The Principle Principle

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? (Jas. 4:12)

There Aren’t Enough Micaiah ben Imlah’s In the United States

Micaiah said, ‘As Yahweh lives, I shall speak as Yahweh tells me!’

When he came to the king, the king said, ‘Micaiah, should we go and attack Ramoth in Gilead, or should we hold back?’ He replied, ‘Go ahead! Success is sure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!’  The king then said, ‘How often must I put you on oath to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?’ Then he spoke out: I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no master, let them all go safely home!’

At this the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he never gives me favourable prophecies, but only unfavourable ones?’

Micaiah went on, ‘Now listen to the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with the whole array of heaven standing by him, on his right and on his left. Yahweh said, “Who will entice Ahab into marching to his death at Ramoth in Gilead?” At which some answered one way, and some another.  A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, “I will entice him.”  “How?” Yahweh asked. He replied, “I shall go and be a deceptive spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.” Yahweh said, “You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it.”  And now, you see, Yahweh has put a deceptive spirit into the mouths of all your prophets here, for in fact Yahweh has pronounced disaster on you.’

Zedekiah son of Chenaanah then came up, struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, ‘Which way did Yahweh’s spirit leave me, to speak to you?’  ‘That is what you will find out,’ Micaiah retorted, ‘the day you go from room to room, trying to hide.’ (1 Ki. 22:14-25)

Quote of the Day

The wrath of man cannot accomplish the righteousness of God.- James 1:2

Godlessness Produces Fear

And the punishment of the godless is nicely described in Lev 26:36-

The sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

Fear as punishment.  Fear as an abiding unrelenting condition is divine punishment for the godless.

You show me someone who is constantly afraid and I’ll show you someone utterly godless.

Quote of the Day

Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is trust in a faithless person in time of trouble.  (Prov 25:19)

Quote of the Day

Sirach- thanks for the helpful reminder-

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Since the womb they have gone astray, the wicked, on the wrong path since their birth, with their unjust verdicts.  They are poisonous as any snake, deaf as an adder that blocks its ears so as not to hear the magician’s music, however skilful his spells.

God, break the teeth in their mouths, snap off the fangs of these young lions, Yahweh. May they drain away like water running to waste, may they wither like trampled grass, like the slug that melts as it moves or a still-born child that never sees the sun. Before they sprout thorns like the bramble, green or burnt up, may retribution whirl them away. The upright will rejoice to see vengeance done, and will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.  (Ps. 58:3-10)

Quote of the Day

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. – Ps 9:15

With a Wink and a Nod, The Evil Man Makes Known to All His True Intentions

Worthless people and guilty people go around with crooked talk. They wink their eyes, gesture with their feet, and point with their fingers. Their hearts are corrupt and determined to do evil; they create controversies all the time. Therefore, sudden disaster will come upon them; they will be quickly broken beyond healing. (Prov. 6:12-15)

If Being Liked is Your Goal, Christian Discipleship Isn’t For You

‘Disciple is not superior to teacher, nor slave to master.  It is enough for disciple to grow to be like teacher, and slave like master. If they have called the master of the house “Beelzebul”, how much more the members of his household?  ‘So do not be afraid of them.

Everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.  What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.  ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. (Matt. 10:24-28)

It’s weird that so many Christians would rather please people than God.

Famine

I have sent a famine in all your cities, and not provided enough bread in all your places, yet you didn’t return to me, says the LORD. I also withheld rain from you when there were still three months to the harvest. I allowed no rain to fall on one city, no rain to fall on another city. One field was rained on, and the field dried up where it didn’t rain.

So two or three thirsty towns went to one city to drink water, and weren’t satisfied; yet you didn’t return to me, says the LORD. I struck you with disease and mildew. I destroyed your gardens and your vineyards. The locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you didn’t return to me, says the LORD. I sent a plague against you like the one in Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword. I carried away your horses. I made the stink of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you didn’t return to me, says the LORD.

I destroyed some of you, as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning coal plucked out of the fire; yet you didn’t return to me, says the LORD. Truly, Israel, I will act in this way toward you; therefore, I will do this to you. Prepare to meet your God, Israel! (Amos 4:6-12)

The Best Advice

Do not reveal your thoughts to anyone, or you may drive away your happiness. –  Sirach 8:19

Pride Comes Before Destruction

As Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, the king said, “Babylon the great! Was it not I, with my great strength, who built it as a royal residence for my splendor and majesty?”

While these words were still on the king’s lips, a voice spoke from heaven, “It has been decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingship is taken from you! You shall be cast out from human society, and shall dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to eat like an ox, and seven years shall pass over you, until you learn that the Most High is sovereign over human kingship and gives it to whom he will.”

At once this was fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar was cast out from human society, he ate grass like an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle, and his nails like the claws of a bird. – Daniel 4

My Present Mood…

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are have a pure heart. But me? My feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped because I envied the arrogant; I observed how the wicked are well off:

They suffer no pain; their bodies are fit and strong. They are never in trouble; they aren’t weighed down like other people. That’s why they wear arrogance like a necklace, why violence covers them like clothes. Their eyes bulge out from eating so well; their hearts overflow with delusions. They scoff and talk so cruel; from their privileged positions they plan oppression. Their mouths dare to speak against heaven! Their tongues roam the earth! That’s why people keep going back to them, keep approving what they say. And what they say is this: “How could God possibly know! Does the Most High know anything at all!” Look at these wicked ones, always relaxed, piling up the wealth!

Meanwhile, I’ve kept my heart pure for no good reason; I’ve washed my hands to stay innocent for nothing. I’m weighed down all day long. I’m punished every morning. If I said, “I will talk about all this,” I would have been unfaithful to your children. But when I tried to understand these things, it just seemed like hard work until I entered God’s sanctuary and understood what would happen to the wicked.

You will definitely put them on a slippery path; you will make them fall into ruin! How quickly they are devastated, utterly destroyed by terrors! As quickly as a dream departs from someone waking up, my Lord, when you are stirred up, you make them disappear. When my heart was bitter, when I was all cut up inside, I was stupid and ignorant. I acted like nothing but an animal toward you. But I was still always with you! You held my strong hand! You have guided me with your advice; later you will receive me with glory.

Do I have anyone else in heaven? There’s nothing on earth I desire except you. My body and my heart fail, but God is my heart’s rock and my share forever. Look! Those far from you die; you annihilate all those who are unfaithful to you. But me? It’s good for me to be near God. I have taken my refuge in you, my LORD God, so I can talk all about your works! (Ps. 73:1-28)

Scripture for the Day

When a ruler listens to false reports, all his cabinet will be scoundrels. (Prov. 29:12)

Spend Some Time With Jeremiah

Jeremiah then came back from Topheth where Yahweh had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court of the Temple of Yahweh and said to all the people, ‘Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, “Yes, on this city, and on all the towns belonging to it, I shall bring all the disaster which I had decreed for it, since they have stubbornly refused to listen to my words.” ‘

Now the priest Pashhur son of Immer, who was the chief of police in the Temple of Yahweh, heard Jeremiah making this prophecy. Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah and then put him in the stocks, in the Upper Benjamin Gate leading into the Temple of Yahweh. Next day, Pashhur had Jeremiah taken out of the stocks; Jeremiah then said to him, ‘Not Pashhur but Terror-on-every-Side is Yahweh’s name for you.

For Yahweh says this, “I am going to hand you over to terror, you and all your friends; they will fall by the sword of their enemies, your own eyes will see it. The whole of Judah, too, I shall hand over to the king of Babylon; he will carry them off captive to Babylon and put them to the sword. And all the wealth of this city, all its stores, all its valuables, all the treasures of the kings of Judah, I shall hand over to their enemies who will plunder them, round them up and carry them off to Babylon. As for you, Pashhur, and your whole household, you will go into captivity; you will go to Babylon; there you will die, and there be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.” ‘ (Jer. 19:14-20:6)

Scripture for the Day

“The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.” (Eccl. 9:17–18)

Scripture for the Hour

Beware, for evil is ahead of you. — (Exod. 10:10)

If This Describes You… You Should Do Better

I know about your behaviour: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; put some resolve into what little vigour you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in your behaviour that my God could possibly call perfect; remember how you first heard the message. Hold on to that. Repent! If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, and you will have no idea at what hour I shall come upon you.  (Rev. 3:1-3)

Scripture for the Day

Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,  knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.  (Tit. 3:10-11)