I have been reading in the Bible Discussions Forum offline for quite sometime now. At times, it feels kind of stressful, since I have to witness the back-and-forth arguing. But I keep reading, since I do get to learn a lot from these forums, and what I learn helps solidify my faith in Christ, and at the same time, humbles me and brings me in awe of the power of our GOD and HIS Holy Spirit that indwells us True Believers. For I am not a Bible scholar, and yet HE has truly answered my prayers when I sought for HIS wisdom and discernment regarding all things, specially in the study of HIS Word.
I commend the brethren here who fight the good fight of faith, and defend the truth of GOD's a Word against the deceived, the blinded, and the false teachers, who twist Scripture in the hardness of their hearts and their vain imaginings. They are the following brethren, who I've grown to respect as I discover their love for GOD and HIS Holy Word:
- eternally-gratefull
- peacefulbeliever
- notuptome
- JesusIsAll
- Jason0047
- crossnote
- Dcontroversal
- kaylagrl
- Atwood
- john832
These brethren spoke with GODly wisdom and great love in their hearts for GOD's Word. They are not blinded by their biases, nor their hearts hardened by hardships and trials, and truly speak of GOD's truth. Their desire to reach out and painstakingly defend GOD's message, untwisted and made clear, inspires me to fight and defend our faith as well
My brethren, I hope and pray that our Holy Father GOD continue to bless all of you with HIS gifts of wisdom, faith, discernment, knowledge, and a heart of purity and love, that you may press on to defend HIS Word against the blinded and the false teachers. Do not ever mind these people who say that claim that you are not preaching HIS Word and gospel, and throwing curses at you.
2 Corinthians 4:1-7King James Version (KJV)
4 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
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.
My stance as to whether GOD's promise to the Jews remains is this: yes, indeed!!!
Our GOD is an unchanging GOD who keeps HIS Word. Those that are HIS are forever HIS, no matter what anyone else might say or believe. And even though it seems unlikely that those same Jews that mock and scorn HIS name, and deny the deity of Christ with every breath could be changed, GOD said HIS Spirit will be upon them after HE reunites them as one nation, and HE will cause them to see that HE is GOD and Christ is HIS Son and our KING, and change their hearts, and lead them into repentance and sanctification. HIS Word is so clear on this!!!
Ezekiel 36 King James Version (KJV)
36 Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord:
2 Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:
3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:
4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
5 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:
10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:
11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.
13 Thus saith the Lord God; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations:
14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God.
15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God.
16 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.
21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
33 Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.
37 Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Our GOD, in the fullness of HIS wisdom and power, sovereignty, justice, righteousness, holiness and love, works in all HIS children for HIS honor and glory!!! HE, in HIS awesome grace and mercy, made the Gentile believers as Spiritual Israel. By the blood of our LORD Jesus Christ, the power of HIS Holy Spirit, and the HIS Holy Word that brings life and freedom, we are made HIS, to partake of HIS sweet presence and HIS unfathomable riches when HE grafted us as HIS branches. But HE has not forgotten HIS promise to the Jews, who, although has turned away from HIM and defiled HIS name where they went, HE will indeed restore unto HIM. HE is not doing this for them, but for HIMSELF. HE will work in them powerfully, so that they and the heathen nations surrounding them would know that HE IS THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD. I believe this will be an incredibly powerful testimony of HIS awesome grace, mercy, and love before all men. HE will be magnified and glorified, worshipped and praised because HE is our AWESOME GOD!!!
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