Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Psalm 122:
1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together.
4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD.
5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

Comment: As headlines cry, "Israel Under Attack!" - it's good to refresh our minds with God's perspective on current events. We may be caught unaware by news reports; but know that our God, who knows the end from the beginning, is never surprised by late breaking news headlines.

Bible prophecy will be fulfilled, God's promises concerning Jerusalem, both the judgments against her sinfulness and the overweening glory He intended for "her" from the beginning, will come to pass.

Jerusalem is a focal point in God's plan and purpose. He chose it. He calls it Zion. He also refers to it as the "city of David." It plays an integral part in His redemptive plan - toward Israel and toward all mankind. What's more, the earthly city is representative of the heavenly city, New Jerusalem. (See Revelation 21:1-3.)

Psalm 48:
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
...
8 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
9 We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.
10 According to Thy Name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go around her: tell the towers thereof.
13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.

For further study...
Isaiah 24:23; 62:1-4; 66:10-20; Jeremiah 3:17; Joel 2:32; 3:16-17; Zechariah 2:7-13; 8:20-22; 12:10.

It's Provoking!

The dictionary says the word "provoke" has four meanings; 1.) To incite to anger or resentment; vex; irk: 2.) To stir to action or feeling, 3.) To give rise to; evoke: [provoke laughter] 4.) To bring about deliberately; induce: [provoke a fight]. Synonyms include; incite, excite, stimulate, arouse, rouse, elicit, evoke, kindle, enkindle, fire, raise, create, make, and stir. Provoke is a verb; provocation noun, provocative adjective, provocatively adverb.

We need to consider what the Bible says. There is a negative side to provoke and God identifies it clearly. This kind of provoking has serious consequences - in families... "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) and in God's people... The children of Israel provoked God to wrath continually. "How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:40-41) For further reference, see, Numbers 14:11,23; 16:20; Deuteronomy 31:20; 32:21; Psalm 78:56; 106:33; Isaiah 65:3; Jeremiah 44:8; & Zechariah 8:14. In the New Testament church we still find this potential for provoking God... "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than God?" (I Corinthians 10:22) and we are warned about repeating Israel's folly. See Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 3:15-19.

But provoke also has a positive side. The Bible says...
"And let us consider on another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

"For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. (II Corninthians 9:2)

"I say then, Have they [the Jews] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! but rather, through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy... If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are of my flesh, [the Jews] and might save some of them. ...blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:11, 14, 25b)

In each of these instances, provoking is a good thing. Something good, something wonderful, something that reveals the hand of God is at work in salvation's plan, in history, in the hearts of His chosen people, to the end that He will bring both Jews and Gentiles into reconciliation and right relationship with Him throughout eternity. It's God's Plan for the Ages!

We Gentiles received the Truth in part because of the Jews faithfulness in recording the Word of God throughout their generations. We found mercy through their unbelief! Now, they, in turn, through our mercy and faithfulness are also going to obtain mercy. No wonder our message is - "Be ye reconciled to God."

Let us be about the business of provoking... of inciting... inviting... enlightening... ambassadors for Christ, and of the increase of His Kingdom, may there be no end!

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out... For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:33, 36)  

On Being On Fire for God

Be on fire for God! The Greek word, Zeo or zelos means “to boil with heat; be hot.” English words such as fervent, [fever] zealous, and jealous are used in translation. Note that zealous is a positive, while jealous is a negative. Both are boiling hot emotions. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11, NIV)

Text: Luke 21:34-36
Key Verse: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (II Thessalonians 2:3)

Apostasy and falling away describe the same condition. Both are translated from the same Greek word, meaning “defection from truth, rebellion, turning away.” Reprobate and castaway [unapproved, rejected, worthless,] are synonyms. (See II Corinthians 9:27.) Apostasy is an attitude of the last days.

I. End-time Attitudes – A Falling Away Shall Come - II Thessalonians 2:3
Laodicea – prophetic – Last in the list of the seven churches of Asia - "because thou art lukewarm... I will spue thee out of My mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-19) Compare with what we see and hear today.
Note: End time promises embrace both "a great falling away" and "a great ingathering." (Harvest Revival!)
The “great falling away” and the “great revival” will be simultaneous!
    A. The Actions of Apostasy – II Timothy 4:3-4
        1. Always a trading down in value
        2. The “great falling away” must come first... before...
        3. “The ‘dusk’ of degeneration.” – John 9:4
        4. Satan/robber/deceiver/ tempter - BUT - we’re drawn by our own lusts – James 1:14
        5. “Itching ears” turn to “fables” (fiction, myths, tales)
    B. The Path of Apostasy – Romans 1:21-32
        1. Darkening of the Heart – Vs. 21 ("...the love of many shall wax cold" - Matthew 6:23; 24:12)
        2. Uncleanness – Vs. 22 (moral impurity - I Thessalonians 4:17)
        3. Vile Affections – Vs. 26 (perversion/s - I Corinthians 6:9-10)
        4. A Reprobate Mind – Vs. 28 (carnal mind is at enmity with God - Romans 8:7)
    C. The Ultimate End of Apostasy – Philippians 3:18-19
        1. Eternal Damnation (the act of turning away becomes permanent -the only hope is total repentance)
        2. At the 4th stage – Conscience seared (I Timothy 4:2) - No longer want to repent.
        3. No one can sin & stay at the same level of iniquity. Consider Lot, his wife & family, Esau,
             and Saul. Sin is like a lure that draws men into ever descending degrees of separation from God and
             Truth - James 1:14-15 (See also Hebrews 2:1-3; 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 12:25; Numbers 15:30.)
II. Antidote — Be Fervent in Spirit! – Romans 12:11 – H20 @ 212degrees=boil (& steam) - BUT! Cold water into boiling water does NOT heat the cold water; rather, it cools the boiling water!
    A. Be Prepared – for the coming of the Lord – Luke 21:34-36
        1. Wise & Foolish – Matthew 25:1-13 - all 10: virgins, oil, lamps, slept, lamps went out, & heard
              the midnight cry...  however, the wise had a reserve supply of oil, the foolish did not.
        2. Surfeiting, Drunkenness, Cares –cool fervency - taken unawares. Does it just happen? No!
    B. Be Expectant – Titus 2:11-13 – denying... looking... [See Matthew 24:44; Luke 24:36.]
        1. Ready and Expecting – Earnest expectation creates readiness! - Revelation 16:15

Internalizing: God hates lukewarmness! He'd rather we be one or the other - cold or hot. Be zealous! Keep your spiritual temperature at fever pitch! Feed the fever! Fervency: prevents getting caught in the falling away – AND – prepares us for the coming great revival.

Like Lot's wife and Demas, some trade eternal life for this present world; sound Bible doctrine for lust, Truth for fables, Worship for entertainment. They reach for gain in this world and lose their eternal soul in the process. Falling away (apostasy) is a downward spiral that leads to eternal damnation. Be fervent Amid Apostasy! Be on fire for God!

Special Note: What you're reading are my lesson notes from the Adult Sunday School lesson I taught on April 6, 2014.  It was requested that I post my notes online. These notes are from the 2013/14 Adult Teacher's Manual, published by Word Aflame; United Pentecostal Church International, Hazelwood, Missouri.

It's a New Day! It's a New Year!

Wondering where 2013 went was where I began with my annual Christmas Poem. How is it that the 365 days we are given in one year fly by so fast? Wasn't it only yesterday that we were looking ahead to 2013 with high hopes and visions of what we could accomplish? Yet, we come to it's end and feel a let down because we realize we let many opportunities slip and as a result, have not yet seen those hopes and visions come to fruition. Perhaps all is not as it seems... perhaps some of our problem is our perception. We seem to have extremely narrow vision; mostly, it's an inward, "me" focus. As the old saying goes, "We can't see the forest for the trees."

Gaining a broader, wider view forces us to step back, to step up to a higher level. When all is said and done, the only perspective that truly matters is God's. We will be judged according to His set of books; not ours, and not anyone else's. At this transition between what's past and what's to come, I have tried to utilize my own "present" realities as a stepping stone; to stand on them and rethink them as manifestations of how God has brought me to this point in life.

I suppose age has something to do with it, because length of days reveals the aging process not only works on you, it's also working on your children and grandchildren. Both of my daughters are now in their forties. My oldest grandson has just graduated from Marine Basic Training. My youngest grandchild will soon be eight years old. I see signs of wear and tear in my own body as recently as yesterday, when an update of my medical records notified me that I have no less than eleven health issues, most of which are not serious, (thankfully,) but three of them bear close attention and affect multiple areas of my life, including my mobility.

From strong and able to do just about anything I set my mind to just a few years ago, to a cane, a walker, and a wheelchair betimes is a rude awakening to the unrelenting process of aging. Thankfully, the Lord has been right here throughout. He awakens me in the morning with songs and verses of Scripture that bring comfort and joy. He gives me thoughts that turn into letters and articles; words of encouragement for others. He gives me His grace and the strength to be faithful in my responsibilities. My children and grandchildren are learning and growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - I see this and feel an overwhelming sense of peace and great joy, knowing He is able to complete the work He began - not only in me, but in them also. This realization has me looking forward with great hope to 2014.

Happy New Year!
Maranatha!

Christmas ~ 2013

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more fleeting year,

Already it’s fading in our rear-view mirror;

Where the days went I cannot say,

They’ve flown by on wings of rapid decay.

It started out fresh, and clean, and new,

With promise, potential, and time in view;

Our hearts soared with hope as the year began,

Sure it would bring forth our very best plan.

But then ‘twixt the start and what we see now,

Came the gravel, the rough stuff, and the ornery plow.

It’s hard work, the details of birthing a dream,

Too often we falter and simply lose steam.

The “skin” that we live in is quick to relax,

To give up the fight, call off the attacks;

We yield when we ought to be standing our ground,

Doing it “our way” brings dreams crashing ‘round.

Then, December comes, year’s end is in sight,

And we, ever hoping, turn toward the Light;

Of that first Christmas morn, two millennia ago,

When Hope was born and its’ dawn brought the glow...

Of redemption... renewal... reviving His plan,

Life everlasting – His promise to man;

“I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

Peace... good will... and Salvation too.”

Our strength is too small, we need Him to survive,

For only in Him are we truly alive;

Yielded, submissive; that’s when we’re our best,

Trusting His Word, we can pass every test.

Willing obedience always touches His heart,

Freely giving ourselves, we make a fresh start;

Old things pass away, all things become new,

With Him in control, we can now follow through!

Marjorie J. Kinnee

December 2013

Discerning Thinking...

Text: Malachi 3:13-18 and Hebrews 4:12-13

Key Verses: "Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." (Malachi 3:18) 
"For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 12:13)

Points to Ponder...

1. What "man" thinks
2. What God thinks
3. What God's children think
4. Discerning God's opinion on the matter
5. Making choices - good and/or evil
6. Discerning the Body of Christ
7. Discerning the will of God
8. Integrity - intent and motive
9. Recognizing error/s and sin
10. Overcoming and recovering from error/s