10/21/19

"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS" Benefits Of Diligently Seeking Wisdom (2:1-22) by Mark Copeland


"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS"

Benefits Of Diligently Seeking Wisdom (2:1-22)
INTRODUCTION

1. In chapter one of Proverbs, we began our study by noting...
   a. The prologue, stating the purpose of the book - Pr 1:1-6
   b. The theme of Proverbs, how the fear of the Lord is the beginning
      of knowledge - Pr 1:7
   c. The value of listening to one's parents - Pr 1:8-9
   d. The danger of evil companionship - Pr 1:10-19
   e. The importance of listening to wisdom (Sophia) while there is
      opportunity - Pr 1:20-33

2. The second chapter describes the benefits of seeking after wisdom...
   a. With an admonition to search for wisdom with diligence - Pr 2:1-4
   b. With a list of benefits that will come from such a search - Pr 2:5-22

[The benefits of seeking after wisdom are found only if we seek with the
proper disposition...]

I. QUALITIES OF A DILIGENT SEARCH FOR WISDOM

   A. AS EXPLAINED BY SOLOMON THEN...
      1. It requires a willingness - Pr 2:1
         a. To be receptive to the words of others
         b. To treasure (highly value and remember) commands of wisdom
      2. It requires an engagement - Pr 2:2-3
         a. Of the ear (willing to hear wisdom)
         b. Of the heart (willing to understand)
         c. Of the mouth (willing to cry out for discernment and
            understanding)
      3. It requires a high estimation - Pr 2:4
         a. Seeking and searching
         b. With the same fervor as seeking for silver and other hidden
            treasures
      -- Thus a diligent search for wisdom requires an "all out" effort
         on our part

   B. AS EXPERIENCED BY CHRISTIANS TODAY...
      1. It requires hearing the Word of God
         a. Note:  "incline your ear to wisdom" - Pr 2:2
         b. Listening to preachers and teachers carefully (with all
            readiness) - Ac 17:11
         c. Studying the Bible on your own (searched the Scriptures
            daily) - Ac 17:11
      2. It requires meditating upon the Word of God
         a. Note:  "apply your heart to understanding" - Pr 2:2
         b. Taking time to reflect and ponder on the Word - cf. Php 4:8
         c. Like the Psalmist sung of his meditations - cf. Ps 119:97-100
      3. It requires diligent prayer for wisdom
         a. Note:  "cry out for discernment...lift up your voice for
            understanding" - Pr 2:3
         b. We must ask in prayer with faith - Jm 1:5
         c. We must persist in our asking - cf. Mt 7:7-11
      4. It requires the same effort others expend seeking for material
         wealth
         a. Note:  "seek her as silver...as for hidden treasures" - Pro 2:4
         b. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
            knowledge - Col 2:3
         c. Here's a simple test to see if you are expending the proper
            effort to seek wisdom:
            1) If you worked as hard for your employer as you do seeking
               for God's wisdom...
            2) ...would you have your job very long?
      -- Finding God's wisdom today requires the same diligence it did
         in Solomon's day

[Is the effort worth it?  Let's go now to Pr 2:5-22 and find out what
are the...]

II. BENEFITS OF A DILIGENT SEARCH FOR WISDOM

   A. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND HIS PROTECTION...
      1. You will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge
         of God
         a. That fear of the Lord which is the beginning of knowledge
            - Pr 2:5a; cf. Pr 1:7
         b. That knowledge of God, whose storehouse of wisdom and
            understanding He gives to the upright - Pr 2:5b-7a
      2. You will have God's providential protection guiding your life
         a. He is a shield to those who walk uprightly - Pr 2:7b; cf. 30:5
         b. He guards the paths of justice (which the righteous take)
            - Pr 2:8a; cf. Ps 23:3
         c. He preserves the way of His saints - Pr 2:8b; cf. Ps 121:5-8
      -- What a blessing to go through life with God at your side!

   B. MORAL DISCERNMENT  FOR LIVING...
      1. You will have great understanding
         a. Of righteousness and justice - Pr 2:9a
         b. Of equity (fairness) and every good path - Pr 2:9b; cf.
            David's prayer, Ps 143:8-10
      2. You will have great discretion
         a. Once wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to
            you - Pr 2:10
         b. They will preserve and keep you - Pr 2:11; cf. 6:22-23
      -- What a blessing to go through life with God's wisdom at your
         disposal!

   C. DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL MEN...
      1. Who speak perverse things - Pr 2:12; e.g., Ac 20:30
      2. Who leave upright paths, walk in the ways of darkness - Pro
         2:13; e.g., 2Pe 2:20-22
      3. Who rejoice in doing evil, delight in the perversity of the
         wicked - Pr 2:14; cf. 10:23
      4. Whose ways are crooked, and devious in their paths - Pr 2:15;
         e.g., 1:10-19
      -- Wisdom can deliver us from evil men and their evil ways!

   D. DELIVERANCE FROM IMMORAL WOMEN...
      1. The seductress flatters with her words - Pr 2:16; e.g., 7:5-21
      2. The adulteress who forsakes her husband and covenant with God
         - Pr 2:17; cf. Mal 2:14
      3. Whose house and paths lead to death, and the place of no return
         - Pr 2:18-19; cf. 9:13-18
      -- Wisdom can deliver us from immoral women and their destructive
         ways!

   E. ENABLEMENT FOR RIGHTEOUS LIVING...
      1. To walk in the way of goodness and keep to righteous paths
         - Pr 2:20; cf. Ps 23:3,6
      2. To be upright and blameless, to dwell and remain in the land
         - Pr 2:21; cf. Ps 37:3
      3. Unlike the wicked and unfaithful, cut off and uprooted from the
         earth - Pr 2:22; cf. Ps 37:37-38
      -- Wisdom can empower us to live more blessed, if not longer,
         lives on this earth!

CONCLUSION

1. Are not the benefits of wisdom worth the effort necessary to obtain it...?
   a. To know God and enjoy His providential care?
   b. To obtain discernment for making the right moral choices?
   c. To be delivered from the shenanigans of evil men?
   d. To be delivered from the seductions of immoral women?
   e. To be able to walk in goodness and righteousness, living lives
      blessed by God?

2. And what is the effort required to obtain God's wisdom...?
   a. To hear the word of God ("incline your ear to wisdom")
   b. To meditate on the word of God ("apply your heart to
      understanding")
   c. To ask in faith for wisdom ("cry out for discernment...lift up
      your voice for understanding")
   d. To highly value its worth ("seek her as silver...as for hidden treasures")

With such effort, one will not only find wisdom for daily, practical
living, but will also find Jesus Christ...

   "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
                                                       - Col 2:3

He is indeed the greatest benefit of diligently seeking wisdom!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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How Many of Jacob's Descendants Moved to Egypt? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.





How Many of Jacob's Descendants Moved to Egypt?

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


Q.

Did Stephen contradict Moses regarding the number of people who moved to Egypt?

A.

In his great speech, Stephen referred to the number of Jacob’s family members that moved down to Egypt as 75 (Acts 7:14). Yet in Genesis 46:27, Moses recorded the number as 70. Critics of the Bible claim to have found a discrepancy. If they would have only studied the matter a little more closely, they would have seen that Moses and Stephen were simply approaching the matter from different perspectives. Genesis 46:26 numbers Jacob’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as 66. To that number, which does not include Jacob’s son’s wives, Moses added Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons to arrive at the number 70. Stephen, on the other hand, did not include Joseph and his wife and two sons since they were already in Egypt and Joseph is mentioned as sending for Jacob and the relatives from Egypt. Stephen names Jacob separately from the 75 relatives. Thus Stephen’s number includes the 66 mentioned in Genesis 46:26 plus the nine wives of Jacob’s sons (Judah’s and Simeon’s wives being already deceased). The Bible harmonizes perfectly and there is no discrepancy.

How I Would Prove to a Jury that the Bible is True by Robert C. Veil, J.D.





How I Would Prove to a Jury that the Bible is True

by Robert C. Veil, J.D.


[EDITOR’S NOTE: A.P. auxiliary writer Robert Veil, Jr. formerly served as a district attorney for the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and previously maintained an active private law practice. He currently preaches in Martinsburg, West Virginia.]
The truthfulness of the Bible can be proven in much the same way that we prove cases to a jury every day. As a prosecutor, I had the responsibility of presenting numerous cases at trial, including a large number of jury trials. Working within the rules of evidence and procedure, I soon learned that juries are, for the most part, receptive to logical and reasonable arguments. They have an almost uncanny ability to hear cases presented and come to a fair verdict. They may not always get it right, but they usually do.
I also learned that the same type of logical arguments which are compelling to a jury can be formulated from the inspired biblical record. Proving the truthfulness of the Bible is no mysterious, incomprehensible exercise. It is done by the presentation of logical proof. And, at its most fundamental level, the Bible is an extremely logical and compelling book. It does not leave the reader depending upon mere hopes, wishes, and hunches. It is an evidentiary record (Hebrews 11:1).
The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God. But in a secular culture of increasing ignorance and doubt, these claims are often rejected without investigation. Fewer and fewer, it would seem, are willing to accept the Bible’s claim that it is the infallible and absolute truth of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:11-13). In teaching others how to be saved, we sometimes need to take a step back to a more basic question.
So, how would I prove to a jury that the Bible is true? I would do it the same way that I would prove any factual pattern or scenario. I would utilize the rules of evidence in presenting the case, and then emphasize the standards which the jury should apply in making a fair and correct decision based upon that evidence.
For example, it is commonly recognized in the various criminal justice systems of our land, that the jury can properly evaluate the credibility of witnesses. It can do this by considering such things as: (1) The witness’s opportunity to observe the things about which testimony was given; (2) The accuracy of the witness’s memory; (3) Whether the witness has a motive not to tell the truth; (4) Whether the witness has an interest in the outcome of the case; (5) Whether the witness’s testimony was consistent; (6) Whether the witness’s testimony was supported or contradicted by other evidence; and (7) Whether and to what extent the witness’s testimony in court differed from the statements made by the witness on any previous occasion (“3:10–Credibility…,” 1986).
Let us notice how these accepted standards can be applied in a specific Bible event: the empty tombActually, they can be applied in a similar fashion to most any major event recorded in the Bible. But we will use the incident involving the empty tomb because of its centrality to the gospel message, and because if it can be established, most of the other Bible events will readily fall into place.
First, we raise the question, who observed the empty tomb? Who are the witnesses? We recall that the Bible teaches, and good jurisprudence demands, that important matters must be established “at the mouth of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16). Interestingly, the witnesses to the empty tomb more than satisfy this corroboration requirement. They are listed in the complimentary accounts of John, Matthew, Mark, and Luke as follows: Mary Magdalene, the “other” Mary, Mary the mother of James (that is, James the less, or Jacob), Salome, Joanna, and “other” women. Also of significance is the fact that there are actually two different “layers” of witnesses, since both John and Peter arrived at the scene as well.
These individuals are among the last people to see the Lord before He died. They had an excellent opportunity to observe the events immediately preceding His death, as well as His body after crucifixion. Most of them were in close proximity to Jesus throughout His intensive ministry, and they had an excellent opportunity to observe the facts in question.
Their memory has never been seriously questioned. There is not the slightest indication that any of them suffered from mental illness, delusional episodes, senility, or mental impairment of any kind. Both John and Peter went on to write detailed narratives and well-reasoned statements of doctrine and instruction. None of them would appear to have had any trouble recalling the events, and there is no indication that any of them ever deviated from their recollection of the empty tomb. If they had given conflicting reports due to failing memory, such would no doubt have been published broadly, but history records no such discrepancies.
Second, we cannot help but notice the details in the record. Details are signs of credibility. They tend to establish a witness’s opportunity to observe the events in question, and they show a carefulness typical of truthful testimony.
John details these events as occurring “on the first day of the week,” “early,” and “while it was yet dark” (John 20:1). Matthew’s account is consistent, but utilizes language which might be expected with a Jewish audience: “after the Sabbath.” He then provides an additional detail: “as the first day of the week began to dawn” (Matthew 28:1). Another mark of truthfulness is the fact that these accounts use language which at first glance appears to be contradictory. The contradiction disappears upon a realization that Matthew is framing the time with a Jewish mindset, as opposed to John’s description. But that realization may not be at first apparent, and if these accounts were falsified (developed in collusion), it is hard to understand why they would not have simply used the same language, rather than what at first seems inconsistent. Mark, reverting to a Gentile mindset, sets the time as “when the Sabbath was past” (Mark 16:1) and adds yet another detail: “very early on the first day of the week, when the sun was risen” (Mark 16:2). Again, one wonders why language was used, which at first seems contradictory, if this is a concocted account. Typically, when witnesses are falsifying a story, they try to present their accounts using identical language. This, then, becomes another mark of truthfulness, particularly when all three accounts are read together, which suggests that these events occurred after the Sun was risen, but just barely risen, in the early morning, while it was still largely dark. Such an understanding comports well with Luke’s detailed observations that the events occurred “on the first day of the week at early dawn” (Luke 24:1).
Thus, when all of these details are considered together, we get a consistent and complete picture of the time of these occurrences. Yet it reads like truthful testimony, each using slightly different wording, providing additional detail, seeming at first to be contradictory, but upon closer examination stating an accurate account.
If four witnesses had taken the stand in court and described an early-dawn occurrence as depicted here, it is difficult to imagine a more believable sequence of testimony. Had it been manufactured pursuant to some preconceived plot, it would have been much more uniform, but far less believable. The differences provide helpful details, and do not amount to contradictions or discrepancies in fact. On the contrary, they provide helpful and credible pieces of the overall picture. After reading and considering each of them, we get the confident conviction that we understand exactly what occurred.
There are a great many other details, which, if they are not truthful, are unexplainable. John tells us that, as between him and Peter, he arrived at the empty tomb first (John 20:4). Mark informs us that the women brought spices that they might “anoint him” (Mark 16:1), and Luke adds that the women brought spices which they themselves had prepared (Luke 24:1). Such details have the ring of truthfulness. Further, John advises us that he stooped and looked into the tomb (John 20:5). Mark actually provides details of the conversation the women had on their way to the tomb regarding who would roll away the stone (Mark 16:3). Luke offers the interesting detail that Peter ran to the tomb (Luke 24:12). Upon arrival, John tells us that he saw the linen cloths lying there (John 20:5), but Luke adds that Peter saw the linens by themselves (Luke 24:12). John agrees that Peter saw the linen cloths, but adds the telling fact that he saw a napkin separate from the cloths, “in a place by itself” (John 20:6-7). Why would such details be included if they were not true? Details provided in a witness’s testimony are marks of truthfulness, especially when they appear to serve no other purpose, because they end up establishing overall credibility of the narrative.
Third, we notice some things which might have been omitted in these accounts, had they been manufactured for some deceptive purpose. These are relatively small insertions which would not be necessary to advance a false narrative. For example, it is a consistent trait of human nature that people do not usually include “unflattering” details about themselves, especially if they are not necessary to the narrative. Mark provides the unflattering detail that the women did not speak to others after this occurrence out of simple fear (Mark 16:8). Indeed, the women are seen, not in some artificial and well-reasoned conspiracy, but in a completely believable state of confusion, failing to even consider who would roll away the mighty stone until they were well on their way to the tomb. Such details, however unflattering, are completely consistent with actual human events. They are typical of what people really do, not of what people say they do.
Mary’s pitiful, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2), so typical of an exasperated and unplanned predicament, shows that she did not at all comprehend what had really occurred in the resurrection of Christ. Such is an unflattering admission, written long after the events, which would have been corrected had it not been true.
Nor do the apostles escape this less-than-complimentary treatment. Luke concedes that the report of the women “seemed as idle talk” to the apostles, and admits very plainly that they did not believe them (Luke 24:11). If they can be avoided, people do not usually include details which make themselves look bad. John, for example, admits that after he had out run Peter to the tomb, he hesitated and did not enter. But Peter boldly did, a fact included by John himself which appears to be unaccounted for unless it is true. It is also stated that the apostles, who later had such a commendable understanding of God’s plan, at the time simply left the tomb and went to their own homes. Such behavior, being fully characteristic of confused and exhausted men, would be inexplicable were it not true. People making up a story do not usually include distasteful or disagreeable details about themselves.
Finally we notice the consistency in these accounts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each describe the same event. Yet their language is quite dissimilar, far from a mere copy of each other. Such consistency is a mark of truthfulness. It has the indicia of reliability, and does not read like accounts which were deliberately manufactured to advance a false story. Each writer approaches the story from a different cultural background and expresses it in words and concepts consistent with his audience. The accounts are not contradictory but supplementary. By reading all of the narratives in full, one gets a complete understanding of what occurred. Likewise, reading only one or two narratives leaves questions and an incomplete perception. This suggests an over-arching Guide in these writings, a higher control, which guaranteed that all of the necessary information was included. It verifies the Bible claim that these writings are inspired by God.
Our faith is founded upon evidence (Hebrews 11:1). The evidence adduced from these credible witnesses is believable and compelling. It certainly proves the narrative beyond any reasonable doubt. If there is any remaining doubt, one might well ask how could a band of working-class fishermen and women “cook up” such a well-documented event? If they had lied, the accounts would not bear such marks of truthfulness and credibility. Further, if they had lied, they would have had to have maintained those lies consistently to their deaths. Believing such a thing would stretch credibility beyond its limits.
If I were trying this case before a jury, I would summarize the evidence we have and point out these standards which the jury should apply. When that is done, the conclusion becomes obvious: There is no reasonable and proper explanation, except that the events described in the Bible concerning the empty tomb are true.

REFERENCES

“3:10–Credibility of Witnesses” (1986), Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions (MCPJI) (Baltimore, MD: MICPEL, Maryland State Bar Association, Inc.).

How Humble Could Moses Have Been? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





How Humble Could Moses Have Been?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


In an attempt to discredit the idea that God inspired Moses to write the first five books of the Old Testament, many skeptics and liberal Bible scholars have taken it upon themselves to hyper-analyze any and all “questionable” statements in the Pentateuch. One of the statements frenquently used to bolster the idea that Moses could not have written these five books is found in Numbers 12:3, which reads: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” After reading this statement, the question arises: “How could Moses be the meekest or most humble man in the world, and proceed to tell everyone that he is?” According to Tod Billings, the president (in 1999) of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, “if Moses really said this in reference to himself, he is vain and arrogant, not ‘very meek!’ ” (1999). Statements like those of Mr. Billings could be multiplied many times over from the pen of countless “freethinkers,” skeptics, and liberal Bible scholars. And, in all honesty, a cursory look at this statement might take even the most sincere Bible student somewhat by surprise.
Could Moses have been very meek, and still have written this statement about himself? Yes. First, if God was informing Moses what to write, then Moses had little choice in the wording of the description concerning himself. It is clear from the scope of the statement, which included “all the men that were upon the face of the earth,” that only God had the ability to know who was the meekest man living at the time of Moses (Coffman, 1987, p. 365). Does it not make sense that God would have chosen only the most humble man to bring His chosen people out of Egypt and through the wilderness?
Second, the phrase is added so that the reader can understand the narrative more fully. In the context, Moses’ brother Aaron, and sister Miriam, had spoken against Moses because he had married an Ethiopian woman. They said to Moses, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also” (Numbers 12:1-2)? These statements amounted to a direct attack upon the authority that God had given Moses. Had Moses’ siblings been permitted to continue with such sentiments, the entire authoritative structure established by God (i.e., establishing Moses as the primary leader of the Israelites) might have been jeopardized. However, because Moses was such a meek and humble man, He refused to take it upon himself to squelch this rebellious attitude. Therefore, God had to step in and speak directly to Moses’ siblings, informing Miriam and Aaron that God had a special relationship with Moses, and that his brother and sister should have been “afraid to speak against My [God’s—KB] servant Moses” (Numbers 12:8). Without the statement concerning Moses’ meekness, this narrative is somewhat incomplete. With the statement included, however, we see that Moses refused to exalt himself and set his siblings straight, so God stepped in and exalted Moses.
Third, many of the Bible writers were inspired to make comments about themselves that sound arrogant to some, yet in actuality, they are not arrogant statements, but simply documentation of a fact that God wanted those who read the Bible to know. For instance, on several occasions in the gospel of John, we read a description about a particular disciple “whom Jesus loved.” At the end of the book, the writer informs his readers that he is that disciple (John 21:20-25). Is it arrogant of John to single himself out more than the other apostles as one whom Jesus loved? Or is it the case that God wanted that information included for the benefit of the readers? Another example comes from the apostle Paul. When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin to defend himself, he opened his speech with the statement, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1, c.f. Mark 13:11). Because Ananias, the high priest, considered this statement to be out of line, he commanded one of the soldiers who stood by Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul’s statement, however, was a simple statement of fact that contained neither arrogance nor conceit.
During Moses’ life, God considered him to be the meekest man living. God wanted the readers of the Bible to know this fact, therefore He inspired Moses to record it. The fact helps the reader understand God’s action in Numbers 12, and it is congruent with similar statements recorded by other Bible writers. The statement cannot legitimately be used to argue against the inspiration or Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.

REFERENCES

Billings, Tod (1999), “Moses Wrote the Torah?” [On-line], URL: http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/archive/billings_torah.html.
Coffman, James Burton (1987), Commentary on Leviticus and Numbers (Abilene, TX: ACU Press).

SATAN'S GAME BY STEVE FINNELL


http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/05/satans-game-by-steve-finnell-why-do-so.html


SATAN'S GAME   BY STEVE FINNELL


Why do so many people play Satan's game? Satan's game of soul destroyer is like a game of baseball.

Satan wants men to remain in the batter's box. John 8:24 :There I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (NKJV)

If men will not say in the batter's box Satan can tolerate 1st base.[BELIEVE] John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

If men run to 2nd base Satan can live with that. [REPENTANCE] Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that in times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (NKJV)

If men insist on going to 3rd base, Satan says fine, thats o.k.. [CONFESSION] Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (NKJV)

The thing Satan cannot abide is when men reach home plate. [WATER BAPTISM] Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

To remain on third base is to die in your sins.

The Lord is our Judge, Lawgiver and King! by Roy Davison




The Lord is our Judge, Lawgiver and King!

“For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22).
As is true of every effective government, God's kingdom has judicial, legislative and executive powers.
Because in worldly governments, people in power tend to misuse their power, the judicial and the executive powers are separated in democracies. Sometimes the legislative and executive powers are also separated.
God does not misuse His power. He knows everything, including “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Because of His holiness, justice, knowledge, wisdom, love, goodness, mercy and power, the Lord is infinitely qualified to serve as Judge, Lawgiver and King.

The Lord is our Judge.
A judge is someone who is authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice. A judge makes his decision after evaluating the facts and applying the law.
God is “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25). “He is coming to judge the earth” (1 Chronicles 16:32). “God is a just judge” (Psalm 7:11). “The Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness” (Psalm 9:7, 8).
The heavenly Father has appointed His Son, Jesus Christ, to “judge the living and the dead at His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:1). “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).
God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
On your calendar you have no doubt noted important appointments. What could be more important than our appointment with God on Judgment Day? “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9, 10).
Judgment Day is drawing near. It is extremely important that we know the basis upon which we will be judged.

The Lord is our Lawgiver.
A lawgiver is someone who is authorized to draft and enact laws. A law is a rule of conduct imposed by authority, which one is obligated to obey, usually with a designated punishment for violation.
“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy” (James 4:12).
It is extremely important that we know the law of the Lord because compliance or non-compliance will determine whether we spend eternity in heaven or in hell. And eternity is a long, long time.
The law of the Lord must be learned. The Lord was well-disposed towards king Jehoshaphat of Judah because “his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 17:6). He sent leaders throughout the country to teach the law: “So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people” (2 Chronicles 17:9).
Ezra the priest “had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
Of “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) Paul wrote, “I delight in the law of God” and “I serve the law of God” (Romans 7:22, 26). He also explained that “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Of the Messianic reign it was predicted, “Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).
Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
The Lord has given us His law. By learning and obeying His law we are getting ready for the day of judgment.

The Lord is our King.
A king is the sovereign ruler of a kingdom, the highest authority over a realm.
“The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jeremiah 10:10).
“I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne” (Psalm 47:6-8).
The armed forces of a king support his authority. Our King is Yahweh Zebaoth, Lord of hosts, Lord of heavenly forces.
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).
When the king of Syria wanted to capture Elisha, “he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, and said, 'LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:14-17).
At various times God's people were rebuked when they sought help from the Egyptian army, rather than placing their confidence in the power of God: “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!” (Isaiah 31:1).
Our King has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). “He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14).
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God'” (Isaiah 44:6).
To Jesus, who is called 'the First and the Last' in Revelation 2:8, Nathanael said, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49).
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
“They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: 'Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested'” (Revelation 15:3, 4).
“The LORD shall reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18).
When the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, John heard loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).
And the most wonderful thing about all of this is, that our Judge, Lawgiver and King is also our Savior! “For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22). Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.


Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

life by Gary Rose




Sound about right, or is it? Is life just the things you do, or is it something more? Life is love, joy, peace, happiness and a thousand other things that makes human beings, well, human. If you want to think about math, then put it in its proper context. Consider this passage from Peter’s second letter…


2 Peter 1 ( World English Bible )
[1] Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: [2] Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, [3] seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; [4] by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. [5] Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; [6] and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; [7] and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. [8] For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.


Disciple means: a learner. After we are born again (John 3:5) we begin learning. We gain knowledge of what God wants us to be and then we do our best to please HIM. As our Christian life progresses, we add the things that Peter mentions and gradually become more like our teacher (Jesus). In addition to this, time and testings (trials) help refine our life.

Now, most everyone I have ever known would say that the picture is true, but remember, there is more to life than just what we do. If you are a Christian, then your life is CHRIST!