Puritan Corner - No heart can conceive...

No heart can conceive that treasury of mercies which lies in this one privilege, in having liberty and ability to approach unto God at all times, according to his mind and will.
by JOHN OWEN (1616-1683)

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,..
Hebrews 4:16

Book Review: The Hidden Half of the Gospel

 (short) Book Review: A book that may be of some interest....
(Review by Straight 2 the Heart)

The Hidden Half of the Gospel

by Paul Coneff & Lindsey Gendke

325 pages Publisher: Two Harbors; 1st edition (2014)

Life is messy. Whether we walk in the world or walk in the church, we all have struggles. Take some of the people you’ll meet in this book, for instance.
Amber is consumed by anger because her husband cheated on her. Amber’s husband, John, suffers

from overwhelming guilt and shame because of his affair. Sandy has barely survived 17 years of domestic violence; Anna, who was sexually abused, hates men; and Lindsey, who was a straight-A student all her life, dropped out of college to commit suicide. Rick is addicted to porn, and Keith can’t lay off drugs. For these and others, religion has brought forgiveness of sins, but not freedom from suffering. For those who have tried it, medication and counseling have brought some relief, but not lasting healing. For Diana—who is afraid of small spaces, public places, and just about everything else—Bible studies and baptism have brought redemption, but not recovery. Along with the Apostle Paul, they all cry out, “I need something more!”
What was the common denominator that brought healing and freedom to each of them?
CHRIST’S SUFFERING, or what Paul Coneff calls The Hidden Half of the Gospel. While Jesus died to forgive our sins for eternity, He also suffered to bring us healing today. As the Bible clearly says, Jesus was “made like us in EVERY way…suffering as He was tempted in ALL points… so He could help us.” (Luke 9:22; 22:15; 24:24-26; Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15; Isa. 53)
Lonely? Jesus was alone and abandoned by His closest friends to identify with you.
Betrayed? Jesus was betrayed by a kiss, for the price of a slave, to identify with you.
Abused? Jesus was physically violated and verbally abused to identify with you.
Addicted? Jesus was tempted to numb His pain to identify with you.
Rejected? Jesus felt forsaken by His Father to identify with you.
The Hidden Half of the Gospel invites you to journey through Christ’s story of suffering, as well as the stories and testimonies of Diana, Lindsey, Amber, John, Sandy, Anna, Rick, and Keith.
Discover the “Roots” of Satan’s ability to deceive us with his lies, leading us into addictions and a cycle of sin and forgiveness, without freedom; how this creates a negative identity in our lives – and how Christ overcame every attack of the enemy against His truest, deepest identity as God’s Son (John 8:44; Matt. 15:18-19; Romans 1:25; Matt. 12:43-45; Luke 4:3, 7, 9; 23:35-37)
Discover the “Roots” of Christ’s ability to heal us and set us free through the power of personal identification with Him in His suffering so He could be “made like us in EVERY way… suffering when He was tempted so He could help us,” giving us confidence to go “boldly to the throne of grace,” and how this allows us to receive our truest, deepest identities as God’s sons and daughters (Isaiah 53; 62:2-4, 12; Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-16; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 2 Cor. 1:1-2; Eph. 1:1-2)
 

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Job Simplified- Chapter: 4

Chapter 4

Shall mortal man be more just than God?

shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Job 4:17

Eliphaz’s first speech

v1 Then Eliphaz, who belonged to the people called Temanites, replied. He said:

v2 Job, I do not want to upset you. But I want to say something. And this is an important matter.

v3 Think about this point! You have taught many people. You have helped weak people. v4 By your words, you have saved people from great dangers. And you have encouraged weak people.

v5 But now, you yourself suffer many troubles. And you become weak. Troubles affect you. And your troubles upset you. v6 But you are a holy man. So, you should be confident. And you are a good man. So, you should have hope.

 

Verses 1-2

Job’s words upset Eliphaz. And Job’s troubles also upset Eliphaz.

Eliphaz simply believed that a good person should have a good life. And Eliphaz thought that an evil person should have a terrible life.

So, when Eliphaz saw Job’s troubles, Eliphaz had no explanation.

Eliphaz did not know that the devil caused Job’s troubles.

Verses 3-4

At first, Eliphaz believed that Job was a good man. (Later, Eliphaz would change his opinion (Job chapter 22).)

Verses 5-6

Eliphaz was a patient man (Job 2:13).

But he spoke too soon.

Job needed Eliphaz’s sympathy.

And Job needed Eliphaz’s friendship.

Instead, Eliphaz told Job to be happy.

And Eliphaz’s words seemed cruel to Job (Proverbs 25:20).

But Eliphaz’s advice in verse 6 was sensible. In chapter 3, Job hardly thought about God. Job was only thinking about himself. So, Job had no hope. Instead, Job wanted to die. Job could be confident because he was a holy man.

 

Eliphaz’s ideas about the fate of evil men

v7 Think about this! An innocent man does not suffer. A good man does not die. v8 I have seen that evil men suffer. In fact, they suffer from the troubles that they themselves cause. v9 So, God punishes them. God is angry. So, he kills them.

v10 These men are like old lions, without teeth. Such lions may roar. v11 But the lions will die, because they cannot attack other animals. And the young lions will wander away.

 

Verses 7-9

Eliphaz was partly right. God punishes evil people. And God protects good people. But Eliphaz’s thoughts were too simple.

Job was suffering. But Job was an innocent man. So, Eliphaz’s words could not help Job. Instead, Eliphaz’s words upset Job.

God knows everybody’s thoughts.

God sees our secret plans.

And God is a fair judge.

Sometimes a good person will suffer, like Job. That person should be patient (James 5:11). Perhaps God is testing that person. Or perhaps God is teaching that person. God is like a father who teaches his children (Hebrews 12:5-11). Or perhaps that person’s troubles are the work of evil people (Matthew 5:11-12).

Verses 10-11

Eliphaz said that evil men are like angry lions. These lions seem terrible. But really, they are hopeless, because they have no teeth. So evil men seem terrible, but really, they are hopeless.

God did not agree with Eliphaz’s opinion about lions. In Job 38:39-40, God reminded the men that he created lions. And God provides food, even for lions.

God even cares about evil people. God provides rain, so that their crops will grow (Matthew 5:45). And God sent Jesus to die for evil people, so that God can forgive their evil deeds (Romans 5:8).

 

Eliphaz’s Strange Dream

v12 I heard a secret whisper. v13 And I saw a strange dream. It happened by night, when men sleep deeply. v14 I was so afraid! Even my bones were shaking!

v15 I saw a spirit. My hairs stood up. v16 The spirit stopped. But I could not recognize it. I saw its shape. And I heard its quiet voice.

v17 The spirit said, ‘Men are so weak! Nobody is better than God. Even strong men are not innocent

. God, who made them, is their judge.

v18 God does not trust his servants. God even accuses his servants in heaven. v19 And men are much worse. The bodies of men are like mud huts. And their bodies belong in the earth. Men die like insects. v20 Men, like insects, die in a single day. Nobody notices their deaths. And they will not live again. v21 They fall, like a tent with no strings to hold it. And they die without wisdom.’

 

Verses 12-14

Eliphaz described a strange dream. This dream frightened him. We do not know whether the dream came from God. The dream taught an important lesson to Eliphaz.  Some strange experiences come from God. Other experiences may come from our own minds. And some are from the devil.

Verses 15-16

The Bible describes good spirits and evil spirits.

Good spirits come from God.

Evil spirits come from the devil.

Verse 17

This verse is correct. God is the judge of everyone. A person may be weak or strong. But everyone is guilty in God’s opinion. Everybody refuses to obey God’s law (Romans 3:23; Psalm 53:3; Proverbs 20:9; Isaiah 53:6; 1 John 1:8). But the good news is that God still loves us. God sent Jesus to die for us. We must confess our evil deeds to God. Then God will forgive us.

Verse 19

See Genesis 2:7 and Genesis 3:19.

God made man’s body from the soil.

And the body returns to the soil when the man dies.

Verses 20-21

God even notices when a little bird dies (Matthew 10:29-31).

 

Keith Simons

Importance of Prophecy

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 1:3

"There seems to be an increasing interest in Biblical prophecy in recent years, but the great majority of professing Christians (especially in the so-called mainline denominations) continue to reject or

ignore the great portions of the Bible dealing with the prophetic future. This is most unfortunate because there is genuine blessing in the study of these prophecies. It is significant that only the book of Revelation makes a specific promise to this effect. Not only in its opening verses as above, but also in its final chapter is such a blessing promised: "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth [i.e., `guardeth'] the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7).

Note also the exhortation in Peter's final epistle, just before his martyrdom. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (II Peter 1:19).

For those who ignore these prophecies concerning the Second Coming, Christ's rebuke to certain disciples who had failed to believe the prophecies concerning His first coming may well come to be appropriate again: "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25).

The book of Revelation ends with an even more serious warning: "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy [note, not just the concepts, but the words!], God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (Revelation 22:19). It is clearly very important that Christians read, understand, believe, and obey the divinely inspired prophecies, as well as all the other revelations of the Holy Scriptures." HMM

Health Note- Plant-Based Ice Cream

Beloved,

I wish above all things that thou mayest ...be in health,...

3 John 1:2

"Ingredients

5 ripe and frozen organic bananas
2 cups organic pitted cherries
1 1/2 teaspoons Organic alcohol free vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sliced almonds (or any nut of your choice)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (only if needed)
Directions
Peel and dice 5 bananas and pit 2 cups of cherries. Combine bananas and cherries and freeze overnight. When ready to use, take out of the freezer and wait approximately 10 minutes until you are able to remove the fruit and transfer to a blender or food processor (fruit should still be frozen). After transferring to the blender or food processor, blend together until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then, add your vanilla extract and almonds and continue to blend until you get a creamy texture. If your blender is having a hard time, add 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk. After this is finished, you can enjoy right away or store in the freezer for later!"
Genobia Simpson
“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.” ~Ministry Of Healing page 296 E.G.W.

The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 Series: vs.22

*From The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 written in 1847 by Anne Pratt (1806-1893)

 

SHE MAKETH HERSELF COVERINGS OF TAPESTRY;
HER CLOTHING IS SILK AND PURPLE.

Proverbs 31:22

 

It has ever been, in the East, customary for persons of wealth to dress in magnificent clothing, and to furnish their dwellings in a sumptuous and tasteful manner. There is indeed but little furniture in an oriental house. Couches and sofas, and hangings at the doors, are almost the only objects on which skill can be exercised, or which will admit the display of wealth in the possessor.

The curtains of the Jewish Tabernacle described in the book of Exodus 26-27, "made of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet," are generally supposed to have been made of needlework, in which the Jewish women are known to have excelled.

That pictures describing various scenes of life or landscape were traced by female hands on their tapestries, there can be little doubt.
The celebrated Babylonian tapestries were wrought with the needle, and represented either the mysteries of religion, or some historical incidents; and the Greek and Roman ladies wrought embroideries, which told to the eye a tale of hunting or war, of love or sorrow, and even in those early days wove tapestry, little inferior to that which graces the halls of some of our old English castles and mansions.
    Blue, in every variety, was a favourite color with the ancient Hebrews. We find it mentioned continually in the decoration of the Tabernacle, and the dress of the priest; and it is generally thought to have been procured from indigo, which appears from the mummy cloths to have been used by the Egyptians, and was therefore doubtless known to the Jews.
But the purple was the color which appears to have had pre‐eminence in ancient times, and which was so generally appropriated to kings and important personages, that even unto modern days the purple robe is emblematic of royalty.
It was, too, with the purple robe that Mordecai was decked, when he was promoted to honor by the Persian king; and to be clothed in purple and fine linen, was the distinction of the rich man in the parable of the New Testament.

The purple mentioned in the text, is believed by most writers to be the highly valued Tyrian dye. This color was known in very ancient times, and prized, not only by the Hebrews, but by the Greeks and Romans. It was procured from two species of fish found on the shores of the Mediterranean and Atlantic seas: the one (buccinum) adhered to the rocks; the other (purpura) floated in the sea, and it was this species which afforded the dye most in request.

    In later ages, we read of a very interesting character, Lydia, who was "a seller of purple" at Thyatira, whose "heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul," and whose warm and earnest love to the apostle and his companions, urged her to constrain them to dwell in her house (Act 16:14-15); and this rich color, in which the matron of the text is said to be clothed, was probably one of those species of merchandise which she is said, "like the merchants' ships, to have brought from afar."

 

What we should do "with pleasure"

All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.
1 Chronicles 29:14

"No work of man can merit for him the pardoning love of God, but the love of God pervading the soul will lead him to do those things which were always required of God and that he should do with pleasure."
Faith & Works p.23 E.G.W. 

IN the NEWS - India harasses Christian children

Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you...

John 15:20

"On May 21, 60 children between the ages of 13 and 15 were travelling to a Christian summer camp in Nagpur. They were being accompanied by nine chaperones.
Police detained the children, and charged the men with “attempted conversion,” despite the fact the

children came from Christian families. The children were later released to their parents.
The second incident took place on May 22, when two men were arrested on similar charges for trying to take 11 children to the same camp.
Authorities claimed their parents had not followed proper procedures in order to convert to Christianity, and therefore the children were to be considered Hindus under the law.
“For changing to another religion, one needs to submit a written application to the district collector and only after the stipulated process, a person can change religious identity, which didn’t happen in the case of any of the parents claiming to be Christians,” said Krishnaveni Desavatu, the police superintendent.
“This is why, the children and their parents will be officially treated as Hindu tribals and not Christians,” he said, quoted in The Indian Express.
In the main, the violence is driven by Hindu nationalists who accuse Christians of the use of force and surreptitious tactics in pursuing conversions, often storming into villages and leading “reconversion” ceremonies in which Christians are compelled to perform Hindu rituals.
Christians have felt even more under threat since 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party took power in the country." Crux

Creation Moment 5/31/2017 - Genetic Closed "Folders"

"Intriguing studies demonstrate that many different animals have the ability to transmit information about their environment to their offspring, sometimes using a process called epigenetics. Most often, the genetic memory of a parent or grandparent’s environmental experience travels no farther than a half dozen generations. Recently, researchers accidentally discovered the farthest-reaching epigenetic signal ever known.

When using epigenetics, creatures transmit environmental data not through genes, but by patterns of other molecules that clamp onto DNA strands and help regulate the timing and intensity of gene activities.

Scientists in Spain published their stunning finds in Science. They saw roundworms transmit outside

temperature indicators to as many as 14 generations of offspring. Then, the team speculated on what processes make this remarkable data transfer happen and on its possible purpose.
The investigators had artificially inserted foreign genetic material called transgenes into the roundworm genome. Then the transgenes became part of normally inherited DNA. These particular transgenes code for proteins the researchers can easily track.

The study results showed that some roundworm’s cells accessed the transgenes more often than others because their ancestors had lived their lives in a lower temperature environment. DNA—including transgenes—gets wrapped around protein spools inside cells. Specific tags get attached to the spools. Roundworms that had lived in colder temperatures possessed more of those tags. The tags impede the docking procedures of gene processing machinery, which limits access to the transgenes.

It’s like a parent who tags a closed folder with a sign saying, “Do not open for several generations,” because they strongly suspect that their descendants won’t need the folder’s contents. But in the case of roundworms, the DNA folder remained sealed for over a dozen generations. The tagging pattern transfers temperature memory through eggs to the next generation, and the next, etc. But why?
Lead author of the Science study explained, “We don’t know exactly why this happens, but it might be a form of biological forward-planning.” Well, why else would any communication system send a message like this if not for a predetermined purpose?

If a mother’s body can automatically warn her great, great, great, great grandchildren of what temperature range she endured during her life (and thus what they might also have to endure) then their bodies can prepare themselves to better fit that temperature.

However, forward planning implies design. Natural processes that supposedly underlie evolution cannot imagine future possibilities, but a personal Creator can." ICR
........ God created........... Genesis 1:1

Job Simplified- Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,

and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Job 3:25

Job’s first speech

Job regrets his own birth

v1 Afterwards, Job spoke. He regretted his own birth. v2 He said:

v3 I regret my own birth. I am sorry that I was ever born. v4 I would prefer if that day never existed. I would prefer if the sun never appeared on that day. I wish that God did not count that day. v5 I would prefer if a dense cloud had covered the sun. I would prefer if the daylight was darkness.

v6 (And I regret the night when my life began.) I would prefer if darkness destroyed that night. I would prefer if that night was not in the calendar. I wish that such a night did not belong in any month. v7 I am sorry that anyone’s life began on that night. I wish that no family were happy on that night.

v8 People should curse that day. They should curse it, if they waken a crocodile! (A crocodile is a very strong animal.) v9 I should not have seen the morning stars on that day. I should not have seen the dawn. I should not have seen the daylight. v10 I should have died on that day.

Then, I would have avoided my troubles.

 

Verses 1-2

Job’s friends waited for Job to speak. They waited for an entire week. At last, Job spoke. Job was not happy about his own birth. He felt as if his troubles began on that day.

Verses 3-5

Job wished that he had never lived. He imagined that the skies were dark on the day of his birth.

Jesus died on a day when the skies really were dark (Luke 23:44). That day was a terrible day. Jesus suffered for our evil deeds. Jesus was innocent. He suffered because we are guilty.

Verse 6

So Job then thought about the night when his parents came together. On that night, Job’s life began, so Job regretted that night also. Of course, every night belongs in the calendar. But Job did not want that date to be in the calendar. Job wished that he had never lived.

Verse 7

If that night never existed, no baby’s life could begin then. And Job would not be born. Job’s parents would not be glad about his birth.

Verse 8

Job was angry about the day when he was born. He wanted people to curse that day.

He did not care if they woke a crocodile!

A crocodile is a strong animal.

If you wake a crocodile, it will attack you!

The crocodile is like Satan.

Satan always accuses the people who trust God.

Satan wants to attack us.

Verses 9-10

People are glad to see light in the early morning. Then, they know that daylight is beginning. Then, their troubles in the night will not continue. Perhaps they were afraid during the night. But they would be safe during the daytime. But Job was not glad that he saw the light. He wished that he was dead.

 

Job’s Comments about death

v11 I would be happier:

·     if I died at birth;

·     v12 if my mother never looked after me;

·     if my mother’s breasts had no milk.

v13 (If I had died,) I would not suffer now. Instead, I would be lying down. And I would be like someone who sleeps. v14 I would rest, with the world’s great kings and advisers. Their great buildings are now heaps of stone. v15 Or, I would rest with the rulers who collected gold and silver.

v16 My mother should have buried my body in the earth. I would be like a child who was born dead.

v17 In their graves, wicked men do not cause trouble. And tired people rest. v18 Slaves are free. They hear no commands from their masters. v19 Everyone is there, whether that person was important or not. And nobody serves anyone else.

 

Verses 11-12

Job imagined that he had died as a child. Dead bodies seem to be asleep. And Job wished that he could sleep too.

Verse 13

Job thought that his body would sleep after his death.

Verses 14-15

These men worked hard.

They built palaces.

They led great armies.

They achieved many things.

But now, they must sleep.

Their palaces are heaps of stone.

Someone else owns their gold and silver now.

And their bodies lie near the body of a child whom nobody knew.

If we do not trust God, we waste our lives. Our greatest possessions will be worth nothing when we die. We will lose all our wealth on this earth. So we should live our lives to prepare for heaven.

Verses 17-19

In this world, some people are important. And other people are not important. But when they die, God will be the judge of everyone. And God will be fair to everyone (Revelation 20:12).

 

People whose lives are terrible

v20 I do not know how sad people continue to live. Their spirits suffer such bitter pain. v21 They want to die. But they are still alive. They would prefer to die, than to discover gold. v22 When, at last, they are dying, they are glad.

v23 I do not know what will happen to me. It is as if God has placed a hedge round me. v24 Food and water do not help me. Instead, I cry because of my pain. v25 I have suffered the most terrible troubles. The things that made me afraid have happened. v26 Instead of rest and quiet, I have trouble.

 

Verses 20-22

Job was able to sympathize with other people because of his own troubles. Job always cared about other people (Job 29:12-17). But now Job knew how they suffered.

Verse 23

The devil complained that God was protecting Job. The devil said that God was like a hedge round Job (Job 1:10).

Job was also aware of this. But Job did not realize that God was protecting him. Job was saying that his troubles were like a hedge round him. So Job could not escape from his troubles.

Verses 24-26

Job wanted rest and quiet. He even wanted to be dead, so that he could sleep. But instead,

he was always suffering.

Nothing seemed to help him.

And nothing comforted him.

 

Keith Simons

The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 Series: vs.21

*From The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 written in 1847 by Anne Pratt (1806-1893)

SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF THE SNOW FOR HER HOUSEHOLD;
FOR ALL HER HOUSEHOLD ARE CLOTHED WITH SCARLET.

Proverbs 31:21

We are so accustomed to hear of the serene skies and genial warmth of the climate of Palestine, that we are, in our thoughts, apt to invest that interesting land with a perpetual sunshine.

Although the cold of winter is not so severe as in some other parts of Syria, still it is scarcely less than that experienced in our own country. The autumnal shower is the early rain, for which the "husbandman long waited," that he might sow his seed: and in December, which is the first winter month, the rain falls in torrents, and the snow covers the plains occasionally, and lies on the elevated mountains long after spring has made considerable advance; while hoar‐frost scatters its diamonds, or a mist, like that of our northern climates, obscures the face of nature.

   

We have various other instances in Scripture, besides that quoted at the head of the chapter, of the cold and snow of Palestine. The psalmist of Israel sung of the fleeces which the Creator "giveth like wool," and prayed that he might be purified and made "whiter than snow." We infer the cold from the statement of the prophet Jeremiah, when he described Jehoiakim, king of Judah, as sitting with his nobles around the hearth, and daringly cutting with his penknife, and casting into the fire, the scroll which contained the denunciations of the Almighty. So again, in that sad hour, when the affectionate but frail apostle denied the Master whom he loved, we read that they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and that Peter and others sat down together by it, "for it was cold."

   

Most commentators think that the Hebrew word rendered "scarlet," would be more correctly translated by the marginal reading, "double garments." It is thus rendered by Boothroyd in his version of Scripture, and the Septuagint and Arabic versions give it thus. The twice dyeing, which formed part of the process used in obtaining the brilliant scarlet of the East, caused this color to be expressed in the original language, by the verb to redouble, and thus leaves the rendering in some measure doubtful. Dr. Adam Clarke states, in his commentary, that his old manuscript Bible renders this part of the passage "ben clothed with double;" and adds that Coverdale, with equal propriety, translates it, "For all hir household folkes are duble clothed."

There are, however, some commentators who consider scarlet as the right rendering of the word from the original. Dr. Gill remarks, that if the word here used had been designed to be "double," it would have been in the dual number; and as this is not the case, he considers that in this, and similar instances, it is used for the scarlet color. He adds that both the Targum and Aben Ezra thus interpret it.

Supposing the word scarlet to be the correct translation in this passage, it would refer to the clothing provided by the Jewish matron for her husband and children only, and would not include the dress of her servants. Scarlet was a color much esteemed in the East, and the Jewish nobles and courtiers were accustomed, on state occasions and festivals, to wear robes of this brilliant dye. In that exquisitely touching lament, uttered by David over the fallen king, he exclaims, "Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel" (2Sa 1:24).

 In the long series of cruel and oppressive acts, to which, in comparatively modern times, the ancient people of God have been subjected, this forethought has, in many instances, degenerated into a spirit of covetousness; and the love of hoarding has been censured in the Jew, by the very men whose rapacious tyranny turned this characteristic virtue into a vice. But the bright example of this pious woman, as portrayed by the Hebrew writer, under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, is not that of a mean selfishness, not hers was an enlarged and bounteous providence, one which, while it sought to guard against the ills, and provided for the comforts of the coming days, while it gathered for her family enough and to spare, yet could have an open hand for the poor and needy.

 

 

Bishop Seymour vs. GOD

"We have made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to Sunday, on the authority of one holy Catholic Church."
Bishop Seymour, Why We Keep Sunday. Article 12

Vs.

But the seventh day is the sabbath

 of the LORD thy God:

Exodus 20:10

IN the NEWS - Hallmark goes TransTastic?

What people, driven by GREED, won't do (& promote) for a few extra almighty dollar bills.....

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

"The popular greeting card company Hallmark is selling cards to affirm those who identify as “transgender” and to celebrate those who are undergoing gender “transitions,” the company has confirmed.
“Hallmark is committed to helping people share what’s in their hearts with those they love, and we strive to be inclusive and relevant with our products,” the company said in a statement this week, as reported by Bustle. “We are committed to reflecting people’s real lives and enriching their relationships, and our mission includes all people.”

“Your identity is who you are. Wear it proudly, celebrate it with loved ones, and love out loud,” the site reads. “Hallmark is proud to offer a wide selection of greeting cards crafted to capture the colorful, inspiring LGBTQIA community in all of its shapes and forms.”

 

Hallmark’s offerings include cards such as “mommy + mommy + baby makes three,” “it’s a simple story of boy meets boy,” “closets are for clothes,” “party so hard you can’t ever see straight” and “queen for a day is for underachievers,” the latter of which celebrates drag queens." CHN

Creation Moment 5/30/2017 - What Kind of Creator God Is He?

What Kind of Creator God Is He?  God tells us who He is and what He is like. What pattern did God use for creating men and women? “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”—Genesis 1:27. According to Scripture, we are made in God's image. This is why we can have a personal relationship with Him. Our abilities to reflect and feel, to remember and hope, to ponder and analyze – all are derived from Him. Since God has a personality, what is His dominant trait? “God is love.” —1 John 4:8. God relates to human beings out of His own heart of love. There is nothing He has done or ever will do which is not motivated by a selfless, sacrificial love." DiscoverOnline

MEMORIAL DAY 2017

Joab scolds David for disrespecting his military men

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said,
Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants,
which this day have saved thy life,
and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters,
and the lives of thy wives,

In that thou lovest thine enemies,

and hatest thy friends.

For thou hast declared this day,

that thou regardest neither princes nor servants:

for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived,

and all we had died this day,

then it had pleased thee well.

 

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants:

for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night:

and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

Then the king arose, and sat in the gate.

And they told unto all the people, saying,

Behold, the king doth sit in the gate.

And all the people came before the king:

2 Samuel 19:5-8

Job Simplified- Chapter: 2

Chapter 2

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not,

 they lifted up their voice, and wept;

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights,

and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job 2:12,13

 

Satan opposes Job again

v1 On another day, the angels (servants of God) gathered in heaven to see God. The accuser, called Satan, came with them to see God.

v2 God said to Satan, ‘Where did you come from?’

Satan replied to God, ‘I have travelled across the world. I have been to many places.’

v3 God said to Satan, ‘I have a servant called Job. Nobody else in the world is like Job! Job is good and honest. He respects God. And Job refuses to do evil deeds. And he is still a good man, although you opposed him. He is still good, although you tried to destroy him without any reason.’

v4 Satan replied to God, ‘But you did not allow me to hurt the man. A man will do anything to save his life. v5 If you hurt Job’s body, that man will really insult you.’

v6 God said to Satan, ‘I permit you to hurt Job. But you must not kill him.’

v7 So, Satan left God. And Satan caused Job to have spots on his body. The spots were sore. And the spots were on every part of Job’s body. v8 Job took a piece of pot, which he rubbed against the spots. And Job sat on the ground, on the ash heap.

Verse 1

In chapter 1, Job had many troubles. He lost everything. His children were dead. But Job still respected God. And Job continued to praise God. This was bad news for Satan.

Then Satan decided to oppose Job again.

Verses 2-3

God also accused Satan at the end of verse 3.

God said that Satan had no reason to oppose Job.

Satan is cruel.

He hates everyone who trusts God. But Satan is even cruel to the people who do Satan’s work.

Verses 4-6

Satan wanted God to hurt Job. But God does not want people to be ill. And nobody will be ill in heaven (Revelation 21:4). So, God did not hurt Job. But God allowed Satan to test Job.

Verses 7-8

Satan made Job ill. Job’s skin was very painful.

This was a terrible test. Job had suffered very many troubles in chapter 1. And now, Job was ill.

Job made a tool that he rubbed against the spots. This made the spots less painful. Job sat on the ash heap.

 

Job’s wife’s advice

v9 Job’s wife told Job, ‘You cannot continue to be a good man now. Insult God! Then, you will die.’

v10 But Job told her, ‘Your words are foolish words. God gives good things to us. So, we must expect to suffer some evil things.’

Although Job’s troubles were great, Job’s words were not evil.

Verse 9

Here,

Job’s own wife also wanted Job to insult God.

We should not listen to evil advice.

Sometimes our best friends speak terrible advice.

Perhaps Job’s wife thought that Job should kill himself. But Job would not do this. Our lives are a gift from God. We should sympathize with

people who want to die. We should care for them. And we should show them that life is God’s gift. Life is precious.

Or, perhaps Job’s wife thought that God would punish Job with death.

Verse 10

Job meant ‘evil’ by the word ‘foolish’. Only an evil person should say such things.

Job thought that God had done evil things to Job. Job thought that this was fair. He knew that God did many good things. So, Job would not hate God if God did some evil things. But Job’s ideas were wrong. God is good. He never does any evil things.

Job’s words were not evil because Job was sincere. Job was still trying to respect God. Job still gave honor to God.

Compare Job 1:22 and Job 2:10. In chapter 1, Job did not accuse God. But in chapter 2, Job accused God. Job said that God had done something evil.

Job’s three friends arrive

v11 Job had three friends. Their names were:

·     Eliphaz, who belonged to the people called Temanites;

·     Bildad, who belonged to the people called Shuhites;

·     Zophar, who belonged to the people called Naamathites.

These men heard about Job’s troubles. So, they left their homes. They agreed to go to Job. Then, they would sympathise with Job. And they would comfort him.

v12 But when the three friends saw Job, they could not even recognise him. They cried out. They tore their clothes. They put dust on their heads. v13 For a whole week, they sat with Job. They sat on the ground, even during the night. And they said nothing to him. They saw that Job was suffering greatly. So, they were silent.

 

Verse 11

Job’s friends came from three nations. They were intelligent men. Their speeches were clever. And they cared about Job. They wanted to sympathize with Job.

Verse 12

Job’s illness was very severe. The spots were so bad that the friends did not recognize Job. The friends wanted to show Job that they too were very sad.

Verse 13

The three friends were careful not to upset Job.

They sympathized with him.

They did not even leave him during the night.

They sat on the ash heap with Job.

They were polite. Perhaps they expected to talk with Job. But Job was not ready to speak. His pain was too great. His troubles were too terrible. Job just wanted to remain silent. His friends respected this. So they were silent until Job spoke.

The friends’ actions in chapter 2 were good and right. Later, they would say many foolish things. But in chapter 2, they really cared about Job.

A week later, Job and his friends began to speak. They tried to explain Job’s troubles. They made many mistakes in their speeches. But they also learned many wonderful things about God.

 

The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 Series: vs.20

*From The Excellent Woman of Proverbs 31 written in 1847 by Anne Pratt (1806-1893)

SHE STRETCHETH OUT HER HAND TO THE POOR;
YEA, SHE REACHETH FORTH HER HANDS TO THE NEEDY.

Proverbs 31:20

It would be impossible for any reader of the Holy Scriptures not to see how careful the great Jehovah has been to recommend to the care of the rich, the wants of their poorer brethren. The law of Moses abounded in humane institutions respecting the poor, and these would be familiar to the Jewish woman. Though her Bible had not the Gospels, with their illustrations of the living and dying love of the Redeemer; though the sacred volume of the ancient Hebrew told not of the self‐denying zeal of St. Paul, or other holy men of old, who lived and labored and suffered for others; though it had not the gentle and affectionate tenderness of the lovely and beloved disciple, yet its law made provision for kindness and humanity; and the poor and the destitute, the fatherless and the widow, were ever described as the peculiar objects of God's love and compassion,

   
There is something very expressive in the figure of the text: "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." It would seem to imply an attention to the wants of the poor, not forced upon her by immediate neighborhood. She waited not for the poor man to come to her door, but she went out to look for him.
She knew well that God loveth a cheerful giver. "When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterwards; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow" (Deu 24:19-21). 
 The poor who were near her rejoiced in her bounty, and the poor afar off were not forgotten. Even so may we see the ripplings of the waters around the pebble which is cast into the stream; and the ridges of water are fuller and larger nearest to the stone, and though they lessen as they recede, yet they form widening circles still, until they enclose the whole lake: just so were the deeds of love wrought by this woman, fullest in the charities of home, yet widening ever, until they encompassed the whole world in their embrace.