The arch enemy convinced our first parents that fig leaves were good enough to cover their nakedness. What today’s churches teach is generally a figment of Satan’s imagination to cover the nakedness of God’s word.
No sensible woman would make a dress out of fig leaves. They’d soon dry out or blow away, and reveal what was underneath. But Eve thought fig leaves made fine clothing to cover her nakedness. Christians, today, sew fig leaves together to cover the naked truth of God’s word. Let’s see.Christians will be raptured to heaven to escape the coming time of tribulation.Jesus said immediately after – not before – the tribulation he will return, and send his angels to gather the elect from around the world (Matthew 24:29-31). Christians will go to heaven when they die.Jesus told his disciples no man has gone to heaven (John 3:13). Peter verified this in Acts 2:29,34 when he said, “Let me freely speak of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day. For David is not ascended into the heavens.” If anyone should be in heaven we might believe it would be David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). True, yet Jesus never talked about people going to an ever-burning hell fire. He referred to people going to the grave to await His return (John 5:28-29). Nearly every biblical mention of hell refers to the Hebrew <sheol>, or the Greek <hades>, both of which mean the grave. True, again, but Satan is the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9). Peter used the Greek word <tartaroo> when he wrote about eternal torment (2 Peter 2:4), and says this is reserved, not for humans, but for the angels that sinned. Both Peter and Jude refer to an eternal torment, not of fire but of darkness (Jude 1:6). The Bible says there is a fire that is not quenched. Light a match and let it simply burn out. This is a fire that is not quenched. The references in Mark 9:43-48 are equations: if the fire burns forever, then worms have eternal life. These verses do not indicate an ever-burning fire, but one which no one will extinguish. When everything that has been burning turns to ash, the fire will simply die out. This is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15) which awaits the few incorrigibles who adamantly refuse God’s rule over them. The rest of mankind will trample their ashes under foot (Malachi 4:3), and we won’t even remember they existed (Ecclesiastes 9:5). This Life Lines series has shown several fig-leaf theories of Satan’s devising to hide the truth of the bible. In Genesis 3:21 we’re told God made garments of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. The Hebrew for clothed means to array, or adorn. God’s handiwork was of optimal quality, designed to adorn the truth of their beauty. Which do you prefer, fig leaves that hide the truth, or God’s perfect adornment of it? Luke 19:10
'For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost!' - God does not want to see anyone lost. - He persistently and passionately pursues each of us. - He will not let you or your family, slip from His hands. - He will not give up on anyone and that includes you, Andre. PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your persistence with me. You are my Lord and I commit my life and my future into Your hands. Ame LORD you have done such great things! How deep are your thoughts! Psa 92:5 God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours. We aren't even in the same neighbourhood. We're thinking, Preserve the body; he's thinking, Save the soul. We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. "I'm going to live before I die," we resolve. "Die, so you can live," he instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions. We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, "Be like Mike." God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and a torn side and says, "Be like Christ." The Great House of God (Max Lucado) God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. Revelation 21:4
The world continues to be filled with injustice, pain, and heartache. And many today may feel as if they are leaving a trail of tears—tears that go unnoticed and grief that is not comforted. But our Lord sees our tears and comforts our weary hearts (2 Cor. 1:3-5). He also declares the hope of a future time not marked by the stains of sin or injustice. In that day and in that place, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). The God who offers freedom from tears in the future is the only One who can fully comfort our tears now. When God permits trials, He also provides comfort. Ons leef in ’n wêreld wat ons toegooi met derduisende keuses. Skakel jy die TV aan, is daar ’n massa kanale om van te kies. Tussendeur maak die internet en alles wat die wêreld in jou keel afdruk jou daaglikse keuses niks makliker nie. Hoe weet jy wat is reg en wat is verkeerd? En hoe maak jy steeds goeie keuses tussen al die moontlikhede waaraan jy blootgestel is? Wel, jy benodig ’n paar eenvoudige beginsels vir jou lewe uit God se Woord. Ek praat van ’n beslissende kernwaarheid soos dié in Kolossense 3 dat God se eer altyd voorop staan. Of dat jy as volgeling van Jesus geroep is om ander mense te dien, soos wat Hy in Markus 10:42-45 sê. Vir Jesus is klein immers die nuwe groot, en agter die nuwe voor. Om nie eens van swak as die nuwe sterk te praat nie. Gebruik elke keer hierdie eenvoudige waarhede as padaanwysers as jy keuses moet maak. ’n Eenvoudige, maar lewenveranderende waardestelsel uit die Bybel vereenvoudig jou keuses en jou daaglikse manier van leef. O ja, nog een vraag: het jyself ’n duidelike Bybelse waardestelsel in plek in jou lewe wat as jou kompas dien?
One of the greatest problems many people have today is that they do not think well of themselves. The Lord commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves Mat 19:19 therefore it is as important to love ourselves as it is to love others. Be stable, rooted and grounded in Gods Love always & you will succeed.
Psalm 130:5-6 leer ons om te wag op God dit beteken dat ons dag na dag op God aleen wag. Sy Goedheid, Sy teenwoordigheid Sy goedheid Sy nabyheid...
Om reg op God te wag is nie op daaglikse brood nie maar op die Here Self ons daaglikse brood. Dit is nie om te wag op die groen weivelde wat die Here gee nie maar op die Here self as die weiveld. Ons moet wag tot ons saam met Psalm 23:1 kan se die Here is my Herder ek kom niks kort nie There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily egrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. Author Unknown Do you know that you are special to God Zephaniah 3:17. We pray that Jesus will hold you close, that you will be under the protection of His wings Psalm17:8. May you experience His sweet presence and love Psalm 16:11. May you be strengthened and healed Isaiah 58:8 when you experience the fiery circumstances you will not be burned Isaiah 43:2 We know that you will have a wonderful and blessed day because God is Good.
To get something you never had you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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