Saul’s Final Rejection – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon
Source: Saul’s Final Rejection – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 TIMOTHY 2:15
When reading the Scriptures the sensitive person is sure to feel the marked difference between the world as the Bible reveals it and the world as conceived by religious people today. And the contrast is not in our favor!
The world as the men and women of the Bible saw it was a personal world, warm, intimate, populated. Their world contained first of all the God who had created it, who still dwelt in it as in a sanctuary and who might be discovered walking among the trees of the garden if the human heart were but pure enough to feel and human eyes clear enough to see. There were also present many beings sent of God to be ministers to them who were the heirs of salvation. They also recognized the presence of sinister forces which it was their duty to oppose and which they might conquer by an appeal to God in prayer. Jacob saw a ladder set up on the earth with God standing above it and the angels ascending and descending upon it. Abraham and Balaam and Manoah and how many others met the angels of God and conversed with them. Moses saw God in the bush; Isaiah saw Him high and lifted up and heard the antiphonal chant filling the temple.
Christians today think of the world in wholly different terms—a world cold and impersonal and completely without inhabitants except for man. The blind eyes of modern Christians cannot see the invisible but that does not destroy the reality of the spiritual creation. If we will believe we may even now enjoy the presence of God and the ministry of His heavenly messengers.1
1 Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 356). Moody Publishers.
The worst of sluggards only ask for a little slumber; they would be indignant if they were accused of thorough idleness. A little folding of the hands to sleep is all they crave, and they have a crowd of reasons to show that this indulgence is a very proper one. Yet by these littles the day ebbs out, and the time for labour is all gone, and the field is grown over with thorns. It is by little procrastinations that men ruin their souls. They have no intention to delay for years—a few months will bring the more convenient season—to-morrow if you will, they will attend to serious things; but the present hour is so occupied and altogether so unsuitable, that they beg to be excused. Like sands from an hour-glass, time passes, life is wasted by driblets, and seasons of grace lost by little slumbers. Oh, to be wise, to catch the flying hour, to use the moments on the wing! May the Lord teach us this sacred wisdom, for otherwise a poverty of the worst sort awaits us, eternal poverty which shall want even a drop of water, and beg for it in vain. Like a traveller steadily pursuing his journey, poverty overtakes the slothful, and ruin overthrows the undecided: each hour brings the dreaded pursuer nearer; he pauses not by the way, for he is on his master’s business and must not tarry. As an armed man enters with authority and power, so shall want come to the idle, and death to the impenitent, and there will be no escape. O that men were wise be-times, and would seek diligently unto the Lord Jesus, or ere the solemn day shall dawn when it will be too late to plough and to sow, too late to repent and believe. In harvest, it is vain to lament that the seed time was neglected. As yet, faith and holy decision are timely. May we obtain them this night.1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
2 Corinthians 11:1–9; 23–30
WOULD to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. (Paul was not pleased to have to speak of himself; he calls self-commendation folly, for so it usually is; but it was needful for him to vindicate his position and authority, in order that his letters might have weight with the Corinthian believers for their lasting good.)
2, 3 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (By the admixture of philosophy with the gospel, he feared that they would be seduced from the truth. Too much ground is there for the same anxiety about the churches of our own day.)
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
If any man could bring us a better gospel, more sure, more full, more free, we might listen to his novelties; but so long as this is not attempted or pretended, we will abide by the old form of doctrine, and those men of God who preach it.
5, 6 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. (He received nothing from the Corinthians, but allowed other churches to relieve his necessities that he might in no degree burden them; yet they were not grateful, but spoke of him disrespectfully. Gratitude is far too rare even among professing Christians.)
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
The apostle, to vindicate his character and prove his apostleship, then mentioned what he had done and suffered.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; (He was called in a more remarkable way, had been more fully instructed, and enabled to accomplish more than any one of them.) in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, (or far exceeding any one else,) in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24–27 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me (or rushes upon me) daily, the care of all the churches. (Which was a heavy burden; there were so many things to think about, that his mind was wearied.)
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? (He sympathized with all, and was the focus for all sorrows.)
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
Surely after this recital these Corinthians would value the apostle, and trouble him no more with their criticisms. Better far is it for us to profit by good men than to find fault with them. Let not the Pauls among us now have to suffer for our unkindness.
When trials sore obstruct my way,
And ills I cannot flee,
Oh, give me strength, Lord, as my day:
For good remember me.
If on my face, for thy dear name,
Shame and reproaches be,
All hail, reproach! and welcome, shame!
If thou remember me.1
1 Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 698). Baker Book House.
8 “Grace” here renders חֶסֶד (ḥeseḏ). This is a covenant word (cf. comments at 4:2). We may therefore question the translation. If Jonah was thinking of idolaters among his own people, “steadfast love” or some similar rendering is called for. If, as is more probable, he was thinking of the sailors, then we should choose between “forsake their true loyalty” (RSV) and “may abandon their loyalty” (NEB).1
8 The word translated “vanities” (KJV), “vain idols” (NASB), and “worthless idols” (NIV) is used elsewhere to refer to the worship of other gods (cf. 2 Ki 17:15; Jer 2:5; 10:3, 8, 15).2
Ver. 8.—Jonah contrasts the joy and comfort arising from the thought of God with the miserable fate of idolaters. They that observe (Ps. 31:6); court, pay deference to, reverence. Lying vanities; Septuagint, μάταια καὶ ψευδῆ, “vain things and false.” Ido[illegible] (comp. Jer. 18:15; Hos. 12:11; 1 Cor. 8:4). Their own mercy; i.e. their state of favour with God—the mercy shown to them, as “the mercies of [shown to] David” (Isa. 55:3); or God himself, the Fountain of mercy and goodness (Ps. 144:2). Henderson translates, “forsake their Benefactor.”3
8. Although it only consists of five words in Hebrew, this verse presents various difficulties. The initial three words refer to those who practise idolatry; an almost identical phrase comes in Psalm 31:6. The word translated ‘idols’ (gnb, niv, rsv) means literally a ‘snare’. The final two words are generally understood in one of several ways: (1) ‘they have abandoned their loyalty to you’ (gnb; cf. rsv, neb); (2) ‘they forfeit the grace that was theirs’ (jb; cf. av, niv). The reason for these alternatives is to be found in the term ḥasdām, from the noun ḥesed, which here means either ‘their loyalty’ or ‘their loving-kindness’. In the first instance the noun is taken as referring to the loyalty of human worshippers, and in the second to the ‘loving-kindness’ which God extends to those who trust him. Although there is little to choose between these possibilities, the former interpretation seems preferable. If, as seems likely, this verse forms a contrast with what follows in verse 9, then Jonah expresses here the opinion that those who worship idols will discover in times of trouble how impotent they really are, and as a result will no longer show loyalty, or love, to their supposed gods. Those who worship the Lord, however, will always find him trustworthy and reliable. Thus it seems best to translate the verse as follows: ‘Those who cling to worthless idols will abandon their loyalty to them.’4
Ver. 8. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.—The value of superstitions.—
Here we learn the value to attach to all superstitions, to all those opinions of men, when they attempt to set up religion according to their own will; for Jonah calls them lying or fallacious vanities. There is, then, but one true religion, the religion which God has taught us in His Word. Men in vain weary themselves when they follow their own inventions,—for the more strenuously they run, the farther they recede from the right way, as Augustine has well observed. But Jonah here adopts a higher principle,—that God alone possesses in Himself all fulness of blessings; whosoever, then, truly and sincerely seeks God, will find in Him whatever can be wished for salvation. God is not to be sought but by obedience and faith; whosoever, then, dare to give themselves loose reins, so as to follow this or that without the warrant of God’s Word, recede from God, and at the same time deprive themselves of all good things. The superstitious do indeed think that they gain much when they toil in their own inventions; but we see what the Holy Spirit declares by the mouth of Jonah. The Lord says by Jeremiah, “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and cisterns have they digged for themselves” (Jer. 2:13). There the Lord complains of His chosen people, who had gone astray after wicked superstitions. Hence when men wander beyond the Word of God, they in a manner renounce God, or say adieu to Him, and thus they deprive themselves of all good things; for without God there is no salvation, and no help to be found. (John Calvin.)
The sin and folly of observing lying vanities.—
I. The foolish practice of observing lying vanities. Lying vanities may comprehend all kinds of sin whereby men are deceived and led away from the paths of truth and righteousness into error and iniquity. The Hebrew words express the deceitful nature of the vanities here intended. That which is rendered vanity signifies falsehood, rashness, or deceit. That translated lying denotes light, trivial, or airy.
1. Those who follow the delusive practice of sin. Sinful objects and pursuits are all unprofitable and vain, and can never do us any real good. Those who worship and serve strange gods, or pretend to serve the living God in any other way than He hath appointed, follow after lying vanities. By sinful practices you may increase in riches, but your profit will not countervail your loss. By sinning against God you can have no real, lasting advantage.
2. Those who greedily pursue the deceitful enjoyments of this world. The most valued worldly enjoyments cannot so much as alleviate personal distress; how, then, shall they deliver out of spiritual trouble? Need not vilify the things of this world. We speak of present enjoyments, separate from the love and favour of God, when the heart is supremely fixed upon them, and chiefly solicitous to acquire and preserve them. To those who choose them for their portion they prove lying vanities.
3. Those who entertain vain hopes of salvation upon insufficient grounds. We need not speak in disparagement of good works; but they must not be the foundation of our hope. They are the blessed fruits of redemption and renovation.
4. Those who leave the paths of righteousness to walk in their own devices. There are various ways by which men come under this description. Sometimes laying aside a sense of the Divine presence and authority, men impose upon themselves by the most foolish pretexts. Sometimes men desert from their duty on account of the difficulties with which the discharge of it may be attended. Some neglect their duty through wrong apprehensions of Divine dispensations.
II. The pernicious tendency of such conduct. They “forsake their own mercy.” The words suppose that the tender mercy of Jehovah is communicated to sinners of mankind in various ways, suited to relieve their necessities; and that to this abundant mercy which they obtain from God they may acquire such a covenant right and title, through the Lord Jesus Christ, by closely adhering to God and their duty, as that it may be considered as their own privilege and portion. What mercy, what spiritual benefit or comfort, can a man enjoy in sinning against God, whereby he dishonours his Maker, wounds his own conscience, and destroys his own soul? Nothing is to be acquired by sinful practices that is worth the having. Application. Every one should be deeply humbled in the sight of God, on account of our having followed lying vanities and forsaken our own mercy. A little serious reflection may furnish each of us with many instances of this sort, with which we justly stand chargeable. How many erroneous doctrines and false principles are propagated and supported among us! How many deceitful, ensnaring practices are indulged and followed among us! (W. M‘Culloch.)
Lying vanities:—
It is not enough to show that Christ’s claims are not opposed to our interests, and that therefore we do not sacrifice our true well-being when we submit ourselves to Him; we must further show that Christ definitely proposes to advance our present as well as our future interests, and that these cannot be otherwise safely assured; and hence that we sacrifice our personal interests, and sin against our true well-being when we turn our backs on Him. The prophet only expresses what we may all, if we will, see for ourselves. Even in this world the suffering and misery that men bring upon themselves by their own conduct far exceeds all that they would otherwise be called upon to endure. How much of all our sufferings springs directly or indirectly from sin! And all this we might escape if only we yielded ourselves to God instead of flying away from Him. And such suffering is the cruellest of all, because we have to reproach ourselves for it, and because of the painful memories it leaves behind. And we must not dwell only upon the actual miseries that we entail upon ourselves, but also upon the comfort and consolation which we deny ourselves amidst the trials which are the common lot of all. “Our own mercy.” Think of what that means. No petition is more common on human lips than the cry for mercy. We feel that we need mercy. Surely man is not only nature’s greatest work; but also nature’s greatest victim, unless there be mercy within our reach, mercy from some Grander Power than nature, who can feel for us. And the great Father is rich in mercy. He brings within our reach such a provision of mercy as He sees to be perfectly adapted to our complex needs, and represents it to us in the Gospel of His Son. It is this provision that men turn their backs upon when they turn their backs on Christ. Verily, it is true, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.” How comes it to pass that men are so blind to their own interests? Why do men forsake their own mercies? A certain class of persons is here dealt with—those who “observe lying vanities.” Satan wins influence over men, and maintains and extends it, by falsehood. And falsehood is a power. The process of blinding is carried on by the great deceiver in such a manner as to induce a false and misleading estimate of the relative value of things, and even of their relations to our happiness and well-being. The objects which Satan exhibits to man’s imagination through a distorted and deceptive medium are described here as “lying vanities.” The phrase suggests specious falsehood, and pretentious inanity. Illustrate by the desert mirage. Who has not at one time or another been bewildered and misled by the vast mirage of life? When we yield ourselves to the great deceiver we become his helpless dupes. “Observe” signifies diligent watching,—the giving up of our mind and attention to a specific object. Compare the sentence, “Who mind earthly things.” All earthly things, viewed apart from their connection with things eternal, are in themselves vanities,—they leave the heart still unsatisfied. When we attempt to find our portion in these things of this world they become not only vanities, but lying vanities,—promising to do what they never can do, and ever leading their votaries, as on a fool’s errand, in quest of that which they are foredoomed never to discover. When once man has surrendered his sense to the solicitations of the flesh, you can almost predict with certainty how he will act under certain circumstances. We have but little freedom left when once we have begun to observe—to give our minds to—lying vanities. Our freedom consists rather in our power to decide whether of the two classes of objects we will observe, whether we will yield our hearts to the Spirit of truth, who reveals to us the things that are above—the things of God; or whether we will yield our hearts to the spirit of lies, who spreads out before us earthly things, and endeavours to invest them in our eyes with fictitious qualities and characteristics. (W. Hay Aitken, M.A.)5
2:8 worthless idols: This phrase (also found in Ps. 31:6) condemns every alternative to God. Idols here means “vapor,” that which passes away quickly. These vaporous gods (Ps. 86:8–10; Jer. 10:15; 51:18) were without value. Mercy (loyal love), the term that so often describes God’s faithfulness to His covenant and to His people (Pss. 13:5; 59:10, 17; 89:1–3) is used as a name for the Lord (4:2).6
2:8 Those who worship vain idols A reference to the Israelites, the audience of the book of Jonah. The sailors and the men of Nineveh are shown mercy in the narrative. The Israelites refused to repent of their idolatry and eventually were sent to Assyria as exiles.
vain The Hebrew word here is used to denote falsehood or lack of value.
loyal love The Hebrew term used here is often used in reference to Yahweh’s covenant with Israel (see Deut 7:9, 12; 1 Kgs 8:23; Neh 1:5).7
1 Ellison, H. L. (1986). Jonah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 378). Zondervan Publishing House.
2 Walton, J. H. (2008). Jonah. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel–Malachi (Revised Edition) (Vol. 8, p. 477). Zondervan.
3 Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Jonah (p. 44). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
4 Wiseman, D. J., Alexander, T. D., & Waltke, B. K. (1988). Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 26, p. 129). InterVarsity Press.
5 Exell, J. S. (n.d.). The Biblical Illustrator: The Minor Prophets (Vol. 5, pp. 36–38). Fleming H. Revell Company.
6 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1068). T. Nelson Publishers.
7 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jon 2:8). Lexham Press.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
Daniel 2:24-3:30
1 Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-96
Proverbs 28:15-16
Daniel 2:24 — Daniel has the answer and intercedes to protect the pagan astrologers (Daniel 2:27).
Daniel 2:30 — Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the magicians didn’t have the answer (Daniel 2:27), that he didn’t have the answer (Daniel 2:30), but that God had all the answers (Daniel 2:28).
Daniel 2:44 — What message did Jesus preach? In Matthew 4:17 we read “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Pilate didn’t know about Daniel’s prophecy that the Kingdom of Jesus would destroy all other kingdoms (Daniel 2:34), or he would have been more concerned.
Daniel 3:1 — Wonder where Nebuchadnezzar got the idea from?
Daniel 3:2 — Notice the comprehensiveness in this chapter: every officer (Daniel 3:2-3), every group (Daniel 3:4), every instrument (Daniel 3:5, Daniel 3:7, Daniel 3:10, Daniel 3:15), and every garment (Daniel 3:21). Speaking of everyone, where was Daniel? Was he on an official errand or did he call in sick that day?
Daniel 3:18 — Notice that Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (their Jewish names) did not know that God would save them from the fire, only that He could (Daniel 3:17).
Daniel 3:24 — They wouldn’t bend, they wouldn’t bow, and they wouldn’t burn!
Daniel 3:25 — Yes, walking through the flames was the Son of God!
1 Peter 4:7 — Closing comments from Peter:
1 Peter 5:2 — Notice the tension in the responsibility of oversight (1 Peter 5:2). The elder was to lead, but he was also to refrain from lordship (1 Peter 5:3). Peter is calling for servant leadership.
1 Peter 5:7 — We want the peace of God, knowing He can solve our problems. But what is antecedent? Humility (1 Peter 5:6) and submission to others (1 Peter 5:5). If you do so, He will give you grace (1 Peter 5:5), exaltation (1 Peter 5:6), and care (1 Peter 5:7).
1 Peter 5:8 — From Earl Martin:
1 Peter 5:13 — Many think that this is John Mark, the one that caused strife between Paul and Barnabas. They also believe that Mark’s gospel came from Peter’s accounts as told to John Mark.
Psalm 119:81 — Need hope? Go to the Word! We saw the flagship verse for removing stress (1 Peter 5:7), and can replace worry with hope in the Word (Psalm 119:81). We see in this section the Word is a comfort (Psalm 119:82), faithful (Psalm 119:86), a help (Psalm 119:86), and a delight (Psalm 119:92).
Proverbs 28:15 — The wicked ruler is compared to a roaring lion – who did we just read about that is also a roaring lion? 1 Peter 5:8 – the devil!
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
Source: November 26 – Who Has the Answers for Problematic Dreams?
And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.Ezekiel 20:43
When we are accepted of the Lord and are standing in the place of favor, and peace, and safety, then we are led to repent of all our failures and miscarriages toward our gracious God. So precious is repentance that we may call it a diamond of the first water, and this is sweetly promised to the people of God as one most sanctifying result of salvation. He who accepts repentance also gives repentance; and He gives it not out of “the bitter box” but from among those “wafers made with honey” on which He feeds His people. A sense of blood-bought pardon and of undeserved mercy is the best means of dissolving a heart of stone. Are we feeling hard? Let us think of covenant love, and then we shall leave sin, lament sin, and loathe sin; yea, we shall loathe ourselves for sinning against such infinite love. Let us come to God with this promise of penitence and ask Him to help us to remember, and repent, and regret, and re-turn. Oh, that we could enjoy the meltings of holy sorrow! What a relief would a flood of tears be! Lord, smite the rock, or speak to the rock, and cause the waters to flow!
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases,
No, not one! No, not one!Refrain
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!No friend like Him is so high and holy,
No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
No, not one! No, not one!There’s not an hour that He is not near us,
No, not one! No, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us,
No, not one! No, not one!Did ever saint find this friend forsake him?
No, not one! No, not one!
Or sinner find that He would not take him?
No, not one! No, not one!Was ever a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! No, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in Heaven?
No, not one! No, not one!— Johnson Oatman, Jr
http://rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2024/11/24/sunday-hymn-no-not-one.html
Psalm 126- New King James Version
A Joyful Return to Zion – A Song of Ascents
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
The Nov. 5 presidential election brings new light to this well-known psalm. It speaks of a time much like the one in which we have been living in the US. We have been a nation like Judah, taken captive by Babylon, a government that made the lives of the Jews difficult. Yet a new ruler, Cyrus of Persia, would bless the Jewish people greatly by allowing them to return to their homeland and to their Jewish values. The lyrics of a song by the Messianic Jewish group, Lamb, capture the mood of the Jews longing for their beloved homeland. “By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept for Zion, by the moping willows in her midst, we sadly hung there our harps.” As Christians, many of us have felt that our nation, at its core, was being lost to us. Taken over by an imposed alternative history that left us bewildered as our country was being morphed into something that left us bereft of our Christian mooring.
These past years have been a time of great sorrow for many Christians. With the people of the U.S. voting in new leadership, this recent presidential election feels like the captivity we have lived under is now gone. We are like those who dream! The societal tides are remarkably changing because of the outcome of this election. “The Lord has done great things for them” is now a part of the legacy media’s reports. They are acknowledging the impact Christians have had in this last election and that it will be a catalyst for a cultural shift of our nation. And what is our response? “The Lord has done great things for us.”
From parched hearts to a rushing stream of healing waters, we and our nation will again be a city set on a hill, with His ways being welcomed in our land once more. How many of us who prayed in tears during these past four years are now so full of joy to see the seed — the potential for rebirth in the Christian foundations of our nation? And from these seeds will come the fruit of our answered prayers — prayers that many would come to know Him as Savior and soon and coming King. Our answered prayers will be the impetus for true revival — that our nation would once again be salt on this Earth for the healing of the nations.
As the new administration is busy with rebuilding our governmental foundations and putting in place new leaders, so should we, the church, be diligent in making sure that our churches are equipped for the days in which we live. We have a window of opportunity to move out into the world outside of our churches to bring hope and answers to the arenas of our society — government, education, business, and more. Let us build in this time of peace. I Timothy 2:4 says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life . . . God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We have prayed long for good leaders and now we have the ability to make a Gospel difference in our world – through work, government, education and media worlds as well as through our churches. We must boldly share His good news and make disciples. These were some of the last words Jesus spoke to His followers. And now the baton is passed to us. There is a sound from heaven, from those who have gone before us, to take part in the healing of our land and to the bringing of many sons and daughters into His kingdom. And Father, may the United States receive Your healing as a nation and may blessings extend to the ends of the Earth because You have been so very gracious to us in this time.
(Dawn Custalow is an IFA intercessor. Photo Credit: Aaron Burden on Unsplash)
Stephen C. Meyer and Ben Shapiro discuss evolution and intelligent design
(Re-posting this for those who missed it the first time around)
This is a must-see / must-hear conversation. Famous conservative Ben Shapiro discusses evolution and intelligent design with Dr. Stephen C. Meyer, author of “Signature in the Cell” (origin of life) and “Darwin’s Doubt” (fossil record). These are the two best books on intelligent design. Their conversation covers the most important issues in the origins debate.
So to start, here’s the full video:
Someone actually put out an outline on Youtube, with a time-based index, so I’ll just steal that as a base, and add to it:
If you listen to this lecture, or watch the video, and you enjoyed it, then please share. If you have questions, I can try to answer them for you – just leave your question in the comments, or shoot me an e-mail, or message me from the blog’s Facebook page, or direct message me on Twitter. I’ve invested a lot of time in this, and have been studying intelligent design since the late 1990s.
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17).
We owe everything to God, so why is it so hard to say “Thank You” to Him? I think a lot of it has to do with pride. When we thank someone for what they’ve done, we admit that we need others, and it humbles us. Christians have much to be thankful for. We know that God created everything, and it’s all designed for our existence. We should thank Him for that. We also know that we are sinners who were bound for eternity in Hell, but through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance, we are sinners saved by grace. That’s another reason to thank God.
The closer we draw to God, the more we realize we have much to be thankful for. We can look back on life and remember things that we prayed very hard for, but God didn’t seem to hear or care. It’s only in looking back that we can see how wrong it would have been if those prayers were answered with a yes instead of a no. Maybe you were madly in love with your high school sweetheart but broke up after graduation. Your heart was broken. Where was God? Why didn’t He jump to answer your prayer? Then a class reunion comes along, and there’s the person you were so in love with. Their choices in life have left them bankrupt and jobless, and possibly in trouble with the law. Thank God for saying no to your prayer.
Any good parent will tell their child no if the thing that child wants is bad for them. God is our Father, and He knows more about the future than we do and only wants what’s best for us. Instead of blaming Him for things that you think are wrong in your life, take time to be thankful even if you don’t understand His reasons.
The Apostle Paul had plenty of times in his life that he surely wasn’t able to understand why God allowed circumstances to happen, but gave thanks anyway. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
For instance, how could he understand how a shipwreck could be useful to the Lord? If it had happened to me, I’m sure I would have questioned why. In Paul’s case, he was able to use it as an evangelizing tool. Paul most likely couldn’t understand the reason that he was beaten and imprisoned. This was also a witnessing tool. In Philippi, the way he handled his beating and being put in jail in chains brought the jail warden, and possibly his fellow prisoners, to salvation. When he was under arrest in Rome, he wrote many letters which still encourage and teach us today.
So, when your circumstances are harsh and you don’t understand why, remember to give thanks for everything. You don’t have to be thankful for the circumstances; just be thankful in the circumstances. Then, use it as a witnessing tool. Others are facing hardship and can take encouragement from you.
When you give thanks to God in whatever situation you happen to find yourself, you will find that you have a peaceful outlook on the situation. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing on another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:12-13).
Christians need to represent Christ in all things and show His compassion for others. It isn’t always easy, but it always shows our gratefulness for what He did for us. Christ humbly laid down His life so we can be forgiven. His love for us caused Him to suffer the greatest of pain that can be imagined. He did it willingly to take our sin away, so shouldn’t we humbly forgive others as He forgave us? Absolutely. “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Colossians 3:14).
That word “charity” is translated from the word “agape.” This is how we can thank God for what He has done for us. We can care for others with charity (agape love) and kindness. We need to love and take care of each other. You might be surprised how many brothers and sisters in Christ need some charity. An older widow I know is having a tough time dealing with the daily struggles of maintaining her house, such as dealing with plumbing troubles and other home repairs. She could use help from fellow Christians. “Honour widows that are widows indeed” (1 Timothy 5:3).
It’s really the duty of Christians to care for our brothers and sisters. This is how we can show God that we are thankful. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
Each of us becomes a part of the body of Christ when we understand that we have sinned against God, we repent of our sin, and we accept His forgiveness for salvation. That means we become His hands and feet (parts of His body) to care for and help brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank Him by caring for each other. Just as we care for our own body by taking care of our needs for nutrition, clothing, and shelter, we show God our thanks by caring for the body of Christ.
Are you serving Christ by sharing His love with others? Wherever you live and whatever situation in which you find yourself, you can share God’s love. Remember that Christians always need to show our thanks to Jesus by representing Him in whatever we do. Whether you are at work or at play, show God that you are thankful. Choose to speak gentle words and be a peacemaker. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Jesus commanded us to share the Gospel with the lost. His final command before He ascended to Heaven was to preach the Gospel. He told His disciples, “And he said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mark 16:15).
Jesus promised that signs would follow them in their obedience. They thanked Him by obeying His command, and because they were obedient, people today have heard the Gospel and have found salvation through Jesus’ shed blood. “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:20).
That command needs to be heeded today. We need to care for brothers and sisters in Christ and share the Gospel with the lost.
We show God that we are thankful by obeying Him. Share the Gospel with the lost and take care of the body of Christ.
God bless you all
Nathele Graham
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All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).
The post Show God We Are Thankful :: By Nathele Graham appeared first on Rapture Ready.
Providence Baptist Church on RSBN featuring Pastor Dr Rusty Sowell live from Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard, AL Sunday Morning Worship 11/24/24
Source: LIVE: Providence Baptist Church on RSBN- Sunday Morning Worship 11/24/24
During his opening monologue on Friday night, Greg Gutfeld took aim at MSNBC and their collapsing ratings. Noting the fact that the network might actually be sold off, Gutfeld said that MSNBC now stands for ‘Must Sell Network Before Christmas.’
This kind of sharp and honest humor is one of the reasons why Greg Gutfeld does not have a ratings problem.
Greg reserved some of his best mockery for Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, pointing out that their 180 degree turn on Trump proves what phonies they are, and noting that they are one of the main reasons why leftists are terrified of Trump’s second term.
Mediaite has details:
On Friday’s Gutfeld!, Gutfeld cited a number of recent turns for MSNBC, including Morning Joe taking a ratings hit, Rachel Maddow’s pay reportedly being reduced, and a headline that quickly sparked conservative outrage on social media.
Gutfeld dubbed MSNBC the “Must Sell Network Before Christmas” following news Comcast would spin off the cable channel and others into their own company.
Gutfeld said:
“These days, MSNBC has come to stand for ‘must sell network before Christmas.’ Their post-election ratings are down 54 percent, that’s 50% more than my body fat, Walter. Hell, Brit Hume’s laxative reviews on YouTube have more viewers. And so they have slashed their budgets so low, Joy Reid had to replace her toupe to pay with a cocktail napkin. But don’t feel bad! Check out this headline that their website dropped today. Quote, Laken Riley’s killer never stood a chance. Now that can’t be an accident. If you ask me, it’s suicide by headline. What better way to kill off the rest of the network than to drop one of the most repulsive headlines of all time. MSNBC did finally change it, but the damage was already done.”
Watch the whole thing below, this is great:
MSNBC deserves every single bit of this mockery. They are completely out of touch with the American people and they constantly spread misinformation while accusing others of doing just that. The country will be a better place when these vicious liars are forced to get real jobs.
The post GREG GUTFELD: ‘MSNBC Now Stands for Must Sell Network Before Christmas’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Ken Martin, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), recently appeared on CNN with Jake Tapper and admitted that the Republican party is now seen as the party for the working class and the poor, while the Democrats are now viewed as the party of rich elitists.
It’s clear that Martin is not happy about this new reality, but at least he is admitting it.
This was one of the keys to Trump’s success. Working people believe that Trump listens to them and understands them. Meanwhile, Democrats are too busy trying to explain why you’re a bad person if you don’t want your twelve year-old to get life altering gender surgery.
The Washington Examiner reports:
DNC leader says GOP dominance with working class wrecks ‘party brand’
Republicans have flipped the script on Democrats, according to Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin.
Long criticized as the party of the rich, Martin, the Democratic National Committee vice chairman, admitted the public now sees the GOP as the party of the “working class and the poor.”
He told Jake Tapper on Friday that the public feels the Democrats, on the other hand, represent “the interests of the wealthy and the elite.”
“For the first time, the majority of Americans believe that the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor, and the Democratic Party represents the interests of the wealthy and the elite,” he said.
During the 2024 campaign, President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans resonated with working-class Americans on the two issues voters cared most about: inflation and the border. As a result, Trump became the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote.
Watch the clip below:
It’s difficult to see how Democrats overcome this problem, at least in the short term. Just like the media, they can’t live without the far left people in their base. If they try to move to the center, the house of cards falls apart.
The post DNC Official Admits Voters Now View GOP as Party of Working Class, Democrats as Party of Rich Elitists (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan talked about the fact that liberal media outlets are in freefall.
He offered one very specific example of a story in the New York Times about RFK Jr. in which the Times was trying to ‘fact check’ Kennedy about chemicals in Froot Loops cereal, then ended up proving that RFK was right but still claimed he was wrong.
Rogan said that these outlets are essentially digging their own graves while criticizing independent journalists for not doing the same.
FOX News reports:
“I was just reading something about CNN’s ratings and MSNBC’s ratings post-election – they’ve crashed,” Rogan said on Wednesday’s episode. “All these left-wing kooks on YouTube are hemorrhaging subscribers. Where people go, ‘You guys are out of touch, you’re not accurate, you’re delusional.’ And people are speaking with their subscriptions and they’re speaking with their purchasing of the Washington Post and their purchasing of the New York Times.”
He then recalled how the New York Times published a baffling fact-check this week of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim that a popular breakfast cereal contains several artificial ingredients in the United States that are not used in other countries.
“The New York Times just debunked – in the most insane way – debunked RFK Jr’s assertion that the ingredients in Froot Loops are different in Canada than they are in the United States. They fact-checked it, while saying he was accurate, so their fact-check – it’s so dumb when you see the fact – I tweeted it.”
He then read the fact-check, adding his own commentary at the end that these are “f—ing dangerous chemicals that are banned in Canada that we’re trying to get rid of in America. So, they’re literally saying he was wrong, but he was right.”
The video below is cued to start at the right moment, so just press play:
The left wing press has painted themselves into a corner. They catered to a hard left audience and that’s all they have now. If they suddenly change, they’ll lose that audience share too. It’s a death spiral.
The post Joe Rogan Explains Why Liberal Media Ratings Are Collapsing: ‘Not Accurate, Delusional’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
MAGA champion and War Room founder Steve Bannon discussed the Administrative and Deep-state plots to sabotage and undermine President Trump’s second term. He said that they are focused on three major things: the southern border, financials, and Ukraine.
“The Administrative and Deep State, cause they are the enemy here, they are absolutely bound and determined to make sure that President Trump, one, can’t govern, and two, his second term is a failure. So, when they are sitting up there saying we have to have unity and one America, it’s all crap,” Bannon said.
“You can tell on three, at least three major components. Number one, what they are trying to do at the Southern Border and still to get as many people through here as possible and cause even more chaos,” Bannon said.
“Number two is what they are doing financially. They are playing all kind of games right now with America’s debt,” Bannon continued.
“Number three is this metastasizing and quite frankly, incredibly dangerous, incredibly dangerous in what they are doing in Ukraine,” Bannon warned.
“What is happening in this Ukraine is as scary as it gets, cause now you have a place where conflict has run rampant in the 20th century,” Bannon continued.
Bannon also talked about how the border towns in Texas have become very red since the Biden regime left the border wide open.
“The Rio Grande Valley and South Texas is now MAGA. From being blue and then purple, it’s now MAGA, cause those folks are American citizens and they say hey, we would like a little protection down here,” Bannon said.
Bannon explained that the damage they are doing to the economy to sabotage President Trump will take time to show up once it takes effect. He also explained that course correction is very difficult and compared it to turning an aircraft carrier.
“The American economy, the American capital markets and the whole thing with the Fed and the Treasury, that’s an aircraft carrier. You put the rudder over hard to like we got to make a course change, it takes a while to kick in,” Bannon said.
Watch:
The post War Room’s Steve Bannon Says Administrative and Deep State Actively Working to Sabotage President Trump’s Second Term (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
WARNING: Graphic content—Fox News host Laura Ingraham examines the left’s response to its 2024 election loss on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Source: Laura Ingraham: Democrats were wrong and the results are heartbreaking
Fox News host Jesse Watters discusses President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks and why the nomination process proves he’s not the dictator Democrats made him out to be. #foxnews
Source: Jesse Watters: Pam Bondi’s a winner because the deep state sounds awfully nervous
Fox News host Sean Hannity says the legacy media’s influence has ‘evaporated’ on ‘Hannity.’
Fox News host Mark Levin decries Democrats and establishment Republicans who enjoy the ‘massive’ D.C. bureaucracy they created on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’ #foxnews
Source: Mark Levin: We have an ‘unconstitutional, massive bureaucracy’
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