Mark
Love Your Enemy and Destroy Amalek
Sep 20, 2022
In 1 Samuel chapter 15 Saul, king of Israel, is instructed by God through Samuel to utterly destroy Amalek and all they have. Verse 3 do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. How do you love your enemy and destroy Amalek?
Contradiction?
This seems to contradict the New Testament teaching of Jesus. Matt. 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
Israel was operating in its God ordained governmental capacity. Personally, we are to adhere to Jesus’ words in Matt. 5:43. Governments have a different injunction.
The Role of Government
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good.
But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. 5 Wherefore ye must be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’s sake. 6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
The Flesh
Amalek is also representative of the flesh. It was to be completely blotted out. The flesh is the enemy of God’s people. What is flesh? Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Spirit
Fruits of the Spirit are opposite the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
So, Amalek which is a perfect picture of the flesh needs to be crucified with its affections and lusts. We see this pictured in 1 Samuel 15:33. And Samuel said, as thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Gilgal is where Israel was circumcised which is symbolic of death to the flesh. Gilgal was also identified with the rolling away of the bondage of sin. It was the proper place for Agag, king of the Amalekites to be executed.
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ALIENS
Jan 31, 2022
There is no mystery when it comes to UFOs, UAPs, and ALIENS. Many people consider them a combination of real and/or paranormal activity. Even world governments are being pressed into admitting that this stuff is real. Well, is it? I would say yes, it is real and yes, a lot of it is paranormal. What is paranormal? Paranormal activity is activity beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. The scope of scientific understanding is limited but the bible has a lot to say about paranormal activity.
Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
This is paranormal activity. It's beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding!
Moses and Aaron were instructed to cast their rods down before Pharoh in order to prove to Pharoh that God had sent them to lead Israel out of Egypt. Aaron's rod became a serpent. Then Pharoh's sorcerers cast down their rods and they became serpents also. More paranormal activity! Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods! More paranormal activity!
That day, in Pharoh's court, two types of paranormal activity were witnessed. Divine paranormal activity and counterfeit, deceitful paranormal activity. God is able and willing to inject divine paranormal activity into His creation which is beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Satan and his herd of fallen angels are also able and willing to inject counterfeit, dark, and deceptive paranormal activity into God's creation! But why does God allow this?
2 Thess 2:9 God will allow him, the son of perdition whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Mark 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here [is] Christ; or, lo, [he is] there; believe [him] not: 22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
UFOs, UAPs, and ALIENS for the most part fall into this counterfeit, dark and deceptive paranormal category. They're up to no good most of the time. They mentally terrorize people. They cause people to focus on their mysterious erratic behavior. People are even believing that they have all the answers for mankind. People believe that they will help us deal with all our trials, problems, and troubles. This is COUNTERFEIT, dark and deceptive paranormal activity! The only paranormal being that is able to help us deal with all our trials, problems, and troubles is Jesus Christ!
If we're expected to trust in UFOs, UAPs, and ALIENS, then they need to start pointing people towards a relationship with God the Father which is in Jesus Christ and in Him only!
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What is a sweet sacrifice to the Lord?
Nov 22, 2021
The bible talks about different types of sacrifices. Leviticus chapter 4 speaks of the sin and trespass offering. Chapter 3 talks about the peace offering. The peace offering was a "sweet smelling" sacrifice to the Lord. It pictures Jesus' finished work in the believer. A restoration of our relationship with the Father. When we give thanks or when we worship or lift up the Name of Jesus in praise and adoration, we are appropriating a sweet smelling sacrifice to the Lord.
This type of sacrifice would be in contrast to an unsweet smelling sacrifice. The unsweet sacrifice pictures Jesus bearing the weight of our sins. When we repent and confess ours sins, we appropriate an unsweet sacrifice to the Lord. Unsweet but necessary! When Jesus died on the cross, the Father turned away from Him.
Mark 15:34 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
What does this mean? Does Jesus no longer have a relationship with the Father? Is His ministry no longer valid?
No! These words point to the most important concept in the Bible! When Jesus died on the cross, our sins were transferred to Him! At that moment God turned away. Sin cannot exist in God's presence. Even though Jesus was God in the flesh who never sinned, being perfect, He accepted the punishment for your sins and my sins. He endured the punishment that you and I deserve!
We can now appropriate and apply His finished work at the cross to our own lives by repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus to completely forgive us of our sins. This is true freedom! Freedom from the bondage and slavery that shackles us.
Click for a more in depth essay about repentance. https://revelationmeaning.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-is-repentance.html
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Has The Tribulation Begun?
Aug 9, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuaOwY1aFoI
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