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Saturday, November 28, 2015

The Covenant - by Hal Lindsey

To understand God's plan for the world, it is vital to understand what, at first, may seem like a dry subject - covenants. In the Bible, God makes two kinds of covenants with human beings - conditional and unconditional. A conditional covenant is predicated on God saying to man, "If you will." An unconditional covenant is predicated on God saying to man, "I will."

Conditional covenants are like the contracts we humans make among ourselves. "If you give me a certain amount of money, then I will give you a car." God makes conditional covenants, too. He made one with Israel through Moses. In Exodus 19, He said, "If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Did they obey His voice and keep His covenant? No. God offered them a deal, but they didn't fulfill their part of the bargain. Does God then have to fulfill His part? No. A conditional covenant means, "If you do this, then I'll do that."

But God also made unconditional covenants. In an unconditional covenant, God simply says, "I will." Period. Once such a covenant goes into effect, there are no conditions that have to be fulfilled by human beings.

God's covenant with Abraham - what theologians call "The Abrahamic Covenant" - is an unconditional covenant. Through the years God reiterates and expands it, but He never changes the unconditional nature of it. Indeed, He cannot change it or He would be a liar and the Bible says in Titus 1:2 and elsewhere, "God... cannot lie."



To add other conditions later would be like moving the goal posts just as the football team is about to score a touchdown. It wouldn't be honest. God is not tricky. He's trustworthy. Once the covenant went into effect, nothing could change it. Later, God would reiterate the covenant and expand on it, but He never changed the nature of it, nor did He add conditions to it.

Those who claim He did, have a fundamental problem. They're saying that God lied.

Psalm 105 says, "He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. And then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, 'To you will I give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance.'"

This verse calls it a "covenant forever" and "an everlasting covenant." If it depended on frail human beings, the Word of God could not call it "everlasting" because somewhere along the line human beings fail, as Israel proved again and again.

The Abrahamic Covenant is one of the great dividing lines of scripture. Disbelieving it won't change God's Word, but it will change a person in profound ways. Among other things, he won't understand what's going on in the world.

Because this is an unconditional covenant, it cannot end. It remains in effect today and forever. That makes it fundamental to Bible prophecy. Whatever else happens, you can bet the farm that God will keep His covenant with Abraham.



So if you want to look into the future, or have a better understanding of the present, look at the things God promised to Abraham. He expressed them in a series of direct and implied "I will" statements. "I will make you a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. I will make you a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who curse you. Through you, I will bless all the families of the earth."

Romans 11:1 succinctly asks and answers the most pertinent point. "Has God cast away His people? Certainly not!" That's just one of many New Testament passages refuting "replacement theology" and affirming that God's covenant with Abraham is still in effect.

Not only does this covenant help us understand what's happening in the Middle East right now, it is foundational to the central meaning of all the Bible's teaching - from the identity and purpose of Jesus, to "salvation by faith alone," to Christ's coming to set up a literal thousand year kingdom on earth, to Christ's secretly snatching up all believers to heaven before the great Tribulation begins.

God Bless, Hal Lindsey.
Thank You Hal
blessings
Yaddy


Sunday, November 22, 2015

God said that!

When 8 year old Raymond was visiting his grandfather in the hospital, he came with his own custom made get well card.

It was on a stiff white piece of paper (8"x11") folded in half.


On the front he had written "HOPE YOU GET BETTER SOON"

On the inside in very large block letters he had written " I WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO"
There wasn't any Scripture reference, so Raymond had added, " GOD SAID THAT"

That added note sent an unintended and deeper truth, that brought a smile to my face and comfort to my heart.
A hospital can be a very lonely place.
It's a world of unfamiliar faces and first time medical procedures, and uncertain diagnosis.

However, it's in just such a setting, that God can quiet an anxious heart and give assurance that He will go with you, down every hall
through every new door, into any unknown future......yes....even through the "valley of the shadow of death" Psalm 23 v 4.

Maybe you have had an unexpected set back, or loss! Your future is unknown!

Trusting Jesus as your saviour and Lord, you can be sure of this....He will go with you wherever you go!
You can believe it because God said it!

I trust in God, I know he cares for me.
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Though billows roll, He keeps my soul
My heavenly Father watches over me
- -Martin

No danger can come so near to a Christian, that God is not nearer/
Thanks Mikey
Blessings
Yaddy

Thursday, November 12, 2015

For God so loved the world......

You know there is only ONE you?
God wants you for his very own!

God is a possessive God!

John 3 v 16 says,"For God so loved the world" and He does......He created the world and all the universe...He loves the world!
But, we also understand the word "world" to mean the people...and God loves the people too...He made them in His own image!

And.....He loves you....wanting you for His own possession means....well, imagine yourself a dot......a little dot...in the middle of a circle!

The circle is complete.....unbroken.....God's love for you is a complete unbroken circle around your entire being!

God loves you....as if you are the only human being to have ever lived!

God's love for you is unique!

God's love is individual.....because that is how he made you!

So....your relationship with him is individual and unique, because that is how he made you!

Your relationship with him is different and unique, special between Him and you.....you can't be some one else...

because some one else is taken.....you are you.....He does not see you as part of a group of the world's population of 7 billion people
HE SEES JUST YOU!
God thinks you are so special....he knows every hair on your head.....( Math 10 v 30)and

he wants you to relate to him!

Everything you do.......He is there.......

Every breath you take....He is there.....

Christmas is about invading.....

God is invading....God's involvement.....
God is declaring to the human race.....because he loves us so much....I LOVE YOU!

He came as a babe....became a man......to save us,

so that we could have an intimate and loving relationship with him, and ultimately be with him forever in heaven!
Bless you....
Yaddy