Daily Bible Nugget #886, Proverbs 29:2

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Pro 29:2  When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (KJV)

Pro 29:2  When the righteous are praised, the people will rejoice: but when the ungodly rule, men mourn.
Pro 29:3  When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices: but he that keeps harlots will waste wealth.
Pro 29:4  A righteous king establishes a country: but a transgressor destroys it. (LXX, Brenton translation)

Pro 29:2 When the upright have power, the people are glad; when an evil man is ruler, grief comes on the people. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

Pro 29:2  When righteous people increase, the people of God rejoice, but when a wicked person rules, everybody groans. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Pro 29:2  Show me a righteous ruler and I will show you a happy people. Show me a wicked ruler and I will show you a miserable people. (GNB, Good News Bible)

My Comment:

Are you miserable enough yet?

Have you been to the grocery store lately? Do you enjoy those new, higher prices? Has your rent gone higher? Do you enjoy living paycheck to paycheck? Are your taxes high enough yet? Do you look forward to former tax cuts expiring so that your taxes spiral even higher? Have you noticed the war drums beating and threats of war increasing? Do you look forward to war and violence coming here? Have you noticed crime increasing? Do you want more of the same, enhanced by even more open border policies? Are you miserable enough yet?

If you want to see change for the better and sanity return to our leadership, today is the last day to vote for change. If you haven’t voted yet, get out and vote!

Today is a very important Election Day.  I hope all Christians (and non-Christians too) who may  read here will make sure to have cast their ballot for the candidates of their choice today.

Christians and non-Christians may well be deeply divided this year over their choice for the President of the United States of America.  I must respect each individual’s choice and conscience.  But once again, at the risk of making some people uncomfortable or unhappy, I will make some observations about the top two candidates for the highest office in the land.

Most of my adult life I have voted straight Democratic.  I rejected the Republican Party for good reasons.  As an educator in the public school system in Detroit, I well knew that the Republicans were against the public schools and public school teachers. They still are.  Republicans, on that issue, ought to be ashamed of themselves.  They are against the principle of due process, and are therefore on that issue diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches.  I think I have written more than one post here with a title something like “The Republicans are not your friends!”

Republicans are for “right to work” laws, and states like Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan have passed such laws (though Michigan repealed that law under its current Democrat administration), in full violation of Psalm 15:4, the final clauses in that verse.  That is a most serious violation of Biblical Law, Law that is still applicable today, the violation of which will risk the loss of eternal life for anyone who supports such violation.  Don’t think so?  Go back and read the whole Psalm, starting with Psalm 15:1 and see it in “black and white” for yourself.  The purpose of so-called “right to work” laws is to negate contractual responsibility.  Such laws are designed to undermine the power of unions.  Unions are necessary to preserve the rights of employees against the arbitrary violation of negotiated rights and provisions in union contracts, particularly due process rights.

Many Christians are against unions, especially when workers are required to be union members.  When I had my first job, working for Michigan Bell Telephone Company as a power room operator, I was against union membership, but joined because it was required.  Talking with my father about the issue, he remarked, “The only reason we need unions is because of bad management.”  I’ve quoted my Dad here several times before on this matter.  See my earlier posts under the category “Politics and the Bible,” to the right on this page.  Many Christians and many broadcasters in the “mainstream media” mistakenly believe that union dues go to the support of political candidates that may not be supported by some union members.  This is false.  Union dues support union expenses.  Political contributions are made voluntarily and separately and are not a part of the union dues.

But today, voters have clear and very opposite choices to make.

I will be blunt:  No Christian has any business voting for the current Democrat party candidate for President.  The current Democrat candidate is too flawed, too compromised with extreme left Marxist elements that do not support our country’s values.

Our problem is that this country has become lawless, clear to the very top offices in this land.  The laws are not fully and promptly enforced, nor are they applied equally, a clear violation of Scripture.  To solve this problem, there must be a change in leadership.  The opportunity to change this leadership is today.  This is, without question, the very last opportunity in our lifetimes to effectively make such a change for the better.

Don’t miss this opportunity by refusing to vote, or refusing to vote for the one candidate who stands for nationalism, not globalism;  who is not “bought and paid for” by lobbyists and special interests;  who stands for law and order;  who promises to enforce our immigration laws and “complete the fence” to stop illegal entry into this country;  who stands for the Constitution;  who fully supports the Second Amendment;  who stands behind and fully supports Christians;  who personally believes in the Bible;  who supports our ally Israel in the middle east in accordance with Genesis 12:3;  who is concerned about the plight of our inner cities and knows what to do to make them prosperous once again;  who supports our veterans;  who understands economics and knows how to solve the terrible economic plight this country is now in;  who knows what to do to bring jobs back to America; who will select the best qualified candidates for the Supreme Court, should vacancies occur, perhaps the most important issue of all in terms of protecting the direction of this country for years to come.

To dig deeper into Proverbs 29:2 study the cross references for this verse as provided in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Proverbs 29:2
the righteous. Pro 11:10; Pro 28:12; Pro 28:28, Est 8:15, Psa 72:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Psa 101:6, Isa 32:1, 2, *Jer 23:5; *Jer 23:6, Rev 11:15.

in authority. or, increased. Pro 29:16, Gen 7:17, Exo 11:9, Ecc 5:11.

the people rejoice. 2Ki 11:12; 2Ki 11:14; 2Ki 11:20, 1Ch 12:40, 2Ch 23:13, Est 8:15, Job 29:11, Jer 41:13, Rev 19:7.

when the wicked. Pro 29:16, Pro 28:15, Est 3:1; Est 3:15, Ecc 10:5, *Mat 2:3; *Mat 2:16.

people mourn. %Pro 11:10; Pro 28:28, Ecc 3:4, Amos 5:13.

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Daily Bible Nugget #885, Isaiah 3:12

Posted on November 3, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. (KJV)

Isa 3:12  “Children will oppress my people. Women will rule them. My people, your guides mislead you, and you don’t know which way to go.” (GW, God’s Word translation)

Isa 3:12 As for my people, their ruler is acting like a child, and those who have authority over them are women. O my people, your guides are the cause of your wandering, turning your footsteps out of the right way. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

My Comment:

There were some godly, gifted women rulers in Israel, including Vashti, Esther, and Deborah. The point emphasized by Isaiah is that being under the rule of women was considered a curse in the ancient Near East.

Considering the known record of the current woman candidate for President, it would appear that a vote for Kamala Harris would:

  • bring increasing higher inflation and higher prices at the grocery store;
  • mandate half of all new cars be electric–an absurd idea because our electric grid does not have the capacity to support charging all those batteries and reliance on “green energy” like windmills and solar farms won’t work because the wind does not always blow and the sun does always shine;
  • continue the present open border policy to bring in more crime including gang violence and more fentanyl;
  • continue a weakness in our support of Israel bringing increasing conflict to the middle east.

Unless you vote, 2025 could be even worse. History will record what you do. Make it too big to rig! Don’t wake up after the election wondering what happened.

From a mailing I received just yesterday in support of President Trump:

They shot him. They convicted him. They want to bankrupt him.

He has given everything he has for this country. All you have to do is vote.

To dig deeper into Isaiah 3:12 study the cross references I have given for this verse in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Isaiah 3:12
children. +Isa 3:4, 2Ki 15:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2Ch 33:1, Ecc 10:16, Hos 7:3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

are their oppressors. Lev 25:14, Pro 28:16.

women rule over them. Jdg 4:4, 1Ki 10:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2Ki 11:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2Ch 9:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; 2Ch 9:12; 2Ch 22:2, 3; 2Ch 22:10, 11, 12; 2Ch 23:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Neh 2:6, *Nah 3:13, Zec 5:7, 8, Mat 13:33, Act 8:27, **1Ti 2:12, Revelation 17, Rev 19:2.

my people. *Hos 4:6.

lead thee. or, which call thee blessed. Isa 9:15, 16; Isa 43:7, *Num 6:23, 24, 25, 26, 27, Jer 5:31, +Mat 15:14.

cause thee. Jer 18:15.

err. Isa 28:7, *Jer 23:32, +Hos 4:12, Heb 9:7, Jas 5:19.

destroy. Heb. swallow up. Isa 9:16 mg. Isa 25:7 mg, Isa 25:8, Isa 28:4 mg. Psa 35:25, Lam 2:5; Lam 2:16, Mat 23:14.

paths. Isa 2:3, Jos 3:11.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #884, Proverbs 18:17

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Pro 18:17  He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him. (KJV)

Pro 18:17  The first to state his case seems right until his neighbor comes to cross-examine him. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Pro 18:17 You may think you have won your case in court, until your opponent speaks. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

My Comment:

Don’t swallow the water from poisoned wells of information!

Every election cycle provides a remarkable opportunity to carefully observe the propaganda techniques employed against, and even for, the various candidates running for office.

We all need to be very discerning about the credence we place in the news accounts we hear, from whatever source.

We also must be very strategic about how we exercise our right to vote.

It ought to be obvious that for Bible believing Christians to exercise the option not to vote is a very poor testimony to their faith.  It is perfectly clear that if we are commanded to pray for all those who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:2), we should not take any actions that will in effect negate our prayers!

It ought also to be strategically obvious that to cast a vote for a candidate who cannot win is to deny the vote for a good candidate who does have a chance to actually win. Thus, mathematically speaking, to vote for a third party candidate is to cast a vote for the most evil option you thought you did not vote for!

In this election cycle, voting for Randall Terry, who I greatly respect, would be to vote for a third party candidate who has no hope of securing enough votes to win. Therefore, mathematically speaking, a vote for Randall Terry is a vote that would better have been cast for a candidate who does stand a good chance to win. In this election cycle, don’t be fooled into voting for personalities. Vote for policies. In my opinion, only former President Trump has the experience and knowledge necessary to handle the issues we now face nationally and internationally.

Dig deeper into Bible insights about exercising discernment by studying the cross references given for Proverbs 18:17 I have provided in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Proverbs 18:17
He that is first. +*Pro 18:13, Pro 12:15, 2Sa 16:1, 2, 3; 2Sa 19:24, 25, 26, 27, Gen 39:19, *Act 17:11; *Act 24:5; *Act 24:6; *Act 24:12; *Act 24:13, +*Eph 4:14, +**1Th 5:21, 2Ti 3:14, 1Pe 3:15, 2Pe 1:16.

in his own cause. 1Sa 15:13; 1Sa 15:26, 2Sa 16:1, 2, 3; 2Sa 19:26, Act 24:5; %Act 24:13; Act 24:16.

but. +*Pro 14:15; Pro 28:11, Job 32:11, Luk 6:42, +*Joh 7:24; +*Joh 7:51, +**Act 17:11; Act 25:16; Act 26:1, **Rom 14:12, **1Th 5:21.

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Daily Bible Nugget #883, Proverbs 18:5

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

My Comment:

When I read this verse in my Bible study, I noticed a possible application that had not occurred to me before.

If I take “accept the person of the wicked” broadly enough to include supporting a political candidate of any party or persuasion that holds to or follows by action or inaction policy that is contrary to the Bible, I ought not vote for such a person.

To vote for such a person certainly overthrows the righteous in judgment who voted against that candidate, and I potentially assisted a very evil person to hold office.

Granted, this is more application than interpretation. Literally understood, to accept the person of the wicked would pertain more to the action of judges and others of similar authority who cave in to the position of the wicked, instead of standing against them. This takes place frequently in our society.

The tiny sinful minority gets all the attention, and the righteous are almost totally disregarded.

It is about time that the righteous, the solid Bible believing, Bible studying Christians, take a stand and hold to it in all areas of life.

But when it comes to election day, this is most important. For a Christian not to vote his or her informed conscience is to cast a vote for the devil.

Now that election season is here, Christians ought to be sure to vote and vote in a manner that reflects Biblical values. Pay attention to the news. Quite often you will notice, if your eyes are open, that certain current office holders loudly support policy that is utterly absurd, not to mention morally wrong. As for the Democrats, those on the national scene and their party are so far to the left they might as well be called socialists and communists. The current presidential candidate on the Democrat ticket is actually a far left Marxist.  In any case they are godless, supporting immorality condemned throughout the Bible. Forgive my rant, but these are some of the thoughts I have had as I read Proverbs 18:5.

In mailings I received just today from groups supporting candidate Vice President Harris:

From Center for Voter Information:

Bipartisan Border Security:

Do the candidates support Republicans and Democrats working together to secure the border, crack down on illegal fentanyl entering the country, and address the immigration backlog?

Kamala Harris (D): Yes  [Harris Press Release, 2/4/24]
Donald Trump (R): No  [source, CNN, 1/25/24]

MY COMMENT: Kamala Harris as the designated “border Czar” has done nothing in four years to secure the border against illegal immigrants entering our country unlawfully. Immigrants are being bused in and flown in to our country, bypassing law enforcement at the border, and being brought to many different communities across this nation.

Donald Trump has plainly declared that once in office he will stop the illegal invasion of our nation by undocumented individuals immediately. To suggest Donald Trump is against protecting our borders, especially the southern border, is nonsense and a flat-out lie. What Donald Trump said “no” to is a bill which would have allowed even more illegal immigrants into this country, a bill supported by the Democrats and Kamala Harris.

Checks on Gun Purchases:

Do the candidates support making it harder for convicted domestic abusers or people with severe mental illness to buy guns?

Kamala Harris (D):  Yes
Donald Trump (R):  No

MY COMMENT: Just what do Democrats not understand about the Second Amendment when it plainly states it “shall not be infringed”? The right to personal protection is a fundamental right not granted by government but ordained by God. Gun confiscation has always preceded, historically speaking, genocide by government. That may sound extreme to you. Check your history by searching out the “Democide Project,” I think it is called. You have probably heard the saying, “When guns are outlawed, only the outlaws will have guns.” This is a complex issue, but if you have followed the news closely over the years, the authorities have more than once seemed to have been alerted to a potential problem but failed to heed the warning or take prompt action. That is a major issue that needs to be addressed and corrected. Kamala Harris has a history of being very soft on criminals, even funding their bail so they could immediately be released back on to the streets.

Cutting Social Security and Medicare:

Do the candidates support cutting Social Security and Medicare, which provide health insurance and retirement benefits to Americans older than 65?

Kamala Harris  (D):  No
Donald Trump  (R):  Yes

MY COMMENT: This claim does not ring true to me. I think it represents a misinterpretation of Donald Trump’s position. I do know that he knows that the entire medical establishment is in violation of anti-trust law which forbids monopolies and price fixing. Unfortunately those laws have not been properly enforced. If they were enforced, that would by itself correct the federal deficit and inflation problem we now face. Medical care and related costs now account for more than 20% of the federal budget where in the past it only accounted for 4%.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject study the cross references for Proverbs 18:5 from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Proverbs 18:5
not good. FS175B, +Gen 21:16, Figure Tapeinosis, meaning it is very bad. *Pro 24:23; *Pro 28:21, Gen 4:7, +*Lev 19:15, *Deut 1:16; *Deut 1:17; Deut 16:19, Neh 5:9, +**2Ch 19:2; +**2Ch 19:7; +**2Ch 19:9, Job 13:7, 8; Job 34:19, *Mat 22:16, Act 10:34, +Rom 2:11, +Jas 2:1; +Jas 2:9, **Jud 1:16.

to accept. Pro 6:35 mg. Psa 82:2, +*1Ti 5:21.

person of the wicked. *Psa 82:2, Ecc 3:16.

to overthrow. Pro 13:23; Pro 17:23; Pro 31:5, +*Exo 23:2; +*Exo 23:6, Deut 27:19, *1Sa 8:3, 1Ki 21:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Psa 140:4, Isa 5:23; *Isa 10:2; Isa 29:21; *Isa 59:14, Lam 3:35, Amos 2:7; Amos 6:12, *Mic 3:9; Mic 7:3, +*Mal 3:5.

the righteous. Pro 17:15; Pro 17:26, **Mat 27:26, *Act 23:2; Act 24:27.

in judgment. +*Pro 17:26, +*Luk 16:10.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #882, 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

1Ti 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

My Comment:

It would seem to me that if Scripture urges us to pray “for all that are in authority,” then it would be logical to conclude that for those who live in a country where they are given the opportunity to vote to select those who would be in authority, it would be a Christian duty to participate in that voting process.

Yet I have read or heard the claim that 32 per cent of Evangelical Christians will likely sit out this election and not participate. Those Evangelical Christians need to learn how to do Real Bible Study. They had better change their minds in a hurry and get out and vote, whether in early voting, or on election day.

Failure to vote may cost you the freedoms you have enjoyed. You may lose the country you once enjoyed and find yourselves living in potentially disastrous conditions.

Vote for the candidate of your choice, but do vote.

It is my personal view that no Bible-believing Christian can, in good conscience, vote for Vice President Harris.

Vice President Harris has had almost four years now to accomplish something for good. But she has not done so. Have a different opinion? Educate me. Name one or more good things Vice President Harris has accomplished.

Unfortunately, from the standpoint of the Bible, a vote for Vice President Harris is a vote directly against the Bible because:

(1) Vice President Harris and the Democrat Party support sodomy, while the Bible totally condemns it.

(2) Vice President Harris and the Democrat Party support abortion, while the Bible totally condemns it. That is a non-issue in this election because it is no longer a federal issue but a state issue, which is how it should be.

As for the debates which have now concluded, I listened in full to each of them.

Vice President Harris is a very poor debater. The moderators were disgraceful in both what they allowed and how they intervened in a one-sided manner in partisan fashion in support of Vice President Harris. Beyond the debates, in her appearance on “Sixty Minutes,” Vice President Harris was in error, but her answer to another question was spliced in to replace what she mistakenly said. In another interview, she failed to address an important question, despite the repeated but rebuffed efforts of the interviewer to get her to focus on the question being asked.

It is too bad that Presidential debates are not conducted in the manner collegiate debates are conducted. Failing to address the issues and making false claims about an opponent’s position is unacceptable behavior in a real debate.

Now, what about President Trump as a presidential candidate?

Some Christians object that President Trump displays by his language and past behavior some very unchristian character traits. They fail to acknowledge that President Trump, a Presbyterian, honors and believes the Bible, firmly supports the nation of Israel, is against antisemitism, has publicly asked for forgiveness during his first term in office, is a peace maker, and was led to Christ by a group of pastors who publicly presented him a copy of the Jewish study Bible.

President Trump may have his faults, as we all do. But we are not electing the “Theologian in Chief” but the President of the United States of America.

I believe President Trump will hold more closely to the Rule of Law, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

That is all-important, and if there were no other reason than that to support President Trump, that is sufficient justification to vote for him.

The Biden/Harris Administration has literally trashed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by disregarding them when convenient. The duty to maintain the security of the southern border has not been fulfilled. Is Vice President Harris the “Border Czar”? For nearly four years she has done nothing to secure the border. She attempts to blame President Trump for her problem, saying he spoke against a bill she favors, and urged his supporters not to vote for it such that it was never passed due to his influence. She does not tell you that the bill she favors would actually worsen the border crisis, not solve it. Harris continues to support the entirely false claim that President Trump orchestrated a violent attempt to overthrow the 2020 election on January 6, 2021. I personally watched that event in real time as it happened and assert that President Trump did no such thing. President Trump offered to authorize a National Guard contingent to protect the Capital. The mayor of Washington DC and Nancy Pelosi both refused the offered protection. A number of three-letter agencies have subsequently rounded up innocent, peaceful participants, identifying their presence based on cell phone tracking, and have made them political prisoners who even yet are still incarcerated unlawfully without a hearing or speedy trial, claiming they participated in an unlawful insurrection.

Many voters apparently do not even know who Vice President Harris really is.  They fail to understand that she is a far left Marxist whose record is further to the left than Bernie Sanders. As for transparency, everyone who cares to know understands where former President Trump stands on the issues. As for Vice President Harris, she flips back and forth in her positions, and when asked questions about where she stands, often deflects the question and rambles on, often repeating her lies about President Trump’s positions. As for any claims Vice President Harris makes about what she will do if elected President, we need only to ask, “Why have you said and done nothing about the issue for the last four years?”

The national economy and its sorry state is perhaps the most important issue of the election. At least President Trump has had actual experience in the real world that demonstrates he understands economic issues, and knows how to turn things around by successfully solving economic problems–things about which our current Vice President, running for the same office, is clueless.

Indications are that there are very tough choices that must be made immediately lest we suffer unspeakably dire consequences. I have not heard Vice President Harris address these matters. But of the two viable choices for President, I believe President Trump has the background to enable him to make the right decisions, hard as they will be. President Trump has already demonstrated his ability to resolve problems despite concerted opposition bent on preventing him from doing so as exhibited during his first term.

I have repeatedly read that a good many Christians fail to vote. In the light of James 4:17 and also what Jesus said about “Rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” failing to vote is failing to obey Scripture.

If all Bible-believing Christians would vote their values this election, this could make a most important difference in the outcome that would have a positive effect for years to come.

If all Roman Catholics would heed the past call of their church and bishops and vote their values, this too could positively affect the outcome. Though the following quotation goes back several election cycles, its timeless truth is still pertinent:

Bishop David Ricken, the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, noted in a recent letter [October 24, 2012] to parishioners that voting for candidates who support what he calls “intrinsically evil” positions, such as abortion and gay marriage, could “put your own soul in jeopardy.”

In any case, don’t just sit there and complain–go vote! Even if your vote cancels mine!

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Daily Bible Nugget #881, Psalm 94:23

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Jerry


The Nugget:

Psa 94:23  And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. (KJV)

Psa 94:23  He has turned their own wickedness against them. He will destroy them because of their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Psa 94:23 And he has made their evil designs come back on themselves, cutting them off in their sin; the Lord our God will put an end to them. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

Psa 94:23 You will pay back my enemies, and you will wipe them out for the evil they did. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

My Comment:

The context of Psalm 94:23 in the Basic English Bible suggests some striking applications relevant to what is going on today:

Psa 94:17 If the Lord had not been my helper, my soul would quickly have gone down into death.
Psa 94:18 If I say, My foot is slipping; your mercy, O Lord, is my support.
Psa 94:19 Among all my troubled thoughts, your comforts are the delight of my soul.
Psa 94:20 What part with you has the seat of sin, which makes evil into a law?
Psa 94:21 They are banded together against the soul of the upright, to give decisions against those who have done no wrong.
Psa 94:22 But the Lord is my safe resting-place; my God is the Rock where I am safe.
Psa 94:23 And he has made their evil designs come back on themselves, cutting them off in their sin; the Lord our God will put an end to them. (BBE)

What God will do applies to individuals, institutions, as well as governments and nations.

If your only source of information is the so-called “mainstream media,” you have been subjected to considerable quantities of propaganda, lies, distortions, and brain washing.

Bible-believing, Bible studying Christians ought to have the discernment to tell the difference between truth and falsehood (see 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”).

I know of some Christians who have said they will not vote for “the lesser of two evils.” That is a dangerous fallacy. In past elections there have been enough so-called Evangelical Christians who have failed to vote, enough to have changed the outcome of the election involved had they voted according to what the Bible teaches. That must not happen this time.

I have received a number of political mailings regarding candidates for this election. The very first piece I received was from Stephen Heisler for judge in Probate Court. I am thankful for the mailing. Stephen Heisler appears in the non-partisan down ballot locally. Those offices are important, and we need to vote for candidates who will follow the law as written.

Of the Presidential Candidates, one has never been voted for by the electorate; she was chosen by the political party. Listening to her carefully in debate and in question-and-answer broadcasts, she never directly answers the question presented her but always speaks against her opposition candidate, making outrageous claims that have no basis in fact. She has flipped her positions frequently at will. Her past record for those sharp enough to have paid attention and who remember demonstrate she is a far left Marxist unsuited to be our president! She supports wide open borders. No nation remains a nation if it does not maintain its borders.

Of the Presidential Candidates, the other has held that office before. He succeeded in accomplishing much in that effectively shortened term despite the opposition of “Never Trumpers,” of “RINOS” (Republican in Name Only), the constant thwarting of his efforts by opposition judges at every turn. These judges seem to never try to stop anything the Biden-Harris Administration does, such as on Biden’s reversal on his very first day in office of many of Trump’s accomplishments. Biden immediately put a stop to a major pipeline project which has cost many jobs and has contributed to the increase of energy prices in our country. The wide-open border favored by the Biden Administration has let in many known and dangerous criminals and drugs that have killed many of our citizens.

The latest political mail I have received says “We can’t let Donald Trump and JD Vance make our health care decisions.” Inside the flyer says “Donald Trump’s Project 2025 Agenda is too extreme. Stop him.” This is utter falsehood promoted by the Democratic Party. Donald Trump had no part in the “Project 2025 Agenda.” He has directly stated he has never read it and has no interest in doing so. When an opposing party continues to repeat blatant falsehoods despite having been previously corrected, that is not a party we ought to trust.

President Trump supports the nation of Israel. He accomplished much while in office to promote peace in the Middle East. He promises to end the wars and bring peace to the Middle East and Ukraine. That is the better position to take, and this alone, for Bible believing, Bible studying Christians, ought to settle the matter (Genesis 12:3. Psalm 122:6. Isaiah 55:3).

Cross Reference Bible Study for Psalm 94:23 which I compiled today:

And he shall bring upon them. Psa 55:23. +Psa 57:6. +**Gen 6:13. +**Num 32:23.

their own iniquity. Psa 9:16. Psa 64:8. Psa 140:9. *Est 7:10. Pro 1:11, 18, 31. Pro 5:22. Pro 11:5.

their own wickedness. Psa 9:15. Psa 34:21. Pro 14:32. Eze 18:24.

God shall cut them off. Psa 9:17. Psa 12:3. Psa 73:18. Psa 139:19. Jdg 9:56. 1 Sa 26:10, 11. Pr 2:22. Dan 7:24. Dan 9:26.

 

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God has NOT abandoned or changed His eternal covenants!

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Jerry

My Comment:

There is much confusion and misunderstanding about what the Bible teaches about the future of the nation of Israel. In a discussion about the mistaken views of many Reformed “Covenant Theologians” I posted the following comment in reply to a comment of one of my highly esteemed good friends on Facebook about this subject as reflected in Romans chapter 11:

To set aside, even if only “for the moment,” the very relevant and pertinent message of Romans 11 is to dodge the BIBLICAL basis for asserting the fact that present day national Israel is included in God’s plan. To argue that there are “so many ways” Romans 11 has been interpreted fails to account for the fact that there are rules of interpretation that rather readily dismiss mistaken interpretations for what they are: misreadings of the plainly declared covenant promises in the Bible.

Lev 26:42  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Lev 26:44  And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.
Lev 26:45  But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

[My note on “all Israel” in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury: “all Israel. This is a direct reference to the future conversion of the Jews in the land of Israel, and has nothing to do with “spiritual Israel” or the church in this age, as proven by Paul’s citation of Messianic prophecy later in this verse from Isa 59:19, 20.”]

Rom 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (ESV)

A careful study of the cross references given for each of these passages will fully confirm the correct interpretation of these irrevocable Covenant promises to the nation of Israel which in our present day continue in a state of unfulfillment as affirmed by Stephen in Acts 7:4, 5.

Act 7:4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.
Act 7:5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.

[My note on Acts 7:5 from my Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

him. The point is, that the promise was made personally to Abraham that he would himself inherit the promised land, but Abraham himself never personally possessed the land God promised to him. It is for this reason that God, who cannot lie, must resurrect Abraham and bring him personally into the promised land in order for the Abrahamic Covenant to be fulfilled. How many Bible scholars have failed to notice the explicit statement of Scripture here, which declares that Abraham did not receive the inheritance, and have taught the opposite, and worse, have spiritualized and transformed the covenants into something they were never meant to be, taking to themselves or the church the blessings promised to Abraham and the Jews, but very carefully leaving the curses to Israel, literally interpreted at that (see related notes at **Jos 21:43 note. **1Ki 4:21 note. Isa 60:21 note. Jer 33:21 note). +*Mat 8:11; +*Mat 8:12, +*Rom 4:13.]

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My answers to some Muslim questions Part 2F

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Jerry

 

Muslim Response to my answer (10-10-24 11:27 pm)

could you just keep to the specifics and not your long Epistles as you know I try to juxtapose your response to my question for official documentation and recommendation?
And please learn to understand my question before jumping to respond, like this one now, I didnt ask you WHY Satan was cast out, hut I asked you HOW Satan was cast out.
Will ask my question again and please, this time, calm your nerves down to understand the question well enough before jumping to answer it.
My Question was and now is
According to your Claim that Jesus created Satan and not on this earth, you did claim that he was even an angel before being cast out and turned to Satan, WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THIS ANGEL WHO LATER BECAME SATAN be cast out of heaven to have fallen like lightning?
The Question is WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AS WELL AS HOW IT HAPPENED.
For instance, if a car broke down, we are surely gonna ask HOW IT BROKE DOWN as regards WHAT CAUSED ITS BREAKDOWN.

My Reply (10-12-24 10:13 am):

Your question:

“WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THIS ANGEL WHO LATER BECAME SATAN be cast out of heaven to have fallen like lightning?”

My answer:

In the Bible, we have the record of our Lord Jesus Christ stating He beheld “Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18).

You also ask:

“The Question is WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AS WELL AS HOW IT HAPPENED.”

In this instance (Luke 10:18 and context), Jesus sent forth the seventy disciples (Luke 10:1, “the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them”) with the command to heal the sick (Luke 10:9, “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you”).

The result of this successful mission is reported in Luke 10:17,

Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (ESV)

Jesus responded, saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). This is one of several instances where the fall of Satan is seen, in this instance, when these disciples exercised authority over demonic spirits, as reflected by the disciples’ report that “even the demons are subject to us in your name.”

This answers your question (“WHAT REALLY HAPPENED”) as well as your question (“HOW IT HAPPENED”).

As for “WHAT REALLY HAPPENED,” Satan’s demons were cast out. As for “HOW IT HAPPENED,” it happened by the power of the Name or authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This also answers your question, “WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THIS ANGEL WHO LATER BECAME SATAN be cast out of heaven to have fallen like lightning?”

This account (Luke 10:18 and context) is just one of several instances related in the Bible where the defeat of Satan is described as the fall of Satan:

In Ezekiel 28:14, 15, 16, the account reads “You were an anointed guardian cherub.”

Access to heaven seen in Job 1:12 and elsewhere will be restricted to earth (Revelation 12:9).

Satan is defeated again when he is placed in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1, 2, 3).

Satan’s final permanent defeat takes place when he is thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever and forever (Revelation 20:10).

There is a cause/effect relationship expressed in Proverbs 16:18 that applies to Satan whose career ultimately illustrates it well:

Pro 16:18  Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. (GNB, Good News Bible)

Muslim Response:

My Commentary
How hilarious!

My Reply (10-13-24):

I trust that someday, some how, it may happen that you will get serious about spiritual things.

You are welcome to laugh long and hard at my answers to your Bible questions.

You are not the one who will in eternity have the last laugh.

Pro 1:22 “How much longer will you enjoy being stupid fools? Won’t you ever stop sneering and laughing at knowledge?
Pro 1:23 Listen as I correct you and tell you what I think.
Pro 1:24 You completely ignored me and refused to listen;
Pro 1:25 you rejected my advice and paid no attention when I warned you.
Pro 1:26 “So when you are struck by some terrible disaster,
Pro 1:27 or when trouble and distress surround you like a whirlwind, I will laugh and make fun.
Pro 1:28 You will ask for my help, but I won’t listen; you will search, but you won’t find me. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

May I kindly recommend one last time that you would learn much by reading the New Testament carefully for yourself. If you spend at least 20 minutes a day reading the New Testament and do so for five days a week on a regular, even permanent basis, you will be encouraged by the help such reading will bring.

Reading the Gospel of John repeatedly will likewise provide insight of eternal value and significance. John states in his Gospel that he wrote it so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Jesus promised:

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

 

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My answers to some Muslim questions Part 2E

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Jerry

 

Muslim response with new question (10-10-24 3:00 am):

Next question sir
In your response below
//AbdAzeez Taofik Since the New Testament teaches that our Lord Jesus Christ created all things, then Satan would be included among the things our Lord Jesus created. Satan rebelled against God, but at his original creation the angelic being now called Satan was unfallen.//
Can you tell me BIBLICALLY how Satan rebelled against God and became Satan from being created by Jesus Christ as an angel?
Please site references to how he rebelled and became Satan. The reference in Revelation talks about how he will be cast into hell fire after becoming Satan and have already fallen. I need a reference of how he became Satan from his angelic form which Jesus Christ created him according to your claim.

My answer to the Muslim question (10-10-24 10:18 am):

Jesus spoke of the fall of Satan from heaven in Luke 10:18,

Luke 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

The expression “fall from heaven” is considered to be an intended reference to similar wording found in Isaiah 14:12,

Isaiah 14:12
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
King James Version

The immediate reference in the context of Isaiah 14:12 is literally to the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4, “That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!”).

Isa 14:4  That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

What is said of the king of Babylon is also a picture of what is true of Satan who before his fall was an exalted angel who fell because of his pride and self-exaltation reflected in the words of Isaiah 14:13-14,

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

There is a similar comparison of the king of Tyre given in Ezekiel, the words of which go far beyond what could be literally true of the human king of Tyre but speak of Satan and his fall:

Ezekiel 28:12-16
12  Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16  By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
King James Version

In this passage a supernatural being is addressed. The literal prince of Tyre was only a type or picture. The description can only refer to Satan, who was perfect in all his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15). The iniquity of course was the sin of pride and self exaltation described in the Isaiah passage already cited (Isaiah 14:13-14).

 

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My answers to some Muslim questions Part 2D

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Jerry

 

QUESTION 4:
Sir, Biblically, I read that Satan was not created on this earth, if he was, you may say so in your response explicitly.
To be able to understand things clearer, Who created Satan?

My reply of 10-9-24 5:32 pm):

According to the Bible, the New Testament, all things in heaven and earth were created by our Lord Jesus Christ, and for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Since this is the claim, and the Bible is the inspired Word of God, therefore it must be true.

Satan is an angel. When he was first created he was unfallen. There are passages in the Bible which may refer to Satan’s rebellion against God in time past. As far as I so far understand the Bible, Satan was not created on this earth.

Your claim that Satan will not be cast down to earth may be mistaken in the light of Revelation 12:9,

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

This would depend upon whether this text refers to a future event or a past event.

Satan’s final destiny is the Lake of Fire:

Revelation 20:10
10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
King James Version

New Muslim question (10-9-24 5:42 pm):

WHO CREATED SATAN?

My Reply (10-9-24 5:58 pm):

Since the New Testament teaches that our Lord Jesus Christ created all things, then Satan would be included among the things our Lord Jesus created. Satan rebelled against God, but at his original creation the angelic being now called Satan was unfallen.

Muslim response and new question (10-10-24 3:00 am):

My Question
Since you already declared that you have no question to ask me and that I should continue to ask you, my question again is this
WHO CREATED SATAN?
Pastor Jerome Smith’s response
//AbdAzeez Taofik Since the New Testament teaches that our Lord Jesus Christ created all things, then Satan would be included among the things our Lord Jesus created. Satan rebelled against God, but at his original creation the angelic being now called Satan was unfallen.//
My Commentary
Implying that Jesus Christ created Satan.

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