tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19177974561645226662024-03-18T07:49:41.954-07:00Resurrection Life Ministries (Daily Reflections from the Word)I am a Christian Writer of non-fiction primarily and a little fiction. My purpose for forming this site is to Edify Christians with my writing and reach the lost with the uncompromising Gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.comBlogger1155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-52309505423399849792024-03-18T07:48:00.000-07:002024-03-18T07:48:47.030-07:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 14<p> We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 5<br /><br />1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version <br /><br />The Apostle Peter now speaks to those scattered Jewish believers 'in Christ' back then and all we true believers who are alive today and those from every era and generation since the Cross of Christ of the extraordinary, exceptional, and extreme results of the miracle of our regeneration, redemption, and resurrection from spiritual death has and is continually molding or forming us into new creatures (that is, a new race of humanity) as we continue down here on the earth as sojourners and pilgrims on our way home to Heaven. The Apostle Peter first declares that we have obeyed the truth and been purified by the truth to be able to love one another 'in truth', as it is written here, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" (1 Peter 1:22) (KJV). The English phrase 'Seeing ye have purified your souls' that begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word hagnizō meaning to make clean, that is, (figuratively) sanctify (ceremonially or morally). The hearing of the Gospel of Grace and the subsequent repenting of one's own personal sin and believing in the finish work of Christ on the Cross for your own personal sin is the purifying/sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit in the inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 of every redeemed soul. This purifying work of God gives an immediate love 😍 to the reconciled sinner, as it is written with these words by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) (NKJV). We now love what God loves and we hate what God hates. Our love for other brothers and sisters 'in Christ' flows from the love that God has for them that has been shed abroad in our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 and to be honest our love for fellow true believers 'in Christ' is far greater than our love for blood related relatives who do not know Christ through repentance and faith. The English word 'unfeigned' is translated by the Greek word anupokritos meaning undissembled, that is, sincere: - without dissimulation (hypocrisy), unfeigned. The English phrase 'love of the brethren' that follows unfeigned is translated by the Greek word philadelphia meaning fraternal affection: - brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren. <br /><br />In other words, the love that the True God sheds abroad in our hearts 💕 does not lead us to want to fleece or swindle or con our brothers and sisters (whom Christ loves dearly) out of their money in order to enrich ourselves that we may build for ourselves a kingdom down here on the earth 🌎 as the so-called christian prosperity gospel hucksters do to many well meaning people promising them prosperity for their money sent to them, when in actuality the only one's who prosper materially are the false prophets/profits who spew this false gopsel throughout the world 🗺. The love that Jesus gives is the love that never intentionally does harm (Romans 13:10) to those whom He loves such as sleeping with a brother 'in Christ' wife or spreading lies or gossiping about a brother or sister 'in Christ' to put them down and elevate yourself or vandalizing anything that is in their stewardship or any other thing through words or deeds that will cause them harm, remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers @ Corinth in his second (2) letter, "We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by PURITY, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by SINCERE LOVE," (2 Corinthians 6:3-6) (NKJV). Those who in actuality who have not this 'love of God' shed abroad in their hearts pervert the meaning of true love 😍 with or by turning it into sensuality by always seeking to gratify the flesh and lead others into this false, fraudulent, and fake love to their own eternal doom and to the same for those who follow after their exceedingly harmful teachings and ways, remember beloved brethren and sisteren what the Apostle Jude said of these people, "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Holy Spirit." (Jude 1:16-19) (NKJV). Likewise let all of us who are truly Christ' redeemed ones recount, recall, and remember these words written too by the Apostle Jude to us and about us, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 1:20-21) (NKJV). <br /><br />Here is what John Wesley says of 1 Peter 1:22, "Having purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit, who bestows upon you freely, both obedience and purity of heart, and unfeigned love of the brethren, go on to still higher degrees of love. Love one another fervently - With the most strong and tender affection; and yet with a pure heart - Pure from any spot of unholy desire or inordinate passion." Here is what Adam Clarke says of 1 Peter 1:22, "Having purified your souls, in obeying the truth - by believing in Christ Jesus, through the influence and teaching of the Spirit; and giving full proof of it by unfeigned love to the brethren; ye love one another, or ye will love each other, with a pure heart fervently. These persons, First, heard the truth, that is, the Gospel; thus called in a great variety of places in the New Testament, because it contains The truth without mixture of error, and is the truth and substance of all the preceding dispensations by which it was typified. Secondly, they obeyed that truth, by believing on Him who came into the world to save sinners. Thirdly, through this believing on the Son of God, their hearts were purified by the word of truth applied to them by the Holy Spirit. Fourthly, the love of God being shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, they loved the brethren with pure hearts fervently, intensely or continually; the full proof that their brotherly love was unfeigned, a fraternal affection without hypocrisy. Here is what Matthew Henry says of 1 Peter 1:22, "It is not to be doubted but that every sincere Christian purifies his soul. The apostle takes this for granted: Seeing you have, etc. To purify the soul supposes some great uncleanness and defilement which had polluted it, and that this defilement is removed. Neither the Levitical purifications under the law, nor the hypocritical purifications of the outward man, can effect this. (2.) The word of God is the great instrument of a sinner's purification: Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. The gospel is called truth, in opposition to types and shadows, to error and falsehood. This truth is effectual to purify the soul, if it be obeyed, John 17:17. Many hear the truth, but are never purified by it, because they will not submit to it nor obey it. (3.) The Spirit of God is the great agent in the purification of man's soul. The Spirit convinces the soul of its impurities, furnishes those virtues and graces that both adorn and purify, such as faith (Acts 15:9), hope (1 John 3:3), the fear of God (Psalms 34:9), and the love of Jesus Christ. The Spirit excites our endeavours, and makes them successful. The aid of the Spirit does not supersede our own industry; these people purified their own souls, but it was through the Spirit. (4.) The souls of Christians must be purified before they can so much as love one another unfeignedly. There are such lusts and partialities in man's nature that without divine grace we can neither love God nor one another as we ought to do; there is no charity but out of a pure heart. (5.) It is the duty of all Christians sincerely and fervently to love one another. Our affection to one another must be sincere and real, and it must be fervent, constant, and extensive.<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-12577909132764801622024-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:16:58.578-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 13<p>We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 4<br /><br />1 Peter 1:20-21 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version <br /><br />The incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ was not a knee jerk reaction by God the Father that took place after Adams sin in the Garden of Eden. The Apostle Peter next reminded those persecuted Jewish believers back then who were scattered into many other nations from their home in Jerusalem that Christ coming to the earth 🌎 and living a perfect life of obedience to God the Father and then allowing His Blood to be spilled and dying for their/our sins was always the plan of God before He ever created the world 🗺 or we humans, as Peter says with these words, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1:20-21) (KJV). The English word 'foreordained' is translated by the Greek word proginōskō meaning to know beforehand, that is, foresee: - foreknow (ordain), know (before). God the Father knew Adam would sin and disobey before He was ever created, however, God the Father had likewise already devised the perfect redemption plan to bring man back to Himself, that is, reconcile us back into personal relationship with Him through the 'Blood of Christ'. Some may ask, Why did not God create man (Adam) that he would not ever disobey? Answer: If He had done that, then He would have created an android or robot that is devoid of 'free will' and that was never the plan or intention of our Creator. God has made man in His own image (Genesis 1:26), yes, and God is One God in three (3) persons, God the Father & God the Son (Jesus) & God the Holy Spirit; likewise man 👨 and woman 👩 is one person represented in three (3) man has a spirit which gives him/her life & every human being has a unique soul that makes them like no other human being & man/woman lives inside a physical flesh and blood body. The angels, seraphim, and the ark angels are not like we are represented in three (3), for they are just one being. God has made human beings uniquely different than any other of His created beings and this is why the holy angels are so fascinated to look into our redemption through Christ (1 Peter 1:12). Christ place in the Holy Trinity is the cornerstone of all things in Heaven and on the earth 🌎 and in the seen realm and the unseen realm (Colossians 1:20). The fallen angels hatred for us stems from Christ love for human beings and His desire that anyone who recognizes that they are a sinner would come to Him in repentance and faith and be reconciled by His Blood, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church with these words, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) (NKJV). <br /><br />Let us then understand that just as Christ was 'foreordained' before the foundation of the world 🗺 to become the incarnate God/Man, so were everyone of us redeemed, reconciled, resurrected sinners known by God the Father before He ever created Adam and Eve. It is not that God made or created some to live with Him in Heaven for all eternity and some He made to die in their sins and spend eternity in hell, but it is that God is Omniscient (meaning all knowing or He knows everything). God knew every single individual soul who would truly repent/change their/our mind/turn from sin to Him through Christ sacrifice for sin and be born again or begotten again or born from above, for being 'born again' (John 3:3) is what makes us children of God and it is the wedding garment that allows us entrance into Heaven (the Wedding Feast or Marriage Supper of the Lamb), as told to us in this parable from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, "Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:9-14) (NKJV). God also knew every single human soul who would reject, refuse, or resist His offer of reconciliation and by so doing spend eternity in hell and the lake of fire, as documented for us by the Apostle John with these words, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hell delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15) (NKJV). Those of us who are redeemed only die once, while every sinner without reconciliation to God will die twice and the second death is any eternity in the lake of fire that the Apostle John detailed for us above. <br /><br />Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of 1 Peter 1:20-21, "Having mentioned the price of redemption, the Apostle goes on to speak of some things relating both to the Redeemer and the redeemed, 1 Peter 1:20-21. The Redeemer is further described, not only as a Lamb without spot, but as one, That was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, fore-ordained or foreknown. When prescience is ascribed to God, it implies more than bare prospect or speculation. It imports an act of the will, a resolution that the thing shall be, Acts 2:23. God did not only foreknow, but determine and decree, that His Son should die for man, and this decree was before the foundation of the world. Time and the world began together; before the commencement of time there was nothing but eternity. That was manifested in these last days for them. He was manifested or demonstrated to be that Redeemer whom God had fore-ordained. He was manifested by His birth, by His Father's testimony, and by His own works, especially by His resurrection from the dead, Romans 1:4. 'This was done in these last times of the New Testament and of the Gospel, for you, you Jews, you sinners, you afflicted ones; you have the comfort of the manifestation and appearance of Christ, if you believe on Him.' That was raised from the dead by the Father, who gave Him glory. The resurrection of Christ, considered as an act of power, is common to all the three persons, but as an act of judgment it is peculiar to the Father, who as a Judge released Christ, raised Him from the grave, and gave Him glory, proclaimed Him to all the world to be His Son by His resurrection from the dead, advanced Him to heaven, crowned Him with glory and honour, invested Him with all power in heaven and earth, and glorified Him with that glory which He had with God before the world was. The redeemed are also described here by their faith and hope, the cause of which is Jesus Christ: 'You do by Him believe in God - by Him as the author, encourager, support, and finisher of your faith; your faith and hope now may be in God, as reconciled to you by Christ the Mediator.' From all this we learn, The decree of God to send Christ to be a Mediator was from everlasting, and was a just and merciful decree, which yet does not at all excuse man's sin in crucifying Him, Acts 2:23. God had purposes of special favour towards His people long before He made any manifestations of such grace to them. Great is the happiness of the last times in comparison with what the former ages of the world enjoyed. The clearness of light, the supports of faith, the efficacy of ordinances, and the proportion of comforts - these are all much greater since the manifestation of Christ than they were before. Our gratitude and services should be suitable to such favours. The redemption of Christ belongs to none but true believers. A general impetration is asserted by some and denied by others, but none pretend to a general application of Christ's death for the salvation of all. Hypocrites and unbelievers will be ruined for ever, notwithstanding the death of Christ. God in Christ is the ultimate object of a Christian's faith, which is strongly supported by the resurrection of Christ, and the glory that did follow." <br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-38304574507087437572024-02-26T08:26:00.000-08:002024-02-26T08:26:15.809-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 12<p> We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 3<br /><br />1 Peter 1:17-19 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version <br /><br />We saw in the previous study/commentary that it is by the 'Blood of Christ' (Ephesians 2:13) that we sinners have been brought near to God the Father by being washed and cleansed from our sin and now there is nothing that separates us from our Heavenly Father, nor can there ever be anything seen or unseen that can separate us from the love of God by virtue of the 'Blood of Christ', as it is so eloquently written for us by that former insolent man (1 Timothy 1:13) Paul the Apostle with these words, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39) (NKJV). With this as our introduction, we now find the Apostle Peter reminding those Jewish converts to Christ back then (who were being violently, voraciously, and viciously persecuted by their own countrymen still spiritually dead) of why their/our call into holiness is vital to our soundness of mind and our peace of mind when we remember and think on and meditate on how we were reconciled to God, as Peter writes to them and to us these words, "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1:17-19) (KJV). The Apostle Peter reminded them and us in verse 17 that we have been made foreigners/strangers now on the earth 🌎, for we are citizens of another world, that being in Heaven with God the Father who has adopted us as His very own children, therefore this being the case we should walk/live in loving and holy fear, that is reverence for our Heavenly Father that through Christ we have been reconciled to Him. Remember these words of exhortation and warning from the Apostle Paul to the Philippian believers, "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:17-21) (NKJV). God is our Father at the very same time also our Judge, therefore, we must not approach Him flippantly or causually instead always with loving referential fear of His Holiness with the admission always of our sinfulness. <br /><br />Here is what Alexander MacLaren said of 1 Peter 1:17, "Don’t you think that Peter had had a pretty rough experience in his life that had taught him the wisdom of such an exhortation? And does it not strike you as very beautiful that it should come, of all people in the world, from his lips? The man that had said, ‘Though all should forsake Thee, yet will not I.’ ‘Why cannot I follow Thee now?’ ‘Bid me come to Thee on the water.’ ‘This be far from Thee, Lord, it shall not be unto Thee’—the man that had whipped out his sword in the garden, in a spasm of foolish affection, now, in his quiet old age, when he has learnt the lesson of failures and follies and sins and repentance, says in effect: ‘Remember me, and do not you be presumptuous.’ ‘Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.’ ‘If I had known myself a little better, and been a little more afraid of myself, I should not have made such a fool of myself or such shipwreck of my faithfulness.’ Dear friends, no mature Christian is so advanced as that he does not need this reminder, and no Christian novice is so feeble as that, keeping obedient to this precept, he will not be victorious over all his evils. The strongest needs to fear; the weakest, fearing, is safe. For such fearfulness is indispensable to safety. It is all very well to go along with sail extended and a careless look-out. But if, for instance, a captain keeps such when he is making the mouth of the Red Sea where there are a narrow channel and jagged rocks and a strong current, if he has not every man at his quarters and everything ready to let go and stop in a moment, he will be sure to be on the reefs before he has tried the experiment often. And the only safety for any of us is ever to be on the watch, and to dread our own weakness. ‘Blessed is the man that feareth always.’ Such carefulness over conduct and heart is fully compatible with all the blessed emotions to which it seems at first antagonistic. There is no discord between the phrase that I have quoted about ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory,’ and this temper, but rather the two help one another. And such blended confidence and fear are the parents of courage. The man that is afraid that he will do wrong and so hurt himself and grieve his Saviour, is the man that will never be afraid of anything else. Martyrs have gone to the stake ‘fearing not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do,’ because they were so afraid to sin against God that they were not afraid to die rather than to do it. And that is the temper that you and I should have. Let that one fear, like Moses’ rod, swallow up all the other serpents and make our hearts impervious to any other dread."<br /><br />Some of us like the Apostle Peter and myself know the decay in the soul/inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 that occurs when we allow the the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) more space in our lives than the Word of God, then we have the perfect time for unfaithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ to manifest. The Apostle Peter who denied our Lord Jesus Christ three (3) times is now reminding those Jewish converts back then and we converts to Christ today and of every era and generation that our salvation or deliverance from our foolish, sinful way of life (as stated by John Wesley) did not come to us by earthly things such as silver or gold, but the 'Blood of Christ' has washed us clean spiritually in our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 making us new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) on the earth 🌎, therefore, it is now our responsibility to daily put off the old man 👨 or old woman 👩, as it is written with these words by the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian believers, "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) (NKJV). Just like in the natural, we daily take off our old clothes and put on new clean clothes, we are to do this daily in the spiritual by way of walking daily in repentance and faith and complete surrender and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and depending on His Blood to wash us clean (spiritually) daily. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of 1 Peter 1:18-19, "The Apostle having extorted them to pass the time of their sojourning in the fear of God from this consideration, that they called on the Father, he adds (1 Peter 1:18) a second argument: Because or forasmuch as you were not redeemed with corruptible things, etc. Herein he puts them in mind, (1.) That they were redeemed, or bought back again, by a ransom paid to the Father. (2.) What the price paid for their redemption was: Not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. (3.) From what they were redeemed: From a vain conversation received by tradition. (4.) They knew this: Forasmuch as you know, and cannot pretend ignorance of this great affair. Learn, [1.] The consideration of our redemption ought to be a constant and powerful inducement to holiness, and the fear of God. [2.] God expects that a Christian should live answerably to what he knows, and therefore we have great need to be put in mind of what we already know, Psalm 39:4. [3.] Neither silver nor gold, nor any of the corruptible things of this world, can redeem so much as one soul. They are often snares, temptations, and hindrances to man's salvation, but they can by no means purchase or procure it; they are corruptible, and therefore cannot redeem an incorruptible and immortal soul. [4.] The Blood of Jesus Christ is the only price of man's redemption. The redemption of man is real, not metaphorical. We are bought with a price, and the price is equal to the purchase, for it is the precious blood of Christ; it is the blood of an innocent person, a lamb without blemish and without spot, whom the paschal lamb represented, and of an infinite person, being the Son of God, and therefore it is called the blood of God, Acts 20:28. [5.] The design of Christ in shedding His most precious blood was to redeem us, not only from eternal misery hereafter, but from a vain conversation in this world. That conversation is vain which is empty, frivolous, trifling, and unserviceable to the honour of God, the credit of religion, the conviction of unbelievers, and the comfort and satisfaction of a man's own conscience. Not only the open wickedness, but the vanity and unprofitableness of our conversation are highly dangerous. [6.] A man's conversation may carry an appearance of devotion, and may plead antiquity, custom, and tradition, in its defence, and yet after all be a most vain conversation. The Jews had a deal to say from these heads, for all their formalities; and yet their conversation was so vain that only the Blood of Christ could redeem them from it."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-78841222998817151222024-02-17T07:50:00.000-08:002024-02-17T07:50:04.035-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 11<p> We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 2<br /><br />1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version <br /><br />The Apostle Peter having first exhorted the new Jewish converts to Christ (and we today and all of every era and generation) not long after His resurrection from the dead and His ascension back to Heaven to fortify their minds and be sober, serious, and like a person in the natural who goes hours upon hours without sleep in order to guard their property, but in this case the Apostle Peter wanted them and wants us to remain wide awake spiritually to guard our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 from going back into our old life since we have now been resurrected from spiritual death by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:5), so Peter now declares these words to us, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16) (KJV). The English word 'obedient' is translated by the Greek word hupakoe meaning attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) compliance or submission:--obedience (Strongs.pdf). When we observe an earthly parent discipline their child or children 🧒 for an obvious act of defiance, disrespect, and disobedience we think to ourselves that there stands a loving parent, because when we see a parent who lets their child or children 🧒 go about doing whatever wild, wilful, wrong thing that comes into their minds we see a non-caring parent who cares not for their childrens 👶 welfare or the people in the community where they live. Good earthly parents are themselves flawed, yet they know how to reel in their children 🧒 when they go wrong for the child's sake and for the sake of other people in the community, remember what our Lord Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11) (NKJV). Our desires before Ephesians 2:5 were due to our seperation from God because of our sin and we were completely ignorant of the ways of God, the worship of God, and the will of God. Therefore, we had no capacity to please Him because we did not know Him, however, now the Word of God tells us this truth, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the Blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13) (NKJV). <br /><br />Since we have been brought near to our Father in Heaven through Christ Blood, we must be as He is and that is Holy. In the Word of God the greatest of all the attributes of God is not His love, His mercy, His grace, but it is His Holiness. Throughout the Old Testament YAHWEH stressed to the children of Israel His Holiness must never be taken lightly, loosely, or lazily, therefore, we must desire above all else to fashion or conform ourselves (not to our old man 👨 or old woman 👩 who walked/lived according to the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air) to the will of God for us and His will for us is to be holy as He is Holy. Here is what was said and written by the Prophet Isaiah, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!'" (Isaiah 6:1-3) (NKJV). The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Thessalonian believers, "For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness." (1 Thessalonians 4:7) (NKJV). The English word 'conversation' in 1 Peter 1:15 is translated by the Greek word anastrophe meaning conduct and behavior. Our lifestyle before Christ was wrought in these words as written to us by the Apostle John and we are now called out of and away from these things that are not a part of our Father in Heaven, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17) (NKJV). This is why there is no such thing as a Christian this or a Christian that, whatever this or that might refer to, for we are Christians period made anew by the Gospel of Grace and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians these words speaking of everyone of us who have been truly begotten again or born again or born from above, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:8-10) (NKJV). How do we find out what is acceptable to the Lord? We read and listen to what His word says and the Author of the Word of God (God the Holy Spirit) within us will teach us in the way of truth and righteousness. If someone says, 'I know God' or 'I belong to God' and then accepts, approves, and affirms what God says in His word is evil 😈, then they lie and the truth is not in them. <br /><br />Here is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary says about Holy, "Biblical use of the term 'holy' has to do primarily with God's separating from the world that which He chooses to devote to Himself. As God's redemptive plan unfolded through the OT, the 'holy' became associated with the character of God's separated people conforming to His revealed law. When the time became ripe for the saving work of Jesus Christ, His redeemed people came to be known as saints (literally, 'holy ones'). The Cross made this possible by inaugurating the fulfillment of the preparatory OT teachings on the holy, opening the way for God's Holy Spirit to indwell His people. God's chosen people, in separation from the world, are called to an ethical life in conformity to His revealed word. The command to His people is to 'be holy; for I am holy' (Lev. 11:44-45; cp. 19:2; 20:26). This demand is not abrogated with the coming of Christ but is to find its fulfillment in the Christian community (1 Cor. 7:34; Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22; 1 Pet. 1:16). Christians are to perfect 'holiness in the fear of God' (2 Cor. 7:1NASB). If necessary, God will discipline the followers of Christ for their own good so they 'can share His holiness' (Heb. 12:10 HCSB). John the Baptist, however, predicts that Jesus would inaugurate a new era for God's people by baptizing them with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11). The atoning death of Jesus, by meeting the just demands of God's righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26), makes possible this intimate relationship of God and His people. Jesus, as the true Holy One, does not see decay in His death as the prophetic Scriptures foretold (Ps. 16:10; Acts 13:35). Thus His resurrection signifies the accomplishment of salvation and the inauguration of the age of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 1:4) in which the followers of Jesus are baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). This enduring promise for believers in every generation (Acts 2:38-39) is the empowerment to make them holy: the Holy Spirit makes them so (Rom. 15:16)." Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of be ye holy for I am Holy, "Peter would stir his hearers to the emulation of the Divine holiness by that thought of the bond that unites Him and them. ‘He hath called you.’ In which word, I suppose, he includes the whole sum of the Divine operations which have resulted in the placing of each of his auditors within the circle of the Christian community as the subjects of Christ’s grace, and not only the one definite act to which the theologians attach the name of ‘calling.’ In the briefest possible way we may put the motive thus—the inspiration of imitation is to be found in the contemplation of the gifts of God. What He has said and done to me, calling me out of my darkness and alienation and lavishing the tokens of His love, the voice of His beseechings, the monitions of His Spirit, the message of His Son, the Incarnate Word, and invitation of God—all these things are included in His call. And all of them are the reasons why, bound by thankfulness, overcome by his forbearance, responding to His entreaties, and glued to Him by the strength of the hand that holds us, and the tenacity of His love, we should strive to ‘walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called.’"<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-1109402664156568482024-02-08T07:31:00.000-08:002024-02-08T07:31:59.447-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 10<p> We as Children of God are Called to be Holy Part 1<br /><br />1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version & ASV=American Standard Version<br /><br />Now the Apostle Peter begins to reaffirm, reiterate, and remind those begotten again or born again Jewish believers in our Lord Jesus Christ what was their primary calling 'in Christ' and our primary calling 'in Christ' is to be and that is to be holy as He our Father in Heaven is Holy. The Apostle Peter first tells them and we true believers today and of every era and generation since the Cross ➕ of Christ to take action, that is, be proactive in our walk with God with these words, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (1 Peter 1:13) (KJV). We see Peter first tell them and us to 'gird up the loins of your mind, be sober', and here Peter is emphasizing that we must brace up or fasten up the thoughts in our minds to stay focused, fixed, and firm on Christ and His Holy Word the Bible, and to be sober is to be vigilant, watchful, and self-controlled in our conduct and behavior. This echoes the Words spoken by our Lord Jesus Himself speaking of those who would be faithful servants of Him when He said, "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Luke 12:35-40)(NKJV). Here is the great Word Picture, for we do not know the hour or time of the 2nd Coming of Christ, likewise, no man 👨 or woman 👩 saved or lost knows the exact hour or time of their death, therefore, the Apostle Peter exhorts us to be found by our Lord Jesus Christ walking in true repentance and faith and seeking after holiness, just as the writer of Hebrews declares is so important with these words, "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." (Hebrews 12:14-17) (NKJV). The time is coming and I believe that it is already here, when our Lord Jesus Christ is moving by His Spirit in the earth realm to clearly draw a line of demarcation between those of us who are His true adopted sons and daughters, that is, the wheat 🌾, and those who are tares (false believers), the tares being those whom the Apostle Jude refers to with these words, "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 1:3-5) (ASV). Remember the tare/false believer Korah and those other tares who followed after him, read Numbers Chapter 16. The judgement of God upon false converts today in our time is not instant death always, but in some cases still today it may be, but for the most part it is turning them over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28; 2 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:16), that is, a mind or way of thinking that is completely opposite of what the Word of God declares to be truth and in so doing they seek out teachers who will affirm the lie to them (2 Timothy 4:3-4). This is why the Apostle Peter tells we true begotten again believers to gird up our minds with the truth of the Word of God and hope, expect, confide, and trust until the end of our sojourn that the true grace of God that we have received by faith which is making us new now and will makes all things new at the revelation of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, because the grace of God is not only what we don't deserve, but it is also the power we need to live a new life of holines 'in Christ' that is impossible to live without His grace. Amen! <br /><br />Here is what the JFB Commentary said of 1 Peter 1:13, "An image taken from the way in which the Israelites ate the passover with the loose outer robe girded up about the waist with a girdle, as ready for a journey. Workmen, pilgrims, runners, wrestlers, and warriors (all of whom are types of the Christians), so gird themselves up, both to shorten the garment so as not to impede motion, and to gird up the body itself so as to be braced for action. The believer is to have his mind (mental powers) collected and always ready for Christ’s coming. 'Gather in the strength of your spirit' [Hensler]. Sobriety, that is, spiritual self-restraint, lest one be overcome by the allurements of the world and of sense, and patient hopeful waiting for Christ’s revelation, are the true ways of 'girding up the loins of the mind.'" Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:13, "Wherefore - Having such encouragement. Gird up the loins of your mind - As persons in the eastern countries were wont, in travelling or running, to gird up their long garments, so gather ye up all your thoughts and affections, and keep your mind always disencumbered and prepared to run the race which is set before you. Be watchful - As servants that wait for their Lord. And hope to the end - Maintain a full expectation of all the grace - The blessings flowing from the free favour of God. Which shall be brought to you at the final revelation of Jesus Christ - And which are now brought to you by the revelation of Christ in you." Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of 1 Peter 1:13, "Take courage from this display of God’s love now made known to you; and though you must expect trials, yet fortify your minds with the consideration that He who has given you His Son Jesus will withhold from you no manner of thing that is good. The allusion here is to the long robes of the Asiatics, which, when they were about to perform any active service, they tucked in their girdles: this they did also when they waited on their superiors at meals. Continue to expect all that God has promised, and particularly that utmost salvation, that glorification of body and soul, which ye shall obtain at the revelation of Christ, when He shall come to judge the world." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 1:13, "The allusion here is to the manner in which the Orientals were accustomed to dress. They wear loose, flowing robes, so that, when they wish to run, or to fight, or to apply themselves to any business, they are obliged to bind their garments close around them. The meaning here is, that they were to have their minds in constant preparation to discharge the duties, or to endure the trials of life - like those who were prepared for labor, for a race, or for a conflict. The translation in the text is the most correct. It means that they were not to become faint or weary in their trials. They were not to abandon the hopes of the Gospel, but were to cherish those hopes to the end of life, whatever opposition they might meet with, and however much might be done by others to induce them to apostatize. For the favor that shall then be bestowed upon you; to wit, salvation. The word brought here means, that this great favor which they hoped for would be borne to them by the Saviour on His return from heaven. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in His glory; that is, when He comes to judge the world."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-37207970933184589582024-02-01T07:49:00.000-08:002024-02-01T07:49:09.050-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 9<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 7<br /><br />1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />We learned in just the previous two verses that the very Prophets of the Old Testament searched and enquired diligently through the prophecies of one another trying to understand what this grace of God would be like that would come from the Messiah's sufferings for the sins of the people of the world and at what time in human history would this manifest or take place. The Apostle Peter now finishes up his discourse on this subject matter with something even more remarkable and that being that the holy and obedient angels of God are so moved by what Christ Jesus has done for us sinners and more importantly done in us sinners that they desire to look into this matter of salvation by grace through faith offered to fallen human beings, as it is written by the Apostle Peter with these words, "Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:12) (KJV). The Prophets of old realized that many of the things that were given to them to speak to the people of Israel were actually referring to us in the future who would come to the Cross ➕ of Christ Jesus our Lord in repentance and faith and be begotten again or born again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as Peter declared earlier in his letter ✉ in 1 Peter 1:3. How awesome and awe inspiring must it have been for those men to realizes that the very words that were coming from their lips were for a people that they themselves would never see on the earth 🌎, remember what our Lord Jesus said to those who walked with Him during His incarnation and earthly ministry, "And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." (Matthew 13:10-17) (NKJV). Although angels are far superior to we human beings in power and strength 💪, yet like us they are not omniscient or infinite, so they did not know of the Triunes God's plan for the restoration, redemption, and resurrection of fallen humanity in the heart and mind of God before the foundations of the world were even laid, as the Apostle Paul wrote of to the brothers and sisters in Ephesus with these words, "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (ANGELS), according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." (Ephesians 3:8-12) (NKJV). According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, "The physical appearance of angels varies, based on their categorization. Unlike popular imagery, only cherubim and seraphim have wings. Within biblical texts angels always appear as men and never as women or children. Angels identify with humans on the basis of form, language, and action. Angelic uniqueness is sometimes evidenced in Scripture by their activity or appearing in ways humans do not (Gen. 16:1-11; Exod. 3:2; Num. 22:23; Judg. 6:21; 13:20; John 20:12). The feature of a brilliant white appearance of angels occurs only in the NT (Mark 16:5)." In other words, despite the fact of the awesome power angels have been given by God, they too (like those of us who are redeemed humans) long to know more about our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). <br /><br />Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:12, "To whom - So searching. It was revealed, that not for themselves, but for us they ministered - They did not so much by those predictions serve themselves, or that generation, as they did us, who now enjoy what they saw afar off. With the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven - Confirmed by the inward, powerful testimony of the Holy Ghost, as well as the mighty effusion of His miraculous gifts. Which things angels desire to look into - A beautiful gradation; prophets, righteous men, kings, desired to see and hear what Christ did and taught. What the Holy Ghost taught concerning Christ the very angels long to know." Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of the angels desire to look into Christ and His Cross ➕, "‘Which things the angels desire to look into.’ Now, the word that Peter employs there is an unusual one in Scripture. Its force may, perhaps, be best conveyed by referring to one of the few instances in which it is employed. It is used to describe the attitude of Peter and John when they stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. Perhaps there may be a reference in Peter’s mind to that incident, when he saw the ‘two angels ... sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.’ Perhaps, also, there floats in his mind some kind of reference to the outspread wings and bended heads of the brooding cherubim who sat above the Mercy-seat, gazing down upon the miracle of love that was manifested beneath them there. But be that as it may, the idea conveyed is that of eager desire and fixed attention. Now I am not going to enlarge at all upon the thought that is here conveyed, except just to make the one remark that people have often said, ‘Why should a race of insignificant creatures on this little globe of ours be so dignified in the divine procedure as that there should be the stupendous mystery of the Incarnation, and the Death for their sakes?’ Not for their sakes only, for the New Testament commits itself to the thought that whilst sinful men are the only subjects of the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ, other orders of creatures do benefit thereby, and do learn from it what else they would not have known, of the mystery and the miracle and the majesty of the Divine love. ‘To the principalities and the powers in heavenly places He hath made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God.’ And we can understand how these other orders—what we call higher orders, which they may be or they may not—of being, learn to know God as we learn to know Him, by the manifestation of Himself in His acts, and how the crown of all manifestations consists in this, that He visits the sinful sons of men, and by His own dear Son brings them back again. The elder brethren in the Father’s house do not grudge the ring and the robe given to the prodigals; rather they learn therein more than they knew before of the loving-kindness of God. Now all that is nowadays ignored, and it is not fashionable to speak about the interest of angels in the success of Redemption, and a good many ‘advanced’ Christians do not believe in angels at all, because they ‘cannot verify’ the doctrine. I, for my part, accept the teaching, which seems to me to be a great deal more reasonable than to suppose that the rest of the universe is void of creatures that can praise and love and know God. I accept the teaching, and think that Peter was, perhaps, not a dreamer when he said, ‘The angels desire to look into these things.’ They do not share in the blessings of redemption, but they can behold what they do not themselves experience. The Seer in the Revelation was not mistaken, when he believed that he heard redeemed men leading the chorus to Him that had redeemed them by His blood out of all nations, and then heard the thunderous echo from an innumerable host of angels who could not say ‘Thou hast redeemed us,’ but who could bring praise and glory to Him because He had redeemed men." <br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-42692169230348919292024-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:002024-01-26T07:59:47.374-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 8<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 6<br /><br />1 Peter 1:10-11 Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />It is an ever increasing crescendo that the Apostle Peter is manifesting in this beginning of his first letter ✉ to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter just finished telling them and we true believers today and of every era and generation that we (unlike Peter) have not seen our Lord Jesus in the flesh as he did, yet we love 😍 Him just as much as he does. Knowing that the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ is being answered in every century since His death on the Cross ➕, as He prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:20-23) (NKJV). The ever increasing crescendo that Peter continues onward and upward 👆 in this first letter ✉ is that the Prophets of old 🧓, such as Jerimiah, Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Amos, Joel, etc. were so in awe and wonder about the prophecies that were given to them to speak to the children of Israel that they prayed and fasted and dug deep into the Scriptures and their very own prophecies like someone would work hard in digging up precious and valuable elements from the earth like diamonds or gold to understand the nature or the cause or the quality of this grace and what it meant for those who would receive it in the future dispensation, as it is written by Peter the Apostle here, "Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:" (1 Peter 1:10) (KJV). The Apostle Peter says here that those Old Testament Prophets searched out and investigated and explored and carfully sought after the meaning of the things which were given to them to speak to the people of Israel. Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:10, "So far beyond all that was experienced under the Jewish dispensation. The very Prophets who prophesied long ago of the grace of God toward you - Of His abundant, overflowing grace to be bestowed on believers under the Christian dispensation. Inquired - Were earnestly inquisitive. And searched diligently - Like miners searching after precious ore, after the meaning of the prophecies which they delivered." Here also is what Adam Clarke had to say of 1 Peter 1:10, "The incarnation and suffering of Jesus Christ, and the redemption procured by Him for mankind, were made known, in a general way, by the Prophets; but they themselves did not know the time when these things were to take place, nor the people among and by whom He was to suffer, etc.; they therefore inquired accurately or earnestly, and searched diligently, inquiring of others who were then under the same inspiration, and carefully searching the writings of those who had, before their time, spoken of these things. The Prophets plainly saw that the grace which was to come under the Messiah’s Kingdom was vastly superior to any thing that had ever been exhibited under the law; and in consequence they made all possible inquiry, and searched as after grains of gold, hidden among sand or compacted with ore, (for such is the meaning of the original word), in order to ascertain the time, and the signs of that time, in which this wondrous display of God’s love and mercy to man was to take place; but all that God thought fit to instruct them in was what is mentioned." Note: Read Jerimiah 31:33-40.<br /><br />Next the Apostle Peter declares to us that the Spirit of Christ who has regenerated, redeemed, and resurrected each of we true believers from spiritual death was likewise in the Prophets of Old 🧓 (just as He is in me and every born again true believer) declaring to them the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter says this, "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:11) (KJV). The Apostle Paul also wrote of this reality to the Galatians with these words, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) (NKJV). The majority of the Jewish people had misunderstood the manner of the coming Messiah and thought He would come the first time to the earth 🌎 as an outward conquering King to defeat, decimate, and destroy the enemy of Israel the Romans, however, those Prophets of old prophesied of Christ sufferings for the sin of humanity, as it is written for us with these words by the Apostle John, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.'" (John 1:29-31) (NKJV) and also these words written by the 📝 writer of Hebrews, "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Hebrews 9:24-28) (NKJV). Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:11, "Searching what time - What particular period. And what manner of time - By what marks to be distinguished. The glories that were to follow - His sufferings; namely, the glory of His resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of His Spirit; the glory of the last judgment, and of His Eternal Kingdom; and also the glories of His grace in the hearts and lives of Christians." Here also is what Adam Clarke had to say of 1 Peter 1:11, "Not only the glory of His resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of His Spirit; but that grand manifestation of God's infinite love to the world in causing the Gospel of His Son to be everywhere preached, and the glorious moral changes which should take place in the world under that preaching, and the final glorification of all them who had here received the report, and continued faithful unto death. And we may add to this the ineffable glorification of the human nature of Jesus Christ, which, throughout eternity, will be the glorious Head of His glorified body, the Church."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-34698954268319405922024-01-19T06:41:00.000-08:002024-01-19T06:41:12.365-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 7<p>Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 5<br /><br />1 Peter 1:8-9 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />It is all about the One who has saved us, seperated us, and now shelters us our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love," (Colossians 1:13) (NKJV). When we are persecuted for Him and His sake we can be assurred that He is in complete control and not the enemy who delights in causing us physical and emotional pain. The Apostle Peter just finished writing that the trying of our faith might be found to the praise, honor, and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is natural for him to now 📝 write to us that our love for Christ Jesus our Lord keeps us in joy unspeakable and full of glory, as it is written, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8-9) (KJV). Remember, "We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) (NKJV). Despite any of our outward circumstances or being surrounded by evil on every side as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church ⛪ with these words concerning himself and those brothers and sisters 'in Christ' who were with him, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:7-11) (NKJV). Yet, all of this never diminished Paul's love 😍 for our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Paul (who suffered great persecution for Christ sake) even wrote these words at the close of his first letter to the Corithian Church ⛪, "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!" (1 Corinthians 16:22) (NKJV). The Apostle Peter uses the English word 'unspeakable' to define the joy of the Lord Jesus that we believers receive fron Him and that English word is translated by the Greek word aneklaletos (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning not spoken out, i.e. (by implication) unutterable:--unspeakable. In other words, the joy of the Lord can so swell up in us that we are speechless and often express that unutterable and unspeakable joy with 😭 tears because our love for Christ at that moment is so strong we cannot speak but only weep. <br /><br />Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 1:8, "The Apostle has just previously been speaking about the great and glorious things which are to come to Christians on the appearing of Jesus Christ, and that naturally suggests to him the thought of the condition of believing souls during the period of the Lord’s absence and comparative concealment. Having lifted his readers’ hopes to that great Future, when they would attain to ‘praise and honour and glory’ at Christ’s appearing, he drops to the present and to earth, and recalls the disadvantages and deprivations of the present Christian experience as well as its privileges and blessings. ‘Whom having not seen, ye love,' that is a very natural thought in the mind of one whose love to Jesus rested on the ever-remembered blessed experience of years of happy companionship, when addressing those who had no such memories. It points to an entirely unique fact. There is nothing else in the world parallel to that strange, deep personal attachment which fills millions of hearts to this Man who died nineteen centuries ago, and which is utterly unlike the feelings that any men have to any other of the great names of the past. To love one unseen is a paradox, which is realised only in the relation of the Christian soul to Jesus Christ. Then the Apostle goes on with what might at first seem a mere repetition of the preceding thought, but really brings to view another strange anomaly. ‘In Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ Love longs for the presence of the beloved, and is restless and defrauded of its gladness so long as absence continues. But this strange love, which is kindled by an unseen Man, does not need His visible presence in order to be a fountain of joy unspeakable and full of glory." Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of 1 Peter 1:9, "The salvation of their souls (the more noble part being put for the whole man), which salvation is here called the end of their faith, the end wherein faith terminates: faith helps to save the soul, then it has done its work, and ceases for ever. He speaks of the present time: You are now actually receiving the end of your faith, etc. The word used alludes to the games at which the conqueror received or bore away from the judge of the contest a crown or reward, which he carried about in triumph; so the salvation of the soul was the prize these Christians sought for, the crown they laboured for, the end they aimed at, which came nearer and more within their reach every day. Learn, First, Every faithful Christian is daily receiving the salvation of his soul; salvation is one permanent thing, begun in this life, not interrupted by death, and continued to all eternity. These believers had the beginnings of heaven in the possession of holiness and a heavenly mind, in their duties and communion with God, in the earnest of the inheritance, and the witness of the Divine Spirit. This was properly urged to these distressed people; they were on the losing side in the world, but the Apostle puts them in the mind of what they were receiving; if they lost an inferior good, they were all the while receiving the salvation of their souls. Secondly, It is lawful for a Christian to make the salvation of his soul his end; the glory of God and our own felicity are so connected that if we regularly seek the one we must attain the other."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-13367269131043440802024-01-10T07:58:00.000-08:002024-01-10T07:58:58.100-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 6<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 4<br /><br />1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: KJV <br /><br />It is with fervency, fierceness, yet in foolishness does the devil 😈 through his demons and the lost human beings constantly and continuously persecute or pursue we true begotten again or born again believers in Christ Jesus our Lord, therefore with these next couple of verses the Apostle Peter wants to reassure those scattered Jewish converts to Christ back then and us today and all true believers of every era and generation since the Cross ➕ (for the reason they were scattered far from their land of Jerusalem was because of the intense attacks upon their lives by those Jews still unconverted to Christ; many were not able to flee and were murdered or martyred for Christ). Remember shortly after Saul's (later known as the Apostle Paul) conversion to Christ on the Damascus road, as it is written, "And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this Name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket." (Acts 9:19-25) (KJV). So then we see that from the very beginning that all those who became true converts to Christ were immediately hated and persecuted and pursued to the point of trying to kill them and the devil 😈 has not changed his tactics today he still designs, desires, and determines to do the very same thing to everyone of us who are truly begotten again or born again by Christ Jesus our Lord, as it is written, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) (KJV). So, the Apostle Peter writes these words of edifying, encouragement, and exaltation, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" (1 Peter 1:6-7) (KJV). The little English phrase 'ye greatly rejoice' is translated by the Greek word agalliao meaning properly, to jump for joy, i.e. exult:--be (exceeding) glad, with exceeding joy, rejoice (greatly). The little English phrase 'for a season' is translated by the Greek word oligos meaning of uncertain affinity; puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); plus long, a season, short, small, a while. The little English phrase 'ye are in heaviness' is translated by the Greek word lupeō meaning to distress; reflexively or passively to be sad: - cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, be sorrowful. The English word 'manifold' is translated by the Greek word poikilos meaning of uncertain derivation; motley, i.e. various in character:-divers, manifold. The English word 'temptations' is translated by the Greek word peirasmos meaning (as used here) a putting to proof (by experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity:--temptation, trying. The English word 'trials' is translated by the Greek word dokimion meaning a testing; by implication, trustworthiness:--trial, trying. In other words, Peter wants us to have joy in the midst of our persecution, even though we will be distressed, grieved, sorrowful and saddened by them, for to lose (in death, some even by murder) those whom you love 😍 very dearly can do nothing but sadden your soul, however, we can rejoice in hope knowing that the testing of our faith and the adversity we encounter through our pilgrimage will discipline us and strengthen us in our walk with Christ and cause us to cling tighter to Him in all divers or different trials. <br /><br />Here is what Matthew Henry said of 1 Peter 1:6-7, "Every sound Christian has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice. Great rejoicing contains more than an inward placid serenity of mind or sensation of comfort; it will show itself in the countenance and conduct, but especially in praise and gratitude. The chief joy of a good Christian arises from things spiritual and heavenly, from his relation to God and to heaven. In these every sound Christian greatly rejoices; his joy arises from his treasure, which consists of matters of great value, and the title to them is sure. The best Christians, those who have reason greatly to rejoice, may yet be in great heaviness through manifold temptations. All sorts of adversities are temptations, or trials of faith, patience, and constancy. These seldom go singly, but are manifold, and come from different quarters, the effect of all which is great heaviness. As men, we are subject to sorrows, personal and domestic. As Christians, our duty to God obliges us to frequent sorrow: and our compassion towards the miserable, the dishonour done to God, the calamities of His Church, and the destruction of mankind, from their own folly and from divine vengeance, raise, in a generous and pious mind, almost continual sorrow. I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, Romans 9:2. The afflictions and sorrows of good people are but for a little while, they are but for a season; though they may be smart, they are but short. Life itself is but for a little while, and the sorrows of it cannot survive it; the shortness of any affliction does much abate the heaviness of it. Great heaviness is often necessary to a Christian's good: If need be, you are in heaviness. God does not afflict His people willingly, but acts with judgment, in proportion to our needs. There is a conveniency and fitness, nay, an absolute necessity in the case, for so the expression signifies: it must be; therefore no man should be moved by these afflictions. For yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto, 1 Thessalonians 3:3. These troubles, that lie heavy, never come upon us but when we have need, and never stay any longer than needs must. The afflictions of serious Christians are designed for the trial of their faith. God's design in afflicting His people is their liberation, not their destruction; their advantage, not their ruin: a trial, as the word signifies, is an experiment or search made upon a man, by some affliction, to prove the value and strength of his faith. This trial is made upon faith principally, rather than any other grace, because the trial of this is, in effect, the trial of all that is good in us. Our Christianity depends upon our faith; if this be wanting, there is nothing else that is spiritually good in us. Christ prays for this Apostle, that his faith might not fail; if that be supported, all the rest will stand firm; the faith of good people is tried, that they themselves may have the comfort of it, God the glory of it, and others the benefit of it. A tried faith is much more precious than tried gold. Here is a double comparison of faith and gold, and the trial of the one with the trial of the other. Gold is the most valuable, pure, useful, and durable, of all the metals; so is faith among the Christian virtues; it lasts till it brings the soul to heaven, and then it issues in the glorious fruition of God forever. The trial of faith is much more precious than the trial of gold; in both there is a purification, a separation of the dross, and a discovery of the soundness and goodness of the things. Gold does not increase and multiply by trial in the fire, it rather grows less; but faith is established, improved, and multiplied, by the oppositions and afflictions that it meets with. Gold must perish at last - gold that perisheth; but faith never will. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, Luke 22:32. The trial of faith will be found to praise, and honour, and glory. Honour is properly that esteem and value which one has with another, and so God and man will honour the saints. Praise is the expression or declaration of that esteem; so Christ will commend His people in the great day, Come, you blessed of my Father, etc. Glory is that lustre wherewith a person, so honoured and praised, shines in heaven. Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, Romans 2:10. If a tried faith be found to praise, honour, and glory, let this recommend faith to you, as much more precious than gold, though it be assaulted and tried by afflictions. If you make your estimate either from present use or the final event of both, this will be found true, however the world may take it for an incredible paradox. Jesus Christ will appear again in glory, and, when He does so, the saints will appear with Him, and their graces will appear illustrious; and the more they have been tried the more bright they will then appear. The trial will soon be over, but the glory, honour, and praise will last to eternity. This should reconcile you to your present afflictions: they work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-27136808414164241412024-01-03T09:04:00.000-08:002024-01-03T09:04:48.950-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 5<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 3<br /><br />1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />Now the Apostle Peter puts a giant bow on this gift of faith from our Father in Heaven, whereby He has 'begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' declaring that it is God Himself who keeps us from 'falling away' as will be the case for all false believers or false converts (2 Thessalonians 2:3) with these very reassuring words, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5) (KJV). That little phrase we mentioned above 'falling away' is translated by the Greek word apostasia meaning simply defection from truth. This is what we are seeing today in the visible world of Christendom. Actually what is taking place is the beginning of the 'falling away' apostasia by virtue of every false convert and false believer unmasking themselves by departing from the truth of the Word of God. The Apostle Peter writes to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord Jesus Christ and to we true converts to Christ today and from every era and generation in verse 5 that we (unlike those who are hypocrites, that is, pretenders/actors) 'who are kept' and this little English phrase is translated by the Greek word phroureō meaning to be a watcher in advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively, to hem in, protect:--keep (with a garrison). The English word 'power' in 1 Peter 1:5 is translated by the Greek word dunamis meaning force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, power, strength, mighty (wonderful) work. In other words, those of us who have truly been begotten again or born again to a living hope by the resurrection of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ are preserved, powered, and protected by the Power of God through God the Holy Spirit from being deceived by false prophets who twist, tangle, and torture the Word of God for our remaining time ⌚ here on the earth 🌎, as it is written with these verses of Scripture from the Old Testament, "For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) (NKJV) also "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me." (Jeremiah 32:40) (NKJV), likewise as it is written with these verses in the New Testament, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:27-30) (NKJV). Note: "Do we as believers disobey our Father and sin against His everlasting love for us, yes we do far to often, however, we can never depart from the faith because true 'saving faith' is the Gift 📦 we have received from our Abba through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and He keeps us walking 🚶 in repentance and faith, as it is written, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7) (NKJV), for we received Him by 'faith', therefore, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) (NKJV). <br /><br />Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:5, "Who are kept - The inheritance is reserved; the heirs are kept for it. By the power of God - Which worketh all in all, which guards us against all our enemies. Through faith - Through which alone salvation is both received and retained. Ready to be revealed - That revelation is made in the last day. It was more and more ready to be revealed, ever since Christ came." Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 1:5, "The Revised Version substitutes ‘guarded’ for ‘kept,’ and the alteration, though slight, is important, for it not only more accurately preserves the meaning of the word employed, but it retains the military metaphor which is in it. The force of the expression will appear if I refer, in a sentence, to other cases in which it is employed in the New Testament. For instance, we read that the governor of Damascus ‘kept the city with a garrison,’ which is the same word, and in its purely metaphorical usage Paul employs it when he says that ‘the peace of God shall keep’—guard, garrison—’your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ We have to think of some defenceless position, some unwalled village out in the open, with a strong force round it, through which no assailant can break, and in the midst of which the weakest can sit secure. Peter thinks that every Christian has assailants whom no Christian by himself can repel, but that he may, if he likes, have an impregnable ring of defence drawn round him, which shall fling back in idle spray the wildest onset of the waves, as a breakwater or a cliff might do. Then there is another very beautiful and striking point to be made, and that is the connection between the words of my text and those immediately preceding. The Apostle has been speaking about ‘the inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,’ and he says ‘it is reserved in Heaven for you who are kept.’ So, then, the same power is working on both sides of the veil, preserving the inheritance for the heirs, and preserving the heirs for the inheritance. It will not fail them, and they will not miss it. It were of little avail to care for either of the two members separately, but the same hand that is preparing the inheritance and making it ready for the owners is round about the pilgrims, and taking care of them till they get home."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-74309899042753564302023-12-25T07:06:00.000-08:002023-12-25T07:06:49.559-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 4<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 2<br /><br />1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle Peter continues on in his discourse to the scattered Jewish converts to Christ back then and to we converts to Christ today and all of His converted sons and daughters of every era and generation since His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead and ascension back to Heaven where He now sits upon a Throne of Grace ready to dispense that grace to any of us His children 🧒 and also ready to make any broken, battered, and bewildered sinner into a saint by that same grace. The Apostle wants them and all of us to know what is the greatness, goodness, and gloriousness' of the reality that He (God) 'begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead', and that we would know what that means and does for us and in us, first by what he declares in the next verse, as it is written, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," (1 Peter 1:4) (KJV). The little English phrase 'an inheritance' is translated by the Greek word klēronomia meaning heirship, that is, (concretely) a patrimony or (generally) a possession: - inheritance. The Apostle Paul wrote of this 'inheritance' of ours to the believers in Rome with these words, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." (Romans 8:12-17) (NKJV). The Apostle Peter calls our inheritance 'incorruptable' and 'undefiled' and 'that fadeth not away', and this first English word is translated by the Greek word aphthartos meaning undecaying (in essence or continuance) and the second word is translated by the Greek word amiantos meaning unsoiled, that is, (figuratively) pure and the final little English phrase is translated by the Greek word amarantos (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning unfading, that is, (by implication) perpetual. In other words, all of us who have been begotten to a lively hope, i.e. born again have been made eternal sons and daughters of God the Father through Christ resurrection from the dead and our situation, state, or status as such cannot ever be broken or severed by anything natural (done to us or against us by men) or supernatural (done to us by principalities and powers, that is, demons), for our inheritance reserved for us in Heaven is undecaying (in essence or continuance), unsoiled and pure, unfading and perpetual. Note: "This debate, discourse, and disagreement upon whether or not a True Christian can lose his or her salvation should have stopped a long time ago, for all the New Testament 📝 writers (inspired by God the Holy Spirit) have made it clear as Peter does here once again declaring us of being 'begotten again to a lively hope' that when a sinner is born again or born anew we can never lose our 'new birth' just as we can never reverse our physical birth by rewinding time and never being born to the earthly Father & Mother that begot us through their sexual union with one another. The problem stems from people calling and claiming themselves to be Christians and then denying the Word of God with their words and more importantly with their lives. When our Lord Jesus Christ says these thundering, titanic, and terrifying words, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23) (NKJV), He refers to spiritual or religious people who think in their own natural minds that they belonged to Him, yet they were never begotten again to a lively hope or born again by Him, so it was not that He did not know who they were or what they did in their lives because He is Omniscient knowing all things, but He never knew them in an intimate personal relationship of love 😍 and it is obvious by what our Lord says at the end, for they practiced sin as their way of life or lifestyle and even affirmed the practice of all types of sin which proves they had never been born again or born from above by our Lord Jesus Christ."<br /><br />Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:4, "To an inheritance - For if we are sons, then heirs. Incorruptible - Not like earthly treasures. Undefiled - Pure and holy, incapable of being itself defiled, or of being enjoyed by any polluted soul. And that fadeth not away - That never decays in its value, sweetness, or beauty, like all the enjoyments of this world, like the garlands of leaves or flowers, with which the ancient conquerors were wont to be crowned. Reserved in Heaven for you - Who 'by patient continuance in welldoing, seek for glory and honour and immortality.'" Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 1:4, "Through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we now cherish the hope of that future inheritance in Heaven. Christians are regarded as the adopted children of God, and Heaven is spoken of as their inheritance - as what their Father will bestow on them as the proof of His love. It will not fade away and vanish, as that which we inherit in this world does. The meaning here is, that the inheritance will be imperishable, or will endure forever. Here, to whatever we may be heirs, we must soon part with the inheritance; there it will be eternal. And undefiled -The word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. As applied to an inheritance, it means that it will be pure. It will not have been obtained by dishonesty, nor will it be held by fraud; it will not be such as will corrupt the soul, or tempt to extravagance, sensuality, and lust, as a rich inheritance often does here; it will be such that its eternal enjoyment will never tend in any manner to defile the heart. 'How many estates,' says Benson, 'have been got by fraudulent and unjust methods; by poisoning, or in some other way murdering the right heir; by cheating of helpless orphans; by ruining the fatherless and widows; by oppressing their neighbors, or grinding the faces of the poor, and taking their garments or vineyards from them! But this future inheritance of the saints is stained by none of these vices; it is neither got nor detained by any of these methods; nor shall persons polluted with vice have any share in it.' Here no one can be heir to an inheritance of gold or houses without danger of soon sinking into indolence, effeminacy, or vice; there the inheritance may be enjoyed forever, and the soul continually advance in knowledge, holiness, and the active service of God. And that fadeth not away - This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, though the word occurs in 1 Peter 5:4, applied to a crown or garland. The word is properly applied to that which does not fade or wither, in contradistinction from a flower that fades. It may then denote anything that is enduring, and is applied to the future inheritance of the saints to describe its perpetuity in all its brilliance and splendor, in contrast with the fading nature of all that is earthly. The idea here, therefore, is not precisely the same as is expressed by the word 'incorruptible.' Both words indeed denote perpetuity, but that refers to perpetuity in contrast with decay; this denotes perpetuity in the sense that everything there will be kept in its original brightness and beauty. The crown of glory, though worn for millions of ages, will not be dimmed; the golden streets will lose none of their luster; the flowers that bloom on the banks of the river of life will always be as rich in color, and as fragant, as when we first beheld them. Reserved in heaven for you -The difference in the text and the margin arises from the various readings in mss. The common reading is 'for you.' The sense is not materially affected. The idea is, that it is an inheritance appointed for us, and kept by one who can make it sure to us, and who will certainly bestow it upon us."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-71994023923294194352023-12-14T08:25:00.000-08:002023-12-14T08:25:49.930-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 3<p> Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 1<br /><br />1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle Peter next gives praise and honor and Glory to our Father in Heaven for sending us such a marvelous, magnificent, merciful, and mighty Savior here to sacrifice Himself by taking upon Himself all of the wrath of God do to our sins and being our substitute for sin and making a way for us to be reunited with Him, as it is written, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3) (KJV). God has been so gracious to man 👨, even the first man Adam who plunged mankind into sin and rebellion, yet we can recall that God the Father slew or killed an animal and clothed Adam with the skin of that animal hiding his discovery of being naked and being ashamed of his nakedness, as it is written, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?' So he said, 'I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.' And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?'" (Genesis 3:7-11) (NKJV) and "Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) (NKJV). The sin and disobedience of the first man 👨 Adam caused there eyes to be opened to good and evil 😈, as it is written, "Then the LORD God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever'— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24)(NKJV). In so doing they passed that sinful nature to every human being that was born from them and this is why every sinner runs from the truth of God or surpresses the truth of God to hide themselves from Him in one way or another (atheism, false spirituality, religion and rituals and other things to hide themselves from the shame and guilt of their own sin covering themselves with those spiritual fig leaves just as Adam and Eve did initially, as it is written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:18-21)(NKJV), but God the Father being rich in mercy, as it is written, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," (Ephesians 2:4) (NKJV) has made a way for any sinful human being to know Him and to love Him through the sacrificial death, ⚰ burial, and resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. God the Father has done so for us by the little English phrase in verse 3 'begotten us again' which is translated by the Greek word anagennaō meaning to beget or (by extension) bear (again): literally to be born again or born from above as our Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus with these words, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (John 3:3) (NKJV). The little English word 'lively' is translated by the Greek word zaō a primary verb meaning to live (literally or figuratively): - life, to quicken, as it is written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," (Ephesians 2:5) (NKJV). The little English word 'hope' is translated by the Greek word elpis meaning to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope. It is Christ resurrection from the dead that gives to each one of us who come to Him in repentance and faith wanting Him to save us from our sins and from hell that we are then given to our dead spirits His resurrection life, that is, the same resurrection power that raised Christ lifeless physical body back from the dead, as it is also written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)(NKJV). <br /><br />Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ - His Father, with respect to His divine nature; His God, with respect to His human. Who hath regenerated us to a living hope - An hope which implies true spiritual life, which revives the heart, and makes the soul lively and vigorous. By the resurrection of Christ - Which is not only a pledge of ours, but a part of the purchase - price. It has also a close connexion with our rising from spiritual death, that as He liveth, so shall we live with Him. He was acknowledged to be the Christ, but usually called Jesus till His resurrection; then He was also called Christ." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 1:3, "The idea is, that there was great mercy shown them in the fact that they were renewed. They had no claim to the favor, and the favor was great. People are not begotten to the hope of heaven because they have any claim on God, or because it would not be right for him to withhold the favor. See the notes at Ephesians 2:4.The meaning is, that as God is the Author of our life in a natural sense, so he is the Author of our second life by regeneration. The Saviour said, John 3:3 that 'except a man be born again,' or 'begotten again,' 'he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Peter here affirms that that change had occurred in regard to himself and those whom he was addressing. The word used here as a compound (ἀναγεννάω anagennaō) does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, though it corresponds entirely with the words used by the Saviour in John 3:3, John 3:5, John 3:7. Perhaps the phrase 'begotten again' would be better in each instance where the word occurs, the sense being rather that of being begotten again, than of being born again. The word lively we now use commonly in the sense of active, animated, quick; the word used here, however, means living, in contradistinction from that which is dead. The hope which they had, had living power. It was not cold, inoperative, dead. It was not a mere form - or a mere speculation - or a mere sentiment; it was that which was vital to their welfare, and which was active and powerful. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of our hope. It was a confirmation of what He declared as truth when He lived; it was a proof of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul; it was a pledge that all who are united to Him will be raised up. On this verse we may remark, that the fact that Christians are chosen to salvation should be a subject of gratitude and praise. Every man should rejoice that any of the race may be saved, and the world should be thankful for every new instance of divine favor in granting to anyone a hope of eternal life. Especially should this be a source of joy to true Christians. Well do they know that if God had not chosen them to salvation, they would have remained as thoughtless as others; if He had had no purpose of mercy toward them, they would never have been saved. Assuredly, if there is anything for which a man should be grateful, it is that God has so loved him as to give him the hope of eternal life; and if He has had an eternal purpose to do this, our gratitude should be proportionably increased."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-49758860306839253312023-12-07T08:35:00.000-08:002023-12-07T08:35:01.068-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 2<p> Peter's Greeting to the Dispersed Brethren & Sisteren Part 2<br /><br />1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle Peter concludes his greeting to those Jewish brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ back then by declaring to them what their (and our union) with Christ Jesus means and by what manner, motion, and method by which they then and we true believers today and of every era and generation were made children of the One True Living God, as it is written, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." (1 Peter 1:2) (KJV). First, the Apostle refers to them or calls them and we true believers today and of every era and generation 'Elect' and this English word is translated by the Greek word eklektos meaning select; by implication favorite: chosen, elect. This perhaps is the one word from God in His Book the Bible that has caused more craziness, confusion, and conflict than any other in all of the Word of God. First, let us be reminded of who our God truly is. He is Omniscient and that means all-knowing. What is there to be known that God does not know? Answer: NOTHING!!! So, with this truth at the center of everything, then we should realize that before God created Adam and then Eve, He knew they would sin in the Garden of Eden against Him and in so doing bring that disease of sin into the human race passed down from them to every single human being that came from their loins, which includes me and anyone reading these words right now. God did not create Adam as a programmed Android or Robot, but a spiritual being living inside a fleshly body that made him visible though the real him was invisible. Adam and Eve and all of us who come from them have been given by God 'free will' as defined by our dictionaries as the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies. God so created the Angels that live in heaven right now with Him with the same 'free will' and this is why right now there is a devil 😈 and demons because they exercised their 'free will' and chose to rebel against God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and in so doing they got their ass' kicked and thrown out of heaven forever and so those angels then became the devil 😈 and demons. God has know programmed robot servants in heaven or in we redeemed humans on the earth 🌎, for all who serve Him do so because of our great love for Him and for what He has done for us in showing us such undeserved love and mercy. Love and gratitude to God is the reason for obedience and not merely duty or obligation. So, since God is all-knowing, then He knew before Adam was created who (in every era and generation of humanity) would desire to be reconciled to Him, that is, who would truly want a personal relationship with Him. This is why Abram was chosen over any other human on the earth 🌎 at that time ⌚ to be the Father of the Jewish Nation that God would make from Abram's loins with his wife Sarah. Here is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say of Abram's election by God, "At the very beginning of Israel's role in salvation history is the call of Abraham to leave his homeland for a new one that would be shown unto him (Genesis 12:1–7). This directive came to Abraham from God who also promised to bless his descendants and all peoples on earth through them. While Abraham responded to this call in obedience and faith, his election was not the result of his own efforts, but solely of God's decision. (2) The central word in Israel's vocabulary for describing their special relationship with God was 'covenant.' This covenant was not a contract between equal partners, but a bond established by God's unmerited favor and love. The gracious character of the covenant is a major theme in Deuteronomy. 'For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.' (Deuteronomy 7:6–7 NASB)." <br /><br />The English word 'foreknowledge' is translated by the Greek word prognōsis meaning forethought: - foreknowledge, that is, knowledge of an event before it occurs; precognition. Abram's response in obedience and faith was known by God before Adam and Eve were ever created by Him. Listen 👂, this is the heart of what election is and what it truly means to be chosen by God. Here also is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say concerning Election and the New Covenant, "Predestination does not negate the necessity for human repentance and faith; rather it establishes the possibility of both. God does not relate to human beings as sticks and stones but as free creatures made in His own image. (2) If salvation is based on election, then why preach the Gospel? Because God has chosen preaching as the means to awaken faith in the elect (1 Corinthians 1:21). We should proclaim the Gospel to everyone without exception, knowing that it is only the Holy Spirit who can convict, regenerate, and justify." The Apostle Peter also referred to them then and to us now as those 'through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ', meaning that is all the work of God the Holy Spirit in regenerating our dead spirits and making us now alive to God the Father through the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shed for us on Calvary, Amen!, as it is written for us by Paul the Apostle to the Ephesian believers with these words, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:1-10) (NKJV). Here again is what Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say of Election and the Christian Life, "Does not belief in election result in moral laxity and pride? Paul says that God chose us 'for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit' (2 Thessalonians 2:13 HCSB). We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, even though to be sure, it is God who is at work within us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12–13). The proper response to election is not pride but gratitude for God's amazing grace that saves eternally. Election, then, is neither a steeple from which we look in judgment on others, nor a pillow to sleep on. It is rather a stronghold in time of trial and a confession of praise to God's grace and to His glory." <br /><br />Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:2, "According to the foreknowledge of God - Speaking after the manner of men. Strictly speaking, there is no foreknowledge, no more than afterknowledge, with God: but all things are known to Him as present from eternity to eternity. This is therefore no other than an instance of the divine condescension to our low capacities. Elect - By the free love and almighty power of God taken out of, separated from, the world. Election, in the Scripture sense, is God's doing anything that our merit or power have no part in. The true predestination, or fore - appointment of God is, He that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin. He that endureth to the end shall be saved eternally. They who receive the precious gift of faith, thereby become the sons of God; and, being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of Holiness to walk as Christ also walked. Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go hand in hand. All is free gift; and yet such is the gift, that the final issue depends on our future obedience to the heavenly call. But other predestination than this, either to life or death eternal, the Scripture knows not of. Moreover, it is. Cruel respect of persons; an unjust regard of one, and an unjust disregard of another. It is mere creature partiality, and not infinite justice. It is not plain Scripture doctrine, if true; but rather, inconsistent with the express written word, that speaks of God's universal offers of grace; His invitations, promises, threatenings, being all general. We are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not doing it. It is inconsistent with a state of probation in those that must be saved or must be lost. It is of fatal consequence; all men being ready, on very slight grounds, to fancy themselves of the elect number. But the doctrine of predestination is entirely changed from what it formerly was. Now it implies neither faith, peace, nor purity. It is something that will do without them all. Faith is no longer, according to the modern predestinarian scheme, a divine 'evidence of things not seen,' wrought in the soul by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost; not an evidence at all; but a mere notion. Neither is faith made any longer a means of holiness; but something that will do without it. Christ is no more a Saviour from sin; but a defence, a countenancer of it. He is no more a fountain of spiritual life in the soul of believers, but leaves His elect inwardly dry, and outwardly unfruitful; and is made little more than a refuge from the image of the heavenly; even from righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Through sanctification of the Spirit - Through the renewing and purifying influences of His Spirit on their souls. Unto obedience - To engage and enable them to yield themselves up to all holy obedience, the foundation of all which is, the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ - The Atoning Blood of Christ, which was typified by the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifices under the law; in allusion to which it is called 'the blood of sprinkling.'"<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-17651124982182668982023-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:002023-11-28T08:20:17.500-08:00Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 1<p> Peter's Greeting to the Dispersed Brethren & Sisteren Part 1<br /><br />1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle Peter (like James) is writing his letter to all the Jewish converts to Christ Jesus our Lord who because of extreme persecution i.e. their very physical lives being in danger in Jerusalem fled to various other cities, as is written here by Peter with these words, "Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," (1 Peter 1:1) (KJV). This little English phrase 'scattered throughout' is translated by the Greek word diaspora meaning dispersion, that is, (specifically and concretely) the (converted) Israelites resident in Gentile countries: - (which are) scattered (abroad). Note: "Scattering of the Jews from the land of Palestine into other parts of the world. The term 'dispersion' is also often used to describe this process. The diaspora took place over several centuries. While its exact beginnings are difficult to date, two major events greatly contributed to it. In 722 B.C. the Assyrians captured the Northern Kingdom (Israel). Following this victory, the Assyrians resettled large numbers of the Israelites in Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). In 586 B.C. the Babylonians captured the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and followed the same policy of resettlement. Many of the residents of Judah were transported to Babylon (2 Kings 25:8-12). While some of these persons later returned to Judah, many of them remained permanently in Babylon. Later other wars fought by the Greeks and Romans in Palestine helped scatter more of the Jewish people. The result of the diaspora was that by NT times as many Jews lived outside of Palestine as lived within the land. In almost every city Paul visited on his missionary journeys, he found a Jewish synagogue (Acts 14:1; 17:1,10; 18:4). The diaspora thus helped pave the way for the spread of the Gospel." (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary). So, we see then that the dispersion of the Jews began long before our Lord Jesus Christ ever came to the earth 🌎 and that the land of Palestine has always belonged to the Jewish people and is part of the Jewish Nation. These brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ were most likely spoken of by Luke in Acts 8:1-2, as it is written here, "At that time a great persecution arose against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him." (Acts 8:1-2) (NKJV). As we see this occured right after the murder of Stephen (which was witnessed by Saul who would later become a Jewish convert to Christ himself and change his name to Paul the Apostle). Every Jewish convert to our Lord Jesus Christ was extremely hated during that time by the remaining unconverted Jews. It is no different for we converted Gentiles today who live and move and have our being in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:28), but we live among unconverted people of every ethnicity and they are doing the same things to us as the unconverted Jews did during the time the Apostle Peter 🖋 penned this first letter ✉, for let us recall, remember, and realize the reason for the constant hatred and persecution as written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) (NKJV). The natural man 👨 or woman 👩 is the person simply still dead in their trespasses and sins and have not yet been resurrected from spiritual death by our Lord Jesus Christ, as He said of Himself, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26)(NKJV). Outside of the 'new birth' (John 3:3-8) there is no connection to God at all and the persons who are still disconnected from God see those of us who are connected to Him as their enemies i.e. light vs darkness, as it is written, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.' Therefore 'Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.' 'I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.'" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) (NKJV). <br /><br />Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 1:1, "All those who really have faith in Jesus Christ are ‘strangers of the Dispersion’; scattered throughout the world, and dwelling dispersedly in an order of things to which they do not belong, ‘seeking a city which hath foundations.’ The word ‘strangers’ means, originally, persons for a time living in an alien city. And that is the idea that the Apostle would impress upon us as true for each of us, in the measure in which our Christianity is real. For, remember, although all men may be truly spoken of as being ‘pilgrims and sojourners upon the earth’ by reason of both the shortness of the duration of their earthly course and the disproportion between their immortal part and the material things amongst which they dwell, Peter is thinking of something very different from either the brevity of earthly life or the infinite necessities of an immortal spirit when he calls his Christian brethren strangers. Not because we are men, not because we are to die soon, and the world is to outlast us; not because other people will one day live in our houses and read our books and sit upon our chairs, and we shall be forgotten, but because we are Christ’s people are we here sojourners, and must regard this as not our rest. Not because our immortal soul cannot satisfy itself, however it tries, upon the trivialities of earth any more than a human appetite can on the husks that the swine do eat, but because new desires, tastes, aspirations, affinities, have been kindled in us by the new life that has flowed into us; therefore the connection that other men have with the world, which makes some of them altogether ‘men of the world, whose portion is in this life,’ is for us broken, and we are strangers, scattered abroad, solitary, not by reason of the inevitable loneliness in which, after all love and companionship, every soul lives; not by reason of losses or deaths, but by reason of the contrariety between the foundation of our lives, and the foundation of the lives of the men round us; therefore we stand lonely in the midst of crowds; strangers in the ordered communities of the world. Ah, there is no solitude so utter as the solitude of being the only man in a crowd that has a faith in his heart, and there is no isolating power like the power of rending all ties that true attachment with Jesus Christ has. ‘Think not that I am come to bring peace on earth, but a sword’—to set a man against his own household, if they be not of the household of faith. These things are the inevitable issues of religion—to make us strangers, isolated in the midst of this world." Here also is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:1, "To the sojourners - Upon earth, the Christians, chiefly those of Jewish extraction. Scattered - Long ago driven out of their own land. Those scattered by the persecution mentioned Act 8:1, were scattered only through Judea and Samaria, though afterwards some of them travelled to Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch. Through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia - He names these five provinces in the order wherein they occurred to him, writing from the east. All these countries lie in the Lesser Asia. The Asia here distinguished from the other provinces is that which was usually called the Proconsular Asia being a Roman province."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-87253591010948904062023-11-20T08:32:00.000-08:002023-11-20T08:32:56.771-08:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 61<p> Praying in Faith Part 6<br /><br />James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James concludes his discourse to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord Master and Savior Jesus Christ by reminding them of how he has warned them repeatedly in his letter of the sins that could so easily plague them (and we true believers today and those of every era and generation since James 🖋 penned this letter all those years ago) such as the sin of showing partiality or the sin of 🗺 worldliness or the sins that proceed forth from the tongue 😝 or the sin of boasting and many others. The Apostle wanted them to be watchful for themselves and for other true brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ so as to prevent ourselves and others from falling as the author of Hebrews so eloquently wrote with these words, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2) (NKJV). Since they and we all have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to look to in all our times of trouble, testing, and temptation we should also and always while we remain here on the earth 🌎 as sojourners and pilgrims look to keep ourselves from falling back into our old sins and when we see any other true brother or sister 'in Christ' doing so we must do as James the Apostle declares with these words, "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20) (KJV). The little English phrase 'do err' in verse 19 is translated by the Greek word planaō meaning to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. The little English phrase 'the error' is translated by the Greek word planē meaning somewhat the same as 'do err' and that is objectively fraudulence; subjectively a straying from orthodoxy or piety: - deceit, to deceive, delusion, error. The little English phrase 'shall save' is translated by the Greek word sōzō meaning (as used here) to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively). The little English phrase 'shall hide' is translated by the Greek word kaluptō meaning to cover up (literally or figuratively): - cover, hide. In other words, the Apostle James is writing to those Jewish converts to Christ back then and to us now that there are some of us true believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who go astray from Him, that is, who wander away back into our old sins that He Christ has cleansed us from and washed us from in and by His Blood because we feed the flesh more than we feed our spirit man 👨 or woman 👩, for we should always heed the words written to us by the Apostle Paul declaring these truths, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:1-11) (NKJV). Some saints stray from true orthodoxy and piety by being deluded and decieved, however, when through hearing a word spoken by a true brother 'in Christ' in a sermon or reading a word from the Word of God on our own or being led to a passage of Scripture by another brother or sister in Christ that brings conviction of sin to the inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 of the erring saint then that brother or sister is then turned back 🔙 from their err and they are often times delivered from physical death being rendered by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, for He will not allow His own to continue to blaspheme His Name instead He will take them home to heaven as the Apostle John declares with these words, "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." (1 John 5:16-17) (NKJV). The sin or sins that could lead to physival death are surely different for each brother and sister 'in Christ', however, the Apostle James declares that the brothers or sisters 'in Christ' who are responsible for leading the wayward son or daughter of God back to the right path i.e. the truth of the Gospel of Christ and of the Word of God will for themselves cover up a large number of their sins and even perhaps of the sins of the wayward child 🧒 of God. <br /><br />Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 5:19-20, "This epistle concludes with an exhortation to do all we can in our places to promote the conversion and salvation of others, James 5:19, James 5:20. Some interpret these verses as an apology which the apostle is making for himself that he should so plainly and sharply reprove the Jewish Christians for their many faults and errors. And certainly James gives a very good reason why he was so much concerned to reclaim them from their errors, because in thus doing he should save souls, and hide a multitude of sins. But we are not to restrain this place to the apostle's converting such as erred from the truth; no, nor to other ministerial endeavours of the like nature, since it is said, 'If any err, and one convert him, let him be who he will that does so good an office for another, he is therein an instrument of saving a soul from death.' Those whom the apostle here calls brethren, he yet supposes liable to err. It is no mark of a wise or a holy man to boast of his being free from error, or to refuse to acknowledge when he is in an error. But if any do err, be they ever so great, you must not be afraid to show them their error; and, be they ever so weak and little, you must not disdain to make them wiser and better. If they err from the truth, that is, from the gospel (the great rule and standard of truth), whether it be in opinion or practice, you must endeavour to bring them again to the rule. Errors in judgment and in life generally go together. There is some doctrinal mistake at the bottom of every practical miscarriage. There is no one habitually bad, but upon some bad principle. Now to convert such is to reduce them from their error, and to reclaim them from the evils they have been led into. We are not presently to accuse and exclaim against an erring brother, and seek to bring reproaches and calamities upon him, but to convert him: and, if by all our endeavours we cannot do this, yet we are nowhere empowered to persecute and destroy him. If we are instrumental in the conversion of any, we are said to convert them, though this be principally and efficiently the work of God. And, if we can do no more towards the conversion of sinners, yet we may do this - pray for the grace and Spirit of God to convert and change them. And let those that are in any way serviceable to convert others know what will be the happy consequence of their doing this: they may take great comfort in it at present, and they will meet with a crown at last. He that is said to err from the truth in James 5:19 is described as erring in his way in James 5:20, and we cannot be said to convert any merely by altering their opinions, unless we can bring them to correct and amend their ways. This is conversion - to turn a sinner from the error of his ways, and not to turn him from one party to another, or merely from one notion and way of thinking to another. He who thus converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death. There is a soul in the case; and what is done towards the salvation of the soul shall certainly turn to good account. The soul being the principal part of the man, the saving of that only is mentioned, but it includes the salvation of the whole man: the spirit shall be saved from hell, the body raised from the grave, and both saved from eternal death. And then, by such conversion of heart and life, a multitude of sins shall be hid. A most comfortable passage of scripture is this. We learn hence that though our sins are many, even a multitude, yet they may be hid or pardoned; and that when sin is turned from or forsaken it shall be hid, never to appear in judgment against us. Let people contrive to cover or excuse their sin as they will, there is no way effectually and finally to hide it but by forsaking it. Some make the sense of this text to be, that conversion shall prevent a multitude of sins; and it is a truth beyond dispute that many sins are prevented in the party converted, many also may be prevented in others that he may have an influence upon, or may converse with. Upon the whole, how should we lay out ourselves with all possible concern for the conversion of sinners! It will be for the happiness and salvation of the converted; it will prevent much mischief, and the spreading and multiplying of sin in the world; it will be for the glory and honour of God; and it will mightily redound to our comfort and renown in the great day. Those that turn many to righteousness, and those who help to do so, shall shine as the stars for ever and ever."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-49655618550473085972023-11-10T07:53:00.000-08:002023-11-10T07:53:04.963-08:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 60<p> Praying in Faith Part 5<br /><br />James 5:17-18 Elias/Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />We just heard from the Apostle James how the effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man 👨 bears much fruit, well the Apostle now reminded those scattered Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord as he so reminds we brothers and sisters 'in Christ' today and of every era and generation of the efforts, exploits, and endeavors of the Prophet of God Elijah who was a weak sinful man just like we are today and in every era and generation of those who truly belong to Adonai/Elohim, as it is 📝 written, "Elias/Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:17-18) (KJV). Somehow, those of us alive today who have come to our Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith falsely believe that those saints of God who lived hundreds of years and even thousands of years before we came upon the earth 🌎 were somehow different than we are, i.e. 'supersaints'. Reality is that they were vile sinners just like us, but the same God/Jesus whom we belong to did miraculous deeds through them. Why? Was it because they were special? Of course not, they were simply obedient and faithful. Is this word from the Word of God true or not? "Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) (KJV). Well, if it is true and it is, then this same Jesus/God can do whatever He wills to do today as He did yesterday and as He will do forever, through the obedient faith and prayers of any righteous son or daughter of His. Is God/Jesus dead or is He alive for evermore? Let us not think that Elijah was not a wretched sinner, because he was, as well as King David, the Apostle Paul, Peter, John, James and all who came to belong to Christ Jesus our Lord just like we do. Let us stop this foolishness of arguing over whether God still answers the seemingly impossible prayers of His sons and daughters with miracles that cannot be explained by the finite minds that belong to all human beings. Brothers and Sisters 'in Christ' over the centuries have prayed for some of the most hopeless cases of people still dead in their tresspasses and sins to be born again and those sinners salvation by grace through faith happened. I just read 📖 that the women who was the star in the popular reality TV show Ink (Kate Von D) has made a profession of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and she ended up going to a small Baptist Church not far from her home in Indiana. When she went the saints there told her they had been praying for her ever since she moved into her new home (how long they prayed I do not know). This may seem like nothing to many cynical minded folk, but God is God over everything happening within His Universe 🌌, so He does not miss the prayers of a one or a few, just like He does not miss the prayers of many. You know the people who are quick to discount miracles always do so until their little girl 👧 or little boy 👦 is sick unto death, then you better believe they are praying for a miracle from God to save the life of their child 🧒 just as they should be doing. God makes miracles happen every day in the life of His adopted sons and daughters, except many of us fail to see them (there are some we cannot see) because our faith is at such a weak and low state or condition. The Apostle James was originally writing to the new converts to Christ from the 12 Tribes of Judah who were being viciously persecuted which is what caused them to flee to various other parts of the world 🗺 during that time. The Apostle wanted them to know that Elijah was just like them and God received his prayers and answered in a Mighty way that could only be attributed, acknowledged, or accounted that God had shut up the rain for three (3) years and that at the faithful praying of Elijah, He (God) had brought forth the rain once again to the land. In other words, Brother James wanted them to know that they are not less of saints than Elijah, nor was Elijah a greater saint than they or us today, but they too can pray for big things they needed and for the protection they needed from the violent assaults coming from the devil through his two-legged devils and God would hear them and hear us. <br /><br />Here is what the Expositors' Bible Commentary had to say of James 5:17-18, "The example by which St. James proves the efficacy of a righteous man’s prayer is interesting and important in two respects:- (1.) It is the only evidence that we have that the great drought in the time of Ahab was prayed for by Elijah, and it is the only direct evidence that he prayed for the rain which put an end to it. We are told that Elijah prophesied the drought (1 Kings 17:1) and the rain; (1 Kiings 18:41) and that before the rain he put himself in an attitude of prayer, with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42); but that he prayed, and for the rain which he had foretold, is not stated. Whether the statement made by St. James is an inference from these statements, or based on independent tradition, must remain uncertain. We read in Ecclesiasticus of Elijah that by 'the Word of the Lord he shut up (held back), the heaven' (48:3); but that seems to refer to prophecy rather than to prayer. The difference, if there be any, between the duration of the drought as stated here and by St. Luke, (Luke 4:25) and as stated in the Book of the Kings, will not be a stumbling-block to any who recognize that inspiration does not necessarily make a man infallible in chronology. Three and a half years (=42 months= 1,260 days) was the traditional duration of times of great calamity. (Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2-3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14; Revelation 13:5) (2.) This passage supplies us with Biblical authority for prayers for changes of weather, and the like; for the conduct of Elijah is evidently put before us for our imitation. St. James carefully guards against the objection that Elijah was a man gifted with miraculous powers, and therefore no guide for ordinary people, by asserting that he was a man of like nature with ourselves. And let us concede, for the sake of argument, that St. James may have been mistaken in believing that Elijah prayed for the drought and for the rain; yet still the fact remains that an inspired New Testament writer puts before us, for our encouragement in prayer, a case in which prayers for changes of weather were made and answered. And he certainly exhorts us to pray for the recovery of the sick, which is an analogous case. This kind of prayer seems to require special consideration. 'Is it, then, according to the Divine will that when we are individually suffering from the regularity of the course of nature-suffering, for instance, from the want of rain, or the superabundance of it-we should ask God to interfere with that regularity? That in such circumstances we should pray for submission to the Divine will, and for such wisdom as shall lead to compliance with it in the future, is a matter of course, and results inevitably from the relation between the spiritual Father and the spiritual child. But ought we to go farther than this? Ought we to pray, expecting that our prayer will be effectual, that God may interfere with the fixed sequences of nature? Let us try to realize what Would follow if we offered such prayer and prevailed. In a world-wide Church each believer would constitute himself a judge of what was best for himself and his neighbor, and thus the order of the world would be at the mercy everywhere of individual caprice (a sudden desire) and ignorance. Irregularity would accordingly take the place of invariableness. No man could possibly foretell what would be on the morrow. The scientist would find all his researches for rule and law baffled; the agriculturist would find all his calculations upset; nature, again, as in the days of ignorance, would become the master of man; like an eagle transfixed by an arrow winged by one of its own feathers, man would have shackled himself with the chains of his ancient servitude by the licentious employment of his own freedom, and would have reduced the cosmos of which God made him the master to a chaos which overwhelmed him by its unexpected blows.' The picture which is here drawn sketches for us the consequences of allowing each individual to have control over the forces of nature. It is incredible that God could be induced to allow such control to individuals; but does it follow from this that He never listens to prayers respecting His direction of the forces of nature, and that consequently all such prayers are presumptuous? The conclusion does not seem to follow from the premises, The valid conclusion would rather be this: No one ought to pray to God to give him absolute control of the forces of nature. The prayer, 'Lord, in Thy control of the forces of nature have mercy upon me and my fellow-men,' is a prayer of a very different character. The objection to prayers for rain or for the cessation of rain, and the like, is based on the supposition that we thereby 'ask God to interfere with the regularity of the course of nature.' Yet it is admitted that to 'pray for submission to the Divine will, and for such wisdom as will lead to compliance with it in the future, is a matter of course and results inevitably from the relation between the spiritual Father and the spiritual child.' But is there no regularity about the things thus admitted to befit objects of prayer? Are human character and human intellect not subject to law? When we pray for a submissive spirit and for wisdom, are we not asking God to 'interfere with that regularity' which governs the development of character and of intelligence? Either the prayer is to obtain more submission or more wisdom than we should otherwise get, or it is not. If it is to obtain it, then the regularity which would otherwise have prevailed is interrupted. If our prayer is not to obtain for us more submission and more wisdom than we should have obtained if we had not prayed, then the prayer is futile. It will perhaps be urged that the two cases are not strictly parallel. They are not; but for the purposes of this argument they are sufficiently parallel. It is maintained that we have no right to pray for rain, because we thereby propose to interfere with the regularity of natural processes; yet it is allowed that we may pray for wisdom. To get wisdom by prayer is quite as much an interference with the regularity of natural processes as to get rain by prayer. Therefore, either we ought to pray for neither, or we have the right to pray for both. And so far as the two cases are not parallel, it seems to be more reasonable to pray for rain than to pray for submissiveness and wisdom. God has given our wills the awful power of being able to resist His will. Are we to suppose that He exercises less control over matter, which cannot resist Him, than over human wills, which He allows to do so; or that He will help us or not help us to become better and wiser, according as we ask Him or do not ask Him for such help, and yet will never make any change as to giving or withholding material blessings, however much, or however little, we may ask Him to do this? The objection is sometimes stated in a slightly different form. God has arranged the material universe according to His infinite wisdom; it is presumptuous to pray that He will make any change in it. The answer to which is that, if that argument is valid against praying for rain, it is valid against all prayer whatever. If I impugn infinite wisdom when I pray for a change in the weather, do I not equally impugn it, when I pray for a change in the life or character of myself or of my friends? God knows without our asking what weather is best for us; and He knows equally without our asking what spiritual graces are best for us. Does not the parallel difficulty point to a parallel solution? What right have we to assume that in either case effectual prayer interferes with the regularity which seems to characterize Divine action? May it not be God’s will that the prayer of faith should be a force that can influence other forces, whether material or spiritual, and that its influence should be according to law (whether natural or supernatural) quite as much as the influence of other forces? A man who puts up a lightning-conductor brings down the electric current when it might otherwise have remained above, and brings it down in one place rather than another; yet no one would say that he interferes With the regularity of the course of nature. Is there anything in religion or science to forbid us from thinking of prayer as working in an analogous manner-according to a law too subtle for us to comprehend and analyze, but according to a law none the less? In the vast network of forces in which an all-wise God has constructed the universe a Christian will believe that one force which 'availeth much,' both in the material and in the spiritual world, 'is the earnest prayer of the righteous'. It is better for us that we should be able to influence by our prayers God’s direction of events than that we should be unable to do so; therefore a merciful Father has placed this power within our reach."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-21394728896488990142023-10-31T07:56:00.001-07:002023-10-31T07:56:35.643-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 59<p> Praying in Faith Part 4<br /><br />James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />We have seen in the previous verses how the Apostle James exhorted and encouraged the brothers or sisters in our Lord Jesus' Mystical Body to go to the elders of the Body seeking prayer from them for their physical ailments or diseases, however, we now find him appealing to each one of them and us to seek out one another to confess to one another our sins against our Father in Heaven which may have caused someone's sicknesses, as it is written, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16) (KJV). The English word 'Confess' that begins this verse of Scripture is translated by the Greek word exomologeō meaning to acknowledge or (by implication of assent) agree fully. The little English phrase 'your faults' is translated by the Greek word paraptōma meaning a side slip (lapse or deviation), that is, (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression: - fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass. Here is what Robertson's Word Pictures had to say of this, "Confession of sin to God is already assumed. But public confession of certain sins to one another in the meetings is greatly helpful in many ways. This is not confessing to one man like a Priest in place of the public confession. One may confess to the Pastor without confessing to God or to the Church, with little benefit to anybody." When you are able to be among a body of true and faithful believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, it is beneficial not only to the transgressor, but also to the rest of the body as we remember these words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatian believers in Christ when he wrote, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load." (Galatians 6:1-5) (NKJV). When the Apostle James writes in James 5:16 these words, 'and pray one for another, that ye may be healed', he means that we should collectively lift up hands to our Father in Heaven 🙏 praying to Him for the brother of sister who is overtaken by a sin or tresspass praying 🙏 that he or she be healed from the desire of that particular sin, for our Father in Heaven does not just heal from physical malady, but He heals from spiritual malady or diseases as well (all sin is spiritual disease). The English word 'healed' used by the Apostle in James 5:16 is translated by the Greek word iaomai is a primary verb meaning to cure (literally or figuratively): - heal, make whole. <br /><br />In the last part of James 5:16, which reads, 'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much', means that any son or daughter of our Lord Jesus Christ has the ability to pray in faith through Christ Jesus our Lord and to expect God the Father to hear and answer prayers. The little English phrase, 'The effectual fervent' is translated by the Greek word energeō meaning to be active, efficient: - do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in). The liitle English phrase 'availeth much' is translated by the Greek words (polu ischuei) meaning to have much force or strength 💪. Example, Moses, as it is written, "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah (Burning), because the fire of the LORD had burned among them." (Numbers 11:1-3) (NKJV), and the Apostle Peter and John along with many other brothers and sisters after they were forbidden to declare the Name of Jesus, as it is written, "So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.' So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: 'Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 'For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:18-31) (NKJV). <br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-42911594448722435442023-10-23T08:28:00.003-07:002023-10-23T08:28:57.903-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 58<p>Praying in Faith Part 3<br /><br />James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James continues his exhortation to all those scattered Jewish believers in our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of his writing this letter (and it is to and for each one of we true believers today and of every era and generation that has come after James' penning of this letter) that their/our faithful prayers reach the Throne Room of God our Father, as it is written, "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:15) (KJV). According to His Sovereign will some sick brothers and sisters in Christ will be healed by Him and some will not, for many of us have known of very faithful sons and daughters of God being sick unto death and their healing did not come, but that which is far better than a temporary physical healing from 🤮 sickness down here came and that was their being present with our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the brothers and sisters in Corinth with these words, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee/down payment/earnest. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1-8)(NKJV). This is a promise from our Father in Heaven to each of us His sons and daughters that according to His will (not ours), He 'shall raise him up' and this little English phrase translated by the Greek word egeirō meaning to rouse or raise up from disease, that is, to be healed completely from the physical or mental or spiritual disease. This is done by our Father in Heaven because He loves us His sons and daughters, but also because He stills has a purpose for us down here on the earth 🌎. Remember King Hezekiah, as it is written, "In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the Prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.' Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 'Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the Word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the House of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.'" (2 Kings 20:1-6) (NKJV). The Lord God of Israel not only delivered King Hezekiah from his sickness unto death, but He used King Hezekiah and the army of Israel to defend against, and destroy, and defeat the king of Assyria and protect the great 🏙 city of Jerusalem from destruction for the sake of His own sake and for the sake of the covenant with King David, as it is written, "Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, And said: 'I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him.'" (Psalms 89:19-23) (NKJV). Note: 'You who think 🤔 that Israel is wrong in what they are doing to completely destroy 'Hamas', read Psalms 89 and then read it again and again. Also, you who think that any Nation or Nations will (as the Iranians say, 'wipe Israel off the map 🗺') read Psalms 89 again and again. I love you Israel and more importantly Elohim/Adonai loves you immensely." <br /><br />Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 5:15, "The prayer offered in faith, or in the exercise of confidence in God. It is not said that the particular form of the faith exercised shall be that the sick man will certainly recover; but there is to be unwavering confidence in God, a belief that He will do what is best, and a cheerful committing of the cause into His hands. We express our earnest wish, and leave the case with Him. The prayer of faith is to accompany the use of means, for all means would be ineffectual without the blessing of God. This must be understood, as such promises are everywhere, with this restriction, that they will be restored to health if it shall be the will of God; if He shall deem it for the best. It cannot be taken in the absolute and unconditional sense, for then, if these means were used, the sick person would always recover, no matter how often he might be sick, and he need never die. The design is to encourage them to the use of these means with a strong hope that it would be effectual. It may fairly be inferred from this statement: (1) That there would be cases in large numbers where these means would be attended with this happy result; and, (2) That there was so much encouragement to do it that it would be proper in any case of sickness so make use of these means. It may be added, that no one can demonstrate that this promise has not been in numerous instances fulfilled. There are instances, not a few, where recovery from sickness seems to be in direct answer to prayer, and no one can prove that it is not so. Compare the case of Hezekiah, in Isaiah 38:1-5. Perhaps there may be a particular allusion here to sins which may have brought on the sickness as a punishment. In that case the removal of the disease in answer to prayer would be an evidence that the sin was pardoned. Compare Matthew 9:2. But the promise may be understood in a more general sense as denoting that such sickness would be the means of bringing the sins of the past life to remembrance, especially if the one who was sick had been unfaithful to his Christian vows; and that the sickness in connection with the prayers offered would bring him to true repentance, and would recover him from his wanderings. On backsliding and erring Christians sickness often has this effect; and the subsequent life is so devoted and consistent as to show that the past unfaithfulness of him who has been afflicted is forgiven." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 5:15, "Prayer over the sick must proceed and be accompanied with, a lively faith. There must be faith both in the person praying and in the person prayed for. In a time of sickness, it is not the cold and formal prayer that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. We should observe the success of prayer. The Lord shall raise up; that is, if he be a person capable and fit for deliverance, and if God have any thing further for such a person to do in the world. And, if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him; that is, where sickness is sent as a punishment for some particular sin, that sin shall be pardoned, and in token thereof the sickness shall be removed. As when Christ said to the impotent man, Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee, it is intimated that some particular sin was the cause of his sickness. The great thing therefore we should beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is the pardon of sin. Sin is both the root of sickness and the sting of it. If sin be pardoned, either affliction shall be removed in mercy or we shall see there is mercy in the continuance of it. When healing is founded upon pardon, we may say as Hezekiah did: Thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption, Isaiah 38:17. When you are sick and in pain, it is most common to pray and cry, O give me ease! O restore me to health! But your prayer should rather and chiefly be, O that God would pardon my sins!"<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /> </p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-67170739615165112172023-10-13T08:38:00.001-07:002023-10-13T08:38:44.847-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 57<p> Praying in Faith Part 2<br /><br />James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James now writes to those scattered Jews who have now come to our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in repentance and faith exhorting those brothers and sisters in Christ Mystical Body that are sick from any diseases to take themselves to those true, trustworthy, and triumphant 🧓 elders in Christ Body with prayer request, as it is written with these words, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:" (James 5:14) (KJV). The prayer of one true man/son of God 👨 through our Lord Jesus Christ reaches the Throne of our Father in Heaven, as it is written by the writer of Hebrews with these words, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16) (NKJV), therefore, we must expect that the prayers of many faithful men/sons 🚹 of God will definitely reach His 👂 ears and according to His will in the matter of the sickness be eradicated even sooner than the one sick brother or sister praying alone. The annoiting with oil 🛢 was something our Lord Jesus Christ gave to the Apostles as He sent them out two by two giving them power over the enemy (the devil 😈), as it is written, "And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. Also He said to them, 'In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!' So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them." (Mark 6:7-13)( NKJV). There was and is no power in the oil 🛢 to heal sickness, but the power resides from the faith and faithfulness of the son or daughter sick 🤮 and from the elders in Christ Body praying over the sick 🤮 brother or sister. The Apostle Paul was such an example of strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and true faithfulness to Him, remember one occassion when he was on the Island of Malta, as it is written, "In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary." (Acts 28:7-10)(NKJV). This same Apostle Paul spoke of brother Epaphroditus who was very beloved by him, yet he was very sick on one occassion and although in Paul's letter, he does not write that he 🙏 prayed for him, yet it is certain that the readers of his letter would know that cretainly he did, as it is written here in this letter to the brother and sisters in Philippi, "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me." (Philippians) 2:25-30 (NKJV). <br /><br />Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of James 5:14, "Which is often the case; the bodies of the saints, as well as others, are liable to a variety of diseases; they are sick, and sometimes nigh unto death, as Epaphroditus was: and then, let him call for the elders of the Church; in allusion to the elders of the congregation of Israel, Leviticus 4:15. By these may be meant, either the elder members of the Church, men of gravity and soundness in the faith, persons of long standing and experience; who have the gift and grace of prayer, and are not only capable of performing that duty, but of giving a word of counsel and advice to the sick. It was a kind of proverbial saying of Aristophanes the grammarian; the works of young men, the counsels of middle aged persons, and the prayers of ancient men. Or rather officers of Churches are meant, particularly pastors, who are so called in Scripture; these should be sent for in times of sickness, as well as physicians; and rather than they, since their prayers may be the means of healing both soul and body: so in former times, the prophets of God were sent to in times of sickness, for advice and assistance. It is a saying of R. Phinehas ben Chama that 'whoever has a sick person in his house, let him go to a wise man, and he will seek mercy for him.'' And it follows here, and let them pray over him; or for him, for the recovery of his health: anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord; which some think was only done in a common medicinal way, oil being used much in the eastern countries for most disorders; and so these elders used ordinary medicine, as well as prayer: or rather this refers to an extraordinary gift, which some elders had of healing diseases, as sometimes by touching, and by laying on of hands, or by expressing some words, and so by anointing with oil; see Mark 6:13 which extraordinary gifts being now ceased, the rite or ceremony of anointing with oil ceases in course: however, this passage gives no countenance to the extreme unction of the Papists; that of theirs being attended with many customs and ceremonies, which are not here made mention of; that being used, as is pretended, for the healing of the souls of men, whereas this was used for corporeal healing; that is only performed when life is despaired of, and persons are just going out of the world; whereas this was made use of to restore men to health, and that they might continue longer in it, as follows." Here also is what John Wesley said of James 5:14, "This single conspicuous gift, which Christ committed to His Apostles, Mar 6:13, remained in the Church long after the other miraculous gifts were withdrawn. Indeed, it seems to have been designed to remain always; and St. James directs the elders, who were the most, if not the only, gifted men, to administer at. This was the whole process of physic in the Christian Church, till it was lost through unbelief. That novel invention among the Romanists, extreme unction, practised not for cure, but where life is despaired of, bears no manner of resemblance to this."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-31920779709192545812023-10-05T13:49:00.003-07:002023-10-05T13:49:43.694-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 56<p> Praying in Faith Part 1<br /><br />James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James now makes a turn from writing to those scattered Jews who have now come to our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in repentance and faith to them being faithful and strong in prayer and praise on all occasions and no matter what their circumstances. James begins his discourse with these words, "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." (James 5:13) (KJV). The first response the Apostle gives to affliction for these early believers and we true believers today and of every era and generation is to lift up 👆 our selves entirely to our Father in Heaven through prayer. This English word 'afflicted' is translated by the Greek word kakopatheō meaning to undergo hardship: - be afflicted, endure afflictions (hardness), suffer trouble. Unlike the false, fraud, and fake gospel being declared by the popular false prophets of the prosperity gospel, the real Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and true faith in Him never brings popularity or great profits, but instead affliction from those who still belong to the devil 👿 is brought upon many of us who are the true adopted sons and daughters of God. Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote to Brother Timothy (and it speaks to us too), "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5) (NKJV). Then the Apostle turns from those suffering hardship to ask the question, Is any merry? For not all of God's children are suffering hardship at the same time ⌚, for some during certain seasons are 'merry' and this English word is translated by the Greek word euthumeō meaning to cheer up, that is, (intransitively) be cheerful; (adverb) more cheerfully: - be of good cheer (merry). There are many seasons in every true believers sojourn and pilgrimage here on the earth 🌎 where we are walking and living with joy unspeakable and full of glory (it really should be all seasons of our lives down here), so James declares that we should rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ always singing praises to Him for His love to us and goodness to us and His guidance of us and His protection to us. The Apostle Paul wrote such truths to the true believers in Rome and the true believers in Ephesus with these words, "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: 'For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.' And again he says: 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!' And again: 'Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!'" (Romans 15:9-11)(NKJV) and these words to those in Ephesus, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:15-21) (NKJV).<br /><br />Here is what the Expositors' Bible Commentary had to say of James 5:13, "The subject of this verse was probably suggested by that of the preceding one. Oaths are not a right way of expressing one’s feelings, however strong they may be, and of whatever kind they may be. There is, however, no need to stifle such feelings, or to pretend to the world that we have no emotions. In this respect, as in many others, Christianity has no sympathy with the precepts of Stoicism or Cynicism. It is not only innocent, but prudent, to seek an outlet for excited feelings; the right and wrong of the matter lie in the kind of outlet which we allow ourselves. Language of some kind, and in most cases articulate language, is the natural instrument for expressing and giving vent to our feelings. But we need some strong safeguard, or the consequences of freely giving expression to our emotions in speech will be calamitous. This safeguard is clearly indicated by the rules here laid down by St. James. Let the expression of strongly excited feelings be an act of worship; then we shall have an outlet for them which is not likely to involve us in harmful results. By the very act in which we exhibit our emotions we protect ourselves from the evil which they might produce. The very mode of expressing them moderates them, and serves as an antidote to their capacity for evil. Prayer and praise, or (in one word) worship, according to St. James, is the Christian remedy for "allaying or carrying off the fever of the mind." In all cases in which the mind is greatly agitated, whether painfully or pleasantly, whether by sorrow, anger, regret, or by joy, pleasure, hope, -the wise thing to do is to take refuge in an act of worship. Mental excitement is neither right nor wrong, any more than physical hunger or thirst. Everything depends on the method of expressing the one or gratifying the other. It will be easy in both cases to indulge a legitimate craving in such a way as to turn a natural and healthy symptom into a disease. Neither a heated mind nor a heated body can without danger be kept heated, or treated as if it was at its normal temperature. The advice of St. James is that in all cases in which our minds are agitated by strong emotion we should turn to Him who gave us minds capable of feeling such emotion; we should cease to make ourselves our own center, and turn our thoughts from the causes of our excitement to Him who is the unmoved Cause of all movement and rest. We need not tie ourselves to the distribution of prayer and praise expressed in the text. It is the most natural and most generally useful distribution; but it is not the only one, and perhaps it is not the highest. The precept will hold good with equal truth if we transpose the two conclusions: 'Is any among you suffering? let him sing praise. Is any cheerful? let him pray.' 'In everything give thanks,' says St. Paul; which involves our frequently giving thanks in suffering. This was what Job, to whom St. James has just directed his readers, did in his trouble. He 'fell upon the ground and worshipped: 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' (Job 1:20-21). And the Psalmist teaches much the same lesson as St. Paul: 'I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth'. (Psalms 34:1). But if praise is as suitable as prayer for suffering, prayer is as suitable as praise for cheerfulness. He who is cheerful has indeed great reason to bless and praise God. He has a priceless gift, which is a blessing to himself and to all around him, a gift which makes life brighter to the whole circle in which he moves. We most of us take far too little pains to cultivate it, to retain it when it has been granted to us, to regain it when we have lost it or thrown it away. Yet cheerfulness has its dangers. The light-hearted are apt to be light-headed, and to be free from care leads to being free from carefulness. The cheerful may easily lose sobriety, and be found off their guard. The remedy is prayer. Prayer steadies without dimming the bright flame of cheerfulness; and just as thanksgiving sweetens sorrow, so supplication sanctifies joy. 'Is any suffering? let him sing praise. Is any cheerful? let him pray.'"<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-82278044603232765252023-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:002023-09-22T10:22:12.552-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 55<p> Patience in Suffering Part 4<br /><br />James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />In his last discourse to the scattered Jewish brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus on the issue of patience in suffering, the Apostle James places these words in this last verse above all the ones that came previously before it, as it is written here, "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." (James 5:12) (KJV). The Jews during their many years living by the 'Law of Moses' would often make solemn promises to YAHWEH and they would also often time do so in front of a great number of other Jews whether in the public square or in private homes. The Apostle James declares to them and to we true believers today and of every era and generation to refrain from doing so, for our Heavenly Father sees us and knows of every plot, purpose, and plan designed by the devil 😈 through his two-legged 👿 devils to kill us because of their hatred against us because we belong to Him. Let us remember what the devil 👿 tried to do to the Apostle Paul only days after his redemption, regeneration, and resurrection from spiritual death by our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is written, "Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket." (Acts 9:23-25) (NKJV). This would be the reoccurring theme in the sojourn of Saul later to be known as the Apostle Paul for the next four (4) plus decades of his earthly life that the devil 👿 (through the Jews, his own countrymen) would try to kill him. The devil 👿 would not succeed in killing Paul until our Lord Jesus Christ was finish with the work on the earth 🌎 He was doing through Paul. Therefore, we see how the Apostle James wants us to trust our Lord Jesus, for He is in full control of what persecutions are allowed to get to us. He also alone has the final say as to when our earthly life ends and our joy unspeakable and full of glory with Him transitions from time into eternity. In James 5:12, the Apostle uses the English word 'above' to declare the importance of what he writes afterwards and this word is translated by the little Greek word pro (as used here) is a primary preposition; 'fore', that is, in front of, prior (figuratively superior) to. The little English word 'swear' is translated by the Greek word omnuō meaning to swear, that is, take (or declare on) oath. The little English word 'oath' is translated by the Greek word horkos meaning a limit, that is, (sacred) restraint (specifically oath). Our English dictionary defines oath with these words; a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior. The Apostle James is warning ⚠ of being so blunt, boisterous, and bold in making oaths unto our Heavenly Father, for in the Old Testament Moses records these words concerning declaring an oath to the Lord God, it is written, "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth." (Deuteronomy 23:21-23) (NKJV) and also these words, "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." (Numbers 30:2) (NKJV). The Apostle James knowing that when we are under direst we are likely to not be thinking clearly or assessing our circumstances properly which will cause us to make a vow or oath to our Heavenly Father that we cannot keep which in turn will be sinning against Him. This is why he goes on reiterating the very Words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He spoke these words concerning swearing an oath, "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:33-37) (NKJV). This is what the JFB Commentary says concerning declaring oaths, "Do not use oaths in your everyday conversation, but let a simple affirmative or denial be deemed enough to establish your word."<br /><br />Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of James 5:12, "What relation this exhortation can have to the subject in question, I confess I cannot see. It may not have been designed to stand in any connection, but to be a separate piece of advice, as in the several cases which immediately follow. That the Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing is allowed on all hands; and that swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, the temple, the altar, different parts of the body, was not considered by them as binding oaths, has been sufficiently proved. Rabbi Akiba taught that 'a man might swear with his lips, and annul it in his heart; and then the oath was not binding.' Do not pretend to say yea with your lips, and annul it in your heart; let the yea or the nay which you express be bona fide such. Do not imagine that any mental reservation can cancel any such expressions of obligation in the sight of God. Lest ye fall under judgment. Lest ye fall into hypocrisy. Now, as it is a fact, that the Jews did teach that there might be mental reservation, that would annul the oath, how solemnly soever it was taken; the object of St. James, if the last reading be genuine, and it is supported by a great number of excellent MSS., some versions, and some of the most eminent of the fathers, was to guard against that hypocritical method of taking an oath, which is subversive of all moral feeling, and must make conscience itself callous." Here also is what John Wesley had to say of James 5:12, "Swear not - However provoked. The Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God Himself as by some of His creatures. The Apostle here particularly forbids these oaths, as well as all swearing in common conversation. It is very observable, how solemnly the Apostle introduces this command: above all things, swear not - As if he had said, Whatever you forget, do not forget this. This abundantly demonstrates the horrible iniquity of the crime. But he does not forbid the taking a solemn oath before a magistrate. Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay - Use no higher asseverations in common discourse; and let your word stand firm. Whatever ye say, take care to make it good."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-27948340384257175692023-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:002023-09-11T08:08:14.270-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 54<p> Patience in Suffering Part 3<br /><br />James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James wanted to further encourage them in their persecutions, so he next reminded them of Brother Job, "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." (James 5:11) (KJV). Job was a man 👨 who endured some of the worst attacks from Satan, but this is what was written of him, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." (Job 1:1) (NKJV). This was not a man who was running from God in his daily life and actions, but daily ran toward God in holy fear and reverence of Him, yet our Father in Heaven allowed Satan to attack him vehemently, viciously, and violently, but this did not mean that God did not love Job, because in the end we know that God the Father restored back to Job double of what the enemy (the devil 😈) took from him. The Apostle James wanted these early Jewish believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and wants we believers today and of every era and generation to live by these words written in Proverbs, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) (NKJV). Those last four words of verse 6 in Proverbs 3 figuratively means that as a bull dozer or frontend loader is used in the literal way to clear a straight path so that a roadway can be laid out to make the travel on that path smoother or less bumpy, so will our Heavenly Father do so for us in our spiritual lives as we face unseen enemies (Satan and his demons) trying to hurt and kill us on a daily basis through human two-legged devils still under his control. Our responsibility is to trust our Triune (God) the Father, the Son, and the Spirit at the beginning of every single day He gives us as sojourners and throughout the day, then repeat 🔂 this over and over for all the remaining days we have upon the earth 🌎. The little English phrase in James 5:11 'very pitiful' is translated by the rather long Greek word polusplagchnos (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) and it simply means extremely compassionate. In other words, the Psalmist says it best with these words, "As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (Psalms 103:13-14) (NKJV). Also let us always meditate on these mighty words from our Lord Jesus Christ, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) (NKJV). Our obedience must always be to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, even if we are murdered for doing so, Amen!!!<br /><br />Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 5:11, "Observe further, Those who were the greatest examples of suffering affliction were also the best and greatest examples of patience: tribulation worketh patience. Hereupon James gives it to us as the common sense of the faithful (James 5:11): We count those happy who endure: we look upon righteous and patient sufferers as the happiest people. Job also is proposed as an example for the encouragement of the afflicted. You have hard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, etc., v. 11. In the case of Job you have an instance of a variety of miseries, and of such as were very grievous, but under all he could bless God, and, as to the general bent of his spirit, he was patient and humble: and what came to him in the end? Why, truly, God accomplished and brought about those things for him which plainly prove that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The best way to bear afflictions is to look to the end of them; and the pity of God is such that He will not delay the bringing of them to an end when His purposes are once answered; and the tender mercy of God is such that He will make His people an abundant amends for all their sufferings and afflictions. His bowels are moved for them while suffering, His bounty is manifested afterwards. Let us serve our God, and endure our trials, as those who believe the end will crown all." Here also is what Dr. John Gill had to say of James 5:11, "Affliction, with courage, constancy, and patience, and hold out to the end; for such shall be saved; theirs is the kingdom of heaven; they are happy now, and will be so hereafter: the Spirit of God, and of glory, now rests upon them; and it is an honour done them that they are counted worthy to suffer for Christ; and they will be glorified with Him to all eternity; the consideration of which may serve to encourage and increase patience. Ye have heard of the patience of Job; from the account which is given of him, and his patience, in the book that bears his name; how he behaved under every trial, which came one upon the back of another; as the plundering of his substance, the loss of his children, and of the health of his body; and yet in all this Job sinned not, nor murmured against God, nor charged Him foolishly, and was a mirror of patience; and though he afterwards let fall some expressions of impatience, yet he was humbled for them, and brought to repentance: this shows, that as the Apostle James, so the Jews, to whom he writes, believed that there had been really such a man as Job; and that the book which bears his name is an authentic piece of holy Scripture, and contains a narrative of matters of fact; or otherwise this reference to him would have been impertinent. How long Job endured the chastenings of the Lord cannot be said. The Jews say they continued on him twelve months, which they gather from Job 7:3. And have seen the end of the Lord; that is, the happy end, or exodus, out of all his troubles; which the Lord gave 'to him', as the Oriental versions add; for He gave him twice as much as he had before, and blessed his latter end more than his beginning, Job 42:10. Some understand this of the Lord Jesus Christ, both of His great patience in sufferings, in which He is an example to His people, and they would do well to look to, and consider Him; and of the end of His sufferings, his glorious resurrection from the dead, and session at the Right Hand of God, where He is crowned with glory and honour; but the former sense is best: that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy; as to Job, so to all His people; His paternal relation to them engages His pity towards them; nor does He willingly afflict them; and when He does, He sympathizes with them; He is afflicted with them, and in His pity redeems them; His heart moves towards them, and He earnestly remembers them, and works deliverance for them in His own time and way; and therefore it becomes them to be patient."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-12713397371755878252023-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:002023-08-29T08:01:04.092-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 53<p> Patience in Suffering Part 2<br /><br />James 5:9-10 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />Next, the Apostle James warns us of groaning or griping or grieving against our own brothers and sisters who are truly 'in Christ' as we are because it is our Lord Jesus who truly knows the inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 of everyone of us and He will render judgement rightously without hypocrisy or favoritism, but righteously. Here is what James said to them back then and says to us today and all true believers of every era and generation of all time ⌚, "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door." (James 5:9) (KJV). The English word 'Grudge' that begins this verse is translated by the Greek word stenazō meaning to make in straits, that is, (by implication) to sigh, murmur, with grief, groan, grudge, sigh. Here is what the JFB Commentary had to say of 'Grudge not' and it sums up what our actual attitude toward one another should be or ought to be truly, "The Greek is literally, 'groan': a half-suppressed murmur of impatience and harsh judgment, not uttered aloud or freely. Having exhorted them to patience in bearing wrongs from the wicked, he now exhorts them to a forbearing spirit as to the offenses given by brethren. Christians, who bear the former patiently, sometimes are impatient at the latter, though much less grievous." Moses documented for us with these words the desire of our Lord God for His people with one another, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:17-18)(NKJV). The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Corinthian believers (as well as to each one of we believers today and of every era and generation), "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5) (NKJV). In other words, our Lord Jesus Christ knows what the true motivation of every thing done by any believer is and if it was not done out of real love and caring and for His Glory, then He alone knows and will reveal the truth openly for all to see. Example, some brother or sister may be apparently helping an older or elderly brother or sister with many things and it appears that he or she is doing it out of pure love and caring for that elderly person, yet their true motivation was to push or prod or persuade that elderly brother or sister to give them something as a reward for their helping actions. Our Lord Jesus Christ sees not only all of our actions, but also our intent that leads to our actions whether the actions are outwardly considered good or bad. Remember when our Lord Jesus said this, "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." (Mark 4:22) (NKJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of our Lord Jesus Christ standing at the door 🚪, "His eye is upon every thing that is wrong in you, and every wrong that is done to you; and He is now entering into judgment with your oppressors." <br /><br />The Apostle James reminds us of the bitter persecution endured by some of the Prophets of old like Jerimiah (who was thrown down into the bottom of a well and left there to die by his own Jewish brethren) or Isiah (who was mocked and ridiculed and hated by his own Jewish people and eventually tied between two (2) 🎄 🎄 trees and sawed in half), here is what James says to them and to us, "Take, my brethren, the Prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." (James 5:10) (KJV). The little English phrase 'for an example' is translated by the Greek word hupodeigma meaning an exhibit for imitation or (figuratively specimen, foreshadowing): pattern. The little English phrase 'of suffering affliction' is translated by the Greek word kakopatheia (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) meaning hardship; a state of misfortune or affliction; something that causes or entails suffering. The little English phrase 'of patience' is translated by the Greek word makrothumia meaning (as used here) forbearance; delay in enforcing rights, claims or privileges; refraining from acting. The Old Testament Prophets were given the Words of God to speak to the people and they had the Spirit of God upon them which emboldened, energized, and empowered them to speak only what God declared to them without faint or freezing or fear and this cost many of them their physical lives, however, we know that they are all with Elohim/Adonai right now in heaven and so will each one of us who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God living in us and empowering us (when we do not grieve Him) to desire, determine, and direct our lives to speaking the truth of the Word of God without stutter, stammer, or stopping, for as it is written, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) (NKJV). Let us not only live for our Lord Jesus Christ, but be willing to die for His Glory, as the Apostle Paul wrote with these words, "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:19-21) (NKJV). Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of James 5:10, "The Prophets who had spoken to their forefathers by the Authority of God, were persecuted by the very people to whom they delivered the Divine message; but they suffered affliction and persecution with patience, commending their cause to Him who judgeth righteously; therefore, imitate their example." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 5:10, "That is, in your trials and persecutions. To encourage them to the exercise of patience, he points them to the example of those who had trod the same thorny path before them. The Prophets were in general a much persecuted race of men; and the argument on which the Apostle relies from their example is this: (1) That if the Prophets were persecuted and tried, it may be expected that other good men will be; (2) That they showed such patience in their trials as to be a model for us. That is, they showed us how evils are to be borne." <br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-525358459545092892023-08-23T07:35:00.003-07:002023-08-23T07:35:43.371-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 52<p> Patience in Suffering Part 1<br /><br />James 5:7-8 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James now begins to exhort, excite, and encourage those Jewish believers (as well as we believers today and all believers from every era and generation) in our Lord Jesus Christ scattered into many different places from their homeland of Jerusalem by virtue of intense persecution (James 1:1) to be patient, that is, to be long patient or to suffer with long patience. The Apostle begins by giving them a Word Picture 🖼 as an example of what patient endurance will yield for them and for us when our Great God and King 👑 Jesus Christ shall appear, as it is written with these words, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." (James 5:7) (KJV). Patience is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as it is written, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering/patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) (NKJV). This heavenly/divine patience cannot be worked up by any of us by our flesh, but it is only truly manifested in us when we are yielding to God the Holy Spirit in obedience and faithfulness. Just like every good farmer knows that when he plants his or her 🌱 seeds, that there is no quick or instant harvest that can be expected, but a long germination, that is, the process whereby seeds or spores sprout and begin to grow. Likewise, those early Jewish believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (and we believers to day and of every era and generation) must exercise long patience as we travel the highway to our heavenly home wrought with many obstacles, objection, and obstinacy from the people of this world still blinded by the lies of the devil 😈, as it is written, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) (NKJV) and also these words, "But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age (the devil 😈) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) (NKJV), for because of them still being blinded by the devil 👿 they will do us violence and kill many of us by drugging our food and water and kill us with guns and knives and con us and swindle us and mock us and vandalize the things we are steward over and lie to us and try to manipulate us and on and on because of their blind hatred for our Lord Jesus Christ whom we belong to by repentance and faith. Here is what Vincent's Word Study had to say of James 5:7, "It is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion, especially the passion of anger. In the New Testament the word and its cognates are sometimes rendered by patient or patience, which conceals the distinction from ὑπομονή, uniformly rendered patience, and signifying persistent endurance, whether in action or suffering. As Trench observes, 'ὑπομονή is perseverantia and patientia both in one.' Thus Bishop Ellicott: 'The brave patience with which the Christian contends against the various hindrances, persecutions, and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the inward and outward world.' Ὑπομονή. contains an element of manliness."<br /><br />Next, the Apostle James gives those Jewish believers back then a word of knowledge, as it is written with these words, "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (James 5:8) (KJV) that was most definitely given to him by God the Holy Spirit, as it is written, "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit," (1 Corinthians 12:8) (NKJV) and that word of knowledge was that God was coming soon to destroy Jerusalem and so did it happen around 70 A.D. by Titus the Emperor of Rome; son of Vespasian (39-81). As it pertains to all of us true believers today and of every era and generation our Lord Jesus will come at each of our deaths and He will come at the Rapture of all true believers prior to the great tribulation, so in any case we must 'stablish' our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 and this English word is translated by the Greek word stērizō meaning to set fast, that is, (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm: - fix, establish, stedfastly set, strengthen. In other words, we must see our earthly pilgrimage and sojourn as us travelling in a land (the earth 🌎) that has land mines all around us and yet we must be fixed and stedfast and resolute and 💪 strengthened by the power of God to continue to travel no matter the many landmines of potentially being murdered, for our death is only a ushering of us into the awaiting and loving arms of our Great Savior Jesus Christ, as it is written, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." (Titus 2:11-14) (NKJV) and we should remember who our Brother Stephen saw as he was being murdered by the very same type of people alive today who want to do the same thing to everyone of us who belong to the same Lord Jesus as Brother Stephen, "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep/died." (Acts 7:54-60)(NKJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 5:8, "Be you also patient. Establish your hearts - let your faith be firm, without wavering, your practice of what is good constant and continued, without tiring, and your resolutions for God and heaven fixed, in spite of all sufferings or temptations. The prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous have in all ages been a very great trial to the faith of the people of God. David tells us that his feet were almost gone, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, Psalms 73:2-3. Some of those Christians to whom St. James wrote might probably be in the same tottering condition; and therefore they are called upon to establish their hearts; faith and patience will establish the heart." Here also is what Dr. John Gill had to say of James 5:8, "As well as the husbandman, and like him; and wait for the rains and dews of divine grace to fall, and make fruitful, and for the ripe fruit of eternal life; and in the mean while cheerfully and patiently bear all injuries, and oppressions: stablish your hearts; though the state of the saints is stable, they being fixed in the everlasting love of God, in the covenant of grace, in the hands of Christ, and on the rock of ages; yet their hearts are very unstable, and so are their frames, and the exercise of grace in them, and need establishing, which God's work; which is often done by the means of the word and ordinances; and these the saints should make use of, for the establishing of their hearts: the sense may be, take heart, be of good cheer, do not be dismayed, or faint, or sink under your pressures, but be of good courage, pluck up your spirits, lift up your heads: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh; when he will render tribulation to them that trouble them, free them from all their sorrows and afflictions, and enter them into the joy of their Lord; which will be either at death, which was not very far off, or at the last day, which was drawing nearer and nearer, and which with God was near; with whom a thousand years are as one day."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917797456164522666.post-89667491665559423882023-08-15T07:52:00.001-07:002023-08-15T07:52:38.856-07:00James Expounds on Faith Volume 51<p>Warning to the Rich Part 4<br /><br />James 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version<br /><br />The Apostle James now concludes his discourse of the unsaved rich men 🚹 and women 🚺 who have used others for their gain of filthy lucre with the most reaching and revealing and riotous of all the evil 😈 perpetrated against humanity and that would be the taking of other human life that was given by God (putting themselves in the place of God), as it is written here, "Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." (James 5:6) (KJV). When the Apostle James here writes of the 'just', this English word is translated by the Greek word dikaios meaning (as used here) to be innocent or righteous as made so by the cleansing power of the Blood the Lamb our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The other Apostle James was murdered by King Herod, as it is written here, "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the Church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword." (Acts 12:1-2) (NKJV). Herod murdered one of the 'Sons of Thunder' as our Lord Jesus Christ referred to the two (2) brothers James and John (Matthew 3:17). The rich like Herod controlled everything in those days, so it was natural that they (egged on, energized, and empowered by satan) would remove from the world 🗺 those whose lives were contrary to theirs by killing them. Let us remember Brother Stephen who was brutally stoned to death because he was bold enough to tell the unsaved Jews the truth, as it is written, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:51-60) (NKJV). Note: "When we the adopted sons and daughters of our Lord Jesus Christ seek to walk or live closely to Him in obedience, we can expect the people of this world 🗺 to despise us and want us removed from their presence, i.e. kill us, however we must constantly remind ourselves of these words the Apostle Paul in his second (2) letter wrote to Brother Timothy, 'But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.' (2 Timothy 3:10-15) (NKJV)." <br /><br />Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of James 5:6, "Several by τον δικαιον, the just one, understand Jesus Christ, who is so called, Acts 3:14; Acts 7:52; Acts 22:14; but the structure of the sentence, and the connection in which it stands, seem to require that we should consider this as applying to the just or righteous in general, who were persecuted and murdered by those oppressive rich men; and their death was the consequence of their dragging them before the judgment seats, James 2:6, where, having no influence, and none to plead their cause, they were unjustly condemned and executed. These poor righteous people had none to plead their cause; and if they had it would have been useless, as their oppressors had all power and all influence, and those who sat on these judgment seats were lost to all sense of justice and right. Some think that he doth not resist you should be referred to God; as if He had said, God permits you to go on in this way at present, but He will shortly awake to judgment, and destroy you as enemies of truth and righteousness." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 5:6, "This may either refer to the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ - meaning that their conduct towards His people had been similar to the treatment of the Saviour, and was in fact a condemnation and crucifixion of Him afresh; or, that by their rejection of Him in order to live in sin, they in fact condemned Him and His religion; or, that they had condemned and killed the just man - meaning that they had persecuted those who were Christians; or, that by their harsh treatment of others in withholding what was due to them, they had deprived them of the means of subsistence, and had, as it were, killed the righteous. Probably the true meaning is, that it was one of their characteristics that they had been guilty of wrong towards good men. Whether it refers, however, to any particular act of violence, or to such a course as would wear out their lives by a system of oppression, injustice, and fraud, cannot now be determined. Some have supposed that this refers to God, meaning that He did not oppose them; that is, that He bore with them patiently while they did it. Others suppose that it should be read a question - 'and doth He not resist you?' meaning that God would oppose them, and punish them for their acts of oppression and wrong. But probably the true reference is to the 'just man' whom they condemned and killed; meaning that they were so powerful that all attempts to resist them would be vain, and that the injured and oppressed could do nothing but submit patiently to their acts of injustice and violence. The sense may be either that they could not oppose them - the rich men being so powerful, and they who were oppressed so feeble; or that they bore their wrongs with meekness, and did not attempt it."<br /><br />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...<br /><br /><br />Sincerely in Christ,<br /><br /><br />Clifford D. Tate, Sr.<br /><br /><br />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…<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> </p>Clifford D. Tate Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18243038607277959433noreply@blogger.com0