F2F, I am not leaving(curbing time here) because of others. It is me. For some reason, I have lived in isolation. Now, I long for relationship with His. This, the board, as much as I like to speak to others about the Word; boards and post do not = relationship. There is an ache in me. I can't figure the gnawing out. There needs to be more prayer and seeking; less board.
I am not ready to voice there is no devil, or evil spirits: only the ugly nature of corruptible flesh. It seems something entices it. Scripture says: God does not tempt. I did read your post on illness; I would agree...yet I have seen evil. I have stared in the face of cruelty and it seemed very spiritual in nature. I do believe we can benefit from staring into the leviathan which is obviously flesh and agree: our(mans) attempt to subdue the flesh is a fools errand. It takes God's power. It is nothing we can do.
I do ask others to consider: God in the flesh(The Son) was crucified for our benefit. The bloody crucifixion, we will accept because it benefits us. Was God, the ONE who purposed and fulfilled the crucifixion on our behalf...demonstrating love??
If you can't even look into the Word and seek all parts of an Holy God(a God that does not change) and trust that He IS good, even in what we do not understand. Then how can you say you know Him?
Daniel 3:17 KJV
[17] If it be so , our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Daniel 2:19-23 KJV
[19] Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. [20] Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: [21] And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: [22] He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. [23] I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Daniel 3:24-25 KJV
[24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. [25] He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26] Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither . Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. [27] And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. [28] Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Ezekiel 14:21-23 KJV
[21] For thus saith the Lord God ; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? [22] Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. [23] And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God .
Mans destruction destroys without cause.
God does not do anything without cause.
Mans vengeance accomplishes NOTHING.
Gods vengeance accomplishes EVERYTHING.
Ezekiel 16 KJV
For thus saith the Lord God ; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. [60] Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. [61] Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. [62] And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord : [63] That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God .
Ezekiel 17:12-24 KJV
[12] Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean ? tell them , Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; [13] And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: [14] That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. [15] But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things ? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? [16] As I live, saith the Lord God , surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. [17] Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons: [18] Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things , he shall not escape. [19] Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. [20] And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. [21] And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it . [22] Thus saith the Lord God ; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it ; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: [23] In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. [24] And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it .
Psalm 78:18-20 KJV
[18] And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. [19] Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? [20] Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
Yes. God can. And GOD did.
Psalm 78:41 KJV
[41] Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Let us not limit the Holy One of Israel.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 KJV
[12] And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men , even as we do toward you: [13] To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
The LORD has done it.
