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there was no king in Israel

1/29/2016

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Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light. (Jdg 19:22-26)
       One of the harsher and more vile and wicked accounts in the book of Judges. Before the time of the kings, and when there was no judge to deliver the people in Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamen, a traveler is invited into the house of one of the townfolk, rather than lodging outside. Following this, some of the wicked men of the town came calling, not as ambassadors or to extend good will to this visitor, but to rape and abuse him, which they end up doing to his concubine. She ends up dying from her ordeal, and the traveler sends a twelfth part of her to each tribe as a message and a warning, of the sin and wickedness which took place by these Benjamites.

      This great sin and wickedness before GOD and within the land of Israel could not stand. Sin must always be dealt with, confessed to GOD, forsaken, and reconciliation with those we have sinned against sought. GOD wants us to forgive others, even as He forgives us. In fact, how we forgive those that trespass against us, can affect how GOD forgives us. Our fellowship with our Saviour, but not our relationship if we are truly in Christ through repentance and faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, can be hampered by our unwillingness to forgive others. He wants brethren to dwell together in unity, to keep the bond of perfectness through the Spirit, as we are family and members one of another.

      GOD must punish sIn, for He is Holy, and all sIn is an affront to and great wickedness and rebellion against Him. We may grade on a curve, but He has one standard of Holiness, which no one born of Adam can measure up to, that is why we need the Saviour, Jesus Christ, the mediator between GOD and men. GOD has called His Church, His children, and His servants to live lives of holiness and righteousness in Him as we do His will and accomplish His work in this broken and sinful world. He has called us to Holiness as we represent His Kingdom, His ambassadors, with the Word of reconciliation to minister to those around us who are hurting and in need, that they may see Jesus in us, the hope of Glory. GOD has commanded us to love one another, even as He loved us and gave Himself for us. He has commissioned us to His service as witnesses of Him, taking the Gospel as we go, and sharing His Good News of forgiveness and reconciliation with all who will hear, that they might repent and believe in Him and in believing have life in His Name.

       For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Arise, that we may go up against them

1/28/2016

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And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. (Jdg 18:18-21)
       Several men found out about the idols and the priest in Micah's house and invaded, taking them for themselves. Since there was no law, judge, or magistrate in the land, everyone did what was right in their own eyes, no matter that the Law of GOD said no other gods, no graven images to be worshiped, not to steal. They even got the 'priest' to bless their home invasion and theft, taking the Name of the Lord in vain. When confronted they threatened Micah and his friends with harm, all because they coveted what Micah had. They broke pretty much all the Commandments because their hearts were wicked and desperately evil.

       So many today are just the same, with no regard for the Laws of GOD. Even in the Church too many who claim Christ live as though He didn't exist. Some may even attend a service on Sunday morning, and live the rest of the week as practical atheists, like the folks in this account of Micah and his idols. We who are in Christ are to and tell those who are in bondage and sin of their need for Christ to deliver them from sin and their iniquity through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Only the new birth which Jesus brings can release sinners from their condition of death and judgment.

      That is not to say that we who are saved, receive His Salvation in order to sin all we want, for we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light and life, to live in Him a brand new life of holiness and righteousness, not in our own strength or power, but by the indwelling Spirit of GOD which is within us. We are saved to serve Him as ministers of reconciliation and ambassadors for the Kingdom. We are called to minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as GOD provides and guides us. We are commanded to love one another as He loved us and disciple one another in His Word until we all grow up into the full measure of Him, conformed to the image of His dear Son. We are commissioned into His army, equipped and encouraged with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to into this lost and dying world and take the Good News to all who will hear, that they might repent and believe in Him, and in believing have life in His Name.

       For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Every man did that which was right in his own eyes

1/27/2016

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And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. (Jdg 17:3-5)
     The saddest epitaph written in the book of the Judges, in which it records that every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Eyes that can, and do, lie to us. Hearts that lead us astray because they are desperately wicked. Minds and thoughts tainted with sIn and corrupted by our sIn nature that lead to all sorts of wickedness and debauchery. Since Adam sinned, that has been the norm and the problem with mankind that Jesus died and rose again to deliver us from, that we might have life and have it more abundantly, free from sin and its power and wages, not free to sin more, but a new life of liberty and grace in Christ.

      This man had stolen and hidden his own mothers silver and only returned when it was discovered. When she got it back she had it melted and made into an idol of silver and they called it god. They even declared the Lord's blessing upon it, in blasphemy toward GOD. Their worship of this false idol led to hiring a Levite to be his personal priest, instead of working in the tabernacle, and further sin of declaring his own prosperity because of his idol and his 'priest'. GOD didn't bless it, or him, and tragedy followed as others learned of his wealth, his silver idol, and his servant 'priest'.

      If we are secure in Christ through our repentance of sin and our faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, we cannot blatantly sin against our Holy and Righteous GOD and expect to continue in that sin. GOD will chastise and correct His own. We cannot expect His blessing on our sinful lifestyle, for He has already judged and condemned sin, both as an offense against Him and outright acts of rebellion, and declared those who are still in their sins, and not born again, as guilty sinners in need of Salvation. He paid the price of redemption in His own body on that cruel Roman cross that we might live, not in sIn, but in Him and for Him, new creatures in a covenant relationship and fellowship with Him.

      That is the purpose of each of us, and His church as a whole, to live and work in Him to accomplish His will and do His work in this broken and sinful world, that others might come to know Jesus Christ and see Jesus in us, the hope of Glory. He has called His people to be His ambassadors while we sojourn in this world, not of the world, and to minister to those around us who are hurting and in need. He has commanded us to love one another and to disciple one another in His Word until we all grow up into the full measure of Him through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit that is within us. He has commissioned us to go to this lost and dying world and as we go tell the Good News of reconciliation and redemption to all who will hear, that those who believe the Gospel, repent of their sin, and receive Jesus Christ by faith in Him might have life in His Name.

       For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet

  
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He wist not that the LORD was departed

1/26/2016

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And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto GOD from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. (Jdg 16:16-19)
     Samson's problem with women led to confrontations with the Philistines, but this final relationship would be his undoing. Delilah caught his eye and captured his heart, so that after many attempts to discover his secret and overcome Samson, she finally wore him down, and he shared his understanding of the Spirit of GOD upon him. Since to some extent his faith was in his hair, and not in GOD who commanded his nazarite vows, when his hair was gone, so was his faith. On the other hand, he broke the vow, even if Delilah had a hand in it, and the Spirit left him when his hair was shaved. Either way, his desire for her, and her incessant driving for the information, led to his being weakened and vulnerable, so that he was captured and imprisoned by the Philistines.

      So often, our earthly desires, which are of the flesh, can trip us up, if we are not careful to seek GOD and rely on Him to meet our needs. And if our faith is not exactly focused on Him and His Word, whether in the church, or the pastor, or a faulty idea of what GOD should do for us, when whatever our faith is in falters, or doesn't come to pass as we want it to, we stumble or our faith is shaken, because it was not built upon the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and His Word. Our Salvation may have been real, built upon our repentance and faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, but our continued walk with Him can get sidelined and sidetracked if our faith is redirected away from our Lord.

      However, when we stumble, we have a GOD that is faithful. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation and we are to minister to those around us who are hurting and in need. Those who stumble, or lose their way for a season, can come back and be restored to the Father by repentance of sin and faith in Him. Those in Christ are to be loved and discipled, that their faith may be sure and focused on our Lord as we become more like Him and serve one another. We are to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don't know Him, that they hear and believe the Good News of a secure and loving relationship with their Creator through repentance and faith in Him that they may have life in His Name.

      For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Thou hast given this great deliverance

1/25/2016

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And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. (Jdg 15:4-8)
      In response to his father-in-law giving his Philistine wife to another, Samson destroyed the crops of the Philistines. GOD was using Samson to judge Israel and the Philistines which they had at one time put under subjection, but never fully defeated nor removed from the land of Israel, and now oppressed them. When the Philistines exacted a response upon his wife and father-in-law, Samson slaughtered even more of them. The strength which the Spirit of GOD gave him because of his faith, led to the deliverance of Israel during his time as judge.

      GOD desires the deliverance of His people, not only from the circumstances they find themselves in, many of their own making, but also from the sin which leads to such circumstances. GOD has demonstrated His love for all in that He gave His only begotten Son, the ultimate Judge and Deliverer, to conquer sIn and the grave, and to give eternal life to all who will receive it through repentance and by faith in His and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary in our place. He wants to conquer and eliminate the giants and enemies in our live that keep us defeated, that we might serve Him and grow in Him to do His work and accomplish His will in this sinful and broken world, that He might be glorified in all things.

      GOD has called, commanded, and commissioned His Church to the work of missions, ministry, discipleship, and evangelism. Sharing the message of Salvation is the scarlet thread that winds through the thrice wound  work of the church. He has called us to serve Him, His ambassadors with the Word of reconciliation to minister to those around us who are hurting and in need. He has commanded us to love one another, and to disciple one another that we may all grow through His Word into the full measure of Him who first loved us. He has commissioned us to take the Good News of reconciliation with the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and as we go, tell all who will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that they might repent and believe and have new life in His Name.

       For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him

1/22/2016

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And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that He sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. (Jdg 14:2-4)
      Samson's desire for women led him into this relationship with a philistine woman which would turn into a victory for Samson over the Philistines. Though his problems with women and his faith would plague him his entire life, GOD used this occasion to begin to judge Israel and deliver them from the oppression of their seemingly eternal enemies. Despite his rocky start, and disastrous ending, Samson will be a mighty, though at times wayward, judge for the people of Israel, which GOD will use, despite himself and his failures.

     GOD desires those He has delivered and forgiven to be holy, complete in Him, and to be His children, priests and Kingdom citizens. We are His body, and are to do the work which He has for us to do, in missions, ministry, discipleship. He wants His people to know Him and to grow in Him even as we are about our Father's business of reaching others for Christ, that they too might be born again through repentance of their sIn and saving faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Those who have His great Salvation are new creatures in Christ, and empowered and indwelt by the Holy Ghost which is within us, we can overcome sin and our failures and glorify GOD in our submission to His will and work in this sinful and broken world we reside in, until He takes us Home with Him.

      Until the day, He has called us to serve Him, as ambassadors and ministers in the work He has for us to do, to meet the needs of those around us who are hurting and in need. He has commanded us to love one another as He loved us and to disciple one another in His Word until we all grow up into the full measure of Him who gave Himself for us. He has commissioned us into His army, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as His witnesses and as we go, to take the Good News of reconciliation and forgiveness to all, that those who hear and repent in faith might have life in His Name.

       For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The Spirit of the LORD began to move

1/21/2016

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And Manoah said unto The Angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And The Angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after My Name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that The Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But The Angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that He was an Angel of the LORD. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen GOD. (Jdg 13:17-22)
       The Lord appeared unto Samson's parents to announce his birth, and to prepare them for what they would have to do in raising Samson as a Nazarite. Manoah and his wife worshiped GOD and offered sacrifices unto Him which he accepted. The Lord had not appeared unto them to dispose of them, for their life was already in His hand, but that they might be used in His service and bring forth another judge for the people of Israel who were once again oppressed by their enemies.

       GOD has a plan for His people, and when He wants to do something and shew Himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him, He uses His people and calls us to the work, not because of our strengths or our abilities or our gifts, for those all come from Him and He knows us better than we know ourselves, but that He will be glorified in the work in and through us. Samson's parents weren't anything special, nor would Samson do every thing right in the sight of the Lord, but it was GOD that was doing the work. When we trust Him and rely solely on Him for our strength and instruction, He can and will accomplish great things through us, not for our glory, but for the glory of the Lord who alone is worthy of all praise, honour, and blessing.

       Today, GOD works through His Church to accomplish His will and to do His work in this broken and sinful world. He calls His ambassadors to reach out as ministers of reconciliation and minister to those around us who are hurting and in need. He commands His disciples to love one another, with the unfeigned love of the brethren, and to equip, edify, and encourage one another as we grow in His Word and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ until we are all grown up into the full measure of Him. He commissions each of us to the proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching those that hear and believe the Good News all things whatsoever He has commanded us, that those who repent of their sins and trust Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary might have life in His Name.

     For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The LORD delivered them into my hand

1/20/2016

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Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. (Jdg 12:4-6)
      When those Israelites who had settled in Ephraim opposed Jephthah, whether out of jealousy, or pride, or anger against him, he gathered his forces and the men of Gilead and armed conflict within Israel ensued. Gilead gained the upper hand because of a dialect impediment and Jephthah concluded his judging of Israel with a slaughter of those that did not support the work of the Lord from within the ranks of the children of Israel. Be not deceived, the Scripture tells us, GOD is not mocked, and no weapon fashioned against His people will stand when we are under the shadow of the Almighty and abide in His will.

      It does not bode well for the person who opposes GOD, or the people of GOD. If GOD is for us who can be against us. There are many things that GOD allows in this sinful and broken world, and for a time He allows those that oppose Him and His people to seem as if they are flourishing and getting the upper hand, especially as we draw closer to the end He has foretold is coming. But, when His wrath is full, He will unleash the Judgment He has already pronounced on those who oppose Him, that are at war with Him. Cultural Christians that have joined a church but never been born again, and the apathetic and undecided who are not in the family of GOD will experience we all deserve because of sIn.

      That does not excuse those of us who are His children, for we are to be holy and Christ-like in all that we do, to shine for GOD, and be salt in this world. The forgiveness and new life we receive because of our faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary and our repentance of our sIn does not mean we can sIn all we want to, in fact it means we sIn more than we want to, but that we should grow in Him and become more like Jesus Christ every day through our study and our communion with GOD through prayer and His Word. We do not war after the flesh, nor do we preach a social gospel which seeks political or social means of change without GOD's change of the heart and spirit in sinners who are still at war with Him.

     That is our task, as His Church, to take the Word of reconciliation to those around us, that they might come to know GOD and His Son, Jesus Christ. As His ambassadors, as GOD provides and guides us, we minister to those around us who are hurting and in need. As His disciples, we love one another with the unfeigned love of the brethren and equip, encourage, and edify one another until we all grow up into the full measure of Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Master. As His witnesses, we proclaim and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all we meet, that those who believe the Good News and repent might have life in His Name.

     For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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I will offer it up for a burnt offering

1/19/2016

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And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: (Jdg 11:30, 32, 34-45, 39a)
     Though GOD used Jephthah to deliver Israel from their enemies and oppressors (again), Jephthah is not a very good example of the judges He used, in fact most of the judges had very serious character flaws that inhibited or affected their time as a judge. Not only does GOD use flawed people to accomplish His work, despite our flaws. It also reflects on the truthfulness of the Word of GOD which records the Holiness and Righteousness of GOD and the flaws and sins of the people He has created, redeemed, and judged throughout its revealed record.

     Though Jephthah led a victory against the Ammonites for GOD, He was hasty and rash in his vow to the Lord. Instead of simply trusting GOD to deliver Israel, Jephthah, without thinking of what might be the result of his vow, offered up 'whatever' was first to the Lord. Because of the Law and his vow before GOD, Jephthah gave his only child, his daughter, to the Lord. Many are bothered, and rightfully so, by his sacrifice of her to GOD, which wasn't condoned simply recorded, but seemingly have less trouble with Jephthah denying his oath to the Lord. Both are sins before GOD and Jephthah was obligated by his own rash and unthinking oath to complete the promise and sacrifice.

     As horrible as it is to think about, we must remember that all sin is sin against our righteous and holy GOD who has already judged sin and sinners as guilty before Him. But, He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to give us eternal life if we will trust Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary in repentance and faith. He cannot condone sin, any sin, and He will and does punish those who refuse to repent, and chastises His own who sin that they may also repent and live in Him and through Him to accomplish His work in this world.

      We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, as new creatures living in the Spirit, to do His will and the work which He has for His church to do. We are His ambassadors to this lost and dying world, taking the Word of reconciliation to those around us who are hurting and in need, and meeting their needs as GOD gives the increase. We are His disciples, fellowshipping with one another in unfeighned love for the brethren and equipping the saints that we might all grow up into the full measure of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We are His witnesses, taking the Gospel wherever we go, and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with all who will hear, that they might repent of their sins and put their trust in Him and Him alone for Salvation and new life in His Name.

     For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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I will deliver you no more

1/15/2016

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And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our GOD, and also served baalim. And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken Me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. (Jdg 10:10-14)
     Israel once again turned away from GOD and followed after the idols and false gods of their neighbours. They rejected His rule and Laws and worshiped gods of wood, stone, and clay that were of their own making. If it weren't for the mercy and lovingkindness of our Lord which are renewed every morning, and His Covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that will not end, He would have ceased to deliver any of them from their enemies because of their idolatry and rebellion as people and as a nation.

       We cannot keep living in this world as though our GOD does not exist and has no control over our lives. If He is our Saviour, and we have surrendered to Him on His terms and repented of our sins, He is our Lord and King and our lives are not our own any more, and we ought to continue to be in submission to His will. Any thing else is idolatry and rebellion just as it was for the nation and people of Israel. There will come a day when GOD is done and His wrath is full and no more will be saved. There may come a time, if we rebel enough and sin against GOD in our carnal walk, that GOD will remove us. He chastises His own, but if they do not respond to the correction of the Holy Ghost, He can and does take them home. GOD is sovereign, and if we are truly His we ought not to reject His Word and rule in our hearts and lives, but rather live in His holiness, righteousness, and through Him to accomplish His will and do His work in this world until our Commander comes again for us.

      Until He returns for His own, we are to glorify Him in all things. We are to serve as His ambassadors, sharing the Word of reconciliation with those around us who are hurting and in need as GOD provides and directs His people. We are to love one another as His disciples and equip, edify, and encourage one another as we all grow up in His Word and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We are to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as His witnesses, and as we go, telling all who will hear of repentance and forgiveness the Good News of reconciliation with GOD through faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary that they might believe and have life in His Name.

     For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. GOD calls you to trust Him and what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD, forgiveness from GOD, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.

In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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