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Zephaniah 2Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the NationsJudah Summoned to Repent (v 1-3)Philistia (v 4-7)Moab and Ammon (v 8-11)Cush (v 12)Assyria (v 13-15)**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
Giving Thanks by Faith2 Corinthians 6:8-10 (NIV)“through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”Ephesians 5:19b-20 (NIV)“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”1. Thank God for what He has done in the past.James 1:17 (NIV)“Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” 2. Thank God for what He is doing in your present troubles.2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)“For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)“always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”3. Thank God for His faithfulness in future challenges.2 Chronicles 20:21 (NIV)“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.'”2 Chronicles 20:22 (NIV)“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”
In Part One, we met high-powered millionaire Ted Ammon and his…let's say “eccentric” soon-to-be-ex-wife Generosa. When we left off, the Ammons were embroiled in a vicious divorce and a struggle over Ted's wealth and custody of their twin children. Generosa, staying at the ritzy Stanhope Hotel, was renovating a townhouse and had just met a young electrician by the name of Danny Pelosi. Join us for part 2 of this wild true story.Sources:Almost Paradise by Kieran CrowleyFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
This is the story of what happened to King Limhi's people after they became slaves to the Lamanites. The Lamanite daughters get kidnapped by the wandering priests, the Lamanites wage war against Limhi's people, and Ammon and his brothers try to help Limhi concoct a plan for escape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From horse training to hair styling, Ammon Carver joins us to talk about learning to love yourself and your craft, plus his transition from teaching behind the chair to mentoring on stage and to becoming a father. Ammon Carver has gained recognition in the hair and beauty industry for his refined aesthetic, his continued passion, and his portfolio of flawless looks. With 7 nominations and awards for Master Hairstylist of the Year and Salon Team of the Year in 2015 by the prestigious North American Hairstyling Awards, Ammon is one of the most highly regarded hair stylists in the business.⭐️⭐️⭐️ Check out more episodes and the videos at https://chrisbaran.com/podcast ⭐️ Join our FREE Facebook community for Salon Team Trainers today. https://facebook.com/groups/salonteamtraining ✅ Exclusive content on how to implement and scale your salon training the easy way ✅ Save time and learn what works from people just like you ✅ Get back to your mission of building the salon business and creating more jobs Learn more here - https://bit.ly/trainersplaybook Join our FB group - https://facebook.com/groups/salonteamtraining Follow us on IG - https://instagram.com/coachchrisbaran
Many construction companies would kill for more development projects with less cash down. In this episode of The Builders Ladder, Ammon Acarapi from Loan Market Development Finance explains how to do just that. He shares how non-bank funding is helping builders and developers take on more projects with less money. Ammon's approach offers construction companies and developers a big boost, including: Up to 80% LVR on pre-sold properties. Flexible financing based on the final property value. An equity-based lending method that skips income checks. These options can lower the barriers for construction companies to expand. Could this mean traditional bank loans are no longer needed for building businesses? We'll let you be the judge of that after this episode. Tune in to discover: ✔The legal and ethical “funding hack” that lets you start projects with just 20% of the usual cash ✔How one developer funded seven times more projects (without using a bank) ✔Why top developers are ditching banks to speed up approvals ✔How to fund turnkey projects without massive cash deposits ✔Why cash flow might not matter in your next project — if you use this tool ✔Plus More! Whether you're just starting or looking to scale — this episode offers tools and tips to level up your building business. Key Points: 00:00 Intro 04:45 Lending & equity. 15:11 High-yield investments 22:39 Non-bank lending benefits 29:08 Get this before development funding 32:11 Keys to success - Our construction business coaching has helped 2,500+ building companies succeed. Subscribe to The Builder's Ladder Podcast for weekly, actionable insights — tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Podcast Exclusive! Get 151 'Tips & Tricks' that could add $250k to your bottom line: https://info.theprofessionalbuilder.com/151ways
Glaciers en danger: de nouvelles estimations révèlent une fonte plus rapide d'ici à 2100 Les brèves du jour "Glacier, Tout va changer": la nouvelle exposition du Musée Alpin Suisse "La Corne dʹAmmon": le polar scientifique qui vous plonge au cœur du cerveau
As much as most of us might try to live easy, conflict-free lives, sometimes you just can't avoid an uncomfortable interaction. Maybe an unpleasant neighbor gets in your face about nothing at all, maybe someone behind a counter gives you all kinds of attitude, it's more or less inevitable that sooner or later, someone will throw some grit into the smoothly turning gears of your life. And most of us just deal with it and forget about it. Most of us don't have actual “enemies,” but the main character in this week's story made enemies like it was her full-time job. She would burn down years-long friendships over the smallest imagined slight, and if there were an actual, real betrayal—well, she'd burn down your whole life. Join us for part 1 of a story of explosive rage and revenge, set in one of the richest neighborhoods in the world. Sources:Almost Paradise by Kieran CrowleyFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com
Up next in the list of nations being rebuked by the Lord is the nation of Edom. Edom was on the short list of nations receiving prophetic rebuke along with Ammon, Moab, and Philistia when this section began back in chapter 25. Recall that the nation of Edom stems from Jacob's (aka Israel's) brother Esau, and they have been at odds more or less ever since the womb. Most recently, Edom participated in the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem during the Babylonian invasion. History reveals that in time the Edomites will be defeated by the Maccabees in 126 BC and incorporated into the Jewish state and would cease to exist by the year 6 AD. Later in our reading, Ezekiel promises restoration for Israel, bringing them back into their own land.Ezekiel 35 - 1:02 . Ezekiel 36 - 4:01 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
El pecado de la ira es el pecado que mata. El propio Moisés era propenso a arrebatos de furia. Los míticos guerreros de Esparta meditaban para hacer desaparecer el pecado de la ira antes de una batalla. El escritor italiano Dante situaba a los que cometían este pecado en “el cuarto círculo del infierno”, donde se desgarraban los miembros unos a otros hasta la eternidad. Los estudiosos de la demonología afirman que el pecado de la ira es realmente la posesión del cuerpo por parte del demonio Ammon. Hoy en día, los neurocientíficos creen haber encontrado la emoción de la ira en la “amígdala”. De modo que, ¿es el pecado de la ira algo demoníaco o químico?.
Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann The Judge of the Whole World, Part 2 Series: The Lord's Roar: God's Call to Faithfulness in a Culture That Has it All Scripture: Amos 1 - 2:1-5 Episode: 1358 In Amos 1 through 2:1-5, God pronounces judgment on the surrounding nations for their repeated transgressions and acts of injustice. Amos begins by listing the sins of Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, condemning each for violence, cruelty, and betrayal against their neighbors. The Lord's wrath is portrayed as fire sent to consume strongholds as a consequence for their actions. God's judgment then extends to Judah for rejecting His law and failing to keep His commandments. Key themes include divine judgment, accountability for injustice, and the consequences of rejecting God's law.
Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann The Judge of the Whole World, Part 1 Series: The Lord's Roar: God's Call to Faithfulness in a Culture That Has it All Scripture: Amos 1 - 2:1-5 Episode: 1357 In Amos 1 through 2:1-5, God pronounces judgment on the surrounding nations for their repeated transgressions and acts of injustice. Amos begins by listing the sins of Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, condemning each for violence, cruelty, and betrayal against their neighbors. The Lord's wrath is portrayed as fire sent to consume strongholds as a consequence for their actions. God's judgment then extends to Judah for rejecting His law and failing to keep His commandments. Key themes include divine judgment, accountability for injustice, and the consequences of rejecting God's law.
1 Corinthians 7:17–24 (ESV) — 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. THE RULE IN ALL THE CHURCHES (v17) LEAD THE LIFE (a) The Lord has assigned (b) God has called 2 EXAMPLES OF THE PRINCIPLE IN PRACTICE (v18-23) (1) Circumcision (v18-20) Jeremiah 9:23–26 (ESV) — 23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” 25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” Galatians 5:2–8 (ESV) — 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 1 John 5:3–5 (ESV) — 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (2) Slavery (v20-23) Ephesians 6:5–9 (ESV) — 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Daily Anglican Prayer - Saturday Morning 9th November 2024 Readings. Psalm 22.1-22. Nehemiah 13. 15-31; Luke 16. 1-8. Led by Felicity Scott, a Liturgical Assistant with the Anglican Church, QLD, Australia. The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website. https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com Welcome to Saturday Morning prayer from the Anglican ‘A prayer book for Australia'. We proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ: GOD in his infinite mercy, forgives all sins, and through our baptism in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we are given a rebirth into new life, free from the burden of all sin. ALLELUIA With faithfulness we respond to the good news: We acknowledge Christ as our saviour and accept with gratitude, that we are forgiven for all wrong doings, past and present. To honour the gift of forgiveness, we release our burden of guilt and rise up to live in the glory of God forever more. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God forever. Let us Pray. 1 God has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4.6 Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit: as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen. 2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of Creation Bless the Lord all created things: who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Bless the Lord all people of the earth: who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. O people of God bless the Lord: bless the Lord you priests of the Lord, Bless the Lord you servants of the Lord: who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Bless the Lord all you of upright spirit: bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart. Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever. Song of the Three 35ff 3 The Opening Prayer The night has passed and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. Silence may be kept. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen. 4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each. Psalm 5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow Creator God, whose praise and power are proclaimed by the whole creation: receive our morning prayers, we pray, and renew us in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed. 1st Reading 15In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food. 16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? 18Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.” 19When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, to prevent any burden from being brought in on the sabbath day. 20Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. Mixed Marriages Condemned 23In those days also I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab; 24and half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke the language of various peoples. 25And I contended with them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair; and I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26Did not King Solomon of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?” 28And one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; I chased him away from me. 29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priests and the Levites. 30Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31and I provided for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. Hear the word of the LORD Thanks be to GOD 2nd Reading 1Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 3Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.' 5So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.' 7Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.' 8And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. Hear the message of Christ Thanks be to GOD. 7 The Canticle, A Song of Redemption Christ is the image of the invisible God: the first-born of all creation. For in him all things were created: in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church: he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead. For it pleased God that in him all fullness should dwell: and through him all things be reconciled to himself. Colossians 1.15–20 8 The belief and principle is said I believe in God, creator of heaven and earth, whose love and merciful forgiveness endures everlasting. I believe in Christ the saviour, whose example of love and compassion, taught us a restored way to live, in collaborative unity with all people. I believe in the Holy Spirit, whose divine guidance brings us together to be one with the Holy Trinity. 9 The Prayers Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. God have mercy. 10 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. Prayer of the Week Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost God our Father, Whose will it is to bring all things To order and unity in our Lord Jesus Christ: May all the peoples of the world Now divided and torn apart by sin Be brought together under his sovereign rule of love, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom Let us pray: Great shepherd of your people, Energise our hearts with passion for your word and care for your people, that we may joyfully minister your sacraments to the glory of your name and the benefit of your people and your world. In God we ask Grant our prayer God of all nations and countries, thank you for your guidance of our evolution and advancement. We ask that you guide the leaders of nations into the ways of peace and justice, and in so doing, bringing about a world that we are proud to sojourn on. In God we ask Grant our prayer Heavenly God our Father, how great you are that we are still here despite our trespasses and despite our lack of humility in your eyes. We pray that you continue to shine your light so we may follow you into a relationship of everlasting love with you and with one another. In God we ask Grant our prayer Loving God, with one voice we lift up our hearts to thank you for our lives and vocation. Inspire us all to know and live our vocation. Bless us your family of Australia, help those you call to listen to the Holy Spirit voice, that they may fulfil your holy will and make all things new. Through Christ our Lord. In God we ask Grant our prayer God of Great and modern evolution, Draw us near to hear your word and instruction, let us know the ways in which we can revolutionise our actions to those that bring changes that benefit you God, benefit the earth and benefit the people. We pray that technological advances are brought near that we are inspired to be in your presence. In God we ask Grant our prayer Blessed God, we ask your blessing for those listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer: The Diocese of Kentucky – The Episcopal Church The Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn: The Parish of Centenary Suburbs: Baroona Farm, Milton St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School, Corinda All Parishes seeking clergy. All Anglican schools seeking chaplains. All Prison ministry chaplaincy teams All people joining in this prayer offering. In God we ask Grant our prayer 12 The Morning Collect Lord and heavenly Father, you have brought us safely to this new day: keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin, guard us from every kind of danger, and in all we do this day direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 13 The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God. May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. Philippians 4.7 Music by John Keys – Anglican Chant Canticle organ accompaniments. A reminder disclaimer to the listener. The readings in the podcast may include ancient and old-fashioned sayings and instructions that we do not in any way condone as in use or to be used in today's modern world. The readings have not been modernised to reflect todays thinking, instead the readings remain from the old version of the NRSV bible. The podcast owners explicitly declare that each listener is responsible for their own actions in response to the bible readings and the podcast owners bare no responsibility in this sense.
Ezekiel 25 delivers four mini-oracles targeting Judah's closest neighbors, which are also her longest standing enemies: Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Israel had been at odds with these four nations for most of its existence. Scholars generally date these oracles to shortly after the Babylonian attack in 586 BCE, given that Jerusalem's suffering serves as the backdrop for each prophecy.Support the show
God's sword, the king of Babylon was faced with a decision, which would he strike first, Rabbath of Ammon or Judah the city of Jerusalem? Also the king would remember the oaths as well as the people, and their sins would appear before all.
Wir reden mit Steuerberater Jörg Ammon, Präsident des Bayerischen Landessportverbands und Sprecher der Landessportbünde im Deutschen Olympischen Sportbund. Über olympische Lieblingssportarten, verdeckte Zahlungen und dass man auch beim Schach ins Schwitzen kommen kann.
He had wealth and wisdom but found it all to be ________________. Three Things that Contributed to Solomon's Downfall. 1. Solomon craved ________________. Deuteronomy 17:16-17 “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.' 17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself. 1 Kings 10:28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 1 Kings 10:14-15; 21 Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. 15 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land. 21 All of King Solomon's drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon's day! 2. Solomon ________________ after many women. 1 Kings 11:1-3 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 2 The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. 3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. 3. Solomon ________________ foreign gods. 1 Kings 11:4-9 In Solomon's old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. 5 Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord's sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. 7 On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. 9 The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Solomon overlooked the fact that disobedience to God brings ________________ consequences. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. The world is full of people who are making a ________________ living but living ________________ lives. Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. Important we stay ________________ in God's Word.
A new MP3 sermon from Alpha and Omega Ministries is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Road Trip #3: The Sad Situation with Steven Anderson, then, Ammon Hillman Reveals His Subtitle: The Dividing Line 2024 Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Alpha and Omega Ministries Event: Podcast Date: 10/24/2024 Length: 69 min.
After a few minutes of the inevitable talk about being on the road, going through a McDonald's drive-thru looking for Donald Trump, and the current election situation, I commented on the Steven Anderson saga, and then spent the rest of the program talking about the claims Ammon Hillman made in the full 3.5 hour interview from which the short snippet was taken on the last Dividing Line. Serious, heavy, challenging stuff.
A new MP3 sermon from Alpha and Omega Ministries is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: One More Time on the Decree and Time, then, the Wild World of Ammon Hillman Subtitle: The Dividing Line 2024 Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Alpha and Omega Ministries Event: Podcast Date: 10/21/2024 Length: 61 min.
We're now in the section of Jeremiah that includes prophecies against individual nations. These prophecies were gathered over the course of Jeremiah's life and have been collected here at the end of his account. The overarching theme of these chapters is that the Lord sees the injustice and disgrace of the surrounding nations, and they will not escape his wrath and judgment. In some cases, the Lord says that he will restore the nation, but in other cases, the nation will become a perpetual ruin. In our last episode, Jeremiah prophesied against Egypt, Philistia, and Moab. Today we continue in the prophecy against Moab, and continue through prophesies against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam.Jeremiah 48:21 - 1:09 . Jeremiah 49 - 7:08 . Proverbs 16 - 17:05 . :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
Road Trip #2 as I move toward Mobile and Saturday's important debate. Responded to yet another misunderstanding of the decree and time at the beginning of the program from Twitter, then dove into a wild video from some guy who is starting to get attention named Ammon Hillman. [Please note: I had some sound problems, but rolled the video back and picked it up; my apologies]. In this clip he makes wild (and false) claims about the Septuagint, early Hebrew, etc. and etc. I have found other material from this guy that is simply beyond blasphemous, and beyond absurd. I may provide further refutation of his many factual errors, but to be honest, some of his stuff is just beneath contempt. We will see!
église AB Lausanne ; KJV Judges 12 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. ...
église AB Lausanne ; KJV Judges 11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. ...
église AB Lausanne ; KJV Judges 10 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. ...
God's Plan And Purpose For Evil (1) (Audio) David Eells – 10/13/24 Many of God's people are having a problem forgiving their enemies in these days when we have seen so much evil. It is God's place to judge and recompense evil. Have you not read? Rom 9:21 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? We've all been sinners from the same lump of clay But we got unmerited favor and they did not. The old saying is true: “There but for the grace of God go I.” So we got grace but they got justice. We must forgive to be forgiven. God is sovereign over all things; even those He draws unto Himself. Some think this not so, but let's see. Let's begin with a little foundation of God's sovereignty. We are shown in Rom.8:28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. Do we really believe that “all things” work together to bring to pass the good purpose of God for His called? Our reactions to life's circumstances are a good gauge of this. Knowing God's purpose in all things gives great peace. What purpose is Paul speaking of in the above verse? In the next verse we can see that he is talking about the purpose of bringing many sons into the image of Jesus Christ. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreordained or pre-determined to bring His true children into the image of Jesus. This has been God's purpose since the creation of the world, even before man was created and fell. All things serve God in order to manifest His sons. That is why God created this world. Some people who do not understand may see failure in God's plan. But when we study the sovereignty of God, we see there is no failure in God's system. Sovereignty means to exercise supreme and independent authority. Even sin, evil, and the fall will serve God's purpose. He is going to have sons to fellowship with throughout eternity. Toward this purpose, He is going to make all things work together for good. All things are not good, but all things work together for good. As I have said many times, “What does ‘all' leave out?” Applying this truth to our life takes thought. God must be omnipotent (all-powerful) over all things to make this statement. He must also be omniscient (all-knowing) in order to make such all-encompassing statements in His Word. The Scriptures proclaim that God has sovereign control over all things that have anything to do with your life. He never falls off the throne and He never shares the throne with the devil. The authority that the devil has is according to God's design and laws. Everything serves God in the ongoing creation of sons and daughters. (Psa.119:91) They abide this day according to thine ordinances; For all things are thy servants. All things serve Him in this process, good and bad, to bring to pass His plan. God never created anything that could thwart His plan, because God never makes mistakes. God even makes the evil to bring to pass His plan. Some will argue with that. Hopefully, you will change your mind as we examine the Scriptures. Evil is a tool of God's sovereignty to bring us to purity and maturity. Without the evil, there is no one to put us on the cross, to persecute us, and to cause temptations to rise up so that we might reject them and be cleansed. God has made everything, even the wicked for the day when His people will need chastening. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.); Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. The apostle Paul learned contentment. He understood that none could thwart God's good plan for him. Anxiety, fear, or impatience only comes because of our own nearsighted, immature understanding of God's master plan for us. You can imagine how valuable a great apostle and evangelist such as Paul was to the saints in his day. But, in this case, Paul was put in prison. (Php.1:12) Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things [which happened] unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the Gospel; (13) so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; (14) and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the Word of God without fear. Paul had an understanding that the devil was not the author of his imprisonment because of its value to God's kingdom. Everything is going to work together for the good, individually and corporately. Individually it was for Paul's good, and corporately it was for the brethren's good. The Gospel went out because Paul was in prison. It was from prison that Paul wrote much of the New Testament. The Word of God went more places and was spread much faster because Paul was in prison. People became bold to go out and preach the Gospel because he was in prison. Sometimes we look at circumstances instead of the Word and think that the devil has been able to stop God's plan. God would have never made the devil if he had been someone who could stop His plan. Some may think that God did not make the devil, but rather a good angel that fell. Since God is all-knowing as the Scriptures say He is, He knew His angel would become the devil. He is also all-powerful to stop what He knew would happen, therefore, at least by omission, He is the creator of the devil. God says in (Isa.45:7) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things. (Isa.54:16)… I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… Since God created the evil waster, then obviously, He has authority to say that he cannot prosper against us. Evil cannot prosper for its own purpose, only God's good purpose. Do you suppose the three Hebrews wondered why the God to whom they had been so faithful had ordained the wicked to cast them into a fiery furnace? Those Hebrews found out this trial was to impress a heathen king with the power and saving grace of the God of Israel. He was impressed when God appeared to be walking with them through the fire and there was no harm to their bodies or clothes, only their ropes or bondage was burned off (Dan.3:25-27). God's purpose was to impress the heathen and to deliver them from bondage. This is a type or shadow of His purpose in our lives, too. Everything that God is doing, He is doing according to the counsel of His own Will. There is not another completely free will in all of creation. If there were, this would be a dangerous place. A free will is a will that is able to do what it wants. Thank God that it is only His good free will, which “worketh all things after the counsel of his will,” that is in control. I want to encourage you and show you how God is using the wicked and their evil works and His purposes for it. As we saw, He said in (Isa.45:7) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am the Lord, that doeth all these things. What good reason could God possibly have in creating darkness and evil? Be patient, believe the Scriptures and receive a wonderful understanding of this. Let's examine how God exercises His Will over evil and to what extent. In (Isa.10:5) Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation! In this verse, God calls the enemy of Israel His rod and staff to correct them. In Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd uses His rod and staff to comfort David. The rod and staff were tools of the shepherd. The Lord, our Shepherd, uses our enemies as tools to correct us and keep us in line. (Isa.10:6) I will send him against a profane nation (Israel or the Church), and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few. Notice that the Assyrians did not know they were sent by God to fulfill His plan. It was in their heart to take a spoil and a prey. Whenever God uses vessels of dishonor, they are just fulfilling their lusts. God worked in the Assyrians to will and to do of His good pleasure. We will see that God does this with all of His vessels of dishonor. He has purpose for the wicked in the earth, otherwise, He would have removed them long ago. After God fulfills that purpose, He will do away with them. (Isa.10:12) Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. (13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it… Notice that the king of Assyria thought that he had done this by his own strength. As history and this verse prove, when God is finished using the wicked for His people, He will destroy them. From the beginning, God did not intend to immediately do away with the wicked but to use them to perfect His people. He commanded the angels to let the tares grow together with the wheat until the end (Mat.13:30), and only then will He separate and destroy the wicked (Mat.13:41-42). He explained that if you gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them (Mat.13:29). If God took away the tares, the wheat would die for lack of chastening and object lessons. (Isa.10:13) For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom…The Assyrians believed that this victory was by their wisdom and strength, but God claimed to be using them as a tool. (15) Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, [or] as if a staff should lift up [him that is] not wood. That is the way God sees this army, like a dumb tool. God wielded the axe, saw, rod, and staff and lifted it up to work on His creation. How ludicrous for men to take any credit. God is sovereign, and everything else is a tool to be used by Him in the chastening and perfecting of His saints. We should know that God sends these tools to us to carve us into a vessel for His use and that we need to submit for our own sake. These tools are necessary until the saints are God's finished creation and then He will put them away. Meanwhile, we need not fear that the purpose of evil is prospering. (Isa.54:16)… I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… How comforting it is to know that only God's purpose is prospering! Even Satan is not put in his place until the end when the tempting and crucifying of the saints is over. (Rev.20:1) And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and cast him into the abyss, and shut [it], and sealed [it] over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time. One angel had no trouble chaining Satan and casting him into the pit. That was so easy that God could have done it a long time ago if He wanted to. According to the theology of most, God would have had to send an army of angels to get that “heavyweight.” After all, has he not been resisting God for over 6,000 years? Wrong! Notice that after 1,000 years God looses him again! Does that give you any idea about who loosed him the first time in the Garden of Eden? Does God loose Satan to do His Will, or to thwart His Will? (Rev.20:7) And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (8) and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (9) And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them. (10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire… (11) And I saw a great white throne… God loosed the devil to deceive all the evil nations, to make war on the saints. He did this so that He could rain down fire on the nations to destroy them, just in time for the great white throne judgment of the wicked. God did not even need the angels to destroy the devil and all of his children. He could have done this in the garden and saved us the trial, but it was not His plan! Who cast the devil and his angels down to the earth to deceive the nations and to make war on the saints during the Tribulation period? (Rev.12:7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; (8) And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. Then the devil in the beast made war with the saints. (Rev.13:7) And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. If God was going to cast the devil and his angels down, why not cast them into the lake of fire? Instead, God restrained them to the earth where we are! God needed the hoards of evil to separate the tares from the wheat and to mature the saints. Notice, there “was given unto him” (the beast), both authority over the nations and authority to make war on the saints. God gave authority to the devil, who dwelt in the beast and gave authority to the beast, to try the saints and to crucify their flesh. Back to (Isa.10:20) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. People lean on the flesh and the world. We trust in America to defend and make us socially secure. The world has our love, respect, honor, and fear, all of which belongs only to God. God has a remedy for that. God brought the illicit lovers of Israel against her so that she would learn who the true enemies of her soul were. In this case, the Lord is showing us the same thing. One of His remedies for us loving the things, people, and thinking of the world is that He is going to bring all that against us. (Mat.24:9) Ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. It is necessary that we be hated of all nations so that God's name is manifest in us. It is necessary that the world hate us to turn our heart away from the love of the world. God's people were too comfortable in Egypt so He turned the Egyptians' heart to hate His people (Psa.105:25). Then He saved them from the hand of him that hated them (Psa.106:10). First, God turned their heart against Israel, then, God delivered Israel out of their hand, and they were so grateful. In (2Sa.7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. God's purpose in creating sons is going to be fulfilled by using vessels of dishonor to chasten His sons for their sins. The rod is physical men, armies, and nations. God uses spiritual principalities and powers to motivate these vessels of dishonor. If I were to pick up a stick and hit my neighbor with it, you would accuse me of evil. On the other hand, if I take the same stick and go chasten my child because of willful disobedience, you should think that good (Pro.23:13-14). What is the difference? The same stick was used, but the purpose was opposite. To attribute evil to God for using evil shows a lack of understanding of His purpose or motive. God is going to use evil to do good. God is good and all things that God does are good. We cannot limit God with self-righteous thinking. God is going to do a good work with evil. In fact, without evil, God cannot do this work. (1Ti.1:20) of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. The word “blaspheme” here means “to speak evil against.” These men were speaking evil against either someone or the truth, and Paul, for God, turned them over to Satan so that they might be taught not to blaspheme. Satan teaches us much. In most cases, it is Satan and his demons that execute the curse on those that sin. The curse was spoken and ordained by God in Deuteronomy 28 to motivate sinners to repent. Satan tempts us with lusts, but when we give in, he legally may administer the curse until we repent. When we get out from under the blood, Satan is waiting. It is not in Satan's mind to teach us anything or chasten us. That is God's purpose. Satan is full of lust, and hates mankind and wants to do evil against mankind. Satan does not wish to teach us, mature us, or bring us to an understanding of God but he still brings that to pass. Jesus said, If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand (Mar.3:24). Satan's kingdom is divided against itself because what he does to the people of God causes them to repent and mature. It is not just Satan, but everything around us that God is going to use to bring us to maturity. Satan, the leader over the vessels of dishonor, is very important to this process. Satan is in command over the wicked spirits and thus, wicked people. God is in command over Satan. The Scripture says, “All things work together for good.” According to this, what Satan does to us is for our good. Does Satan understand what he is doing? No, he does not understand. According to the law of sowing and reaping, he has sown deceit, therefore he is deceived. He is out to take man's position of authority by tempting him to sin. Satan is also a created being. God did not create any being that was going to be able to thwart His Will. He created everything for the purpose of bringing His chosen into the image of Jesus Christ. There are several methods that God uses to move the wicked, Satan, and the demons. One is by the power of suggestion. He works in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. He also commands or gives permission to them. We read in (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. This man had his father's wife, probably what we would call a stepmother. Paul spoke to the elders in Corinth and determined to agree with them to turn this man over to Satan. Do you think that Satan is thinking about destroying people's fleshly nature to save their spirit? The flesh is Satan's ally and a manifestation of his very nature. Paul is taking authority over the power of the enemy and using that power to chasten rebellious children of God. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy… (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you… Jesus delegated authority over the power of enemy spirits to His disciples. Disciples have a right by the Spirit of God to use their power or to forbid their power. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven. Disciples have authority to forbid or permit. With the guidance of God's Spirit, mature disciples can permit the devil's power for a good purpose, “that the spirit may be saved.” In this way, God exercises His sovereignty through His disciples. When Jesus sent out His disciples to make disciples, He commanded them to pass on the same authority and commands that He had given them. (Mat.28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. If we are disciples (Greek: methetes, “learners and followers”) of Christ, we have the same commands. Jesus said that He would be with them to do this “even unto the end of the world.” Obviously, the original disciples did not live that long, therefore He is speaking to all disciples. Today, ministries go from one extreme to the other. Either God's ministers are totally powerless in the face of rebellion or they exercise carnal dominion like the Pharisees. Just as a father and mother have authority in a family to chasten their children physically, the leadership in the Church has authority, because of the love of Jesus, over His children. This authority is not for the purpose of personal animosity, anger, or vengeance. It is because we do not want to see God's people come to the end of their lives having never repented of their sins and fall off into the pit. God's purpose has to be continually working in a person's life to bring them to maturity, to get them ready to face Him. In the above reference, Paul turned this man over to Satan in obedience to the Spirit, out of love. Some worry about the possibility of abuse here, but the curse that is causeless alighteth not (Pro.26:2). We read in (Rom.8:7) Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. It is God's plan for Satan to administer chastening. It is Satan's lust to do what he is permitted, to destroy man. Satan has been given power over the flesh. Do you remember the serpent in the garden? He was cursed to crawl on his belly and to eat the dust of the earth. What is the dust of the earth? It is what our flesh was made from. Satan has been given authority to come against flesh. I am speaking not only of this body but also of the carnal desires and appetites that gratify self. Satan's job is to devour the old man, and he is very good at it. The benefit is the saving of the spiritual man. God commonly turns us over to Satan for chastening when we walk in willful disobedience. In Matthew 18, we have a case of unforgiveness. (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors (demons), till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. This is a common thing. When we see ourselves delivered over to the curse, we should examine our conscience to see if there is cause to repent. I say “if,” because sometimes Satan is permitted to come against us to build our faith and to prove our authority over him. God uses a very bad devil to do a very good work in more ways than one. It says in (2Pe.2:9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion… God takes credit for keeping the rebellious under judgment. Some live under judgment all their life because they “walk after the flesh.” If we do not understand the sovereignty of God, many times we are going to go through a lot more judgment. We need to recognize God's purpose in everything. He uses Satan, his demons, or the wicked people around us to chasten and bring us to repentance or to build our faith through trials. Many only see the vessel; they do not see God behind the vessel whose purpose is being fulfilled. Satan would have us believe that the reason he comes against us is because we are good children of God. However, God would have us believe that when Satan comes against us it is because He loves us and chastens our corrupt nature and acts, or to give our faith a spiritual workout. If you only see Satan coming against you and not God, then you do not have any motivation to change. But, if you see God sending Satan against you, then you are motivated to change. (Joh.3:27) … A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. (Heb.2:2)… Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. All you have to do is look at the recompense, and you can tell when something is a transgression. When we look at the recompense we can see if it is wrong. Is it wrong to recreationally indulge in hard liquor? Look at the recompense, deterioration of the body and spirit. Is it wrong to smoke? Look at the recompense, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and other physical complications. People who are bitter, angry, and unforgiving are delivered over to cancer, arthritis, and other immune deficiencies. Many with cancer or arthritis have kept up anger and bitterness in their lives. Anxiety and worry gives way to ulcers. You do not have to ask if it is sin; look at what it does to people. Even if you do not know a verse that tells you it is a sin, look at the fruit of it. Look at what comes against you because of it. God has ordained the entire curse system to come against those who transgress. Whether God is using the devil, his demons, wicked people around you, sickness, or any other part of the curse, He is doing it to bring us to repentance and fruit. God will use evil spirits to humble us and bring about good fruit in us. Paul is a good example. He was caught up to the third heaven and received wonderful revelations that tempted him to be proud. (2Co.12:7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger (Greek: angelos, “angel”) of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. Paul says the thorn was an angel of Satan to buffet him. The word “buffet” means “to hit over and over.” You can see that this evil spirit was given to Paul to fulfill God's purpose of humbling him. (2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness… This angel of Satan was bringing about a humbling in Paul's life that God called grace. When Paul was in a position of personal weakness or inability to save himself, he got to see God's power to save. It should be the same with us. Earlier in the text, Paul lists what he calls weaknesses. He lists things such as shipwrecks, prisons, persecutions from enemies, and stripes. Not once does Paul mention sickness in the list. The point is that God uses evil angels to come against our lusts, to humble us, to chasten us, and to cause us to repent. (2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it (the angel of Satan or demon) might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee… God was saying that He would deliver Paul from the individual buffetings, but not from the angel of Satan. Paul said as much to Timothy. (2Ti.3:11) Persecutions, sufferings. What things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2Tim.4:18) The Lord will deliver me from every evil work… In this, we see the sovereignty of God in both bringing the chastening and supplying the deliverance. We read in (2Th.1:4) So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure. God never does anything just for one purpose. (2Th.1:5) [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer. Sometimes God's method is to use an angel of Satan to bring us into persecution and affliction, which Paul said was a token of the judgment of God to get us ready for His kingdom. Most often, the demons are administering the curse to do that. All things, curses and blessings, are working together for our good. We have a covenant right to deliverance from the curse. (Gal. 3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us… Now let's go to (Psa.78:43) How he set his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan, (44) And turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink. (45) He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them. (46) He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labor unto the locust. (47) He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore-trees with frost. (48) He gave over their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts. (49) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil. (50) He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence (51) And smote all the first-born in Egypt. Here we have God sending judgments, which He called “a band of angels of evil,” to chasten His people and destroy their enemies. When God sent all these judgments through “angels of evil,” they came against both the Egyptians and the Israelites in the beginning until His people were willing to come out of Egypt. Then God made a separation between Goshen and Egypt. The judgments then fell only on the Egyptians so that God's people would be set free. When we repent of living in Egypt, we do not have to live under the judgments. And (Exo.12:23) For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Notice that the Lord passed over the Israelites' door with the destroyer and smote the Egyptians. The king angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 was Apollyon (in the Greek) or Abaddon (in the Hebrew), and both of these names mean “destroyer.” These are just two of the many names for the devil. He was the king demon over death, but God had authority over him. The destroyer came through at midnight, exactly when God said he would. God's purpose was for him to destroy God's enemies and anyone who did not partake of the lamb. God told them to eat the lamb, and the destroyer would not smite them. That is how we come out from under the curse of sin and death. We must eat the lamb, Jesus Christ, the Word. By consuming and digesting the Word of God, we are delivered from the curse and manifest our sonship. Sennacherib, king of the Assyrian Empire, had sent his vast army against Judah, but God promised them victory through Isaiah. (Isa.37:7) Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear tidings, and shall return unto his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. God put a demon spirit in Sennacherib, who, hearing voices, was then afraid of being away from home. Many demon-possessed people hear voices. The demons want to destroy God's people. Sometimes they have no choice in what they do. God used this demon to take the king home where he fell by the sword of two of his sons (Isa.37:38). Some ministers, who have not lived righteous lives and yet retain authority over God's people, have been demon-possessed. King Saul was just such a man. God called him and anointed him, but he rebelled. (1Sa.16:14) Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. If most people did not know this was in the Word, they would accuse me of heresy. We read here an evil spirit from the Lord troubling Saul because he would not obey. (15) And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. (16) Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. Of course, they found David with his harp to comfort the king. Isn't that something? God sent an evil spirit to trouble Saul and then sent David with his harp to give him some relief from the torment. He works on us from both sides. I ministered in an assembly once where I discerned that the pastor had demons. He was having problems with women, money, and honesty. He told me three times that God had spoken to him that he was Saul and I was David. I shared with him truths that would help him to overcome, but he was self-willed. I asked the Lord what to do about him because he was causing believers to stumble. God said, “Let the Philistines take him out.” The Philistines were the enemies of God's people who took Saul out. The enemies of God's people did take this man out, too. I ended up taking over the ministering there for a short time. It was Saul and David all over again. God worked on this man from both sides. In Deuteronomy 28, God says over and over that He would send the curse to the rebellious, and now we know that He sent Jesus to deliver from that curse. We are constantly faced with a choice. God has put us here for our soul to make a decision between our flesh and our spirit. We are the highest creation of God and the lowest creation of God. We are between heaven and hell, between demons and the angels, between God and the devil. Every way we turn, there is a decision to be made. God planned it that way. He is saying to rebellious people, “The curse is in front of you; do not go. But if you do, it is your own fault, and you will pay a penalty.” At the same time He offers grace to make the right decision. God raised up Gideon to conquer Israel's enemies. After this, Gideon would not accept a position of authority over Israel. In fact, he would not let his sons take a position of authority over Israel while he was alive (Jdg.8:23). Gideon had seventy-one sons, one of these by a concubine in Shechem. This son lusted after authority and wanted to be the next king over Israel. So he conspired with the men of Shechem to kill Gideon's seventy sons. All but Jotham were murdered. Jotham prophesied the following to the men of Shechem after they had executed the dastardly deed: (Jdg.9:20)… Let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. God was pronouncing through Jotham a curse of division upon the guilty parties. (Jdg.9:22) And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. (23) And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: (24) that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. God wanted to judge and destroy this evil alliance so He sent an evil spirit between them to divide and conquer. Both Abimelech and the men of Shechem were destroyed because of this one evil spirit. God used evil to judge the guilty and to deliver His people from their hand. Once I was ministering in an assembly along with two other ministers. These two ministers were grieving me because they were continually patting each other on the back, even while they were agreeing to disagree with God's Word. When I went home one evening after witnessing them confirm one another's errors in front of the congregation, I felt that the Lord put in my heart to pray that He would send an evil spirit between these two ministers to break up this evil alliance. I was shocked. The next day, I found out that on the very evening of my prayer, those two had fallen out with one another to the degree that they had separated. God used that to separate this evil alliance between these two people. God uses this method all through the Scriptures. Let me share another example. (Rev.16:14) For they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Here demons gather the whole world to fight the battle of Armageddon. The same account in Zechariah says that God gathered the whole world to that battle. (Zec.14:2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle… (3) Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. So now we see that God will use the demons to gather the enemy army against His people just so that He can destroy them and save His people. Friend, can you see that if God [is] for us, who [is] against us? (Rom.8:31) On the other hand, if God is against us then who can be for us? After gathering the nations to the battle, the Lord said that He would “fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” In 2 Chronicles 20:17, the Lord told Jehoshaphat, “Ye shall not need to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” He was going to fight this battle. His method of warfare is described in the following verses: (2Ch.20:22) And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. (23) For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. I used to think that they waited in ambush for one another. But as I looked at the Scripture more carefully, I discovered that God set liers-in-wait for the whole army so that they fell out with one another. The demon spirits who brought them there were waiting to assemble them so that they could ambush them with suspicion, greed, anger, fear, etc., and cause them to destroy one another. He divided three armies that came as one into three, and they killed off one another. Since God is paralleling this to the battle of Armageddon, He will cause a civil war in the midst of the end time beast kingdom, and they will divide into kings of the north, kings of the south (Dan.11:40), and kings of the East (Rev.16:12) to destroy one another and save God's people. God is in control of demons, therefore, He is also in control of their obedient servants, men. All this is for the purpose of bringing us to repentance and glorifying Himself in our eyes and the world's. This should be a word of encouragement to anyone. Though God uses evil spirits to divide, He also uses us to forbid them when appropriate. God wants us to resist the devil, to not permit his lies or his accusing of the brethren. God expects us to be vigilant and to test the spirits at all times. The ability to test with discernment comes from the practice of seeking to be a vessel of honor and having our spiritual senses exercised by the Word to discern good and evil (Heb.5:13-14). It is a pity more of God's people do not hear from the Lord today. Many falsely believe that the division of an assembly of Christians could not possibly be the Will of God. The assembly at Jerusalem was scattered by persecution in order to spread the Gospel. Israel rebelled from under the house of David leaving only Judah and Benjamin. King Rehoboam gathered his army to bring the rebels back into the fold, but the Lord through the prophet spoke to them. (1Ki.12:24) Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me… Other reasons for division could be because the assembly is too large to meet the needs of the individual or because the assembly is apostate and ruled by men, in which case, the people would not grow up in Christ. God divided Babel because their unity was for the purpose of evil. Notice it was the tongue that divided them just as the denominations are divided now. God's purpose in division is always good but man's purpose is generally evil. Denominationalism is the tendency to divide into sects and is a work of the flesh according to the Word (Gal.5:20; 1Co.1:10-13; 1Co.3:1-8; 1Co.11:17-19; and so on.). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one even as He and the Father are one (Joh.17:21-22). This can only happen when in the Tribulation the righteous give up their sects to be one flock with one Shepherd (Joh.10:16). Now let's go to (Rom.9:17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (18) So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Here it is hard to escape the fact that God made Pharaoh stubborn in order to make Himself famous and powerful in the eyes of men. God knows that we need to perceive a great God and Savior. Those who ignorantly think they are defending God's reputation usually say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. (Exo.4:21) And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (Exo.7:3) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Five times in Exodus, God says that He hardened Pharaoh's heart before we are told that Pharaoh… hardened his heart (Exo.8:15). God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to set His people free. He then hardened Pharaoh's heart to refuse to set them free. To Israel this made their freedom naturally impossible. God gave to them what they perceived as hopeless in order to glorify Himself in their eyes. They needed to know that He could save them from anything in their coming wilderness trial. God and you are a majority in any situation. If that was not enough, God hardened Pharaoh's heart again to cause him to follow the Israelites into the Red Sea to the Egyptians' destruction. (Exo.14:4) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host… Unlike the movies, this is the only Pharaoh that they have found that died of drowning. All this was just to impress Israel with God's power to set free. They were going to need this in the trials to come. Have you ever had some hardened heart in a position of power over you? Go to God, not Pharaoh. All Moses ever got from him was insolence. Have you considered your flesh? Does it seem more powerful than your ability to obey God? That was God's plan. He wants to show us His power to save from sin. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. God wants no competition from our own ability. He wants to prove the power of His grace through our faith in Him. It says in (Pro.26:2) As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. No curse can alight upon us unless there is a cause. Sin and corruption are the most likely cause. Only God's purpose is fulfilled in a curse. It says in (Num.23:8) How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? We are really wise if we are looking for the cause, and not looking at the curse, or looking at the devil. If we deal with the cause, we do not have to live with the curse. The problem is people will not deal with the cause. They just live with the curse and try by man's methods to be delivered from it. If man, by his own methods, could deliver us from the curse that God sent to cause us to repent, man would be detrimental. What if we examine our conscience and do not see the cause? Then it is very possible that the cause is so that we renew our mind with the Word and fight the good fight of faith. Sometimes the Lord sends Satan against us so that we can whip him. Yes, God does that to prove to us that His Word is true and that we have authority over all the power of the enemy. God's ultimate purpose is to manifest His sovereignty through us. God wants us to learn to fight a spiritual warfare. God gives us practice sometimes. When Satan comes against us through demons, wicked people, or circumstances, we should examine our conscience. If we do not find guilt because of willful disobedience, then we should exercise the authority that Jesus gave us against Satan, because we are going to win. In coming against Satan, we are also crucifying our old man because our old man is created in the image of Satan. When we fight with Satan, we fight with “self”. When we win against Satan, we win against “self”. That is another part of God's plan that is so perfect and so beautiful. Amen. Let's go to (Lam.3:37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Can evil command something and it come to pass if the Lord has not commanded it? No! God is sovereign. Jesus said His words were not His but the Father's. We know this was true because they came to pass. By the grace of God, I have commanded healings, miracles, provisions and deliverances that have come to pass. Religious people have told me that my faith was presumptuous because we cannot know the Will of God. I have thought, “How ludicrous! Do I have power to do these things? God did them. I merely agreed with His Word.” The proof that I was in agreement with God is that they came to pass. If the devil commands something and it comes to pass, is it because he is more powerful than God? Not according to this verse. It is because God commanded it whether the devil knew it or not. (Lam.3:38) Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good? Where does evil and good come from? God says that it comes out of the mouth of the Most High. Does that mean God is evil? No, it means we deserve or need the ministry of evil. (Lam.3:39) Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? We have been brainwashed to believe that man is basically good and deserving of good, so we are shocked when bad things happen to “good” people. (Mar.10:18) And Jesus said unto him… None is good save one, [even] God. From God's mouth comes blessing and curse, good and evil. The evil here represents the hard things that happen to “good” people in order to turn them toward good and to stop them from continuing in sin. Any evil that comes against the life of those who “are called according to His purpose” is for good. We should always examine our conscience and the Word to find out if God is sending Satan against us because of the sin in us or the actions of sin that we do. Arminianism is the erroneous belief that everyone has a free will. God is the only one who has a free will. We have a limited free will, limited by our ability, thinking, nature, body, and circumstances. If you have a free will, let's see if you can stop sinning. We cannot do just anything we would like to do. The only one the Bible credits with the ability to do everything He wishes is God (Eph.1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained (predestined) according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. Like this verse, Calvinism teaches the sovereignty of God over election, predestination, evil, and everything. The only way that we can do what we want to do is to get God's Will in us. (Php.2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Then we can do what we want to do because we want what He wants, and what He wants He gets. That is how the Son sets us free, by giving us a will to do His Will. While we have our own will, we will be at war with ourselves. (Gal.5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. We have God's Will in us, and we have our will in us. They are tugging away at each other. That is not freedom or a free will. This means that “ye may not do the things that ye would.” We did not even have the freedom of will to come to God. (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. That is not a free will. We choose not to come to God, unless He draws us. You may choose to sin, most do, but God will choose the time, place, and extent. (Pro.16:9) A man's heart deviseth his way; But the Lord directeth his steps. God directs the steps of His vessels of honor or dishonor. The only reason we make the choice in God's direction is because of grace. (Joh.15:16) Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit… Jesus first chose us and gave us the will to choose Him because of His unmerited favor. We bear fruit because of a gift of His Will in us. The Lord brings spirits against us to chasten us and to cause us to repent, then after we overcome, He has total ability to make our enemies to be at peace with us. (Pro.16:7) When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. We see here that God has total control over our enemies and He can put peace in their heart toward us when we overcome. We should remember this when we are tempted to take care of our enemies ourselves. So we see, God uses our enemies when our ways do not please the Lord. God created our enemies just for that purpose. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Some manuscripts say: for His own purpose.): Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Need I say that we should not argue with God? We see God's hand as sovereign in all of this. God can send the wicked to us, for a day of evil, because our ways do not please the Lord. When we overcome, God can give us total peace in the midst of our enemies. Whether they are wicked men or demon spirits, it does not make any difference. Should we reason with our puny understanding that God would be wrong to make the wicked? He has an answer in (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted (Greek: “to complete thoroughly”) unto destruction. Notice that they are vessels of dishonor and wrath, made to be destroyed. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed… In instances like this, we must repent and conform our reasoning to God's if we want truth. In God's opinion, and His is the only one that counts, the wicked are animals, made to be destroyed when they have served their purpose. (Pro.21:18) The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous [cometh] in the stead of the upright. A ransom is a price that must be paid for someone's freedom. The wicked are a price that God pays to create sons who are free from the bondage of corruption, so let us not waste their sacrifice. When Joseph was revealed unto his brethren who came out of Canaan's land into Egypt, they were repenting to him because of the way that they had treated him. Joseph understood the cause for all the tribulation he had been through. (Gen.50:20) And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Joseph credited God for using evil to bring him into Egypt “to save much people alive.” The Israelites who came out of Canaan's land were starving to death. When they came to Egypt, Joseph, who was sent on ahead because of his ‘Judas' brothers, fed them. God used them to crucify Joseph and prepare him as a vessel of honor. I remember once when I bought a used car from a heathen. We had agreed on a price and were to close the deal the next day. I had asked God for a better price. The next day, when I went to close the deal, he said he would sell it for the better price that I had only spoken about to the Lord. Only God could put in the heart of a lost used car salesman to suggest selling for a cheaper price after we had already agreed. I realized that God had put this in his heart even though it did not come naturally to him. God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, so also them. The Lord said to Peter in (Luk.22:31) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. Satan asked to sift Peter, but why would God give any heed to what he asks unless it is for our good? If Peter had been like most people, he would ask, “Lord, why did you give Satan permission to have me? Just say, ‘No, Satan, you cannot have him.'” But Jesus knew that was not God's Will. God's purpose is for Satan to get what belongs to him in our lives. The purpose of sifting is to separate and remove what you want. He keeps what is his. The Lord said, “The evil one cometh but he hath nothing in me.” Jesus was pure; there was nothing in Him that belonged to Satan. Satan is sifting to get what belongs to him. God only wants what is left. God could have destroyed him back at the beginning of the world but God ordained Satan for His good purpose. When God is through doing His whole work upon the people of God, guess what He is going to do with Satan, the demons, the wicked, the false prophet and the beast, too? That is right, the lake of fire. Jesus set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left (Mat.25:33). That is exactly how God uses the righteous and the wicked, as His right hand and His left. His right hand is the vessels of honor, and His left hand is the vessels of dishonor. Satan is, in effect, one of God's hands to create His sons. Let me share a dream from a close spiritual brother. He saw a line of the saints coming before Jesus in heaven. At Jesus' left hand was Satan with an old-style cannon in front of him pointed at the first person in line. Satan with a lighter in his hand eagerly wanted to light the fuse on the cannon and blow them away. Jesus' left hand was in front of Satan stopping him. From that dream, you can see that when the Lord moves His left hand, Satan moves. Here is a clear case of that. (Job.1:8) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. God brought Job to Satan's attention and bragged about him. That is just like waving a red flag in a bull's face. Satan did not want to hear that. In fact, Satan is trying to prove just the opposite to God. He is the accuser of the brethren. God inflicted Satan on Job by the power of suggestion. (9) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Satan is admitting he did not have the power to get at Job because of God's hedge. The same is true of us. (11) But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (12) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Satan suggests to God that He drop the hedge and put forth “His hand” against Job to try him. So why drop the hedge? It was not keeping God's hand out unless you see that the left hand of the Lord was Satan! God confirms this by using the terms “in thy power” and “thy hand.” Satan was the one who brought the Sabeans, the fire of God, the Chaldeans and the great wind from the wilderness against Job and his family to try him. Look at what Job said about it in verse (21) And he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (22) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. God says plainly here that Job was not sinning by attributing all this to Him. The Lord gave on the right hand, and the Lord took away on the left. Some people would say that the Sabeans, Chaldeans, and the fire took everything away from Job. Some would look behind those and say that Satan did it. Then some would look a little further back and say that God did it. That is what Job did. That is what we have to do if we are to have the purpose of God fulfilled in our lives. We have to look all the way back and see God's purpose in our lives. Job did not stumble because he understood that. Anyone who sees only the vessel will stumble. If we see only an evil vessel, we will end up fighting and wrestling with flesh and blood. Even though Job was hurting, in his spirit he had rest because he saw God's purpose. He goes on in (Job.2:3) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity (God was rubbing Satan's nose in it.), although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. God appears to be using reverse psychology on Satan, letting him believe that he was moving God when it was the other way around. God was moved against Job, but Satan was the instrument. It was God who pointed Job out to Satan in the first place in order to fulfill His own purpose. (4) And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (5) But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (6) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life. God always laid down the conditions of Satan's involvement even as he does today. (9) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. (10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. God wanted to make it plain to us, using two witnesses, that what Job was saying was correct. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil? Job never gave credit to Satan. He never even gave credit to the Sabeans, Chaldeans, or the wind from the wilderness. Job only looked at the primary purpose of God. Jesus, in teaching us to cooperate with God's purpose of crucifixion in our lives, said, “Resist not him that is evil,” speaking of men. However, we are commanded to, “Resist the devil,” speaking of evil spirits. We should never get caught up and wrestle with flesh and blood. Jesus would not. (Isa.53:7) He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. We are to wrestle with principalities and powers. God wants us to see evil people as victims of Satan and the curse, vessels to be pitied. (Luk.23:34) And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do… God wants us to see through those vessels of evil and see Him. Jesus had peace because He knew all power comes from our sovereign God. (Joh.19:10) Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? (11) Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above… Eli rebuked his sons for their apostasy in (1Sa.2:24) Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. (25)… Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord was minded to slay them. The purpose of the Lord is ultimate. Many will not repent because it is in the mind of the Lord to slay them for their evil. We could justly receive the same treatment, but God gave us grace. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God. Only God gives the gift of faith to believe and repent. We have to go to God; He grants faith and repentance. True understanding of salvation by unmerited grace causes us to fear God. Some do not value the gift of God only to have it taken away and given to ones who do value it. The Jews lost out to the Gentiles. Let no one take thy crown (Rev.3:11). The self-righteous flirt with catastrophe. (1Co.4:7) For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? If we have anything more than our neighbor, it is a gift of God, not cause for pride.
Judgment all around - None Escape G_d`s WrathWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205%3A10&version=TLV2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he did while in the body—whether good or bad.Genesis 19Sodom and Gomorrah1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 Then he said, "Here, please my lords, please turn aside to your servant's house, spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can get up early and go on your way."But they said, "No. We will spend the night in the open plaza."3 But he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and they came into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked matzot, and they ate. 4 They had not yet lain down when the men of the city (the men of Sodom) surrounded the house—from youth to elderly, all the people without exception. 5 And they called out to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have relations with them!"6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, "Please, my brothers, don't act wickedly. 8 Look, I have two daughters who haven't been intimate with a man. Please let me bring them out to you—do to them whatever is good in your eyes! However, do nothing to these men—since they have come under the protection of my roof."9 "Get out of the way!" they said, and they said, "This one came as an outsider and dares to judge! Now we'll treat you worse than them!"So they strongly pressed against the man, Lot, and moved in close to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men at the doorway of the house with blindness—from youth to elderly—so that they gave up trying to find the doorway.12 Then the men said to Lot, "Who else related to you is still here? A son-in-law, your sons and your daughters, whoever else is related to you in the city—bring them out of the place! 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before Adonai that Adonai has sent us to destroy it."14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters, "Get up!" he said, "Get out of this place! For Adonai is about to destroy the city!" But in the eyes of his sons-in-law, he was like a joker.15 So when morning dawned the angels rushed Lot, saying, "Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be swept away with the city's iniquity!" 16 But he hesitated. So the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand and his two daughters' hands—because of Adonai's compassion for him—and they brought him out and left him outside the city.17 When they brought them outside, one said, "Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stop anywhere in the surrounding area! Escape to the hills, or else you'll be swept away!"18 But Lot said to them, "No, my Lord, please! 19 Look, please, your servant has found favor in Your eyes and You have magnified Your merciful loyalty, which You have shown me by letting me live. But I can't escape to the hill country—for the disaster will overtake me and I'll die! 20 Look, please, this city is close enough to flee there, and it's little. Please let me escape there. Isn't it small? And let me live!"21 So He said to him, "Behold, I will grant your request concerning this matter too—not to demolish the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry! Flee to safety there, because I cannot do anything until you arrive there." (This is why the town is named Zoar.)23 The moment the sun rose upon the land, Lot entered Zoar, 24 and Adonai rained sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah from Adonai out of the sky. 25 So He demolished these cities and the whole surrounding area, all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground.26 But his wife looked behind him and she turned into a pillar of salt.27 Now Abraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Adonai, 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward the entire land of the surrounding area, and saw, behold, the smoke of the land ascended like smoke from a furnace. 29 So it was, as God destroyed the cities of the surrounding area, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the upheaval, when He demolished the cities where Lot had dwelt.Lot Fathers Moab and Ammon30 Then Lot went up from Zoar and dwelled on the mountain, his two daughters with him, because he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. So he lived in a cave—he and his two daughters.31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come to us as is the custom of the whole land. 32 Come on! Let's make our father drink wine so that we can lie with him and keep the seed from our father alive. 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and lay down with her father. Yet he did not know that she lay down and got up. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, "See! I slept with my father last night. Let's make him drink wine tonight as well. Come on! Sleep with him so that we'll keep the seed from our father alive." 35 So they made their father drink wine that night as well, and the younger got up and lay down with him and he did not know that she lay down and got up. 36 So Lot's two daughters become pregnant by their father. 37 Then the firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab: he is the ancestor of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi: he is the ancestor of the sons of Ammon to this day.
This week at NSTA: The Bus Stop - Executive Director Curt Macysyn is joined by Tim Ammon, Vice President & GM, Passenger Services, Zonar Systems, an NSTA Vendor Partner Member. Tim highlights some recent initiatives Zonar has been participating in. The duo outlines the continued technological advancements being seen on the yellow bus. Tim delves into technician shortages and what can be done to ensure technicians feel supported to help recruitment and increase retention. Lastly, the duo discusses the remaining ESSER funds and what contractors can do to partner with districts. Become a subscriber and listen to a new episode of NSTA: The Bus Stop every week - targeted advertising packages are available too!Support the show
Pastor Dave addresses the pervasive nature of fear and its ability to paralyze lives, emphasizing that fear does not come from God. Using scriptures, he highlights the importance of distinguishing between light and darkness, urging believers to expose fear and not let it influence their decisions. He shares the story of Jehoshaphat, who, upon facing fear, chose to seek God and pray instead of succumbing to paralysis, reminding the congregation that they must do the same. Ultimately, Pastor Dave encourages everyone to replace fear with faith, affirming that God is in control of their battles and urging them to trust in His promises. 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar”. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.vs 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?vs 14,15 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Vs 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
Pastor Dave addresses the pervasive nature of fear and its ability to paralyze lives, emphasizing that fear does not come from God. Using scriptures, he highlights the importance of distinguishing between light and darkness, urging believers to expose fear and not let it influence their decisions. He shares the story of Jehoshaphat, who, upon facing fear, chose to seek God and pray instead of succumbing to paralysis, reminding the congregation that they must do the same. Ultimately, Pastor Dave encourages everyone to replace fear with faith, affirming that God is in control of their battles and urging them to trust in His promises. 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar”. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.vs 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?vs 14,15 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Vs 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
Send us a textToday on The Prather Point LIVE at 2 pm ET on RUMBLE:https://rumble.com/v5hfzo2-america-alamo-ed-texas-houston-ed-ammon-blair-up.htmlEX-INFANTRY OFFICER/BORDER PATROL AGENT BEHIND THE BORDER SCENES!DEADLY ALLIANCE OF IRAN, VENEZUELA & TREN DE ARAGUA!TEXAS POLICY FOUNDATION VS FED'S TREASON!OCT-7 ANNIVERSARY = NEXT OCT SURPRISE?
On this months show we invited Rataplan from The Netherlands representing State Of Unrest for a guest mix! ⚡️Like the Show? Click the [Repost] ↻ button so more people can hear it!
Join me for a special conversation with "Talking Scripture" co-host Bryce Dunford as he shares what we can learn from the different approaches of ancient brothers Ammon and Aaron , and how it can help you today in your relationships. Connect with Shiree at shireebest.com or email at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com Join the private "Just Love Them" Facebook group HERE. Connect with Bryce Dunford at Brotherdunford.org Listen to the "Talking Scripture" podcast HERE.
The Tongue Conquers Enemies (Audio) David Eells 9/22/24 A shaking is on the way. War appears to be breaking out on the surface. The Covert war between the Alliance and the DS is likely to break out in larger overt operations. The DS has invaded the cities with terrorists and military-aged men and CCP Chinese along with others that are expanding the voter rolls within, in order to overthrow President Trump and the Alliance. They are preparing for terrorist acts because of the Brunson case has gone to the Supreme Court which will overthrow the DS government. This from Operation Disclosure: The Brunson Brothers Voter Fraud Case before the Supreme Court asked a simple question: Did Congress investigate 50 formally filed allegations of voter fraud before certifying the 2020 Election? Obviously not, and rumor was that the Supreme Court had already ruled such on the case. We awaited an announcement likely in favor of Brunson that would dissolve the Biden Administration and all of Congress, plus bring in Martial Law until a new election was held. Five separate assassination teams actively targeting President Trump. Three are foreign, two domestic. Three Assassination Attempts have come in the last few weeks. Your prayers and faith have cast down all five of these teams. President Trump is insulated. Congressman Tim Burchett exposed the CIA's Sinister MK ULTRA plot to assassinate Trump! amg-news.com. As we will see below your prayers and confession will cast most of the lawlessness down. The DS anarchists plan on mass anarchy and destruction of cities and the Alliance military is being spread coast to coast before the announcement of the Supreme Court ruling in order to defend the cities and liberty from the lawless left who will not accept democracy. We cast down their weapons of warfare. A New War Is Coming Michael Boldea Jr. - 04/06/2007 Jeremiah 50:22 A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction. James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. I dreamt I was hearing what were at first faint hoof beats, but the closer they got, the louder they grew, until it was a thundering roar of not one or two horses but what seemed like hundreds. I felt as though the ground beneath me was shaking from the onrushing horses, and the sound of them became so loud, that I suddenly awoke in my bed. As I blinked a few times, adjusting to the darkness in my room, I noticed a shadow at the foot of my bed. I blinked again, and there stood the same man I have seen on previous occasions, dressed in battle armor, his hands resting atop each other before him, on the hilt of his sword. “What is the meaning of what I just dreamt?” I asked, somehow knowing he had come to give me the interpretation. “What you heard”, he began, “were the chariots of war, and they are swiftly approaching. A new war is coming, but it will be unlike this present one. Speak as you have spoken, pray as you have prayed, and walk as you have walked for dark days will soon come upon the land to which you are returning. Even now their enemies plot, even now their enemies unite under one banner, and soon they will make their intentions known to the world. There is no refuge but in the Father, and He will guide and protect those who know His voice”. (And confess His promises.) I blinked again, and the man was gone, and I was left to ponder the words I had heard. I struggled with whether I should make this dream public, for I know the reaction that some will have to it, and the last thing I desire is to stir fear in the heart of any man. After much prayer I felt I was supposed to publish the dream, and though some may receive it as a reason to fear, the true children of God will receive it for what it was, the forewarning of a loving Father, preparing His children for what is to come. God's desire for us is not ignorance, but rather knowledge, that we may prepare our hearts, in prayer and fasting, that we may draw closer to Him, that we make Him our place of refuge long before hardship forces us to seek one. The wise man prepares, while the foolhardy is caught unaware. Jeremiah 19:15 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words. Terrorists Hiding in the States Michael Boldea Jr. - May 5, 2003 I dreamt I was on a very high ridge, with a great valley spanning out beneath me. The night was calm, the moon and stars shining brightly in the sky. As I looked around trying to get my bearings, I was stunned to see my grandfather (Dumitru Duduman) standing next to me. He looked young and vibrant, his hands in his pockets, and a smile on his face. “Interesting times ahead my boy, interesting times ahead”, he said. For a minute I was so shocked I couldn't say anything. Finally I blurted out the only thing that came to mind, “They have been interesting ever since you left. Trial after trial, hardship after hardship”. “Now you know how Jesus felt when He walked the earth”, he answered, “always doing good, always in the Father's will, yet always mocked and rejected, always misunderstood and despised. Besides, it was all a test anyway”. “A test of what?” I asked. “For you personally, God wanted to see if you would stay true to your calling even when all seemed lost. He was preparing you and purging you, refining you, for the time when He will use you, and speak to you as He spoke to me”. Before I could say anything, he lifted his hand to stop me. His fingers were no longer crooked from his arthritis, they were straight, and normal. “I know what you're going to say my boy, it's not what you want, it's not what you asked for. But you should know by now it is the task you were chosen for. In this you have no choice, besides where can you hide from the face of God? Men have tried before, look how it turned out in the end. To reject what God has planned for you is to deny God. You know what the consequences are”. Unable to find the words to answer, I simply nodded my understanding and allowed him to continue speaking. “As for why the ministry had to go through what it went through, God has already spoken that to your heart. You already know the answer. God wants all that know of this work, to be certain of one thing. It is He who sustains it; it is He who blesses it, and not the hands of men or their gimmicks. Do you think any of it would still be here after all that has happened if not for God? Never doubt Gods promises concerning this work, or His ability to fulfill them. Hope in God never disappoints; hope in man always leads to disillusionment.” (Amen. God has been preparing and sanctifying His Reformers to be leaders for the soon coming tribulation.) “Now for the reason I am here. I was sent to show you something. Look and see”, he said, pointing down to the valley below. As I looked, I saw the outline of a map of America then the outlines of states began taking shape. As I continued to watch this map solidify, small lights began to flicker on and off in some of the states. I recognized California, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Washington State, Florida, and New York, among the states that lit up. The light was rhythmic, almost like a homing beacon, constant in its progression. I continued watching the lights go on and off, waiting for something else to happen, but nothing did. Finally I said, “I don't understand. What does this mean?” “These are the places where those who were sent here long ago, to bring fear and cause chaos, have situated themselves. They lay in waiting, planning and plotting destruction. They are as coiled serpents, looking forward to the hour when they will be loosed upon this nation. If God's children pray, once more will He delay the season of sorrow that is yet to come”. (I believe He has done this.) We stood on the ridge in silence for a long time. After a while the lights stopped flickering in the valley below, and the map began to fade away. Suddenly my grandfather turned his head toward the east, and began to sniff the air as he used to do. “Storms coming my boy, and it's a bad one”, he said. “Now give an old man a hug and let me be on my way. Be vigilant and work while you still can, it's all God asks of any of His servants. If the Father wills it, we will speak again”. As I hugged my grandfather, I began to hear the rumbling of a great storm. The sky darkened overhead, and the booming of thunder was now audible. In my dream I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was in my bed, awake. I wiped at my cheeks with the back of my hand, and realized I had been crying. As my eyes began to adjust to the dark, I saw that my wife was sitting up in bed, staring at me. When I asked her why she wasn't sleeping, she said I'd been talking in my sleep for over thirty minutes. I tried going back to sleep but sleep would not come. Finally I gave up trying, went into the kitchen and prayed until morning. Over the past few days, I have spent much time in prayer as to whether I should share this dream or not. I believe that I am supposed to. My prayer is that no one would perceive it as a reason for fear, but rather a reason to hope. God hears the prayers of His children, and as long as He encourages us to pray, we must do so without reservation. The day will come, a day I anticipate with great dread, when God will speak to His children as He spoke to Jeremiah, and say do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry for them any longer. For now, while we still can, may we ceaselessly bring our petitions before the Lord. Our Secret Place of Safety David Eells Everyone is looking for the place of safety in the tribulations to come. One man says the safe place is to be with the Ark of the Covenant, which is said to be in a Chapel next to St Mary of Zion, Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum, Ethiopia. I believe that Solomon gave a copy of the Ark to the Queen of Sheba who carried it there. Be that as it may; God no longer dwells in houses made by men, so the ark is a relic. (Acts 7:47) But Solomon built him (God) a house. (48) Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in [houses] made with hands. That just tells us that the ark in the temple was just a type and shadow of Jesus in His body. As He said, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one” (Jn.17:23). God now dwells in the ark of Christ and Christ now dwells in the Body of Christ. In us He is the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] a golden pot holding the manna (of the Word in us), and Aaron's rod that budded (a sign of the authority of the High Priest in us), and the tables of the covenant (of the law written on our heart) (Heb.9:4). The presence of the Ark ensured Israel of victory and protection. When the Philistines captured the Ark it brought a curse on them so terrible that they sent it home with an offering. On the other hand Jesus said in (Mat.5:13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Another brother asked me if I thought the Christians will flee for safety to the city of Petra in Jordan. I told him that I thought Petra would be far too small to accommodate them and it would be a natural trap where they could be wiped out. I do believe that some natural Jews will find shelter in Petra, which is the Greek word for “rock”. However, spiritual Jews who are circumcised in heart, have the spiritual Rock of Jesus as a place of safety. Jesus said that standing on Him was the place where Hell had no power over us. (Mat.16:18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter (Gr: “Petros”, meaning a piece of the rock), and upon this rock (Greek: Petra) I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Jesus is our rock of safety. Peter himself said that Jesus was the Rock that we are to be founded on. (1Pet.2:5) ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (7) For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; (8) and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. The disobedient stumble through unbelief in the Word and so are not founded on the Rock. Judgment will take them away wherever they hide. Those who are obedient to the Word through faith are on the safety of the Rock. (Mat.7:24) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: (25) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. (26) And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: (27) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. The apostate churches belittle obedience to the Word because of their unbelief. We don't stand on the Rock in our own strength but our faith gives us God's strength. My wife had a dream of me after we first became Christians. She saw me standing on a Rock in the middle of the ocean. I had leg braces on like crippled people wear to strengthen their legs. I perceived that the Rock was Christ or the Word and the ocean was the curse as was the flood. In our own strength we are crippled and not able to stand on the Word, but the filling of His Spirit and faith in His promises empowers us to be what we normally are not. It has come to me that only the rich in a time of economic collapse and wrath would be able to fly to the city of Petra, but salvation is for the poor. No amount of money can buy us safety, because it is not a place but a state of being. (Pr.11:4) Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but righteousness delivereth from death. (6) The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity. Faith in the Lord makes Him our secret refuge. (Psa.91:1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Notice the confession that puts us on the Rock. (2) I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. The secret place of safety will be hidden to many who are only called “Christian” but the righteous are safe right in the middle of judgment. (7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; [But] it shall not come nigh thee. (8) Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. (The good confession that puts us in safety.) 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. God's angels will protect the righteous wherever they are. (11) For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. (12) They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. They do this for the righteous who believe. (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus. A friend of mine had a very clear dream about the coming invasion of America. He said everyone in the Gulf States was fleeing toward the north to get as far away from the invading army as possible. He was going to get on a shuttle and go too, but the Lord told him to give his place to someone else and sent him and his family into a local city that had been nuked. He had no fear of the radiation or the enemy. It is obvious that God's people will not need to follow the world's example. Paul was not hiding but sharing the Gospel in the most effective time to do so. He said, “[in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren” (2 Cor.11:26). The Lord told me that this time represented the second 3½ years of the tribulation period. Paul also said, “what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me” (2Tim.3:11). He also said, “But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom” (2Tim.4:17,18). If one is called to be a martyr, they will have the protection of God until their testimony is finished and even then only their flesh will be given up for a sacrifice. (Rev.11:7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. Agree with the Blessed Provisions David We are in a battle which can be won by those who will speak the Word of the Lord and confess His promises for safety and provision. The Bible tells us that Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Pro.18:21). Let's look at how we can cooperate with God in the process of sanctification so that we are those who speak life and partake of the benefits of the Kingdom and able to give them to others. (Jas.3:8) But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison. (9) Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: (10) out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening [sweet water] and bitter? (12) can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither [can] salt water yield sweet. We want to learn by the grace of God to bring forth those “sweet waters” so that we will not suffer with the wicked. When Moses and the children of Israel came up to Marah, meaning “bitterness” (Exo 15:22-25), they couldn't drink the water. God commanded that a tree be cast into the waters so that they would be made sweet. Marah represents the bitter waters of the fountain, or mouth, which were cured by the tree, representing the Cross. The Cross has conquered our tongue and has given us this gift of the sweet waters so we can bring forth blessings, instead of the cursings, out of this spring of our mouth. Believe this. The Bible also tells us, The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips (Pro.16:23). So we want to educate ourselves to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath (Jas.1:19). We need to think about what we are saying and disagree with the devil because he tempts us to speak the things under the curse and not the things of the Kingdom. The Lord is helping us and He has already conquered the tongue, which no man can tame, but the Lord can through His Word and promises. Jesus was the sacrifice Who gave us a new tongue through the reconciliation. It says in (Jos.1:6) Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land which I sware unto their father to give them. (7) Only be strong and very courageous, to 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 have good success whithersoever thou goest. Notice that God said that Joshua (Hebrew: “Jesus”) was going to cause His people to be brought into their inherited Promised Land. This land belongs to us, not every Pagen alien they can invade us with and we will win this battle with them. We know that the Promised Land is also us. Heb 6:7-8 For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: 8 but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. Jesus bore this curse let us confess Him before men. The Son of God is being manifested in His people. (Col.1:27) … Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is a product of the Word of God being assimilated in our life and mouth; Christ is the Word of God (John 1:14). He saved us from our enemies. (Luk.1:70-74) (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old), 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ...74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, You crucify the spiritual man when you walk and talk in the flesh and for those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and enlightened, who have tasted of the heavenly gift, this will become a curse unto them. (Heb.6:7) For the land which hath drunk the rain (Those who have partaken of the Word from heaven.) that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. The word “rejected” is adokimos, meaning, specifically, “reprobated.” The apostle Paul said that he kept his body under control if, perhaps, after he had preached to others, he himself would be “rejected” or “reprobated” (1Co 9:27). This has been demonstrated to us. God doesn't reprobate land; He reprobates people. The Bible is very plain; in the original Greek, we are God's “tilled land” (1Co.3:9). God wants to plow this earth, our natural life, and plant His seed in the midst of it, bringing forth the fruit of Jesus Christ in us. The land that Joshua wants to cause us to inherit is referring to our new fruit and life. Part of that is our bold faith. The spiritual man, the Israelite, is to conquer this land with the edge of the Sword, the Word of God. The spiritual man is to take the land from the enemy, the Canaanite and live in his house, our body, and plant his crop and bear the fruit of the spiritual man. (Jos.1:7) Only be strong and very courageous, to 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 have good success whithersoever thou goest. Notice that turning to the right or left would cause failure to take our Promised Land from the enemies. I had a dream many years ago where I was standing on a mountain, looking down into a valley and a road that went down the side of this mountain. The road had a ditch or trench down the middle of it. I was in a car, with one set of tires on one side of the trench and the other set on the other side, going down this road to the bottom of the mountain. I realized I couldn't turn to the right or the left because, if I did, two wheels would fall into the trench and that would be the end of any progress; I wouldn't go any farther. I steered very carefully, not to the right and not to the left, as I went down this mountain. Let us speak what the Word says about us. The Lord gave me the understanding afterward that this mountain represented the kingdom of the world – man, self or the old life. I was to navigate this road and not turn to the right or left, until I got off of this mountain. As soon as I was at the bottom, I immediately realized that there were enemies everywhere. To the extent that we humble ourselves to the Word of God, going down the mountain of “self,” the more enemies we will have, even religious enemies or so-called “Christian” enemies. (2Ti.3:12) … All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But as we hold fast to the confession of our hope the enemies will be conquered as our faction was and the political faction shall be. (Luk10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. Most of the persecution toward Jesus and the disciples came from the people who called themselves the “people of God” but were not. When I got to the bottom and knew that the enemy was everywhere, I went under a bush and there I found tools that I picked up, and treated them as if they were treasure. These tools were hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches and so on. The Lord later revealed to me that these tools represented the authority to bind and loose (Mat 18:18), as all of these tools do. The Lord made me to know I was coming to a time, when under the bush, I was going to manifest more of this authority. Let us bind our enemies in the name of Jesus. At the time of the burning bush, Moses was given authority to go into Egypt to act for the Lord. I've been binding and loosing for many years but I believe that we're coming to a time of real power from God. It's only going to come to those who humble themselves and don't turn to the right or to the left, but stay on God's road, a self-crucifying path of obedience to the Word of God. When I picked up these tools, I went up another mountain, which represented Mount Zion. I went through the front doors of a great temple, which I believe represented the New Jerusalem on Mount Zion and I saw Jesus sitting on His throne. I went over and sat down next to Him, as He said that overcomers would do. (Rev.3:21) He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. This is the throne of dominion over our enemies. As I was speaking with Jesus, I heard people trying to come into the throne room by a back way and not through the door that I had come through. Jesus is the door in John 10:1. Jesus saw these people and said, “Don't worry about them; they can't come in here.” So these were people looking for “throne room” authority but they wouldn't humble themselves to the Word of God personally. The Pharisees only had physical authority as in our day. God will give authority only to those who overcome according to Rev 2:26. Back to (Jos.1:8) This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon 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. The spiritual man speaks the Word so that as you walk, it will bring good success when conquering our Promised Land for the Lord. The first fruits are approaching this point. We must speak according to God's promises, even in the midst of the fiery trial. As Christians, we “calleth the things that are not, as though they were” (Rom.4:17). We speak the things we have according to promise and not according to what we see in the world. This is how we change the things around us. This is God's plan. We let the Word, or our agreement with the Word in what we say, come from our mouth so that we may have good success in conquering our Promised Land. Further on in Joshua, we see that he is still leading the people of God to conquer their Promised Land in order to put to death their enemies there. In this particular case, the head of God's people, Joshua, is conquering the Amorites. (Jos.10:12) Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. I believe God is showing us here to what extent He would go to give our enemy into our hands, if we would speak the Word with boldness. (Jos.10:8) And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. On a personal and spiritual level that “man” He was referring to was the old man who lived in the Promised Land of our life before the new man took possession. He represented the lusts of the flesh, which would not be able to stand. On a physical and political level it would be the DS and their invading army. Joshua and the children of Israel were having victory over the Amorites but they were running out of time. Remember, the Lord said that if we confess Him before men, He shall confess us before the Father in Mat 10:32. Likewise, Joshua confessed in the sight of Israel. He was bold and full of faith and he spoke it right in front of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon (Jos.10:12). (13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. Now at first, I thought God just stopped Earth from spinning, but I later realized that the moon stayed in the same relative position as the sun and Earth didn't spin. It's possible the whole solar system had stopped. This is a very dangerous thing to do, unless you also control the rest of the universe. Things would tend toward collision down the road somewhere. Can you imagine that God stopped the solar system and more, just so Israel could conquer their enemy? What kind of other big miracle can you imagine that God would do for us to give us victory over our enemy? God gave the Israelites an awesome victory over their enemies! Of course, they needed the time and, for a whole day, the system was frozen. We have all heard of NASA finding the missing day so they could calculate where things would be at a certain time. People claim that God only did that back then and does not do that today, simply because of the verse right after it. (Jos.10:14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. Well, the Lord still hearkens unto our voice, for many people speak miracles today and they come to pass as they did in the Bible long after Joshua. The key here is “voice of a man” The creation now hearkens to the voice of God through man. Jesus said, the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life (Joh.6:63), meaning they are His Spirit and His life. In other words, it's the life of God living in us; it's the spiritual man who speaks in agreement with the Word of God. Also, it is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph.6:17). Therefore, it's not as if God is hearkening unto the voice of a man, but He is hearkening unto the voice of His sons. That spiritual man in us is not man, but God. The Son of God is manifesting in His people speaking His Words out of us. When we come into agreement with the Word, we can be trusted. The Lord said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you (Joh.15:7). Why? The Word in you is trustworthy to God. If you fill yourself up with the Word and you desire earnestly to walk in agreement with it, God says you're trustworthy. A long time after Joshua, the Lord wrote this: (Isa.45:11) Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. Does God really do that? When you command something to be done, like when His disciples commanded healings, deliverances, provision and so on, God fulfilled it. God gave them the authority, which is the right to use power and it's what we do when we speak in agreement with the Word of God. In effect, what we are doing is commanding God, since He said that if we do, He will do it and Jesus said the same. Psalm 8 was spoken concerning the natural Adam and his seed, but also in type to spiritual Adam, Jesus Christ, and His seed. (Psa.8:6) Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet. This was said of man and the Son of man. Jesus said that God had given Him authority because He is son of man (Joh.5:27). Man was given authority on the earth but when Adam sinned, he lost that authority to Satan. However, we gained it back through Jesus Christ because He was faithful. We now have this authority over the works of God's hands when we speak in agreement with the Word of God and He fulfills it. (Lam.3:37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? The next thing we see in Joshua is that they went after the five kings who were ruling the Promised Land. (Jos.10:16) And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. (17) And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah. (18) And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them: (19) but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand. The first thing they did was trap the five kings in the cave and then they rolled great stones over the mouth of the cave. Adam was created from the dust of the earth and this old man is earthly, but as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (1Co.15:49). We are both earthly and heavenly, a spiritual man of the heavens and the carnal man of the earth represented by this cave in the earth. The carnal man of the earth has a mouth and here it's called “the mouth of the cave.” The Lord made the spiritual men roll these great stones over the mouth of the cave. The five kings represent the five senses and the spiritual man put stones, which represent the Word, over the mouth so the carnal senses are not permitted to speak and bring a curse. The Bible says that senses must be exercised by the Word of God so that we understand the difference between good and evil. (Heb.5:13) For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. (14) But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. Born-again people have born-again senses. As spiritual men, we must have spiritual senses. Our carnal senses trap and rule over us and our land when we live according to what we see, hear and feel as the old man and the world does. God teaches us how to spiritually see in (2Pe.1:3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue. We see that God has already provided us everything that pertains unto life and godliness! Now you have the eyes of a dove (Son 1:15). You have the eyes of the Spirit when you begin to see that the promises are true, but the world is transitory. (2Pe.1:4) Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises (the stones at the mouth of the cave); that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Having eyes to see, we can partake of God's nature. We will have spiritual eyes, ears, touch, spiritual smell (or discernment), spiritual taste and words. We've been given these spiritual gifts that enable the spiritual man to take over. The Israelites had captured the five kings who ruled the Promised Land in a cave and they closed up the mouth with great stones. And we know, Jesus is the Stone; He's the Rock which is the Word of God. These great stones represent the great promises of the Word of God. We're adding learning to our lips, which are the “mouth of the cave.” When we study the Word of God, we learn and see what we are supposed to say and what we're not supposed to say. It gives us restraint to not say things that would permit a curse upon our life. The Israelites had to conquer the Promised Land, and conquer these kings that ruled over the carnal man and bring the curse upon him. And this is what the parable points to – rolling out those stones in front of the mouth. (Eph.4:29) Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying (building-up) as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. We can see that we can apply many verses when speaking of conquering the DS with all their invaders who are getting ready to overthrow this land we live in. Just a couple come quickly to mind. (Mat.18:18-19) Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. And (Mar.11:23-24) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. These will come in useful when the invaders rise up. If we see and walk in the Spirit, then we speak in agreement with the Spirit. (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Our nature is changed by the Word of God when …we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. (2Co 3:18) When we see a need, such as someone living under the curse, we should speak truth with grace to them to overcome, grace to meet that need, whatever it may be. When we speak according to the Kingdom, we are meeting someone's need for God and His benefits. Saving this country from the invaders to whatever extent God permits is a need. They will be permitted to persecute the apostate Church for it is in rebellion to the Word of our covenant. (Col.3:17) And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name (Greek: “nature, character and authority”) of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Do everything as if you are representing Him because you are an ambassador of Christ (2Co 5:20), so speak His words to this world and His enemies. We're called to confess Him before men always and to speak in His name. (1Pe.4:11) If any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, [ministering] as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. When we speak as an oracle of God, that is His Word coming out of us, we're letting the spiritual man, who is in communication with God through our spirit, do the speaking. We don't let the carnal man, the flesh, do the speaking. To walk holy is to walk separate. The Greek word for “holy” is the same word for “sanctified” and it means “separate”; that is, separated from the world, from sin, separated unto God. We speak His words, think His thoughts and we do His works because He lives in us. The more we do that, the more we grow in holiness. It's the place of Holiness, preservation and provision. Without holiness, no man can see the Lord (Heb 12:14). Holiness is what we grow in when we bear the fruit of Jesus Christ. It is separation from the old man, who is moved and ruled by the carnal senses, unto the new man, who is ruled according to the spiritual senses. Now let's go to (Isa.11:2) And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; (4) but with righteousness shall he judge the poor (This is poor in the things of the Kingdom), and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (5) And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins. He's talking about Christ in His first-fruits Man-child in the end-time who will not walk according to the carnal senses because he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears (Isa.11:3). Instead, we are to have our senses exercised to discern good from evil (Heb 5:14) by the Word of God, which is the washing of water with the word (Eph.5:26). As our senses are exercised, we begin to see and hear spiritually; we begin to hear and speak the Voice of the Spirit. It's similar to when David went to slay Goliath, the giant in the land. He went to the brook and pulled out those five smooth stones that were exercised by the washing of the water, which represents the Word. He took only one of those stones and he felled Goliath (1Sa 17). David spoke it to him ahead of time, declaring that he would take off Goliath's head and feed him to the birds. That's very bold! And because David spoke it, that's exactly what he did. The stone, or sense, that David was using was the tongue. The tongue senses tastes but it also speaks the Word. David conquered Goliath because he had spiritual senses. Now we can return to Joshua. He told the Israelites to go after their enemies, since the five kings were already trapped in the cave and closed off with the stones. Now they were able to conquer those whom the kings had ruled over. (Jos.10:20) And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, (21) that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. (22) Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave. (23) And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. (24) And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. They let them out of the cave and they had to keep them from speaking, so they put their feet on their necks. It reminds me of the dream I've shared before about being in a war with a giant and not letting the old man speak. When he did, he said, “Bigger, bigger, bigger!” We have a lot of giants around us – a lot of big problems and a lot of big enemies. But we can't let the old man, whom I captured in the dream and who was in bondage to me, speak out of our mouth. I didn't want to let him speak because the old man has the authority to make the situation worse and make the enemy stronger and bigger. I refused him and demanded that the giant be reduced, saying, “No! Smaller, smaller, smaller.” Similarly, the Israelites put their feet on the kings' necks, causing the five senses to not speak or to rule over the body. (Jos.10:25) And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. (Notice, you speak the Word and the Lord will do it. In Rev.12:11, the devil and his angels were cast down by the “word of their testimony” of the saints.) (26) And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. Notice that all of our enemies, firstly our old man, will be conquered in this way. Father said against Babylon in Jer.51:3 …Utterly destroy all her army. We are not permitted to wrestle with flesh nor use fleshly weapons but to “resist not” and if opportunity arises we are to preach Christ to them. But we have authority over all their power and that includes the principalities and powers. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. As an example to us, before Jesus' time of crucifixion, when the Jews sought to throw him off a cliff, he just passed through their midst unharmed. I was shot at by an assassin from close range and my angel made the bullet disappear. A tractor back blade was thrown straight at my head by a demon, while Michael watched, but all I felt was a finger on my nose pushing me to the ground with zero pain. That was just ahead of the blade. Michael was sure it had hit and killed me. My tractor wheel fell into a hole and the tractor was flipping into a gully. I was looking straight down at the ground when the tractor uprighted with me stuck in the seat. It was a work of our satanists. Several other times I escaped them. (Luk.1:68) ...For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people... 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us...74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear. Jesus Christ was hanged upon a tree, or cross, and they wanted to take Him down before evening, too. Jesus also was buried in a cave. So why is God applying this to the senses of the old man? (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. That includes our five senses. The Lord has already taken care of this problem when He was crucified on that tree and you were crucified with Him. You have been given this gift of the new man, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb.10:14). We walk in the spirit according to these divine senses that are attuned to the Kingdom of Heaven. These senses see how to walk in the Kingdom. It comes quite naturally to us to walk in the world but it comes supernaturally to us to walk in the Kingdom; that is, to have our senses exercised by the Word of God to see and hear the way God sees and hears, and to smell, or discern, the way God does. It is also to have our emotions in communication with God. We have the victory over the old man and his senses because he's dead and the new man, Who is Jesus Christ, lives in you. Because of your faith and speaking that faith, God will bring it to pass. He will do it through our faith and not by our works. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. Father, we pray that You will (Psa.141:3) Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips. Amen. So we know that in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is singing, praise, worship and thanksgiving to the Lord our King. When we do this, we are bringing more of His Kingdom down here to earth. (Mat.6:10) We have ‘authority over all the power of the enemy' (Luk.10:19). We have power in praise. When we praise the Lord, He gives us the victory! Worship and Praise Vines Expository Dictionary on the Greek word Worship: “to make obeisance, do reverence to” (from pros, “towards”, and kuneo, “to kiss”), is the most frequent word rendered “to worship”. It is used of an act of homage or reverence. In other words, worship is an act of love toward God. Father is looking for those who worship Him with their all: (Joh.4:21) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. (22) Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. (23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. There is much fake worship -- words without heart and spirit. Worship is the way to bring God's presence: (Psa.100:1) Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. (2) Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. (3) Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. (5) For Jehovah is good; His lovingkindness endureth forever, And his faithfulness unto all generations. Worship reveals our love and admiration for God and He knows it: (1Ch.29:11) Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. Praise Him everywhere, with a new song that comes from your heart, and dancing and with all instruments and enemies will be conquered: (Psa.149:1) Praise ye Jehovah. Sing unto Jehovah a new song, And his praise in the assembly of the saints. (2) Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. (3) Let them praise his name in the dance: Let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp. (4) For Jehovah taketh pleasure in his people: He will beautify the meek with salvation. (5) Let the saints exult in glory: Let them sing for joy upon their beds. (This will bind our enemies works against us.) (7) To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples; (8) To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; (9) To execute upon them the judgment written: This honor have all his saints. Praise ye Jehovah. (Children can conquer enemies in worship.) Psa 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. (150:1) Praise ye Jehovah. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. (2) Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. (3) Praise him with trumpet sound: Praise him with psaltery and harp. (4) Praise him with timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. (5) Praise him with loud cymbals: Praise him with high sounding cymbals. (6) Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah. It is the will of the Lord to worship in songs and hymns: (Eph.5:17) Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18) And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; (20) giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; We give thanks to God; this is a secret of power because we believe we have already received what we asked, right? Praise (meaning “brag on”) Him to everyone: (1Ch.16:23) Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth; Show forth his salvation from day to day. (24) Declare his glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. (25) For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. (26) For all the gods of the peoples are idols: But Jehovah made the heavens. (27) Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and gladness are in his place. (28) Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength; (29) Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship Jehovah in holy array. (30) Tremble before him, all the earth: The world also is established that it cannot be moved. (31) Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth. We are taught to worship, praise and pray with hands lifted up to the Lord: (1Ti.2:8) I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing. (Psa.63:4) So will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Lam.3:41) Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. (Neh.8:6) and Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground. Why lifting up hands? Offering our hands to the Lord for His works and to conquer His enemies: (Exo.17:9) And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. (10) So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. (11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. (12) But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (13) And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Worship and praise will conquer overwhelming enemies: (2Ch.20:17) Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed: to-morrow go out against them: for Jehovah is with you. (18) And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah. (19) And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice. (20) And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. (21) And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto Jehovah, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto Jehovah; for his lovingkindness endureth forever. (22) And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. (The angels will smite the enemies in the land.) Worship to bind the enemy and their kings: (Psa.149:6) Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand; (7) To execute vengeance upon the nations, And punishments upon the peoples; (The Lord is doing this.) (8) To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; (9) To execute upon them the judgment written: This honor have all his saints. Praise ye Jehovah. Because judgment and enemies are near, fear God and worship Him: (Rev.14:7) and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters. (Dan.3:16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. (17) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. (18) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (2Ki.17:38) and the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods: (39) but Jehovah your God shall ye fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. We can clap and shout our triumph over our enemies. Triumph is celebrating the victory before we see it: (Psa.47:1) Oh clap your hands, all ye peoples; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. (Jos.6:20) So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Praise in Hebrew is “Hallal”, meaning brag on the Lord. Give credit or ascribe to the Lord: (Psa.29:1) Ascribe unto Jehovah, O ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength. (2) Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name; Worship Jehovah in holy array. (3) The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: The God of glory thundereth, Even Jehovah upon many waters. (4) The voice of Jehovah is powerful; The voice of Jehovah is full of majesty. (5) The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; Yea, Jehovah breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. When we speak in agreement with the Word of God, we are giving “voice” to the Word and the angels hearken to His voice. (Psa.103:20) Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. Amen!