THINK" SERIES: PART 8 - "WHATEVER IS JUST"

 THINK BIBLICALLY - #4

" Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things". (Philippians 4:8)

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Micah 6:8 and for good reason. The Bible says "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

One of the many attributes of Yahweh - YHWH - is just. Justice is almost His middle Name. His Justice is swift against rebels and evil, just as He opened up the earth to swallow up Korah and the 250 rebels and their families who had challenged Moses' and Aaron's call as God's representatives. God's fury and judgment were swift and definitive. The earth opened up and many went down to the place of the dead, still alive.

When Ananias and Sapphira lied to Jesus' Apostles about the amount of money they sold their property for, in order to puff themselves up before the just-created Body of Christ, God did not wait to deal swiftly with their deception. There is no instance in the past, where God instituted Worship, and where mortals took it upon themselves to speak for Him that God did not punish the perps.

However, this verse from Philippians 4:8 speaks more about our human conception of how to treat others justly rather than about being a Holy, Righteous Judge like our heavenly Father.

As we think Biblically and come to the realization that we are not God Who judges righteously, we need to grasp the true meaning of the original Biblical Greek word for "whatever is just" and its definition. The word is "dikaios" and means upright, just, right before God, and more. It does NOT mean we are to contemplate the mighty, and swift justice of God as if we are His executioners. Our job is to love unconditionally, to live the Truth, and to share the good news. 

The "Think on Whatever is Just" call to Biblical Thinking is personal and internal. It is not about corporate or group identity or something we wish others should do, although that is an amazing goal. It is a call for us as the original, Holy Spirit-inspired word, indicates, to fully comprehend the righteous and upright character of the Lord, and think, live, and obey  - likewise.

Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, may we, who are called by Thy Name, come to fully grasp what a Holy, righteous, and just God You are. Help us to comprehend even one-tenth of Your Character so that we may live lives that are above reproach before the world and before You, in Jesus' Strong Name. Amen.

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THE MEANING OF LIFE: PART 8 OF 12

                            A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER STUDY OF THE BOOK OF

                                         ECCLESIASTES......CHAPTER 8

                                               "RESPECT AUTHORITY"

As the book of Ecclesiastes continues, Chapter 8 throws us curve ball, which too many people have a problem processing - that is, how to respect authority. Everyone you and I know have no problems obeying the Law, from the local cop to the TSA agent at the airport. This is not what Solomon is dictating here, from the very Spirit of God Himself!

The structure of government, in essence, was set up by God to represent HIS government on earth and administer justice, compassion and direction. Now, what men from the communist dictators and others right up to the great American Founding Fathers have designed in the natural world, are their own systems. The closest system to the Freedom of the Bible which Christ has given is, is the American System - democracy and constitutional rights.

The key to understanding this chapter is not obey authority, so we can learn to obey God. The Bible does NOT say to obey orders that violate God's principles. This is a no-brainer. But the Lord does teach us to respect, pray for and walk in this Truth, which was sent to us, from Above. Therefore, please read this chapter and then watch the video teaching, if you will.

Ecclesiastes 8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Obey Rulers

8 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines [a]him and causes his stern face to [b]beam.

2 I say, “Keep the [c]command of the king because of the oath [d]before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry [e]to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no [f]trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver [g]those who practice it. 9 All this I have seen and applied my [h]mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CHAPTER 8

A FORTNIGHT OF PRAYER

DAY 4

REPROBATION ASSERTED 
 GRACE ABOUNDING

“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments  (Ezra 9:10 ESV)
And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this (Ezra 9:13 ESV)


Any dictionary definition of the word "Reprobate" or "Reprobation" first brings up a reference to God's rejection of those He has judged unworthy, due to their conduct and rejection of His Salvation. The horror of the collective American, nay, Western soul is an abomination to the Lord. From the Age of Reason in the 1700's, which gave the world a vile form of secular humanism led by Voltaire and Thomas Paine, to now, Apostasy has grown by leaps and bounds to the point where so-called Christians think they can believe both in Evolution and the Bible they never read.


As we continue our week of preparation in prayer of personal repentance, when we think the Soul of a Nation, we must view it honestly as God does. He sees our once well-mannered and manicured society as a Reprobate Nation. He has rejected our cries and pleas, in the recent past, because we - our leaders in the Church, Cities, Business and the Nation's capitol from the highest to the lowest - do not have His main interest at heart!


It is as simple as that. When a nation chooses or is led to reject the Word of God from the home, because of post World War II prosperity...and then the schools....and then the Culture....and then the political assemblies....we have indeed, as Ezra said about in verse 10 "forsaken Your Commandments"!

So why doesn't God just punish us completely and wipe us out just like He did to Jerusalem when He sent Nebuchannezzar to utterly destroy the city and its religious operation.....why doesn't God just take out all of America in one fell swoop. He could if He wanted. God is a Sovereign God.  Why did He allow the terrorists attacks to kill so many innocent people, yet stop them before more damage could be done?  Look at the list of broken commandments which we, as a reprobate nation, have committed against Holy God:
*Adultery and Divorce in the Church is now higher than the secular society outside the four walls.
*We have allowed over 54 millions babies to be disposed of through Abortion.
*The most popular preachers on TV and across the globe and their media promote the Gospel of Mammon over the Maker.
*Reverence for God has hit an all time low everywhere, as the Holy Spirit is first ignored, and then misapplied and mistaught as strange doctrines now produce all kinds of charlatans. These people call themselves prophets and other big titles, but have no clue or calling from God.....and on and one....

So WHY does GOD ALLOW ALL OF THIS? The answer is Grace!  God can take all in society and churches who have rejected Him and destroy them in damnation forever - NOW. But He has so stated that He finds no pleasure rather than none will be lost. So the Gospel of Christ's Free Gift will continue to be preached that as many who wish, will accept, believe,repent and convert to the Kingdom of Heaven (under the Power of the Holy Spirit Who calls us).  Good people suffer while see evil abounding....the answer again is Grace!

John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim's Progress, said in his lesser known but decisive book "Reprobation Asserted" the following about that in Chapter 11:
1.That there is present grace and present mercy, eternal grace and eternal mercy.
2. That the elect (Christians) are under eternal mercy, and that when under present justice (persecution and tribulation); and that the reprobate is under eternal justice, and that when under present mercy.
3. Thus you see again that the non-elect (those who reject God and are therefore rejected by Him) perish by reason of sin, notwithstanding present mercy, because of eternal justice; and that the elect are preserved from the death (though they sin and are obnoxious to the strokes of present justice) by reason of eternal mercy. 
What shall we say, then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid; "He hath mercy on whom He will have mercy, and compassion on whom He will have compassion."



Therefore, let's not think about those who flourish by cultural and human decline they cause....but let us all keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)


Father God, in Jesus Name, because of Your Mighty Love for us, Lord, You have left us here, while there is still time, so that many will hear, believe and turn to You. Lord we have sinned so much - over and over and over - we have fallen short in our walk with You as Christians. We have fallen short in our love for the Lost. We have become one hour Christians each week, while living as we please, the rest of the week....and Father, the way we are living is not pleasing to You at all!


We have broken EVERY single one of Your commands, statutes and laws as a people. You told us the sky is blue but we made it black so we can sin with impunity under cover of darkness. We sat silently while abortions took the lives of millions of babies. We sat in movie theaters and laughed  at the filth put out by Hollywood. We listen to music by old rockers who sold their souls to the devil and call them "Oldies but goodies". 


We think it is okay if people engage in unnatural physical relations and equate it with the relationship YOU created for a man and a woman only...as long as they don't do it around us....well Lord, they are doing it around us, and as the last days of Rome, now the government and the legal system are promoting it. Father, we sat by as school systems corrupted and twisted the minds of our children, brainwashed them against You and made it seem as if perverted lifestyles should be the norm and not the Biblical nuclear family. We forgot to remind them that the Lord Jesus warned specifically that if anyone causes one of Your children to stumble, it would be better if they were thrown into the ocean with a millstone around their necks. 


Lord, we deserve nothing. We deserve the back of Your hands, We are reprobates and You are perfectly correct to dispatch us to the pit of hell right now! Yet in Your Mercy and Compassion, You have seen our sad estate and left the door open. In Your Grace, You have given us one more chance. Help us NOT to blow it as a people, as Your servants and as believers. But give us the strength, desire and boldness to make one more try, that many will see You as You really are and believe, trust and obey because there is NO other way than Jesus - the Way the Truth and the Life. Thank You for my Father, for it is in Your Son's Name I pray, amen.

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THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 13

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD

DAY 13


GOD IS JUST


Non-christians are the ones who fling the word "Justice" around more than any of us. However their notion of  Justice is a misappropriation of the word to their own selfish personal or political desires. Unless they are actually saved before they die, the majority of the world will face a Justice of which they have no clue!


The world uses Justice from the Bible to mean an unbiblical use of "social justice" which is code for socialism or  a state run redistribution of wealth. Whereas God's Justice is something completely different.

God's Justice is and will continue to be the downflow of His Holiness. You cannot comprehend God Who is Just without knowing about the God Who is Holy.


God is Holy, Holy, Holy. There is no imperfection to be found in Him. His standards are so high that no man can attain to or reach it. We who are saved have to grow in His Grace, through the process of sanctification because He has called us OUT of this world to be set apart for His Kingdom. This calling and 'setting apart' is the Clarion Call to walking in Holiness.


Scripture says "be ye Holy as I am Holy"....set apart, consecrated...and without Holiness, no one will see God.


The saved therefore are set apart from the Judgment of God against the rest of the world, which will occur before the Great White Throne. They will be judged according to their deeds and told why they will spend eternity away from God before condemned, because God is Just.


He is Just because He is jealous to protect His Holy Name. He has given men and women free will and we have broken everyone of His Laws. We have ill-treated and oppressed His people through out time, in various forms and more.

We all know Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. But we should read the next several verses to get the Flavor of what that all means. Here it is ":...and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus"
(Romans 3:24-26 ESV)


Pray with me right now as we both read  and worship Him through this Bible Passage:


Father in the Name of Jesus I come humbly to You and thank You for Your wonderful Grace, compassion and mercy to me and all the saints whom You have called out of this dying world, since creation and the fall.


When we deserved punishment, You gave Grace
When we deserved destruction, You sent Salvation
When we deserved Your Wrath, You gave us Your Mercy
When we deserved Your Judgment, You opened Your Heavenly Home!


Lord our puny minds cannot grasp the full measure of Your love for man, Your creation. 


Even when You banished us from the Garden of Eden, You sacrificed an animal to cover up Adam and keep him comfortable. 
Even after You flooded the earth, You gave Your rainbow as a covenant promise to never do that again and then You gave us a fresh start! 
Even when Your chosen Israel worshipped pagan gods fully and turned their backs on You, You sent Your prophets and messengers to not just warn them of coming doom, but to show them that if they repented and turn from their wicked ways, Your mighty arms of Love would be opened Lord!
Even when You saw people walking in darkness and they saw a great light for three years with Jesus' ministry and STILL persecuted and killed Him, You held Your only Begotten Son up as the Peace offering between You and them and us! 

Father, time after time, You keep giving us time! You have not forgotten our sins. You have not compromised Your Holiness. You have not  all of a sudden said that You did not mean half or any of the Words, commands and demands in the Scripture. You did none of that!


You are giving us more time because You want that none will perish and die and that each of us would have a chance to be saved and come to a saving knowledge of the Truth. You desire that none die because of  our arrogance, pride and self-delusion. The self deception is that we, mortal men, can talk and out perform good deeds thinking this is good enough to get us into Heaven when YOU ARE CLEAR THAT IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF CHRIST JESUS THE MESSIAH AND ITS CLEANSING THAT YOU WOULD ACCEPT US! Why can't get that through our thick skulls Abba Father!


God if we asked for and got Your Justice we would not stand in the terrible Day of the Lord! You gave us the way we should live in Micah 6:8 and I thank You for Your clear directions in my life, Heavenly Father. In Micah 6:8 You said
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)
Therefore I resolve this day to do Justice favorable to You.
I resolve to love and minister in kindness, according to Your Grace to me.
I resolve humble myself and throw myself daily to the Foot of the Cross and walk humbly and under the Authority and Lordship of my Savior - Jesus Christ and it is in His Name I commit and affirm all these things, amen and amen.

TOMORROW: GOD IS JEHOVAH RAPHA!

(image courtesy google images)

HOW DO I THINK ON THESE THINGS?

PART 4.....MODUS OPERANDI.....
The Formula, (A)

Since Sunday, we have been examining, not just how to have a positive attitude and frame of mind about life or things in general, but the foundational mechanisms. We showed how we must have a fix foundation to build off from, and that cornerstone is the Word of God.

The foundation has to be the Bible or the Word of God. From the Foundational Truths of the Bible, we derive the final step - the Formula! 

The dictionary meaning of the word "FORMULA" is "a set form of words, as for stating or declaring something definitely or authoritatively, for indicating procedure to be followed, or for prescribed use on some ceremonial occasion". (Dictionary.com)

SO LET'S GET TO IT RIGHT NOW - THE FORMULA (Section A)

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We have been looking at the Word of God, to 'think on these things', with methodical precision. There are several meanings for being reasonable and methodical. God is a God of reason....He said so "Come let us reason together...." He said so in Isaiah 1:18

Therefore, here are following brief items - all attributes we must develop, if we wish to have the MINDSET or the worldview of a son or daughter of the Living Christ. I will break down Philippians 4:8 phrase by phrase, with a brief explanation:

Whatever is True -  Read the Book of 1 John and know what the Truth is. The Truth is the Gospel. The Truth is Jesus - He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Anything else is a counterfeit....and to be rejected.

Whatever is Honorable - Honor is in short supply today. Daily in the news, we read of some public official who has fallen due to moral failure or law-breaking. But it is not just that. Honor can be something as simple as returning a valuable item you found, or giving the change back when the cashier gives you too much back at the store etc. While the big things matter, God looks at the little things to see how well you did them!

Whatever is Just - Love justice, my friends.  Believe in it. God sent prophets against Israel or this or that evil King in the Old Testament because they were unjust to the poor, widows and orphans. But not just them. Today we see the evil and the crooked apparently getting away with everything short of murder, while the honest God-fearing person is struggling. 

Let not your heart be troubled. Their day is coming. Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, declares the Lord. He will not let sin or corruption slide. Therefore, YOU, as much as it depends on YOU - do your part!

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW!.....

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