(10/15/2018) The Gift Of GOD

Today, the reply is on salvation as a gift from GOD that rewards, yet, challenges and chastens those who receive it. Salvation is a divine process not one that has been fashioned by mankind. Salvation serves against sin, and does not satisfy every finite desire or temporal lust. The immense value of salvation comes by its inclusion of such elements as balance; being accounted as someone having great worth and value; becoming Christlike and displaying his image; completeness; focus; forgiveness; life; and eternal life. Believers are encouraged to “stir up the gift,” however, correctly understood it is the process of GOD that it is the believer who is to be stirred up, and that, by the gift. The fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” Religion and Spirituality public forum who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shared) posted the following:

Is my life worth living anymore?

I listen to people like Paul Washer, David Platt, etc and they say things like Jesus does not love everyone or did not die for everyone. I guess I was not worth dying for to him so maybe my life is not worth much. It sucks to be like this. I just want truth. I can barely cry out for repentance and I can't stop sinning. I need to forsake all sin. I am ready to give up.

Update: This is so hard... Who is telling the truth? I do not want to commit suicide over religion

THE GOLDEN ARROW: Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1: 16-18, King James Version, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Given Us From Heaven? (09/25/2018); First, Become Born Again (09/21/2018); Blessed Assurances Are Provided (09/19/2018); Believers Must Become “Ripe” (09/02/2018); Rendering Our Reasonable Service (06/15/2018); Forsaken Upon The Cross? (03/17/2016); We Are Still Sinning (11/30/2013); Like A Thief? (12/01/2013); Struggling (05/11/2013); Through Much Tribulation (05/12/2013)

“Anonymous”, here are some thoughts shared among mature Christian believers who acknowledge that life as a follower of Jesus is often difficult, distressing, and perplexing. Developing believers are to acknowledge that the multiple operations of divinity within their own lives are freely given gifts from GOD. The nature and process of sharing divine gifts is one that goes beyond simply igniting gratitude or lending fuel to obligation. Those who become endowed are also to display accountability, decision-making, dutifulness, longsuffering, patience, restraint, quiet strength, trust, and zeal. Believers are to avoid overly relying on the counsels and opinions of clergy, family, friends and one another by acknowledging instead the teachings from Scripture as their sacred standard and measuring rule. Thus, consider the following that uses language from the Bible:

(1.) 1^st Corinthians 2: 1-5, King James Version (KJV): 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

(2.) Jeremiah 29: 11, KJV: 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

(3.) Joshua 1: 9, KJV: 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

(4.) Ephesians 2: 1-10, KJV: 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

(5.) 2^nd Corinthians 4: 6-10, KJV: 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

There is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (6.) 2^nd Corinthians 4: 17-18, KJV: 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX

Washington, DC

(07/01/2014) The Value of Man?

A brief Scripture study is shared today focused upon the excellence of mankind as an aspect of Creation.  Man is exalted, lifted to an otherwise unattainable height, by endowments from GOD that establish life, even divine love appearing as operations of grace and faith.

SOME THOUGHTS ON

3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  (Romans 12:  3, KJV)



Genesis 1:  27 (KJV)  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.


Genesis 3:  17-19 (KJV)  17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:  cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;  18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.


Exodus 13:  1-2 (KJV)  1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast:  it is mine.


Job 7:  17-18 (KJV)  17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?  18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?


Job 15:  7-15 (KJV)  7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?  8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?  9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?  10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.  11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?  12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,  13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?  14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?  15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.


Job 32:  8 (KJV)  8 But there is a spirit in man:  and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.


Psalms 8:  2-9 (KJV)  2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.  3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;  4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.  6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:  7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;  8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.  9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!


Psalms 17:  7-9 (KJV)  7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.  8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,  9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.


Psalms 89:  47-48 (KJV)  47 Remember how short my time is:  wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?  48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.


Psalms 144:  3-5 (KJV)  3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!  4 Man is like to vanity:  his days are as a shadow that passeth away.


Matthew 10:  29-31 (KJV)  29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.


Hebrews 12:  1-8 (KJV)  1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.


There is far more to be said, properly shared, and spiritually understood.  Readers are invited to show any verse or passage from Scripture that they would like to share in the comments area (see below).  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIXWashington, DC

(12/14/2012) Remembering the Holocaust?

      Various understandings of the holocaust are considered, and there is more on the value of human life. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “Jellytot” (Level 2 with 461 points, a member since October 31, 2011) posted the following:



How should the holocaust be remembered?

please answer



THE BATTLE AXE: The Price of Humanity? (12/13/2012)—The birth, death, resurrection, and eternal continuance of GOD in a human form through the person of Jesus Christ proclaims that Almighty GOD places an enormous value upon mankind. Full definition for both “humanity” and “life” also must describe the impact, presence and operation of divinity through and upon what mankind has been, now is, and will become. The quality of human existence emerges through divine abundance, diversity, joy, the beauty of the natural world, and the range of possibility within Creation. Before GOD, control, dominance, ownership and power are less relevant to the beauty of mankind. With this in view, we may say the people of GOD are marked by self-respect without the exaggerations of pride. Human worth should not be understood only in the terms of accomplishments, ambition, behavior, desire, destiny, personal goals, and predetermined fate. Academic history centered upon conflict and discovery are not enough to display the highest levels whereby humanity merits esteem. Limits from circumstances and material conditions may be exceeded and transcended through the divine content that resides within an individual. We find it is a principle for valuing others within human relationships that even the errors of a child, as he speaks his first words or takes his first steps, are precious and further bind them to their parents and others. Sacred authority, holy person, and sovereign wisdom permit human excellence among those who praise, serve and worship despite mortality, poverty, sickness and suffering. Mankind is priceless when functioning as a jewel of Creation that emits and makes visible the spectrum of divine grace.



THE GOLDEN ARROW: Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law: So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them: (Deuteronomy 29: 18-26, King James Version)



THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Content of Prayer (01/29/2012); Dispatch 17: The Ally (In Heaven (08/25/2011); Dispatch 9: Peace (Peace, Peace) 08/17/2011; Tragedy? (10/23/2010)



      Much confusion now surrounds the holocaust; and there is no agreement upon its most important benefits and lessons to humankind. For many of us, the holocaust was merely a geopolitical event having global consequences, and a peculiar tragedy that is recorded in world history. The idea that the holocaust was only a cultural experience of a peculiar ethnic group is broadly held. By contrast, there are many who understand the Shoah as having been a demonstration of human faith, how suffering is overcome, the spirit of survival, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness. Also, many hold that the holocaust must be recognized as a judgment of GOD to warn mankind against lawlessness, rebellion and sin.

      For believers in Jesus Christ as Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior, the spiritual significance of the holocaust has to be seen in harmony with sacred history as recorded in the holy writings (e.g., the Old Testament, the Torah, and the Gospel). The holocaust must be accepted as a further appearance of continuing covenant and divinity whereby Almighty GOD is revealed as immutable and unchanging in spite of human process, purpose and suffering. To view the holocaust apart from the imperatives for life generated by GOD is to deny that human potential includes a capacity to express the divine nature. Men become no different than animals and material objects; and a significant dimension for full being and person will be dismissed, neglected and undernourished.

      There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, for those who are in covenant, a day of active atonement is more appropriate than observing a passive memorial day or national day of mourning to remember the holocaust. There is no further need for a holiday of self-indulgence, and the putting away of ones usual duties. Instead, there ought to be activity, service and submission that produce change, understanding and unity.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC