Study: 1 Corinthians 15:46 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Peace,

I am led to do this study on the only reading I received this morning. It was 2 Thessalonians 2. I pray the Holy Spirit reveals truth to you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Let's look at 1 Corinthians 15:46 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The above verse will be very important to remember as we go through this study. Let's move on. 

In another study I was led to do Jesus was speaking to the Jews about the physical temple. Here in John we see Jesus is speaking of His physical body.  John 2:18-21¹⁸ Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?¹⁹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.²⁰ Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?²¹ But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives and He said to them, Mark 13:1,2

13 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

At this time we see Jesus was speaking about a literal Temple. This temple was a beautiful physical temple with lovely stones and magnificent buildings. This physical temple took 

forty six years to build. 

Let's continue.. We also know that we too are the temple of the living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2019 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

So we see in the verses above that Jesus spoke of His body as being a temple. We later see that we too are a temple of the Holy Ghost. Amen?!!?

What does this mean? Individual followers of Jesus are also the living temple. 

Moving on to my reading this morning. 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Remembering this verse:1 Corinthians 15:46 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first temple Jesus spoke of would be destroyed. This was a physical temple. The second temple would be Jesus' spiritual body. Amen?!!?

Let's go to Matthew 24: 33 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

Jesus was asked about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming and the end of the world (Jewish age). Matthew 24: 15,1615 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

This was during the disciples time. When they saw what Jesus had warned them about they were to flee to the mountains of Judea. 

Let's look at 1 peter 2:5 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

We being symbolic stones are built into a “spiritual house” - a spiritual temple made of spiritual stones!  God’s people are the spiritual stones that form the spiritual temple. Amen??!

Jesus called Simon a "stone." John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Again we read about the "stones" Luke 19:4040 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.  

God has His " spiritual stones" that make up the spiritual temple. Amen?!?!

I will add more as led. 

In Jesus name with love,

Cassie

(7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

1 Corinthians 6:1-3

(1) Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? (2) Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (3) Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

  Matthew 5:7

(7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
King James Version   Change Bible versions

In a broad sense, Paul is teaching that we are to learn to deal with situations as God would, and our training ground is here in this life and in the church. We are undergoing extensive hands-on training for the profession of judge, which, as Paul implies, will be among our duties as children of God in His Kingdom. This is no minor matter!

Earlier in my conversion, I clearly left out one of the most important elements needed for making right judgments.Jesus points out which one in His Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Had I shown more mercy in those situations, their outcomes would have been far different—and definitely better.

Generally, the merciful are those people who are affected by the suffering of others. They are affected in a manner that causes them, not only to offer encouragement to one who is experiencing a rough spot in his life, but also to work to lessen his suffering.

The New Unger's Bible Dictionary defines mercy as "a form of love determined by the state or condition of its objects. Their state is one of suffering and need, while they may be unworthy or ill-deserving. Mercy is at once the disposition of love respecting such, and the kindly ministry of love for their relief."

A secular dictionary, The Reader's Digest Encyclopedic Dictionary, concurs: Mercy is the "kind, compassionate treatment of an offender, adversary, prisoner in one's power; compassion where severity is expected, or deserved." Among its synonyms are "leniency," "compassion," "forgiveness," "pity," "kindness," "tolerance," "charity," "benevolence," "clemency," and "forbearance."

The primary idea behind mercy is rendering a kindness when harshness or condemnation is expected or even deserved. A merciful person looks beyond the present state of affairs to the potential good that may result from his compassionate handling of the matter. He is willing to forgo the other's punishment, his "just deserts," or his own desire for revenge in an attempt to produce good fruit from a bad situation.

The nature of God is to be merciful to those He calls. We know that He calls the weak, foolish, and base (I Corinthians 1:26-28), those who are undesirable in society's eyes and guilty of sin in His eyes. He extends great mercy to them, redeeming them from the death penalty and setting them on the path toward eternal life in the Kingdom of God. In doing so, He sets us an example to follow!

— John O. Reid

It's What The LORD Has Done For Me

Warning

Peace,

I will make this brief. In one of my postings I stated that I was to tell all to read the United States Constitution. I was not sure why this was at the time. As the situation in Syria sounds like bible prophecy "wars" and "rumors of wars" we know that if the President of the United States of America acts on his own with out any congressional support than we may be seeing a change coming to this country that many are not or could not be prepared for. 

With that being said. I am also led at this time to tell you what I heard the still small voice speak forth. " Cassie, my daughter, you are to warn the people. Tell them, DO NOT FEAR MAN, PUT YOUR TRUST IN ME, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER. ALL THINGS ARE IN MY HANDS." 

There you have it. We are to trust only in our Father. Please seek the Holy Spirit and you will receive truth.

In Jesus name with love,
Cassie

(31) And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

  2 Kings 4:27-31

(27) And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. (28) Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? (29) Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. (30) And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. (31) And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
King James Version   Change Bible versions

As she clutches Elisha's feet, a posture of abject humility, grief, and supplication, Gehazi attempts to push her away from the prophet. Elisha sternly rebukes him for not noticing her distress and accommodating her in her sorrow (verse 27). The servant is not perceptive enough to see her heartfelt anguish—all he sees is another demanding supplicant to be dealt with, to be put in her rightful place before the great prophet.

Who is this Gehazi? The Bible describes him consistently and solely as Elisha's servant, shedding very little light on his background or position. In his All the Men of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer speculates that he "likely stood in the same relationship to Elisha as Elisha had done to Elijah" (p. 124). This would make him the prophet's probable successor as well as his assistant. If this is so, it makes him, as the type of a false minister, that much more significant and sinister.

Scripture records very little that is good about Gehazi. He heeds Elisha's commands well enough, but the sense of his basic unbelief and impure motives that hovers between the lines is real. He appears in three scenes, and only in one of them does he do anything of even moderate merit (II Kings 8:1-6). The second scene in II Kings 5:20-27 exposes his greed for money and the power it brings, and God through Elisha curses him and his descendants with leprosy, a hideous form of excommunication.

The third scene appears here in II Kings 4, bringing out his inconsiderate attitude and spiritual impotence. It shows him living intimately with the righteous example of Elisha but never instilling it into his own character. He is a servant who never learns how to care for those he serves. He is a man with great potential for growth in God's way and service who instead seeks material wealth and position in society. In the end he receives the "reward" of a false minister.

Gehazi's spiritual inadequacy comes out when Elisha sends him ahead to try to heal the dead child (verses 29-31). The text does not mention him praying for the child's healing, and even using the prophet's staff does him no good. The terse narrative suggests that, once Gehazi sees no change in the boy's condition, he says, "Oh, well!" and reports his unsuccessful attempt to Elisha and the grieving mother. "Try, try again" is not in his spiritual vocabulary (see Luke 18:1-8)!

This should give us some general clues about false ministers, tares among the wheat in God's service. Many are avaricious; they see "serving" God's people as a means to a profitable end. Many are inconsiderate; their "ministry" is more about them and their desires than the true needs of the flock. Many are spiritually weak, "having a form of godliness but denying its power" (II Timothy 3:5); they merely go through the motions of godly works. The apostles Peter and Jude expound on other elements of false ministers in their books (II Peter 2; Jude 5-19).

— Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Heaven's Embrace

"THROUGH MY FATHERS EYES"

Story I Am Led To Share

Peace,

I have been led to share this story with you for sometime now. Today I was reminded again to share the story after I listened to the song. "Through My Father's Eyes." I have it posted above.  May the Holy Spirit guide you in all truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

It was about eight years ago when I was asked to go on a retreat for women by my church. This was before I was called out of the church by our heavenly Father. 

The retreat was called Cursillo.  Cursillos in Christianity is a movement within the church that, through a method of its own tries to, and through God's grace manages to; enable the essential realities of the Christian to come to life in the uniqueness, originality, and creativity of each person.  In becoming aware of their potential and while accepting their limitations they exercise their freedom by their conviction, strengthen their will with their decision, to propitiate friendship in virtue of their constancy in both their personal and community life. 

While at the retreat we learned a song called De Colores. The lyrics below.
  In colors, in colorsThe fields are dressed in the spring.
     In colors, in colors
Are the little birds that come from outside.
     In colors, in colors
Is the rainbow that we see shining.

     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors
     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

     In colors, in colors
Brilliant and delicate is dressed the dawn.
     In colors, in colors
Are the thousand gleams the sun treasures.
     In colors, in colors
Is dressed the diamond we see shining.

     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.
     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

The rooster sings, the rooster sings
With a cock-a-doodle, cock-a-doodle-doo.
     The hen, the hen
With a cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck.
     The chicks, the chicks
With a cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.

     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.
     And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

     Joyous, joyous
Let us live in grace since we can.
     Let us quench, let us quench
The burning thirst of the King who does not die.
     Joyous, joyous
Let us bring to Christ a soul and thousand more.

     Spreading the light that illuminates
The divine grace from the great ideal.
     Spreading the light that illuminates
The divine grace from the great ideal.

The retreat involved different personal building tools that allowed each individual to express themselves. The women came from all walks of life. We were given time to be silent and to pray. We were given time to fellowship and open up to others about our lives. We worked in individual groups  on projects that would allow each woman to add their unique gift to the task at hand. We received letters and cards daily from people in our lives who would give us words of encouragement or an expression of their love and support.

On the second day the individual groups would be led into the chapel and stand around the altar. We were handed a cross with Jesus on it. When the cross was passed to you then you would pray and ask God to help you and to forgive you. This task was hard for me as I knew Jesus was no longer on the cross. Before I went to  Cursillo the Holy Spirit had been working in me for sometime, many things I was taught in the Roman Catholic church were not adding up for me. Anyway, I took the cross and expressed my deepest sadness. This is when everything changed for me. I saw things differently and I will explain this as I go on.

There were leaders who would give their testimonies and confessions if you will. I remember two men in particular, one was a priest who had a difficult childhood and seemed very sad to me. The other gentleman was one who reminded me of the character "the scarecrow" in the movie The Wizard Of Oz. Now I do not watch this movie. However, I watched it before I was saved. This man was loving and caring and reached out to all of us. I remember him most. 

Fast forward... The last night arrived and guest came to the retreat and some of the husbands who had done Cursillo for men. Before the ceremony began a woman asked to speak to me. She was going through some trying times and her burdens were heavy. I listened and then spoke to her words that did not come from me. She said, "I feel I was looking at you but I saw God's eyes."  I hugged her and we went to take our seats.

As the ceremony began not one of us knew what we would be asked to do or what the ceremony would be about. As the first woman's name was called she was told to come to the front of the room and speak of what the retreat meant to her. 

My name was called and I started off by thanking all the leaders and volunteers. Then I looked out at all the women in front of me. I started to weep. I couldn't speak for a few seconds because of what I was seeing. I took a deep breath and said. Your not going to believe me when I tell you this but I am going to say it anyways. YOU ALL LOOK ALIKE!! I started to cry. I told them again. NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU ALL LOOK ALIKE!  I didn't understand what that woman meant when she said she felt as if she was seeing God's eyes when she spoke to me. Then I saw all of the women in front of me and they ALL looked the same. 

I will let you pray on this and seek the Holy Spirit for truth. I do not want to tell you what this means. I pray you are given answers. 

In Jesus name with love,
Cassie

Study: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

Peace,

Please meditate on the verses below. May the Holy Spirit guide you in all truth. In Jesus name. Amen. Paul speaks of death being abolished. Paul also speaks of our Savior who has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

Let's look at 1 Corinthians 15 Paul says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  Let's go onto verse 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign. till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that must be destroyed is death.

Let's see what Paul says in 2 Timothy 10 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2 Timothy 1 8,9

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Jesus said in John 11:26 "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" 

In Jesus name with love,

Cassie

THE STARFISH

THE  STARFISH  POEM

Once upon a time there was a wise man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking

on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along

the shore.

As he looked down the beach,

he saw a human

figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think

of someone who would

dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster

to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw

that it was a young man

and the young man wasn't dancing,

but instead he was reaching

down to the shore,

picking up something

and very gently throwing it

into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused,

looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked,

why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.

And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that

there are miles and miles of beach

and starfish all along it.

You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.

Then bent down, picked up another starfish

and threw it into the sea,

past the breaking waves and said-

"It made a difference for that one."

The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

Psalm 99

King James Version (KJV)

99 The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

2 The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
4 The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
8 Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.

(12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

 Hebrews 1:10-12

(10) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
King James Version   Change Bible versions

To us, the physical seems so solid, indestructible, and permanent, at least in terms of our own brief existence. But Hebrews tells us to get our attention off the immediate, the "around and about," the physical. We are to reorient our lives, our thinking, our focus, toward the eternality of Christ's dominion.

A profound reality of God and His Word is that they are changeless. "You remain," Hebrews 1:11 says, but we grow old and die. The eternal values never change, and even more exciting, they can be taken through the grave.

What is important in our lives? The immediate gratifications offered by this world? The things we possess? The accomplishments we achieve? If so, we will not likely see God very frequently. Or, we can ask, what in our lives demands our time, effort, and thought? An objective answer to this may reveal what we really worship.

We cannot identify with or worship anything transient. Something must "remain" or "continue" (ASV), as verses 10-12 tell us. Something eternal must abide; something unchanging must continue. To this we can cling, and within it, we can live our life by faith.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

Young Preacher On Salvation

Take Up Your Cross

"My Cross Is Too Heavy To Bear"

Peace,

    I am led to do this study on carrying our cross. May the Holy Spirit guide you in truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

Let's look at Matthew 26: 38, 39 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Jesus was telling the disciples that were with Him that His soul was filled with much sorrow, even unto death. Jesus then asked the disciples to tarry and watch with Him.

We must do the same. In Psalm 23 it does not say we STAY in the valley of the shadow of death but "we walk through it" not alone, Jesus is with us. 

Jesus says in John 18:11 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Below is a story I read many years ago but it has encouraged me to look at my trials differently. There is always a bigger cross than mine. 

 A young man at the end of his rope groaned in distress as he prayed, “Lord, I can’t go on. My cross is too heavy to bear.” 

“My son,” the Lord replied with compassion, “if you can’t bear its weight, come with me to the cross room. There you may exchange your cross for any other cross you choose.”

Filled with relief, the young man sighed, “Thank you, Lord.” Briskly entering the cross room, he mindlessly discarded his own cross and searched for one he’d rather carry.

He saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren’t even visible. After winding in and out of the rows of crosses, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. “I’d like that one, Lord,” he whispered.

And the Lord replied, “My son, that is the cross you brought in.”


Folks, when we get overwhelmed with our lives and we want to turn in our cross for another. 

It may be best if we do as Jesus said, "tarry here with me, and watch."


In Jesus name with love,
Cassie

Street Preaching

Broad Is The Way

Thank You Brother....

A Date with Jesus

I have a date each week with Jesus,
He has set the time for me,
When I remember the sacrifice,
He made on Calvary’s tree.

I recall that day in an upper room,
When He blessed the fruit of the vine,
And said, “This is my blood which is shed for you,
I died for sins of thine.”

He is not dead! He lives! He lives!
Above the clouds of mist,
Yet once a week He meets with me,
A lover’s holy tryst.

My sin is ever before me, 
I cry “O cleanse me with Thy blood.”
And so He says, “Keep thou the feast,
There touch the crimson flood.”

And so I want to tell you sir,
“While I am mentally and physically able,
I aim to keep my date with Him,
At His Communion Table.”


This poem in its original form was written by an anonymous author. I have made several changes to every passage of prose to personalize it, while keeping its intended significance intact.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51

King James Version (KJV)

51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Study:Too long I neglected the Saviour.

Peace,

   I pray the words below bring you to your knees. How often I say, Jesus, I have failed you again, I am sorry. How often does a thought come into my mind or words leave my mouth when I again say, I am sorry Jesus. There are times when I feel such sorrow for what I have said or thought that the pain wells up inside of me and I just cry out Father, forgive me in the name of Jesus. Please neglect Jesus no longer. Repent of your sins.
                                        Too long I neglected the Saviour. 

   Too long as I held to my sin.
   Too long I excused my rejecting,
   And now I am lost without Him.
   It is late, Oh, so late! Yet He knocks at the door,
   And Jesus, sweet Saviour, is calling once more.
 (“Too Long I Neglected” by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980).

The other night I heard the still small voice say. "Psalm 19" I then opened the bible right up to the page. I love when this happens. Such confirmation. Amen?!?!

So when reading Psalm 19 I came across a verse that spoke to my heart. It is verse 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD , my strength, and my redeemer. 

As I was praying this evening I was led to do a study on a few verses in Mark 12. I will start where I was led. Verse 28 28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? So we see a scribe who had been listening to Jesus speak and believing all of what Jesus spoke asked Him a question. "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus replied, "29 The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Jesus first tells the scribe, "The Lord our God is one Lord." There is NO other God. Jesus goes on to tell the scribe that he should love the Lord thy God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. 

Jesus continues, "31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Jesus tells the scribe he is to love all people as he loves himself. Jesus tells the scribe, "there is none other commandment greater than these."

Let's go on.. "32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The scribe who was once in darkness and was tempting Jesus was then given understanding by Jesus to know the truth. The scribe now seeing the light tells Jesus (Master) the two greatest commandments , "is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 

The scribe answered Jesus in a thoughtful way. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Jesus' reply, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." 

We need to be not far from the kingdom of God but ready to enter. When we are with sin we are not ready. We must repent. We mustn't say tomorrow or I am not ready today. Folks, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. 

There are many who don't even realize they have sinned. They are so separated from God that they say, "I am not a sinner" or "I am a good person, I'm going to heaven" or "Jesus loves me that's all that matters" and the list of deceit goes on and on. The father of lies has the lost believing anything their little hearts desire. 

The bible says, "“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” 

In Jesus name with love,

Cassie

   

(22) Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Romans 11:22

(22) Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
King James Version   Change Bible versions

Paul admonishes us to consider both God's goodness and severity. Both of these characteristics are part of what He is, and therefore we must respect both.

We can make the contrast between them very sharp: Until Adam and Eve sinned, they received all goodness from God. After their sin, it appears that His severity hit them immediately; they were ushered out of the Garden.

In Genesis 4, Cain sinned by killing Abel. At first, Cain received goodness from God in that he was permitted to live, but he also received severity in that he had to live as a marked vagabond.

In these two early examples, both sides of God's judgment appear, and a pattern has become especially clear: Severity results because of sin.

Whether we are immediately aware of it is not the issue. For instance, when Adam and Eve sinned, their decline into death began immediately, regardless of whether they were physically aware of any deterioration of their health. Cain immediately became a vagabond separated from his family roots. The only real difference between the carrying out of the death penalty between Adam and Eve and Nadab and Abihu is the effect God desired to create by His immediate, shocking display of severity.

We who draw near to God must know that the God we serve is to be served as a holy God—especially because He is a holy God. He permitted no opportunity for them to repentbecause they should have known better. The wages of sin is always death.

In the days of Noah, the goodness of God spared only eight souls, but His severity terrifyingly destroyed the remainder of humanity. In a matter of a few days, perhaps billions of people, even innocent unborn and newborn babies, died because of sin.

Following King Saul's paranoia-driven reign, God showed His goodness to Israel by raising up David, a man after His own heart, to rule over Israel. Yet, then David committed a disastrous double sin by entering into adultery with Bathsheba and deliberately bringing about the death of the loyal Uriah. God mercifully forgave the sins, but that does not mean there was no painful punishment laid on David and his family. God's severity against David and his family was hard and long. First, the son born of that illicit union died shortly after its birth. Later, David's firstborn son, Amnon, raped his own half-sister, Tamar. Tamar's brother, Absalom, seeking revenge, killed Amnon and fled from David, not seeing him for two years.

Then Absalom revolted against David in his desire to take over the throne. Absalom arrogantly proceeded to defile David's concubines in the sight of all Israel. Several thousand were killed in this revolt, and eventually, Absalom himself was killed by Joab. The family's pain did not stop even then, washing over into Solomon's reign when he put Adonijah to death because he sought political power by asking for Abishag's hand in marriage.

David was a man of blood, as God Himself mentions, but his children carried a moral cancer until death stopped them. Have we ever noticed how much deceit and illicit sex was involved in David's family's sins? God was not present in that family's life as He had once been. He could have stepped in at any time and stopped the holocaust ripping through David's family, but He did not. Living as they did, despite being the progeny of a man God greatly loved, they felt the severity of His judgments.

Deeply consider how long God's severity lasted! He did not simply let David off the hook. He had been chosen to draw near to God. Much was required of him.

— John W. Ritenbaugh