Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: kings

  • Times of Difficulty – 4

    Times of Difficulty – 4

    Who will you believe?

    “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

    The Lord commissions the prophet Jeremiah, who must warn nations of their sins against God. Like any true prophet, Jeremiah has nothing to gain by the Lord’s choice to make him a messenger. Who will believe the Lord’s message and messenger?

    Jeremiah 1:

    And the Lord said to me,

    “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

    Generations Earlier

    The Lord saved Noah and his family from a great flood.

    Ark Encounter

    Do you suppose Noah’s neighbors had questions of why this crazy old man was building a huge ark? Yet did any return to the Lord rather than embrace their sins?

    Even today man refuses to believe God would condemn the whole earth, saving only a righteous man. We deny judgment, refuse the warnings of the Lord’s true messengers and dismiss scripture.

    In Times Long Ago

    Egyptians worshiped Pharaoh as a god. The Lord worked mighty miracles by the hand of Moses allowing an enslaved Hebrew people to migrate to Canaan. Powerful middle east princes practiced ritual evil worshiping idols which are no god. 

    Why would such self-serving men as Pharaoh or a middle east prince believe that Moses spoke for the Lord? For that matter, why would this self-serving generation believe that the Lord has spoken to any?

    9th c. B.C.

    1 Kings 18:

    21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

    We prefer to worship gods of our making rather than Almighty God. Mortal man revolts against any authority other than our own.

    7th-6th c. B.C.

    Jeremiah 2:

    5 Thus says the Lord:

    “What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
    and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

    6 They did not say,

    ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’

    7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things.

    But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.

    8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

    Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

    The rule of righteousness set by the Lord means nothing to men who define their own sin. False prophets and war-like men lead multitudes to lives of destruction and evil. Is anything new under the sun?

    People will believe or disbelieve whatever they want.

    Jesus Messiah

    1st c. A.D.

    Into an era dominated by Rome, a nominal jewish leadership asks their Messiah Jesus to perform more miracles.

    Show us a sign.

    Did first century jews want to bow down to a king any more than we do? Even if Almighty God appears to us in the flesh, will we believe and obey?

    Instead, the Son of Man warns believers to be on guard.

    Jesus is not a King who would conquer land. Neither is He a conquering mortal prince whose claim of the sword comes from God’s angels.

    Jesus IS! He is a King above all kings, Creator of men from dust. And to dust we will return!

    The Lord commands the sea, sun and stars. He IS Creator of men and women who will return to dust, Creator of these souls which live in the bounds of flesh and will be judged in the court of the Almighty King of all creation.

    God is a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7:11

    Grace for Sinful Man

    The Lord came to man in the flesh and became a willing sacrifice for our sins. In light of the love of God our heavenly Father, in light of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and in light of the eternal life breathed into the dust of your soul by the Holy Spirit; what is your response to these times of difficulty?

    Who do you believe?

    And what must you do in these last days, hastening times which began on a Cross?

    To be continued…

     

  • Times of Difficulty

    Times of Difficulty

    Joel 1:

    Has such a thing happened in your days,
    or in the days of your fathers?

    3 Tell your children of it,
    and let your children tell their children,
    and their children to another generation.

    While disasters loom and chaos rules, talking heads debate over who said what about the rein of evil isolated in time or place.

    I’m outraged!

    (But it's not what you think.)

    One death causes lingering debate, then a couple dozen again across the sea.

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/31/asia/india-child-deaths/index.html
    India – 2 million child deaths/year

    Yet  what of a crisis in a hospital in India where 68 children died   because of a financial dispute over who would pay for oxygen?

    What of 250 dead, lost to floods in Nepal, India and Bangladesh?

    Would a press so entertained over a single firing dare mention 28  deaths from a national election controversy in a poor country like Kenya?

    These acts of violence by evil men of many races and differing religion are not news. Extreme political positions and taunting of opposing opinion are nothing new under the sun.

    Hidden in the headlines of Shiite Islam vs. Sunni Islam in Iraq (along with Syria, another war no one has won) we see starving children, victims of war’s atrocities, malnourished and wounded, gleaning fields for a few bites to eat. Least of all world-wide entertaining news would never herald the passing of 100 souls from hunger each and every hour!

    https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/china-commits-staggering-23-million-abortions-per-year-according-to-us-stat
    China commits ‘staggering’ 23 million abortions per year, according to US State Dept.

    Could self-defining generations of sexually active ‘single’ women ever be chastised for their ‘right’ to end the lives of more than 25 million babies so far this year?!

    [ctt title=”Could the two most populous countries in the world ever be held accountable for all the babies and young children who have died? ” tweet=”https://ctt.ec/j1nfg+” coverup=”j1nfg”]

    When will the LORD finally say, enough is enough?

    Genesis 6:

    5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

    Exodus 12:29

    At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.

    The Lord intervenes

    You may not have read from scripture of the great power of the Lord, though you witness the magnificence of His Almighty hand every day. Recall (or read for the first time) how a prayer reached the hearing of the Lord and the Lord saved Israel.

    2 Kings 19:

    5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me…

    15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said:

    [ctt title=”“O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.” tweet=”“Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel! 2Kings19:” coverup=”iFGf9″]

    16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

    35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians.

    And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.

    Judgment of the Lord

    Not so remarkable that the Lord of all the heavens and earth, the Lord who makes the sun and moon and stars to move; not so awesome that 185,000 men or all the first born of Egypt should unexpectedly be struck down.

    Have you heard of the Lord’s covenant to never destroy all mankind by flood? Do you believe that? You who cannot gaze upon the brilliance of the sun the Lord has placed in the heavens, uncover your ears to hear his warnings to repent!

    His patience withholds fire and brimstone from the destruction of evil, yet their judgment will come. In the Person of Christ Jesus the Lord has come to man and He will return.

    Cover your eyes and open your heart. Look only to Jesus and no false man, dead or in power, mortals who cannot save your eternal soul.

    Joel 1:

    15 Alas for the day!
    For the day of the Lord is near,
    and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

    Joel 2:

    Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
    2 a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!

    Return to the Lord

    12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
        “return to me with all your heart,
    with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
    13     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
    Return to the Lord your God,
        for he is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
        and he relents over disaster.

    The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

    28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
        that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
    your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
        your old men shall dream dreams,
        and your young men shall see visions.
    29 Even on the male and female servants
        in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

    30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 

    The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

    32 [ctt title=”And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ” tweet=”Christ Jesus is Lord! A new heavens and a new earth await the Lord’s return.” coverup=”W2wAz”]

    To be continued…

     

  • A Word to the Cunning – 2

    Cunning Defined

    NOUN

    1[MASS NOUN] Skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit.

    Thesaurus:

    [Nouns] cunning, craft; cunningness, craftiness; subtlety, artificiality; maneuvering; temporization; circumvention.
    chicane, chicanery; sharp practice, knavery, jugglery; concealment [more]; guile, doubling, duplicity (falsehood) [more]; foul play.
    diplomacy, politics; Machiavelism; jobbery, backstairs influence.
    art, artifice; device, machination; plot (plan) [more]; maneuver, stratagem, dodge, artful dodge, wile; trick, trickery (deception) [more]; ruse, ruse de guerre; finesse, side blow, thin end of the wedge, shift, go by, subterfuge, evasion; white lie (untruth) [more]; juggle, tour de force; tricks of the trade, tricks upon travelers; espieglerie; net, trap [more].
    Ulysses, Machiavel, sly boots, sly dog, fox, reynard; dodger, Artful Dodger [Dickens], smooth operator, sweet talker; Yankee; intriguer, intrigant; spin doctor, schemer [more].

    Cunning in Scripture

    You will be hard-pressed to find cunning as an adjective, verb or even a noun (such as the synonyms above), but the Bible puts forth many examples of cunning described by other more familiar words.

    Let me ask you this: look at the list above and what comes to mind? Do you see a face of someone in the news or a cunning person in your workplace? Perhaps you imagine the cunning cohort in politics who would just as soon stab someone in the back as tell the truth to the people.

    Sometimes cunning in the Bible is used to describe a specialized understanding of craftsmanship. After all, who today understands the complexity of the US elections or the craft of passing legislation no one understands? We look to the cunning businessman or woman of the world with both envy and disdain. How could they have become so cunning as to achieve their high success? What lies have they sold to millions who will elect them?

    The Hebrew word for cunning may be somewhat familiar, for it has many contexts.

    יָדַע yâdaʻ

    We find it from near the beginning: to know, learn to know, to perceive, to perceive and see, find out and discern,
    to discriminate, distinguish 2.

    The pivotal questions are: Who is the source of the knowledge? Is their word true or a well-crafted lie?

    “Consider the source’ was once a common-sense evaluation now given up to a retractable headline truism.

    Genesis 3:5-6

    For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

    • What is the source?

    You will find the cunning one in verse 1:

    Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

    Satan is darkness in the guise of light. The serpent seems to be for us, even an advocate for us against God. He fits as needed all the descriptions of cunning or crafty: subtle, shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible, prudent…

    ‘Did God actually say…?” Satan asks us time and time again?

    • Is the word truth or a well-crafted lie?

    For God knows that when you eat of it… you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw … that the tree was to be desired to make one wise…

    The command is questioned. Truth is suppressed and twisted into untruth. So how like God do you feel now? Is our knowledge of good and evil the answer to our eternal life? For satan claimed: ‘But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”‘ – Gen 3:4

    The question of proverbial wisdom is appropriately about the source:

    • Is it from God?
    • Is this Truth?
    • Or has Satan twisted fact into lies that may seem like truth?

    Proverbs include warnings of the cunning

    Solomon reminds us here of God as the source of truth.

    Proverbs 2:

    6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
        from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
    7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
        he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
    8 guarding the paths of justice
        and watching over the way of his saints.

    …

    11 discretion will watch over you,
        understanding will guard you,
    12 delivering you from the way of evil,
        from men of perverted speech,
    13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
        to walk in the ways of darkness,
    14 who rejoice in doing evil
        and delight in the perverseness of evil,
    15 men whose paths are crooked,
        and who are devious in their ways.

    Why the warning against those cunning men and women who plan evil?

    I can think of several examples of those who sought to trap or use righteous men to achieve their goals. Among these are Ahab, king of Samaria making a pact with Jehoshaphat of Judah. 2 Chronicles 18 has a complex and cunning plot of two leaders described as doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 1 Kings 21 describes a plot of Jezebel, evil wife of evil King Ahab, cunningly taking the land of another man by a carefully laid out plan of deceit. Their purpose to rule puts them against God’s greatest Prophet of the Old Testament, Elijah.

    Another example of cunning appears in the early days of the New Testament church, one of another powerful leader of sorts, one of whom his disciples said, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”

    More about his choice when confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit in our next word to the cunning.

    To be continued…