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'Please Click on Apply'
Proverbs (How to) To illustrate what we are doing in our struggle with good and evil; some of the hows are delineated in the Proverbs: how to do things, how to act or how to live. The word proverb, Mashal = comparison. One author states that God is not mentioned directly in the Proverbs. Conversely, when we read Psalms, we see that God is mentioned nearly everyplace and everywhere. Psalms (Confessional; praise) The psalms are seemingly all about God and what he has done for us and is doing for us in our struggle with good and evil. Here is where we own up (confess) his sovereignty over all things. Psalm = A sacred song or hymn; composed on a divine subject and in praise of God. Placing these two books back to back in the Bible, as they are, is a great idea because we can easily see that the psalms represent the justification part of the law (gospel), and the proverbs represent the sanctification part of the law(gospel). Brilliantly thought out; brilliantly placed. Both books also include details about justification, wherever they are mentioned, and both books include details about sanctification, wherever. Quite majorly, though, they emphasize what their names seem to signify. When we take time to look up what words mean, it helps us apply them more appropriately in our discussions. Let’s always 'click on apply'. *******************
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The Deep Things of God
Revelation, Chpt. 5: The book is offered before the universe from a right hand that is eternal. This hand’s power has no beginning and no ending: unlike us. The book, then, can be looked on as an eternal document, spanning not just times only, as we look at times, but dual and manifold times in a way we are yet to view and comprehend. We see this book taken from the throne person, celebrated by the angelic hosts, and then opened in front of John to reveal things in the years just ahead of John’s time. However, at the same time, in the same fashion as Jesus did in Matthew 24, a blended prophecy is contained within this revelation, namely words about when and how the seed which was promised in Eden would finally crush the head of the serpent. There is so much celebration here—and with a new song being composed just for this moment —that it would seem to signify that a great culminating thesis is here to be opened. This book holds eternal messages, from eternal times, presented in eternal ways: the deep things of God. *******************
The Two Beginnings
In the beginning the Word received author-ization to make a whole new world. And the Spirit brooded upon the waters of the deep vacant lot. In front of Angels and the rest of the people in the universe, these two persons made the crowning acts of God’s creation—man. Man was made male and female, and they were a new and distinct order. They were created two, and they were created in the image of their God. The two of them together, as a oneness couple, reflected the glory of their creator perfectly. In the 5th chapter of Revelation, we see a book taken, opened, and read from. This book displays a redeemed group of mankind which are in work-harmony with their creator, and who reflect the glory of their God perfectly. Also, in this revelation is shown a new heaven and a new earth being created anew, wherein dwelleth righteousness, even the righteousness of the God himself. Instead of visiting man every day in the cool of the evening, as in the first genesis, He will dwell with them permanently. Words of life were proclaimed at the beginning of things here on earth, and now this book of revelation proclaims that words will be said at the end. The Spirit, just as at the beginning, is the person who gets it done: not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit. The spirit illumin-ates every word in the bible; thus, its attach- ment to the word of God from the beginning of each creation of God. Our zealous attachment to the Spirit will also show that we are one spirit with God. We, who are near the end, should show a deep interest in the book of revelation. “To John, the Lord opened the subjects that He saw would be needed by His people in the last days. The instruction that He gave is found in the book of Revelation. Those who would be co-workers with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will show a deep interest in the truths found in this book. With pen and voice they will strive to make plain the wonderful things that Christ came from heaven to reveal.” —Testimonies to the church, Vol. 8, pg. 301 *******************
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