Do we know about tomorrow?

We have authority however the final authority is the Lord's Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." John 8:16 Jesus said: "But if I do judge, [B]my decisions are right[/B], because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me." Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

God Causes or Not?

The Lord has placed us in an environment with a certain supply of the gifts of His grace, and we didn't earn any of them. Everything we have, and everything we are able to obtain, comes as a result of the Grace of God; we have deserved nothing. Christians suffer for many reasons,sometimes through no fault of our own. Through the rejection, betrayal, enslavement, and wrongful imprisonment of a man named Joseph, we see someone who eventually was able to say to those who had hurt him, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" ( Genesis 50:20). God has a purpose including illnesses. His purpose is to manifest the character of our spiritual life to everybody around us and to us as well. James 1:4 states that "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Later in James 1:12 states "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to thoe who love him." God wants us to take joy over any of our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). God allows and causes things to happen for for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 is not limited to "all suffering," "all trouble," "all good things," or "all righteousness." No matter what happens to me, it works out for God's purpose. Exodus 4:11 says: "The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?" Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:14 "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Throughout the Bible, the following have caused by God as Amos 3:6 says "When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?:" Sodom and Gomorrah The Flood The Ten Plagues: 1 Blood (Exodus 7:14-25) 2 Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) 3 Lice (Exodus 8:16-19) 4 Flies (Exodus 8:20) 5 Cattle (Exodus 9:1-7) 6 Boils and open sores (Exodus 9:8-12) 7 Hail (Exodus 9:18-34) 8 Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20) 9 Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) 10 Death of the firstborn (Exodus 11:4-7;12:17,29,30) As I said in another thread regarding Job: Quote Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, & Zophar) reminds me of some movements who believes that when Christians get sick, they blame on a Christian who have committed sin. There are many of those who believes such doctrines. There are so many Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars. God allowed Satan to inflict Job (i.e. boil which is a skin disease). The fact of Job's story is that there are no answers when disaster strikes. We can't explain everything. Faith is to keep trusting God no matter what happens. Christians suffered every day and even die every day. People who believes that God did not cause them. The Bible makes it very clear that He will ALLOW as well as CAUSE things to happen. If they do, they might as well take out MANY verses from the Bible that mentioned the causes. God's Sovereign: Job 37:15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Proverbs 20:24 A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Jeremiah 10:23 [ Jeremiah's Prayer ] I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Ezekiel 7:5 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. Revelation 16:9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. Elphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have said similar to Job that God wanted to punish them. Job 42:7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. and in verse 8 "You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." We have to be careful how we "see" the causes and reasons. Elphaz, Bildad, and Zophar thought they were on the "right track" when they were lecturing Job about the "causes of sin". There are those who are "Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars" in this world.

Happy Easter, on the First Day...............

On the first day of every week.......(First Corinthians 16:2). It was on the first day of the week that Christ arose and so the first day, Sunday, came to be designated as the Lord's Day. On that day the early Christians gathered to worship (Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10) as do we, and in doing so we celebrate Christ's resurrection. Easter (The Resurrection) is celebrated every Sunday. The meaning of the resurrection must be rediscovered by each believing Christians till our Lord returns to earth again. The first question is, What is Easter all about? and the second, What practical meaning does it have for the plain Christian of today? "Jesus is not here; he has risen" (Matthew 28:6), Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). What practical significance does Easter have for us? "Much in every way!" (Romans 3:2). Jesus "through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). Jesus "was raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:25). That we are not obligated to live in bondage to days and times and seasons (Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:4-10; 2 Corinthians 3:5-18) since Christ arose from the dead on the first day, Christians all over have the opportunity to set the first day as the Christian's voluntary Sabbath day. This is interesting because "The day of Pentecost" fell on the first day of the week which the Holy Spirit came in fulfillment of Christ's promise. This happened on the first day, which is Sunday, seven (7) weeks after Jesus resurrection. (See Lev. 23:16, 50 days after the Passover Ceremonies, the day after the 7th Sabbath which is 7 weeks). The primary work of Christ in redemption is to justify, sanctify and glorify. Justify means to declare righteous before God, sanctify means to make holy, and glorify means in effect to remake the entire personality after the image of Christ. A.W. Tozer: On the first day light had its birth; on the first day Christ arose; on the first day the Holy Spirit descended. Though there is much other truth to support this, for a true follower of Christ no stronger argument is needed. On the first day he will love to remember Christ's triumph; and each first day will be to him a reminder that Christ rose from depths of earth. I am thankful that I responded to the Holy Spirit's conviction and lead me to my escape of death. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16). "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart" (1 John 5:10). The Holy Spirit opened my heart and mind so that I can turn to Christ. In my heart, I was stirred by the Holy Spirit and knew that God has spoken to me to repent.

Job versus Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars

Regarding God allowing a Christian to get sick, it is interesting theory and doctrines that are being taught. Boil is a skin tumor which is skin disease. In the Old Testament, people were infected by boils: 1 Plague of Boils for Egyptians (Exodus 9:9,10; Deuteronomy 28:27,35) 2.Boils of the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:6,9;6:5) 3.Boils of Hezekiah, healed (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21) 4.Boils of Job (Job 2:7,8) 5.Levitical calls boil as an infectious skin disease and have ceremonies prescribed for boils (Leviticus 13:18-23) In the beginning of the Book of Job, Job's innocence is established so that people won't interpret Job's friends opinions as judgemental. The very first verse explains that Job was blameless and a man of complete integrity. Job's faith was very strong and feared (loved) God. Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, & Zophar) reminds me of some movements who believes that when Christians get sick, they blame on a Christian who have committed sin. There are many of those who believes such doctrines. There are so many Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars. God allowed Satan to inflict Job (i.e. boil which is a skin disease). The fact of Job's story is that there are no answers when disaster strikes. We can't explain everything. Faith is to keep trusting God no matter what happens. Job had the strength, the continuity and the unwavering character of true saving faith, true love for God regardless what happened to him. Many of us have identified with him. Many of us also have identified some of our fellow Christians as Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars. When when Christians face tribulations as Job did, what would their friends do? Biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. The Lord's point to Job, at the end of the book, is that he is the all-powerful Creator. He is the loving Sustainer. And he is the perfect Ruler. He created the Universe, and he knows how to govern it as well. Often, Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars have forgotten God's true Character. Job gets the message in chapter 42. "And Job answered the Lord and said, O, I see, I get it, You can do everything and no thought can be withheld from You and who's ever going to hide counsel without knowledge, therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, things too wonderful for me which I knew not." Job is saying: "God, I understand, You're God, You're sovereign, You can do anything. You know everything. You have all the privileges. I'm a fool for even opening my mouth, I apologize. I've been talking about things far beyond my understanding which I knew not. Too awesome for me to understand. " Others have said similar: Isaiah 64:3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Job didn't have to repent because he didn't sinned. However He did "humbled" himself before the Lord. Psalm 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Psalm 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 18:4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Again in Matthew 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. James 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Humility is a great quality for a Christian to live in because genuine humility is the strength and the result of God's grace and not of ourselves. From Job's point of view, he repented because of his lack of knowledge of God Almight which translates that he repented for his ignorant of God's Character. Which God didn't view as sin but rather in GREAT FAITH because Job trusted God completely regardless. Job did accept the guilt of his friends' sin against God so he blamed himself and prayed to God to forgive his friends. Job had GREAT faith that leaped of pure trust into the arms of God, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). The Book of Job have helped me that even at the most unfavorable of circumstances, we can collapse into God's strength and there experience His amazing grace. Now, that's humility. It is always bad to blame anyone or anything for our unfavorable circumstances. The true Christian is able to live and grow in circumstances that are very unfavorable. Those unfavorable circumstances will help in a spiritual way requires us to have complete FAITH in Him. Spiritual transformation is the mind of renewal which are forced by circumstances. Circumstances creates patterns of thought, attitudes, habits that the Holy Spirit wants to replace with Fruit of the Spirits and true walk of Faith. I am one of the "Jobs". God wants us to be strong and He is our spiritual trainer and He will do anything to get us prepared and go for the prize. God's promise is great, but it is as great as we experience spiritual growth from God's perspectives by cultivating the knowledge of God while at the same time cultivate our faith. As we are training for our spiritual growth, we look NOT AT our faith but in Christ of WHO we have faith in, who is THE author and finisher. "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1). As Job did, persevered is to overcome and conqueoror. 1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Those who are able to endure with strong FAITH shall overcome. 2 Timothy 2:12 "if we endure, we will also reign with him." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Back to Job, the main point, the Book of Job is one of the books in the Bible and being read to understand God's view of situations. If God didn't want the Book of Job part of the Bible, it would not have been written. about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. The book relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. The book also communicates to us his friends' judgemental interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with his friends' views of God. In the Book of James, James wrote an example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. James commended the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11).