The Essence of Repentance

…And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

REVELATION 22:17

It is inherent in the nature of man that his will must be free. Made in the image of God who is completely free, man must enjoy a measure of freedom. This enables him to select his companions for this world and the next; it enables him to yield his soul to whom he will, to give allegiance to God or the devil, to remain a sinner or become a saint.

Graphic:  Rachel Wojo

And God respects this freedom. God once saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. To find fault with the smallest thing God has made is to find fault with its Maker. It is a false humility that would lament that God wrought but imperfectly when He made man in His own image. Sin excepted, there is nothing in human nature to apologize for. This was confirmed forever when the Eternal Son became permanently incarnated in human flesh!

Graphic:  Just Being Brutally Honest blog

So highly does God regard His handiwork that He will not for any reason violate it. He will take nine steps toward us but He will not take the tenth. He will incline us to repent, but He cannot do our repenting for us. It is of the essence of repentance that it can only be done by the one who committed the act to be repented of.

God can wait on the sinning man, He can withhold judgment, He can exercise long-suffering to the point where He appears lax in His judicial administration—but He cannot force a man to repent. To do this would be to violate the man’s freedom and void the gift of God originally bestowed upon him. The believer knows he is free to choose—and with that knowledge he chooses forever the blessed will of God!^[1]

Graphic:  cc southbay

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^[1] Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with tozer: daily devotional readings. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

Hat tip: Truth 2 Freedom: July 5 – God Never Violates Our Freedom of Choice.

Note from Christine:

Yesterday, we celebrated Independence Day. It is the day that 242 years ago, America became a free nation via the signing of The Declaration of Independence.

Ben Franklin wisely stated to a woman who asked, “What type of government have you given us?” Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Lately, we have seen many unhinged people on the far left political spectrum rant and rave against all that helps keep our nation free.  They use issues to further their desires for more socialist/communist ideas and forms of government.  Don’t they know history and the hard-fought battles against such evil, failed and dictatorship types of government?  I guess not.  Perhaps it isn’t being taught in public school education anymore.  It certainly appears to be lost on most of those who attend, or have attended liberal/leftist colleges and universities and staunchly agree with the aberrant, extremist leftist professors who push their ideology upon the students.

Ronald Reagan quote

“The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas — a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, and the ideals to which we are dedicated.”

— Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) —

Yes.  We continue to go through “a test of wills and ideas.”  One’s choice does depend on the essence of repentance at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Ultimately, it is a spiritual struggle, as the last paragraph in the quoted topic above reveals:

[God] cannot force a man to repent. To do this would be to violate the man’s freedom and void the gift of God originally bestowed upon him. The believer knows he is free to choose—and with that knowledge he chooses forever the blessed will of God!^[1]

Hat tip: Truth 2 Freedom’s blog.

Outwit Infinite Wisdom and Countermine Providence Itself?

Kingsjester’s blog is one of my favorites because his posts are very informative and his analyses of what is truly going on in the “hearts of men” are spot on.

His latest post:

Soros Gives $18 Billion to His Open Society Institute to Fund Special Interest Groups Including “The Resistance” does not disappoint, and serves as a warning regarding the evil resistance that Soros continues to perpetuate against our Constitutional Republic.

One day, an unbeliever like Soros will die and realize:

When I returned from babysitting my sweet almost-2-years-old granddaughter yesterday evening, my husband asked me if I heard about the $18 billion dollar donation that the evil billionaire “donated” to his Open Society Institute.   I told him that I heard of it, but didn’t know the details yet.  Kingsjester’s blog gave me the needed details to share in this post.

My comment there:

Very good analysis and explanation of what Soros is all about and the evil that he is continually doing through wreaking havoc upon our nation; as well as the lies he is trying to perpetuate under the fake, dishonest, and anti-God guise of doing “good.”

After reading your essay, this verse came to mind:

Isa 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Soros and his evil minions are perfect examples of this! I truly pity those who have been so blinded by Satan that they think that this horrible man is doing “good.”

Here at my blog, I also want to share part of a commentary from Blue Letter Bible on that particular Bible verse written by Matthew Henry:

Note, Those that willfully persist in sin consider not the power of God’s anger.

• 3. Who confound and overthrow the distinctions between moral good and evil, who call evil good and moral evil (v. 20), who not only live in the omission of that which is good, but condemn it, argue against it, and, because they will not practice it themselves, run it down in others, and fasten invidious epithets upon it-not only do that which is evil, but justify it, and applaud it, and recommend it to others as safe and good. Note,
  • (1.) Virtue and piety are good, for they are light and sweet, they are pleasant and right; but sin and wickedness are evil; they are darkness, all the fruit of ignorance and mistake, and will be bitterness in the latter end.
  • (2.) Those do a great deal of wrong to God, and religion, and conscience, to their own souls, and to the souls of others, who misrepresent these, and put false colours upon them-who call drunkenness good fellowship, and covetousness good husbandry, and, when they persecute the people of God, think they do him good service-and, on the other hand, who call seriousness ill-nature, and sober singularity ill-breeding, who say all manner of evil falsely concerning the ways of godliness, and do what they can to form in men’s minds prejudices against them, and this in defiance of evidence as plain and convincing as that of sense, by which we distinguish, beyond contradiction, between light and darkness, and between that which to the taste is sweet and that which is bitter.
• 4. Who though they are guilty of such gross mistakes as these have a great opinion of their own judgments, and value themselves mightily upon their understanding (v. 21): They are wise in their own eyes; they think themselves able to disprove and baffle the reproofs and convictions of God’s word, and to evade and elude both the searches and the reaches of his judgments; they think they can outwit Infinite Wisdom and countermine Providence itself. Or it may be taken more generally: God resists the proud, those particularly who are conceited of their own wisdom and lean to their own understanding; such must become fools, that they may be truly wise, or else, at their end they shall appear to be fools before all the world.

 

Hat tip:  Kingsjester’s Blog, Blue Letter Bible, and graphics page links.

Grace

 

I have been thinking about the term “grace” a lot lately.  According to Dictionary.com, the word has several different meanings.  When I went to that site today, the “word of the day” happened to be “hedonism.”  How ironic…

Word Origin and History for grace

n.

late 12c., “God’s favor or help,” from Old French grace “pardon, divine grace, mercy; favor, thanks; elegance, virtue” (12c.), from Latin gratia “favor, esteem, regard; pleasing quality, good will, gratitude” (source of Italian grazia, Spanish gracia), from gratus “pleasing, agreeable,” from PIE root *gwere- “to favor” (cf. Sanskrit grnati “sings, praises, announces,” Lithuanian giriu “to praise, celebrate,” Avestan gar- “to praise

According to Blue Letter Bible.com, the word “grace” appears in the NKJV 143 times in 137 verses.

My concern in this post is about the grace of God. Nave’s topical Bible shares general scriptures concerning the grace of God, including some that help in the growth in the grace of God. [Note: if you click on that link and hover your cursor over the Bible verse, a box pops up to reveal the entire verse.]

It is difficult to pick a favorite, but for today’s purposes I chose these verses:

Romans 5:15-21 (KJV) 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Those verses contain the term “grace” five times, and shares the gospel message!  That passage of Scripture explains why Jesus Christ is the only way unto salvation!

We are meant to continue to grow in grace! And, how do we do that? Through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

2Pe 3:18 KJV – 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

How Can We Distinguish Between Deception and Truth?

The current onslaught of the “fake news” meme today can often be confusing.  How can one know whether or not an article or news report from the media is true or fake these days?

Well, Kingsjester’s Blog has a great post up today that shares the fact that almost 2/3rds of people polled believe that the media of mass deception is full of fake news.

My comment there:

Thanks for sharing this poll with your readers. I often wondered what percentage of people in our nation were falling for the made-up Trump/Russia meme. Glad to see that at least 2/3 recognize the lies of the media of mass deception!

Loved what you wrote here:

At the rate that these stories are being debunked, most Americans have accurately surmised that the MSM’s “anonymous sources” are the voices inside their own over-sized heads.

Sad…but true! And it made me laugh, too!

Did you see (or hear) President Trump’s commencement speech at Liberty University? It was wonderful! I loved how he included that the naysayers in life should be ignored and that the students should never, ever give up on their goals!

I actually feel sorry for the snowflakes in the liberal universities and colleges that are having their heads filled with progressive propaganda. I pray that someone will share the truth of the written Word of the Bible and the “peace that surpasses all understanding,” the Living Word, Jesus Christ with them.

*******

The following is a portion of a post that was shared back in 2013 at my former blog.  It holds true even more today, as the perpetuation of lies has increased even more since that post was written!  The question isn’t really “what” can help you distinguish between deception and truth.  The question (and ultimately the answer) is Who can help you do this!

 

~ Christine

Deception Can Cause Many to Suffer
The Bible has a lot to say about deception.  This post will not be totally comprehensive about the subject of deception and/or deceiving people.  However, it will give us some insight into the machinations of this type of evil and what it tragically often leads to in this fallen world.

Deceit (a.k.a. dishonesty, lying, tricking) is a tool used by people in order to accomplish certain outcomes in which they desire to reap power, monetary gain, fame, tyranny over others, and a whole host of other reasons.  The ability to “get away with it” in a world of disinformation runs rampant.  People don’t know what to believe anymore.  They are so conditioned to believe what they are told on the news.  But, what if the “news” being reported is not the truth?  What if many are being told to lie to us?  What if they are “programmed” to trick us into believing even the most bizarre event(s) ever seen by mankind; just because the ignorant and uninformed continue to trust them?

People who are propped up as being “dignified” and “above the fray” are often the very same individuals who deceive the most.  Getting away with dishonesty is easy when so many others are either mesmerized by a popular (but deceptive) individual and thus miss the fact that such a popular person is actually complicit in the lies being perpetrated.

The Bible informs us just who is called the deceiver.

Read Revelation 12:1-9.

However, the key Bible verse is:

This great dragon–the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world–was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.  (Revelation 12:9)

We can see that the Bible describes Satan as the deceiver.  The devil is not some cartoon character or made up entity.  He was originally an angel of God whose pride made him corrupt.  The name Satan means “adversary” or “accuser” (12:10).

As 1 Peter 5:8-9 informs us, Satan actively looks for people to attack.  He especially likes to seek out believers who may be young in the faith, vulnerable in some way, or not involved in fellowship with other believers.

Despite the fact that God allows (due to Adam and Eve’s choice to do evil in the Garden of Eden) the devil to do his work in the world, God is still in control.

Unbelievers often try to mock Christians for their beliefs.  They hate Christ and try to diminish the fact that Jesus has complete power over Satan.  This was demonstrated during Christ’s three-year ministry on the earth.  Scripture tells us that when Jesus was tempted by Satan, Christ used Scripture to send him away.  Only the Word of God was needed to make Satan flee!!   That is an important fact to remember!

You may or may not know (or believe) that when Jesus died for the sins of mankind and rose from the dead, it was at that moment that Satan’s future was doomed and Jesus has the keys to heaven where he goes to create mansions in eternity for believers.  Revelation 20:10 tells us that one day Satan will be bound forever, never again to do his evil work. (1)

Next, read John 8:42-47.

The key Bible verse:

You are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does.  He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth.  There is no truth in him.  When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.  (John 8:44)

[Notice that] Jesus called Satan the father of lies.  The attitudes and actions of these leaders clearly identified them as follower of Satan.  They may not have been conscious of this, but their hatred of truth, their lies, and their murderous intentions indicated how much control the devil had over them.  They were his tools in carrying out his plans; they spoke the very same language of lies.  Satan still uses people to obstruct God’s work (Genesis 4:8; Romans 5:12; 1 John 3:12). (2)

From the John 8:44 verse, we learn that lying “is consistent with his (the Devil’s) character.”  Satan was “a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth.”  There is “no truth in him.”  What’s even more disturbing is the realization that the “children of your father, the Devil, love to do the evil things he does.”

The Devil can have much control over the un-saved.  They can become “his tools in carrying out his plans.”  They speak “the very same language of lies.”  Also, see the Bible verses that describe how Satan uses people to obstruct God’s work.

No wonder Jesus told us that He is the truth! Christ informs us that God’s Word is Truth!   And the “truth will set you (us) free!”

People will lie, deceive, hurt and murder others because they hate the truth (Jesus Christ).  There is no truth in them, and they LOVE to do the evil things that Satan does.

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but when I see what is going on in this world of lies, deceit, sin, evil and death, I sometimes shake my head in disbelief that others don’t recognize that they are being lied to and so heavily deceived!!  However, when I delve back into God’s Word, I realize that we have been warned of this.  Deception is exponentially getting worse because we are heading closer and closer towards the end times.

So, we might ask what happens when we deceive others?

Bible reading:  Luke 8:16-18

Key Bible verse:

Everything that is hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light and made plain to all. (Luke 8:17)

We cannot hide our sins from God.  In God’s eyes, people’s hearts–their thoughts and motives–are as visible as a lamp mounted in the open.  No matter how hard we try to cover up bad attitudes, deeds, or words, we cannot deceive God.  Instead of hiding our faults, we should ask God to change our life so we no longer have to be ashamed.  If you are trying to hide anything from God, it won’t work.  Only when you confess your hidden sins and seek God’s forgiveness will you have the help you need to do right. (3)

The only way to avoid falling prey to deceit is to ask God to help you distinguish between deception and truth.

Keep on praying, America!

Keep on reading and studying the Bible on a daily basis!

Psa 119:160

The entirety of Your word [is] truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments [endures] forever.

 

Jhn 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.  – Jesus Christ

References:

1 The Handbook of Bible Application, Second Edition, 2000, Neil S. Wilson Editor, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois. p. 135 (paraphrased).

2 Ibid. (quote)

3 Ibid. (quote)

Peace In Fearful Times

Ever since the very contentious election of 2016, I have found that many people are still so angry because their candidate of choice didn’t win. Also, they tend to be very vicious against those who voted for the candidate that won the election. It has come to the point where I don’t even want to try to discuss politics with anyone! Personally, I thought that the vitriol would have calmed down by now, but it seems to be getting worse every day.  How very sad…

No matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, dear readers, many believe that we are living in fearful times.  What’s more, the enemies of the United States and Her allies (enemies that include worldwide spread of Radical Islamist Terrorists, Iran, Syria, North Korea, and yes…Russia) stand ready to attack at any time.  Some are doing a lot of sabre rattling, others are terrorists who continue to attack in Europe and elsewhere; while others are downright determined to destroy the West from within our borders and are patiently planning and plotting our ultimate demise.

Personally, I thank God that we have a strong military (and, a friend in the White House who allow our military to do its job!) which stands ready to do whatever it may take to keep our enemies in check and/or do what is necessary to protect our beloved United States of America and Her allies.  “Peace through strength” used to be our motto, and I’m hopeful that it is back again.

With that brief synopsis written, the real purpose of this post is to share how we, as Christians, can have peace in fearful times.

Pastor Doug at NewLife Christian Fellowship in San Diego had this to say back in March, 2017:

Today we will be talking about “Peace.”  If we read the New Testament letters looking to find Bible verses about peace, we find a specific greeting used sixteen time:  “Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Yet, there is more to “Grace and Peace” than a simple greeting.  Peace, like creation is not an accident.  it is not a condition invented by psychology.  God designed it, understands it, and gives it to those He calls. True peace comes from a saving knowledge of Jesus.  Peace was designed by God, and comes through the blood of Jesus.

Peace is listed in the top three characteristics of the fruit of the spirit.  Without love, joy, and peace, there is little hope of accomplishing forbearance (longsuffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control.  All of those characteristics are predicated on the love, joy, and peace of God.  The peace of God must be evident in us.  Others need to see what we have and desire to have it.  Then we can be peacemakers, able to share the love of God with a troubled world.  All too often we lose our peace in the midst of tragedy and the circumstances of life.  When we do that, we have nothing to offer a watching world.  If a neighbor comes to us distraught over tragedy and finds us just as undone, what testimony have we given about the peace of Christ, which He promised?  It is the Christians in a community who should be able to offer a word of encouragement and comfort during difficult times.  But we can only do that if we possess the peace of Christ – that peace which He purchased for us at the price of His own blood.”

There is nothing more blessed than sewing peace into the lives of those around you.  They need Jesus, the only source of peace, and you have what they need.  Be a peacemaker!

~ Pastor Doug

The Book of Acts 18:1 – 22:29 helps us to discover the answer to peace in fearful times.

How can we have peace in such a time as this?

1.  Learn to fear (meaning, “be in awe”) of God.  See Hebrews 12:28-29; Ephesians 6:5; Philippians 2:12; Proverbs 3:7; 14:27; Matthew 10:28; Psalms 56:11
2. Tell God.  Philippians 4:4-7; Matthew 23:37
3. Trust God.  Acts 22; 2 Corinthians 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 1:12
4. Obey God.  We need to know what God wants us to be like in order to obey Him!  We find this in His Word, the Bible, and in the Living Word, Jesus Christ!  See Acts 18; 19:11, 20

What is the single most common command in the Bible?

Answer:  “Fear not.”

The terms “fear” and “not” appear 129 times in the NKJV and 11 exact phrases shown first at this link.

In my notes at the end of the sermon, I wrote:

Trust in spite of appearances. Fear makes things worse than they are. When we obey God in spite of our fear – that is when we are equipped by God.

An Example of Evil Destroying Itself

Daniel Greenfield’s recent article and a comment that I found there reveals the fact that “the Left ultimately destroys itself.”   Here’s the link to read the article:

How George Soros Destroyed the Democratic Party.

The subtitle says:

“The Left ultimately destroys itself.”

THAT is EXACTLY what evil does…it ultimately destroys itself!.

The comment that really hit the nail on the head is this one:

NancyB > truebearing • 7 days ago

He is a planetary parasite. Soros is absolutely ruthless, amoral, and clever
in his business dealings. His grasp, greed, and gluttony have global reach.
Many years ago, Soros told “The Australian” that the world financial crisis was “stimulating” and “in a way, the culmination of my life’s work.”

Stimulating. How could anyone have found the multitude of job losses, house foreclosures, and incredible national debt—stimulating?

What we have in Soros is a multi-billionaire, atheist, with skewed moral
values, and a sociopath’s lack of conscience. He considers himself to be a world-class philosopher, despises capitalism, and just loves social engineering. Soros is a real-life version of Dr. Evil—with Obama in the role of Mini-me. Which is not as funny as it might at first sound. In fact, it’s bone-deep chilling.

Back in 2009, Obama promised 10 billion of our tax dollars to Brazil, to
give them a leg-up in expanding their offshore oil fields. Obama’s largesse towards Brazil, came shortly after Soros invested heavily in Brazilian oil (Petrobras). The American Petroleum Institute said it was a very bad deal for the US. They estimated that “oil exploration in the US could create 160,000 new jobs, as well as $1.7 trillion in revenues to federal, state, and local governments, all while generating greater energy security.” So, the American taxpayers were once again treated like gullible suckers. Soros has been actively working to destroy America from the inside out for a long time now. Soros uses his “philanthropy” to deconstruct the moral values
and attitudes of the Western world and particularly of the American people.

An early & important whistleblower was David Horowitz. His & Richard
Poe’s book “The Shadow Party” outlined in detail how Soros hijacked
the Democratic Party, and how he owns it lock, stock, and barrel. Soros has
been packing the Democratic Party with radicals, and ousting moderate Democrats for a long time.

The Shadow Party became the Shadow Government,which became the Obama Administration. While Soros doesn’t (yet) completely own the Republican Party, his tentacles are spread throughout it. America currently faces the greatest challenge to its existence as a free republic since the Civil War. And as we go, so goes the world. Without Soros, would the Saul Alinsky Chicago machine still be rolling? Would BLM, SJP, SPLC, MoveOn, ANSWER, La Raza, and many more still be pursuing their nefarious actions?

America stands at the brink of an abyss, and that fact is directly attributable to Soros. He has vigorously, cleverly, and insidiously planned the ruination of America. He is immoral, duplicitous, and traitorous. Stripping Soros of his US citizenship should be one of the first steps taken. And trials there must be.

No matter the cost, the nest of vipers on Capitol Hill, and all the traitors
in the government at large, must be held accountable for their behavior, or a
free America is doomed.

Soros has repeatedly called 1944 “the best year of my life.” So, 70% of Soros’s fellow Jews in Hungary, nearly half-million human beings, were
annihilated in that year. They were dying and disappearing all around him, and their numbers no doubt included many whom he knew personally. Yet he gives no sign that this put the slightest damper on his elation, either at the time or even in retrospect. In Steve Kroft’s “Sixty Minute’s” interview Soros was asked about his “best year” and if he had any feeling of guilt. Soros’s response was “No.”

Of course he didn’t feel guilty. Soros has the moral depth of a clam.
Nonetheless, he’s said, “my goal is to become the conscience of the world.” We can imagine the results of this sociopath being “the conscience of the world”. Yicks!

I don’t know why any leader in America would not ban Soros from this country!  Other nations have done that!  The answer must be the usual one:  They DO NOT want to lose the power and money that this real–life “Dr. Evil” affords them!

Unfortunately, it is not only the leftist crazies in Washington D.C. that turn a blind eye to the damage this billionaire has been doing to America and around the world, but some of the GOPe (stands for “establishment Republicans”) are just as guilty!

The term “evil” appears 485 times in 457 verses in the NKJV of the Bible!  Mankind has a conscience given by God so he has NO EXCUSE for not knowing what is evil.  Nor, does he have any excuse for perpetuating evil in life!

In the Old Testament, Aaron described it this way:

Exodus 32:22 So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

Without God in their lives, mankind is “set on evil.”

Pro 6:18

A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,

Pro 10:23

To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.

Pro 11:19

As righteousness leads to life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

Pro 11:27

He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

There are many, many more verses describing evil in Proverbs!

Mat 12:35

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart[fn] brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Mar 7:21

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Mar 7:22

“thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

Mar 7:23

“All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Jhn 3:19

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Jhn 3:20

“For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

There will come a time when evil will bow down to good!

Rom 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Pro 16:6

In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.

Pro 28:10

Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
But the blameless will inherit good.

Pro 29:6

By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

Our future hope:

Gal 1:1
¶
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

Gal 1:2

and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:

Gal 1:3
¶
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

Gal 1:4

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Gal 1:5

to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

For It Is Written…

H/T for graphic:  Biblepic.com

Sunday evening I had the chance to watch The Bible:  In The Beginning which was made way back in 1966.   It had been decades since I last saw this film so it was enjoyable to see it again. I really appreciated the fact that the movie held to what is written in Scripture!   Rather than taking the usual “license” that today’s filmmakers (i.e. the movies “Noah” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings”) often do while making false advertising claims that they are “biblically sound” versions of events in the Bible, director John Huston made the good decision to stick to what is written in God’s Word.

One of the 46 reviews of the epic classic states that, “The Film Deserves Better Recognition.”

The movie started with Adam and Eve, and ended after Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed, but the ram caught in the thicket was the substitute; so that the promise of Abraham’s descendants through Isaac would be fulfilled.  Abraham’s obedience, despite the anguish he went through, was rewarded because of his willingness to carry out God’s command.  This was a foreshadowing of the sacrificial death that the coming Messiah would fulfill.

In my previous post, a comment made by GMPilot stated:

“Of course we all fail the so-called The Good Test. The questions are rigged, and we are set up to fail. Jesus himself probably couldn’t have passed it.”

There are excellent comments made in that thread by Steve of Cry and Howl and Ciria which both counter GMPilot’s assertions.

Here, I’d like to share how Jesus did pass the test.  First, we need to briefly review how sin entered into the world.

When we go back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we see that they failed to obey God when they both chose to eat of fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In Tuesday’s Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional, we read:

When the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food (the lust of the flesh), and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Despite the fact that Adam and Eve could eat of all the other trees in the garden, they chose to disobey God’s command to not eat of that certain tree.

Why?

Well, Eve blamed it on the serpent who “beguiled” her, Adam blamed it on Eve who brought to fruit to him, and the serpent stated, “you surely shall not die;” which was a twisted lie against God’s original admonition to Adam and Eve.

So, how can we get right with God?  Fast forward to the New Testament.

The devotional goes on, describing Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the desert during his forty days and nights fasting:

When the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (the lust of the flesh). But he answered,…it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.–the devil sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life). Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan.

Here are the verses in Matthew that describe the three times that Jesus was tempted:

Mat 4:5

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

Mat 4:6

and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” [fn]

Mat 4:7

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” [fn]

Mat 4:8

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

Mat 4:9

And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Mat 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, [fn] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” [fn]

Notice that Jesus used Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy to counter the devil’s temptations!  Even the devil’s attempt to use the exact terms “it is written” were countered by Jesus when he stated, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ “

NKJV Footnotes

(4:4)

Deuteronomy 8:3

(4:6)

Psalm 91:11, 12

(4:7)

Deuteronomy 6:16

(4:10)

M-Text reads Get behind Me.

(4:10)

Deuteronomy 6:13

What’s more, when Jesus used the Scriptures and stated, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve,” the devil left Him!

Mat 4:11

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The point is that Jesus was tempted like us [we are, yet] without sin.

Devotional:

We were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. –Who his own self bare* our sins in his own body on the tree.

Therefore, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

It is interesting to note what the term “bare” means here:

*Word Origin and History for bare [From Dictionary.com]
adj.
Old English bær “naked, uncovered, unclothed,” from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (cf. German bar, Old Norse berr, Dutch baar), from PIE *bhosos (cf. Armenian bok “naked;” Old Church Slavonic bosu, Lithuanian basas “barefoot”). Meaning “sheer, absolute” (c.1200) is from the notion of “complete in itself.”

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Jhn 14:15

“If you love Me, keepfn My commandments.

Keeping the commandments doesn’t save us – Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins does.   But the effort we make to keep the commandments  shows that we believe and trust in Him and His promises given to us at the moment of our salvation!

The devotional concludes:

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

[Le 1:4; 1Pe 1:18,19, 2:24; Eph 1:6; 1 Pe 2:5; Ro 12:1; Jude 1:24,25]

We can absolutely trust Jesus!

Jhn 8:42

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

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Hat tips to all links.

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…