Posts filed under ‘salvation’
Marvelous in Our Eyes
Jesus quotes this passage in Mark 12, in his parable about the wicked tenants. In effect, this statement – the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes – is a fascinating statement. I’ve read it. You’ve read it. Pastors have preached about it. Books have been written regarding it. But even though we get a sense of what that means, it isn’t really driven home to us until something in our life matches it. Then our eyes begin to open to that awesome reality. Let me give you a personal example.
Giving Wokeness the Boot!
In my opinion, all of this clearly indicates to me that we are living in the last days. The proliferation of biblical error is growing, replacing the truth of God’s Word with a social gospel that literally only has the capacity to divide people by race, gender and ideology. If a Christian does not study and know God’s Word, they have zero chances of seeing the error.
Worthless Things?
I’ve come to the conclusion that by thinking about or discussing the evil nature of many of those events and gatherings, we actually end up giving glory to Satan, who created those things. While God created sexual union between a man and a woman, Satan has sought to distort that union as much as possible. Because of that, everything is on display today. Because it’s so openly seen and discussed, people become a bit enamored with it (because of its prurient nature), even when speaking against those things. They simply don’t need to be listed, discussed or thought about.
Zechariah’s Fifth Vision
Though Zechariah saw the visions he did not understand their full meaning. Zechariah asks, “What are these, my lord?” (v. 4; also 12-13). The two Olive trees represent Joshua and Zerubbabel, who are the prototype of the two witnesses of Rev. 11:3-12 and it is also important to understand that only as human beings, Joshua or Zerubbabel represent Jesus – the true Priest-King – that a person is able to fulfill this vision at all. Ultimately, in their fullest sense, the “two olive trees” represents Christ, the Lord’s Priest-King (cf. Ps. 110:4).
Continue Reading October 21, 2024 at 11:03 AM Leave a comment
It’s Not About Us
We need to learn to focus on the fact that there is still beauty in this world along with at least some measure of righteousness (from those who know Him and God exercising His restraint). This is solely due to God. This does not mean we will never be on the receiving end of direct evil. It simply means that because of God’s restraining hand, the evil that is allowed to touch us is for our growth and His glory and it will never be fully unadulterated evil that will only exist in hell.
Zechariah’s Fourth Vision
The filthiness of Joshua’s rags reference Israel’s stain of her national sin. Joshua stands in for Israel the way Jesus stands in for us now. Interestingly enough, God removed Joshua’s guilt and Satan is silenced. He has no rebuttal because he clearly understands that God fully pardons Joshua the way He will fully pardon Israel’s sin in the future as God pardons the sins of the unbeliever who comes to God in faith in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary’s cross. Satan cannot dispute this.
Devising Iniquity
God will answer the prayers of His children in the way He sees fit; in the way that best fulfills His will. I’m not a prophet and I’ve never claimed to be. But simply basing things on God’s Word and the examples of how He has done things in the past, helps me understand that this appears to be His chosen method of directing human history to accomplish His will without it being obvious.
Sin’s Ongoing Destructive Curse by
One day, this will all be over and we will see Him as He is with our totally renewed mind, glorified body and absolutely no propensity to even think about sinning, much less make a way for sin. While we are here though, we need to realize that we are always only a few steps away from falling away from God due to our sin. While we will not lose our salvation when we sin, we lose other things (fellowship with God and eternal rewards). While God will always extend His forgiveness to the believer, blotting out new sin, He is under no obligation and never promises to blot out the circumstances our sin creates.
Quick Update
I honestly have to marvel at God’s timing. It is what makes God’s will truly His own. When we read the Scriptures and come across verses and sections that highlight near future events and far future events, we can get caught up into thinking that things aren’t turning out the way God wants them to turn out. This, of course, is nonsense. Since God is outside of our time and can come into it and leave it without being affected by it, everything to God is happening right now. This is one reason the cross is always before Him. He sees everything in the past, the present and the future all at once. So to Him, things are truly just around the corner. For us, things take time to work out.
