Are the words “sex”, “sexual”,and “sexuality”loaded words that are best avoided in polite company?! How many of you here are ready, right now, to avoid these loaded words?There is so much occurring in American social intercourse that constitutes perverse “in your face” provocation, it resembles assault by legion!
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
INTRODUCTION
At this time in history, two events have occurred that have been obscured or deliberately hidden. These events are crucial to two purposes of the book of Ezra: 1) to identify the Israelites throughout their history, and 2) to negate the claim that the jews, as we know them today, have any relationship with Israelites.
The ten northern tribes of Israel had been captured by the Assyrians, never to return to their land. Judah as well was captured and spent 70 years in Babylon, at the end of which time, they were permitted to return to rebuild the temple.
There seems to be silence and mystery surrounding the fate of the “lost ten tribes” of Israel. According to the teaching of most churches, this horde seems to have just vanished into the landscape, never to be heard of again.
As we begin our journey into why study the law, we start with what Paul says, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12”
The Law is good and it defines sin. Our desire as believers is to avoid sin and to serve God.
The Chronicles are a continuation of the books of the Kings. Israel had asked Samuel for a king rather than have God as their King (q.v., I Sam. 8:1-9). This would prove to be a disaster, for nearly all the kings of Israel and Judah turned out to be very wicked. Of course, if they had a good and honorable king, one that feared God and ruled by His Law, then things went well for Israel. This same principle follows through today. No matter what form of government of men we have, it can always be perverted and corrupted by a deep state that is almost impossible to defuse. So why need we be sentimental about a particular form of government we have had for a length of time? Our particular constitution even says “the people have the right to alter or abolish it and institute new government” as they see fit “for their future security.”
Our 1st lesson, The Birth of America, wasthe 1stin the series of lessons entitled The History of We the People. I said that we would tell you about the 2nd time we were declared to be the “enemies of the state”.
We have had a very storied history! The Congress of the Republic lost its quorum and brother began killing brother at the outset of the not-so-civil Civil War.
As secessions of the confederate states multiplied around the Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, the Congress of the Republic lost its quorum and the Republic ceased to function!
This scripture is the first account that contains a racially significant event within the books we are covering today (I & II Samuel through I & II Kings). It is not known who wrote the books of Samuel. The books bear his name because they record the life and work of Samuel, the last of Israel’s judges and the first of a long line of prophets. The events of these books are a continuation of the book of Judges.
This is the last part of this current series. Great Britain was in complete chaos. John Knox was one of the founders that converted Scotland from the Church of England to Presbyterianism in the 1500s. It eventually became Scotland’s state church.
The four Stuart kings wanted to be the head and rule the new Protestant church of Scotland, like they did the Church of England. King James I, a skillful politician and a suspected homosexual, made a balanced compromise between Calvinistic doctrine and episcopal practice.
Pastor Dan Gayman once asked: Did the Constitution fail us or did we fail the Constitution? This message discusses the events of the Boston Tea Party and the subsequent actions of King George and the British Parliament to lie about and criminalize dissenters and compares that to what is happening to America today under the Biden regime.
Our Scripture reading sets the stage for the story of Ruth. “…Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah.” (v. 2). Ephrath was an earlier name for Bethlehem, where Christ our Lord was born. Thus already, the type, or symbol, for a kinsman redeemer is already being formed.
Was Ruth a Moabitess racially, or was she called such because she lived in Moab?
Are many Americans spoiled by philosophy, psychology and other subjects which use vain deceit? If they are, who is spoiling them? Is it philosophers who teach after the tradition of men; is it after the rudiments of the world? So, we can conclude from this verse that such topics are evil teachings; for they are set in opposition to the doctrines of the Bible.
The Apostle Paul sent this warning to the Christians in Colossae, Turkey. James Moffatt renders the same verse as, “Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy [a branch of philosophy] which is specious make believe, on the lines of human tradition.”
When Moses died, Joshua was commissioned to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is the account of the family of God crossing over the Jordan River on dry ground and possessing all the land that God had given to them. Jehovah had fought for Israel; and the people who had lived in the land were either driven out or killed. The land was divided up among the tribes of Israel, just as God had promised.
Daniel was taken by his Assyrians captors to their country, but they choose this "seed of David" to be a ruler of Babylon. He lived a flawless life and the only sin his co-rulers could find was that he served his LORD God flawlessly. Pastor Elmore contrasts his life with someone else.
Matthew 23:33“Ye serpents, ye generation [race or nation] of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell.”
“The people we today call ‘Jews’ are the very disciples of the evil entity whom the Bible describes as, ‘that old serpent, the devil.’” The above is a quote from an American preacher. I will tell you who it was at the end of this short message as I have other quotes from him in the remainder of the article.
When I accepted my school position this summer, I was informed that there would be two holidays in the summer that there would be no school. I wasn’t told what they were…I was just given the dates. One was Monday, July 4th which I immediately recognized as a holiday. The other one was Monday, June 20th. I had no idea what holiday this was, but I knew that we had that day off.
Reading the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper after church last Sunday (6/12), I came upon an article entitled, “What to know about Juneteenth.”