By the Holy Spirit James warns (James 3:8), “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Even if one thinks they have their tongue pretty well under control there are subtleties most of us are unaware of. 

When looking at verses 3 and 4 I see two aspects of guarding our mouths.

I. Outwardly 3

Given our basic helplessness as mentioned in James 3:8 we may not always realize certain things we are saying might be wrong, so it is best we implore YHWH God to set a watch at our mouth. This needs to be done for not only what comes out of our mouth, but for what we might easily pick up as we do our business in this present world. I am reminded of Isaiah’s lament in Isaiah 6:5, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, YHWH of hosts.”

Aside from the cursing, foul language, sexual innuendo and more, there are those “little things” that eventually cause us to sound like the world in some cases. Here are a few examples: saying “good luck,” referring to any woman as Ms., calling a married woman “Miss,” saying ex-husband or ex-wife, using the terms “church staff,” “church business meeting,” “church board,” etc. You might disagree with that but I will agree with you if there is any Biblical use of those terms and, when I say Biblical use, I refer to the Holy Bible as it is in its original tongues.

While the principle revealed by Christ is foundational in that what comes out of person from their heart defiles that person, as shown by Isaiah 6:5 and other Scriptures, our thoughts can be infected by simply being part of society. So we need Christ to not only keep our own filth from coming out but also to keep the unclean sayings of the world from making inroads into our hearts. One way to do that is by making Christ our standard. What would He say? What would He not say?

The word “keep” is from the Hebrew {1} natsar (naw-tsar) which here can mean  . . .

1a) (Qal) 1a1) to watch, guard, keep 
1a2) to preserve, guard from dangers 
1a3) to keep, observe, guard with fidelity 
1a4) to guard, keep secret 
1a5) to be kept close, be blockaded 

Here are some more things Christ will guard us from flowing out of our mouths or entering our ears to prompt us to speak the same:

 1. unclean language
 2. coarse joking
 3. persistent re-hashing, complaining, whining, etc.
 4. anything Jesus would not say
 5. anything not directed by the Holy Spirit
 6. improper negative thoughts about self
 7. improper pride about self

For help on the last two, please listen to the message (currently in video form), “Balance Your Brain.”

II. Inwardly 4

Looking at verse 4 we will see a progression from just past temptation to deep involvement whereby we no longer just speak some things that the world speaks, but we heartedly participate in them.

“Incline not my heart to any evil thing,…”

Looking at the whole of Scripture this does not mean God causes one to do evil, but that as we get closer to the world the principles are set forth that we will become infected by the world. This is the result of disobeying Scriptures like James 4:8.

“…to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity:…”

Whether it comes from the heart or floats into our ears, if we permit the sayings of the world to become our thoughts then we will begin behaving like the world. It was the mercy of God through Peter in that Simon was rebuked in Acts 8:18-20. Simon thought he could buy the authority to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“…and let me not eat of their dainties.”

Meditate for a moment on the definition for the Hebrew word “lacham” for “eat” used in this clause:

1) to fight, do battle, make war 
1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle 
1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war 
2) (Qal) to eat, use as food 

There were eleven other possible Hebrew words that could have been used, especially the main one that denotes our daily act of eating food. However, the Holy Spirit chose “lacham” which in Qal, as you can see, primarily means acts of fighting, battle and war.

The point of that is that if we are not careful we will not simply just speak like the world or just “blend in,” we will reckon the commands and principles of the Holy Bible as inferior to the world’s, loving and depending upon the ways of the world more than the directives of our merciful loving God Who desires us to be spared from the ravages of sin.

A sad, common example of this today is how many churches act like the world and cater to societal whims. sNot too long ago we saw one church did not have Sunday services on Resurrection Day (a far better term than “Easter”) so their congregation and be with their families. This is a far cry from the life of Christ Who considered those that did the will of God to be His real family (Luke 8:21).

We need to gather together for fellowship and uphold one another in the Lord, especially in these end times. Sad it was for the Apostle Paul when, as Paul was facing sure execution, that Demas forsook him having loved the world much more and traveled to Thessalonica (2 Timothy 4:10). 

Getting back to our times, it is extremely sad that there are some who name the Name of Christ but are in favor of things like {2} h-om-ose-xu-al m-arr-iage and ab-ort-ion. They have succumbed to the waves of the world and the sinful force of their own flesh. Thus, they join in the condemnation pronounced by Christ (Matthew 12:34), “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Enough now of the sad stuff! The Good News, the Great News is that the victorious Christ can be our standard. He Who conquered sin can within us cause us to be more than conquerers! Christ has the authority and power to do it.

Think and say what Christ would. This can be done by making a full surrender to God through Him, making Christ King in your life. That means He is in charge of your thoughts and actions.

Notes:

{1} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program.

{2} These words are purposely broken apart to avoid unwanted advertisements.

This article was in the form of a sermon (message) outline with comments. God willing by May 28, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M251 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

I. Constancy 18a “Praying always . . .”

Prayer is communicating, fellowshipping with God and should be continual like our breathing. No, you do not have to be on your knees all the time. Besides, some cannot be on their knees. But we should be continually communing with Him.

Prayer should be balanced in that there is no vain repetition (Matthew 6:7). However, that does not mean we are expected to “pray once and that is it” as some in the positive confession realm might have us to believe. After all, even Christ had to pray more than once (Mark 8:25).

II. Content 18b “…with all prayer and supplication…”

The opening wording of this verse, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication,” in that “praying” and “all prayer” occur together followed by “supplication” speaks to the fact that praying is not just asking.

If we look at men like Moses and Daniel we will see that they had conversations with God. Prayer may comprise many things including but not limited to worship, praise, confession of sins, and just telling God how we feel. 

The thought of “all prayer” would include praying privately and publicly, and all needs.

“Supplication,” asking, occurs AFTER the term “all prayer,” indicating that general fellowship with God through Christ should be the bulk of our communication with God. Its “subject matter” can range from everyday things to crying out to God audibly or silently in the event of an emergency.

We need to erase from our mind, though, that God is a Santa or a genie. He is holy. His eternal purposes for us far outweigh our personal temporal goals.

III. Conduction 18c “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,…”

We are exhorted to fellowship and ask as directed by the Holy Spirit. This does not mean if we see a need we should wait to hear from God as to whether or not we should pray for it. It does mean that we listen to Him and pray the way He desires us to pray. This will always be according to His written Word. Back in the 1980s someone asked me to pray that a man would break up with his wife so she could start dating him! I refused and proceeded to tell this woman how wrong that request was.

IV. Consciousness 18d “…and watching thereunto…”

As already mentioned, we should be listening to what God says to us by His Holy Spirit. For help along this line, please read How To Know The Voice Of God.

If you are truly saved, you might recall Christ knocking on the door of your heart before you surrendered to Him. Essentially it is the same once you are redeemed, being able to spiritually sense His direction.

There are other aspects in regard to watching, such as visions. Images and / or sounds might be impressed on your mind and sometimes you will also be able to sense what it is about. But if you do not understand what you are seeing and / or hearing, then simply ask God to take care of whatever it may be. In a case like this I pray something like, “I don’t understand what I am seeing, but Father whatever it is I ask you in the Name of Christ to meet that need whatever it may be.”

We also should be watching for special opportunities for prayer. Let the Holy Spirit reveal the needs of others to you. Consider praying for persecuted Christians and their persecutors.

Watching also carries the connotation of a watchman on a wall, charged with the duty of warning of impending danger. We must be aware of things that might be a hindrance to prayer, tools of the devil, that would distract and / or discourage us. By the Holy Spirit Paul led up to this point of prayer by beginning with the following three sentences (6:10-13): “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

V. Completeness 18e “with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Notice that “all” occurs three times in this final portion. This speaks, to a degree, of the value and importance of prayer.

When I think of persevering in prayer I must think of those cases where the problem drags on for years or one is impressed with the sense that “it is no use – do not even pray.”

Time and again I have told my hearers numerous incidents such as a missionary who had no converts for twenty years and about a woman whose husband left her but it also took twenty years to pray him back. It is situations like those whereby our character and state of mind is shaped into that of Christ’s.

In cases where we feel it is no use to pray most likely demonic forces are doing what they can to discourage us from praying. As a minister I have been there a number of times but discovered that each time this happened, as prayer was presented through Christ to the Father, the situation being prayed about dramatically changed for the better.

The list is just about endless in regard to all supplication, for currently there are over 7 billion people, over 200 nations with some type of persecution of Christians in almost all of them, and constant changes throughout. I could go on with many more sentences, but it can be summed up with the previous point that our prayers need to be Holy Spirited directed. 

Concerning “all the saints,” this means to be praying for each true believer in Christ. Again, be Holy Spirit directed. Only God knows how many true disciples there are and our needs are varied. This, too, is an almost endless list. Even what some consider as top-notch Christians need prayer, and certainly be praying for any disciple in the limelight. Satan would just love to see them fall.

And, do not forget yourself, keeping in mind the most important aspect of you is your spirit. We must, through the help of the Holy Spirit, nurture the seed of Christ implanted within us. While it is good at times to think of others first, your personal walk with God must take priority.

If you have a chance, please read my first article on Relijournal about prayer, Prayers That God Hears.

Notes:

God willing by May 22, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M250 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

The verses above are another example that no one can match or supercede Christ. Let us look specifically at verse 17 where we will discover three reasons, among many, as why Jesus Christ is the all sufficient Lord for everyone no matter where you have been born or what religion you have been raised in.

I. Jesus The Pure 17a

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,…”

Christ was afire with the agape love of the Father Who desired to provide our redemption from sin and the curse thereof. Romans 5:8 records, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ always existed. Philippians 2:5-11 explains the the term “made.” It bears repeating: When we see the life of Christ on earth we are viewing our salvation under construction. For our salvation Christ willingly chose not to operate from His deity but as the “last man,” or, as the Christmas hymn terms it, “second Adam from above.” Just like we must do (Romans 8:14), He went by the direction of the Holy Spirit.

As such, Christ was thorough in all submissive obedience to the Father in all His actions. Additionally, His attitude in all of this pleased the Father. So we are complete in these ways before God if Christ truly dwells within us.

His dwelling within any of us was made possible because He willingly identified Himself with us and experienced every type of temptation.

II. Jesus The Loving 17b

“…that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,…”

First, when I speak of love in relation to God it is always with the following truth: God’s love is a holy love. It is without sin and conforms to the demands of His holiness. God presents two types of love to mankind, viz., agape love which stems from His will even though the object of that love, each of us, is unworthy. The other is phileo, which is discussed along with agape in my article, The Double Love Of God.

Considering the love of God which is holy, when the Holy Scriptures refer to Christ as merciful and is understanding, it does not mean He tolerates sin. He Who said “Neither do I condemn thee” also said “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Unlike many priests and ministers today, Christ was faithful in His ministry for the Father and to mankind. He faithfully obeyed the written Word and that spoken to Him by the Holy Spirit.

III. Jesus The Effectual 17c

“…to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Christ and only Christ paid the price required for the removal of our sin, guilt, and shame. No other “religious” figure offers this nor is there any religion so effective. His redemptive work made it possible for God and sinful man to come together in fellowship. Such restoration is available to all, no matter how bad you think you are.

Because He has made reconciliation for us, through Christ we can win victories over temptation, disappointments, and whatever else earthly life can throw at us. If we remain in Him He will bring us to final victory.

Notes:

God willing by May 10, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M249 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

I think that is probably one reason why they were so underappreciated, in my opinion. I think it’s because most people only heard the studio recordings. Sure they were nice sound quality but they just didn’t capture the rawness of their live performances. If the only thing you’ve heard from them was the studio recordings, you just have to pick up Some Enchanted Evening. If you have any taste in music, you won’t regret it.

The album was recorded at a few different locations in the United States and England. One of the locations was Atlant’as Fox theater, the same place Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One more From the Road album was recorded. It was released in September 1978 and has all of the original band members. As most people realize, a band’s best work is usually from the period in which it had its original members. When a band first starts out, there is a certain chemistry that enables them to become successful. Then after personnel changes, their popularity usually wanes. It’s the classic Rock classic story. It’s happened to many a good band.

The Album kicks off with “R.U. Ready 2 Rock” from the Spectres album, which was the last studio album released prior to this album. The first thing you hear is a fade-in of the band warming up and then the introduction: “Atlanta Georgia! Are you ready to rock and roll? Well Please welcome, from New York City, Blue …  Oyster … Cult!” Then the jamming begins. I love it!

They follow that song up with a song from the Agents of Fortune album called E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence). That was the first album B.O.C. Had that went gold. It also featured their first hit “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” As with the first song, and the others to follow on the album, they do an extended version. In fact, the album only has seven songs on the original release, due to the fact that they were extended so much. They have since done a re-issue with a number of bonus tracks though.

The third track is one of my favorites on the album, called “Astronomy.” Metallica (B.O.C fans themselves) had actually done a cover of the song. I personally prefer this live version over the original studio version and any other live recording of it. It was originally from their 3rd studio album Secret Treaties, which was one of the albums covered in the band’s first live album, On Your Feet or On Your Knees but didn’t make it on to that album even though it was a 2 record set. Go figure. It made it onto this live album, though, and was one of the highlights.

Side two on this album starts out with a cover of Mc5’s “Kick Out the Jams.” this is where they really let it rip. I love the lead guitar work by Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser on this one. Oh, and the drumming provided by Albert Bouchard on this song is quite impressive as well.

Then we get into the live version of “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” This song was the band’s first hit song, which hit the U.S. Charts in 1976, put the band on the rock and roll map and also helped the Agents of Fortune album to become their first gold record. They don’t perform it in the original key of A Minor on this album though. They do it in B Minor instead, so it has a bit of a different sound to it. Not to mention the fact that it is a bit extended as well. Overall, a very nice version. They have since done a couple of live versions of the song, one in the original key of A Minor, but I kind of like this live version best.

Then there is “Godzilla”, originally from the Spectres album. This is probably one of their 3 most famous songs. The other two being “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and “Burnin’ for You”, from the Fire of Unknown Origin album. By the way, the Fire of Unknown Origin album was the last studio album to fully feature the original lineup. It was after that, that they had begun to decline in popularity. So that was probably them at their peak of popularity. It was also around the time where they had done the Black and Blue tour with Black Sabbath.

I would have to say, though, that the Some Enchanted Evening album probably captured the band’s peak of live performance under the original lineup. Some other fans prefer either the On Your Feet or On Your Knees or Extraterrestrial Live albums instead but that’s okay, I still like those albums as well.

The album finishes with a cover of the Animal’s “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and is a nice version of the song. It kind of fits nicely as the final song for what I consider their best album. This is the album that made me a fan of the band. If you have never givien it a listen, you should do so. You can get it dirt cheap on Amazon now too. There is also a special edition of it with some great bonus tracks too. They were actually recorded at the same time the other tracks were recorded but were cut out of the final release when they decided to go with just a single LP album instead of a two record set like the other two live albums I mentioned above. Anyway, give it a listen and see for yourself why I think this is their best album. You might agree.

Abram (Abraham) did not have the advantage that we have whereby we know that Christ came to redeem us from the curse and grip of sin. We are further blessed in that holy men like the apostles John, Peter and Paul were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the epistles (letters) we now have. Take for example what the Holy Spirit said through Paul in Ephesians 2:4-10, …

“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Verse 10 seems very comforting to me and it will be the verse I feel led of God to concentrate upon for this message. From this verse we shall see that there are three reasons why we can have a power walk with God. We will start with the last part of the verse and work our way to the beginning of it.

I. The Prepared Path 10c

“…which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.” (ASV)

This walk in good works is powered by God through the life of Christ within and directed by His Holy Spirit.

While the KJV uses the term “hath before ordained,” the Greek word is actually better translated as “afore prepared.” This is the agape love of God that was a definite act of will. He purposed in His heart and mind that those who would trust Him through and in Christ would have a life changing, life-bringing walk before Him.

This love of God was not just for the Jews, but for anyone of any ethnic background or level in life that would fully trust in Him. It is a love designed to protect us from spiritual harm as we remain in Him.

The term “walk” speaks to the fact that life in Christ is not stationary, but definitely progressive.

II. The Life Provided  10b “created in Christ Jesus for good works”

As mentioned above, this walk with God is empowered by Christ, who is true life and the most pure life, which means the Holy Spirit will be directing us to live a holy life. Within Christ there is also abundant life (John 10:10).

The good works also include a life of ministry. Every true disciple is a priest before God. And, if Christ dwells within, we will be doing His works which means helping others with their spiritual and daily life needs.

Permit me to briefly elaborate on the word “needs.” I mean true needs, not wants. Nor do I mean giving someone help who is squandering what resources they have, especially by participating in sin. True Christians should not subsidize the participation in sin. 

In all, these good works are not only external activities, but also that which is internal where one keeps themselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27).

III. The Results Produced 10a “For we are His workmanship”

As the previous verses, especially verses 8 and 9, what true godliness we attain to is definitely not from ourselves, but from the work of the Father through Christ. We are not a product of self-improvement but the Father’s craftsmanship through Christ, the best thing there ever can be for improving any human.

Since each true disciple is the Father’s workmanship, and that work being Christ, that means we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).

Additionally, because the godliness produced within a true Christian comes from Christ, this brings glory to the Father–not to us, which is always the safe stance to take. Also, the life of Christ within is pleasing to the Father. Provided we walk according to that life, empowered by Christ and directed by the Holy Spirit, we, too, are pleasing to Him.

Notes:

God willing by May 10, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M248 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

The series of parables in Matthew 13 speak about the Kingdom of Heaven with the chief character of each representing most times, if not every time, Christ. This is true of the discovered treasure (v.44) and the purchase of the pearl of great price (vv. 45 -46).

While Christ is the buyer of the field and of the pricey pearl, once we consider committing ourselves to Him, or we have committed to Him, the converse is also true. This fact is clearly borne out in passages like Luke 14:25-33.

For this message I would like to focus upon the purchase of the pearl of great price. In verses 45-46 there are four activities we should be doing because Christ is worth every bit of our lives.

I. He Is Worth Seeking 45 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:…”

Often times before one surrenders to Christ they do some searching, as I did. Though I had developed a hatred for God and religion, especially Christianity, there came a point where I took the suggestion of a Gospel tract and made a distinction in my mind between God and religion.

Armed with the wonderful human wisdom all teenagers have I started a review of religions. Some I looked into were Islam, Taoism, and Buddhism. I eventually chose a line of thought called pantheism.

I feel that most people when they are searching look for that which is to their thinking good, pure, without flaw, and the best. The image of God within us directs us to seek that which is truly of God, but until God moves upon us by His Holy Spirit we will select anything but the Way that He made.

For those that are surrendered to Christ, we are encouraged to keep seeking more of God within Christ. An example of this is found in the whole of Colossians 3. We are truly satisfied in Christ, but we certainly want more of Him.

II. He Is Worth Seeing His Glory 46a

“…Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, …”

Laying aside the abundant trash on the Internet and anything else one might hear from society about Christ, if one simply picks up the Holy Bible and respectfully reads about Christ they, if they are honest, will see nothing else compares to Him.

Name another religion where God personally rescues mankind from sin by lovingly taking our flesh, lives the life we are supposed to live, then permits our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) to be imputed to Him, and takes the due punishment for it. You cannot.

Did Buddha, Muhammad, Mithras, etc. live for you then died for your sin? Only Christ did. Additionally, once one truly receives Him they are remarkably change for the better. They cease from stealing, maiming, raping, killing and more.

Look at the glory of Christ. None were sinless, but Christ was and is. Only He is the actual Way, Road to God. Only He is absolute truth. Everything else is tainted, even Christian fellowships and denominations. He is also real life, The Life.

Being all God and all man, Christ is the perfect redeemer and judge. This was the main point of Billy Graham’s radio message on January 25, 1970 that pierced through my darkness. No other belief makes better sense than that. But just accepting that point did not redeem me. I had to surrender to that truth.

No other belief or religion has such redemptive love. Christ, indeed, is unique and no other religious figure can even come near Him.

III. He Is Worth Selling All For 46b

“…went and sold all that he had,…”

Biblically and logically, you cannot have both Christ and sin. Spiritually instinctively upon conversion the sinner that truly comes to Christ very well knows his sin has got to stop. I used the adverb “truly” because there are shamefully multitudes of fellowships, churches, and denominations that think it is not all that bad to keep sinning while naming the Name of Christ. Even before I came to Christ there was a cult called “The Children Of God” who thought it was OK to win people to Christ by having se-x {1} with them! Also, just look what “marriage ceremonies” some ministers / priests perform.

No, sin has to go. That which is harmful, unnecessary, and burdensome must go. And even that which is not sin must take a low priority to Christ and His desires. Read well what Christ says in Luke 14:25-33:

“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?
32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassador and desires conditions of peace.
33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

As you can see, Christ must come before any of our relatives and friends. I have heard of wives beaten and mistreated for following Christ. Once we had a Jewish convert visit our church who told us, with tears, his family had written him off. Read well what Paul says by the Holy Spirit in Philippians 3:4-14.

IV. He Is Worth Securing Continuously 46c

“…and bought it.”

There is that initial decision to follow Christ, but it is also a daily decision too. All one has to do is read the reports at persecution.org. There are some very heavy prices listed there for following Christ. Yet, me must not forget the nickel and dime fines the devil does to true believers each day. We will be, in the least, looked down upon for not listening to a filthy joke, not participating in a lie, not goofing off on the time clock like others, and more. Some in North America have already paid heavier prices like losing their jobs, being victimized by vandalism, being falsely accused and more. True Christians have died for their faith even in ”the great” United States.

A true Christian will ”pay the price” for His continual fellowship and for following His commands privately and publicly.

Now, permit me to return briefly to the foundational intent of this short parable. Instead of the true disciple or the unsaved seeker, the merchant represents Christ. The pearl of great price is the Kingdom of Heaven which is comprised of true disciples. Basically, pearls are formed when an irritant or parasite is lodged within certain shellfish. As a natural reaction to the minute invader, the shellfish secretes nacre around the intruder and over the course of time develops a pearl. Please look for Guard Your Pearls for more devotional insight regarding this natural occurrence and its companion message, God’s Mother Of Pearl.

With that in mind, consider that it is written in Acts 14:22d, “…that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Each disciple that by God’s grace comprises the Kingdom of Heaven goes through various sorts of troubles and as a result of those troubles by God’s grace develop the character of Christ.

Now, on that thought, when we look at this parable the other way, in that Christ to us is that pearl of great price, we recall His sorrows and troubles He went through so that we might be redeemed by Him.

While I could remind us of the rewards of Eternal Life (Revelation 21 and 22) for reasons as to why following Christ is worth it, knowing what He has lovingly done for us, Christ Himself be would the sufficient reward.

One closing thought. I you or I begin to think we are paying a high price for following Christ, like we think is too hard to give up, we need to remind ourselves we will never pay a price to live for Him as much as the price He paid to take our sin and bear the punishment thereof.

Notes:

{1} Purposely broken apart to avoid unwanted ads.

God willing by May 1, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M247 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

I. The Defect Je. 2:13e-f

“…and hewed out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”–Webster

For this message we will consider the cistern as our soul, the place where our emotions reside. While we are created with a soul, we decide its strength. It becomes stronger when we train it to like the things God likes and hate the things He hates. It becomes weaker if we do not. It also becomes weaker when we like / love something more than we love God.

One of our instructors in Bible institute told us that one time, though he sincerely loved God, he had a fine personal library that he really loved. Now, there is nothing wrong with having a personal library so one might be proficient in the work of God but, apparently he felt he loved his library too much. A fire broke out in his home and completely destroyed his library. After some soul searching he realized he had harbored a disproportionate amount of love for his books, repented, and went on for some time without that library. However, as his love for God grew, God eventually blessed him with another library, larger and better than the first.

Note in Jeremiah 2:13e-f the cisterns were hewn out by the hewers for themselves. This would mean they conditioned their souls not by God’s Spirit nor His desires, but by their own. As a result, their lives reflected the basal, even the corrupt, things of the world and not the uprightness of God’s image. As an example, note Psalm 106:19-20: “They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.”

Thus, their soul could not retain the Water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Even though there were times they were refreshed, the spiritual blessing was short lived since they could not retain that blessing.

II. The Depths Ps 130:1a

“Out of the depths have I cried…”

If we continue reading in this psalm we will see that the human author was concerned about sin. I think many, if not all, mature disciples of Christ have had their bouts with sin where they just continued in it for a season. Though continued sin has many consequences, the biggest consequence should be our broken fellowship with God.

Considering the usage of the word, “depths,” I am reminded that often in the Word of God the sea represents society, the world system. Dabbling in the things of the world diminishes our love for God and weakens our soul, our cistern, that is to hold the living water of the Word.

III. The Dependency 1b-4

 ”…have I cried unto thee, O YHWH. 2  Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3  If thou, YHWH, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”

The psalmist turns not to man, to friends, to counselors, but only to God. He realizes that though God knows all things, He will hear, listen to, only certain prayers.

The thought of turning to YHWH reminds me that we now have Him as our High Priest (Hebrews 10:8): “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law.”

Verses 3 and 4 show the attitude that we all should take — basing all our pleas for forgiveness and for help with our struggles against sin upon God’s abundant mercy. However, I again emphasize one must not be flippant about this, thinking, “I will go ahead and sin because will forgive me anyway.”

IV. The Determination 5

“I wait for YHWH, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

The Hebrew word for wait {1} here is קוה qavah (kaw-vaw’) meaning to 

1b) (Piel) 1b1) to wait or look eagerly for 
1b2) to lie in wait for 
1b3) to wait for, linger for 

While we should wholeheartedly endeavor to grow in Christ, we need to be patient with the ways of the Lord where we learn by being training. Essentially, we are to be patient with ourselves.

The other side of this is that we are to make a wholehearted endeavor to grow in Christ. We are to cause our soul to delight, love, and embrace the things of God and reject those things that He would reject. If we love Him, we will do it.

When I was courting my wife, while visiting her and her family we were being served dinner, which consisted of a garden salad. On the table was some reddish salad dressing. I proceeded to add the dressing to my salad and, after taking a bite or two I declared I did not like the dressing.

“I made that dressing,” said my wife-to-be.

“I will learn to like it,” was my quick reply! Out of love for her, I decided I would get used to the taste, and, in fact, just a few short years later I had no trouble dousing a salad with it. How much more should we tune our likes and dislikes with that of God’s?

Soul, like the psalmist, our soul should wait, desire, that which God would have us to desire. As we do so, the principles of His Word are activated and our soul is modified to match His feelings, His desires.

V. The Desire 6

“My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”

The crux of the matter is increasing our love for God. We must love God so much we must be willing to change our likes and dislikes to match His. Oftentimes we may not want to do that, but if we really love God, we must do so. It may mean losing relatives and friends and gaining enemies. 

We must love God. In 1 Corinthians 13:7 we read, “Love bears all things.” The word “bear” is the Greek word stego (stay-go) which means

1) deck, thatch, to cover 
1a) to protect or keep by covering, to preserve 
2) to cover over with silence 
2a) to keep secret 
2b) to hide, conceal 
2b1) of the errors and faults of others 
3) by covering to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, hold out against, and so endure, bear, forbear

I remember our Greek instructor telling us that the Greeks would cover, stego, their boats inside and outside with pitch. Thus, our love, our agape love for God needs to stego our soul so we do not have a broken cistern, but one protected in such a way that the ways of the world do not enter us and the residual problems we have with our sin nature do not break through and thus defile us (Galatians 6:14).

VI. The Directive 7-8

“Let Israel hope in YHWH: for with YHWH there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8  And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Obvious is the fact God’s people are to hope in Him, but such hope would include trusting in Him and depending upon His mercies. It is clear in His Word that redemption has been provided through Christ. With that redemption comes forgiveness of sins and the ability to live pleasing to God.

We must not focus upon our failures but upon what His Word says. If we keep going to Him for cleansing, keep feasting on His Word, endeavoring to be led by His Holy Spirit, then both His written and spoken Word will conform us to His image, conforming our souls like unto His, moulding our soul to match His desires and preferences.

The thought of “plenteous redemption” brings to mind Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

And, it is so wonderful to know that God will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. The fulfillment of that will occur after the Great Tribulation, The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.

That redemption is offered to all today and it certainly does mean all iniquities. No matter what you have done, no matter how bad it was, God is willing to forgive you, but you must surrender to Christ, repenting of your sin.

In preparing this message and article, it “just happened” the Associated Press released a news article on the observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the sinking of the U.S. submarine Thresher of the coast of Cape Cod. In brief, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, what most likely happened sea water sprayed onto an electrical panel, shorting it out and causing an emergency shutdown of the nuclear reactor. There would then be an attempt to close valves to reduce the flooding, activate the ballast system (most likely frozen) and restart the sub’s reactor. Whatever was done, there was not enough time. The sub sunk below its test depth and was crushed to bits by the water pressure. The crew had heard an alert for a “minor problem.” Apparently it was not minor.

Neither is sin, any sin. Do not let it weaken your cistern (soul) which is to hold the Water of Life.

Notes:

{1} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program (link for other locations besides North America).

God willing by May 1, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M246 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

Before we look further into their surrounding verses, we can also note that the term “children” occurs in reference to the “blessed / happy” in v.32 but then the term “man” is connected with it in verse 34. This sounds to me that the passage we are about to consider is to spur us on into maturity in our walk with God.

We will see three things in Proverbs 8:32-36 in regard to getting the blessings of God’s wisdom.

I. Requirements For The Blessings 32-33

 “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.”

Before we are to get any of God’s blessings in regard to God’s wisdom we need to hearken / listen to that wisdom. Christ fully expressed this wisdom and so today all that are truly in Christ have an understanding that leads to the development of godly fruit in their lives. To truly hearken to God we must follow His written Word, spoken (by the Holy Spirit) Word, and His incarnate Word (Christ) within us.

The Hebrew word shama‘ (shaw-mah’) is translated as hearken / listen (NKJV) and in verse 32 is rendered “hear” in verse 33 and “hears” in verse 34, thus occurring three times in the passage under consideration. That would tell me it is extremely important to hear from God.

In our passage, shama‘ can mean the following {1}: 

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 
1a2) to hear of or concerning 
1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 
1a5) to understand (language) 
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 
1a7) to listen, give heed 
1a7a) to consent, agree 
1a7b) to grant request 
1a8) to listen to, yield to 
1a9) to obey, be obedient 

We should be willing to be obedient children to God, listening to Him and keeping, observing, His ways. His ways always supercede that of the world’s and even that of our own families.

We are to pay attention to the instruction we hear from God to the extent where we apply it to every moment of our lives. Like a good parent trains their child, God desires to train His true children. In obeying His instruction we become truly wise, with wisdom that brings Eternal Life.

We are cautioned not to refuse (disdain in NKJV) God’s instruction. The Hebrew word for refuse / disdain here means  . . .

2a1) to let go, let loose 
2a2) to let alone, avoid, neglect 
2a3) to loosen 

II. The Resolve To Get The Blessings 34

“Blessed is the man that hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.”

As we can readily see, “hears,” “watching,” and “waiting” speak of continual action on our part.

With the second occurrence of “blessed” comes the third appearance of shama‘ (hears). Hearing from God, as defined above, is a foundational requisite to obtaining the blessings of God. Daily, and every moment of the day, we should be hearing from God directed by the Holy Spirit through His Son within us.

The Hebrew word for watching means “to keep watch of, be wakeful over.” Satan would just love to get us spiritually sleepy and lazy, but this passage impels us to be dedicated to following the instruction God gives.

Also notice “my gates.” That is, the gates of God’s wisdom. We are not to be watching by the gates of the world (see Proverbs 8:3).

Next, the KJV uses the term “waiting.” The word in Hebrew means . . .

1a1) to keep, have charge of 
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 
1a3) to watch for, wait for 
1a4) to watch, observe 

With that, I feel that the Holy Spirit was leading the reader to a deeper sense of watching, that we should be as a watchman determined to keep, guard, save, and protect His Life within us.

When I think of the phrase “at the posts of my doors” I must think of Revelation 3:20 where Christ depicts Himself as standing at the door of our heart, knocking, not just for initial salvation but for daily fellowship.

III. The Rewards of the Blessings 35-36

For whoso finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of YHWH. But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

What do we get for following God’s wisdom? Life! And I immediately must think of what Christ said about Himself in John 10:10, ” I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Any true disciple knows that means life here on earth and hereafter.

The favor of YHWH is also promised to those that follow what God’s wisdom decrees. Now I have to think of Psalm 63:3, “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” If you think about it, can life really be truly pleasant without God’s favor?

Verse 36 warns, “But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” Therefor, two more rewards of obeying God’s wisdom are seen.

If we obey His wisdom, we avoid damaging our soul. Our affections reside in our soul. If we begin to like, enjoy, love, etc., something other than what Christ would have pleasure in, we then open ourselves up to the marring of our soul which then draws us into the traps of sin.

Finally, by following God’s wisdom we avoid damnation. But let me be clear. When I speak of us following God’s wisdom I am speaking of having Christ dwelling within and being led by His Holy Spirit.

Notes:

{1} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program (link for other locations besides North America).

God willing by April 20, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M245 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

The resurrection of Christ, to a degree, is depicted in the last chapter. Basically the last chapter speaks of His earthly ministry, but we must remember His glorious ministry continues to this day, for He is risen!

Let us consider Malachi 4:2-3 where we will see three aspects of the risen Christ.

I. His Gift 2a

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;

This gift we are about to look into is only for those who fear God’s Name. This group is mentioned in 3:16-18 after apparently hearing the successive Spirit led rebukes by the prophet, “Then they that feared YHWH spake often one to another: and YHWH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YHWH, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith YHWH of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not.”

These people took God’s warnings to heart and it is implied they personally sought to adhere to Biblical values. They talked about them, and God heard them, recording it in His book of remembrance. Rest assured that each time His disciples of today talk positively about the things of God He most certainly hears and we will be rewarded. Remember, God is everywhere. He hears your conversation at home, school, work and wherever you might be.

Our speaking positively about the ways of God should be our natural language in our thoughts and from our mouth. This should then translate into loving obedience to God.

Thinking of the term “risen” I must think of the resurrection of Christ. Not only was it a declaration of justification but an application of the life changing power of God available to all in Christ.

Note well that healing is connected with this resurrection and given the fact Malachi by the Holy Spirit dealt with a number of spiritual ailments, spiritual healing is certainly incorporated in the thought. Along with that would come emotional and mental healing, and, of course, physical healing.

The term “wings” is defined by Strong {2} as …

  1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt 
  1a) wing 
  1b) extremity 
  1b1) skirt, corner (of garment) 

While the beginning of the fulfillment of this occurred in His earthly ministry (Matthew 9:20 & 14:36), it continues today for He, indeed, is risen!

II. Our Growth 2b

and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

In our resurrected Savior we can go forth both to grow and to conquer, no longer bound by the devil’s limitations.

III. His Grace 3

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith YHWH of hosts.

Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). As He dwells within us, we learn to sin less and obey God more. Eventually in glory, as recorded in Revelation 21 – 22, death will be swallowed up in victory. We will no longer be prone to temptation or physical ailments. This is all possible if we make Christ, YHWH of hosts, Captain in our life.

Is satan {3} destroying your life? Surrender to Christ, forsaking your sin, asking Him to forgive and cleanse you, and make Christ the King of your life.

Notes:

{1} In quotes referring to the nominal, mostly apostate, Church. However, every true believer in Christ is a member of the True Church.

{2} From an electronic version of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong incorporated in the Online Bible program (link for other locations besides North America).

{3} I avoid capitalizing that name. Triond gives me the freedom to do so.

God willing by April 20, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M244 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.

You might have read some of my prior articles whereby I described what mental and spiritual shape I was in during the first part of my senior year in high school. If not, permit me to summarize it by saying that I had made a complete failure of my life, was crushed with fear from the current events of the 1960s, had a juvenile police record, and with my hopes of being a chemist having been dashed I had no where to go upon graduation. Suicide looked like a great option during December 1969.

However, as the Holy Scriptures so often state, “but God” had been intervening. A friend suggested I listen to Billy Graham so for a number of months I had been tuning in to him on Sunday nights. It was God’s grace to cause me to think about his message on January 25, 1970 wherein he ably expressed the fact that the risen Christ, being all God and all man, was not only the perfect judge, but He was the perfect redeemer. After thinking about that and some other things Rev. Graham said, just under an hour later I surrendered my life to Christ. In that moment I sensed everything I had done wrong was wiped out and faithful trust in Him replaced my hopelessness. I looked to Him as my Shepherd and I was his sheep, no longer a wolf, an enemy of His. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This aspect of salvation reflects a Biblical truth that when one surrenders to Christ they, though naturally guilty, are justified — viewed as, proclaimed as, accounted as, and created as righteous before God. Paul addressed that point to a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia when, during his address to them, he said (Acts 13:35-41), “Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”

From this passage, I see the following three points.

I. The Source: Christ Declared Just 35-37

The Holy Scriptures make it very clear that no one, outside of Christ, was righteous and therefore totally justified. God also made that clear when He raised Christ from the dead. In his address to the synagogue, by the Holy Spirit Paul pointed out that even those whom the Jews considered “good men” still missed the mark. He mentioned in verse 22 that David was called by God Himself a man after His own heart, but even being that good did not mean David could attain to an incorruptible resurrection.

By contrast, though killed, Christ’s body saw no corruption and was raised by God. This was a declaration by God of Christ’s righteousness, that He was just. Like the rest of the life of Christ, this declaration was not needed for Christ’s sake, but for the sake of our salvation. He was the only one that was ever righteous.

II. The Saved: Made Just 38-39

Christ’s bearing of our sin and its punishment upon the cross made it possible for God to be just in forgiving those who surrender to Him through Christ. It is written, (John 1:29), “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” As we continue to surrender to Him, daily trusting Him, relying upon His Holy Spirit, we are made just by God (Romans 5:19). This occurs as Christ dwells within us and we in Him. 

III. The Sinner: The Unjust 40-41

At this point the Holy Spirit leads Paul to describe those of the lost who might reject Christ as despisers. W. E. Vine [1] describes the Greek word here translated as “despisers” as “…lit., to think down upon or against anyone…, hence signifies to think slightly of, to despise.”

As a result of their rejection of Christ they are first told to marvel, which reminds me of what Peter said by the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 4:4, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”

Sadly, though, Paul had to warn them they will perish. According to Vine [2], there were five possible words the Holy Spirit could have chosen. This Greek word is not the same one as found for John 3:16 which means in part to be destroyed.The one in Acts 13:41 simply means “to make unseen…, in the Passive Voice, is translated ‘perish’ in Acts 13:41…”

As you can see, there are many good reasons to be justified by God. God is not playing games with sin. He is not making believe our sin is gone. Christ actually took our sin. The justification is ours if we surrender to God and make Christ our King.

Notes: 

{1} Vine, W. E.: An Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words (Flemming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, NJ : 1966) Vol. 1, p301

{2} Vine, op. cit., Vine V3, p177

God willing by April 16, 2013 (hopefully much sooner), you should be able to hear the actual message (sermon) by selecting a link at http://www.sapphirestreams.com/life/audioM.html#M243 .

Unless otherwise noted all Holy Scripture is from the 1769 Authorized Version with spelling of some words updated for our time in addition to changing LORD to YHWH as it rightly should be when the text so indicates.

Not responsible for lead picture after date of publication. Not responsible for any advertisements appearing with this article nor am I necessarily in agreement with any of them. The statements of this paragraph hold true not only for this article, but for everything I have placed on the Internet.