The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?  for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.  Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.

They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.  And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.

Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.

Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One?  we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?  And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?

They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.  

Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.  Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he (God) will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 1 – 2:4

God’s judgment is sometimes as simple as turning people over to their own desires.  You don’t want God in your life?  You want to do it your way?………..Ok.

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. Hosea 4:17

An idol is anything that takes the place of God.

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

Proverbs 1:23-33

Are you confused and troubled by all the messages put out in the name of Christianity? 

I would like to invite you to view the film documentary American Gospel: Christ Alone.  It is available on Netflex.  American Gospel: Christ Alone is a two hour and nineteen minute film that is well worth the investment of your time.  Don’t wait, watch it today.

Heresy is from the Greek word hairesis which denotes (a) “a choosing, choice” (from haireomai, “to choose“); then, “that which is chosen,” and hence, “an opinion,” especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects, Galatians 5:20 (marg., “parties“); such erroneous opinions are frequently the outcome of personal preference or the prospect of advantage; see II Peter 2:1.*

 *W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN

A memorial is that which keeps alive the memory of someone or something.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, pg 402.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.  Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.  Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.  And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.  Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.  For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.  The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 4:1-19

                                    Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;                                                                          I want Thee forever to live in my soul;                                                                      Break down every idol, cast out every foe;                                Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain:
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice;
I give up myself, and whatever I know—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,
I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet,
By faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee Thou never said’st “No”
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.*

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

*Author – James L. Nicholson – 1872

Paul said this concerning himself:

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus                  came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.                                  I Timothy 1:15

Why would Paul call himself the chief of sinners?  After all he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and he expressed his pedigree in this way:

If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  Philippians 3:4b-6

The Apostle Paul was not a drunken sot, he was not a profane person, and he was not an adulterer or a thief.  Furthermore he was blameless concerning the righteousness in the law.  How could he possibly call himself the chief of sinners?

I believe Paul considered himself the chief of sinners because in spite of the fact that he knew the Scriptures inside and out, he had failed to recognize and receive the righteousness of God provided in the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.   

Paul was so confident in his own righteousness that he not only persecuted those who were recipients of God’s righteousness, which is found only in Christ, but he killed them as well.

How does that relate to you and I?  Well, many of us were raised to fear God and respect the truth of Scripture.  And yet we turned each one of us to our own way, going about to establish our own righteousness (doing it our way), while rejecting the righteousness found only in God’s Son, Messiah Jesus.

Oh, what wickedness that is to be found in self-righteousness!  Self-righteousness rejects God’s righteousness and provision for our sin!

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:17-19

Paul goes on to say:

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Philippians 3:7-9

It is no wonder that Paul would say:

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus                  came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.                                  I Timothy 1:15

O the love that sought me!
O the blood that bought me!
O the grace that brought me to the fold,
Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold!*

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

*In Tenderness He Sought Me by W. Spencer Walton 1850-1906

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.  And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.  And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?  let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.  But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?  how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Then went he (Naaman) down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

But he (Elisha) said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.  And he (Naaman) urged him to take it; but he refused.

And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth?  for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

And he (Elisha) said unto him, Go in peace. So he (Naaman) departed from him a little way.

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

So Gehazi followed after Naaman.  And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?  And he (Gehazi) said, All is well.  My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents.  And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.  And when he (Gehazi) came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

But he went in, and stood before his master.  And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi?  And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee?  Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.  And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. 

II Kings 5:1-27

God gave instructions to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden concerning what could be eaten and what could not be eaten.  God told them, concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)

What happened to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God?  They did not disintegrate or turn to dust the same day they ate of the forbidden fruit, although the process of physical death started that day. They ate of the forbidden fruit and were separated from God.   They died immediately.  The first death was spiritual death.  Spiritual death is separation from God.

Before Adam and Eve disobeyed, they walked in fellowship with God in the Garden.  After they sinned, they hid from God.  Adam and Eve were separated from God by their disobedience.  Sin entered the world through Adam’s disobedience and death by sin (Romans 5:12).

Spiritual death came first and physical death came as a result of spiritual death.  The Scriptures speak of individuals being dead while they live.  These are the spiritually dead.  The unbelieving are separated from God by their sin.  All have sinned and are condemned already because of unbelief (John 3:18).

Death is separation.  Physical death is separation from the body. Spiritual death is separation from God.  The immaterial part of man, be it his soul or spirit, or his soul and spirit is separated from the body in physical death and is separated from God in spiritual death.  Because of Adam’s sin we are born into this world dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1,5), separated from God.  This is the proper view of death and it supports the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross and His eternal existence.

The wages of sin is death.  Jesus Christ died in our place.  Was He annihilated (ceased to exist) for us or was He separated from the Father when He paid our sin penalty?

If the penalty of our sin is annihilation of the soul (cessation of being) and Christ took the penalty of our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross, then at that moment He had to have ceased to exist.  This is unthinkable!  How did we get here?  The faulty view of death from the teaching of annihilation of the soul brought us here.  Faulty premises lead to faulty conclusions.

When Jesus Christ became sin for us and died in our place there was separation between the Father and the Son.  Jesus’ words on the cross prove that; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).  The fellowship between the Father and the Son from eternity past was broken when our sin was laid on Christ and the Father poured out His wrath upon Him, but there was no separation in their essence or oneness as God.  This is consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity.

The biblical view of death as separation supports Christ’s substitutionary death and preserves the doctrine of His eternal existence.

No suggested interpretation of a Bible passage can be correct if it is not also correct for every Bible passage on the same topic.*

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

*Larry