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irishman

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  1. irishman
    The Characteristics of Love

    1. Love desires reciprocation.
    A one-sided love promotes frustration and discontent.
    Love desires company (companionship). 1 John 4:19.

    2. Love is unbiased, without prejudice.
    It is unconditional;
    Conditioned love is mock love.

    3. Love is eternal.
    There is no “falling out of love”;
    Nothing can replace true love, as it has no end.

    4. Love cannot be described.
    No words adequate enough to describe love. (“so much” as in John 3:16)
    Love is seen in action, not in words. (Calvary).

    5. Love is not self-seeking.
    There is no pride in love; no self seeking.
    Love is “others” minded, it gives and asks nothing in return.

    6. Love is pure.
    Real love promotes chastity.

    7. Love is powerful.
    Love brings the strongest and most nOBle of men to their knees.

    8. Love is motivational.
    It promotes Truth;
    Love demands action.
  2. irishman

    Hell

    By irishman,

    Hell

    “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” Isa. 5:14

    In our text verse, we see one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Hell always makes room for more; she is never full.

    In his book, “End Times” J. Dwight Pentecost says that scientist speculate that hell may be a planet. They say that the hottest fire there is, is a black fire that burns so hot that it makes its own fuel! Sounds impossible but they say that it will never burn out, it is a liquid-like fire, as a lake! Similarly the Bible speaks of a lake of fire where the devil is ultimately cast into, and shall remain there forever. In fact, the Bible has much to say about hell, and none of it is good.

    First, it says that hell is a place of unquenchable fire:

    “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:” (Mark 9:43) It is better to go through life maimed than to end up in hell. To be honest, some argue that this refers merely to the grave, but if so, it is representative of hell since there is no fire in the grave.

    Another reference to hell, is seen in Luke 16:

    “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:23,24)

    There definitely is a hell, and it is HOT! It is a place of torment; a place of darkness, and a place of suffering; it is a nice place to stay away from! The torment of hell is all through the one that goes there: “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” (Mk. 9:49).
    Years ago men used to salt their meet to preserve it. They rubbed the salt all over the meat in order to allow it to penetrate the hide, and it became salted through and through. They would hang the animal up, and skin it, and rub the meet for hours to be sure it would not spoil quickly, the reference here is that in hell men are rubbed with fire until it permeates their entire being! They do not merely burn on the outside, but on the inside too!

    There are “flames” in hell; the only way we can Have flames is if there is fire! Imagine with me a place where (close your eyes and “see it”) flames are dancing up in total darkness; now picture the distorted face of a loved one--only the face can be seen--hovering in the darkness, writhing in pain, and crying out in agony. The flames never cease; the pain never quits, and the soul is left in despair. See with me, many faces, all twisting in agony, all calling out …weeping and wailing, and gnashing their teeth because of the intense pain. This is hell, my friends; this is the hope of many lost men. There is little pain more excruciating than burning pain.


    Secondly, hell is a place of darkness:

    Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13) This darkness is a total darkness where no light is--ever. Then there is Jude 1:6:
    “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

    It is a darkness that may be felt:
    “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”

    This too speaks of the judgment of hell. Imagine a darkness that is so dark that it can be felt!
    Our family took a trip one time to West Virginia. Went through an old coal mine which was a tourist attraction. About midway through, the guide turned off all the lights, and it was so dark that you could not see the hand in front of your face, even from a fraction of an inch away! It was an eerie feeling. That, my friends, is the darkness that the Bible speaks of that one can “feel”.


    Finally, Hell is a bottomless pit.

    “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.”

    Have you ever had a sensation of falling? That is what its like in hell--a constant falling--falling in total darkness! Can you imagine? Some have had dreams of falling, and said that it was a scary feeling, a sensation of helplessness and instability. And smoke? Who likes smoke? Hell is definitely a place of torment and anguish. It’s a place “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) Hell is filled with smoke, and a constant feeling of falling, but never finding a foothold.

    “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:15)

    Where they “shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 8:12)

    And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Mt. 13:42)

    And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Rev. 14:11)

    “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10)

    Hell is reserved for the devil and his angels, but those that reject Christ and his sacrifice on Calvary will be cast there with him, and I promise you it will not be sweet. The Bible says that now is the time, today is the day of salvation; won’t you take Christ as your savior? You do not have to go there, my friend, you have a choice.

    Give the Gospel, and invitation.
  3. irishman
    Spreading the Seed

    Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. (Hag. 2:9)

    Though the immediate text speaks of the blessing of God, and the lack of it, one cannot ignore the question he asks “Is the seed yet in the barn?” I wonder if the Gospel seed is lying dormant in your barn?
    Friends, we need to get the seed out of the barn; we need to spread the Word and allow the seed to grow into a great tree of faith in the lives of others; we need to be OBedient to that heavenly calling. As each of us read these words, our thoughts are “I am ok, I am doing enough”, but are we really doing enough? Is the seed yet in the barn? Seed left in the barn will rot; it is of no use at all until it is planted in the soil, and watered.

    The apostle Paul did not do enough; King David did not do enough; Moses did not do enough, nor does anyone else, except our Lord. Only He can truly say, “It is finished”. Men have traversed the oceans, and climbed to the highest heights that this earth affords, only to realize that they had not done enough; they were not satisfied and had not fulfilled their tasks. It is never enough. The message for us today is “Go, go, go!”. Let us look closely at the command:

    “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mk. 16:15).

    “GO” is the command to all of us, with no exceptions. Those who are not physically able to “go” can go by proxy and in fact “send” others, thereby going through them, and with them.
    “GO YE” the little word “ye” is a plural word, and means “You all”, or “all of you”. Again the command is all-inclusive; it is personalized and generalized; for everyone individually, as well as collectively.

    1. Where are we commanded to go? “Into all the world”. “All” is another small world that says a lot. We are to leave out not one, but to reach every corner of the world. Friends, this is a big world; we cannot, as individuals, reach every corner of the world; it is, for the most part, impossible if not merely impracticable. This command therefore, speaks of missions also, where we can, by proxy, all reach the entire world. Let us not be negligent in “going”.

    The command “Go ye” entails “all of you”; “Ye” is a plural term, and speaks of every Christian, and every church. We are all told to “go”, and collectively, we can reach every corner of the world.

    2. What are we expected to do? Preach the Gospel. When we preach we see a threefold outline in one word:
    1.“Preach” to
    2. “Reach”
    3. “Each” person with the Gospel of Christ. We have been fully equipped to do so; “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” ( 2 Tim. 3:17). The Word of God has equipped us for the task at hand. This means that we are without excuse--we all have the ability to reach others with the Gospel message, and are fully equipped to do so. If you don’t know how to lead someone to the Lord, that is your fault, not the Lord’s; if you are afraid to go, that too is your fault, and the entire blame rests on you. Some have said “I don’t know what to say” or, like Moses, “I am not eloquent” (in a sense), but that too is only fear, we are still commanded to go. We are to “preach the Gospel”. By this command, even ladies are able to “preach” when they give the Gospel to lost souls, lest any say they are excluded from the command.

    3. Whom are we to reach? “Every creature”. Not only is none excluded from the command, but none from the hearing of the message; we are to exclude no one, and to be OBlivious to race, creed, or orientation; we are not to be “respecters of persons”.
    Now, OBviously this “creature” is man, and not beast, as they have no sense of spiritual things; but many times we become judges, and determine some men to be “beasts” and therefore exempt from the hearing of the Gospel. We begin to “choose” who we will “preach” to, and leave some to fall by the wayside.

    I ask you, my friends, “Is the seed yet in the barn”? Is it hidden deep inside of you so that it is of no practical use for anyone else? Is it too small a seed that you feel it will not bear fruit? Whatever the case, we are to “go”; one preacher put it this way: “If you take the “go” out of Gospel, all you have left is a spel (spell). Perhaps you have taken the “go” out of Gospel; if so, break that spell that fear and the devil has upon you. “Go“, for the sake of Calvary; “Go” for the sake of others; “Go” for your own sakes, that the Word of God may dwell richly in you, and be fruitful, and the kingdom of God will be multiplied, and you will be blessed beyond measure until your “cup runneth over” with blessings.

    4. How long are we to “go”? Isaiah asked this same question when speaking to the Lord: “Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.” (Isa. 6:11,12) Just previous to this, the Lord commanded Isaiah to go and preach to the people: “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” (Isa. 6:9,10) Today we are to go until there is no more going, and speak until we can no longer speak the name of Jesus unto men; we are to go even if they will not hear us. Though Isaiah’s message was a different message to a chosen people, we too are to until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and until the houses of men be utterly desolate, and men flee from our presence, and there be a great forsaking in the land. Our call is not much different than Isaiah’s call--go, and preach until there is no one else to preach to.

    Is the seed still in the barn? It is time for the planting for soon it will be harvest time. Oh that we would not say with the prophet “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20)
  4. irishman

    Clothing

    By irishman,

    Genesis 3

    “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (2:25)

    “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (3:10)

    In this chapter, and in the last verse of the previous chapter, we see the main reason for clothing. Did you ever wonder why you wear what you wear? Clothing is basically to cover our shame (nakedness). In verse 7 of chapter 3, we see that they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves, because they were naked. They did not know what it meant to be naked before this, and had no shame because of their innocence. Even after the Lord confronted them, they needed to cover their shame, and He provided the skin of the animal, the innocent one, to cover their shame. We see in this a picture of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. He too died to cover our shame, and in Him we are made whole again, and OBtain eternal life. The point I would like to make is that our clothing need not be ostentatious, but simple, as long as it covers us. Anything more than covering our nakedness is pride. Do we need to be adorned with the nicest apparel? Do we need diamond-studded outfits to cover our shame? Of course not. Something much more simple will do. Of course women need to dress modestly, as in Titus 2:9, but even this seems to be speaking of avoiding the showy, attention drawing, and pride building clothing that we often like to wear. It is linked to “gold or pearls, or costly array”, and speaks of dressing “humbly” as much as decently. To “feel good about ourselves” is the worlds’ desire, and ought not to be our desire when it comes to dressing. This thinking is based on pride, which is the bane of all good men and women in every generation. Back to our verses: the shame did not come until the knowledge came. They were not ashamed until after “their eyes were opened” and they became “as gods, knowing good and evil” (3:5).

    It is the knowledge then that brought the fear. The knowledge of what? Of good and evil: of the ability to discern between the two. This remains the crux of the matter. When we seek out the flashy, sexy, or showy type apparel, we are merely feeding our ego. This may be hard to swallow, but it is true, nonetheless. We like to offer excuses at to why we dress the way we do, we even try to make it “spiritual”, but the bottom line is pride. For our own satisfaction we want to “look nice”, when we ought to be concerned with covering ourselves. I must be fair, and say that we dress for warmth too, but that is not all the time, and even that should fit the guidelines of “modesty” and humility. Did not our Savior dress “humbly” He deserved spectacular a rOBe of purple, but wore a simple rOBe of white. Folks, be sure your pride shows in the way you dress, and in your appearance in this world; yes, others can see it, even if you will not. It’s for men and women alike.

    (Note: The word “modest” in Titus 2:9 means both in a moral aspect, and in a humble aspect. Here is the Dictionary definition of “modest: “

    1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.

    2. Not bold or forward; as a modest maid. The word may be thus used without reference to chastity.

    3. Not loose; not lewd.
  5. irishman
    Hosea 4

    “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (v. 6)

    I thank God that He gave the New Testament church a special promise; that he would never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13: 5 c), which is an indirect quote from Joshua 1: 5. Our God is “there” for us all the time. The first part of this is still true today, (of course) we are destroyed for lack of knowledge. We do not hear enough “truth” and when we do, we do no believe it easily. We need to be convinced. God’s Word is truth, from the beginning to the end; it is true all the way through, word by word in the King James Bible, so that that Book is all we need of truth. Yet, God’s people die because of a lack of knowing it. Sure, we all die anyway, but there are several promises in the Bible for longevity and God cannot lie or trick us by deceit, if only we would believe His Word, the people of God would not, and could not be destroyed. To have the Lord reject us would lead to very dire consequences, and we would be “of all men, most miserable”.

    As the Lord withdrew Himself from Israel at times, He has promised never to do so with us. Heb. 13 :5, the latter part, tells us so, and we can believe it, and rest assured that it is so. What a joy to know that He will never leave us for a moment, nor forsake us altogether; we can walk in the assurance of His eternal presence.

    In Israel, God withdrew Himself from them for the purpose of judgment; He removed His blessings from them. They were disOBedient to His Word, and He had to turn from them, just as they had from Him, but, thank God today for Jesus, He is the King of grace unto us. Grace allows God to remain with us, for Jesus’ sake, and continue to abide in us, in spite of our foolishness. He does not condone our sin, nor accept it in any way, but He allows us to continue in Him, and He in us. He no longer needs to judge us, that has been taken care of at Calvary, but now He is there to comfort; to guide; to bless us in a multitude of ways, for Jesus’ sake, and only for Jesus’ sake. It is not because of us, but because of Jesus that He does so; we would do well to remember that. Take comfort in the fact the our Lord will never, ever leave us, no, not for a second, but mostly, thank God that he will never abandon us altogether and leave us to perish in the pits of hell forever. I shudder to think of what life might be like if He ever decided to leave us, and turn His back on our sin and grief. Thank God mightily for the King of grace, Jesus Christ, by whom is the promise given unto us.
  6. irishman

    Kisses

    By irishman,

    Kisses

    “And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” (Gen. 27:26)

    A kiss is usually an outward expression of love. There are many “kisses” in the Bible (in 19 verses) that speak of the character of man. I offer a few of them in this document.

    1. The kiss of affection:
    In the verse I selected, the first “kiss” in the Bible, JacOB greets his beloved son with a kiss. He seems to know there is something amiss, but blesses JacOB anyway, instead of Esau. Though deceptive on JacOB’s part, the kiss was an expression of affection by Isaac.
    A kiss can speak of many diabolical deceptions, and it can be a gesture of endearment, and love, it can go both ways.

    2. The kiss of deception:
    In 2 Samuel 20:9 we read; “And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.”

    This is a very diabolical and subtle kiss, with evil intent.
    To kiss in this manner, or to feign to do so, speaks of trust and companionship to the one, but evil is the motive of the other. This kiss betrays trust and catches the unwary victim by subtlety.

    3. The kiss of allegiance and loyalty:
    Though used metaphorically, we have another type of kiss which speaks;

    “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

    This is where Elijah sought refuge in the Lord because of Jezebel. Though he seemed despondent, the Lord assured him that He had seven thousand faithful followers in Jerusalem, that had “kissed” the Lord, and not Baal.

    4. The kiss of faith:
    This is also a kiss of loyalty and love. Again we see the word “kiss” used metaphorically, as an act of endearment, but aimed in the right direction. The verse I refer to is Psa. 2:12:

    “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

    To “kiss the Son (note the capital “S”) is to draw close to Jesus; it is to hold Him in our heart, and admire Him greatly in our thoughts, and it speaks of intimacy with our Lord, without which we have nothing.

    5. The kiss of reward and appreciation:

    “Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.” (Prov. 24:26)

    Again we see the metaphor for kiss. The word “kiss” seems to speak many different “languages“, and apply many different ways. Men respect an honest man whether they admit it or not. They may never let him know it, but they respect his honesty and openness, it is natural to do so. Most likely, the man that gives a right answer will be upright in his affairs, he will be honest in business.

    6. The kiss of betrayal:

    “Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.” (Mt. 26:48)

    The kisses of a false friend hurt deeply when he is discovered; they pierce us to the heart, and cause much consternation in our life, yet they are more common, I think, than we realize. Jesus asked Judas a convicting question: “But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” (Lk. 22:48). One wonders how low we can go when betrayal is our goal? Perhaps it was more than the money, the thirty pieces of silver, which amounted to quite a sum for them, perhaps it was a deep-seated evil a love for the world--Satan’s world, hidden deep within his heart. Betrayal on any level is evil; whether in marriage, in business, or in societal matters, their always seems to be an ulterior motive.

    7. The kiss of salutation:

    Five verses, the last five in the Bible that contain the word “kiss” speak of greeting “one another with a holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16); or 1 Cor. 16:20~2 Cor. 13:12~1 Thess. 5:26, each of these say essentially the same thing but the last mention of “kiss” changes just a bit:

    “Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Pet. 5:14)

    A “kiss of charity“, of brotherly love; of giving to the need of a brother. Charity means the same thing it means today, loving enough to see to the needs of others. This too is a wonderful and kindly and God-like kiss.
  7. irishman

    The Church

    By irishman,

    The invincible church

    “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 18:16)

    Did Christ die for the church, or for the work of the church? We must ponder that question in our hearts, each one of us. He came and ministered unto men as an example of our work as a Christian, but did he die for the work? Those who are “church builders” would be interested to know. We see an invincible church, and not an invisible church.
    In Matt. 16:18, He told Peter “…Upon this Rock I will build my church…” and for ages, good men have asked “What Rock is Jesus speaking of?” My friends, we have all heard different ideas as to what this means, but letting the Bible explain itself is always the interpretation. In the verses previous to this, we see the answer as to what is “The rock?”
    It begins in verse 13, where Jesus questions the disciples as to who he is. Peter responds with a wonderful answer, and a great truth for each of us to remember:
    “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. “ (Mt. 16: 16) My friends, this is the rock that Christ built his church on, that Christ is the Son of the Living God. It is built on principle, and not on persons. The fact that Christ is the Son of God, yea, God Himself, is our Rock; it is as solid as you can get. The winds of time, trials, or tempests will not prevail against it, because it is built on a rock. That, my friends, is what the church is built on.
    There are 79 references to the church in the New testament, and all but a few were written to a local church; this includes the seven churches of Asia, in the Book of Revelation. A few of those seventy-nine churches were spoken of before the day of Pentecost, including the common passage we use for church discipline in Mt. 18 17. What did Christ mean when He said to take it before the church?

    The church was not established at Pentecost.

    The Inception of the Church

    The dispensationalist says that when Christ said “Upon this rock will I build my church”, that He meant He would build it (future tenses) at Pentecost. They focus on the words “will I” being a future act, which it was, partially. The church was not yet established, but at Calvary He also said “It is finished”, meaning that work which he set out to do, which could include the building of His church. To claim Pentecost as the inception of the church is a haphazard guess at most; we do not know for sure when the church actually was finished, although we do know from Scripture, that it began with Christ.
    As I have already stated, Mt. 16:18 was a future event at the time Jesus spoke it. He could not have built His church before the redemption of man at Calvary lest it be built of unbelievers! “Pentecost” means “fifty”, or, some say “fifty days” which we believe took place fifty days after Christ’s resurrection. If the church did not come into being until Pentecost where was the body of Christ for those fifty days? Where was the “bride” of Christ? There would have to be a gap of fifty days in the building of the church to make that possible. No, the church was “born” at Calvary, when Christ said “It is finished” so was the foundation of the church.
    What gives the dispensationalist the right to predict when the church began at Pentecost just because it was a future event? They apply it to Pentecost, with no scriptural support, except that there was “added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2: 47); you cannot add to something until it already exists! The church needed to precede Pentecost before it could be “added to”. It does not take much thinking to realize that the church had to come into being sometime between Mt. 16:18 and Acts 2; the greatest event in history took place between these times--Calvary. I believe that the church was finished at Calvary, and in full swing going into the Book of Acts. In Acts, men added to the church, but the church itself was already established on Christ and Calvary. The work of men was not finished as of yet, but it was “in the making” in the Book of Acts. This is where the controversy lies, I believe, in the establishment of the church according to mans view of it. Mans work in, and on the church is never done until we all get to glory, but the foundation has been laid, and the true church has been built, on the precept that “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Two verse later, Jesus told Him that He would build His church on this--the rock of truth, and the fact that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God.


    A universal, invisible church has no shepherd.

    A church must have a leader. Someone must step up and take the reins, and God has seen to it that it will be so. He provided men for the task; men of His choosing, pastors, evangelists, teachers, etc. (Eph. 4:11) for the edifying of the church. Without a shepherd we are as sheep having no shepherd. Isa. 53:6 comes to mind: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Without a shepherd, we have chaos, and anarchy; we will have “turned every one to his own way”, and found the way of destruction. Where is the leader of the “invisible” church? Who can lead them as one body? (See Acts 28:28)

    A church must have unity
    How can a universal, invisible church be one unit? They do not have fellowship with one another; they have no inkling of the existence of the other, no personal communication or communion; they cannot be “one body in Christ”. the arm may be in one place, and the leg in another; the nose may be sniffing out souls, but the feet are not led to go to them. Even though one may sow and another may water, they are not unified in the effort, they are as one person doing whatever suits them.


    An invisible church has no authority:

    Again, who is the leader of the invisible church? Name him if you can. God has established authority, and set guidelines for us to follow within the confines of His will, but the universal church has no one to unify them, none to exercise authority over them. You are prOBably thinking, “they answer only to God“, but I again remind you that each man will do “that which is right in his own sight“, and there will be chaos. There are some though who supposed themselves to be members of this “mystery” church, and we can read about them in Matthew 7; 22: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” Jesus attests that He "never knew them".

    The epistles were written to local churches--real churches that were active in their community. Theses “local” churches, are local to their own vicinity; they are not a universal nor invisible church of all believers everywhere, because all believers everywhere are already the true church! The Body of Christ is wide spread, but not everyone who claims to be “of the body” can rightly say they are of “the church”. If all we did was ask the Lord to save us, then we could have an invisible universal church, but we must ask, believing. Truly the Bible says that “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13), but isn’t that preceded by vs. 9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.? Are there not many who, perhaps, had fooled themselves into thinking they were saved? Of course there are! (Mt. 7:22). These examples in Matthew have even prophesied in Christ’s name; they have cast out devils, which seems to be a privilege of the elect of God, and done “many wonderful works”, but they did not have the heart for Christ. Though they shined as premier Christians among the brethren for their works, they were lost, and Christ had to tell them to depart from Him, attesting that He never knew them. They were not of the church. They no doubt could have furnished witnesses to great deeds they did; no doubt they had a time that they verbally called upon the name of the Lord, but they had an evil heart of unbelief which no man could see. They were not a part of the church; the universal church could claim them, because it has no shepherd; it could claim them because it has no authority; it could claim them because they had met the qualifications of the “church”, but they were lost, they were not of the true church.



    The Unified Church

    What is the church?
    The “Body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27)
    The “Bride of Christ”
    The “House of God”. (1 Tim. 3:15)
    The “General assembly” (Heb. 12:23)
    One body (Rom. 12:5) (1 Cor. 12:20)

    Who makes up the church?
    Believers. All believers, everywhere. (1 Cor. 12:13, 14)
    Jewish believers in Christ (Eph. 2:16)

    Facts to consider:
    79 mentions of “church” in the New testament;
    Nearly the entire New testament speaks of local churches;
    Almost all the Epistles were written to local assemblies.
    Church is “in God” and “In Christ“ (1 Thess. 1:1 and 2Thess. 1:1)
    “Church” means “called out assembly”; (assembly can also be translated as “church”)
    The church is the “Pillar and ground of the Truth” (1 Tim. 3:15)
    Churches sometimes met in houses; (Philemon 1:2)
    --Out in the open; (Acts 7:38)
    --In regular buildings. (Rev. Chapters 2,3)

    Church established before Pentecost. (Mt. 16: 18)
    The church had to exist before Pentecost, else there was no church between the crucifixion and the introduction of the Holy Spirit.
    Twice Christ mentions the church during His earthly ministry, (Mt. 16:18 and 18:17) and goes as far as establishing the order for discipline in the New Testament church. (Spoken in present tense).

    Every church was a “local assembly”.
    “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth”…1 Cor. 1:2~ 2 Cor 1:1
    “Unto the churches of Galatia”…Gal. 1:2, and etc.
    Seven churches of revelation, etc.

    Every church has a shepherd: (Eph. 4:11)
    They are as sheep which have no shepherd, scattered and confused.
    They have no leadership, no authority.
    There must be authority in the church, for it is God-ordained.

    Every church has ordinances:
    Who does the Baptizing in the “invisible” church?
    Who takes the communion supper, and who passes it out?
  8. irishman

    “Heroes”?

    By irishman,

    “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. “ (Eccl. 3:20)

    “Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?” (Eccl. 6: 6)

    Both of these verses teach us an important truth, that death is the same for all men. The “great ones” that we exalt in sports today, those who have given their lives and hearts to the game, even they will ultimately end up in the same place as the sluggard and the slouch. Though they may spend hours away from their families, and sacrifice many meals and much quality time with friends and loved ones, they will have the same end as those who did not sacrifice any of these things. It is all vanity.

    Though many enjoy fame and fortune for a time, and give their “all” for success in business or in sports, or whatever they wish to excel in, they all end in the same grave, and all turn to mere dust. Greatness only lasts for awhile when it is OBtained by worldly means. Riches give us a little respect here on earth, and often gain the envy of others, but what are they when death comes our way? Can you see the futility of these things? Do you see the irony of it? Solomon did. He knew it was all “vanity and vexation of the spirit.” It almost seems unfair that those who excel so much, who give their entire lives to success, should end up the same as those who did nothing, but that is the way it is when we build our hope on the things of this world and not on Christ. Though many of these athletes or millionaires, or even soldiers are thought of as “heroes” they die the same as the pauper and the coward. No matter what contribution they made to society, or what they had achieved, they build their houses on sand, and it does not stand against the storm. They live in a house of paper, and the foundation is as unstable as the waves of the sea. The only thing that really matters is whether they know Christ as their Savior or not.

    The saint who dies in Christ is assured of a happy “forever”. His end is not as futile as theirs, he has treasure untold, and CAN take it with him. Our “heroes” ought to be men and women of God that spiritually “move mountains” in the Lord’s work, and make a real difference in the lives of others. They do not have to all be preachers, but faithful servants unto whom the Lord will say “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Any one of us can hear those words from the lips of our Savior; then we will be “heroes” indeed. Let’s make our “heroes” those who seek the Lord with the same tenacity that the sports figures, politicians, and all those others seek after their goal, and we will share in the fame and glory of God and men.
  9. irishman

    Jonah 3

    By irishman,

    So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. (v. 5)

    Jonah was sent with a particular message to a particular people. One must be careful to always speak that which the Lord gives them, nothing less, and nothing more. Remember, it was the Word that Jonah preached that brought repentance, and not the man himself, or his delivery. We put too much stock in methods!
    The Lord cautioned him to preach the “preaching that I bid thee” (v.2) and Jonah was careful to say exactly that. We do not know all that God told him, but he did tell them that they would be destroyed shortly, in forty days. It was a message of doom. The Bible says that the people of Nineveh “believed God” and repented. Folks, men always were saved by faith. Their faith led them to repentance. Look at how they prayed “mightily unto God” and turned from their wicked ways, (2 Chron. 7:14), and found mercy in the eyes of the Lord: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. (v. 8) These folks were serious in their repentance! Not only did they pray, but they also fasted. Now I am not sure how potent a forced fast is with the Lord, but He seems to have honored the faith of the people each time a public fast was proclaimed.

    True fasting seems to contain a certain element of sorrow. Always when we see a people fasting in the Bible, it is not for wisdom, or financial needs, but for sorrow of heart. It is the sorrowful heart that compels a compassionate God to move on our behalf. Nineveh was definitely sorrowful to think that they would all be destroyed in forty days, but they were also afraid. Great fear compels great fasting, and prayer unto our Great God. Any time we read about “sackcloth” the theme is great sorrow. In foreign countries when the king was sorrowful, the entire country was to be sorrowful; when he fasted, the people fasted, whether they understood the prOBlem or not. Though I do no like to compare the preacher to the king, when he proclaims a fast, we all need to participate. He is our leader in spiritual things.
  10. irishman

    The Tithe

    By irishman,

    The Tithe
    (13 references in the Bible)

    Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
    Gen 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
    Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

    I suppose, when it comes to discussing the tithe, that we must start at the beginning. In Gen 14, we see two things that should be of interest to us:

    1. That Melchizedek initiated the “bread and wine” of communion in honor of Abraham.
    2. That Abraham gave a tithe of all that he had taken, lest some claim to have favored Abraham, and made him rich through the tithe.

    The “tithe” in Gen. 14 was given in response to the communion of victory that Melchizedek initiated. It was also in response to the blessing that Melchizedek bestowed upon him. The picture here is that the Lord blesses us, and we give to him that which we know He has given to us! It seems, to the human mind, a bit redundant to give from what He gives us, but the beauty of the whole scene is the communion that we have with Christ. The Lord shows, in many ways, that a little bit can do a lot when it is given with a pure heart. So, here one might see the establishment of the tithe, and the “why” behind it. Everything the Lord does has reason, and that includes the tithe.
    Sometimes the reason is for teaching; sometimes it is for celebration (as here); and sometimes it for reasons perhaps unknown to us, but not without merit. The tithe was for Israel, God’s chosen people. It was an important part of their worship, showing that God is greater than man, and is worthy of all our attentions. This is the first reference to the tithe in the Bible. It foreshadowed things to come in the structure of the church.

    The next reference is in Leviticus 27:30:

    Lev 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.

    Here we find that God has sanctified the tithe, and “It is holy”. Abraham seems to have impressed God greatly with the tithe, and the Lord adapted it into His law; it remains a tribute to the righteousness of God, and the subjection of man to His will. Verse 32 carries it a little further:

    Lev 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

    The tithe covered everything that is important to man, the fruit of the land, and the wealth of the livestock. It becomes a sacrifice.
    Mans sustenance, all that he has, (Gen. 14:20) was what the Lord has allowed him, and the tithe the Lord kept for Himself. Some refute the tithe because our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He has no need of a tithe, but in so doing, they question the veracity of the Lord, and His Word, and dishonor Him by holding back that which is holy unto Him. Though they tithed of crops and livestock, our culture today tithes of monetary gain, as well as the proper stewardship of all we have.

    In Numbers 18:26 we have another reference to the tithe:

    “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.”

    First, we have here an explanation of what the tithe was for. God had given it to the Levites instead of an inheritance in Israel. He demanded a tithe from the people, and passed it on to the Levites, much of what we do today in the church. Remember the Old Testament was a shadow of things to come, it was a picture of God dealing with His people, and today, if we are born from above, we are His people. In Numbers 18:23, we have the duty of the Levites, and the expression that they shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel. Several verses in that text reiterate the purpose of the tithe.


    Here is a reference that deserves consideration in Deut. 12:11 :

    Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

    Doesn’t this sound as if it could also refer to the church? Is not the church a “place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there”? He is providing a place for us today also called “the church“ and is specific in what we are to bring there. Now that is not “smoking gun” proof, I realize, but let us continue our study:

    Deuteronomy 14:22:
    “And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.”

    An interesting verse indeed; here, the Lord is again very specific as to what the tithe is, and more so He offers the real and best reason behind the tithe--“That thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always” (Note the word “always”) The tithe is to glorify the Lord always.
    “Always” means forever, every generation, till the end of time; it was given to the Jew, because the Gentiles were heathen and had no part in the things of God, but it was for all of God’s children everywhere, and in every age. If this were not true, we make God a liar in saying that it is “forever”, do we not? We must all ask ourselves why we don’t want to tithe, or rather why we don’t believe the tithe is God’s forever. Giving back 10% is not easy for any of us, but the investment is well worth the sacrifice. In the text of Deut. 14, we see more about the blessing of the tithe (v. 29), and verse 28 speaks of a special tithe of the land to be brought every third year. If the tithe is too much to be easily transported, the Levites were to exchange it for money, but money was only conditional concerning the tithe. Most of the “average” people were poor, and lived off the land and the livestock that the Lord had supplied them, so money was not as prominent in their societies as it is in our culture today, but a tithe is still a tithe.


    In 2 Chronicles 31:5 we read as follows:

    “And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.”

    The command here spoken of referred to the portion of the tithe that was to be given to the priests and Levites. The abundance of the peoples first-fruits was given insomuch as they had far more than was needed. God had blessed them abundantly, and they in turn were to be a blessing to the priests and Levites so that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. “Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD” (v. 4). So, the tithe was also given for encouraging the full time workers of the Lord.

    Nehemiah dealt with the tithe also:

    Neh 10:35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
    Neh 10:36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:
    Neh 10:37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
    Neh 10:38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

    The Levites were not exempt from tithing, they were to tithe from the tithe they received from the people of God. The church follows this same pattern today, that the tithe would not be ignored, but remain in perpetuity as the Lord commanded Israel. The dispensationalists of today have a prOBlem with this, and separate the nation of Israel from the children of God today, but we are all spiritual Jews in the eyes of the Lord (read Galatians 3). The Levites did not tithe to themselves, but to the Lord that His work might continue without interruption.


    New Testament Tithing
    As already mentioned several times, the tithe was perpetual, an everlasting honor, if you will, to the Lord as well as a token of thanksgiving and an encouragement to those who live off the tithes and offerings of the congregations. They continue to supply the needs that otherwise would overwhelm the church, and the gates of hell then could prevail against it. Thirteen times in the Old Testament we have seen the tithe mentioned, and only two mentions in the Gospels, but they are not without significance until you throw out the instruction and principle of the Old Testament, which is what the dispensationalist seems to want to do.

    In Matt. 23:23 we have one of two references to tithing in the New Testament.
    Here and Luke 11:42 say virtually the same thing:

    Mat 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

    Luk 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

    The last line says it all, “…And not left the other undone.” Our Lord is admonishing them to keep on tithing of the things mentioned, and not to leave them undone. The Pharisee’s still paid tithes, and they were not rebuked for doing so, the fact is, they were encouraged to keep doing it! I know that to some, the New Testament grace has not yet been ushered in, but again, the dispensationalist must interpret this in a way to make it fit because many do not want to tithe!
    The lack of any mention other than this is not a valid argument. Since the church is different than the tabernacle, and functions differently in some areas, the lack of the word “tithe” becomes questionable to many. In 1 Cor. 8 we find some interesting evidences of giving by percentage.

    2Co 8:13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
    2Co 8:14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

    So that one brother is not overburdened, the Lord does not ask them to give excessively, but equally. The only way they can give equally is to give a percentage. Ten percent is ten percent for everyone, and is no more of a burden for a rich man than for a poorer man. Verse 15, the next verse, shows us that the Old testament principles are applicable in the New Testament too. Here is what v. 15 says:

    2Co 8:15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

    You may recall that this statement was made concerning the Israelites and the gathering of manna, as the Lord provided. (Exodus 16, read entire text) Note that the last verse qualifies the matter with “an omer is the tenth part of an ephah” (That which they used to dole it out). The tenth part, this is the meaning of “tithe” it means “tenth”. They measured out a tenth of an ephah for each man, and double on the day before the Sabbath. If any of us would have applied this verse the way that Paul did, we would hear from a dozen people that we took it out of context! Again, let me say, the Old testament supports the New.
    Though the eighth chapter of 2 Corinthians is speaking of charitable giving and not tithing specifically, we can glean some information from these instances. They gave out of love; love should be the reason we give also. They gave in faith; faith must apply to tithing as well. If we cannot trust God to keep His promises to us, we are of all men most miserable. We should see the need of the church, and understand that it takes money to make things happen as they should, and out of love for the work, we ought to tithe. I believe that those who do not tithe are too self-centered to exercise faith in giving, and do not fully trust their Lord as they might think they do.

    Most of us know that you will not find a “chapter and verse” for New Testament tithing, but there are very strong implications, for instance:

    Paul said he could take pay as a full time worker, but chose not to (1 Cor. 9:6). How could he have been paid if the church did not tithe?

    1Co 9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

    I find it strange that Paul would apply this Old testament verse to New Testament support, don’t you?

    We finish this passage with the following:

    1Co 9:10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
    1Co 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
    1Co 9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
    1Co 9:13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
    1Co 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
    1Co 9:15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.


    If the church was not expected to tithe, Paul’s words would be meaningless. This idea of giving according to your own whim would not work because most of us do not easily part with our “hard earned” money. Most non-tithers do not give enough to support the ministry in any fashion. His heart is not on tithing:

    Psa. 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

    The non-tither is doing things his way, and not God’s way:

    Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

    Though the verses immediately above have little, or nothing to do with tithing, they do show human nature, which often dictates what we want, and not necessarily what we should do. I think you get my point.


    Take a look at this verse:

    2Co 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

    Our giving is not according to whether we have the money or not, but to equal giving, which, as stated before, demands a percentage giving. Ten percent it what the Lord has commanded in the past, and it is carried over into the church age, or present. (reference given earlier)

    The command and promise of Luke 6:38 still applies today:

    Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

    What would a discourse on tithing be without quoting that time-tested verse, MalachI 3:10?

    “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

    The promise is for tithers, and is just as valid as any promise that the Lord gives unto man. Many refute this verse, and say it does not apply to the church, but as we have seen, the church is the “storehouse” where the tithe is brought and distributed from, it is the direct image of things to come. Prove God, and see if it isn’t so. He has opened the windows of heaven, and poured out many blessings in my life, and I am convinced that He will do the same in yours.

    The New Testament reference in 2 Corinthians 9, though it has more to do with charitable giving, proves the accuracy of this verse.

    2Co 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
    2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
    2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

    Some take issue with the phrase “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart. So let him give”, they allow this to be the standard for giving of tithes, and any other means of giving. Don’t we know that the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9) and none can really know how much? The purpose if their heart in this verse means having the right attitude for giving, as the last part of the verse clarifies. We are to give out of a good motive, a motive of love, and not necessarily out of command or any other rule or emotion. It does not mean let him give whatever he wants to give for that week or month, else he would always find excuse not to tithe. We need to quit looking for “loopholes” in the law, and in the commands of God; a loophole is merely unbelief in disguise, and affords many excuses to go contrary to the Lord’s will and the Word of God. Finally, cultures change; methods change, but Principle does not change, it stands firm, as the rock of Gibraltar, because it is founded on The Rock, Christ. Though our culture is different, and our tithe different, the principle remains the same; ten percent (at least) belongs to God, and we ought to be glad that we have it to give.
  11. irishman

    Jonah 4

    By irishman,

    “And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” (v. 2)

    This seems to be the reason that Jonah did not want to go in the first place! He wanted Nineveh to fry! He, no doubt, was a bit of a “Pharisee” at least in spirit, and his self righteousness demanded attention from God. Jonah knew that there was a chance that Nineveh would repent, and suffer no harsh judgment for their evil ways, and he did not want that to happen. He definitely did not have the heart of a soul-conscience believer. Yet, how often do we hear of something in the news and wish God’s severest judgment on them? A heinous crime brings out the devil in us, it seems, and we relish in the judgment of God upon those involved. Why do we not weep for their souls? I, unfortunately, ask this of myself most of all! Though some seem so wicked and heartless, they are still a living soul, and need to be saved. That is the answer to the prOBlems of society, getting wicked men saved and doing right. It is not in legislation; it is not in the penal system, but in changing them from within, which only Jesus can do. In Nineveh we see the hope of the Gospel and the hope of the soul-winner, that the entire city would be saved.

    God truly is gracious and full of mercy, but we forget that it is given to us too, as well as those very wicked men and women we would condemn. Read our text verse, and know a little more about the nature of God. He is very kind; gracious; slow to anger, and merciful. He is an Almighty, loving God, and loves the souls of the wicked in the same way that he loved us while we were yet in our sin. Our God loves sinners, rather, He loves to redeem them! God used an illustration to teach Jonah that if it were him in Nineveh, he would be happy about the warning, and about God changing His mind too. Jonah seems to care more about himself, and a silly old gourd, than he did about a multitude of souls in hell. Shame on him, and on us who know better when we find ourselves emulating Jonah in our attitudes.
  12. irishman

    Jonah 2

    By irishman,

    “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.” (2:7)

    Too often it takes tragedy in our lives before we will “remember the Lord” and call upon Him in prayer. Nonetheless, God hears the prayer of the desperate. Jonah said he prayed “out of the belly of hell” and God heard Him, He will hear us when we think we are in the belly of hell too.
    I am reminded of my year in Viet Nam. Many men, in the face of death or danger, call upon the Lord, and find deliverance. Often though they, soon forget the fear and the desperation they once knew, and revert back to their “old selves” when the situation is resolved. Many “fox-hole professions” have wound up being idle words, spoken out of a fearful heart. The desperation does not make dedication, but God will often honor the cry of the desolate. He did it with Israel many times! They cried out of bondage and rigorous servitude, and God sent a deliverer! Oh why can’t we “remember the Lord” when things are going well too? Jonah ran from the Lord, but he knew how to get right and what to do about it, and God did honor his prayer. Jonah “cried” out of the belly of the whale.

    When was the last time you cried unto the Lord, and wept bitterly for the soul of another? Or when did you last cry about a great need, one that was so desperate that you could do nothing but wail? This is the prayer that shakes Heavens foundation, and moves God to action on our behalf. Was there ever a time that you felt like Jonah must have felt in chapter two, when “the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” Jonah decided that he would pay what he had vowed, and would sacrifice and be thankful unto the Lord.

    I hope your commitment is not soon forgotten friend, lest you too end up in the bottom of the mountains, or in the belly of a whale!
  13. irishman

    Jonah And The Whale

    By irishman,

    Jonah 1

    “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (v. 17)

    It looks as if Jonah had a “whale” of a prOBlem! First let us clear the air about something; Men say that a whale’s throat is not big enough to swallow a man, but my God is big enough to make it happen! Furthermore, if anyone takes issue with this, let him take issue with Christ, who said “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Mt 12:40). Even Jesus says it was a whale! Whether it was a whale, or simply a large fish, is not the key issue here, it is actually irrelevant to the story, but the Truth must always prevail for Truth’s sake.
    More importantly though, we need to keep one thought in mind as we read through these pages, and that is that Jonah had a rotten attitude all the way through, and God used him anyhow! This is somewhat amazing to me. It tells me there is still hope for me! There is also a sign here for us, a picture of Christ’s death and resurrection, which He Himself alludes to in the aforementioned verse.
    This is a beautiful picture of a resurrected Savior coming to a lost and dying world, but the type stops there! Jonah’s attitude was horrific! He did not rejoice when Nineveh repented, but wanted to see God’s wrath spewed upon them! He complained all the while about going; about the heat, and then about the gourd! The amazing thing is that God used him in spite of his attitude! We hear that God will not use a dirty vessel, but He did it here! God can use ANY vessel to promote His kingdom and glorify His name. I do not recommend, nor condone backsliding, it just isn’t healthy spiritually or physically, but if and when you do, God can still use you for His glory! Don’t put yourself on the shelf if you have fallen under a bad attitude, and think that God can no longer use you. He can use anyone that will go. Yes, someone has said “God’s grace is greater than all my sin” and I believe it is; another has said “God will not go against our will, but He’ll sure make us willing to go!” and that is what happened with Jonah.
    Don’t wait until God makes you willing, go now, and save yourself a multitude of troubles.
  14. irishman
    The Beauty and the Beast

    I’m sure all of us have heard the story of the “Beauty and the beast”, but I’d like to tell you about the Biblical version of it. It begins first with:

    The beast of oppression
    The oppression of sin; we are slaves to evil, the captors of sin. There is little deliverance if any, from our captor, the devil. If we are delivered in one area, we are enslaved in another, there is no escape among men. Turning over a new leaf will not deliver us; Doing good deeds will not deliver us; nothing in this life will deliver us, except Jesus. We are captivated by the oppression of sin.
    Rom 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
    Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

    We are oppressed by habits; a bad habit is hard to break. Man is drawn to sin, it is his innate nature to sin. (Rom. 5:12) We can sometimes change the habit; we can even change the environment, but we cannot change the heart. Only our Lord Jesus Christ can do that. We are captive to the beast of oppression.


    The beast of tribulations
    Trials and tribulations plague us, and we are at the mercy of “chance”. For the most part, we have no chance against the winds of trials that come our way; we are often overwhelmed by temptations and trials, and tribulation. Again, there is no relief--no “rest for the weary“, no hope among men. The weather defeats us; time is often against us; the flesh is always warring against our spirit.
    Joh 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
    Act 14:22 “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
    Tribulation comes in the form of trials; our patience is tried, our faith is tried and our love is often tried by man and by God, but thank God that He sent His Son that we might be victorious over sin and death--and along with that, many trials leave us, and we are made free. Tribulation will come--if you love the Lord, and serve Him, tribulation will come upon you; it is inevitable; it is necessary that it come to you, but the Lord will lighten the burden of trials and afflictions, and give us the victory in Christ over all these malady’s. Jesus is the cure for what ails us! He will carry our burdens through the storm.


    The beast of hunger
    Hunger is never satisfied here on earth. As soon as we are filled, we begin to hunger again. We hunger for many things; riches, glory, food, and every lust that man can perceive; again I say, hunger is never quenched in this life. We are slaves to our lusts; we seek only to gratify the flesh; we glut ourselves with food and luxuries.
    Mat 25:35 “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
    Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Hunger is a devastating enemy, able to slowly melt us down, and grind at our spirit; hunger fulfilled is temporary, for tomorrow we hunger again. This beast has defeated many a good man, and it could easily get us too, except that Jesus won’t allow it.


    The beast of disease and pestilence
    Even the air we breathe can be a detriment to us. Germs are everywhere, and disease runs rampant in the streets. The water we drink must be purified for fear of disease, and the body itself is easily susceptible to every illness known to man. It is almost as if the beasts are all about us, and on every side, yet there is hope. We need not fret, Jesus is our stay.
    Psa. 91: 3 “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.”
    Psa 91:7 “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”


    The Beastliness of Man
    The “Maniac of Gadara” (Mk. 5:1-20) was such a man. He was a beast at his best, but the love of the Lord tamed the beast, and this “wild man” became a gentle-man. He was at his worst when Jesus made him better. Every man has a little of the beast in Him, but our Lord makes the difference, and tames the wild, wondering soul. Jesus found us at our worst, and yet He nurtured us and guided us, and led us unto Himself; in Him we have hope at last!

    Sin is a beast--a dreadful, deadly beast. It’ll leave you in a mangled heap of despair, and laugh at your final demise. It is a mocker; a deceitful enemy, which poses as a true friend. None that love the beast will find true beauty.

    There are many “beasts” existent today among men, but ahh, there is also beauty.
    There is:


    Beauty
    The Beauty of Salvation
    “In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,” (Isa. 28:5). I know that this may not be referring to salvation, but it clearly tells us that The Lord Himself is a crown of beauty to His people, whether Jew or Christian. There is no greater gift given to man than the salvation of his soul.
    Jer 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” But…“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13)


    The Beauty of Comfort And Joy
    True joy comes from knowing Christ as our Savior; true peace comes from knowing our sins are gone, and we are no longer condemned. We can take comfort in these things, they are beauty to the wretched soul, and honor to the depraved. This is “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
    To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isa. 61:3) Great gifts from a greater God. Let the scriptures speak!
    1Pe 1:8 “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”


    The Beauty of Holiness
    “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” (Psa. 96:9)
    Holiness is beauty in the eyes of the Lord. Beauty, as we know it, is flesh and worldly, but a sweet spirit is most precious; holiness and purity are the real beauty of men, and pleasing unto God. Holiness is beautified in man; it is his delight. A holy life is well-pleasing unto God and man, and will lead us in the paths of righteousness. Holiness protects us from the beast of sin.
    “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Heb. 12:14)



    The Beauty of His Sanctuary
    “Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” (Psa. 96: 6) The sanctuary of God, the church, is a beauty and strength for God’s children. Christ died for the church, and made her His bride, what a beautiful reunion we will have with Him in glory some day soon. Then the beast will be defeated completely, and the Beauty shall reign forevermore.

    There is also sanctuary in His presence. The eternal presence of God is a strong sanctuary for man, the answer to all that ails him. He is a tower of strength for all that call on Him.


    The Beauty of the Lord
    Jesus is the beauty of our souls. It is He that turns the beast into the beauty; only Jesus can do so. In all Hs splendor and grace, we see a heart of beauty, a life of beautiful things, and it is given for, and to, us. Our God, Jesus, is altogether lovely; He is the bright and morning Star; the lily of the valley; the rose of Sharon, and the balm of Gilead. He is our Savior, and His grace is our beauty too. We are adorned with the beauty of His love, and His grace is sufficient for all men. He makes the ugly beautiful, and the despondent cheerful; this is an inner beauty, the beauty of the soul.

    His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song of Solomon 5:16)
  15. irishman

    Moderation

    By irishman,

    Philippians 4

    “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (v. 5)

    To use a naval term, let us be "even keeled" or steadfast in all endeavors. This is a restraint of passions and indulgences of appetites; it is to control rage, and extinguish anger. Moderation is the "middle of the road", so to speak, and not drastic swings to the right or left. It is no extreme or excess in any direction or practice. When we allow others to anger us, we are not practicing moderation. If we are not angry all the time, we should not get angry any time! This is a very hard thing to practice, but the Word never changes, only circumstances change. When we react to circumstances, we are no longer acting on the Word of God. So, why should we do this? Because "the Lord is at hand."

    The Lord demands an evenness in our person, a moderation of temper and appetites. Overindulgence most always leads to trouble in some respect, as well as extreme swings in attitudes and moods. If I find myself in adverse circumstances, and perhaps someone strikes me, am I still to remain moderate in temper? Is retaliation justified at such times? Let me ask, in answer to that, does the Bible change with each situation? No. It still says, every time we read it, “Let your moderation be known unto all men…” even if the situation is not a pleasant one. This does not mean that I have have attained to this height yet, please don’t get me wrong. I have struck out at adversity, and, no doubt, I will again, but know when I do it I am not doing what the Bible says to do. My point is, we too often allow the circumstances in life to dictate our actions, and ignore, at times, the Word and principles of God. We then become a child of circumstance, and at the whim of every evil that comes along. A great man once said that “if you anger a man, you have conquered him already”, or something to that effect, and I see that it is a true statement.

    Let’s endeavor to be of moderate temper, at least, and that alone will be quite an improvement for most of us; and, along the way, let us also be moderate in our actions, and appetites, and we will have accomplished a great deal toward godliness.
  16. irishman
    Mt 13 The Sower

    “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
    Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” (20,21)

    We have the parable of the sower in this passage. Here, the peculiar phrase “Yet he hath not root in himself” seems to throw the focus of the passage in a different direction. Note that this guy received the Word with joy, but it did not produce fruit in him. One wonders why. We can glean a few things from these few verses that will help us to see why this might be. First, in v. 19, we see that this guy did not understand the Word as he received it; he had the seed in his heart, but not in his head. The sowing is not enough in the heart, but one needs it in the head too. Then, in v. 21, we see the guy that has it in his head, but not in his heart; exactly the opposite of the man in v. 19. In verse 22, we see the guy that neither has it in his head, (understanding) nor in his heart (Believing), but is a carnal, lost man, and in v.23, the man that has it in his head and in his heart.

    This “ground” is the heart of man that is either so hard and brittle that nothing good can grow from it, or so soft that nothing will take root in it either. Just as some types of trees grow better in sand, and some in clay, few grow in the hard, brittle dirt, a dry seabed, or a barren wasteland. The soil must be worked in all cases, and made conducive to the tree. This is why some seeds of faith take root, and others wither away, the condition of the soil. Both often have water (the Word) and sun (the Son, which “lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”), but the soil has not been prepared. It is barren ground. Yes, the water of the Word is the same for both; the sun (Son) is shining on them both, but the one takes hold of the words of life, while the other wilts and dies for lack of root. He that hath not “root in himself” is that one of which we speak negatively, the dying one. He has the seed, he has the will to receive it, but it has not rooted itself in him, he has not allowed it to, he is hard hearted, as well as hard headed! He does not have it within himself, but endures for awhile in his own power. Oh, I am afraid we see many of this type in the church today, as well as the others. Take heed to the Word, and allow the Seed to root itself in you, and grow in the garden of faith that you might be fruitful and productive in the Lord and unto others. Remember, the Bible commands us to be kind, and tenderhearted…which is to tenderize our soil for the growth of the seed.

    The Sower
    (Mt. 13:3-23)

    “A sower went forth to sow…” He did his jOB--he merely strewed the seed in all directions.
    He did not look for the most fertile soil;
    He did not consider the stony ground;
    He did not examine the seed before he spread it,
    He merely sowed.

    The sower did not worry about some of the seed falling by the wayside;
    He did not spend time chasing the fowl away that came to devour the seed.
    He merely sowed the seed.
    He allowed the Lord to determine the effect.

    “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11)

    In each illustration, the seed had an effect. (vs. 4-8)
    God’s Word will produce!
    If man’s heart (soil) has been prepared, it produces good;
    If his heart has been hardened, it produces unbelief, and he does evil;
    But the planted seed will produce some sort of result; it will not return void.

    Gypsy Martindale
  17. irishman

    Great Success.

    By irishman,

    Great Success.

    “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.” (Deut. 7:12-15)

    The Lord promised Israel that He would bless them, if they would keep His commandments. This promise is valid for us too; He greatly blesses the OBedient children. The Bible, in fact, tells us over and over again that we “shall not want” (Psa.23:1), and if we can believe God’s Word, we should not have need for anything. Proverbs has many, but to begin let’s look at the 3rd chapter:

    Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (Vs. 7-10)

    But not only does he promise these necessities, but also the Lord promises that all good shall come to us. In Psalm 84:11, He gives the stipulation plainly:

    “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

    Some may wonder what God means by “good”, for those who want New Testament verses, we have Romans 8:28 where the promise is more general:

    “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

    God wants us to prosper, else He never would have promised to prosper us. Another wonderful, and well-known verse is Philippians 4: 19, where it is again more inclusive without the stipulation which is always implied nonetheless:

    “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

    The word “all” means “all”. Why are we in need for anything then? God’s Word is true, and to deny that we should have need of nothing, is to deny the Truth of His Word. Incidentally, there are more verses, that support this, but how many is sufficient when it is right from the mouth of the Author? If you are struggling, seek the Lord in prayer, and don’t quit until you are satisfied with your answer. Look within yourself and ask “Am I honest in all aspects of business?” Or ask if there is any evil way in you that you are not aware of. Do you pay your debts? Would you make them a priority until you did? Often we have enough for that which we desire greatly, whether it is a vacation, a new car, or some material thing that we “just have to have”, but if we are putting the Lord first, we will see to our business, and He will intercede for us. Are you thankful for all things that He gives you? A complaining spirit does not go far with the Lord. We need to learn to be satisfied, lest by pride, we desire more than our peers. Is your mind set on the things of God, or are you burdened down by worldly things? Philippians 4:8 teaches us what we ought to dwell on;

    “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

    We have here six definite things to occupy our minds with the right kind of thinking. Remember, the Lord blesses the righteous, and gives grace to the humble of spirit.

    Praise is mentioned in the above verse, do we really take time to praise our Lord? He is more than worthy of our praise, and it is only by grace that He accepts our praise from these evil lips. Those that have learned to be thankful also know how to praise Him. Now back to Deuteronomy, but this time in chapter six we have much the same theme:

    “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and OBserve to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deut. 6:2-9)

    As I have stated earlier, These commands and promises were to the Jews, God’s chosen people, but they are just as valid for us today. Though we need not keep the law, per se, we are to OBey the same “rules” if you will, and receive the same blessing and curses. Can anyone deny that we are also to OBey? The entire chapter is not necessarily ours to claim, but the Lord will give us the same victories if we trust Christ and enter into His family.

    “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” (Deut. 7:9)

    The Lord keeps His covenant (promises), and His mercies are “new every morning” unto us too!

    “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3: 22,23)

    We do not function off yesterdays blessings, because His mercies ARE new EVERY morning.


    Prosperity is not merely “having” things”, but it has to do with “doing” also. It does include “having” though, as seen in Proverbs three:

    Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
    “It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
    Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
    So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Prov. 3:7-10)

    The verses are self explanatory.

    Look also at Joshua 1:

    There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
    Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
    Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest OBserve to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
    This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest OBserve to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Josh. 1:5-8)

    And again in Psalms 1:1-3:

    “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
    But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
    And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

    The Bible is full of such promises, but all have conditions; If we meet the condition, we OBtain the promise.

    Do you see the inference on OBedience in nearly all these verses?

    Look now at a few other verses.

    Consider 2 Chronicles 26:5 “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

    Psa. 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

    Consider also, MT. 6: 25-34, where our Lord in v. 33 says “All” these things shall be added unto us. “Shall” is definite, it is not “may” or “could “ be added, but it “will” be.

    “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
    Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
    Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
    And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
    And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
    Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
    Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
    (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
    But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
    Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

    God blessed and “prospered” Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 39:2,3)

    “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
    And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

    He “prospered” Uzziah in 2 Chron. 26:5:

    “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

    God prospered Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:6,7:

    For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
    And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. (See also 31:21)

    Daniel prospered in Babylon:

    “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” (Dan. 6:28)

    I believe the point is made.


    Luke 6:38
    “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

    Are you a giver or a taker?

    2 Cor. 9:6)
    “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

    (Some will argue the context of this verse, but it says what it says, regardless of where in scripture we put it.) Many look so deeply at the context, they miss the content of the scripture.

    God is faithful to keep His promise:
    “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” (Deut. 7: 9)

    The following is a small list of verses to consider in this matter:

    Psa 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

    Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

    Psa 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
    Psa 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

    *Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

    Psa 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

    *Psa 112:3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

    Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

    Pro 10:3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

    Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

    *Pro 11:28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.


    How many will it take to convince us? The Lord is faithful to keep His promises, we need but to trust in Him.

    Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

    Being “Fully persuaded” may be the key to OBtaining the promises, as well as walking closely to the Lord, as most of the above verses imply.

    For a Christian to suffer need is a bad testimony to our Lord. There is no reason why we should not be successful, at least not from the Lord’s point of view.



    * Key verses.



    Addenda:
    Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
    Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
    Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

    These verses describe the key to success. In these few verses one can find the answer to prosperity, and will be able to prosper in his way. Four things can ensure us of a prosperous lifestyle:

    1. Walking not in the counsel of the ungodly. If we seek ungodly counsel, we receive ungodly advice. Too many Christians go to their friends, or the worldly system for counsel, and many times it is they that need counseling themselves! Too many go to court and ask an ungodly judge to arbitrate their cause, and they receive ungodly counsel based on worldly standards and doctrines. Be careful whom you seek for “wisdom” in certain matters, a man that is wise in this world may not be right in the eyes of God.

    2. Standing not in the way of sinners. Do not become caught up in another mans schemes. Our friends are only concerned with their own well being when it comes right down to it, and if unsaved, they will go to great lengths to get what they want. The world is full of “schemers” against the law, government, and authorities in general to “prosper” themselves. Some men will kill merely for the feeling of dominance; many will steal to satisfy their unholy lusts, and if we align ourselves with them, we become partakers of their evil deeds. Even our “Christian” friends sometimes look for loopholes in the law, or in the rules of some establishment for their own gain. They may even look for loopholes in Gods laws. We would be wise to avoid them, as well as safer.

    3. Sitting not in the seat of the scornful. They that scorn the holy things of God are worthy of His judgments. Many Christians will befriend them to try and help them, but beware! Scorning is dangerously contagious! Complaining can be a type of scorning, it is not trusting in the Lord or believing in His promises; it is evil, as if to say that what the Lord has done for you is not enough. That is bad enough, but pouring contempt on someone, or something is judgmental and hateful. That too is evil.

    4. Delighting in the Lord. We must consider Him precious and His will a great desire for us. As a father loves his child, so does our Lord love us with an even greater love. If we truly love the Lord, the “meditate” in the Lord day and night will come easy. We must always keep our thoughts and hearts upon Him, and upon pleasing Him. There are ways that we can do this every day without being over taxed: We can read His Word, studying it also; we can sing praises to His
  18. irishman
    Crumbs from the Master’s Table

    Mark 7

    “And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” (v. 28)

    This verse has been very precious to me. Here is where these devotions were born; where they have their “roots”. Originally, I had written down many thoughts under the title “Crumbs from the Master’s table” and finally refined them into devotionals. The “Bread of life” is made up of crumbs. Every loaf of bread is made of millions of crumbs, lumped together to make a loaf. Each crumb has its significance, and though the master has the loaf, the crumbs are important to the dogs. Do not ignore the crumbs. The dogs have never eaten so good! As the Word of God contains much food for the weary soul, and the Master’s table is full of good things, let us glean a few crumbs as they fall our way. Personally, I believe it is this same Bread, and the many crumbs of it, that Jesus refers to in His model prayer in Matthew 6, where He says “Give us this day our daily bread”. I do not think He refers to literal bread, but to a “touch from God” so to speak. You see, we are to trust Him for bread, and not ask for it. Nowhere in Scripture is it commanded of us to ask for our basic needs, they have already been promised, and provided, we need only to trust God for them. Let us find these crumbs, as jewels of treasure, precious, and in this case, delicious.

    This woman had faith, and was rewarded accordingly because she realized the importance of crumbs. I think of crumbs as “leftovers” as we see in the feeding of the five thousand where they disciples gathered twelve baskets full of them. (Mt. 14:20). These “fragments” were made of big crumbs! I also am reminded of the importance of “background people” who are not in the limelight, and are sort of comparable to “leftovers” in the church; the “undesirables” who fall by the wayside and no one wants to pick them up. The churches are full of them, but I ask, “What will you do with the crumbs?” These may be sweeping the pews, but not winning the souls; they may be slow witted, but cleaning the bathrooms and doing the things no one else wants to do, but they remain “crumbs” of no value to the congregation. They are people we endure, but do not wish to associate with. Let us gather the crumbs first, only then we can have the full loaf.
  19. irishman

    1 Corinthians 10

    By irishman,

    “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (v.13)

    God always provides a way of escape for us. He never gives us more than we can bear. Does any one wonder what that Way is? It is Jesus--He is the Way. (Jn. 14:6) It is always the same Way, there is no other. Yes, the Way never changes, it is always the same. Notice also that all temptations that come our way are “common to man”. In other words, we are not going to go through anything that all mankind doesn’t go through. For this reason, as well as others, I believe that we will never be tested or tempted to the extent that JOB was. Therefore, when we are tempted, we can be assured that if anyone has made it through that same sort of tempting, we can too. If others could make it, we can. This, to me, is a wonderful thing to know. I will never be overwhelmed with temptation to the point where I cannot resist, because Jesus won’t allow it. This means that when I fall to temptation, I do it deliberately! That is, after all, the real gist of the matter, it is the emphasis of sin. When Satan deceives us, we still don’t have to succumb to the temptation, we can escape it, resist it. This puts the blame right on our laps, where it belongs. It shows that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). By the way, the temptation contains the way of escape, as our verse says; it comes “with the temptation” so it is there for all of us.

    Also note that “God is faithful” to us, yet we find it so hard to be faithful to Him. What if He were as faithful to us as we are to Him? What a mess that would be! We can rely on Him because He is faithful. There is much value to faithfulness. It is stability; stability in others, that we can depend on when we need them, and stability in us that causes us to be reliable also. Can God rely on you? I can only hope that He will rely on me.
  20. irishman

    An Incorruptible Crown

    By irishman,

    An Incorruptible Crown

    “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to OBtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (1 Cor. 9: 25)

    We seek after an incorruptible crown; this is a part of our reward for service in the Lord’s army. Any crown that is won by worldly means is a corruptible crown, and is usually full of corruption in the OBtaining of it, but, because of Christ and Calvary, we now can receive a crown that cannot be corrupted by vice or by decay. In this alone, we have much reason for rejoicing. This crown, though invisible to the naked eye, is also a gift, given freely to all who put their trust in Christ; it is the gift of eternal life, that cannot fade away or come to ruin; it is “incorruptible”. Unlike the crowns won in earthly events, or passed from generation to generation because of genealogy, this crown is worthy of its benefactor; it is untainted by the wiles and ruses of men. It is a crown that is given freely for the taking, and yet well deserved because it is given by the Master.

    There is another crown we must examine, a crown of corruption; a crown of defiance, deceit and mockery, the crown of thorns that adorned the head of Christ. No man strives for this crown, but it is given by others; no man wants it, but many wear it as a reproach and a disgrace to mankind, and yet, Jesus wore this crown! He took it upon Himself, and wore it to Calvary, where He died for the sin of the world. The Perfect man, Jesus, wore an imperfect crown; a crown of disgrace and shame, a crown of sin. Oh, it was not His sin-crown, but ours that he wore! He bore our sins on the cross, and gave His life in payment for our debt; you see, “the wages of sin is death”…and wage will be paid us in full unless we have an intercessor, and that is exactly what we have in Jesus. Though we are weighed down under the heavy crown of corruption, we have hope of a better crown—the crown of life. Two places in the Bible speak of this crown: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1: 12); and “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2: 10). Both of these speak of loving and trusting Christ as our Savior. When we “endure temptation” we are able to overcome it because we have Christ in us to see us through, and we can be “faithful unto death”. Yes, Jesus took our sin upon Him and nailed it to the cross…but that was not the end; He rose again from the grave, and thereby conquered sin and death, and passed that victory unto us. The next time you hear of the crowning of the queen of England, or the crowning of miss America, or any type of crowning for a princess or prince, think of the crown as that which will someday dissolve into nothingness, and remember the “incorruptible crown: that Jesus has in store for you; it is yours for the asking.

    “ For whoseover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)
    “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1: 23)

    “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1: 4).
  21. irishman

    A Fisher Of Men

    By irishman,

    Matthew 4

    “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (v. 19)

    Forgive me if I take this verse out of context, but there is an illustration that one can apply here that teaches us a great truth. You see, Satan too is a good “fisher of men”. It is as if he casts the bait out into the sea of life, and just waits to see who bites. The bait may be drugs, sex, or alcohol, or anything, it may be simply a proud heart, but the emphasis is not on the bait, but on the catch. We may not bite the worm of alcohol; or the lure of drugs; we may not get caught up in immorality, or thievery, but somewhere in the tackle box of Satan, he has a lure that will get our attention, and we will bite. We may nibble a little at first, as fish often do, but then he just throws out more of the same bait until we swallow the hook. In this way, he sees our weakness, and feeds it until we are hooked. The devil does not have the ability to be omniscient, all knowing, as many of us seem to think; we need not give him so much credit as to emulate the characteristics of God. He is not all present, as God is, nor all powerful, but he is wily, and very, very subtle. Yes, he is a fisher of men too, or rather a fisher for men. Peter knew this, and wrote, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, “Be sOBer, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” The devil doesn’t care how he gets you to stumble, as long as he does it. It makes no difference to him which bait you take, or how much of it you take, but his concern is to side-track you, and to get you off course with the Lord. You see, once you are saved, he can never get you back again, but he will work night and day to destroy your joy; or to get you to stray away from truth and right. In this way, he gets the victory; in this way, he devours us.

    The remedy for this baiting is to stay close to the Lord. Be vigilant; be on guard; and walk circumspectly. The remedy is seen in the verse we quoted in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sOBer, be vigilant….” And the reason for such carefulness is also given, (the rest of the verse), it is, therefore a warning as well as a wise admonition, be watchful, and be very careful. Satan’s tackle box has something in it for each of us, something that we will bite on, and he knows that if he throws enough bait out there, that we will bite on something.
    Let’s lean on the grace of God, and hope that when we bite, it is just a nibble and that old Slewfoot doesn’t hook us, and reel us in. We need to rely on the Lord’s strength and not our own. Our strength is weakness, our victory is in Jesus.
  22. irishman

    God Can Use You Too

    By irishman,

    Ruth 1


    “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:” (v. 16)


    Ruth was loyal to her mother-in-law, Naomi. She was willing to let go of everything she had been taught and move to a new land, and worship a new God because of the testimony of Naomi. No doubt Naomi still practiced her religion in this far off land, and Ruth was somewhat familiar with the God that Naomi worshipped. She was forsaking her god, and her country and her people, but she made the right choice. She was willing to go wherever Naomi went, no matter where that was. Ruth had a lot of character; she had courage. In verse 17 she said she would stay with Naomi until death, and even be buried in a foreign land. What an amazing woman! It doesn’t take a special gift to be loyal, it takes determination; it takes compassion; it takes character and courage. Naomi saw that Ruth would not be deterred, and she gave up trying. (v. 18). They moved to Bethlehem, later to be the birth place of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the people knew her there. Naomi was OBviously a virtuous woman. She was highly respected. When we do right, and live clean, pure lives, we will gain the respect of others.

    It seems as though Naomi must have witnessed to Ruth, she definitely made a great impact on her. Ruth had a certain amount of character, but I have no doubt that Naomi made a difference in the life of Ruth. Do you know that you too can make a difference in the life of someone? If we would give ourselves to the service of the Lord, we could all make a difference in the lives of others, after all, it is Christ in us Who makes the difference in actuality. Let God use you. You do not have to be perfect, because none of us are, but you need to be available, and willing to be used of Him. Some of the most precious attributes we could ever hope to have in this life are availability and dependability. These go together like love and marriage. Ruth had both of these qualities, and God used her, and blessed her beyond her wildest dreams. Ruth, a Gentile, became the grandmother of David, the greatest king of Israel beside Christ, and in the lineage with Christ. If we make ourselves useful to God, He will use us, and He will bless us, exceedingly.
  23. irishman

    2 Tim. 1:12

    By irishman,

    “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Tim. 1:12

    We need to know they “why” of certain things: Paul knew why he had suffered many trials, and here he teaches us that there are several things we must know.

    First, we must know whom we have believed. We do not cling to some whimsical hope in a man made god, but in he true Living God--the Almighty. We do not “know” Him by familiarity, but by experience--by diligently seeking Him. We must be sure of our vocation, and who our labors are for.

    Secondly, we must be persuaded that He is able. Being persuaded means we know He is, and we will not be moved from that belief. Friends, our God is able, He is able to do all we could ask or think, and even beyond. In a sense, this verse speaks of eternal salvation, as God is able to keep us, and our faith, all that we commit to Him in honesty, and never let it go. He is more than able.

    Since God is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him, we need to commit all unto Him. Our very lives and souls must be committed to His care. He has preserved us unto the day of redemption, as the verse implies, and we will not be deterred. So, we also must be assured (persuaded) that He keeps us by His Mighty power. That is the third thing we must know so that we might serve Him without fear, in the confidence of His grace.

    Number four, we must realize not only that God is able, but He is also willing to meet our needs. He wants to be our protector; our guide; our strength; our hope. It isn’t enough to know that God is able, but we need to take another step up, and know He is willing.

    Finally, we need to know that we have hope “against that day”. or the day of judgment. Our sins, having been committed to Christ, are gone, and we will not pay the required price--separation from God forever. We can take comfort that we will dwell in the bliss of the heavenly realm with our Lord forevermore.
  24. irishman

    Psalm 100

    By irishman,

    Psalm 100

    Psa 100:1 <A Psalm of praise.> Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
    Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
    Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
    Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
    Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

    Every time I read the 100th psalm, I am reminded of the tabernacle in the wilderness. In this short psalm we see some dynamic doctrine and great advice.
    First we are encouraged to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Our life should be one of joy and singing for the wonderful things the Lord has done for us. Should we come before Him as a defeated enemy, or as a joyous servant? Our Lord would rather see us smiling than dwelling on the dark side of life. There is much to be gloomy about in this world, but it does not compare to the glory of heaven, which we should rejoice in.
    Then, when we find ourselves uplifted by song, and our hearts are merry, we can “serve the Lord with gladness”, and come before His presence with a song in our heart. We ought always to be of jovial countenance, and seek Him with gladness when we come before Him with our petitions. Our God is more than able to help us--He is willing, after all, we are His people.

    Picture with me the tabernacle. As one approaches from the outside, he comes to the gate on the “fence” of linen that surrounded the tent. The linen represented the righteousness of the saints, dressed in fine white linen. This alone would be an awesome sight, and the thought of this old flesh being made righteous supersedes all the pleasantry one could imagine. Inside the gate, we enter the courtyard. The Gate is entered with thanksgiving because we are privileged to approach the throne of grace. It is indeed a time of thanksgiving.
    In the courtyard, we see a brazen altar where a sacrifice is wont to be made. This courtyard in entered with praise on our lips and in our hearts for the Lord. Here we will “bless His name”. This is Calvary, where we were born into the family of God, and will dwell forevermore with Him. Our High priest made the sacrifice on our behalf for the sins we have carried in our heart; definitely a time of thankfulness and praise.
    As we continue to approach unto the God of creation, we enter the outer room of the tabernacle. There is a laver to cleanse us, an altar of incense which is the prayers of the saints, a sweet aroma unto our God, and the candlestick which represents our light to shine into the darkness of this world. The “furniture” of the tabernacle formed the shape of a cross if one could see it from above. What a time for us to glorify the Father.
    The next room of the tabernacle, separated by a huge and beautiful curtain, we would find the “Holy of Holies” and the mercy seat with cherubim on each side of it and overshadowing it with their wings. This is the throne room of God, where he meets with the us, as the priests and children of God. We have come forth boldly, because the veil (curtain) has been rent in the New Testament, and we have free access to a living, loving Savior.
    Can you appreciate this Psalm, and see it as the beautiful psalm pf praise that it is? Can you see the reason it is a psalm of praise? We have so much to praise the Lord of the psalm for.
    I hope that you read this wonderful psalm regularly, and enjoy it as I do, and allow it to excite you for the glory of God.
  25. irishman

    Tempted?

    By irishman,

    James 1

    “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
    Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (vs. 14,15)

    Temptation in itself is not wrong; Jesus Himself was tempted, and yet victorious. Temptation will never leave us alone while we are in this body of flesh, but the strength to overcome it is what we really need. I used to think that it was us ourselves who resisted temptation, and indeed the Bible tells us to resist Satan (James 4:7), but now I have discovered a very important Truth. It is Jesus that resists, unto death even, and on our behalf. The more of Him we have, the stronger we are against temptations. It behooves us then to “Draw nigh” unto Him as much as possible; even more than we think to be possible, lest we quit before the task is accomplished. The key to this thought is seen in our text verse; the tempting comes when we are drawn away of our own lusts, and we no longer lust after Christ. That’s what we need to do, lust after Him, become completely and entirely consumed in His loving grace, and seek Him with heart, mind soul, and body. If we “walk in the Spirit” we will not fulfill “the lust of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16). If we will learn to seek the Lord in spirit, our flesh will follow suit. We need to “lust” after Him in spirit, and we will have little trouble lusting after the things the flesh desires so readily. Fill your heart and life with Jesus, that is where we learn to resist temptation; It is Him working in us, He is doing the resisting, but if we are weak in Christ, we have little “muscle” against temptations. Let’s work on developing our spiritual muscles.

    Often, on the other hand, we are not tempted in the flesh until the temptation meets enticement. The Lord admonishes us to ask the Father, “lead us not into temptation”, I believe we are asking Him not to let the temptation cross paths with the opportunity, or enticement, so that we can be delivered from the sin it entails. That is the most critical time for us, when enticement and temptation meet together. Remove one, and there is no promotion to sin, no prompting. Sin brings forth death, and we are delivered from the power of death, so it cannot complete the cycle in us. Thank God for this mercy. When we resist the temptation, the enticement loses its effect; when we flee the enticement, the temptation loses strength.

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