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Tag: job

Job is first of the books of wisdom in the Bible and thought to be the oldest text included in the Bible.

  • in the time of old age

    in the time of old age

    Funerals and Feasts

    It seems that Providence has brought me to more funerals than feasts lately. We thank God for those wedding feasts and monthly social gatherings of friends. Births of children and grandchildren bring great joy to the hearts of the living and memories of our aging generation.

    But now that I have surpassed three score years and ten Solomon’s reminder returns my thoughts near to home more often.

    Better to go to a house of mourning
    Than to go to a house of feasting
    Because that is the end of all mankind,

    And the living puts this in his heart.

    Ecclesiastes 7:2 Legacy Standard Bible

    Heaven and earth – Glory and dust

    earth rise from Apollo
    In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth

    The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

    Psalm: 19:1 לַמְנַצֵּחַ מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד׃ (WLC 19:2) הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד־אֵל וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו מַגִּיד הָרָקִיעַ׃

    Consider both the mourner and the reveler: they are without excuse in acknowledging that their flesh will wither and fail. All men and all women will bow down to our Maker, even those who fail to repent in dust and ashes during our brief days of glory.

    תְהִלִּים (Psalm) 71

    We are about to sing a Psalm – a plea to Almighty God:

    O God, Do Not Forsake Me

    Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come;

    You have given the command to save me,

    For You are my rock and my fortress.

    .. For You are my hope;

    O Lord Yahweh, You are my trust from my youth..

    My mouth is filled with Your praise
    And with Your beauty all day long.

    Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

    Psalm 71:9 Legacy Standard Bible

    O God, do not be far from me;

    O my God, hasten to my help!

    .. O God, You have taught me from my youth,

    And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

    And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,

    Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

    Your might to all who are to come.

    For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,

    You who have done great things;

    O God, who is like You?

    Psalm 71:18-19 LSB

    You, who have shown me many troubles and evils,

    Will revive me again,

    And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

    My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to You;

    And my soul, which You have redeemed.

    My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;

    For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek to do me evil.

    Mourners and Scoffers

    Observe three types of souls destined to live and breathe their last one day:

    • The worshiper of God who lives out their days remembering the blessed ones of God.
    • The scoffer who denies the One God, Creator of all things and Judge of all mankind.
    • The Redeemed in Christ Jesus, the Son of Man, sacrificed for sinners (like us) that those who believe will be granted the resurrection of everlasting life.

    Psalm 71 – Proclaimed as Gospel

    GOOD News: Preached by Charles Spurgeon

    Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), often known today as the Prince of Preachers, began his pastorate at London's New Park Street Church in 1854..

    A strong emphasis in Spurgeon’s preaching was God’s grace and sovereignty over man’s helpless state. He also knew well the terrible joy that comes only through suffering as he lived quite afflicted (both by illness and slander).

    C.H. Spurgeon left this earth for his heavenly hope in 1892.

    BlueLetterBible.org
    Just a few brief points from Spurgeon:
    • “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.” Jehovah deserves our confidence; let him have it all. Every day must we guard against every form of reliance upon an arm of flesh, and hourly hang our faith upon the ever faithful God. Not only on God must we rest, as a man stands on a rock, but in him must we trust, as a man hides in a cave.
    • “Cast me not off in the time of old age.” Old age robs us of personal beauty, and deprives us of strength for active service; but it does not lower us in the love and favour of God.. To be forsaken of God is the worst of all conceivable ills, and if the believer can be but clear of that grievous fear, he is happy: no saintly heart need be under any apprehension upon this point.`

    Spurgeon commentary – Verse 20.

    Here is faith’s inference from the infinite greatness of the Lord. He has been strong to smite; he will be also strong to save.. and though I have been almost dead and buried, he will give me a resurrection, and “bring me up again from the depths of the earth.”

    A Lament of Job

    If a Man Dies, Will He Live Again?

    Job 14 LSB
“Man, who is born of woman,

Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
    Daffodils coming back to life and blooming in early spring

    “Like a flower he comes forth and withers.

    He also flees like a shadow and does not stand.

    Job 14:2
    • “Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
    • Man breathes his last, and where is he?
    • “If a man dies, will he live again?

    These are the QUESTIONS of a righteous man.

    ARE you so right before Almighty GOD – Remembered, REDEEMED or simply a scoffer soon to be JUDGED?

    Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel

    Lent 2024 C.E. #1 in preparation for Easter 
+ To be continued, God-willing

    Talk of JESUS . com

  • An Adjudicator of Grace in Every Era

    An Adjudicator of Grace in Every Era

    What is the first SCRIPTURE that comes to mind when I ask you to tell me about GRACE?

    Go ahead and COMMMENT with the first BIBLE verse YOU recall.

& Tell us what it speaks to YOU that exemplifies GRACE.
    Grace for the Everyday Sinner in 2024 C.E.
    Last time in my initial post of this SERIES I introduced GRACE linked to its root words of both the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS of the Holy Bible.

    Since only 15 of the 132 verses naming Grace occur in the Old Testament chances are that the first Bible verse you might SHARE about GRACE will come from the NEW TESTAMENT.

    New Covenant GRACE

    DYK that “Testament” διαθήκη – diatheke is the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning a “covenant” or agreement?

    Was the grace of God different in the OLD TESTAMENT?

    Has the grace of God changed in the Common Era of our post-Christian correctness?

    You may as well offer your comments on those two questions as well.

    But before I take on any contemporary question of grace in the Common Era let’s take a look back to one of the oldest illustrations of the Old Testament.

    Old Covenant GRACE

    JOB – a man blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil

    map of ancient middle east with Uz Canaan & more creative commons license via openbible.org map project

    There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job..

    map source: BibleAtlas.org

    Click here to learn more about Job from previous posts and resources.

    (I encourage you to ask questions and share comments on these posts as well. – RH)

    A man there hath been in the land of Uz — Job his name — and that man hath been perfect and upright — both fearing God, and turning aside from evil.

    Job 1:1 Youngs Literal Translation

    PERFECT, UPRIGHT AND BLAMELESS?

    That could NOT have been this fallen sinner of the Common Era?

    WHAT ABOUT YOU?

    Job was a penultimate Old Testament example of a righteous man as GOD requires of those who worship Him.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    IF any man deserved GRACE it certainly would have been Job.

    Yet Satan is as involved in this unseen story of a mere man as he was in the events of Eden. 

    Some Christians will no more consider the impact of unseen evil in our daily lives than did Job's friends and speculative advisors. 

But other than your QUESTION about this post that would be a discussion for another day.)

    Have YOU ever heard OR given such ill-conceived advice as Job’s advisors?

    Men and women typically try to conceive answers concerning God’s providence with little consideration or understanding of God’s redeeming grace.

    Friendly Unhelpful Observations

    “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright wiped out? – Job 4:4

    In an earthly sense, is this not an everyday occurrence in every era?

    Job answers:

    “For the despairing man lovingkindness should be from his friend;
    But he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

    Job 6:14 LSB

    Lovingkindness received from a friend is surly the fruit of grace. But Job does not receive it here.

    (Yet do the so-called good men and women have their rewards in this brief life?)

    If you would seek God earnestly
    And plead for the grace of the Almighty,
    If you are pure and upright,
    Indeed now He would rouse Himself for you
    And make your righteous abode at peace.
    Though your beginning was insignificant,
    Yet your end will increase greatly.

    Job 8:5-7 LSB (ill-conceived advice of a friend and advisor to Job)

    Ah! — Here Job’s smiling friend offers him a cheap grace of the Almighty bringing His power into his friend’s life NOW!

    Job’s best Life could be filled with blessings before his end in death (never mentioned).

    Is GRACE simply an increase of life’s everyday blessings?

    Job Replies There Is No Adjudicator

    Picture now a scene in the Heavenly Court of the Old Testament BEFORE God’s revelation of a perfect Priest and Mediator of Christ the only Son of a better Sacrifice for man’s sin.

    JOB ASKS THE ENDURING QUESTION OF EVERY AGE:

    But how can a man be in the right before God?

    Job 9:2b LSB

    If one desired to contend with Him,
    He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

    Wise in heart and mighty in power,
    Who has stiffened his neck against Him and been at peace?

    Where do YOU stand before God 

    Job continues his hopeless defense (without the Perfect Powerful Advocate pleading his case for him:

    the One who removes the mountains.. who shakes the earth.. out of its place..


    Who alone stretches out the heavens,
    And tramples down the waves of the sea..

    10 Who does great things, unsearchable,
    And wondrous works, innumerable.


    11 Were He to sweep by me, I would not see Him;
    Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.
    12 Were He to snatch away, who could turn Him back?
    Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

    After Job's irrefutable argument worthy of any courtroom case he then makes an astounding statement concerning GRACE before the One Lord God.

    “For though I were right,
    I could not answer [plead my case];
    I would have to plead for the grace of my judge.

    Job 9:15 LSB
    I would make supplication to my judge. - KJV

    I would beg mercy of my Judge. – NKJV

    Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
    I could only plead for mercy.     – says the New Living Translation of Job’s silent plea.

    “I must appeal for mercy to my accuser and judge” suggests Job.

    The MERCY of the LORD relates to HIS graciousness rather than OUR righteousness.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    A blessing of Numbers 6 guides our prayer and plea

    6:25 יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ׃ ס

    the LORD bless you and keep you.. AND be gracious to you - a highest grace of God

    The Adjudicator of Grace, Mercy and Peace

    Many would attempt to plead their own case before the Judge!

    I would — possibly even as I accuse every accuser who has brought me before the Authority to determine MY GUILT and PUNISH MY SIN.

    Of course ALL of us tend to demand JUSTICE for all, i.e. ‘everybody else’, even while covering every personal trespass against others and expecting MERCY in the disposition of our own case.

    Even in a Court of Law in a great America of the past …

    He who represents himself has a fool for a client - Abraham Lincoln

    Job, A RIGHTEOUS MAN (which NONE OF US are), presents a stellar defense before God, the Father of all mercies.

    HOWEVER first, the JUDGE of all men has something to say to the accused who had asked to represent himself before God.

    Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

    “Who is this that darkens counsel
    By words without knowledge?

    Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you make Me know!

    Job 38:1-3 LSB

    After a lengthy introduction to JUSTICE by the JUDGE OF ALL MEN Job will relent in his plea with an appropriate answer.

    “WHO NEEDS GRACE?”

    The simple answer to our own case in every instance is that WE ALL NEED Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace.

    The legal question before the Heavenly Seat of Judgment is:

    WHO can represent a SINNER so that I might receive MERCY and GRACE?

    Then Yahweh answered Job and said,

    2 “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
    Let him who reproves God answer it.”

    Job recognizes the flaw in attempting to be his own counsel.

    Then Job answered Yahweh and said,

    “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I respond to You?

    I place my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”

    Job 40:3-5 LSB

    JOB, A RIGHTEOUS MAN, has a dilemma and can only keep silent before his Judge.

    In fact, Job has no Advocate and therefore must rely on any undeserved mercy from God the Father of all mankind before Whom he stands guilty.

    Is Job’s judicial dilemma common to YOU — even in this 21st century — post-Christian –Common Era?

    NEXT:

    God-willing, we will defer to our only Mediator and Advocate

    “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,

    And my advocate is on high.

    Job 16:19 LSB
  • Everythingology for an all-inclusive church

    Everythingology for an all-inclusive church

    When did astrology become astronomy and science become ‘everythingology?’

    Each time adam sought to explain life separate of the glory of God and science dismissed the study of God.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

    Let’s study it:

    The SCIENCE of false premise

    Last time I asked you, (my fellow ‘Christian’ with little interest in ‘theology‘):

    Did God really say, Church?
    Does the person asking you about “Church“ really want to know what God said?

    AND

    I warned that not only is it unlikely any man or woman will ask you about your church, but that their least likely question to you will be about THE LORD GOD.

    IF & WHEN, however, you happen to identify someone telling you about their science and religion of atheism

    AND they want to prove to you WHY GOD is not,

    Recognize that the enemy of Truth cannot prove anything from every false premise.

    Take any observation of mankind:

    Scientific discoveries and claims as everythingology {explored and defined)

    James Webb Space Telescope Science
    The James Webb Space Telescope will be a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. JWST will examine every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. The science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes:

    The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization – JWST will be a powerful time machine with infrared vision that will peer back over 13.5 billion years to see the first stars and galaxies forming out of the darkness of the early universe.

    Even the atheist must confess that they do not have the answer to WHY?

    i.e. WHY the Big Bang?

    (It is a theory with speculative premise, right?)

    (explain please in your COMMENT to this post about ‘everythingology‘)

    SO WHY does the ATHEIST persist in asking the CHRISTIAN, “Why?”

    THEY would bring believers down to the despair of THEIR own depths.

    Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

Psalm 49:14-15 ESV

    Science-onomy & Science-ology

    At best, it’s speculative entertainment of an evolved brain of an ape, calculating how train B left the primordial station at the beginning of the line without a builder of its hypersonic engine, to arrive at their earth just in time for them to teach it as ‘proven science.’

    WHY so much ‘SCIENCE’ built on FALSE PREMISE?

    • Is their premise a veiled dismissal of God
      • (Most likely.)
    • and does their ‘SCIENCE‘ disprove God’s Word?
      • (The goal of their questions)

    Certainly NOT!

    There is NO CONCLUSION for the a-theist,

    because they understand that their END will be ashes and dust..

    But then, the JUDGEMENT!

    And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

    Psalm 9:8 [Lexicon :: Strong’s H1777 – dîn – to judge, contend, plead]
    1. Because the A-theist stands against the Lord God, THEY must continually QUESTION GOD: i.e. “Did God really say..?”
    2. THEN (like Satan) an A-theist must reconstruct TRUTH
    3. into a PROOF of Another-truth, built on a FALSE PREMISE.
      1. Some claim their Alternative-truth as proven ‘science.’
      2. Others claim their Alternative-truth as speculative ‘history.’
      3. Still others claim their Alternative-truths as SCIENCE-ONOMY (with any number of familiar names).

    What can we know with certainty?

    WHEN SCIENCE side-steps LOGIC by tiptoeing around TRUTH, it becomes religion – the A-theist’s doctrine of the distrust of Almighty God, built on inconclusive false premises leading to NO conclusion.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.COM
    • What can we know about sociology or psychology with absolute certainty?
    • What can we know about ecology or cosmology with absolute certainty?
      • Was a scientist nearby to record the age of the universe?
        • Could our mathematical (algebraical) calculations of the numerous variable unknowns of scientific presuppositions of geology and archeology be wrong (inconclusive)?
    • How did the archeologist measure rock formed before carbon?
    • Did some astronomer set out his telescope and tape to measure the light of Creation?
      • Were ‘light-years’ recorded with white light, curved light, ultraviolet light, x-ray, blacklight or with a nuclear flash?
      • Could Almighty God cause light to travel a varying speeds through some parts of space?

    Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

    “Who is this who darkens the divine plan

    By words without knowledge?

    “Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man [for battle],
    And I shall ask you, and you inform Me!

    “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell Me, if you have understanding,

    “Who set its measurements? Since you know.
    Or who stretched the measuring line over it?

    Job 38:1-5 NASB20

    Science-onomy

    Origin & history
    From Ancient Greek νόμος (“law, custom”).
    Suffix
    -nomy
    a system of rules, laws, or knowledge about a body of a particular field; distribution, arrangement, management
    Derived words & phrases
    astronomy
    Deuteronomy

    “-onomy” – WordSense Online Dictionary (15th July, 2022) URL: https://www.wordsense.eu/-onomy/

    Is ALL Law perfect? & do ALL Customs establish FACT?

    Science-ology

    ology (English)

    Origin & history
    From the suffix -ology in the names of many sciences

    Suffix
    -ology
    1. Alternative form of –logy, used for phonological reasons when the preceding morpheme ends in certain consonant sounds.

    2. (often, humorous) added to an ordinary English word to create a name for a (possibly non-existent) field of study.

    -ology – branch of learning

    “definition 2 of -ology best describes “everythingology“

    Everythingology –

    Everythingology – definition:

    1. Endless study of everything;

    2. Theoretical theology of humanity as god.

    TalkofJESUS.com

    History & Evolution of the SCIENCE of Everythingology

    Compare to: Ancient Aliens (source: History Channel)

    Proponents of hell’s Devils [PhD’s] esteemed by the Universities of Everythinology preach from their pulpits of MULTIPLE TRUTHS with theoretical atheistic clubs of pointed QUESTIONS seeking to validate their rejection of God. These Doctors of Blurred Science matriculated through curricular gauntlets of eminent scholars of philosophy, who grade ALL their best teaching assistants on the curve and fail any logical conspiracy purists who support a single Truth.

    The indisputable EDUCATION of this great Blurred Science continues to evolve toward the perfection of self B.S. demands for our future generations. For example: the evolution of astrology evolves into astronomy — which in turn seeks to gain credibility under the cloak of astrophysics. ALL Science offers numerous examples of this progress away the ignorance of our primordial forebears who fought sabre-tooth and nail for our freedoms and survival.

    ALL PhD’s of U of E speculate WHY by teaching darwinology, as professor progeny of history’s fittest primates, hoping by their unspoken premise to strike a mortal blow to the head of logical truth. Their multiple truths must include EVERY human of any theoretical variant — inclusive of all, that is, EXCEPT a man or a woman insistent on One Way, one Truth and One eternal life lived for One God.

    Everything-ologists are Religious HUMANS

    You will learn SCIENTIFIC teaching [in-doctrine-ation] by HUMANS, cloaked in coats of many truths taught from every scientific discipline; in order that you may apply their theories to humankind, mother earth’s environment and the cosmos for your inner-evolvement of self and the future evolution of SCIENCE into the oneness of HUMANITY.

    Student Manual – Universities of Everythinology

    These humans hold high reverence for philosophy, rather than tolerate a philosophical reverence of Truth.

    By now, you no doubt see through the academic robes of these Everythingologists exposing their humorous backsides by so many QUESTIONS asking WHY about GOD and Christ's Church. Perhaps if they had studied Orwellian theory [i.e. Animal Farm, 1984], they would name their church: "MINISTRY OF TRUTH." 

Perhaps in a not-so-humorous world of 2022 of 'the common era,' we have evolved into U.N. agencies of Everything-isms determined to bring the Church to Megiddo in a battle for Truth.

    REMEMBER: WHO IS ASKING?

    (And WHAT are they subtly teaching?)

    One ‘ology’ always absent in false teaching is “Christology,” the developed doctrine of Christ.

    Christology

    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    Letter of Paul to the Romans 5:8 NASB

    Already by the middle of the first century, the deity of Jesus was part of the faith of the universal church. It cannot and must not be compromised today.

    John Stott – CHRIST the Cornerstone, p.304
    We will hear much more uncompromised Truth from John Stott, Boothe, Murray, Carson, Lloyd-Jones, Bunyan and other Christian theologians as we continue this SERIES addressing the issues of a 21st Century RECALL of the CHURCH.

Grace and peace, in our Lord Christ Jesus.
RH