"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:16-17 "And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die." Genesis3:4
The devil is your real enemy. Yes, the devil exists and yes the devil is alive and yes the devil is powerful and has influence on mankind today, just as much as during these precious moments at the beginnings of mankind. The devil is still a liar and the devil is still trying to get you to believe anything other than what God says. God says one thing, the devil says another.
sarcastic
Of course we who live in modernity have learned how to balance good and evil without giving up too much pleasure or relaxation, without upsetting the applecart, without having to appear to be too holy for the general public. We have learned how to balance our lives so that we can rationalize and do almost anything we want to do. We can go to church and sing and praise God and live a worldly life also as long as we are careful. We can do business any way we want to, because we have learned how to separate our Christianity from our business. We have learned how to become ecumenical instead of spiritual or spiritual instead of Christ-like. Either way, we have made it difficult for men and women to preach or teach real truth, the kind that makes you think, the kind that isn't necessarily comforting to your current lifestyle. Even the kind of preaching that reveals how wonderful and gracious and merciful God is, is masked by the need to confuse the general public into a relationship with God, built on duty or guilt.
The scripture is clear on so many issues of life and we listen to the words of the enemy instead. It seems hopeless to fight, when satan and his emissaries have so much power. After all if satan tricked Eve, then what hope is there that I won't also be tricked? And so what if I'm dabbling with a little evil. Everybody is human. You can't live perfect anyway, so why not work it out so that you can appear to be holier than you really are. What's the problem with that? Nobody knows, so nobody gets hurt.
The reason that this mind-set doesn't work is because it is built on a false premise. What God says is true. What satan says is a lie. What God says makes one wise. What satan says makes one foolish. What God says makes one alive. What satan says makes one dead. What God says works. What satan says doesn't work. What God says brings to pass all that is perfect for you, now and forever. What satan says brings to pass all that is vain, and mean, and ugly and disgusting, and short lived. What God says to you might hurt your feelings and might disrupt your comfort zone, and open your eyes to a better life. What satan says to you will destroy you and your children, your parents and your friends, your business and your dreams.
You will be in this battle until you die. But don't think that if you aren't interested in the things of God here, (on this side of heaven) that when you die you will somehow be interested in the things of God there. It's not true. Maybe you should re-evaluate what you think while the opportunity to think on the things of God are still available. But don't be surprised if you also hear a voice saying, "you've got plenty of time to change your mind/ye shall not surely die."
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Daily Devotional November 17 - Sell, Sell, Sell, But Not Inside The Sanctuary
"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise." John 2:13-16 And in Matthew 21:13, Jesus said, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."
What has happened over the years? Have not our pastors read this verse and many others just like it? Oh, I get it. Since the body is now the temple of the Lord, whatever we do in church is OK. The church, since it is not the temple is exempt from the selling goods rule.
What do you think? The tabernacle of the Old Testament, the temple of the New Testament, the synagogue, the church, the temples; aren't they all meant to be a place of prayer/worship? Of course the church is to take the tithe if that is their policy and to take offerings for use, but not to sell goods inside the church. It is irreverent to have book sales and video sales and crosses and earrings and any other Christian paraphernalia for sale in the church. No one should have to be told that. Jesus has set a precedence and it is that precedence that we must follow, not rules of our own.
That's what the Jews did prior to Jesus coming in the flesh; they made rules to accommodate themselves. They had made rules for everything, about 100 rules for every God breathed rule of scripture. They placed a burden on people that was not scriptural and they made allowances for themselves that excluded them from scrutiny. They added, turned and twisted the Word of God to meet their own evolving needs. Are we doing the same thing again as the church?
Please dear pastor or leader, be careful about the church that was given to you by God. Be careful for the things of God that take place inside those holy walls. Be careful not to think wiser than the scripture. Be careful to fulfill your calling and your calling is not to sell goods inside the sanctuary. That's not your platform. It is the pulpit of God and you are a steward and the church is an holy place. Keep it that way. This is not just one more rule to add to the others; this is a direct message from Jesus. This story is found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
What has happened over the years? Have not our pastors read this verse and many others just like it? Oh, I get it. Since the body is now the temple of the Lord, whatever we do in church is OK. The church, since it is not the temple is exempt from the selling goods rule.
What do you think? The tabernacle of the Old Testament, the temple of the New Testament, the synagogue, the church, the temples; aren't they all meant to be a place of prayer/worship? Of course the church is to take the tithe if that is their policy and to take offerings for use, but not to sell goods inside the church. It is irreverent to have book sales and video sales and crosses and earrings and any other Christian paraphernalia for sale in the church. No one should have to be told that. Jesus has set a precedence and it is that precedence that we must follow, not rules of our own.
That's what the Jews did prior to Jesus coming in the flesh; they made rules to accommodate themselves. They had made rules for everything, about 100 rules for every God breathed rule of scripture. They placed a burden on people that was not scriptural and they made allowances for themselves that excluded them from scrutiny. They added, turned and twisted the Word of God to meet their own evolving needs. Are we doing the same thing again as the church?
Please dear pastor or leader, be careful about the church that was given to you by God. Be careful for the things of God that take place inside those holy walls. Be careful not to think wiser than the scripture. Be careful to fulfill your calling and your calling is not to sell goods inside the sanctuary. That's not your platform. It is the pulpit of God and you are a steward and the church is an holy place. Keep it that way. This is not just one more rule to add to the others; this is a direct message from Jesus. This story is found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Daily Devotional November 16 - Which Whatsoever Are You Following?
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 "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." Philippians 4:8 "His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." John 2:5 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:18-20
Whatsoever you read in the scriptures and whatsoever you hear Jesus speaking into your heart, do. But God did not say:
Whatsoever TV you want to watch, whether it is edifying or not, watch.
Whatsoever you feel like doing, do.
Whatsoever place you decide to go, go.
Whatsoever you decide to drink, drink.
Whatsoever you decide to advertise, advertise.
And on and on.
We do not follow the leading of Jesus Christ to get saved or to stay saved. We follow the leading of Jesus Christ because we trust that Jesus is right. Jesus is always right. You can't do better than to do life the way that Jesus outlined for us how to live.
Whatsoever you do. Think about it. Before you do the next big thing you are about to do, are you going to get clearance from Jesus? Are you going against specific scriptural reference to areas of life you should not be involved in? Are you asking and listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance? Have you sensed in your spirit that what you are about to do is godly? Is your whatsoever an approved whatsoever?
This is why I am mentioning this. If you are born again, you currently possess the power to overcome evil and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in your actions and deeds. Of course it will be an internal battle. Your mind and your flesh will rebel, but you do have the power to overcome. If you do whatsoever the scripture or the leading of the Holy Spirit says to do, you will be in alignment with the will of God. You will be living out what God purposed for you and what you were purposed to accomplish. There is nothing to be compared with a clear knowing that you have chosen whatsoever (by your own free will) to follow Jesus (who gives you the right to not follow His will) in whatsoever He commands or suggests. This chosen connection of doing whatsoever pleases God is the highest honor you can receive from God.
Whatsoever you read in the scriptures and whatsoever you hear Jesus speaking into your heart, do. But God did not say:
Whatsoever TV you want to watch, whether it is edifying or not, watch.
Whatsoever you feel like doing, do.
Whatsoever place you decide to go, go.
Whatsoever you decide to drink, drink.
Whatsoever you decide to advertise, advertise.
And on and on.
We do not follow the leading of Jesus Christ to get saved or to stay saved. We follow the leading of Jesus Christ because we trust that Jesus is right. Jesus is always right. You can't do better than to do life the way that Jesus outlined for us how to live.
Whatsoever you do. Think about it. Before you do the next big thing you are about to do, are you going to get clearance from Jesus? Are you going against specific scriptural reference to areas of life you should not be involved in? Are you asking and listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance? Have you sensed in your spirit that what you are about to do is godly? Is your whatsoever an approved whatsoever?
This is why I am mentioning this. If you are born again, you currently possess the power to overcome evil and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in your actions and deeds. Of course it will be an internal battle. Your mind and your flesh will rebel, but you do have the power to overcome. If you do whatsoever the scripture or the leading of the Holy Spirit says to do, you will be in alignment with the will of God. You will be living out what God purposed for you and what you were purposed to accomplish. There is nothing to be compared with a clear knowing that you have chosen whatsoever (by your own free will) to follow Jesus (who gives you the right to not follow His will) in whatsoever He commands or suggests. This chosen connection of doing whatsoever pleases God is the highest honor you can receive from God.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Daily Devotional November 15 - How Can You Be Sure?
"The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." Nahum 1:7
How do you know if the Lord knows you trust in Him? Wouldn't it be sad to go through your whole life and come to the end and find out that what you have done, you have done on your own and that your relationship with Jesus was superficial, that you were never born again and that your name is not listed in the book of life? And then in your anger you might start spouting off, "Lord, Lord, have I not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? Then Jesus says, "And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 21:22b-23
There's only one way to be sure that the LORD knows you. But first here are many ways that do not determine that the Lord knows you:
You have a spiritual interest and you are fascinated with Hollywood's version of angels and demons.
You donate to quasi-church or para-church organizations.
You are fair to your employers.
You do not steal from your employer.
You go to church on Easter and sometimes Christmas.
You go to church every week.
You speak in other tongues.
You tithe and give money to charities.
You have been baptized in water.
You are a member of the church, any church.
You have your pastor over for dinner.
You are open minded and don't mind too much if people at work talk about Jesus.
You were born in America.
You were born to a Christian family.
You were Christened as a baby.
You were Confirmed as a teen/adult.
You were Bar-mitzvah'd as a teen/adult.
You are spiritually minded and find many similarities between all world religions.
You take in exchange students.
You consider yourself a really good person.
You pray.
You read your Bible.
So you think I am going to far with this? You might be right, but it is so important to have a clear understanding of what God accepts as knowing you, and I feel compelled to make this most profound of all concepts, as simple as possible.
You must trust that Jesus is the only way to God and that what Jesus did on the cross for you is the only thing you will ever have to do to be known by God.
This is hard for the cultural Christian who has been brought up in a Christian family and come through the ranks of a church, because most of our church leaders teach this truth plus a great many things makes you a Christian. You won't be known for your great works. You will be known for you association with Christ, by faith, only.
How do you know if the Lord knows you trust in Him? Wouldn't it be sad to go through your whole life and come to the end and find out that what you have done, you have done on your own and that your relationship with Jesus was superficial, that you were never born again and that your name is not listed in the book of life? And then in your anger you might start spouting off, "Lord, Lord, have I not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? Then Jesus says, "And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 21:22b-23
There's only one way to be sure that the LORD knows you. But first here are many ways that do not determine that the Lord knows you:
You have a spiritual interest and you are fascinated with Hollywood's version of angels and demons.
You donate to quasi-church or para-church organizations.
You are fair to your employers.
You do not steal from your employer.
You go to church on Easter and sometimes Christmas.
You go to church every week.
You speak in other tongues.
You tithe and give money to charities.
You have been baptized in water.
You are a member of the church, any church.
You have your pastor over for dinner.
You are open minded and don't mind too much if people at work talk about Jesus.
You were born in America.
You were born to a Christian family.
You were Christened as a baby.
You were Confirmed as a teen/adult.
You were Bar-mitzvah'd as a teen/adult.
You are spiritually minded and find many similarities between all world religions.
You take in exchange students.
You consider yourself a really good person.
You pray.
You read your Bible.
So you think I am going to far with this? You might be right, but it is so important to have a clear understanding of what God accepts as knowing you, and I feel compelled to make this most profound of all concepts, as simple as possible.
You must trust that Jesus is the only way to God and that what Jesus did on the cross for you is the only thing you will ever have to do to be known by God.
This is hard for the cultural Christian who has been brought up in a Christian family and come through the ranks of a church, because most of our church leaders teach this truth plus a great many things makes you a Christian. You won't be known for your great works. You will be known for you association with Christ, by faith, only.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Daily Devotional November 14 - Faith Is A Challenge
"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27 "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23
I just wonder, what are my possibilities? Is there some way that I can have assurance that my dreams will come true? Have I squandered my time and let multiple possibilities get by me? Are there possibilities that I could be enjoying, but I do not recognize them? And of course the question that all of us want to ask, but never do, 'why doesn't God just show us everything clearly?'
I believe that God does show us everything clearly, but I have reservations about some of His servants/pastors/priests/ministers. Men and women of the cloth should be saturated in the Word of God to the point of excess. Their prayer life and their walk should be exemplary. They should be walking with God and hearing from God and dispensing what they are hearing. You should be too.
The truth is that you have great possibilities and I believe Jesus. Go get them. Take from the plethora of the bounty that God has put in front of you. It was all created for you and me and all those around us, the saved and the unsaved. If the unsaved can take from this well of plenty and make use of it and build and create and benefit others, how much more should we, the children of God be accessing and utilizing God's provisions.
Too much apathy is voiced and preached. I'm tired of complainers complaining about things that happened ten years ago. And there is entirely too much attention given to this world's advertisers. You don't need what they are selling. You need what God is giving out freely. Many of our un-successes (I know that this is not a word but failure isn't accurate either,) are from under-using what God has already provided. Even if we only used what was available already, we would have more than we need to increase our possibilities, if we were to believe God. Jesus tells us that if we can beleive God, all things are possible. Here's the challenge. Can you believe God, even if it goes against what you have been taught? If not, it is not likely that all things will be possible to you.
I just wonder, what are my possibilities? Is there some way that I can have assurance that my dreams will come true? Have I squandered my time and let multiple possibilities get by me? Are there possibilities that I could be enjoying, but I do not recognize them? And of course the question that all of us want to ask, but never do, 'why doesn't God just show us everything clearly?'
I believe that God does show us everything clearly, but I have reservations about some of His servants/pastors/priests/ministers. Men and women of the cloth should be saturated in the Word of God to the point of excess. Their prayer life and their walk should be exemplary. They should be walking with God and hearing from God and dispensing what they are hearing. You should be too.
The truth is that you have great possibilities and I believe Jesus. Go get them. Take from the plethora of the bounty that God has put in front of you. It was all created for you and me and all those around us, the saved and the unsaved. If the unsaved can take from this well of plenty and make use of it and build and create and benefit others, how much more should we, the children of God be accessing and utilizing God's provisions.
Too much apathy is voiced and preached. I'm tired of complainers complaining about things that happened ten years ago. And there is entirely too much attention given to this world's advertisers. You don't need what they are selling. You need what God is giving out freely. Many of our un-successes (I know that this is not a word but failure isn't accurate either,) are from under-using what God has already provided. Even if we only used what was available already, we would have more than we need to increase our possibilities, if we were to believe God. Jesus tells us that if we can beleive God, all things are possible. Here's the challenge. Can you believe God, even if it goes against what you have been taught? If not, it is not likely that all things will be possible to you.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Daily Devotional november 13 - Why Take A Risk With So Important And So simple?
"Jesus answered and said unto him, art thou a master of Israel, and knoweth not these things?
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? John 3:9-12
Jesus was talking with Nicodemus (a leading Pharisee, ruler of the Jews and member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the highest Jewish tribunal.) Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he must be born again and Nicodemus was responding stupified.
There is a point here that must not be missed. It is obvious that being educated, being a part of the religious leadership of a religious order and even being a leader in religious philosophy does not qualify a person to understand spiritual matters. What qualifies a person to understand spiritual things that will transform them from lost to found, from darkness to light, from religious to truly spiritual, is an open mind and a receptive heart. Even Jesus Himself, when in the presence of others, could not reach everyone, because of their religious background or their own personal defiance of God. How much harder for us who are left with the commission to bring the gospel to the lost.
Jesus made a great point to Nicodemus, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things." Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about His ministry and the things he had been doing, about the people, their response to Him, the healings, the miracles and about the greatest miracle of all, salvation. He was speaking straight; no gimmicks, nothing to sell, nothing to gain, simply what He had seen and done, all first hand personal experience. Nicodemus was having a hard time believing what Jesus was saying. And so Nicodemus would have an even harder time believing what Jesus was saying about heavenly things, things about the future, things about God, things about the spiritual realm.
It is the same for you and me. If you spill your heart out about what you have seen with your own eyes and what you have heard with your own ears and what you have experienced first hand in your own life and someone does not believe you, how can you go on and tell them about heavenly things and expect some kind of positive response?
What can you do?
Keep it simple.
Tell people about what God has done for you. Be specific. Be clear. Don't explain to them all your theological history. Tell them about your personal relationship with Jesus. If they show interest, then you can go on to tell them more about Jesus.
Keep it simple.
Don't explain Jesus away by telling them about how they have to operate in the gifts of the spirit, be baptised four different ways, be saved over and over again, become a member of something, give up smoking, drinking or a plethora of other vices. Let the Holy Spirit continue to be the Holy Spirit. Simply tell them about how they can ask forgiveness for their sins and to ask for Jesus to come in and make His home with them.
Church people have turned away a many a person who really were ripe for the picking by offering them a lot more than they could digest. That's not evangelism. That's a real shame. If you tell them about your denomination and everything they believe, it is real likely that you will have offered them more than what Jesus would do. Why take a risk with something so important and so simple?
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? John 3:9-12
Jesus was talking with Nicodemus (a leading Pharisee, ruler of the Jews and member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the highest Jewish tribunal.) Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he must be born again and Nicodemus was responding stupified.
There is a point here that must not be missed. It is obvious that being educated, being a part of the religious leadership of a religious order and even being a leader in religious philosophy does not qualify a person to understand spiritual matters. What qualifies a person to understand spiritual things that will transform them from lost to found, from darkness to light, from religious to truly spiritual, is an open mind and a receptive heart. Even Jesus Himself, when in the presence of others, could not reach everyone, because of their religious background or their own personal defiance of God. How much harder for us who are left with the commission to bring the gospel to the lost.
Jesus made a great point to Nicodemus, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things." Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about His ministry and the things he had been doing, about the people, their response to Him, the healings, the miracles and about the greatest miracle of all, salvation. He was speaking straight; no gimmicks, nothing to sell, nothing to gain, simply what He had seen and done, all first hand personal experience. Nicodemus was having a hard time believing what Jesus was saying. And so Nicodemus would have an even harder time believing what Jesus was saying about heavenly things, things about the future, things about God, things about the spiritual realm.
It is the same for you and me. If you spill your heart out about what you have seen with your own eyes and what you have heard with your own ears and what you have experienced first hand in your own life and someone does not believe you, how can you go on and tell them about heavenly things and expect some kind of positive response?
What can you do?
Keep it simple.
Tell people about what God has done for you. Be specific. Be clear. Don't explain to them all your theological history. Tell them about your personal relationship with Jesus. If they show interest, then you can go on to tell them more about Jesus.
Keep it simple.
Don't explain Jesus away by telling them about how they have to operate in the gifts of the spirit, be baptised four different ways, be saved over and over again, become a member of something, give up smoking, drinking or a plethora of other vices. Let the Holy Spirit continue to be the Holy Spirit. Simply tell them about how they can ask forgiveness for their sins and to ask for Jesus to come in and make His home with them.
Church people have turned away a many a person who really were ripe for the picking by offering them a lot more than they could digest. That's not evangelism. That's a real shame. If you tell them about your denomination and everything they believe, it is real likely that you will have offered them more than what Jesus would do. Why take a risk with something so important and so simple?
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Daily Devotional november 12 - Are You Receptive To Hear The Voice Of God?
"And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nepthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah 9:1-2) the prophet, saying, "the land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:13-17
About 769 years earlier Isaiah was granted a look at the future. Not only in this verse, but literally hundreds of Old Testament verses refer to a particular moment/season in time. Think about how long that is and just how difficult it would be to guess specific events of the future. Truly we can barely see to the end of the week, much less months, or years, decades, centuries or millenniums.
God has weaved together the past, present and future to reveal His omniscience through the scriptures.
Don't let the naysayers put their foot in the door of your faith. All scripture is true and all scriptural prophecy has come to pass or is waiting to come to pass according to God's foreknowledge.
Don't buy into the argument that the scriptures from one writer say something different from another writer. That is a child's argument and certainly not from someone who has read and understand the links and correlations of scripture.
Don't even listen to the argument about the King James version of the Bible is full of mistakes and errors. The mistakes and the errors are being made by those who can't grasp the connection between God and man, the spoken word 'Rhema of God' and the written word 'Logos of God' and the inerrancy of the scripture, even in it's man written form.
There are even those who go about saying that God doesn't answer prayer anymore, that we are in a waiting period between the time when Jesus performed miracles and heaven. Gobbledygook. That hardly explains the miracles that took place after Jesus ascended into heaven, through Paul, the Apostles and many others.
In this one verse, Isaiah spoke it and Jesus fulfilled it hundreds of years later, but there are hundreds of like prophesies in the scriptures. God is still speaking to men and women and giving them words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophetic words of encouragement and prophecy. What makes these prophesies different than scriptural prophesies is that scripture holds the key to salvation and every word ever spoken necessary to secure salvation has already been spoken/written. There will never be a new way or a different way or a way that God told so and so it should be done that differs from scripture. But foreknowledge of future events spoken for the edification of the church, yes. What, do you really think that God stopped speaking to men and women of faith after John died on the Isle of Patmos? No way. And God is speaking to you, right now, through His Spirit into your inner man. Are you receptive to hear the voice of God. Isaiah was and look at the results.
About 769 years earlier Isaiah was granted a look at the future. Not only in this verse, but literally hundreds of Old Testament verses refer to a particular moment/season in time. Think about how long that is and just how difficult it would be to guess specific events of the future. Truly we can barely see to the end of the week, much less months, or years, decades, centuries or millenniums.
God has weaved together the past, present and future to reveal His omniscience through the scriptures.
Don't let the naysayers put their foot in the door of your faith. All scripture is true and all scriptural prophecy has come to pass or is waiting to come to pass according to God's foreknowledge.
Don't buy into the argument that the scriptures from one writer say something different from another writer. That is a child's argument and certainly not from someone who has read and understand the links and correlations of scripture.
Don't even listen to the argument about the King James version of the Bible is full of mistakes and errors. The mistakes and the errors are being made by those who can't grasp the connection between God and man, the spoken word 'Rhema of God' and the written word 'Logos of God' and the inerrancy of the scripture, even in it's man written form.
There are even those who go about saying that God doesn't answer prayer anymore, that we are in a waiting period between the time when Jesus performed miracles and heaven. Gobbledygook. That hardly explains the miracles that took place after Jesus ascended into heaven, through Paul, the Apostles and many others.
In this one verse, Isaiah spoke it and Jesus fulfilled it hundreds of years later, but there are hundreds of like prophesies in the scriptures. God is still speaking to men and women and giving them words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophetic words of encouragement and prophecy. What makes these prophesies different than scriptural prophesies is that scripture holds the key to salvation and every word ever spoken necessary to secure salvation has already been spoken/written. There will never be a new way or a different way or a way that God told so and so it should be done that differs from scripture. But foreknowledge of future events spoken for the edification of the church, yes. What, do you really think that God stopped speaking to men and women of faith after John died on the Isle of Patmos? No way. And God is speaking to you, right now, through His Spirit into your inner man. Are you receptive to hear the voice of God. Isaiah was and look at the results.
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