Dear JGrove, I am happy to pray for you. I am praying the same for my middle son. My oldest and youngest have just recently married in the past 2 years after many years of my prayers for their wives to come to them.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today in the name of Jesus, Who made the way for us to come before your throne and ask of You all that is on our hearts. How great and merciful You are!. We are asking for your grace in bringing together Jgrove and his future wife and also the same for our son Rob. Both have been waiting so long to finally meet the person You select for them to marry. May You answer their needs soon. In the mean time, prepare these women and these men for the marriage you are willing for them to enter and live all their lives with in godliness, love, and fruitfulness. We ask that You bring each person into a deep relationship with You and Your Son, filling each with Your Spirit and bestowing salvation on all. We ask that You will teach each one how to love deeply and sacrificially as Jesus loved. Teach each one to put You first and their spouse next in adoration and commitment. Teach each one to desire to walk in Your ways unwaveringly like Abraham did by faith. We ask that You cause their meeting to occur and for them to know in their hearts that they have met that special one chosen by You for them. We ask and thank You for all of these things today because we believe that You are happy to grant the prayers that align with Your will. Amen.
Like One-eighty and Jema, I encourage you to keep studying God's word to us. It is for us as spiritual food and we need it every day to be spiritually nourished and healthy.
All of us are learning from Scripture and each other as we share with one another on here. I am sure that you will be given wisdom and understanding to share with others here and for yourself to be built up in Christ to the full measure of maturity.
Approach the Scriptures with confidence that the Holy Spirit is in You and will illuminate in Scripture what is important for you to learn each day
Yes, just think, as Jesus said to Thomas, blessed are they who have not seen,, but believe. That is us! We will see
him in His resurrected, glorified body when we are bodily resurrected and glorified. His! And His scars from the wounds of His sacrificial and purposeful, voluntary death will be most beautiful to us.
Revelation is very symbolic, but it is also the GOSPEL, the revealing of Jesus Christ.
Until the spirit causes you to SEE and UNDERSTAND that the Word of God is talking to the person reading it, and that person reading those words Is the most likely the SYMBOL your reading about, you will stay in darkness.
Revelation is addressing the church, but that church is not the RCC or the Baptist, of any other denomination church.
Your the CHURCH, and WE are riding the beast with the name WHORE written in our head.
We blaspheme HIS NAME every day by not believing what he SAYS.
You were BAPTISED by his resurrection INTO HIS NAME.
Revelation 21:22 And I saw no TEMPLE (church) therein, because the Lord God Almighty and the LAMB are the TEMPLE (CHURCH) thereof.
2 Corinthians 6:16 .....for ye are TEMPLE of the LIVING GOD ....
You and Christ BECAME ONE: BY HIS RESURRECTION.
A beast has NO KNOWLEDGE of God; we ride the beast, until: We are BORN AGAIN by the words (truth and knowledge) of God.
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns (the power of God, given to you by the truth and knowledge of God)) that thou sawest on the beast, THESE (the NEW CREATION) shall HATE the WHORE, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall ear her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Hebrews 12:29 Our God is a consuming fire ..... you WERE made ONE with Christ .... you are in, and have become the lake of fire.
Hebrews 1:7 ...and maketh his ministers A FLAME of FIRE .....
Isaiah 9:20 .... and shall EVERY MAN eat the FLESH of his own right arm ....
Genesis 1:1 is The beginning of the beginning God created the Heaven AND the Earth. But in verse 2 something is amiss. It's void AND empty and there is darkness over the face of the deep AND God's Spirit is moving UPON The face of the waters searching searching searching Prophecy reveals THAT something happened between Genesis 1:1-1:2- The scriptures are complete but our human reason can't understand the work that God makes form beginning to end. Ask yourself this. Where did darkness come from? Where did the deep come from? Where did the waters come from AND why was it all void AND empty? Enough for NOW. Chee on THAT for a spell
"In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel".
'Unto that day' belongs to the part of the day of creation which is the first thing we need understand from here. Wherever the expression indicated 'unto this day it sets its frame of reference to the Day of the Lamb. In the episode of Achan we came across this verse, "And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So theLordturned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day(Josh.7:26)". The preceding verse spoken by Joshua gives us precisely its significance. "And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? theLordshall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones". He says,'The Lord shall trouble thee this day. " The day was set in terms of the Day of Judgement where the Son shall judge the living and the dead.
Here the Spirit is giving us at literal level regarding inheritance. The tribe of Dan went about in utmost secrecy 'For unto that day' all their inheritance had not fallen unto them. The Spirit emphasizes the day with this phrase to the inheritance of the saints in light. This is all the more set in contrast, in the manner the 600 men of valor handpicked from the tribe went about by stealth. They smote the village that went about their daily business unmolested holding no quarrel with the world. "unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire./And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man;(18:27-28).
"For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil.3:20-21)'
And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in./And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons./And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
"Then said Micah, Now know I that theLordwill do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."
In the time of the judges Micah found having 'a Levite to my priest' helped his house. In v.6 we read,"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Thus the Levite was free to come as the "young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite," found out. If it was right in his eyes to sojourn where the pay was good it was, also by same argument right to leave where he had a better offer. When Jesus cleansed the temple there were sheep coming in and going out; similarly money came in and money changers attended to convert shekels into temple use. The Temple in Jerusalem did well but Jesus drove them all out.( John 2:15-17) Jesus said,"Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise(v.16)'.
Of course the house of Micah was not the house of God. Here we are comparing spiritual with spiritual things. House of Micah dealt with 'other man's riches' while Jesus Christ burning with the jealousy of His Father found the mercantile spirit ruling the roost in the temple precincts. In the age of consumerism consumables are what the world of the flesh holds as status symbol. This mercantile spirit qualifies a Canaanite."and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts (Ze.14:21)". The spirit of ungodliness making inroads in the national life of Israel and the verse quoted from Zechariah points to the latter days.
"Yet he (Micah) restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah."
Micah stole and he made good knowing it was offered by his mother as a vow. "His mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto theLordfrom my hand for my son." The Spirit gives us a hint by the value of silver that went into making a graven image and a molten image' that it was a trespass pure and simple, In the Book of Leviticus we have the mention of the thief making good of the value stolen by adding one fifth thereto which form the part of trespass offering. "Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering(Le.6:5). What went into the house of Micah, which was not Bethel or the House of God, was the money that belonged to his mother. The Spirit signifies it belonging to mammon or 'other man's riches.' It is how heresies with their church planting achieves and one may call it XY and another A2Z church or whatever.. When their names hit the headlines in news media what the world gets to see are tax evasion, child abuse sexual immorality and greed of their pastors. Ultimately their activism turns out to be simple abuse of their position in disseminating hate and division.
5And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
While God has commanded Joshua to set up the Ark of the covenant at Shiloh how valid was the house of Micah?
'In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'
Set this verse in a context of the Ark of the tabernacle being set up under Joshua in Shiloh. "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them(Josh.18:1)".God dwelt there by implication that explains the last line. The land was subdued or was at rest. For this reason wherever the Spirit placed a tag there,'So the land had peacefor forty years,until Othniel son of Kenaz (3:11-NIV) The Spirit informs that under Othniel who judged the people of the covenant, the land was at rest. Othniel was only a visible image of the invisible God (Col.1:15). Thus with many other Judges mentioned in the book.
The Spirit in narrating the role of Micah during the times of the Judges is giving us the slow contagion of heresy, which in our times the ecumenical movement represents, slowly gaining ground among the Israelites. Christians in our times are more to be toeing the correct doctrine which loses somewhat in translation but in effect dividing the body of Christ in the many sects.They are a law unto themselves and we find sometimes unsavory details of their abuse hitting the headlines.Like Samson many Christians holds truth of the gospels but to acquire the mind of Christ means swimming against the tide of the ungodliness of modern world. They all want to be seen good and do whatever they think right.
In the text what we read must be set in context of the warning of Moses, " Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you."(De.12:8-9)
When you make comments, even if no one reads it, it TEACHES YOU because your writing those words and those words become afrimed to you as truth.
But we also much constantly adjust our carnal mind, it is being destroyed by the truth of God's ward.
We go from ONE truth to another truth as God replaces his mind for our carnal mind.
Everyone on this forum is experiencing the same process, we all have differences in our beliefs because we are all at different points of growth in truth.
It's only when you admit to yourself that you don't understand that you grow, because you DESIRE MORE knowledge, and God will continue to feed you, like a child.
We ought to edify each other not tear down each other down.
TRUTH, you were RESURRECTED ONE with Christ.
All other truths come as God reveals them to you.
Keep commenting, It helps YOU as much and probably more than anyone else.
What was the biblical significance of the construction and FALL of the TWO TOWERS of the World Trade Center? By allegory, the material things are figures of spiritual things. For example, Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, which genders to bondage, and is in bondage with her children. By the way, GOD is in control of history, nothing random happens.
In the yar 2001, The United States was the single largest economy on the planet, followed by the European Union- Both economic Powers were represented on the Twin Towers,but the 7 towers were built symbolizing the 7 regions of the Earth-Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania(Australia), North America, Central America, and South America, but two Towers were the main ones, the Twin Towers, the others were secondary, they had less meaning except a representation of the 7 regions of the Earth.WTC.
Humanity had just entered a new millennium,from the sixth to the seventh(check it in purebibleforum about the exact difference of 240 years-in-the-jewish-calendar), so, according Scriptures at the turn of a new Day( 2Peter 3:v.8), therefore, the seventh and last Day or seventh and last millennium.
The fall of the two towers of the World Trade Center signified that both Economies-USA and UE(European Union)- would fall in ruin day after day, in the days to come, and upon the earth distress of nations(of the whole earth),with perplexity;Men's hearts failing them for fear,and for looking after the things which are coming on the earth.And this generation shall not pass away,till all be fulfilled.
Again:The material things are figures of spiritual things.After the fall of the WTC in the year 2001,there was a sucession of terrible significative events until the current time,and the worst is in the way,the worst will happen from now on,that is the beginning of the last week,week 70th Daniel 9:27; the last 7 years of the World of Devil is arriving.
And Revelation 11:15-18 will LITERALLY be fulfilled
The Papacy and the RCC-which rides upon the MAN Beast of sea- Revelation 13:1-,the Pope,a Gentile Beast,actually a religious and satanic MONSTER having 7 heads and 10 horns,and upon his horns 10 crowns,and upon his heads a NAME of blasphemy,this religious MONSTER will do a partnership with the MAN Beast of the earth- Revelation 13:11-,who has two horns like a lamb(a false lamb,a false messiah- John 5:43-47-AN IMPOSTOR),who will manifest in days to come,probably in this year or in the next,and shall speak as a dragon- Revelation 13:11
How will be this partnership between the MAN Beast of the sea(sea are peoples,and nations,and multitudes of all tongues- Revelation 17:15),and the MAN Beast of the earth that is like a lamb,a false lamb,a false messiah,AN IMPOSTOR- John 5:43-,yeah, how will be this partnership?
Revelation 13:2 gives us the answer for this question, that is:
To the MAN Beast of sea which is like unto a leopard,and his feet as the feet of a bear,and his mouth as the mouth of a lion(actually it refers the roots of this satanic Gentile Beast- Daniel 7:4-6, yeah, to him the false messiah-the dragon-Rev.13:11-,will give his Power, and his Seat(in Jerusalem, where is the Throne of Satan),and great Authority-Rev.13:2,and Power will be given unto the MAN Beast of sea-to the last of the Popes or Papacy,for forty and two months- Revelation 13:5.By the way,this period of 42 months ruled by the last Pope sat in the Throne of the false messiah in Jerusalem is the FIRST HALF of the last week-week 70th, Daniel 9:27,so Catholicism(iron)and the esoteric and kabbalistic Judaism(the clay)both will be together to establish an Universal and satanic religious kingdom,and then will LITERALLY be fulfilled what my Lord JESUS prophesied: "...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles(with the Pope enthroned in Jerusalem by the false messiah),until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled-that is the fullness of the Gentiles"- Luke 21:24 combined with Revelation 11:2
Thank you , Chris for your thoughts. I do find it intriguing that the world doesn't just say "ceased" but rested. Something perhaps will know about one day.
After having crucified my Lord JESUS,Israel was banned from the Promised land from year 70BC to 1948BC,1878 years of severe curses and punishments,in LITERAL fulfilment of Deuteronomy 28:15-68, 53 verses of severe chastisements.And now,in this Day of Vengeance,the LORD's Day,the seventh and last Day,what will happen with Israel?and with the Gentile nations?
By the way,the physical city of Jerusalem is the primal/original prostitute called Oholibah-Jewish Bible-Yechezkel(Ez.)23:4 and 14-19:-
4 -Ez. 23:4 says:"Jerusalem (is)Oholibah."
14And she increased her harlotries,and she saw men engraved on the wall...engraved with types of drawings.
15Girded with girdles on their loins,colored hanging turbans on their heads/exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads;the appearance of mighty men all of them(like the 266 Popes that existed in the Papacy),the likeness of the children of Babylon-Chaldeans-the land of their birth.By the way, the ROOTS of the MAN Beast of sea,according to the Revelation 13:2 is as follow: The Beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,and his feet were as the feet of a bear,and his mouth as the mouth of a lion(as was prophesied:Dan.7:4-6):and the dragon(the MAN Beast of earth like a lamb- Revelation 13:11-,a false messiah,actually the own Satan incarnated,father of the Jews- John 8:44-45)gave him-gave to the MAN Beast of sea-his Power, and his Seat(his Throne in Jerusalem),and great Authority-Rev.13:2.
16And she lusted for them at the sight [that reached] her eyes,and she sent messengers to them,to [the land of] the Chaldeans.
17And the children of Babylon came to her for a bed of love, and they defiled her with their harlotry,and she became defiled through them,and her soul was disgusted with them.
18And she revealed her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness, My soul became disgusted with her,as had become disgusted with her sister.
19And she increased her harlotries,to remember the days of her youth,when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
Peace and understanding go together and can never be found alone.
There is a loud voice that speaks to us of CONDITIONAL love (which is not love at all) while hiding it in dark cornerstones of fear. It is intrusive, always speaking first because it wants to violate our free will to choose to be still and listen to the Voice for God Whom patiently awaits for us listen to Him regarding God's Perfect UNCONDITIONAL Love for us. The Holy Spirit's Voice is only as loud as our willingness to listen; it can NEVER be louder without violating our freedom of choice which the Holy Spirit seeks to restore, but never to undermine. The Holy Spirit's Voice is always quiet because it always speaks of peace. The ego's voice is divided, always speaking in terms of opposition, which lends to chaos and confusion to our mind; putting it in a state of warfare, rendering peace impossible.
The expression "God is not mocked" is not a warning but a reassurance; God would be mocked if ANY of His creations lacked holiness. We cannot make ourselves unworthy because we are the treasure of God, and what He values IS valuable.
The Word of God is simple BECAUSE It is not divided by HIS opposition of His Own likeness and qualities. The Holy Spirit will NEVER hide the truth. His giving of it is unlimited; we simply limit our receiving by our false belief He can oppose Himself and be divided. Division, separation and death are the ego's occupation.
Be thankful your days are numbered. "Days" are indicative of time, where God is NOT. He is eternal, thus time is meaningless; being only useful to give us all the "time" we need to choose eternity as our reality.
Refrain from asking the Holy Spirit to heal the body, for the body is the ego's idol. We should ask instead for our mind to be healed; for an unhealed mind which is always in a state of fear, is the source of All sickness. The Source of all healing is the Mind of God, i.e. PERFECT LOVE.
Thank you Stewart for the speedy reply. I guess in a way I went fishing yesterday and became unavailable to get back to you. I believe that the resurrection can be taught presently and until the last hour. Tribulation will increase until the last hour as well. One great benefit of the Christian was entering into the Lord's rest, He finished our work for us and so much better. Again thank you for your brotherly kindness.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." The key to it is this phrase," forever" in context of his Son, both Jew and Gentile are set down in the book of life in terms of Jesus Christ. Amen
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead./
8And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel./9And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
In this list of names their role were as judges and as matter of course served the house of Israel and the Spirit do not pause to give them encomiums, and rightly so since they ruled by the Spirit of God and not by their own merits. "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me(Is.63:5)". The Spirit uses however certain tags to give their service within the context of the Son as the Judge. So threescore and ten ass colts found place here because the Spirit is serving multilayered account of the Salvation Plan of God.
Earlier we read of "Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years./And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts(10:3-4)", Here we have Abdon associated with ass colts which are hovever 70 in number.
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel./And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. He belonged to Ephraim while Jair belonged to Gilead.
What is the significance? Gilead and Ephraim just went through a bitter conflict, 'and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand'(12:6). In Christ Jesus their middle wall of partition was removed. 70 number connects Ephraim and Gilead to the Prince of peace. 70 is a command number to refer the end times.
Read Jeremiah Ch 35 and then go to the Jerusalem Post site and read about Ziadnas a Bedouin bus driver . God is good , all the time , for His mercy endureth forever .
When God delivered Israel from Egypt he freed them from their burdens. They were a people and not 12 tribes each indivisible part of the whole. In the choice of Judges also we see this. Israel's blessings on his death bed foresaw Judah ''The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his fee(Ge.49:10a). The Judges were whoever handpicked by God from the whole. All these were in frame of reference to his Son. that is all.
Here we see instead a conflict between brethren and were under the partisan spirit of Satan.
"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am theLord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:/ And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am theLordyour God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians(Ex.6:6-7)."
"And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand."12:6-7
The internecine war between the Gileadites and Ephraimites was set in motion by Abimelech who set tribes at each others throat and as we shall see there are more such conflicts in the offing. Earlier to it we are given a ringside view of the spirit of revolt in the camp of Korah, Dathan & Co. The Spirit however gives us it silently working in them which is fought in earnest when the son of Gideon's concubine could get men of Shechem to back his power grab. Here we have now the struggle for pre-eminence between Ephraim and Gilead.
As Jeremiah would say whoever made his reliance on his arm was accursed. "Thus saith theLord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from theLord (Je.17:5)". The number of casualties as a result of the battle was 42x1000. This number connects it to the end times. Thousand signify that period of time. The beast in the latter days was given power for a duration of 42 months.("and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months".-Re.13:5b)). The culprit that caused this conflict was none other than Satan who gave the beast authority to muddy the glory of the word of God. The difference between Shibboleth and Sibboleth is how an ear of corn of corn becomes a burden. "They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn( Job 24:24)".
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before theLordin Mizpeh./And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
Jephthah was not picking a quarrel with the king in order to prove a point of his valor but God had willed it so. Moses in his farewell address "For theLordthy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee(De.31:3-6)". Just as Moses and Joshua had served before him Jephthah would have a formidable strategy, a willing formula that is trust. He spoke to the king, "So whomsoever theLordour God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess(vv. 23-24)".
Jephthah the mighty man of valour spoke, well not drawing attention to him but to the Omnipotent God whose word would never fail. The king shall know the Lord God is the sovereign Lord of heaven and the earth. His word whatever spoken therefore came up before the Word eternally settled in heaven. (Ps.119:89).
The Spirit also gives us a fatal error by which his spoke under oath and it was impossible for him to withdraw. The Spirit instructs us not to swear any oath owing to our infirmity in the flesh. God multitasks so events are in flux to which no one may foresee unless it is given from above. Jephthah never hoped to see his only child coming to greet him on his return.
Here below we have Jesus warning as to to the peril of oaths. God does not demand one from us knowing our weak nature. By an oath does anyone think to rise to His level? Grace is all that we need.
It is for this reason Jesus warned us,"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil(Matt.5:37)". We are accountable for every idle word spoken.
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel./And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:/And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon."
In this context let us go back to the fable of Jotham. "The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us./But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?((:8-9)"
What made olive tree bear the fatness to honor God and man but God who is the Head? When trees forget this crucial fact it bodes ill for them. They are clueless without God. What they choose shall be leaders without exception, fools whose short-sightedness only matched by the calamity brought in by events that turn contrary. This is one lesson we learned from wars in our century. Unless God is not the head, - the Tree of Liberty we shall keep counting Iraq, Afghanistan not to forget Vietnam so many bitter fruits of nation's misdaventure. You keep counting and it shall do no good. People perish for want of vision.
This is how man without God leads nations.
Israel had to come back to Jephthah whom they had earlier rejected because God had taken a hand in the matter.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
The Spirit sets Jephtha the Gileadite in the mold of Gideon by addressing him with the title God had used earlier."And the angel of theLordappeared unto him, and said unto him, TheLordis with thee, thou mighty man of valour(6:12)". This sets continuity which by the Law of Gradation invites comparison with God and we shall begin with this verse,"The right hand of theLordis exalted; the right hand of theLorddoeth valiantly(Ps.118:16-KJ21). This takes us all the way to the Son the Alpha Omega, the beginning and the ending. So when Jesus announces "but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.( John 16:33b)"what are we to assume? Is it not that the final outcome of the battle is already determined? For those who entrust their lives unto him, He is the King of kings Lord of Lords who is shown arrayed in all white and on a white horse. He bears this inscription, -"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords(Re.19:16)". Predestination by the word of God which is eternal, has covered us. It is a decree Ps.2:7-8. When John speaks of him reveals, "Who has made us kings and priests 'unto God and his Father(Re.1:6)"
Jephtha was the son of a harlot for which his brethren had cast him out. But God raises him out of exile as he did with Moses. God did not hold against Gideon for his Father's idol worship. God had already found him an extension of His sword and also sets events,- as we might say God multitasks, that we cannot refuse but take up our cross as mighty men of valor. As teachers, helps, administrators or as influencers God can make use of every Christian for His kingdom. God chose Jephtha despite of what shame he might have carried among his brethren."Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?/And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother!"
please remember to pray for me and my family today please remember to pray for my mother . We should all remember to thank the Lord for the love he shows up and thank him for all we have
Stay strong Stewart , you can be sure that God loves you very much . As for not understanding His Word as much as you thought :) that's definitely true of all of us , we are all on this site hoping to learn from each other so don't be afraid to post just because you don't understand everything , none of us do ! I'm so sorry that you have health problems , I've been where you are , not sure if it is the end of your days . Know this for sure , God sees you Stewart , He knows your heart and He is with you all day every day , through all your trials and tribulations and pain and fears , He will not leave you . Read your Bible every day , even if you can only read one chapter , do it . Think about what you have read , take time to digest it . Open your heart to His Word and His love and you will feel it . Don't be afraid , no matter what happens God is right there right now , today and tomorrow . He will not leave you . I find the Psalms to be very comforting whenever I'm feeling vulnerable I go there . David had a very tumultuous life and he faced all kinds of emotional distress and fears , in his own life and in the lives of those he loved , so his heart speaks from his experiences . Christ himself had a family life before his ministry , so he would have suffered sadness and upsets . Whatever else you do , you must be strong in Christ , his love for you is enormous , more than our hearts can ever feel and he is with you so trust in his love and allow it to surround you and comfort you . Psalm 145 .
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today in the name of Jesus, Who made the way for us to come before your throne and ask of You all that is on our hearts. How great and merciful You are!. We are asking for your grace in bringing together Jgrove and his future wife and also the same for our son Rob. Both have been waiting so long to finally meet the person You select for them to marry. May You answer their needs soon. In the mean time, prepare these women and these men for the marriage you are willing for them to enter and live all their lives with in godliness, love, and fruitfulness. We ask that You bring each person into a deep relationship with You and Your Son, filling each with Your Spirit and bestowing salvation on all. We ask that You will teach each one how to love deeply and sacrificially as Jesus loved. Teach each one to put You first and their spouse next in adoration and commitment. Teach each one to desire to walk in Your ways unwaveringly like Abraham did by faith. We ask that You cause their meeting to occur and for them to know in their hearts that they have met that special one chosen by You for them. We ask and thank You for all of these things today because we believe that You are happy to grant the prayers that align with Your will. Amen.
Like One-eighty and Jema, I encourage you to keep studying God's word to us. It is for us as spiritual food and we need it every day to be spiritually nourished and healthy.
All of us are learning from Scripture and each other as we share with one another on here. I am sure that you will be given wisdom and understanding to share with others here and for yourself to be built up in Christ to the full measure of maturity.
Approach the Scriptures with confidence that the Holy Spirit is in You and will illuminate in Scripture what is important for you to learn each day
him in His resurrected, glorified body when we are bodily resurrected and glorified. His! And His scars from the wounds of His sacrificial and purposeful, voluntary death will be most beautiful to us.
Revelation is very symbolic, but it is also the GOSPEL, the revealing of Jesus Christ.
Until the spirit causes you to SEE and UNDERSTAND that the Word of God is talking to the person reading it, and that person reading those words Is the most likely the SYMBOL your reading about, you will stay in darkness.
Revelation is addressing the church, but that church is not the RCC or the Baptist, of any other denomination church.
Your the CHURCH, and WE are riding the beast with the name WHORE written in our head.
We blaspheme HIS NAME every day by not believing what he SAYS.
You were BAPTISED by his resurrection INTO HIS NAME.
Revelation 21:22 And I saw no TEMPLE (church) therein, because the Lord God Almighty and the LAMB are the TEMPLE (CHURCH) thereof.
2 Corinthians 6:16 .....for ye are TEMPLE of the LIVING GOD ....
You and Christ BECAME ONE: BY HIS RESURRECTION.
A beast has NO KNOWLEDGE of God; we ride the beast, until: We are BORN AGAIN by the words (truth and knowledge) of God.
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns (the power of God, given to you by the truth and knowledge of God)) that thou sawest on the beast, THESE (the NEW CREATION) shall HATE the WHORE, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall ear her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Hebrews 12:29 Our God is a consuming fire ..... you WERE made ONE with Christ .... you are in, and have become the lake of fire.
Hebrews 1:7 ...and maketh his ministers A FLAME of FIRE .....
Isaiah 9:20 .... and shall EVERY MAN eat the FLESH of his own right arm ....
God BLESS YOU!
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"In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel".
'Unto that day' belongs to the part of the day of creation which is the first thing we need understand from here. Wherever the expression indicated 'unto this day it sets its frame of reference to the Day of the Lamb. In the episode of Achan we came across this verse, "And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So theLordturned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day(Josh.7:26)". The preceding verse spoken by Joshua gives us precisely its significance. "And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? theLordshall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones". He says,'The Lord shall trouble thee this day. " The day was set in terms of the Day of Judgement where the Son shall judge the living and the dead.
Here the Spirit is giving us at literal level regarding inheritance. The tribe of Dan went about in utmost secrecy 'For unto that day' all their inheritance had not fallen unto them. The Spirit emphasizes the day with this phrase to the inheritance of the saints in light. This is all the more set in contrast, in the manner the 600 men of valor handpicked from the tribe went about by stealth. They smote the village that went about their daily business unmolested holding no quarrel with the world. "unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire./And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man;(18:27-28).
"For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil.3:20-21)'
And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in./And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons./And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
"Then said Micah, Now know I that theLordwill do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."
In the time of the judges Micah found having 'a Levite to my priest' helped his house. In v.6 we read,"In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Thus the Levite was free to come as the "young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite," found out. If it was right in his eyes to sojourn where the pay was good it was, also by same argument right to leave where he had a better offer. When Jesus cleansed the temple there were sheep coming in and going out; similarly money came in and money changers attended to convert shekels into temple use. The Temple in Jerusalem did well but Jesus drove them all out.( John 2:15-17) Jesus said,"Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise(v.16)'.
Of course the house of Micah was not the house of God. Here we are comparing spiritual with spiritual things. House of Micah dealt with 'other man's riches' while Jesus Christ burning with the jealousy of His Father found the mercantile spirit ruling the roost in the temple precincts. In the age of consumerism consumables are what the world of the flesh holds as status symbol. This mercantile spirit qualifies a Canaanite."and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts (Ze.14:21)". The spirit of ungodliness making inroads in the national life of Israel and the verse quoted from Zechariah points to the latter days.
"The House of Micah"
"Yet he (Micah) restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah."
Micah stole and he made good knowing it was offered by his mother as a vow. "His mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto theLordfrom my hand for my son." The Spirit gives us a hint by the value of silver that went into making a graven image and a molten image' that it was a trespass pure and simple, In the Book of Leviticus we have the mention of the thief making good of the value stolen by adding one fifth thereto which form the part of trespass offering. "Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering(Le.6:5). What went into the house of Micah, which was not Bethel or the House of God, was the money that belonged to his mother. The Spirit signifies it belonging to mammon or 'other man's riches.' It is how heresies with their church planting achieves and one may call it XY and another A2Z church or whatever.. When their names hit the headlines in news media what the world gets to see are tax evasion, child abuse sexual immorality and greed of their pastors. Ultimately their activism turns out to be simple abuse of their position in disseminating hate and division.
5And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
While God has commanded Joshua to set up the Ark of the covenant at Shiloh how valid was the house of Micah?
'In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.'
Set this verse in a context of the Ark of the tabernacle being set up under Joshua in Shiloh. "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them(Josh.18:1)".God dwelt there by implication that explains the last line. The land was subdued or was at rest. For this reason wherever the Spirit placed a tag there,'So the land had peacefor forty years,until Othniel son of Kenaz (3:11-NIV) The Spirit informs that under Othniel who judged the people of the covenant, the land was at rest. Othniel was only a visible image of the invisible God (Col.1:15). Thus with many other Judges mentioned in the book.
The Spirit in narrating the role of Micah during the times of the Judges is giving us the slow contagion of heresy, which in our times the ecumenical movement represents, slowly gaining ground among the Israelites. Christians in our times are more to be toeing the correct doctrine which loses somewhat in translation but in effect dividing the body of Christ in the many sects.They are a law unto themselves and we find sometimes unsavory details of their abuse hitting the headlines.Like Samson many Christians holds truth of the gospels but to acquire the mind of Christ means swimming against the tide of the ungodliness of modern world. They all want to be seen good and do whatever they think right.
In the text what we read must be set in context of the warning of Moses, " Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you."(De.12:8-9)
God teaches us on a ONE by ONE basis.
The WORD is for YOU.
When you make comments, even if no one reads it, it TEACHES YOU because your writing those words and those words become afrimed to you as truth.
But we also much constantly adjust our carnal mind, it is being destroyed by the truth of God's ward.
We go from ONE truth to another truth as God replaces his mind for our carnal mind.
Everyone on this forum is experiencing the same process, we all have differences in our beliefs because we are all at different points of growth in truth.
It's only when you admit to yourself that you don't understand that you grow, because you DESIRE MORE knowledge, and God will continue to feed you, like a child.
We ought to edify each other not tear down each other down.
TRUTH, you were RESURRECTED ONE with Christ.
All other truths come as God reveals them to you.
Keep commenting, It helps YOU as much and probably more than anyone else.
God BLESS YOU!
In the yar 2001, The United States was the single largest economy on the planet, followed by the European Union- Both economic Powers were represented on the Twin Towers,but the 7 towers were built symbolizing the 7 regions of the Earth-Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania(Australia), North America, Central America, and South America, but two Towers were the main ones, the Twin Towers, the others were secondary, they had less meaning except a representation of the 7 regions of the Earth.WTC.
Humanity had just entered a new millennium,from the sixth to the seventh(check it in purebibleforum about the exact difference of 240 years-in-the-jewish-calendar), so, according Scriptures at the turn of a new Day( 2Peter 3:v.8), therefore, the seventh and last Day or seventh and last millennium.
The fall of the two towers of the World Trade Center signified that both Economies-USA and UE(European Union)- would fall in ruin day after day, in the days to come, and upon the earth distress of nations(of the whole earth),with perplexity;Men's hearts failing them for fear,and for looking after the things which are coming on the earth.And this generation shall not pass away,till all be fulfilled.
Again:The material things are figures of spiritual things.After the fall of the WTC in the year 2001,there was a sucession of terrible significative events until the current time,and the worst is in the way,the worst will happen from now on,that is the beginning of the last week,week 70th Daniel 9:27; the last 7 years of the World of Devil is arriving.
And Revelation 11:15-18 will LITERALLY be fulfilled
Get ready
How will be this partnership between the MAN Beast of the sea(sea are peoples,and nations,and multitudes of all tongues- Revelation 17:15),and the MAN Beast of the earth that is like a lamb,a false lamb,a false messiah,AN IMPOSTOR- John 5:43-,yeah, how will be this partnership?
Revelation 13:2 gives us the answer for this question, that is:
To the MAN Beast of sea which is like unto a leopard,and his feet as the feet of a bear,and his mouth as the mouth of a lion(actually it refers the roots of this satanic Gentile Beast- Daniel 7:4-6, yeah, to him the false messiah-the dragon-Rev.13:11-,will give his Power, and his Seat(in Jerusalem, where is the Throne of Satan),and great Authority-Rev.13:2,and Power will be given unto the MAN Beast of sea-to the last of the Popes or Papacy,for forty and two months- Revelation 13:5.By the way,this period of 42 months ruled by the last Pope sat in the Throne of the false messiah in Jerusalem is the FIRST HALF of the last week-week 70th, Daniel 9:27,so Catholicism(iron)and the esoteric and kabbalistic Judaism(the clay)both will be together to establish an Universal and satanic religious kingdom,and then will LITERALLY be fulfilled what my Lord JESUS prophesied: "...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles(with the Pope enthroned in Jerusalem by the false messiah),until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled-that is the fullness of the Gentiles"- Luke 21:24 combined with Revelation 11:2
Get ready
By the way,the physical city of Jerusalem is the primal/original prostitute called Oholibah-Jewish Bible-Yechezkel(Ez.)23:4 and 14-19:-
4 -Ez. 23:4 says:"Jerusalem (is)Oholibah."
14And she increased her harlotries,and she saw men engraved on the wall...engraved with types of drawings.
15Girded with girdles on their loins,colored hanging turbans on their heads/exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads;the appearance of mighty men all of them(like the 266 Popes that existed in the Papacy),the likeness of the children of Babylon-Chaldeans-the land of their birth.By the way, the ROOTS of the MAN Beast of sea,according to the Revelation 13:2 is as follow: The Beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,and his feet were as the feet of a bear,and his mouth as the mouth of a lion(as was prophesied:Dan.7:4-6):and the dragon(the MAN Beast of earth like a lamb- Revelation 13:11-,a false messiah,actually the own Satan incarnated,father of the Jews- John 8:44-45)gave him-gave to the MAN Beast of sea-his Power, and his Seat(his Throne in Jerusalem),and great Authority-Rev.13:2.
16And she lusted for them at the sight [that reached] her eyes,and she sent messengers to them,to [the land of] the Chaldeans.
17And the children of Babylon came to her for a bed of love, and they defiled her with their harlotry,and she became defiled through them,and her soul was disgusted with them.
18And she revealed her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness, My soul became disgusted with her,as had become disgusted with her sister.
19And she increased her harlotries,to remember the days of her youth,when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
Peace and understanding go together and can never be found alone.
There is a loud voice that speaks to us of CONDITIONAL love (which is not love at all) while hiding it in dark cornerstones of fear. It is intrusive, always speaking first because it wants to violate our free will to choose to be still and listen to the Voice for God Whom patiently awaits for us listen to Him regarding God's Perfect UNCONDITIONAL Love for us. The Holy Spirit's Voice is only as loud as our willingness to listen; it can NEVER be louder without violating our freedom of choice which the Holy Spirit seeks to restore, but never to undermine. The Holy Spirit's Voice is always quiet because it always speaks of peace. The ego's voice is divided, always speaking in terms of opposition, which lends to chaos and confusion to our mind; putting it in a state of warfare, rendering peace impossible.
The expression "God is not mocked" is not a warning but a reassurance; God would be mocked if ANY of His creations lacked holiness. We cannot make ourselves unworthy because we are the treasure of God, and what He values IS valuable.
The Word of God is simple BECAUSE It is not divided by HIS opposition of His Own likeness and qualities. The Holy Spirit will NEVER hide the truth. His giving of it is unlimited; we simply limit our receiving by our false belief He can oppose Himself and be divided. Division, separation and death are the ego's occupation.
Be thankful your days are numbered. "Days" are indicative of time, where God is NOT. He is eternal, thus time is meaningless; being only useful to give us all the "time" we need to choose eternity as our reality.
Refrain from asking the Holy Spirit to heal the body, for the body is the ego's idol. We should ask instead for our mind to be healed; for an unhealed mind which is always in a state of fear, is the source of All sickness. The Source of all healing is the Mind of God, i.e. PERFECT LOVE.
You are in my prayers.
Peace
"Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." The key to it is this phrase," forever" in context of his Son, both Jew and Gentile are set down in the book of life in terms of Jesus Christ. Amen
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead./
8And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel./9And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
In this list of names their role were as judges and as matter of course served the house of Israel and the Spirit do not pause to give them encomiums, and rightly so since they ruled by the Spirit of God and not by their own merits. "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me(Is.63:5)". The Spirit uses however certain tags to give their service within the context of the Son as the Judge. So threescore and ten ass colts found place here because the Spirit is serving multilayered account of the Salvation Plan of God.
Earlier we read of "Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years./And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts(10:3-4)", Here we have Abdon associated with ass colts which are hovever 70 in number.
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel./And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. He belonged to Ephraim while Jair belonged to Gilead.
What is the significance? Gilead and Ephraim just went through a bitter conflict, 'and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand'(12:6). In Christ Jesus their middle wall of partition was removed. 70 number connects Ephraim and Gilead to the Prince of peace. 70 is a command number to refer the end times.
When God delivered Israel from Egypt he freed them from their burdens. They were a people and not 12 tribes each indivisible part of the whole. In the choice of Judges also we see this. Israel's blessings on his death bed foresaw Judah ''The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his fee(Ge.49:10a). The Judges were whoever handpicked by God from the whole. All these were in frame of reference to his Son. that is all.
Here we see instead a conflict between brethren and were under the partisan spirit of Satan.
"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am theLord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:/ And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am theLordyour God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians(Ex.6:6-7)."
"And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand."12:6-7
The internecine war between the Gileadites and Ephraimites was set in motion by Abimelech who set tribes at each others throat and as we shall see there are more such conflicts in the offing. Earlier to it we are given a ringside view of the spirit of revolt in the camp of Korah, Dathan & Co. The Spirit however gives us it silently working in them which is fought in earnest when the son of Gideon's concubine could get men of Shechem to back his power grab. Here we have now the struggle for pre-eminence between Ephraim and Gilead.
As Jeremiah would say whoever made his reliance on his arm was accursed. "Thus saith theLord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from theLord (Je.17:5)". The number of casualties as a result of the battle was 42x1000. This number connects it to the end times. Thousand signify that period of time. The beast in the latter days was given power for a duration of 42 months.("and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months".-Re.13:5b)). The culprit that caused this conflict was none other than Satan who gave the beast authority to muddy the glory of the word of God. The difference between Shibboleth and Sibboleth is how an ear of corn of corn becomes a burden. "They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn( Job 24:24)".
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before theLordin Mizpeh./And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
Jephthah was not picking a quarrel with the king in order to prove a point of his valor but God had willed it so. Moses in his farewell address "For theLordthy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee(De.31:3-6)". Just as Moses and Joshua had served before him Jephthah would have a formidable strategy, a willing formula that is trust. He spoke to the king, "So whomsoever theLordour God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess(vv. 23-24)".
Jephthah the mighty man of valour spoke, well not drawing attention to him but to the Omnipotent God whose word would never fail. The king shall know the Lord God is the sovereign Lord of heaven and the earth. His word whatever spoken therefore came up before the Word eternally settled in heaven. (Ps.119:89).
The Spirit also gives us a fatal error by which his spoke under oath and it was impossible for him to withdraw. The Spirit instructs us not to swear any oath owing to our infirmity in the flesh. God multitasks so events are in flux to which no one may foresee unless it is given from above. Jephthah never hoped to see his only child coming to greet him on his return.
Here below we have Jesus warning as to to the peril of oaths. God does not demand one from us knowing our weak nature. By an oath does anyone think to rise to His level? Grace is all that we need.
It is for this reason Jesus warned us,"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil(Matt.5:37)". We are accountable for every idle word spoken.
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel./And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:/And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon."
In this context let us go back to the fable of Jotham. "The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us./But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?((:8-9)"
What made olive tree bear the fatness to honor God and man but God who is the Head? When trees forget this crucial fact it bodes ill for them. They are clueless without God. What they choose shall be leaders without exception, fools whose short-sightedness only matched by the calamity brought in by events that turn contrary. This is one lesson we learned from wars in our century. Unless God is not the head, - the Tree of Liberty we shall keep counting Iraq, Afghanistan not to forget Vietnam so many bitter fruits of nation's misdaventure. You keep counting and it shall do no good. People perish for want of vision.
This is how man without God leads nations.
Israel had to come back to Jephthah whom they had earlier rejected because God had taken a hand in the matter.
"Jephtha"
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
The Spirit sets Jephtha the Gileadite in the mold of Gideon by addressing him with the title God had used earlier."And the angel of theLordappeared unto him, and said unto him, TheLordis with thee, thou mighty man of valour(6:12)". This sets continuity which by the Law of Gradation invites comparison with God and we shall begin with this verse,"The right hand of theLordis exalted; the right hand of theLorddoeth valiantly(Ps.118:16-KJ21). This takes us all the way to the Son the Alpha Omega, the beginning and the ending. So when Jesus announces "but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.( John 16:33b)"what are we to assume? Is it not that the final outcome of the battle is already determined? For those who entrust their lives unto him, He is the King of kings Lord of Lords who is shown arrayed in all white and on a white horse. He bears this inscription, -"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords(Re.19:16)". Predestination by the word of God which is eternal, has covered us. It is a decree Ps.2:7-8. When John speaks of him reveals, "Who has made us kings and priests 'unto God and his Father(Re.1:6)"
Jephtha was the son of a harlot for which his brethren had cast him out. But God raises him out of exile as he did with Moses. God did not hold against Gideon for his Father's idol worship. God had already found him an extension of His sword and also sets events,- as we might say God multitasks, that we cannot refuse but take up our cross as mighty men of valor. As teachers, helps, administrators or as influencers God can make use of every Christian for His kingdom. God chose Jephtha despite of what shame he might have carried among his brethren."Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?/And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother!"