every moment of every day. Obviously, there are some situations where it is not appropriate or not possible to be together. There are situations and activities where the man or the woman would be out of place or even in danger. Neither my wife nor I would be comfortable if she were by my side while I was cutting trees down or thrashing through a briar patch. Neither would I be comfortable at a quilting party or baby shower with her. But there should be no place or activity that either is involved in that the other is barred from knowing about, as well as who is there with you and what you do while you are there. If one has the desire to be apart from their spouse in order to fellowship with people and do things without their knowledge it is a sure sign that they are not intimate, and trouble is about to knock down the door of their marriage.</div>
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In spite of the obvious truth of these matters most people reject it and pretend to be fellowshipping, communing, and intimate, when they are really only casual acquaintances. They go ahead and get married under these conditions and soon find themselves in deep trouble. This is also why unfaithfulness is so devastating in marriage. The one to whom you have given your most intimate self and trusted completely has counted your love and trust as nothing and betrayed you. Because marriage is such a deep and intimate relationship the very soul of that person is deeply wounded and scarred, and will struggle with ever opening up again. Then what about the children? They watch as the foundation of all the order in their life is blown apart and annihilated. They see what was thought to be love turn to hatred and bitterness. We see the damage all around us with all the broken marriages and immoral relationships. Our society is like a giant train wreck that is happening in slow motion. When some of the wheels leave the track there is so much force behind them that it is impossible to get them back on the tracks again, and their being off the track causes those coming along behind them to derail, also. </div>
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<strong>The relationship between God and man is reflected in this husband-wife relationship.</strong> <br />
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Most people do not have fellowship with God or his people at all. This is the basic reason that marriages are in such disorder and failing so miserably. Most people who do fellowship with God at all are very careful to stay in the shallowest water they can find. They just go to church once in a while and say religious things on Facebook sometimes, but do not search the Scriptures, meditate on them, and pray. Some people commune with God, but it is limited to set times and places and the rest of their time and life is spent with others. Then there are the few who find real intimacy with God. They are the ones who open up the secret places of their heart to God and allow him full access to their entire being. They are those who abide with him and keep no secrets from him. They fellowship and commune with God always, and have special intimate moments with him where the entire world and every other person is excluded.<br />
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So in order to be able to get along with our fellow men and have a happy and successful marriage, we must have a proper understanding of God and a right relationship with Him first. Do not miss your opportunity to know God.</div>
<i></i><div align="JUSTIFY">
<i>Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)<br />
</i></div>
All this is why Jesus said the greatest business of life is:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; ...</span> (Matthew 6:33)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Better get to it …</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email me</a></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-83462060135949233532012-12-29T22:20:00.000-06:002012-12-29T22:20:03.345-06:00God's Plan for Human Relationships<h4>
<em>Fellowship, Communion, and Intimacy</em></h4>
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<em>And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)</em><br />
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</em>From the beginning God said that it was not good that the man should be alone. God never intended for the human race to consist of only one man and one woman, but from the beginning He intended for them to multiply and fill the earth. Since there were to be many people God made man with a need for companionship. By God's design we are social creatures and we need other people. This is basic to God's plan for the human race and to our God-given nature. Time alone is important and profitable to our soul and spirit, but not as a way of life. <br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The need for companionship is much more defined than just general socializing and mingling with other people. There are at least three basic levels in human relationships. There is fellowship, communion, and intimacy. They are like stairs, with fellowship being the first and lowest step, communion the second step, and intimacy at the top of the stairs. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
All human relationships begin with fellowship, and usually never go beyond this level. These are casual acquaintances, people at work, neighbors, most relatives, and sadly, most of the people we go to church with. Some relationships progress from casual fellowship to the next level, which is communion. These are the few people in our life with whom we become good friends. We include them in the important and cherished events of our life. They are the ones we seek out and whose company we prefer. These are the people whose prayers we especially value. We feel comfortable sharing our heart and our problems with them. All of the relationships we have on the levels of fellowship and communion are non-committal. They are not bound by vows or promises, but rather are more dependent upon convenience. Those we fellowship with and become good friends with are always changing throughout our lives. Almost always they fade away with time and circumstances which separate us. Sometimes we encounter problems or conflicts, which break the bonds of fellowship, even with very good and close friends. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Then there is the intimate relationship where two souls are knit together in complete trust and commitment and there are no secrets. It is possible to have a somewhat intimate friend of the same gender, but the very best friend we could possibly have does not come close to what God has in mind for man and wife. The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is the ultimate intimate relationship, and it is forever. It is the crown of human relationships. It is the one relationship where true intimacy can find its completion and fulfillment in the physical, spiritual, and emotional realms, and the element of unconditional commitment is what makes all that possible. While it is obvious that most marriages do not measure up to these criteria we must recognize the fact that it is because of sin and selfishness, and not because of a flaw in God's design and plan.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Man needs more than casual fellowship with others. He even needs more than a pal or a very close friend. He needs someone with whom he can share his very soul. He needs someone with whom he can become one on the level of the soul. When God created the man He left some places empty in him so there would be room for another. The soul of man was created by his Maker with needs, and God created a woman to fulfill those needs. Not only that, but when God created the woman, He created her soul with needs that could only be fulfilled by her husband. The relationship between husband and wife goes far beyond the shallow waters of fellowship and companionship. It goes beyond physical intimacy, also. It is a union of their souls and spirits, their minds and their wills, their affections and desires. We may have fellowship and companionship with many people, but we cannot experience what God has in mind for husband and wife except in a garden enclosed by the fence of commitment where only the two are allowed admittance. By God's design it is meant to last a lifetime, with death as the only means of separation.</div>
<i></i><div align="JUSTIFY">
<i> </i></div>
<i>
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<span style="color: red;">And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.</span> (Matthew 19:5-6)</div>
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</i><br />
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This special, intimate, ultimate human relationship is not something that happens instantly or even quickly, but it develops in a certain order, and over a period of time and experience. It is Genesis 4:1, after sin has entered into the world and they have been driven from the garden, before the Bible tells us that Adam "knew" his wife. The word "knew" has much more meaning here than most people think. To consider it to merely mean carnal knowledge is to make a terrible error and miss some of the most important knowledge and understanding. Although the marriage bed is part of God's design of male and female, God did not create a woman solely for the carnal pleasure of a man. God's purposes encompass far more than that. This is the definition of the word "know" as used in the Scripture. Look at all the words and ideas expressed by this word God chose to use.</div>
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<i>To know: (properly, to ascertain by seeing); (including observation, care, recognition; and instruction) be aware, comprehend, consider, be diligent, discern, discover, familiar friend, feel, instruct, have knowledge, make self known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, prognosticator, regard, have respect, be sure, teach, understand.<br /><br />
</i>Many people live with their spouse for a lifetime and find out that they never really knew them. They might have known each other intimately in a physical sense for years, but kept a curtain drawn around their heart. To find out that your spouse is not the person you have thought them to be at all is very sad and most devastating. To truly know one another takes a lot of time and earnest effort and cannot happen quickly. It takes more than physical intimacy. It takes a truly honest heart and an openness and willingness to bare your most intimate soul to your spouse. There is a progression in the development of this relationship, and we are going to look at the three distinct aspects of it. These truths should be our guides and way marks for courtship and marriage. <br />
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Be sure to check back next week for the next part.<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-51194809066740261232012-12-22T21:44:00.000-06:002012-12-22T21:44:21.626-06:00Why a Woman? - Male and Female Created He Them <b>Why a Woman?</b><i><br />
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So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
When God created man He made the distinction of male and female and stressed firmly that it was by divine design. It is not only the differences in the physical bodies that prove they are made for each other, but their natures and attributes also prove they were made for each other. Out of one He made two, then of the two He made one and called their name Adam. Although they lived in two separate bodies they were made one flesh and formed a union so much in harmony that God said they would be one - not two anymore. This reflected what God had done when he made Adam before He made the woman. God made another in his own image and breathed into him the breath of life and Adam became a living soul. Then Adam was to be one with God in spirit and soul, while living in a separate body.</div>
<i><br />
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Adam was different than the other creatures in that he had the ability to understand spoken language and to speak and communicate his thoughts with words. If Adam is going to fellowship with God and with his wife, as well as the children that will be born he must have the ability to understand and communicate by means of spoken language. So God begins to speak to Adam and Adam understands.</div>
<i><br />
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Genesis 2:16)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Just a few verses down and we find Adam speaking and commanding what the names of the animals will be.</div>
<i><br />
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:19-20)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
The first step toward communication between kindred spirits happened when God spoke to Adam and Adam heard and understood the thoughts and feelings of another soul beside himself. The ability to communicate makes it possible for us to feel and experience the feelings and thoughts of another heart besides our own. Language makes it possible for one heart to speak to another heart - and that is the very core of what it is - it is communication between souls. The ability to communicate our thoughts with others is evidence that we were created to be social creatures and have a need for companionship and fellowship with others. The beasts are not really social creatures, even though some live in groups. Animals do not form governments, or churches, or clubs, or any other social organization. Of course, in nature there are examples of what are called social creatures, especially among the insects. (Go to the ant thou sluggard…) But the creatures that we call social creatures do not actually communicate thoughts and feelings because they are not a living soul as man is - they simply perform as they were designed by their Creator. And as they are studied and examined it is found that what appears to be social behavior actually is the result of physical things, like scents and organs in their bodies that perform functions to make the group work as a whole in certain circumstances. Since the beginning their lives have always been the same in every one of their generations. Only man has a hand in his own destiny and course of life by the choices he makes. What his reasoning approves and rejects from the Word of God and the thoughts and opinions of others affects the course of his life here as well as his eternal destiny.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Man was not made to be alone - by design he is a social creature.</div>
<i><br />
… but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:20)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Adam could speak to the animals and call them by their names, but they could not speak to him. With animals it is pretty much a one-sided relationship - they receive love and attention, but they cannot fulfill that deep longing in a human soul for companionship. It is a true fact that many people prefer a relationship with a pet rather than another human being, but that just shows that man has fallen far from what God designed him to be. Those who order their lives in such a way settle for something far less and far different than what their Creator meant for them have. They do this because something in them is broken, usually from being hurt by other people, or they do it out of fear of being hurt by other people. In either case they are robbing themselves of the most fulfilling and important thing in life, which is a companion who was made to be a help MEET for them. God himself has testified that it is not good for the man to be alone and then He acted upon the matter.</div>
<i><br />
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Although man is a social being he cannot find fulfillment in simply being with others. You can be lonely in a crowd, so that shows us very clearly that God had something else in mind when He created them male and female. The design of the Creator was for there to be a relationship between husband and wife that is set apart and different than all other relationships.</div>
<i><br />
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:21-25)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
God made a woman so that the man would have exactly what he needs and longs for in a companion. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The woman is the glory of the man.</div>
<i><br />
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (1 Corinthians 11:7-9)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
"The glory" means that she manifests his honor and his praise and his character. She does this by her own character and presentation of herself. Just as the man is the glory of God by having a heart that loves God and conducting himself in a way that honors God, so it is with the wife who loves her husband and conducts herself in such a way as to bring him honor in the minds of others. By being identified with him as his wife she makes the difference in what others think of him. She is his glory - so she either brings him honor or shame.</div>
<i><br />
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. (Proverbs 12:4)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
A crown is defined as an ornament worn on the head by kings and sovereign princes; as a badge of imperial or regal power and dignity. Crown signifies authority, honor, dignity, royalty, the king - she makes him a king, not only in her own eyes but in the eyes of others. Rottenness signifies decay, stink, and abhorrence. It is HER character that crowns him or destroys him.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Woman is the completer - she was created for the man. God determined before he made man that He would make a help meet for him. God had male and female both in mind before he ever created man, but he made the man first and the woman second. God does things perfect and in perfect order.</div>
<i><br />
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Woman was no accident or afterthought. She was the last step in Creation, and remember that the Creation began in chaos and confusion and progressed to perfect order and godliness. God did not take a step backward and make a lower creature when He made a woman - she was the crown of the creation - made for the man. She completed the Creation and made the whole thing perfect. She fulfilled the need of the man for someone his equal to love him. She fulfilled the need of the man for someone his equal to be the object of his love. She fulfilled the man's need for a beloved one to protect and provide for. She fulfilled the need of the man for a counterpart to make him whole. She fulfilled the need of the man to have someone who was his and his alone, not through bondage, but freely, simply because she loved him. She gave him purpose and order in his life. She made it possible for him to live forever through his offspring. Her presence made possible the highest pleasures and delights of body, soul, and spirit - and this was God's idea, so it was pure and holy and right - and it STILL is.</div>
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And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)</em><br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-27929655668875031402012-12-14T19:50:00.000-06:002012-12-14T19:53:57.264-06:00Male and Female Created He Them - Part 2<div align="JUSTIFY">
<strong>Male and Female - Reference Points for Life</strong></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
</div>
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This is such an important matter because the God-designed distinctions between male and female are reference points for us in understanding life, direction, purpose and God himself. Male and female are opposites, just as is everything else in God's creation. As we brought out in a previous message from Genesis 1 the basis of our power of reasoning is simply the discerning and choosing between two things at a time that are opposed to one another. There is hot and cold, up and down, right and left, north and south, east and west, positive and negative, light and dark, day and night, good and evil, right and wrong, clean and dirty, and there is no end to it - everything in God's creation is set over against its opposite - or its image. An image is the opposite of its source. Two right hands do not match when placed together face to face - it must be a left and right. God made man male and female and this is God's divine order and design - this is the foundation and a firm constant for living life here on earth and understanding God.<br />
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This principle of opposites is what creates order and literally holds God's Creation together. If the atom was not made of opposing parts it would fly apart, but the protons and electrons having opposite charges attract one another and hold the basic component of all matter together. To blow them apart creates an nuclear explosion. This principle of opposites is what makes it possible for us to navigate through life. Consequently, it is the basis from which all the forces of evil begin in their attempts to destroy the works of God. Their goal is to create confusion by blurring the distinctions between the clear markers God has established for us. Confusion is the opposite of order and God is not the author of confusion. (1 Cor 14:33) For sure, God is not the author of confusion in the hearts and lives of those who obey him. So the most basic goal of Satan is to cause confusion, which by definition is: </div>
<i><br />
In a general sense, a mixture of several things promiscuously; hence, disorder; irregularity.<br />
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A blending or confounding; indistinct combination; opposed to distinctness or perspicuity.<br />
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Want of order in a society.<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
So it is very clear that Satan works to cause confusion, or the blurring of the distinctions that God established when He set everything in perfect order in his work of Creation. One of the most obvious results of sin is that it always causes confusion, and confusion always leads to more sin, especially for the next generation.</div>
<em><br />
<span style="color: red;">But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.</span> Mark 10:6<br />
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Confusion is the breaking down of absolutes and order. Satan always begins his attack right here with male and female - this is the distinction that he works on the hardest to break down and confuse. The decline and decay of every civilized society begins right here with this matter. Because of the sinfulness of mankind it is the most vulnerable point where he can begin his destructive work. Rebellious, self-seeking, and lustful hearts are actually looking for any way to cast off God's boundaries between male and female.<br />
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When the God ordained distinctions are blurred or erased between male and female then the God ordained relationship between the two has no guides or boundaries and no place to take our bearings from. God made great distinctions between male and female and they are much more than physical. These distinctions are divine attributes assigned to male and female by nature itself. They are not choices to be made by the individual. They are not subject to "rights" of an individual. We have a world now that is attempting to make it a matter of choice whether a person is a male or a female. That fact alone should startle any sane person into waking up to the depravity of our society. <br />
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A feminine man and a masculine female are unnatural and ungodly.</div>
<i><br />
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (1 Corinthians 6:9)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
"Effeminate" refers to a feminine man and this verse from the Scripture clearly states that they do not know God and will not go to heaven. Abusers of themselves with mankind refers to sodomites (Webster's 1828 Dictionary) and also makes it very clear that they are not going to enter into heaven. A godly person will desire to be what God has made them to be and will not be kicking and fighting against God's order and design for their life. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
The breakdown always begins when the God-ordained roles of men and women begin to be portrayed as unsatisfying or unfulfilling. This happens as a result of losing sight of the purpose of life and God's role in it all. Soon after becoming dissatisfied and rebellious against their God-given gender assignment we see the physical appearance begin to change, with cross-dressing, swapping hairstyles, etc. It begins with the female becoming more masculine in her appearance, her actions, her language, her manners, her hair, her clothing, and it is accompanied immediately by her ambitions and desires to live in the role of a man instead of a woman. She believes she is liberated from her God-given role by her rebellion against God's authority and from there she rejects and rebels against all authority over her life. Immorality follows immediately because there are no rules, no boundaries, no guide, and no authority, and no order anymore. She thinks she is "liberated" and free from the bondage of being a woman, but she has reduced herself to nothing more than a toy for ungodly men. Ungodly men do not do much to resist this tendency of the female because it makes her much easier prey for him. She refuses to submit to a man, so he doesn't have to worry about submitting himself to her - he can have what he wants from her with no commitment and no strings. Love as the basis for the relationship is now out of the picture and the relationship is reduced to that of barnyard animals.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
But man was not designed to live this way and confusion follows in every aspect of life. The children are desolate and have no purpose for living, and cannot find their way. Man needs a wife, and a wife needs a husband, and they cannot be happy and fulfilled under any other arrangement. </div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
Knowing this we should resist anything that even resembles a breaking down of the distinction between God's divine design of male and female. We should be diligent to make clear the differences. We should honor the proper roles and teach our children and others by example. We need godly men and we need godly women. That is what it takes to have godly homes and churches and nations. That is what it takes to live a happy fulfilled life that has meaning and purpose. This is God's plan and God's design and those who resist and reject it do so at their own peril, but they also bring down the society in which the rest of us live. So the people of God need to set the proper example by ordering their lives, their marriages, their families, and their churches according to God's divine order established so clearly from the beginning of Creation.</div>
<i><br />
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
Next: It is not good for the man to be alone.<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-1062046319828486882012-12-08T19:30:00.001-06:002012-12-08T19:30:54.934-06:00Male and Female Created He Them<h4>
Male and Female - The Image of God</h4>
<i></i><br />
<h3>
</h3>
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)<br />
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
God repeats over and over the fact that He created man in his own image. He really wants us to understand this fact. It is a foundational fact that He wants us to work from in understanding the reason for our existence, and our purpose and role in life.</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY">
So the Bible teaches us that man is made in the image and likeness of God and is male and female. When He speaks of man He is not referring to mankind as males only, but as both male and female, because God has defined man as both male and female. All the attributes of God could not be completely expressed in the male alone - it takes both male and female to form the image of God. There are distinct attributes of God that are dominant in the nature of the male but much less manifested in the female (courage, strength, dominion). Likewise, there are attributes of God that are dominant in the very nature of the female that are much less visible in the male (tenderness, nurturing, embellishing). Only in the union of male and female is the image of God complete. Thus marriage is called "Holy Matrimony," because it is the intended completion of God's image. Where the man is lacking or weak, the woman fills the gap, and completes the image. Likewise, where the woman is lacking or weak, the man steps up, and together they make up the image of God. As they are united into one flesh over a lifetime they both are enriched and both become more well rounded in their character and soul. Together they present a powerful testimony about what life is supposed to be like. We have all seen older couples who have been married for 60 or 70 years and we have stood in wonder at a marriage that has survived that long in this wicked world. We are always impressed with the degree to which they have become one flesh and many times we see them die a few days, or even a few hours apart because they literally cannot live without one another. This is God's design and plan for man and life is not complete otherwise.</div>
<i><br />
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)<br />
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Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22)<br />
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For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
The only exceptions are those very few who consecrate themselves to the service of God alone. Jesus said:</div>
<i><span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;">For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.</span> (Matthew 19:12)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
It needs to be said here that by definition the word "eunuch" means that something had to be physically done to stop the desires and capabilities that are there by nature for the fulfillment of God's design for union of male and female. There are some who have a purpose in God's plan that sets them apart and their life is lived without husband or wife or children, but these are exceptions and not by any means the rule. If God does this in their life then it is the right thing for them, but it is not the standard for mankind. </div>
<i><br />
…let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2)<br />
</i><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY">
Marriage is honorable in ALL. It is God's plan for man or He would never have made them male and female.<br />
<br />
<em>Next: Male and Female Created He Them - Reference Points for Living</em><br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-76716240708482210402012-12-01T07:31:00.000-06:002012-12-01T07:32:25.146-06:00Captivity Cometh - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first step in preparing yourself and your family for what is coming is to disassociate yourself and your family from the false prophets of our day. Captivity is always preceded and accompanied by false prophets having the ear of the people, and therefore holding them in blindness and deceit. False prophets must be identified if you are to separate from them and not allow their influence upon your life or your family. There were people in Israel who listened to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the others, and who recognized the false prophets as imposters and refused to allow them to influence them or their family. But these people were practically invisible because they were scattered and separated from one another - not gathered together all over the country in great congregations in metal buildings with big parking lots. The Bible gives us plenty of information about the false prophets of those days, so please do not skip over these Scriptures, but read them carefully and think about how relevant they are to our present situation.
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<i>(Isa 9:16) For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
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<i>(Isa 3:12) As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
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<i>(Isa 56:10-12) His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dog</i><i>s which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
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<i>(Jer 5:31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
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<i>(Jer 14:13-16) Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
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<i>(Lam 2:14) Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
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<i>(2 Pet 2:1) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
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<i>(1 John 4:1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
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False prophets are self centered and often immoral. Many times they are lazy and indulgent. They are cowards, but often they act like spiritual bullies, also. They shrink from standing against true evil and those who promote it, but they are fierce against anyone whom they perceive to be a challenge to their position or authority. They may be knowledgeable of worldly things like sports and making money, but they are ignorant and confused about spiritual things and therefore contradict themselves in their teachings and doctrines.
False prophets do not walk with God and therefore do not get their messages from God, they get them from the deceit of their own heart. They get their messages from their imagination and they get them from each other (outline books, outline subscriptions, etc.) King Saul did not walk with God – he got his messages second-handed. As long as that situation continued he could be the king and rule, but when Samuel was gone and he had no direct link with God himself he was in big trouble.
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<i>Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! (Ezek 13:3)
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Some other things that identify false prophets are that they deal in lightness with the weighty things of God: judgment, mercy, faith, righteousness, and especially sin. They are guided much more by their feelings and imagination in dealing with these matters than by the written Word of God. They use the Bible not as the authority, but by wresting the Scriptures, and omitting some, they use it as a support for their imagined ideas based upon their feelings and desires. They also major on vain things that are of no real or lasting importance, such as how to be successful in earthly things or how to maintain happiness with psychological babble instead of by knowing and obeying the Word of God and walking with a holy God. Their minds are more focused on carnal and contemporary things instead of eternal things, and therefore they tend to bring sex into their message often, and usually with very little discretion concerning the children and young people who are listening to them. This kind of preaching and teaching turns the church into a den of iniquity and it does not take long to do it.
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<i>(Jer 23:32) Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
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These kinds of men are imposters and phonies, they are the blind leading the blind – and they will lead you and your children no where but into deeper oppression and captivity. Run from them! The true men of God are indeed very few in these last days, but God does indeed have his men in their places, even in this evil day. If you are serious enough about it you can find one. He may be located far from where you are, but it will be a blessing to you and your family just to know that there are still people who are living for God. With all the means available to us for communicating with one another we are without excuse if we just keep following one of Satan's false prophets while judgment is about come to the full in our land. If you know of a spring somewhere where thirsty souls can find refreshment tell others about it and point them in that direction.</div>
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And above all, keep looking up because Jesus is coming soon for his bride that He is even now preparing for himself. He is working out all the spots, wrinkles, and blemishes in her so that he can present her to himself pure and holy and without any of these things. That is what captivity does for us and that is what is going on in your life now if you are truly one of his.
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<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-59477598811000179792012-11-23T23:54:00.000-06:002012-11-23T23:57:26.086-06:00Captivity Cometh<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>(Part 1)</strong>
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<i>Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Isa. 5:13
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When God’s people forsake God and his ways they go into captivity. God does this, and it is the only way to deal with his wayward people short of destroying them. Captivity is the state of being a prisoner, or of being in the power of an enemy by force or the fate of war. It is subjection; a state of being under control. Captivity means servitude and slavery. God’s people of our day have already entered into captivity, but most do not seem to be aware of it yet. We have no voice now and we are under the control of the wicked and those who hate God and his ways. The people of God have no rights anymore, and in fact are being oppressed and persecuted simply because of who they are and what they believe right here in America. The wicked do not simply want the freedom to practice their iniquity - they want to annihilate everything and everyone that opposes their sin. They intend to force everyone to embrace their perverse ways and to surrender their children so they may teach them, also. The law and all the powers that be are on their side, so for true Christians the captivity has already begun.</div>
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During a captivity God’s people are scattered and their contact with one another is limited to prevent them from strengthening one another. This has not happened in our present situation by the power of the state, but it is a reality because of the apostasy, confusion, and wickedness that has saturated the minds and lives of those who identify themselves as Christians. The only grounds on which Christians can get along with each other are when nothing is an issue. In other words, when all convictions and absolutes are laid down and not allowed to be discussed. Then a multitude can gather for a Christian “concert” or “celebration” or “worship” experience and just focus on emotion and self-centered “needs” and “empowerment.” But any drawing of lines against sin and wickedness simply scatters the crowd and they will not unite for any such cause as that. This is idolatry and most who are involved in this nonsense are not true Christians. However, there are some true Christians who are entangled in this idolatrous monstrosity because of the false prophets who are holding them in ignorance and darkness, and the lack of a true witness or prophet of God in their life. As long as this state of things continues any hope for our country is simply a dream. The enemies of God seem to be quite united in their efforts to cast off all restraints to evil while those who recognize the evil and see where it is leading us cannot even gather a few who will agree together to stand against it. So God’s people are scattered far and wide and only occasionally find another who is like-minded with whom to fellowship.</div>
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Captivity does not always come from a sudden and violent invasion by the enemy, but sometimes starts slowly and gradually and then gets more and more oppressive. When the children of Israel went into Egypt it was by divine provision and deliverance, but as time progressed it became captivity – and it got worse and worse. Likewise, our forefathers came to this land by the hand of God and divine provision and it has now turned into captivity for the people of God. So we can expect things to get worse and more oppressive as time progresses and we remain on earth. </div>
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Those who lead others into captivity usually try bribes and lies and trickery before they resort to violence and force. Listen to Rabshakeh the Syrian as he talks to the Jews:</div>
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<i>Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern; Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. (Isa 36:16-17)</i></div>
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Many modern churches and Christians have been bribed into submitting themselves to the wicked by their promises of security and their offers of financial help. For example, most churches have fallen into the trap of incorporating themselves in exchange for not paying sales tax on the things they buy. In so doing they have sold their right to preach and practice what the Bible clearly teaches. They are finding that they are defenseless in court when they refuse to perform ceremonies for same-sex marriages, or when they fire an employee or a teacher for immorality. The Bible is no longer their authority or guide for faith and practice – that is dictated to them by the state and the courts. They are servants of the state now and not servants of God. They are not free any longer, but are living under servitude and bondage to the wicked. This also goes for people who go to the government for handouts. The government is buying your rights and your children from you with the meager help they offer you. There are always strings, and although they may not be obvious or exercised by them now, they have bound you with them and can use them when they please. Now it appears that we are passed the point of voluntarily surrendering to this trap and are now going to be forced into it through socialized health care.</div>
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The oppression and harshness of the captivity reveals those who were prepared for it and those who truly know and walk with God. (for example: Daniel and the Hebrew boys, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Ezra, etc.) Knowing this, we should begin to prepare ourselves and our families for what lies ahead. Captivity, therefore, although unpleasant, humiliating, and a disaster to our way of life, generally turns out to be a good thing for God’s kingdom in the long run because it purifies his people and vindicates his holy name.
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<em>Next: Part 2 - How to prepare yourself and your family for living in captivity.</em><br />
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<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email me</a><br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-13933287395080252602012-05-26T21:19:00.000-05:002012-05-26T21:23:13.453-05:00Dumb Dogs<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Dumb Dogs</span><br />
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<i>(Isa 56:10) His watchmen
are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark;
sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.</i></div>
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Watchmen – these are men who have been given the responsibility
to warn the people of danger. Watchmen are accountable. They are punished
severely for not living up to their duty. If they go to sleep or fail to warn
the people for any other reason they are sometimes put to death. Watchmen are
not simply a thing of the past – we have watchmen now, also. There are those who
watch the borders, the shores, and the airspace of our country. Since so much is
at stake these people are held to a very high standard. They cannot be lazy and
slumbering. They cannot be slow to recognize dangers and threats and they must
be prepared to act immediately.<br />
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God has watchmen, also. They are called
pastors. They are given the charge of the flock of God’s people. They will give
account to God for what they say, as well as what they don’t say. Regardless of
whether they have put themselves in this position or if God has placed them
there, they will answer to God for whether they are faithful to warn or not.
Some are hirelings who are making a living (and sometimes a very comfortable
living) simply entertaining people and telling them what they want to hear. A
few are faithful men who are willing to be misunderstood, misrepresented,
persecuted, and hated for sounding the warning when people don’t want to hear
it. <br />
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A watchman is not someone who just blesses everyone he comes into
contact with. He doesn’t proclaim “peace, peace” when the enemy is beating down
the gates of the city. The watchman cries out the warning. In the verse at the
top of this article we read about the nation of Israel at a time when they were
facing the judgment of God. They had forsaken God for their idols once again and
their enemies were about to destroy them. God says that during this time his
watchmen were all “dumb dogs” that could not “bark.” He goes on to describe them
as greedy, selfish, drunken, lazy bums, who had no understanding and were always
looking for their own gain. They had no concern for what was about to happen to
the people of God and to their country – they only looked out for themselves.
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Do you honestly realize what all is at stake with your soul and the
souls of your children, family, and whoever else for whom you might be
responsible? Do you really want to go to a church and hear a man bless and tell
stories and make you feel good while the world around us is disintegrating into
chaos and wickedness? If you and your family are not warned of the dangers to
your soul at church where else are you going to hear a warning? And if a man of
God will not warn you of the approaching danger, who else will?<br />
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We all
need a man who walks with God and has the wisdom and courage to cry aloud and
spare not. We do not need a hireling who will tiptoe around and whose main goal
is to articulate his sermons so carefully as to not offend anyone. We do not
need someone who is too weak, cowardly and selfish to stand before the people
and tell them the truth. There is too much at stake! <br />
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Why would you
listen to a man that won’t tell the whole truth about spiritual things? You
certainly wouldn’t want a doctor who treated you that way just to get your
money. You wouldn’t knowingly put your money in a bank or any type of investment
with someone who hid the risks and dangers from you to fill his own pockets. But
the truth is that most people want a preacher to be a dumb dog that cannot bark.
They want a spiritual pimp that will give them their spiritual fix each week.
They want someone that can give them an emotional buzz, but that is not what
this is all about! We need someone who will not fail to tell us where we are
wrong or warn us of the spiritual danger in our lives.</div>
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<i>(Jer 5:31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests
bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do
in the end thereof?</i></div>
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The compromise that has happened in the past 20 years is enough
to make you sick. Men who once appeared to stand against sin and worldliness
have done according to the old saying, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Many
of the men who ordained me to preach 25 years ago are now practicing and
promoting the things they were calling sin back then. They asked me questions
straightly and would not have ordained me if I had answered them with what THEY
believe now. They didn’t compromise because they became enlightened or educated.
They didn’t compromise and change their convictions because God led them that
way. They gave up the fight and compromised because it was too hard. The
opposition is too strong. It hurts too bad to be ostracized and criticized. They
simply prefer the praise of men to the praise of God. Their crowds are larger
and their pockets are more padded when they tow the line and give the people
what they want. They have no courage because they are only concerned about
themselves and their popularity, prosperity, and security. Anyone can see the
results of their compromise in the lives of those who are following them. But
they will face God Almighty very soon and they will answer for their
unfaithfulness to God. It is utter wickedness for a man to “hold the truth in
unrighteousness.” What kind of heart is in a man that can stand before people
week after week and watch their lives degenerate under the influence of worldly
pleasures and philosophies and not say a thing when he knows what the danger is
and what to do about it because it will cost him popularity or
money?<br />
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When a man is in a position of shepherd over the people of God he
will give account to God one day for everything he does or doesn’t do. He MUST
tell the people the truth! He has a Bible and he MUST preach ALL of it – not
just certain parts. If he knows the truth and he doesn’t preach it he is simply
a liar and a deceiver – it cannot be otherwise. If he fails to warn people when
they are starting down a road that leads to sin and destruction he is either an
unwise man or an unfaithful man. You should run from these “dumb dogs” and find
a man who walks with God and has the wisdom, the courage, experience, and true
love for God and for souls to be a faithful watchman for God.</div>
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<i>(Ezek 3:17) Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the
house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from
me.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Mike Miller</span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-54237534374115581802012-03-08T19:57:00.003-06:002012-03-08T21:55:04.772-06:00Lord Teach Us to Pray<i>And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">There is probably more written material on the subject of prayer than any other aspect of being a Christian. Everyone seems to want to know how to get prayers answered, or some other angle on how to pray. Of course, the real goal of the natural man is to find a way to bring God on board with their plan or their goals and desires, and so they use prayer as that means. The result is that most of what is written and taught about prayer is oriented toward that end. There was a book that was published in the year 2000 and sold nine million copes called, “The Prayer of Jabez.” It was based on one verse of scripture in 1 Chronicles:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. 1 Chr. 4:10</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this one verse “me” and “my” are mentioned five times. This was a completely selfish prayer without a mention of anything at all but his own comfort, peace, and happiness. God gave him what he asked for, all right, but that is the last mention of this man in the Bible. Those are the kinds of books that sell because that is what carnal people are looking for – a way to command God to satisfy their selfish desires. God also answered a selfish prayer for the Israelites when they lusted in the wilderness and gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. (Psalm 106:15) This kind of prayer is simply another form of selfishness all dressed up in religious apparel. This is not really what prayer is about and certainly not what God meant for prayer to be. So it is no wonder that so many get discouraged with Christianity and quit when they find they are unable to gain control of God and get Him to do what they want. God does not heal every person who gets sick, even though many people pray that He will. God does not deliver every person from the brink of death, no matter how many godly people are praying for them. What do we do with our selfish ideas about prayer when this happens? How do we reconcile what we have said we believe about claiming God’s promises and God answering prayer with the reality that He did not do what we asked Him to? We must learn to pray in the Will of God, so Lord teach us to pray, and to pray like we should.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Prayer is based upon the Word of God. We cannot pray earnestly and effectively if we are not familiar with the Word of God. When we have little or no knowledge of God through his Word about all we can do is cry out to God in the darkness for help and hope for mercy. The Word of God reveals to us the heart and mind of God. It is through the written Word of God that we are introduced to what God’s character is like. It is the Word of God that teaches us what his disposition toward us is like, as well as his attitude toward sin and evil. We know what He has said and what He has promised and that tells us volumes about who He is and what He is like. This is absolutely necessary in order for us to be able to have communion with him in prayer.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Many teachers on the subject of prayer take these very truths and apply them in a dangerous and destructive way to prayer. You will seldom find a book or article on prayer that does not interject the idea of “claiming God’s promises.” Now we have just acknowledged that the promises of God are the foundation we work from in order to pray, but not it the way it is commonly presented. We cannot take a promise of God and hold it before Him as if we are putting him in a corner with it and forcing his hand on it. That is offensive to all people who would be treated that way. First, it seems to insinuate that He who made the promise is trying to avoid keeping it. Nothing could be farther from the truth with God. He delights to give his children the blessings He has promised. Second, this approach to prayer is not humble, but proud. It says nothing of being submitted to the Will of God, but it is an attempt by a mere mortal to stand in the face of God and force him to comply with their own will. To stand up to God and rail on Him with, “Now God, you promised, and I am here to claim it and so you must do this thing, and you must do it now” is to have exactly the same mind as Satan. His aim from the beginning of his rebellion has been to bring God and the universe under his control. This is absolutely the opposite of what prayer is designed to do to a person.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Maybe we can understand this a little better by considering how good, godly parents deal with their children. Many parents make promises to their children without leaving the promise as an open-ended obligation that the child can claim at any time according to their own discretion. For example, a parent might tell their child that they will get to go to the park and play sometime this week. The child now has the word of the parent that they will get to go this week, so they begin on Monday trying to claim the promise, but it is raining and the parent will not let them go. The child might claim that the parent has gone back on their word, but they haven’t. They made a promise but they still reserve the right to be the sovereign authority in the child’s life. It is raining and it is just not possible to go to the park today. The next day the child tries again, but the park is closed for repairs on the playground equipment, and so they still cannot go. The parent has not violated their promise but is exercising wisdom for the benefit of the child. All the child has in mind is his own selfish interests and desires, so he becomes frustrated and falsely accuses the parent of not doing what they said they would do. “But you promised!” That is the cry of the child and it is very ugly in the ears of all who hear it and have understanding. Yet this is how most people are being taught to pray and ask God for things. Later in the week the child does get to go to the park just like the parent promised, but it will be when the circumstances and timing is right according to the judgment of the parent –not the child.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Prayer is aided by the Spirit of God. (Romans 8:26-27) We must have the help of the Holy Spirit in order to pray like we should. According to these Scriptures we do not even know what to ask for as we ought. We are so wrapped up in ourselves and our circumstances and cares that without the help of the Spirit of God we cannot even get in the same room with God. We must have our mind and our will yielded to the Spirit of God for him to lead us. The Spirit of God will always use the Word of God to instruct us and to speak to us. So we go to God in prayer, with God’s promises and his loving words before us. We know what kind of God He is and how He loves us, so we come before Him with that knowledge as our guide. We all have had someone in our life whom we have always found to be easily entreated. Maybe it was our Grandma or Grandpa. We could go to them and ask them anything without any fear of being rejected or scolded or ridiculed, and we pretty well knew that they would give us what we asked for as long as it was not out of line or had the potential to hurt us. We never thought of approaching them with demands that they keep a promise they had made to us. That was completely unnecessary, but also an unthinkable way to commune with someone we loved and trusted. God is like this. The Bible tells us in James 3:17 that He is “…peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Prayer, then, is about submitting to God more than it is about getting what we want from God. Prayer is about communion with God and becoming one with God – one in mind, heart, and will. Prayer, if it is the right kind of prayer, brings us into a confirmed state of agreement and oneness with God, and we are submitted to his Will, whatever it might be. The right kind of prayer leaves us with the right kind of faith. The wrong kind of prayer wrecks our faith. </div><br />
Mike Miller<br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a><br />
March 8, 2012Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-43495931420396169642012-02-18T19:37:00.000-06:002012-02-18T19:37:32.151-06:00Making A Difference Between the Holy and the Profane<div style="text-align: justify;"><em>(Prov 30:12) There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness</em>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are living in a generation like that. All the lines have been erased. There are no absolutes anymore. Right and wrong, good and evil, are subjective concepts that depend upon the circumstances and the feelings, opinions, and desires of the person or persons concerned. No one has a right to even suggest that any certain thing or activity is wrong because that is “judging” and we all know that we are not supposed to do that, don’t we? The visible result of this insanity is one of the most religious yet the most wicked and vile generations that has occupied the face of the earth since Noah’s day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While “no absolutes” and “no holy and unholy” may be the philosophy of this lost and hopeless generation in which we live, it is certainly contrary to the law and the nature of God. If you start reading the Bible you will not get past the first four verses of Genesis before you discover that God divides. First He divided the light from the darkness, then the waters, then the dry land from the water. He put a difference between things and set one over against the other. This is order instead of chaos – and order is what happens when God is in control. In the absence of God is chaos and confusion. And when there is order there will be division. In God’s view of things there is clean and unclean; there is holy and unholy; there is good and there is evil. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Is your view of things like that? Is there anything that is holy in your view? And are there things that you consider unclean or evil? We live in a generation that seems to think there is nothing worthy of reverence or honor. Nothing is holy and so it naturally follows that nothing is unclean in their eyes either. They make no difference – like God does. Are you like this generation or are you like God? Do you judge according to what is written in God’s Word or do you cross each bridge as you come to it, inventing your own rules as you go? If you do then you are of the world and not of God – no matter what you may say or think of yourself to the contrary. In the kingdom of God there are holy things and in the kingdom of darkness there are unholy and unclean things. In the preparation of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and all the vessels of the sanctuary there were very precise and orderly instructions given by God for every detail and there was no tolerance for any input of human opinion. They were holy things because they came from the mind of God and they represented God before man. They were not to be meddled with and made unholy by men and their opinions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are still things like that – holy things. Things that men have no right to meddle with because they are from the mind of God, because they represent God before men. When man puts his tool to the holy things of God he pollutes them. (Exodus 20:25) This is always the beginning of idolatry – when man begins to input his opinions and preferences and starts discerning between holy and unholy, between clean and unclean according to his own ideas instead of the written law of God. The real effect is that there ceases to be holy and unholy, clean or unclean in man’s eyes. Without the law of God every man simply does what is right in his own eyes. Without the law of God every man and woman becomes a god unto themselves, deciding right and wrong, holy and unholy, clean and unclean, on a case by case basis, according to their own judgement, which is based on selfishness. It only takes one generation to get into this mess and that is where we find ourselves now. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The judgement of God fell on Israel many times and the circumstances preceding their judgment were very similar to our circumstances today. The priests and the prophets had failed to make a difference between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean. They had failed to teach the people the difference and in so doing had led the people into a state of chaos and evil that left God no alternative but to judge and punish them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Ezek 22:26) Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When all the standards and guides for behavior between people and between people and God are removed there arises a generation that has no moral compass whatsoever. That is exactly what has happened in our generation. Modern Christianity is deeply defiled and polluted because the difference between holy and unholy, clean and unclean has been virtually erased. Nothing is sacred anymore and every vile thing of the world has been brought into the house of God and integrated into what they are calling “worship.” They are worshipping “they know not what.” The contemporary music is the same as what the children of Israel were playing when Moses and Joshua came down off the mountain and found them naked and dancing around a golden calf that they had made to represent their “God.” It sounded like violence because Joshua and Moses thought it sounded like war in the camp, but they could not tell if it was the voice of one winning the battle or losing. Obviously, it was screaming and violent noise. Now be honest for a moment …what kind of music sounds like that in our generation? That is what they are using the churches now and it is unholy, but since there is no difference anymore most people think it is simply a matter of opinion and preference – no moral issue at all, but there is! If we can use the same music to worship God that the whole world associates with drugs, illicit sex, murder, suicide, rebellion, and devil worship and there is no moral issue involved, then surely it should be obvious that the leaders of the churches are failing to make a difference between the clean and the unclean. It should be further obvious that we are facing the imminent judgment of God unless there is a true awakening among the people of God. There must be a turning back to holiness and to making a difference between what is holy and unholy. There must be a return to honoring and reverencing the things that are holy. There must be a rejection of those things that are profane and unclean. No one can worship God in spirit and in truth who does not regard holy things and avoid unholy and unclean things. This is not a matter of do's and don'ts, but of being in agreement with God in your heart and mind. God himself is holy, so everything pertaining to God and his worship should be holy and not defiled with things or methods of the world which are profane. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">God gave us certain things that are holy. Marriage is one of them. Marriage has been made an unholy thing and it must be restored to the holy institution that God designed it to be. The people of God must stop regarding marriage as a trial basis, temporary sort of thing, the same as the world does. It represents the relationship between God and man and it is a holy thing. The church is a holy thing because it is the body of Christ and the vehicle God uses to accomplish his earthly work. Therefore, everything connected with the church and what goes on there should be clean and not polluted with the philosophies, methods, and pleasures of an unholy world. The sanctuary is a place that should be regarded highly and treated with reverence and honor. It is the place where we meet with God together and therefore it should be regarded as special – holy. Going into the sanctuary of God is not the same as going to the grocery store, or the ball game, or to work. It is not a place to come “casual.” To do that is to show disrespect and disregard for holy things and to make them nothing more than common things. These are just a few examples of the kinds of things that must go if we care about seeing God do something in our generation other than judge us for our iniquity. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Each person who calls themselves a Christian needs to examine their own life and ask themselves some questions. Am I different than this unclean, unholy world? Does my life portray holiness unto the Lord, or is it common, unclean, and profane? My speech …is it full of crude, lewd, base talk or is it with grace (divine influence) and seasoned with salt? Do I recognize holy things and profane things and mark the difference? Do I order my life and walk in the way of holiness and away from the unclean and unholy? Does my influence point others toward purity and godliness or am I making it easier for them to be unclean and profane? Where is my life and my opinions going to lead my children and grandchildren? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Think about it …and then if you are REAL Christian - DO something about it! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mike Miller</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-23963311673114108682012-01-26T09:07:00.000-06:002012-01-26T09:07:30.642-06:00This Is Your Hour And the Power of Darkness<em><span style="color: red;">…but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.</span> Luke 22:53</em><br />
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Jesus said this to the soldiers who had come to arrest him and take him away to be crucified. Puny sinful men with their swords and their staves exercising authority against the Creator of the Universe himself. Step back and look at the scene from God’s point of view and if it were not for the seriousness of what was transpiring that night it would seem absurd and almost laughable. They could have no power at all against him unless God had allowed it. (John 19:11) <br />
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<strong>This is your hour …</strong><br />
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This is to serve notice on all the wicked that your time is limited. Do not think that you will be able to continue to exercise this power you are enjoying right now forever, because God has only given you a short time. It may seem like the wicked are going to prevail in the world right now, but their time in the limelight will end at the very moment appointed by God. <br />
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Then there is another hour coming:<br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.</span> John 5:28-29</em><br />
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<em>And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. Rev. 19:11-13</em><br />
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The wicked will have no power in that hour. It will not be their hour then. <br />
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<strong>…and the power of darkness.</strong><br />
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Darkness has no power of its own. It is nothing. It is the absence of light. Darkness vanishes at the simple appearance of light. It takes no brute force, no power of nature, no violence at all to make darkness disappear. Nothing could be more gentle than the shining of a light, and that is all it takes to remove the power of darkness. Those who walk in darkness seem to think they possess some kind of power, and walk about arrogantly abusing others and blaspheming God. But their pitiful, puny power is so easily extinguished that they are very easily revealed to be fools.<br />
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So in this dark generation in which we live the true children of God can take heart and be encouraged. As we watch the world plunge deeper and deeper into evil we can be assured of two things: it will not last long, and it will vanish with the light. And the light is coming! The night these soldiers came and took Jesus it looked like they were the victors and that the power of darkness was the real power. When they beat him and spit in his face, and mocked him, and crucified him it seemed that darkness had prevailed, but three days later it was a different story, and it has been ever since. God who rules the universe is righteous and as long as He sits upon his throne you can be assured that righteousness will prevail in the end. Jesus told us these days were coming and this was his command in Matthew 24:6 concerning how we should deal with it: <br />
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<em><span style="color: red;">… see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. </span></em><br />
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So woe, woe, woe unto the wicked who forsake God and walk after this world in its rebellion against him, their day is coming, and it is coming soon! If you are among them you better escape while there is time. <br />
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<em>And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22:17</em><br />
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Come to Jesus and trade in your uniform of a rebel for a robe of righteousness and get on the winning side!<br />
<br />
Mike Miller<br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-26071711421468531182012-01-12T08:44:00.002-06:002012-01-12T08:47:37.575-06:00Apostasy and Idolatry<em>Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? John 6:67</em><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Apostasy is the turning away from, or abandonment of one's profession or church. It is the forsaking of faith or principles for which one has professed love and commitment. Apostasy happens because people put their own interests above God's. It does not happen suddenly, but very slowly. Apostasy is the result of seduction, which is "to entice with flattery, deceit, or promises to a surrender of chastity." It begins with wandering eyes and ears and curiosity, as well as a desire to be accepted. Immediately following is a resistance to God's demand that they be exclusively his, holy and separated from sin and the world. Christ will not share his bride with other lovers, and so it is not possible to have an open relationship with Him. This is why many embark on the Christian life, but abandon it somewhere along the way. Their affections and desires are simply fixed on the things and pleasures of the world and not on Christ.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apostasy throws off all the moral restraints and erases all the moral boundaries – that is what people are seeking to do when they turn away from God – without exception. The parallel in earthly relationships is the wife who abandons her husband supposing to rid herself of his presence, his needs, his demands, and his right or authority over any area of her life. She determines to "assert herself" regardless of the cost to her husband, her children, and others. In our modern society it is considered shameful for a wife to acknowledge any "need" for her husband, or to depend upon him, or to be concerned about his needs at all. The apostate has the same feeling and attitude toward God – he does not need God, and does not care about God's desires, and he rejects God's authority over any area of his life. This is rebellion against God's order and all that He has created. This illustrates what apostasy is and what it is like in the sight of God – it is an abominable thing. It breaks God's heart, just as it does a husband who is abandoned by the wife he loves. Apostasy causes great confusion in the family of God, and it never produces anything but grief and misery to all it touches, just as divorce does in an earthly family. It leaves the next generation with no structure for their life, adrift with no bearings for life or eternity, and also leaves them vulnerable to deception and abuse by those who are evil – and all because someone demands to have their own way, and throws everything to the wind to assert themselves and fulfill their own selfish desires.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But apostasy is never the end of it. Apostasy is always followed by idolatry, just as separation in a marriage is almost always accompanied by or followed by adultery. For one who has professed to have faith in a loving God who created all things and has been a part of the fellowship of the church to abandon it all they must put in its place a different set of values and affections. They have to invent or embrace some other system of thought and view of things. No one walks out into nothing – at least not for long. Man who is made in the image and likeness of God is so constituted that he will set his heart on something – his heart WILL be given to something or someone. It is a terrible thing when a wife abandons her husband – but the situation is drastically worse when she becomes another's lover. When she appears publicly with another man and makes it known abroad that she has developed an intimate relationship with him it is considered by most to be the final death blow to the relationship with her husband.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is precisely the state of the modern church now. It has moved from apostasy to open idolatry. What is known as the church is not shrinking anymore due to the fact that people are apostatizing. It is growing in numbers and appears successful but it no longer worships the God of the Bible. Instead the "emerging church" has invented another god – one without laws or demands, one that is compatible with the world and with confusion. This new god is all about pleasing self and nothing at all like the Savior of the Bible who said if any man would be his disciple he must first "deny himself." This new god and this new gospel is not concerned with sin, while the God of our fathers was so concerned with the sin of the world and its consequences that he sent his Son to die to make an Atonement. They have eliminated sin by redefining it according to their own terms. This new, enlightened generation has finally come to understand after all of human history that there is no right and there is no wrong – that it is only a matter of opinion and circumstances. Therefore, there is no authority (such as a Book of God) and everyone is free to make up their own mind about what is right and what is wrong – as long as they keep it to themselves and do not try to hold anyone else to any kind of standard.</div><br />
<em>Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isa. 5:20-21</em><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">The apostasy took place a lot longer ago than most people are aware of. While men slept the tares were sown. The true doctrines of righteousness based on the law of God were replaced with permissive ideas and new definitions for sin and righteousness. These new things were made acceptable because they were presented as more loving and understanding, while the law was made to appear harsh and unforgiving. Just as the adulterous man woos another man's wife with sweet talk, taking advantage of any trouble or weakness she is experiencing with her husband and promising to fulfill all that she is lacking and make her happy, the devil and his prophets smooth-talked many people into believing his lies. He lied about the nature of God, the method and substance of the Atonement, the true effects and evidence of true salvation, the purpose of the church, and many other foundational things. The mainline churches have been offering salvation for a long time now without any mention of repentance, holiness, or separation from the world. You may obtain a ticket to heaven with absolutely no strings attached. You may continue to live in your sin, love the world, and embrace their philosophy …and still be a Christian. This is apostasy. This is not historical, Biblical Christianity. It is not saving, Bible faith. It is another gospel, another Jesus, and spiritual adultery in God's eyes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So the church has been involved in spiritual adultery for a long time now, but mostly in secret. All the while, on the surface, a veneer of tradition has been maintained. Public statements of faith remained pretty much the same. Holding to the fundamentals of the faith was always something that no church would criticize or reject while claiming to preach the gospel. They still wore the ring in public and called themselves by his name, but they sneaked around to practice their unfaithfulness. Now, in the last few years we have seen a drastic change in the state of things. It is no longer popular to hold to any form of "fundamentals," and has now become a reason to be ostracized. The very word "Fundamentalist" has become almost vulgar to most professing Christians. The old ways are out and the new ways are in. There is a new king in the house now and the old One is gone. The law of God has been cast out as an unpleasant, undesirable, and unnecessary thing. It was considered abusive and oppressive. Now there is no law at all! No boundaries, no absolutes, nothing right and nothing wrong – it is all about "love," but it is a different kind of love because it has no claims on anyone, makes no demands, and carries no responsibility. It is like an open marriage instead of an exclusive relationship. It is a different kind of love because it manifests no forgiveness or tolerance – except for those who will agree with its proponents. While the law of God is our schoolmaster that leads us to Christ this new lawlessness leads nowhere but to judgement, destruction, and misery.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, we are living in a time of idolatry – we have gone far beyond apostasy now. Churches do not even resemble the churches of our fathers. What is being worshipped now is NOT the God of our fathers. We find in the Word of God many references to those who forsook "the God of their fathers" and served other gods until their sin was about to destroy them. Then in desperation they returned to the "God of their fathers" or they were destroyed by their enemies. We are in the same position now – if there is not an awakening among the people of God and a return to the "God of our fathers" we are facing certain and imminent calamity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When throwing off moral restraints becomes the popular trend it brings down that society and leads quickly to chaos, confusion, and hopelessness. So people start seeking something to take care of that emptiness in their soul and bring some sort of order back into their chaotic lives and society. People are so constituted that they will inevitably worship something or someone. The children and grandchildren of apostates will always be idolaters. As a whole, the human race cannot, and will not ever abandon religion. Therefore, when apostates in their empty longings begin to worship again, they worship unholy gods of their own making, and this is idolatry. In the Old Testament the idolaters sometimes called their false god by the same name that referred to Jehovah. Modern idolaters may call their gods Jesus, Jehovah, and Lord, but other than that this new god of theirs does not resemble the God of the Bible at all. Idolatry is a lie. Idolatry is a counterfeit. It's power and effect depend completely upon its power to deceive. Therefore, the closer it appears on the surface to the real thing, the more easily it is accepted. However, the god of idolaters is always immoral and unconcerned about the immorality of others, therefore, immorality becomes a part of his worship. He is always loving and not condemning, therefore, that also becomes a requirement of being one of his worshippers – you must never condemn or make any judgment about others, with the exception being those who still believe in total commitment and true holiness. An idolater's god is a lawless god, just like those who worship him. Idolaters simply imagine their god to be whatever they want him to be in whatever situation they are in. This is far different from the true God who was made flesh and dwelt among us revealing himself to us, and who has written in a Book his law and character and preserved it forever.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Idolatry immediately precedes the judgment of God. God always judges idolatry – and He does it quickly. We have heard for years that the sexual immorality and the rise of the sodomites is sure to bring the wrath of God upon us just as it did in Sodom, but God is longsuffering toward those sins compared to idolatry. He is a jealous God and when those who are called his people openly embrace another god He is quick to act. The next thing we are facing is the wrath and judgement of God and the real people of God better prepare themselves soon. It is coming – and it is coming soon. We need to realize that we are not just talking about the charismatics and the health and wealth crowd - the fundamental churches are now being swallowed up in it, too. The Word of God contains a clear record and example of what God does when the people who are known by his name forsake Him for another.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">How would you fare if his judgment came today? Is your heart pure or is it yearning after the world? Are you a faithful bride or are your eyes, ears, and heart wandering from Him? Now is the time to return to the Lord. "Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Listen to the heart of God as he gives his invitation:</div><br />
<em>Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Jer. 3:12-13</em><br />
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<em>…thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. Jer. 3:1</em><br />
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<em>Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Rev. 2:4-5</em><br />
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Mike Miller (Pastor)<br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-19952739826617009252012-01-03T22:20:00.000-06:002012-01-03T22:20:03.414-06:00Coming Out of Egypt<i>So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. <b>Josh. 16:4</b></i><br />
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Joseph was brought down into Egypt by the will and actions of other people, and not by any choice or decision of his own. He was the victim of injustice in every step that led him to Egypt. He did not want to be in Egypt and he did not choose to go there, much less as a slave and then a prisoner in a dungeon for years. But God had a purpose in all of it and Joseph had enough faith in God to just trust Him through it all. By God’s grace and mercy he managed to just keep doing what was "right in the sight of the Lord," even though his situation just grew worse and more hopeless at each turn in his journey. One morning Joseph awoke in the prison just as he had for many years there. But that night he went to bed in the palace with Pharaoh’s ring on his hand and had been exalted from a prison cell to second in authority over the most powerful country on earth. The Psalmist says they hurt his feet with fetters, and he was laid in iron, "until the time that his word came…" (Psalm 105:18-19) God promised, Joseph waited, and God made good on his promise, in due time. In Joseph’s case it was a long, long time.<br />
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Joseph never left Egypt alive. Because he was there many people’s lives were saved, including those of his own family who came down into Egypt with him. There God made Israel a great nation, and 400 years later brought them out of Egypt to bring them into the land that He had promised to Abraham so long ago. When the children of Israel left Egypt they carried Joseph’s bones up with them and later buried them with those of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the land of Canaan. <br />
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And Joseph’s children left with them.<br />
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Joseph never was an Egyptian. He learned their language and ruled over their land. He lived all but the first few years of his life there. But he never identified himself as one of them. He always had his eye on another country. His dying request was for them to carry his bones out of there when they left. He married an Egyptian woman and his children were born there, also. There came a day when Joseph’s children had to decide if they were going to be Egyptians or Israelites. Obviously, history records who they chose to identify with. Although they were born in Egypt and had never known any other existence they, like Moses years later, "chose to suffer affliction with the people of God," rather than conform to Egypt’s ways. This is an important fact to ponder and to apply to our own lives.<br />
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We are born into this world and this is all we have ever known. It is really difficult for us to imagine any other existence. But there comes a time in everyone’s life when they are exposed to the knowledge of God and eternal things. At some time in their life, everyone knows. They know there is a God and they know there is another existence besides this sinful world full of injustice where everything is turned backwards. Everyone is faced with the choice that Joseph’s children had to make. Who am I? Among what people do I belong? Who will I identify myself with? <br />
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Will you become one of God’s children or will you stay in Egypt? Most people have already made their choice, but as of right now it is still not too late to change your mind. Jesus has still not come for his church and you are still breathing God’s air. You can still be born into God’s family and leave with them when they leave this world for the land of promise. You can be sure that Joseph’s descendants were not sorry for the choice they made when they finally arrived in the promised land.<br />
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<i>So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. <b>Josh. 16:4</b></i><br />
<br />
Mike Miller<br />
January 3, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-40569830600511964162011-12-27T16:54:00.000-06:002011-12-27T16:54:47.449-06:00So You Are Mad at God?He did not give you what you wanted, or maybe you are blaming him for taking away something or someone that was dear to your heart. Maybe you have a burden to carry in life that you think is just not fair and you blame God for not treating you right. You prayed and He did not answer your prayer the way you expected or the way you wanted him to. You see others around you that seem far less worthy and yet they seem to prosper and be blessed and spared the painful trials that are your lot in life.<br />
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Without a doubt there are a lot of people who can see themselves in the words above. If you are angry with God chances are you are doing wrong things in your life to get even with him. If you aren’t doing that yet, you will. The first thing to consider is that you are going to lose this fight. You may treat your parents this way, or your wife or husband this way, and get away with it, but you will not treat God this way without suffering the consequences. He is God – not just another person! God is the One who is just and you are being unjust by being angry with him.<br />
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The basic problem here is that you have decided God is not fair. You have decided what is just and unjust based on your own personal desires and opinions, and then you have laid your homemade measure up to God. You have condemned yourself by doing this, because Jesus said: <span style="color: red;">“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”</span> (Mat 7:2) You will be judged by the same measure with which you judge others – including God. You have judged God according to your idea of justice and so you will have to measure up to the same standard.<br />
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Apparently, your idea of justice is that God should do exactly as you please. If He denies you what you want from him then He has not treated you fairly. So here is a question for you: How have you treated God? Have you done exactly as He wanted you to since the day you were born? If you are honest you must admit that you have denied God most of what He has asked of you. In fact, if you are honest at all you will have to acknowledge that you have hurt God and wronged him more times than anyone can count. How did God react when you treated him wrong? Did He react to you the way you are reacting to what you think are His wrongs? Absolutely not! We all know that God forgives! He is not only willing to forgive, but He came to earth and put himself in a body of flesh like ours and allowed himself to be beaten, spit upon, and put to death for the wrongs you have done to him. And you can’t allow him any space? There is no room in your heart to forgive him for the perceived wrong that you think He has dealt to you? Because you cannot have things your way you are going to abandon God forever, defile your body, pollute your mind, and wreck your home to get even with him? What kind of a wretched creature would do that? If you demand your kind of justice then you will be judged by your kind of justice. But it is far better to base your relationship with God on mercy and forgiveness because it works both ways.<br />
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And here’s the truth of the matter: God has never done anyone wrong! The injustices, the evil, the bad things that happen in this world are the result of sin – NOT a loving God! It was BECAUSE of all this injustice and misery God was made flesh, suffered, and died. God isn’t about sending trouble to make you miserable, He is about delivering you from trouble if you will turn to him and trust him. Remember, He is the Savior! You have not suffered the injustice or the pain He suffered! <br />
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Another thing you must consider is the fact that God knows more than we do. We only see the present and we are blinded by the circumstances, but God sees past all that and has a plan to do something wonderful with you through your trouble. He does make all things work together for good to them that love God. By being angry with God and rebelling against him you are wrecking the plan of God and making the world a more miserable place. <br />
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The thing that has made you angry with God is not anything that others haven’t suffered also. All our trials are “common to man.” You are just so full of self-pity and plain-old selfishness that you think you have had to endure something beyond what any other human has ever had to suffer. I wonder what your trial would look like if it were laid alongside some of the trials others have had to endure through the ages? Many have been burned at the stake, or had their children tortured and killed in front of their eyes. Others have lost everything simply because they refused to deny the Christ that redeemed their soul. There is no cruelty, or hardship, or tragedy that has not been done to the people of God through the ages. But you have been wronged so much more than they and therefore you have a right to be mad at God. I’m telling you that you will want to find a place to crawl and hide yourself when we all stand before God. Your trial may be hard and your burden may be heavy, but chances are you are rubbing shoulders with people who are carrying heavier burdens and have endured harder trials that you know nothing about. The hardest trials are those that are endured in secret without the comfort of the prayers and sympathy of others. <br />
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Those who are truly right with God will love him with all their heart. If a person truly has a relationship of love with God they will not be able to walk out on him like you are doing. When you love someone and your lives are all tied up together you will find a way to forgive any wrong, or perceived wrong because you cannot face life without them. If you truly love God you would be willing to forgive him even if He did do you wrong. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” It is unjust for you to expect God to forgive you while you refuse Him any grace or mercy at all.<br />
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So are you going to throw your life away because you are mad at God? While you are doing that you are going to be throwing away your children’s lives also. Remember that! Add to that list your spouse and your parents and anyone else who has looked to you as an example. But that is all OK, isn’t it, because everyone else needs to suffer because you didn’t get your perfect wish?<br />
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Of all the beings in the universe, God is the last One anyone has a right to be angry with. He is the only One that is completely just and right. He is the ONLY One that can be trusted completely. For blind, sinful creatures such as we to charge God with injustice is certainly one of the most abominable things a human can do. <br />
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If this little article has described you then you must turn from this evil now. You will see, as multitudes have seen through the ages, that God IS faithful. You just haven’t waited long enough to see what He has in mind. Trust Him! Whatever it is that you are angry with God about is now a part of your life – with God or without Him. If it is that great a burden it will be much easier to bear with God’s help and grace. You need Him, and He will be there for you if you will let him. And one more thing you must know: God will not hold a grudge. He will forgive you of this wicked thing if you will come to Him in repentance and faith. He desires reconciliation because He loves you and He wants you in spite of how you feel about Him right now. Wouldn’t it be better to find the sweetness that the person who wrote the words below found in their trial than to continue in the bitterness that is eating your soul right now? <br />
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<em>He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,</em><br />
<em>He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;</em><br />
<em>To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,</em><br />
<em>To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.</em><br />
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<em>His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,</em><br />
<em>His power no boundary known unto men;</em><br />
<em>For out of His infinite riches in Jesus</em><br />
<em>He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.</em><br />
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Why don’t you turn back to God and trade your misery for joy and peace?<br />
<br />
Mike Miller<br />
Monday, June 15, 2009<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.straightpathsbiblechurch.com/" target="_blank">Straight Paths Bible Church</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0Ellsinore, MO 63937, USA36.9301095 -90.77229740000001436.848935 -90.945349900000011 37.011284 -90.599244900000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-23743789229673242372011-12-26T15:36:00.004-06:002011-12-26T16:57:19.783-06:00True and False Manliness<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>My wife gave me a book for Christmas that I have been wanting to get. It is "The Book of Man" by William J. Bennett. He is the man who published "The Book of Virtues" several years ago. This book is a collection of writings through the ages by all different kinds of people on the subject of manhood. This is an excellent article from that book that I think is worth sharing. It is something that is desperately needed by our young people who are rearing children in these confusing times. Please take the time to read it. You will be glad you did. Share it with someone else that it might help. Thanks for being here. - Bro. Mike</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>James Freeman Clarke was a nineteenth-century American preacher and author. He was a staunch abolitionist and fought against many of the social problems of his day. Back then too, boys had difficulty understanding manliness, so Clarke thought it expedient to describe his view of proper and improper manliness. This excellent essay clearly demarcates true manliness from false manliness.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Manliness means perfect manhood, as womanliness implies perfect womanhood. Manliness is the character of a man as he ought to be, as he was meant to be. It expresses the qualities which go to make a perfect man, - truth, courage, conscience, freedom, energy, self-possession, self-control. But it does not exclude gentleness, tenderness, compassion, modesty. A man is not less manly, but more so, because he is gentle. In fact, our word "gentleman" shows that a typical man must also be a gentle man.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">By manly qualities the world is carried forward. The manly spirit shows itself in enterprise, the love of meeting difficulties and overcoming them, - the resolution which will not yield, which patiently perseveres, and does not admit the possibility of defeat. It enjoys hard toil, rejoices in stern labor, is ready to make sacrifice, to suffer and bear disaster patiently. It is generous, giving itself to a good cause not its own; it is public-spirited, devoting itself to the general good with no expectation of reward. It is ready to defend unpopular truth, to stand by those who are wronged, to uphold the weak. Having resolved, it does not go back, but holds on, through good report and evil, sure that the right must win at last. And so it causes truth to prevail, and keeps up the standard of a noble purpose in the world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But as most good things have their counterfeits, so there is false manliness which imitates these great qualities, though at heart it is without them. Instead of strength of will, it is only willful; in place of courage, it has audacity. True manliness does what it believes right; false manliness, does what it chooses to do. Freedom, to one, means following his own convictions of truth; to the other it means thinking as he pleases, and doing as he likes. The one is reverent, the other rude; one is courteous, the other overbearing; one is brave, the other foolhardy; one is modest, the other self-asserting. False manliness is cynical, contemptuous, and tyrannical to inferiors. The true man has respect for all men, is tender to the sufferer, is modest and kind. The good type uses its strength to maintain good customs, to improve the social condition, to defend order. The other imagines it to be manly to defy law, to be independent of the opinions of the wise, to sneer at moral obligation, to consider itself superior to established principles of mankind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A false notion of manliness leads boys astray. All boys wish to be manly; but they often try to become so by copying the vices of men rather than their virtues. They see men drinking, smoking, swearing; so these poor little fellows sedulously imitate such bad habits, thinking they are making themselves more like men. They mistake rudeness for strength, disrespect to parents for independence. They read wretched stories about boy brigands and boy detectives, and fancy themselves heroes when they break the laws, and become troublesome and mischievous. Out of such false influences the criminal classes are recruited. Many a little boy who only wishes to be manly, becomes corrupted and debased by the bad apples around him and the bad literature which he reads. The cure for this is to give him good books that show him truly noble examples from life and history, and make him understand how infinitely above this mock-manliness is the true courage which ennobles human nature.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a recent awful disaster, amid the blackness and darkness and tempest, the implacable sea and the pitiless storm,-when men's hearts were failing them from terror, and women and children had no support but faith in a Divine Providence and a coming immortality,-the dreadful scene was illuminated by the courage and manly devotion of those who risked their own lives to save the lives of others. Such heroism is like a sunbeam breaking through the tempest. It shows us the real worth there is in man. No matter how selfish mankind may seem, whenever hours like these come, which try men's souls, they show that the age of chivalry has not gone; that though "The knights are dust, and their good swords rust," there are as high-hearted heroes now as ever. Firemen rush into a flaming house to save women and children. Sailors take their lives in their hands to rescue their fellow-men from a wreck. They save them at this great risk, not because they are friends or relatives, but because they are fellow-men.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Courage is an element of manliness. It is more than readiness to encounter danger and death, for we are not often called to meet such perils. It is every-day courage which is most needed,-that which shrinks from no duty because it is difficult; which makes one ready to say what he believes, when his opinions are unpopular; which does not allow him to postpone a duty, but makes him ready to encounter it at once; a courage which is not afraid of ridicule when one believes himself right; which not the slave of custom, the fool of fashion. Such courage as this, in man or woman or child, is true manliness. It is infinitely becoming in all persons. It does not seek display, it is often the courage of silence no less than speech; it is modest courage, unpretending though resolute. It holds fast to its convictions and principles, whether men hear or whether they forbear.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">True manliness differs also from the false in its attitude to woman. Its knightly feeling makes it wish to defend her rights, to maintain her claims, to be her protector and advocate. False manliness wishes to show its superiority by treating women as inferiors. It flatters them, but it does not respect them. It fears their competition on equal levels, and wishes to keep them confined, not within walls, as in the Mohammedan regions, but behind the more subtle barriers of opinion, prejudice, and supposed feminine aptitudes. True manliness holds out the hand to woman, and says, "Do whatever you are able to do; whatever God meant you to do. Neither you nor I can tell what that is till all artificial barriers are removed, and you have full opportunity to try." Manly strength respects womanly purity, sympathy, and grace of heart. And this is the real chivalry of the present hour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Please visit our church website at <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/">http://www.spbiblechurch.com/</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email me</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-75215394071059849092011-12-22T23:12:00.002-06:002011-12-22T23:16:39.295-06:00Contemporary or Eternal?<em>As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: <b>Luke 1:70</b><br />
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Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. <b>Acts 3:21</b></em><br />
<em><br />
</em>There is a common thread throughout the Bible that is commonly overlooked. Whenever there is an important event in the interaction between God and man there is always someone who stands and rehearses the entire history of God’s dealings with man from the beginning. They take the present circumstances or happenings and eloquently and powerfully place them in the context of the whole scheme of God’s plan of redemption for mankind. Countless times the history of Israel was rehearsed before the children of Israel in the desert, and after they possessed the promised land. Then throughout all the cycles of revival and apostasy during the judges and kings of Israel and Judah, at every critical juncture there was always a prophet who would stand and present the history of God’s dealings and God’s promises and charge them to turn from their waywardness and get back in accord with God’s plan. In times of revival the same thing would happen to encourage the people to stay true to God and his Word and his ways. We come to the New Testament and we find in the first chapter of Luke the same thing when Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost and was prophesying of John and of Christ. He saw what was happening in the context of God’s whole plan since the beginning of time. Peter did the same thing on the day of Pentecost when he preached to the multitudes. Stephen did exactly the same thing when he preached that day before he was stoned to death. Paul also followed the same pattern when he preached, not only on Mars Hill, but on other occasions as well. On the road to Emmaus that day Jesus "…beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." He went to the beginning and rehearsed it all again for them in order to put the present happenings in the context of God’s whole scheme, and to make them understand. <br />
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It works. This is the way we really get understanding. This is a very important thing for us to get our minds around and apply to our own lives. Does your faith fit into God’s whole scheme of things? Do you know where you came from, where you are now, and where you are going? Is the faith you have really a part of what has been going on since the beginning of time? Would you feel a kindred spirit with Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, and others? Or would you soon find yourself in some sort of conflict with them?<br />
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It appears that there is a lot of religion that is just contemporary. It is isolated from the past, not very concerned with the future, and focused almost entirely on the present. This is contemporary Christianity and it is not the "faith once delivered to the saints." There is "one faith, one Lord, and one baptism." God has one plan for all of mankind. It is the same for all cultures, races, nationalities, and tongues. We are told that the great multitude in heaven will be made up of all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, and people. They were all part of the same work and plan of God. So the modern reasoning for adopting contemporary music and methods is invalid. What God has been doing since the beginning works across all boundaries of culture, race, language, and nationality. We are not to modify the message or the methods of God in order to get people to become Christians. The message of God changes people, and the method God has chosen is the preaching of the Word of God. We must be a part of what God is doing. If our faith is focused primarily on our present needs, problems, or even our present victories and successes, it is not the kind of faith we need. Faith that must accommodate changing fads, changing morals, and other opinions is not even close to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Saving faith embraces all God has done since the beginning and all that He will do in the future. Saving faith sees itself in that context, and not simply the present.<br />
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Seeing yourself as part of the family of God from the beginning to the end will carry you through some impossibly difficult things. It enlarges your vision and your understanding, and strengthens your soul and your faith in God. So few of us have the opportunity to be around strong and salty Christians who are firmly established and who inspire others to attempt great things for God. Weakness and instability are by far the more common example that most people have before them. With our view enlarged we can look to Abraham, Moses, David, all the prophets, Jesus himself, the Apostles, and all those who have also been a part of the kingdom of God through all the centuries. Many Christians today have to survive spiritually without much help from their local church or fellow Christians. But even those in the worst situations can encourage themselves in the Lord by seeing themselves as part of a much bigger scheme of things than their present circumstances. <br />
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So, like anyone who is sailing on a long journey, let us all stop often and take our bearings by looking back and then forward in God’s great plan, and realize that we are part of it.<br />
<br />
Mike Miller<br />
December 22, 2011<br />
Visit our church website at <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/">http://www.spbiblechurch.com/</a><br />
<a href="mailto:bromike3@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6578858724360167022.post-37560824191987704452011-12-12T18:14:00.002-06:002011-12-12T18:21:13.634-06:00It Is Not How Much You Give But How Much You Keep<i><span style="font-size: medium;">And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12:42-44</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
It isn’t how much you give that counts – it is how much you keep. Nothing tells more about you than what you keep. Many look upon tithing as being a real sacrifice. Giving God 10 percent is something only the most sanctified people do! Look at it this way: you sit down with your money and you start two piles – one for God and one for you. You put one in God’s pile and 9 in yours. “Then one more for God and nine more for me.” When you think of it like that it makes us look very selfish, doesn't it? Not exactly the kind of neighbor everyone would love to have! <br />
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The rich may give a lot, but in God’s eyes it isn’t as much as the little that is given ...when it is all that you have. Nothing pleases God more than when you give Him your ALL. The person who does this is saying with their actions that they believe God’s cause to be much more important than their own. They are saying that they trust God to be generous with them and take care of them. After all, He said He would, didn’t He? They are proving that their heart loves God more than their “stuff” or their riches. No wonder God is pleased! It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. The issue is, does God have it all? How tightly are you holding on to what is yours? <br />
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It is not only our increase that is at issue here. God states clearly in the Bible that He wants our heart. He wants our life, energy, and strength to be spent in reaching others and being the light of the world. How much of your heart does He have? How much have you kept for yourself? Have you really given him ALL that you have? Are you really willing to do whatever God asks you to do? Go wherever He might ask you to go? How deep are your tent pegs driven?<br />
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God is good to us in all things, and in this matter He is good, also. You must admit that God is good NOT to require a certain amount from us. He doesn’t require a certain amount of money or a certain amount of ability or achievement. That would exclude most people from the blessings of God. He simply asks us to do what we can, and we all can do that. Trust Him enough to give Him ALL that we have – that’s all! “She hath done what she could,” Jesus said of the woman who broke the alabaster box of very precious ointment and anointed him with it. It wasn’t the cost of the ointment, but the fact that she did what she could. Notice the “ALLS” in the greatest and first commandment, according to Jesus:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: medium;">And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind, and with ALL thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">What God expects of us is very clear and yet almost everyone thinks that token offerings and service is good enough to please God. Just barely show up for church two or three times a month. Just drop your dollar bill in the offering plate when it passes and you’ve done enough to keep God appeased for a while. Everyone reads the story of the poor widow’s mite and they condemn the rich man in their heart and praise the widow, but they are in fact just like the rich man themselves. They only give to God out of their abundance. They only give Him token service and offerings and keep all the rest for themselves. <br />
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What about you? How much of your time do you spend for God and his cause, and how much do you spend taking care of your own cares? How much of your thought is given to the things of God, and how much do you spend thinking about your own causes, problems, and pleasures? How much of your money goes to God’s work and to help others, and then how much do you spend on yourself and your own desires? You might look pretty good if you compare yourself with other people, but that is not the measure God uses.<br />
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Skeptics scoff at the idea of giving all you have to God. They have said that such people are “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.” Giving your all to God doesn’t mean that you totally abandon the things that pertain to this life. We must live in this world and take care of our business, but our instructions are clear:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: medium;">But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">So go ahead and just cast it ALL in. Don’t give God only token service and offerings. You can trust Him with your all and you can count on the fact that He will take care of you when you do.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Mike Miller</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">December 12, 2011</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Visit our church website at <a href="http://www.spbiblechurch.com/">http://www.spbiblechurch.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="mailto:bromike50@straightpathsbiblechurch.com" target="_blank">Email Me</a></span></span> <i><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147285001878314849noreply@blogger.com1