Romans 5:20-21 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What were the two commandments that fulfilled all of the commandments? “Love God above all and our neighbors as ourselves.” God remains unchanging; He is the same today, tomorrow, and will always remain the same.
Brotherly love encompasses a wide range of sins. Love one another and pray for one another, for in the peace of our leaders and our people, we find peace. Only in Christ are we shielded from the evils of the world. We cannot afford complacency. When we become materially obsessed, we can forget the ways of God. God will establish a new Jerusalem under the leadership of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. In Him alone, there is peace! He approaches our door, but we must allow Jesus in.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
During the final days of the Church age, society will experience instability, and individuals will prioritize their own interests. Their materialistic pursuits will lead to covetousness, boastfulness, pride, disobedience, and ungratefulness. They will despise those who strive to benefit others. Consequently, they will never attain a comprehensive understanding of God and His truth, resulting in their own destruction and the destruction of those whose lives they impact.
However, there is hope in the midst of widespread sin: His grace is abundant. For God’s love for His creation is so profound that He offers redemption through Jesus Christ.
God will hold the nations that oppose His people accountable for their actions. All the promises made to Abraham and his descendants will be fulfilled. His promises are never unfulfilled. Carla
Joel 3:1-3
3 “For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.
3 They have cast lots for My people,
Have given a boy as payment for a harlot,
And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. The New King James Version
An unknown location with a symbolic name that means “the Valley where Yahweh will judge.” This is the place where Yahweh gathers the nations for judgment.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all include a tradition of a final divine judgment in this valley. The traditional identification connects the site with the part of the Kidron Valley just east of Jerusalem. The pseudepigraphal book of 1 Enoch also describes a final judgment taking place in a deep valley.
Both Assyria and Babylon were responsible for deporting Israelites. The scattering was one of the punishments emphasized in the covenant curses (Leviticus 26:33).
Israel became an Assyrian province after 722 bc. Judah was a province of Babylon and Persia (586 bc and 539 bc). Judah had no independent political existence until after the successful Maccabean revolt in 167 bc.
Casting lots was a form of divination. People determined the will of the gods through the ancient equivalent of throwing dice. Here, it refers to the method of dividing up the spoils of conquest. Faithlife Study Bible
In those days indicates a time in the prophetic future. The judgment will take place after the Lord has restored His people to the land.
Valley of Jehoshaphat: The name Jehoshaphat means “The Lord Judges.” The location of this valley is not known. Perhaps this was merely a symbolic name for the location of the great battle in the end times. The NKJV Study Bible
The restoration of the Jews, and the final victory of true religion over all opposers, appear to be here foretold. The contempt and scorn with which the Jews have often been treated as a people, and the little value set upon them, are noticed. None ever hardened his heart against God or his church, and prospered long. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Isaiah 66:16
For by fire and by His sword
The LORD will judge all flesh;
And the slain of the LORD shall be many.
Jeremiah 25:31
A noise will come to the ends of the earth—
For the LORD has a controversy with the nations;
He will plead His case with all flesh.
He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the LORD.”
Joel 3:11–12
Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause Your mighty ones to go down there,
O LORD.“Let the nations be wakened,
and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
Obadiah 11
In the day that you stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.
1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV) "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people ..."Paul stressed the importance of praying for all people. Pray.
The importance of prayer in the life of a believer is indisputable in Scripture. Through prayer, we draw near to God (Psalm 145:18), cast our burdens at His feet (Philippians 4:6), and reframe and align our will with His. Jesus Himself prayed this way in the garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross (Luke 22:42).
Prayer is a powerful tool that aligns us with the will of God, infuses us with wisdom and courage, and invites the divine to intervene on our behalf. First5
Be the church. Protect the environment. Care for the poor. Forgive often. Reject racism. Fight for the powerless. Share earthly and spiritual resources. Embrace diversity. Love God. Enjoy this life.”
I saw this meme posted online, and I smiled big.
And then read a few of the comments. “But that’s not the church today.” “The church is missing the message.” “I wouldn’t say be the church because they’re not doing a good job today.” “This is the opposite of what is happening.”
Okay, I wasn’t ready for that. And yes, this kinda undid me.
You’ll get no arguments from me about too many of us not reflecting the light very well.
However, just because that is true, please let us not allow it to derail us.
Such comments (perspective) see only what is missing. Only the scarcity.
We see only the “empty boxes”. And allow scarcity to determine what we choose to do.
Jesus said, “Love one another.” Jesus said, “Love your enemy.”
And we could say, “that sounds good, but we’re not doing a very good job.”
Maybe not. But guess what? The invitation is still there. And not just the invitation, the affirmation that the love—kindness, empathy, compassion—is alive and well and inside of every one of us… and ready to be shared and spilled to the world around us. Maybe not the big world, but the small world, to the people we see, and touch, and greet, and listen to.
And I’m here today, literally, because there are people who did not give in to the scarcity mentality. They continued to give and love and care, even when the box looked “empty”… because they knew the light was still there.
We do indeed walk one another home. And today, we need to remember that more than ever. Sabbath Moments
In this broken world where hope is often tentative,
and courage is too easily vanquished by fear,
we give thanks that a holy presence has invaded our life.
As autumn leaves lose their luster,
and as a lengthening night draws near,
we are grateful that the light that has come into the world
is even now establishing in us a beachhead for kindness,
touching whatever we know of sorrow.
And we ask that that presence, that caress,
embolden us to be gracious to all whose lives we touch.
And may we know joy. Alleluia.
Martin Townsend
On the wall of a concentration camp, a prisoner carved the following words:
I believe in the sun, even though it doesn’t shine.
I believe in love, even when it isn’t shown.
I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.
What hand could have cut such a conviction? What eyes could have seen good in such horror? There’s only one answer: eyes that chose to see the unseen. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NCV), “We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will only last a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.” We can see either the hurt or the Healer.
Mark it down. God knows you and I are blind. He knows living by faith and not by sight doesn’t come naturally. He will help us. Accept his help. Either live by the facts or see by faith! Max Lucado
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