Monday, March 25, 2013

unwishful thinking



unwishful thinking

by David B Severy (Notes) on Monday, March 25, 2013 at 12:55pm


I watched Sod Roth with Ricardo Sanchez last night and something very interesting was said about hope. Sid asked Ricardo to tell about the difference between worldly hope and Kingdom hope. Ricardo said that worldly hope is from worldly desire for worldly things, but Biblical hope is the sure expectation of what will be in Christ's Kingdom. I saw that this touched on something my friend John H. taught us around 36 years ago. “The hope of the world is to wish it be so.” It is said “Wishing never made it so.” Worldly desires can arise our of desire for what God does not give, and we should know the difference between what God won’t give and what He longs that we receive! It will be perilous to wish to long and to passionately for what the world offers, for I fear one may will suppress the truth in the unrighteousness of desires and leave the Lord to obtain those unworthy things. Romans 1:18-32 ought to bring us to our knees often in HOPE OF, that is in prayerful faithful EXPECTATION OF our God’s true mercy and grace!

Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

They became vain in their imaginations? their wishes? In their desires? They had forgotten God, and lost the knowledge and relationship with God by which their hopes and desires could be pure, and for pure things. In their hope of what they might have apart from God in this world, they became vain, empty, and lost in the futility and frustration of that which is passing away.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
The hope of the believer is to expect the Kingdom, and anticipate it’s arrival, it’s becoming so, because IT IS coming !!!


Is it not this: in the unbelieving mind the imagination remains unconnected to the reality of the King and His Kingdom? Unbelievers imagine, wish for and get passionate about very dangerous and evil things! And they often obtain such things, everything from illicit sex, to dangerous drugs, to dangerous weapons, and even to dangerous occult powers. Is it that the devil responds to their wishes, their desires?

So perhaps we need to see hope in it's God approved context of righteous desire and expectation and everything else as lust for evil, corrupt and temporary things.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Are hope and faith not very close “cousins?” I think they are. 

Another friend, John M. told me that a definition of the word “king” is “can do.” Jesus can do almost anything, except sin and deny Abba, Holy Spirit and Himself. In the Messiah our God can do... and often does more that we ask or imagine! Nonetheless, let us ask! Or will we rather “have not because we ask not”? (James 4) And when we ask we should expect, we should HOPE without doubt that our prayers are heard and answered! Otherwise why pray at all! 


John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.


1 John 5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Essentially the crisis is always one of faith. And the attack is always on our faith in the form of a question : “Hath God said...” An "amplified" version of satans question to Eve might read: “Do you really believe God said don’t eat from that tree. Look at the fruit, look Eve. You won’t die, that fruit will open your eyes, you will become like God and you will know everything!”

Now we need to be on our toes in the Holy Ghost , but think with me. satan gave Eve a hope, he gave her an expectation. And she bought it. And Adam bought it. And he literally “bought the farm.”

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:17-19

So there is a false hope offered by the god of this world, we call it the lie. 

Expect an answer to your prayers, but be in Biblically grounded truth and the God ordained hope, not the false hope of satan and his propagandist lie spreaders!

John 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Expect a gift, and expect many gifts. God wants us rich in Spiritual gifts and generous with Spiritual Gifts, and He is not opposed to richness in material wealth, if we will not horde it! If we will be wise stewards, five talents will become 10 here and in this life and we should expect (hope for) this to happen. 

I have expected that God would teach me, that the Holy Spirit would guide me into all truth, and He is doing this! I hoped for this when I had lost the expectation of receiving from man what only God can do (the King “can do” !!!) I came to see that if I did not get validation from God what men were teaching and preaching, I had no real relationship to the Master Teacher Jesus! I was not able to be made new in my mind solely by the words of men. Man cannot substitute for God for any of us. I hope He will teach you and renew your mind too. That is: I expect without any doubt at all that He will, all you must do is expect it. Do what ever He leads and commands to receive the holy substance of faith, and renewal in the mind of Christ.  Not to wish for it and blow out a candle, but we must expect, we must hope for the substance, the real appearance of the substance of faith, your faith.Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

All our “christianese” “words” and “terms” are connected, though we tend to study them as isolated ideas. They are in fact like the 12 different fruits growing on ONE tree. Faith and Hope and power (by which God can do!), Love and holiness, salvation and sanctification, even covenant and dispensation, I believe others will occur to me later... grace, mercy, humility, meekness, goodness... 


God is not schizophrenic. His mind is one mind (in three agreed Persons). We are made in the image of God and were created that we would be forever in His likeness. We were constructed architecturally to look like God looks. We were made that way to be vessels of His Spirit and as one body of the Messiah for every one of us to "house" His likeness. We should Hope for this, it is our sure expectation! I do and Jesus does! We should, we must HOPE for we are called for restoration, to the 100% flawless perfection Jesus planned and prophesied for us as believers from long before we appeared in life! His Faith and Hope and Power, Love and Holiness, Salvation and Sanctification, Covenants and Dispensations, Grace, Mercy, Humility, Meekness, Goodness... EXPECT THEM ALL! Count on it to be yours! They are your inheritance as children of God grafted into the great Assembly!

Expect them, if you are born again from above, for they were downloaded from heaven, and installed in your operating system. When God made all things new in you, in me, he deleted all the old things, we are scrubbed cleaner that any computer hard drive ever has been or ever will be! In the new creation, all the data, all the programs all the memory are in God’s perfect order and are available for use according to our need AND the needs of others, without limitation, expect that it IS SO!
What ever deceit trips us up, however hard we fall, our HOPE, NOT OUR WISH, OUR EXPECTATION IN FAITH is that the Lord will old us up! 

 Psalm 37:23-25
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

We are made good men and women by faith in Jesus, we KNOW Jesus the TRUTH and He is making us free from the law of sin and death and sustaining us in the law of the Spirit of Life in the Messiah. !!!!!!!!!!!!


The Lord has led me to Ephesians Ch. 4 in this moment and I find is so amazingly to the point! We need to EXPECT the truth of this chapter make us free, for the truth of it is Jesus and when we know the truth He makes us free! Free to live in the Spirit of God, in the Holy Perfect Spirit of God walking as holy perfect sons and daughters of God!

The chapter (as does the book and the whole Bible!) stands as an undivided work of Truth, which we must eat, for man shall not live by bread alone.

Verse 4 is the only mention of hope in the chapter, yet is is completely, fully, perfectly wedded and embedded into the whole of the message. Not only do we have a sure expectation, but we are called to life in the arrival of all the fulness of that hope, which is one hope, the hope of God from God, from the King of His Kingdom. If we will latch onto this hope, this unbreakable Promise of God in the faith of God, there is any reason to think  that anything is this life will be more worthy than this Kingdom hope, this which is the sure expectation of unending and uninterrupted Glory in the Presence of God?  “Thy Kingdom COME in earth as it IS in heaven” ought to, yes? no?-  it ought to move from being our prayer to being our HOPE to being our reality as we live in Christ the truth. 

Ephesians 4
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

It's NOT FAIR!


As a christian, as a Gentile or a Jewish believer in the Messiah Jesus do you think “life is fair?” Or that it ought to be fair?

In light of the following scriptures what sort of fairness do you believe to be due you?

Matthew 5
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Acts 5
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

John 15
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 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; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.



The problem from where I sit and see things, and it has taken me 63 years to get here, is this: Humans without exception tend toward self absorbed narcissism, that is also called pride. It is the crowning UNvirtue of the prince and power of the air: satan. Adam sinned and gave the title deed to his soul into the hands of satan. But God had a better plan for humans.

Is it not true that the Messiah is God from before the worlds were made? Colossians is testimony to that as is Genesis 1 and John 1. So we see that before Yeshua was Jewish He was God.

And before Abram was called by God he was a Chaldean, and a member of a society devoted to idols (false gods). When God chose Abram and began the 2nd major stage of human redemption (Noah being the 1st stage) He began to shine His Divine Light into the world through a people we eventually have come to call Jews.

Because all are sinners, and to a greater or lesser degree blinded by satan and led about by his will, the work of God amongst men, which was moving inexorably to the first visit of Yeshua in human flesh was greatly opposed. Hence we see the emergence of Ishmael, Esau, Dathan, 10 cowardly spies, the tribes of Canaan, Sanballat and Tobiah, Assyria, Edom, Hophni and Phineas, Ahab, and some very evil Kings of Judah and Israel. Gentiles and Jews both, for even among the Jews themselves were those Jews who killed the prophets GOD SENT TO THEM!

It is not enough to be born of the bloodline of Isaac. THAT alone is no guarantee of salvation. Being born again from above by grace believing Yeshua, TRUSTING THE SON OF GOD, that is a guarantee of salvation.

John 1)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ~(but born again of God!!!)~


We see our existence as humans, as Jews, or as christians from the POV of “what can I do to save, feed, clothe, and comfort my own carcass before I die.” Yes even the religious are overly concerned with what has been called “being treated fairly.” I want to be treated fairly too.

But the pathology of all humanity resulted in the purposeful for ordained crucifixion of God with us Emmanuel!!!

That is why I quoted the words of Emmanuel, He who was treated cruelly by many of His own and at the end of His life rejected by almost all of them! At one point they all fled, ALL! Te shepherd had been stricken and they all scattered.

So what you say? Friends, if you follow Jesus, the world’s humans will hate you, they will mock and laugh at you they will spit at you, they will even crucify, stone or behead you, or drown you or burn you at a stake. The more righteous you are in this life the more you expose yourself to the enemies of God!

We want people to love us and to listen to the mesage of the gospel Jesus brings from His heart to ours and to our lips. But we can expect still that we will be as evilly treated as Jesus was. That is what Jesus warned us of in John 15, and it was a prophetic word, not a conjecture! The apostles had heard the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:10-12) and therefore were able to rejoice for the beating the received from the Jewish religious elites who has so recently beaten and crucified our Lord!

It was suggested to a pastor friend of mine that if he were not experiencing some form of persecution he ought to check to see if he was in the Messiah. As has been asked popularly: “If you were arrested for being a christian, (for being Messianic), WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU?”

Thoughts anyone? Do we want to be unopposed by the world? Do we want to be able to fit comfortably without controversy into the world? Into the land of Israel even? Or do we want to be like Paul and cause a riot or two for Jesus Name and sake before we leave this earth?

1 Peter 4
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.


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she asked, "ARE YOU A ZIONIST?"


ARE YOU A ZIONIST?

by David B Severy (Notes) on Friday, March 22, 2013 at 7:15pm
I'm not Pro Zion as much as I am Pro Jesus! The question is, "Is Jesus a Zionist?" 


There are zionists and then there are zionists. God has chosen Zion as His Dwelling place! And we know from revelation this amazing truth:


Revelation 21:3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.


We are the inhabitants of Zion! 


Isaiah 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.


Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.


Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.


Yet as gentiles, you are a gentile believer, yes? we need to be careful to understand how much God still loves not only unsaved gentiles but unsaved Jews, Jews who are the posterity of Abraham and Isaac and the near kin of Jesus Himself!


There is a false teaching in the gentile churches which goes way back to the 2nd century, that God is done with the Jews. Not so! He has blinded them in part until the fullness of the gentile has come into the Kingdom. And He has never ever forbidden any Jew who came to Him. 


John 6:37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.


Anti-semitism, and anti-Judaism are as old as Abraham, they are satan's hatred for man, and for God, and for God's Messianic plan to save men. After Jesus anti-semitism was brought in by anti-Christs (anti-Messiahs). 


Islam is certainly in truth the doctrine of the devil which hates and wants to purge all Jews and Christians from the earth! 


Satan and Islam are helped unwittingly by those in the churches who believe and promote the false idea that God is finished with Jews and more specifically that He has rejected them, and that the covenants He made with Abraham., Isaac, Jacob, David and with all who receive Jesus as Lord and Messiah are now invalid. They are not, and all that the Lord requires of the Jew is faith in the Messiah. When a Jew receives and believes Jesus all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David are his. or her everlasting possession, including the Land of Israel as long as the earth exists! 


We gentiles need to get it straight, God does not ever break His Word of Promise. 


We gentiles are taught this truth most specifically by Paul in his letter to Rome. The believing Roman churches were dividing Jew from gentile because of the presence of demonic influence in that seat of the worldly empire! No one wants to power share naturally and the sin nature and anti-Christs pried at Messianic/Christian unity between Jew and gentile until it finally split the church, a split that lasted for more than 1600 years! 


One teacher I respect as well studied and truly sincere (David Pawson) says Paul wrote the letter of Romans for the EXPRESS PURPOSE of preventing that split! I believe Pawson is right! This is clearly seen in Ch.'s 9 - 11. 


Remember Jesus said to the woman at the well: "...salvation is of the Jews."


We have an enemy yes? and that devil will lie as long as he exists, and we will be tempted to believe the lie as long as we are in the flesh. How well we resist will be determined by our will to KNOW the truth which will MAKE us FREE. The truth is Jesus never stops loving anyone and he and Abba have made promises to Israel, promises which INCLUDE the raw and painful prophetic facts of her three exiles, to Egypt, to Babylon and finally in 70 CE to the uttermost ends of the earth! 


And now since 1948 we see the hand of God gathering the dry bones  (unbelieving children ) of Jacob (Israel) from the four corners of the earth back to the Land He gave them via Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And we ought not be surprised that the devils army in the spirit world has recruited the children of Ishmael and Esau (and many other gentiles) to destroy the dry bones. Why? Because God is getting ready to breathe on those dry bones again! HalleluYah! When He does it will usher in the Millennial reign of Jesus the Messiah who will rule from Jerusalem over the entire globe for 1000 years~!



19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. [John 4]
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I've been framed!


 ... I've been FRAMED! 
(text below pictures)





satan by the power of the deceit of sin (satan=sin=deceit=the lie) put a wedge between Eve and Adam. Adam chose the fruit Eve offered him! Eve was deceived, Adam did CHOOSE. Adam's CHOICE caused them and ALL their children to be taken captive by satan into sin. 

The consequences are many, but God "framed" all the consequences of this catastrophe in Genesis 3:

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

With all my heart I believe we need to meditate on this section of God's Holy Message. We need to chew on it like a cow does the cud, and let it sink deeply into our hearts.

"I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes."
Psalm 119:8-12
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Friday, March 22, 2013

misunderstand perfectly

click on pics to enlarge
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Three quotes on Christian Unity

A quote from Charles Spurgeon found on facebook: 

  "If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring." - Charles Spurgeon 

   When I began to follow Jesus one thing He impressed on me,  was that there is but one true church which is the one body of Christ. Here is another gem of a quote by Phillip Schaff on reformed vs evangelical theology which boils away that doctrinal division beautifully. 
    

 "Calvinism emphasized divine sovereignty and free grace; Arminianism emphasized human responsibility. The one restricts the saving grace to the elect; the other extends it to all men on the condition of faith. Both are right in what they assert; both are wrong in what they deny. If one important truth is pressed to the exclusion of another truth of equal importance, it becomes an error, and loses its hold upon the conscience. The Bible gives us a theology which is more human than Calvinism and more divine that Arminianism, and more Christian than either of them." ~ Phillip Schaff 

   And finally this very special word from Jan Sjoerd Pasterkamp ~ seen in Furious Love, a documentary by Darren Wilson and Wanderlust Productions   

 “There was an interview with a Dutch church historian, and they asked him, these BBC people, about the Dutch church, and he made the most interesting remark, he said, ‘We have dozens of protestant denominations and Christian groups because to the Dutch person truth is more important than unity.’ And when I heard it, I thought, I’ve tried to say in a whole sermon what you said in one sentence. What he meant by truth and rightly analyzed, is my interpretation of the Bible, my dogmatic views, my doctrinal views. But Jesus said, ‘I am the truth.’ Truth is not a teaching; truth is a person. And if you have that person you have that truth, and in that person is always unity. But if we put our understanding of the scripture and our doctrinal views higher than the person of Jesus… and I’m going to say maybe something very sharp, and I want to say it respectfully and honorably… we worship idols. Anything we place above the Lord Jesus is an idol. Our unity is not in a teaching, it is in a person and in a person you always find one another."  ~ Jan Sjoerd Pasterkamp 

  Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
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Friday, March 15, 2013

A NOTE to American Patriots


A NOTE to American Patriots

by David B Severy (Notes) on Friday, March 15, 2013 at 5:04pm
"Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17


I plead with you now, you who are troubled about our nation, to hear what God is saying. Not me, not Obama and not Rush Limbaugh.


Hebrews 4:12 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)  
See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.

For 12 years now I have been disabled with nothing better to do than study God's word, seek out His prophets, and commune with Him. I have not done this in every waking moment, many too many hours and days have slipped away in lesser pursuits, and I have sinned much in them. Nevertheless, God has forgiven me and taught me. He can teach you too!

Hebrews 11:6 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)  
And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out. 

God did not send Jesus the first time to establish an earthly Kingdom. He came to seek and save that which was lost and begin to build His church.


If you dig into God's word and leave behind the presuppositions of those with political agendas for this mortal life, you will understand that Jesus came so that we would have peace from heaven, not from the barrel of a gun, not even from the success of a democratic republic or a national constitution! Swords are not the end! They outdated today, they are not presently God's Way for warring against His and His churches enemies!


The ultimate war is the war against the lie of satan which deceives people and keeps them from being saved in Jesus! God wants all men to be saved! Satan and his lie, and those who speak his lie are keeping those who believe his lie on a fast track to hell!


2 Peter 3:9Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, he is patient with you; for it is not his purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins.


Don't confuse the high emotion of patriotism for the will of God! Don't think God needs America to be free to accomplish His purposes. Don't think He needs America to be strong. God defeated satan for you who are saved (and you who will yet be saved) by sending His Son in weak and mortal HUMAN flesh to die an ignominious and UNDEFENDED death on the cross!  


Luke 22
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Matthew 26
51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?


2 Corinthians 10:3-6 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.


God does say through Joel :


Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.


But do you know to whom He is speaking ??????????


Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.


Micah 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords intoplowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.


Ephesians 6  ~  New Living Translation (NLT)


The Whole Armor of God


10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.


13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.


19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

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