Letter to the Hebrews Volume 169

 We Believers Belong to A Kingdom that Can't be Shaken Part 2

Hebrews 12:20-21 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) KJV

In continuing to remind those new Hebrew convert's to Christ back then of the absolute need for them to be perfectly obedient to the commands of YAWEH/Elohim/Adonai/Jehovah because of His Purity, Righteousness, and Holiness and because there was not (back then for them) a Mediator between them and God, the writer of Hebrews goes on with these next words depicting, delineating, and describing the terror they all were experiencing when they came into the presence of Almighty God (even Moses), "(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)" (Hebrews 12:20-21) (KJV). The idea or notion that the One True and Only God is some big man in the sky or the man upstairs is plainly mocking and blasphemous words spoken by ignorant men or women who have no concept and no consideration and no conviction of the utter Might and Power of the very God who created them from nothing and who holds every single breath of their lungs in their chest and who could stop the next breath from being taken at any moment He determines to be their end on the earth. The Hebrew/Jewish people back then saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears the Mighty Power of God. These were some of the words spoken by God/Jehovah through Moses to the Hebrew people after He brought them out of the bondage to the Egyptian people, "And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount." (Exodus 19:12-13) (KJV).

And also these words, "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly." (Exodus 19:16-18) (KJV). Let us be clear about who God truly is and always will be and that is perfect and holy which are two things that no human being can ever claim to be or could ever be no matter how hard he or she tried to be. Note: "The first step for any sinner to be saved by God and forgiven of all their sins (no matter what their prevalent, prominent, prevailing sin might be) through the Cross of Christ is to see themselves as they truly are and that is rotten, ruthless, remorseless, and reprehensible (not a good person)before a perfect and holy God, then and only then can the Holy Spirit convict them (John 16:8-11) of their sinfulness through the declaration of the Gospel and they be born again and become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)." Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 12:20-21, "The Apostle's design is to show that the dispensation of the law engendered terror; that it was most awful and exclusive; that it belonged only to the Jewish people; and that, even to them, it was so terrible that they could not endure that which was commanded, and entreated that God would not communicate with them in His own person, but by the ministry of Moses: and even to Moses, who held the highest intimacy with Jehovah, the revealed glories, the burning fire, the blackness, the darkness, the tempest, the loud-sounding trumpet, and the voice of words, were so terrible that he said, I exceedingly fear and tremble. These were the things which were exhibited on that material mountain; but the Gospel dispensation is one grand, copious, and interesting display of the infinite love of God. It is all encouragement; breathes nothing but mercy; is not an exclusive system; embraces the whole human race; has Jesus, the sinner's friend, for its mediator; is ratified by His Blood; and is suited, most gloriously suited, to all the wants and wishes of every soul of man."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 168

 We Believers Belong to A Kingdom that Can't be Shaken Part 1

Hebrews 12:18-19 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: KJV

The writer of Hebrews now after detailing for those Hebrew converts to Christ back then (who all had come out of the Old Covenant demands) the misfortune of Esau, wanted them (and wants us today) to understand all of the great privileges or special advantages they had then and we have now by virtue of our birthright in Christ Jesus our Lord and our new heavenly citizenship. A clear contrast of the two Covenants (the Old vs the New) is what the writer of Hebrews wanted those Hebrew converts then and we converts to Christ now and of every era and generation since the Cross @ Calvary to fully understand. There was no Mediator between God and man under the Old Covenant, even though Moses was called and annoited by God and given certain privileges apart from the rest of the Hebrew people, yet still he was not Christ, that is, a sinless man before God/Elohim/Adonai. The writer of Hebrews declares these words to describe the stringency of God/Jehovah's requirements during those days being under the Old Covenant, "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:" (Hebrews 12:18-19) (KJV). When the writer of Hebrews declares these words, 'ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest' he is making a reference to Mount Sinai where Moses met with God/YAWEH and received from Him the Ten Commandments that He burned into the rock on the mountain and made two stone tablets for Moses to carry down and present to the Hebrew people as the Law of God, as it is written and documented by Moses with these words, "Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it." (Deuteronomy 4:10-14) (KJV). Unlike Moses, Christ is now THE  Mediator between us and God the Father and He is our advocate with the Father, therefore, we do not have to ever fear going to our Heavenly Father (through our Lord Jesus Christ) to speak to Him about anything because we are now seen by Him through the Blood of Christ that covers us and keeps us covered.

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 12:18-19, "Here the Apostle goes on to engage the professing Hebrews to perseverance in their Christian course and conflict, and not to relapse again into Judaism. This he does by showing them how much the state of the Gospel Church differs from that of the Jewish Church, and how much it resembles the state of the Church in Heaven, and on both accounts demands and deserves our diligence, patience, and perseverance in Christianity. He shows how much the Gospel Church differs from the Jewish Church, and how much it excels. And here we have a very particular description of the state of the Church under the Mosaic dispensation. 1. It was a gross sensible state. Mount Sinai, on which that Church-State was constituted, was a mount that might be touched (Hebrews 12:18), a gross palpable place; so was the dispensation. It was very much external and earthly, and so more heavy. The state of the Gospel Church on mount Zion is more spiritual, rational, and easy. 2. It was a dark dispensation. Upon that mount there were blackness and darkness, and that Church-state was covered with dark shadows and types: the Gospel state is much more clear and bright. 3. It was a dreadful and terrible dispensation; the Jews could not bear the terror of it. The thunder and the lightning, the trumpet sounding, the voice of God Himself speaking to them, struck them with such dread that they entreated that the word might not be so spoken to them any more, Hebrews 12:19. Yea, Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake. The best of men on earth are not able to converse immediately with God and His holy angels. The Gospel state is mild, and kind, and condescending, suited to our weak frame. 4. It was a limited dispensation; all might not approach to that mount, but only Moses and Aaron. Under the Gospel we have all access with boldness to God. 5. It was a very dangerous dispensation."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 167

 We Believers Must Renew Our Spiritual Energy Part 5

Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. KJV

As we were reminded of the twin brother of Jacob (whom God later changed his name to Israel), we saw how he (Esau) had sold away his rightful birthright to his brother for the satisfaction or gratification of the temporal (his flesh), yet in this very next verse of Scripture we are also reminded by the writer of Hebrews how badly this man (Esau) wanted his father's (Isaac) blessing to be given to him, as it is written, "For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." (Hebrews 12:17) (KJV). The example of this man Esau is given by the writer of Hebrews to these new Hebrew converts because they all would have been well aware of this history within the Hebrew/Jewish community, seeing how that Jacob was the third in line of the great Patriarchs of the Hebrew people being the grandson of the father of the Hebrew Nation Abraham. Esau too was the grandson of Abraham. From this one man (Abraham), God made an entire new race of humantity that did not exist before him, as it is written by Paul the Apostle with these words, "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be." (Romans 4:17-18) (KJV). The English word 'repentance' is translated by the Greek word metanoia meaning a change of mind; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another's] decision): - repentance. Esau wanted his father's blessing more than anything, however, he did not realize that his act of despising his birthright (as the eldest son) by selling it to his brother Jacob (which by the way was not seen nor known by his earthly father Isaac), but God saw his despisal and it is why He even allowed Rebekah and Jacob to get Isaac to give the blessing, even by deception (as first born son) to Jacob. God saw the despisal and rejection of the birthright by Esau, even before the two boys were born, as we recall when He spoke these words to their mother Rebekah, "And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23) (KJV). Esau did not seek repentance (a change of mind) to have his birthright (as eldest son) restored, regained, or returned unto him, instead he only wanted his father's blessing so that he would be lord over his younger brother Jacob. The real reality is that the One True God who is All-Powerful and All-Knowledgable knew that the twin Esau would reject his birthright before he was even formed in Rebekah's womb. Did God make Esau this way? Certainly Not!!! However, the One and Only God (Elohim, Adonai, Jehovah, YAWEH) who made all things seen and unseen and who has always been knows the end from the beginning and this is why He rejected Esau from being the third in line from Abraham and Isaac. God knew the inner men of both Jacob and Esau before they were ever born (this being yet another example of the elect or chosen of God) and this is why He said this of them both as written by the Prophet Malachi, "I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel." (Malachi 1:2-5) (KJV). Note: "Let us know and understand that God/Jesus Christ our Lord already knows every human soul from the beginning of creation to this very present time right now and to all the time He will allow to go forward before He will return to the earth and put an end to time for all eternity every single solitary soul that belongs to Him through true and genuine repentance and faith in Him and His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. Selah, that is, let this sink in deeply in your inner man or inner woman and by so doing let it remove any notions that God is harsh or cruel to give people up to their own way, for it is not Him doing that it is only Him being Himself and that is All-Knowing." Listen carefully to the wisdom that God the Holy Spirit wrote through King Solomon in 10th Century B.C., "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My Hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." (Proverbs 1:24-31) (KJV).  

Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of Hebrews 12:17, "Remember what I have said as to points which come out in the narrative, that the man there seeks with tears for the blessing, that so far from vainly seeking to repent, in the lower sense of the word which alone is appropriate in the present ease, he does repent. Therefore that expression of our text ‘he found no place of repentance’ does not mean ‘he found no place where he could repent,’ but it means he found no field on which such repentance as he had could operate - so as to undo that which was past. His repentance did not alter the fixed destination of the blessing. His repentance, his change of mind as to the worth of the thing thrown away, and as to his own conduct in despising it, did not bring the thing back again to him. His tears did not obliterate what was done. He wished that it had been otherwise, but his wishes were vain. And that is the lesson, my brethren, which this text as it stands is intended to teach us. We are pointed back to that tragic picture of Esau there, weeping, wringing his hands in the wild passion of his uncultured nature, when the blessing, seen to be desirable too late, had vanished from his convulsive grasp. And the lesson that is taught us is just this old solemn one. There may come in your life a time when the scales will fall from your eyes, and you will see how insignificant and miserable are the present gratifications for which you have sold your birthright, and may wish the bargain undone which cannot be undone. You cannot wash out bitter memories, you cannot blot out habits by a wish. Tears will not alter the irrevocable, you cannot avert consequences that fall upon a man, the consequences of a lifetime, by any weeping and wringing of your hands, and by any wish that they might disappear. ‘What I have written I have written,’ said Pilate, and in tragic sense it is true about many a man who at the end looks back upon many ‘a line which dying he would wish to blot,’ but which stands ineffaceable, not to be scratched out by any of your penknives, unless you can cut out the substance of the soul on which it is written. My brother! learn the lesson. You young men and women, do you begin right, that there may not be in your career deeds or a set of the life which one day you may wake to see has been all madness and misery! Oh! it is an awful thing for men to stand looking back upon a past life which to them appears as the vale of Sodom, on the morning after the eruption, did to Abraham as he looked on it from Mature, ‘and lo! the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.’ So foul with slime-pits of boiling bitumen, the indulged lusts of the flesh, and dark with curling smoke-wreaths which tell of infernal fires wasting the fields that might have waved fruitful with harvests, the dark remembrances and blighting habits of sin set on fire of hell, does many a man’s life lie spread out to his gaze. How fain would he cancel the record, if he could! How fain would he forget and reverse the history! How fain would he bring back his early innocence of these lusts and crimes! In vain! in vain! The past stands - ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ I know, thank God for the knowledge, I know that - as we shall have to say presently - any man, at any moment of his earthly career, may find, if he seeks for it, the mercy of the Lord which bringeth salvation, but I know too that the salvation which comes to a man who has all his life been giving himself up to earth, and limiting his views and moulding his character by the present and its contemptible objects, will not be as large, as full, as blessed in many an aspect, as the salvation which might have been his if at an early stage in his life, with his character still to mould, and his memory still unwritten with evil, he had turned himself to his God, and found peace in the blood of Jesus Christ. Maimed and marred in a thousand ways, having memories which burn and sting, having habits which it will be hard to fight against; with the marks of thee gyves upon his wrists; and his eyes unaccustomed to the daylight, like the prisoner that came out of the Bastille after a lifetime of imprisonment there, and wanted to go back again because he could not bear freedom and sunshine: so many a man brought to God and saved yet so as by fire, near the end of his days, has to feel that it is not all the same whether a lifetime has been spent in the temple and priestly service, or in the foul haunts of vice and debauchery. We shall always have as much of God as we can hold, and as much of salvation as we desire; but the tragic thing is that a life spent in living, Esau-like, for the world and for the present, lames our desires and limits our capacities, so that even if such a man afterwards become a Christian, it may be impossible even for the giving God to give us as large a bestowment of His mercy and grace as we might otherwise have possessed. On the other side it is not to be forgotten ‘the publicans and the harlots shall go into the Kingdom of God before you,’ Pharisees and Sadducees. And there is such a thing as the deep repentance and the passionate trust with which a soul, all spattered and befouled with fleshly sins, may cleave to the Master that may overcome even these disabilities of which I have spoken. But in the main it remains true that even if Esau at the last gets a blessing, he bears away a less blessing than he might have done had his earlier life been different."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 166

 We Believers Must Renew Our Spiritual Energy Part 4

Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

Most urgently for those Hebrew converts to Christ back then and all of us today and of every era and generation who have come to forgiveness of our sins by way of the Cross of Christ, the writer of Hebrews now reminds us of the case of the twin brother of Jacob and that being Esau with these words, "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." (Hebrews 12:16) (KJV). The English word 'fornicator' is translated by the Greek word pornos which means (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine): - fornicator, whoremonger. Our English dictionaries define it as the act of committing adultery or some man who has sex with a woman or women whom he is not married to or a woman who has sex with a man or men she is not married to. Although both definitions are correct, the writer of Hebrews means even a deeper sense of betrayal in the spiritual sense and that of going after other gods. Even though we know and are certain that there is but One God (Jesus Christ our Lord), however, Lucifer along with all of the angels from heaven who followed after him and were defeated and thrown out of heaven have supernatural power and he (the devil) along with them are the other gods. The little English phrase 'profane person' is translated by the Greek word bebēlos meaning (a threshold); accessible (as by crossing the door way), that is, (by implication of Jewish notions) heathenish, wicked: - profane (person). The English word 'birthright' is translated by the Greek word prōtotokia (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) it means primogeniture, that is, right of inheritance belonging exclusively to the eldest son (as a privilege): - birthright. Let us not forget the atrocious sin committed by Jacob and his mother Rebekah to get the blessing from his father Isaac (Genesis 27:6-29), however, before Isaac had even prepared to give his blessing to the firstborn of the twins Esau, he had already agreed to sell his birthright (as the firstborn of the twins to his brother Jacob), as it is written, "And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:31-34) (KJV).

We often here of someone selling their soul to the devil, well this is accomplished when any sinner decides, declares, and determines that the temporary things of this world are more important than where they will be for all eternity after the death of their physical body. Subsequently, they want the gratification of the flesh (i.e. fine food, much money, fine clothing, fancy cars, great mansions, prestige, fame, popularity, and all the temporary things of this world and of this life that the devil has at his disposal to give) more than the satisfying of the soul, remember what he tried to offer even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself when he said to Him, "Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to Him, 'I will give all this to You, if You will bow down and worship me.' Jesus answered, 'Go away Satan! The Scriptures say: Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.' Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help Him." (Matthew 4:8-11) (CEV). So, you see that although Jacob sinned by deceiving his father Isaac to receive his blessing first, Esau had already sinned the grievous sin of the two by selling his birthright to his brother for the satisfaction of the temporal, for rather than desiring the eternal he despised, disdained, and even disesteemed, that is, he had very little or no respect for that which was his by birth and regarded it with contempt over the gratifying of the flesh first. This is the mind set of those who will do whatever to get the things of this world that they desire and the devil stands at the ready to give them all of this world their inner man or inner woman desires, so long as they will bown down and worship him.

Here is what the Expositor's Bible Commentary had to say of Hebrews 12:16, "From the stem of selfishness, which will not brook the restraints of Church communion, springs, last and most dangerous of all, the profane, worldly spirit, which denies and mocks the very idea of consecration. It is the spirit of Esau, who bartered the right of the first-born to the promise of the covenant for one mess of pottage. The author calls attention to the incident, as it displays Esau’s contempt of the promise made to Abraham and his own father Isaac. His thoughts never rose above the earth. 'What profit shall this birthright do to me?' (Genesis 25:32). We must distinguish between the birthright and the blessing. The former carried with it the great promise given to Abraham with an oath on Moriah: 'In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' (Genesis 22:18). Possession of it did not depend on Isaac’s fond blessing. It belonged to Esau by right of birth till he sold it to Jacob. But Isaac’s blessing, which he intended for Esau because he loved him, meant more especially lordship over his brethren. Esau plainly distinguishes the two things: 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' (Genesis 27:36). When he found that Jacob had supplanted him a second time, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and sought diligently, not the birthright, which was of a religious nature, but the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine, and the homage of his mother’s sons. But he had sold the greater good and, by doing so, forfeited the lesser. The Apostle recognises, beyond the subtilty of Jacob and behind the blessing of Isaac, the Divine retribution. His selling the birthright was not the merely rash act of a sorely tempted youth. He continued to despise the covenant. When he was forty years old, he took wives of the daughters of the Canaanites. Abraham had made his servant swear that he would go to the city of Nahor to take a wife unto Isaac; and Rebekah, true to the instinct of faith, was weary of her life because of the daughters of Heth. But Esau cared for none of these things. The day on which Jacob took away the blessing marks the crisis in Esau’s life. He still despised the covenant and sought only worldly lordship and plenty. For this profane scorn of the spiritual promise made to Abraham and Isaac, Esau not only lost the blessing which he sought, but was himself rejected. The Apostle reminds his readers that they know it to have been so from Esau’s subsequent history. They would not fail to see in him an example of the terrible doom described by the Apostle himself in a previous chapter. Esau was like the earth that brings forth thorns and thistles and is 'rejected.'  The grace of repentance was denied him."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 165

We Believers Must Renew Our Spiritual Energy Part 3

Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; KJV

It has been the desire of the writer of Hebrews to warn those then converted Hebrew men and women (this same warning applies to each of us today and of every era and generation of believers) to be steadfast, strong, and solid in our pursuit of Christ Jesus our Lord, because we have an advasary, an enemy, and a evil being (the devil) who is always gnawing and clawing at us (through our own weaknesses) trying to get us to fall away from our steadfastness to our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the writer of Hebrews declared these words to them and to us seeking to keep us on the path of relying on and staying in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the only way we remain faithful to Him and keep ourselves from sinful pollutions, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:15) (KJV). The English phrase 'looking diligently' that begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word episkopeō meaning to oversee; by implication to beware: - look diligently, take the oversight. The English word 'fail' is translated by the Greek word hustereō meaning to fall back from, implying a previous attainment. The present participle marks something in progress: 'lest any one be falling back.' (Vincent's Word Studies). Again the falling back from, is the falling back from the grace of God that only can empower us to keep our spiritual energy vibrant, vivacious, and vigorous, otherwise we fail and fall into our old ways of sin and depravity.

The writer of Hebrews had already warned these Hebrew converts to Christ and we converts today and of every era and generation of how we could and would come short of entering into the rest of our Lord Jesus Christ that comes only when we are faihtfully obedient and when we consume His endless supply of grace that He wants to give each and every one of His brethren and sisteren with these words, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Hebrews 4:1) (KJV) and "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:9-11) (KJV). When the writer of Hebrews declares these words, 'lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled', he is speaking of any person among a congregation of believers who desires to no longer believe what the Word of God teaches about every manner of sin and evil and desires to and even goes about in practice to eliminate, eradicate, and erase what God declares sin to be and then look to bring other believers into that very same false belief, thereby defiling many sincere believers with false doctrine or teaching and in so doing causing many to lose their peace in our Lord Jesus Christ as it is so elequantly declared by Brother John Wesley with these words on Hebrews 12:15, "Looking diligently, lest any one - If he do not lift up the hands that hang down. Fall from the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness - Of envy, anger, suspicion. Springing up - Destroy the sweet peace; lest any, not following after holiness, fall into fornication or profaneness. In general, any corruption, either in doctrine or practice, is a root of bitterness, and may pollute many."

Here also is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 12:15, "Looking about, over, and upon; being constantly on your guard. Lest any person should come behind, or fall off from, this grace or Gift of God; this state of salvation, viz. the Gospel system or Christianity; for this is most evidently the meaning of the apostle. It is not the falling from a work of grace in their own souls, but from the Gospel, to apostatize from which they had now many temptations; and to guard them against this, the whole epistle was written. A root of bitterness signifies a poisonous plant. The Hebrews call every species of poison a bitter, and with considerable propriety, as most plants are poisonous in proportion to the quantum of the bitter principle they possess. The root of bitterness is here used metaphorically for a bad man, or a man holding unsound doctrines, and endeavoring to spread them in the Church. This alludes to the effects of poison taken into the body: the whole animal system is disturbed, sometimes violent retchings, great disturbances through the whole alimentary canal, together with the most fatal changes in the whole sanguineous system, are the consequences of poison taken into the stomach. The blood itself (the principle, under God, of life) becomes putrescent; and probably to this the intelligent Apostle alludes when he says, and thereby many be defiled, corrupted or contaminated. Bad example and false teaching have corrupted thousands, and are still making desolation in the world and in the Church."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 164

 We Believers Must Renew Our Spiritual Energy Part 2

Hebrews 12:13-14 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: KJV

The writer of Hebrews wanted those Hebrew converts who had just been turned away from  all the religious rites, rituals, and regiment of the Law of Moses to that which is far better and greater and that being a personal relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ to make solid, strong, and sure there newly found relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord and to not turn out of the way by reverting back to the old way of the Law of Moses, likewise by not living in such a sinful and disobedient manner to wreck their own walk with the Lord Jesus and also before other believers that could potentially cause them to stumble in their Christian walk. The writer of Hebrews declares these words to them and to we Christians today and of every era and generation, "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:13) (KJV). The English words 'straight' and 'paths' are translated by the Greek words orthos and trochia respectively, the first meaning erect (figuratively honest), or level or direct: - straight, upright and the second meaning (figuratively) a course of conduct: - path. The Christian life is like a car or truck traveling down a long stretch of highway that is straight for the most part, but periodically there are twist and turns and sharp curves that the driver must navigate in order to reach his or her destination securely, safely, and soundly. However, there are exits along the way where the driver can change course or direction which could cause delay, disturbance, and damage to his or her plan of action. Likewise, we the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ have a highway to heaven that we are traveling and we must stay on the path and avoid the exits and detours we sometimes take that cause us trouble in our sojourn and pilgrimage. We are always bombarded with pot holes and pits (laid by the devil as we travel) to fall into, but we must be watchful along our journey to avoid as many of these traps laid for us by the devil, as the Apostle Peter warns us to be with these words, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:8-9) (KJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 12:13, "That is, Take the straight path that is before you, do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so totally prevented from proceeding in the way; whereas, if you go in the even, proper path, though you have been wounded by getting into a wrong way, that which was wounded will be healed by moderate, equal exercise, all impediments being removed. The application of all this to a correct, holy deportment in religious life, is both natural and easy."

Next the writer of Hebrews affirms something the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:18 and that would be to be at peace with all men, even though this is only possible on our half of the equation because we cannot control the behavior of other men in the world, however, just like the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:18 we find these next words written by the writer of Hebrews here to the new Hebrew converts and to we Christians today and of every era and generation, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12:14) (KJV). The English word 'follow' which begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word diōkō which means to pursue or to press toward. The English word 'peace' is translated by the Greek word eirēnē meaning quietness or rest. It is the will of God the Father for His sons and daughters to live in this state or mindset or condition always and at all times within ourselves, but He also wants us to live so with the rest of the world and that even being those who hate us and want to hurt and even kill us. This cannot be done in our own effort, but we must receive power from God the Holy Spirit in order to live so like this in our sojourn here on the earth. It is like a hunter pursing the wild game he or she is trying to get, we must pursue peace within ourselves and with the rest of the world with this same passion, as the Apostle Paul declared in another place to the believers in Rome with these words, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." (Romans 14:19) (KJV). The writer of Hebrews adds on to the follwing after peace with doing likewise with 'holiness' and this English word is translated by the Greek word hagiasmos which means properly purification, that is, (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier: - holiness, sanctification. In other words, we know that within our own selves there is nothing good or holy at all, however, God is Holy just as the Apostle John declares with these words, "This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7) (KJV). It is not the will of God and His love for us to see us remain in the same filthy condition wherewith He found us when He saved us and made us His sons and daughters. He wanted us to come to Him just as we are in order that He and He alone could then re-make us in the image of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, again as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church with these words, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) (KJV). This is what our pursuit must be and without this eager pursuit none of us will see the Lord Jesus in all His wonder and majesty. This does not ever mean we cease to belong to Him, for once He births us into His family we belong to Him for all eternity, however, we will not have Him show Himself to us while we continue in sin and disobedience. The Holy Spirit/the Spirit of the Lord is grieved within us and will be silent within us until we confess and forsake our sin, as the Proverbs declares with these words, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) (KJV). Also our Lord Jesus said these words Himself in the Gospel of Matthew, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) (KJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 12:14, "Cultivate, as far as you possibly can, a good understanding, both with Jews and Gentiles. Ειρηνην διωκετε, pursue peace with the same care, attention, and diligence, as beasts do their game; follow it through all places; trace it through all winding circumstances; and have it with all men, if you can with a safe conscience. Τον ἁγιασμον· That state of continual sanctification, that life of purity and detachment from the world and all its lusts, without which detachment and sanctity no man shall see the Lord - shall never enjoy His presence in the world of blessedness. To see God, in the Hebrew phrase, is to enjoy Him; and without holiness of heart and life this is impossible. No soul can be fit for heaven that has not suitable dispositions for the place."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 163

 We Believers Must Renew Our Spiritual Energy Part 1

Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; KJV

Immediately after reminding us that we have a Father in Heaven who is more loyal, more lovely, and far more loving than any earthly father is or ever can be to his children and in so being, certainly He will chasten us, chastise us, and correct us when we step away from His will for us found in His Word the Bible; the writer of Hebrews now turns to encouraging us to renew our spiritual energy or life force by being obedient children receiving all the loving care, concern, and comfort our Heavenly Father wants to give to us, rather than His chastening hand of discipline, with these first words here, "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;" (Hebrews 12:12) (KJV). The English word 'wherefore' that begins this verse is translated by the Greek word dio which means through which thing, that is, consequently: - for which cause, therefore, wherefore. The little English phrase 'lift up' is translated by the Greek word anorthoō meaning to straighten up: - lift up, make straight. The English word 'hands' use here is translated by the Greek word cheir meaning (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand (figuratively [power]. The little English phrase 'hang down' is translated by the Greek word pariēmi (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning to let by or let pass, that is, relax or become lazy or slothful: - hang down. The English word 'feeble' is translated by the Greek word paraluō meaning paralyzed or enfeebled. In other words, because of the chatisement that believers endure many will be weakened and become powerless and unable to function in their Christian walk, for which cause their vitality needs to be renewed or to straighten up in their Christian walk through prayer and reading the Word of God and from the encouragement of other brothers and sisters in Christ, for because of trials many will become lazy or slothful in the Word of God and let clear truths of Scripture pass and even relax their hold on the truth of God and become susceptible to the lies and fables spewed by false teachers because the lies are easier than the truth of the Word of God, as the Apostle Paul warned brother Timothy with these words, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (2 Timothy 4:3-5) (KJV).

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 12:12, "In view of the facts which have been now stated - that afflictions are sent from God, and are evidences of his paternal watchfulness. As if from weariness and exhaustion. Renew your courage; make a new effort to bear them. The hands fall by the side when we are exhausted with toil, or worn down by disease; from which place this exhortation is taken. The knees also become enfeebled by long effort, and tremble as if their strength were gone. Courage and resolution may do much, however, to make them firm, and it is to this that the apostle exhorts those to whom he wrote. They were to make every effort to bear up under their trials. The hope of victory will do much to strengthen one almost exhausted in battle; the desire to reach home invigorates the frame of the weary traveler. So it is with the Christian. In persecution, and sickness, and bereavement, he may be ready to sink under his burdens. The hands fall, and the knees tremble, and the heart sinks within us. But confidence in God, and the hope of heaven, and the assurance that all this is for our good, will reinvigorate the enfeebled frame, and enable us to bear what we once supposed would crush us to the dust. A courageous mind braces a feeble body, and hope makes it fresh for new conflicts." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 12:12, "A burden of affliction is apt to make the Christian's hands hang down, and his knees grow feeble, to dispirit him and discourage him; but this he must strive against, and that for two reasons: - First, That he may the better run his spiritual race and course. Faith, and patience, and holy courage and resolution, will make him walk more steadily, keep a straighter path, prevent wavering and wandering. Secondly, That he may encourage and not dispirit others that are in the same way with him. There are many that are in the way to heaven who yet walk but weakly and lamely in it. Such are apt to discourage one another, and hinder one another; but it is their duty to take courage, and act by faith, and so help one another forward in the way to heaven."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 162

 The Discipline of Our Heavenly Father Part 4

Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. KJV

The earthly father that has in mind the best intentions for his children is always going about to teach them the difference between what is right and what is wrong, for as we saw from  two commentary/bible studies ago (Volume 160) the Proverbs declared to us that "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Proverbs 22:15) (KJV). Therefore, it is the duty of any earthly father who wants their children to go down the right road or right path to discipline them when they step out of line. So much more is this true for the Father of spirits to chasten his adopted/born again sons and daughters when we step out of the will of His Word and slide back into those sinful ways of ours. Our Heavenly Father does not do this with anything in mind but our benefit, our benevolence, and our betterment. Just like any earthly child feels the sting of the belt or the switch when he or she is being disciplined and it is very unpleasant for the moment, but afterwards as the pain subsides he or she is reminded that what they did was wrong and against the rules of their father, therefore, we now read these words by the writer of Hebrews, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11) (KJV). There is nothing joyous or delightful in getting a switch taken from a tree limb and applied to your backside, but it is natural, necessary, and needful punishment when any child disobeys their parents. When we disobey our Father in Heaven, we break his heart with our sin, but we break His heart even more so with the discipline He must naturally, necessarily, and needfully apply to us in order to turn us back to Him and His Truth the Word of God. There is perhaps no better understanding of this than what the Psalmist wrote concerning the Covenant of God the Father with David/with Israel and also the Covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ with all of us who belong to Him by way of the new birth when he wrote, "I have found David my servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him: With whom My Hand shall be established: Mine Arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. But My Faithfulness and My Mercy shall be with him: and in My Name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto Me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my Salvation. Also I will make him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and My Covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake My Law, and walk not in My Judgments; If they break My Statutes, and keep not My Commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My Lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My Faithfulness to fail. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My Lips. Once have I sworn by My Holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah." (Pslam 89:20-37) (KJV). This is what the steadfast love of our Heavenly Father truly is unto us His children.

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 12:11, "It does not impart pleasure, nor is this its design. All chastisement is intended to produce pain, and the Christian is as sensitive to pain as others. His religion does not blunt his sensibilities and make him a stoic, but it rather increases his susceptibility to suffering. The Lord Jesus, probably, felt pain, reproach, and contempt more keenly than any other human being ever did; and the Christian feels the loss of a child, or physical suffering, as keenly as anyone. But while religion does not render him insensible to suffering, it does two things: (1) It enables him to bear the pain without complaining; and, (2) It turns the affliction into a blessing on his soul. 'Nevertheless afterward.' In future life. The effect is seen in a pure life, and in a more entire devotedness to God. We are not to look for the proper fruits of affliction while we are suffering, but 'afterward.' It is a tree that bears good fruit, and we do not expect the fruit to form and ripen at once. It may be long maturing, but it will be rich and mellow when it is ripe. It frequently requires a long time before all the results of affliction appear - as it requires months to form and ripen fruit. Like fruit it may appear at first sour, crabbed, and unpalatable; but it will be at last like the ruddy peach or the golden orange. When those fruits are ripened, they are: (1) Fruits of 'righteousness.' They make us more holy, more dead to sin and the world, and more alive to God. And they are (2) 'Peaceable.' They produce peace, calmness, submission in the soul. They make the heart more tranquil in its confidence in God, and more disposed to promote the religion of peace. The Apostle speaks of this as if it were a universal truth in regard to Christians who are afflicted. And it is so. There is no Christian who is not ultimately benefited by trials, and who is not able at some period subsequently to say, 'It was good for me that I was afflicted. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word.' When a Christian comes to die, he does not feel that he has had one trial too many, or one which he did not deserve. He can then look back and see the effect of some early trial so severe that he once thought he could hardly endure it, spreading a hallowed influence over his future years, and scattering its golden fruit all along the pathway of life. I have never known a Christian who was not benefited by afflictions; I have seen none who was not able to say that his trials produced some happy effect on his religious character, and on his real happiness in life. If this be so, then no matter how severe our trials, we should submit to them without a complaint. The more severe they are, the more we shall yet be blessed - on earth or in heaven."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…