One of my Pastor like to say Crazymatic. lol.

but yeah and non denominational.

repost




New Covenant Blessings



This passage is key to access God and his blessings. Bold Emphasize will be another key factor which I will explain below.

I used to hear preachings in Church saying, you must obey God first to receive blessings. That means God's blessing depends very much on your performances. Now those preachers means well. That I do not doubt. They want you to find God's blessings through performance base.

Now before we continue, let's get this rule of the thumb clear. The Old Testament Covenant is basically performance based covenant. Do good get good, do bad get beat. It's your performance that will determine whether you get blessed or cursed. (Leviticus)

But if you study the New Covenant, What does the Bible say about the effect of the Old Covenant ?

Lets look in

Hebrews 7:18-19 (NIV)
18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless
19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Those who preach the Law strongly hardly preach this. Hebrews 7:18 says The Old Covenant has been set aside, meaning it's no longer in effect. The Holy Spirit calls it weak and useless. Now don't get upset and jump from your seat yet thinking this is blasphemy. This is in the Bible.

Look in

Hebrew 8:7 (NIV)
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.

You will hardly hear this preach also. Hebrews 8:7 is basically saying there is a problem with Old Covenant of the Law. Look at the verse that says no place would have been sought for another. It's telling you there is another new covenant that will replace the old one.

Look at

Hebrews 8:13 (NIV)
13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

So what does this all mean? The Law of the Old Covenant is no longer relevant to used for you to reach out to God's Salvation and Blessings. That is what it means. The verse below in Romans 4:14 confirms this.

Romans 4:14 (NLT)
If God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.

I'm sure some of you might ask, what's the point then for God to give the Law of the Old Covenant? The answer is found in

Galatians 3:19 (NLT)
Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.

It was designed to last until Jesus Christ and the more you try to obey it, the more you will fail. Look at the passage below.

Romans 7:19 (NIV)
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.


So what is the New Covenant?

Hebrews 7:22 (NIV) Answers this.
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Romans 3:22 (NIV) says this
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

Romans 4:13 (NIV) says this
13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith

Romans 5:17 (NIV) says this
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ


Your Blessings under the New Covenant comes through Faith in Christ Jesus. Look at Romans 4:13 and Romans 5:17. The word Heir of the world or inheriting the world and reigning in Life goes together joining hand in hand. You cannot reign in Life or become Heir of the world being constantly sick all the time, So the blessings of Healing is involved. Neither can you inherit the world or reign in life in poverty all the time, so prosperity is included. These are but a few examples of God's blessings.

Romans 5:17 says You WILL reign in Life through these 2 Gifts.
Abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness. What does it mean to reign in Life? You will rule with Authority, Dominate with God's power and have Sovereignty over the Enemy through Jesus Christ under the Gift of Abundance of Grace and the Gift of Jesus's Righteousness.

And Hebrew 11:6 (main title verse above) is the base of your New Covenant Blessings.

Your Faith in God. Having a right Believe, a right perspective towards God according to Bible way will bless you.

I seriously hope this devotion will set you free. For you to know, it is your Faith that act as the foundation to your blessings. Your works or your obedience has been reassigned to love others. Hebrew 11:6 says it is Faith that pleases God.

All this is possible now because 2000 years ago, a lonely divine Man hang on the cross for you and I to make this happen.


God Bless.

Good day to all!

Unknown Warrior, u r working so hard to climb the heavenly ladder.
How r u today?

hi Skydrake,

I'm good under God's grace.

Actually, working hard to be a channel for God's voice to free our brothers and sisters from wrong perception on the bible.

I believe our friend PehKay also.

It's in my heart for all of you to be strong in God.

Some of you may have different challenges and real life problems.

There are Christians who don't know the power and blessing that God already gave to you.

There are also those who don't read their Bible.

I don't know why, perhaps God put this burden in me to share with you guise.

U are gifted to have such knowledge, good to know that u knows it. Some ppl just can't understand its because their "sins" had cover up the view. Perhaps with my wild guess, gods leading this burden to u on his purpose.

I have strong faith that we will meet in heaven.

ha, actually anyone can have this gift.

all they have to do is commit themselves with discipline to read the bible everyday.

Amen. Will see you there for sure.

why is it in the case of Satan, it was God who *sentenced* him to die, to perish from burning within - Bib reference: EZEKIAL 28:12-19 but in the case of humans, the disbelieving ones, they *chose* it for themselves not that God who put them there? play of semantics/words?

this question pops up when i was arguing the case of Christianity thinking of God's mercy as all-forgiving as 'found' in the bible.

i always end up getting a who-are-u-to-judge-god kinda answers

discuss without bias

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Added on October 31, 2012, 1:24 pmadditionals: is satan stupid? didn't he know he'd lose to God in the end since he knew he and his power came from God? knowing he's damned for eternity, y did he not repent? as much as he has freewill to lead people astray, he has as much freewill to lead them straight again although his 'destination' already destined. ah ya... i see people going to say satan is incapable of goodness - so now in his case it is predetermined/-nation? cherry cherry lady

This post has been edited by hotjake: Oct 31 2012, 01:39 PM

Ha I see,

maybe this can refresh our understanding.

It's not just who are we (which is true in distinction between God and us), but also what do we have?

What credentials do we have to qualify ourselves better or higher than God and to disqualify his judgement?

If you can answer that, you'll have your answer.

BTW Satan was sentenced in such away because he has corrupted himself beyond repair in gross pride to the nature of destruction

Isaiah 14: 12-15 give insight to what happened.

12 How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit.



If God allows Satan to live on, the cycle of death and destruction will never end. (John 10:10). So to him and his evil forces who joined with him, they are given no chance. According to that passage in scripture in verse 13-14, Satan wanted to overtake and be above God.

If you remember in Genesis, it was Satan who deceive Adam and Eve to sin against God by saying "you will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). That already shows what he coveted.

You must understand Sin to God is like what cancer is to Man.
And God wants to separate you from Sin through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) How is it that He's not giving you a chance here?
In the original garden of Eden, it was never God's intention for the world to have destruction, disease or evil but eternal life and a world free from destructive forces.

Sin is a destructive force that causes all the problem in this world. It is corruptive and will destroy you as well like cancer.
If you insist you want to retain sin in your life, then it is really your choice, not God's.

The Bible mentions a New Heaven and New Earth is coming to replace this Fallen world. (Revelation 21:1) In there lies no more Sin, hence no more pain, death nor tears. It will happen after Jesus comes again.

Why would anyone insist God to allow or carry on the stain of Sin in a New coming world by being "merciful" or "all Forgiving" is beyond me.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Oct 31 2012, 05:01 PM

Now, if you consider that both predestination and free will are both facts because of the twofoldness of the truth, then, you can only

For example:

The argument to whether God hardened Pharaoh’s heart or Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, Moses uses various expressions. In Exodus 4:21 God says, “I will harden his heart.” However, in 8:15 Moses says that Pharaoh “hardened his heart.” Furthermore, in 9:7 we are told that “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened,” and in 9:35 that “the heart of Pharaoh was hard.” On the one hand, 10:1 says that the Lord “hardened his heart,” but, on the other hand, in 10:20 we see that the Lord “made Pharaoh’s heart hard” (Heb.).

The Bible says clearly both that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and that Pharaoh hardened his heart himself.

In Romans 9:16 Paul says, “So then, it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God, the One who shows mercy.” To be a vessel of mercy and of honor unto glory does not depend on our willing or our running, but on God’s mercy to us. It is of God’s sovereign mercy that we are vessels of mercy. We were not the ones who decided to become vessels of mercy. God made this decision before we were born. Only because of God’s sovereignty are we able to say that we are vessels of mercy. In ourselves and of ourselves we have no right to say this. As the One with authority over the clay, the Potter has chosen to make us vessels of mercy.

BUT, in the universe there are three things that cannot be denied: God’s sovereignty, God’s mercy, and man’s free will. God’s sovereignty and mercy are both divine and eternal, without beginning or ending. Man’s free will, on the contrary, is something created by God. In creating man with a free will, God displayed His greatness. Because He is great, He does not force us to choose Him. Rather, He leaves us free to make our own choice.

Did God firstly harden Pharaoh’s heart, or did Pharaoh take the first step to harden his own heart? As a help in answering this question, consider your experience in believing in the Lord Jesus. Was this initiated by you or by God? Surely it was initiated by God. However, you did the believing. Before I was saved, I had no thought of God. My believing in Christ was neither planned nor initiated by me. I have the full assurance that the source of this was God Himself. He planned it, initiated it, and scheduled it. Before I was saved, I was not willing to believe in Christ. However, one day I spontaneously became willing. According to my experience and yours as well, God took the first step to cause us to believe in Christ.

In the same principle, God took the first step in the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Before Moses had his first confrontation with Pharaoh, God told him that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (4:21). However, in the case of our salvation, God initiated our believing in the Lord Jesus, but He did not execute it by believing for us. God planned that we should believe, but we ourselves had to believe. Likewise, God firstly hardened Pharaoh’s heart, then Pharaoh carried out this hardening through his own free will.

Here we see God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. Instead of being contradictory, these two correspond. Pharaoh could not escape responsibility in this matter and place it all on God. He had his own free will.

On the one hand, we must worship God for His sovereignty, but, on the other hand, we must fulfill our responsibility. God’s sovereignty does not contradict our free will, and our free will does not contradict His sovereignty. If we see this, we shall humble ourselves under God’s sovereignty and spontaneously take up our responsibility. We shall say, “Lord, everything is according to Your sovereignty. Nevertheless, I must carry out my responsibility.” The more we are willing to bear our responsibility, the stronger is the sign that we have been predestinated by God.

The Bible firstly says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. But the Bible also says that Pharaoh hardened his heart. This shows both God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. We must always humble ourselves and say, “Lord, You are sovereign. But I must still carry out my responsibility.” This attitude indicates that we are favored by God. Suppose, however, that we have the attitude that because everything is according to God’s sovereignty, we are not responsible to do anything. This is a sign that we have denied God. Pharaoh could not absolve himself of responsibility, and Moses could not boast of his deeds. In this way, God shut every mouth. Moses had no room to boast. Neither did Pharaoh have an excuse not to bear responsibility.

God’s sovereignty and our responsibility are both involved in our spiritual seeking. All proper spiritual seeking is planned and scheduled by God. But we are still responsible to seek the Lord. When we seek Him, we should not be proud. Rather, we should humble ourselves and confess that our seeking of the Lord is according to His sovereignty. At the same time, we fulfill our responsibility. If we are indifferent toward the Lord, we are in danger of not fulfilling our responsibility. But if we are zealous in pursuing the Lord, we must be careful not to boast of our spiritual seeking. Once again we see that we need to humble ourselves under God’s sovereignty and, at the same time, carry out our responsibility. If we are conscious of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility, we are truly favored by God.

There is a difference between hardening the heart and the heart becoming hard. In Exodus we are told both that Pharaoh hardened his heart and that his heart became hard. This indicates that Pharaoh firstly hardened his heart. The result was that his heart became hard. Hence, the heart being hard was the consequence of the hardening of the heart. Before Pharaoh hardened his heart, it was still possible for his heart to be softened. But instead of softening his heart, Pharaoh hardened it. The same is true today. Before a person hardens his heart, his heart is not hard. To some extent at least, it is soft. But once he decides to harden his heart, his heart becomes hard.

We can learn an important lesson from this: Never allow anything negative to develop toward the Lord. Before this negative thing arises, you still have two choices—to be for God or to be against Him. But once something negative comes forth and your heart is hardened, you will have only one choice, and that is to reject God.

From the way Pharaoh dealt with his heart we can see how God dealt with Pharaoh’s heart. Firstly, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and then He made his heart hard. After God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He could have softened it. However, He did not do so. Instead, He kept Pharaoh’s heart in a hardened condition. This means that God made Pharaoh’s heart hard. In the beginning, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart; then He made Pharaoh’s heart hard. In other words, God did not intervene to change what He had done to Pharaoh’s heart.

If we allow something negative to develop toward the Lord, there will be a serious issue. God may not change this result. Rather, He may allow it to continue, just as He did not show mercy to Pharaoh, but let him stand by himself in order to show forth His power in him (Rom. 9:17). Once you harden your heart, your heart will become hard and remain hard. This is on your side. On God’s side, He firstly hardens your heart and then He may refuse to change what He has done. Firstly, He hardens the heart and then He keeps it hard. This warns us to take heed lest any negative thing arise within us. Once this negative thing produces a particular result, that result will remain. It may be that not even God Himself will change it. He may allow it to remain as it is.

I believe Moses used various expressions to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart so that we might learn to humble ourselves before God’s sovereignty, to take up our responsibility, and to guard ourselves from allowing negative things to develop toward God. Once these things develop, it is very difficult to change the result they cause. Instead, the condition remains and may even worsen. Let us learn from the example of Pharaoh. He allowed something evil to begin, and the result remained permanently.

This post has been edited by pehkay: Oct 31 2012, 02:27 PM

Answer = Pride.

Pride can blind and puff up some people to be oblivious of themselves, I don't see how it doesn't effect Satan.

We all have seen how power and wealth corrupt some human beings thinking they are above everyone else.

The root cause of that kind of behaviour is pride.

What more about Satan?

If you say that God predestine Satan to be like that, then what about Other Arch-Angels, Like Michael?

He's also a high ranking Angel in the Heavenly realms. He's still serving God, witnessed the Fall of Satan, was there at the beginning with Lucifer and all? But yet wasn't corrupted. And the Bible did record one instance where he (Michael) argued against Satan but dare not bring against any slanderous accusation towards Satan even though he(Satan) has fallen which proves he (Michael) has humility. (Jude 1:9)

Jude 1:9
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Michael could have just deride and over ride Satan, reminding him of his place and hinting he's (Michael) above him (Satan). But He did not.

God didn't enforce any of them to exhibit humility or pride, they all made their own choices.

If that doesn't provide proven case of freewill, I don't know what else will convince you.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Oct 31 2012, 03:02 PM

so prideful satan can't see the end result and the pointlessness of his ways? so prideful satan decides to go down burning in a blaze of 'glory' so to speak rite? it's like heck i'm (satan) going down, i'm pulling as much people down as possible. it sure feels good to make God butthurt over his cherished creation (prideful people can't see if they r being childish nor can they see God won't butthurt or will he? ) Yeah fucuk heaven, it's too overrated, imma feel rite at home in hell


putting myself in satan's shoes, i feel for him i do...

This post has been edited by hotjake: Oct 31 2012, 04:56 PM

I don't think he'll feel right at home

Revelation 20:10
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

i feel for satan i do...

but he was stupid (u n the bible call it pride, buying it imma not) to have gone against God

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Added on October 31, 2012, 5:05 pmi really respect people who come up to me and tell me i'm going to burn in hell if i don't accept jesus as saviour. they dont mince their word.

This post has been edited by hotjake: Oct 31 2012, 05:11 PM

I know it is a cliched or overused element in story telling .... it seem that when anyone turn away from God, i.e. it is not turn away from something separate from you.

You are turning from a Source of all positive things, elements, virtues, attributes, etc that is personified in God. Once you reject all that is of God, what is left .... lack of a better word .... turn you into a direct opposite .... there is no turn back ... I guess this is my speculation

This post has been edited by pehkay: Oct 31 2012, 05:20 PM

i always don't understand The book of Revelation even after reading it few times.

telle me about it. nostradamus seems easier relatively speaking

Maybe. It's not my place to say that, but I know with regards to other matters, like from my experience in spiritual warfare, he's cunning and very deceitful. I never had much respect for the devil until the day I try to get into the deeper things with God. He'll pull all kind of stuff just to get you off track and demotivated. Unless Christians are thoroughly equipped with God's word, he can defeat you through lies and deception.

Bro, I almost had the same feeling like how you do, when somebody introduced to me to Christ.

But along the way, God gave me this revelation and I find it very ironic.

See, most people will feel insulted when someone say that, but have absolutely no problems with criminals getting caught and sentenced to death for crimes. I mean it's like, secular law or whatever law is okay to sentence criminals but for God to mete out judgement is wrong and not all forgiving.

And then They'll say something like, they get what they deserve. You know why? Most people will self admit, they're kinda good people in life and didn't do anything major that deserve death.

What they don't understand it, that is a standard, we judge ourselves with. We go along with the line, as long we don't kill people, maybe do some good work or charity, we'll do fine.

But That's not how God view Sin.

1 Corinthians 15:56 says
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (surprise-surprise for those who advocate the 10 commandments )

The sin that is in us, compels us with tendency to do wrong. Stuff like depression, suicide, bad mouthing, cursing, hatred, lust, the list goes on.

If you can accept Heaven will be a place without tears, death pain or sorrow, then you can also accept, to go there in a sinful state will probably stain the place.

At time when we look at this current world with problems, we complain, why so much evil? When's God going to do anything?

Well he has. Jesus Christ happened. A new Heaven and Earth is already ordained to come. He has given you an opportunity for a new life and new beginning and the power over sin in the mean time. And much more, all the blessings to enjoy in this life.

And as Pehkay said it, God is giving us the opportunity for the positive, but why do we only see the negative?

That my friend is for you to ponder.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Oct 31 2012, 05:55 PM

It's steeped in Jewish apocalyptic language. You need to have a pre-existing vocabulary (which most first century Jewish reader would have) to understand it.

Read it with a commentary.

because

1. i'm "bestowed" with such a mind critical on the obvious

2. it takes great courage to take the path of doubt till the end though it may seem futile (i.e. waking up in burning lake of sulfur). on this point u may want to say it is pride/stupidity/both. side note: if i was satan at that moment, i wouldn't have gone against God. i'll just stick to my own thing and let God rule like a humble servant because I would have seen what God is capable of, how awesome he is or hensem, and of course my own limitations no matter how prideful i might be as Satan. I wouldn't be as stupid as him nor anyone with a rational mind in his position could be)

3. i'm convinced the bible can't be the work of an intelligent creator with his own set of standards. ah... who am i to judge him? always come to mind. but i CAN'T LIVE A LIE (if u know what that means)


anyways, that aside. u do realise the part i bolded is an observational selection fallacy, counting the hits and forgetting the ('intended' or not) misses right? or are there none to begin with?

This post has been edited by hotjake: Nov 1 2012, 10:20 AM

Some helpful points that help me:

1) The crucial key in understanding is set forth in Revelation 1:1, which says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show to His slaves
the things that must quickly take place; and He made it known by signs, sending it by His angel to His slave John.” This verse informs us that the revelation of Jesus Christ is made known by signs.

2) One quote I like: "[W]hat we have before us is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is not the revelation of things to come, though it has to do largely therewith. It is not the revelation of the four horsemen, nor of the woman clothed with the sun, nor of the ten horned beast, nor of the scarlet woman, nor of the fall of Babylon, nor of the New Jerusalem, but—of JESUS CHRIST[U]. Therefore we should ever be on the alert to observe how, and in what various connections, Christ is revealed in the different divisions of the Prophecy. For Christ is central in every part of the Book, and every group of symbols derives its significance from Him."

...

This post has been edited by pehkay: Nov 1 2012, 09:31 AM