From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jan 2 09:07:56 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 09:07:56 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 5-11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 2, 2012 *APR 4 - Deuteronomy 5-11 - EXPERIENCE AND OBEDIENCE* *1. 5:9-10 (5) REPETITION OF DECALOGUE. ?You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments? (ESV). *Your Kingdom Father, is to honor *You alone*! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 6:4-5 (6) THE ?SHEMAH?: FOR CHILD EDUCATION. ?Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.? *This is the heart of Your will, O Father! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 7:15 (7) DEALING WITH THE HEATHEN. ?And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.? *Healing comes when we drive out the Canaanites. Deal with the seven deadly sins in your life (2 Corinthians 7:1); and then healing comes! Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness in this! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 8:18 (8) WARNING CONCERNING GOD'S CHOICE. ?You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.? *There is a blessing in walking with You, Father; but the converse is true also. O forgive us that we forget You so easily, and turn to our own ways! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 9:26 (9) INTERCESSION FOR REBELLION. ?And I prayed to the LORD, 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.? *Thank You Father, for Moses Your Intercessor. How we need to understand this ministry of spiritual warfare more effectively. *And forgive us our :debts, As we have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 10:12-13 (10) A PENETRATING CHARGE! ?And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?? *Father, as we so walk in Your word, You will deliver us from the evil one. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 11:12 (11) THE LAND: BLESSING AND CURSE. ?A land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.? *Your land will vomit a rebellious people out of it, Father. How sober the thought! But to walk with You is to understand that Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever! *But deliver us from the evil one!* NOTE: 6:6-7 (6) GOD'S WORD: FOR OUR CHILDREN! ?And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.? Write these words on our heart, Father. This portion of Scripture was given to Israel by God through Moses. The 5 books of Moses contain types and shadows - that the early church apostles wisely and effectively applied to the church, especially the apostle Paul. What Moses was to Israel, Jesus through Paul was to the church. God gave him an insight on the OT ?Mysteries? - at the time he spent 3 years with the Lord in the desert of Arabia, where Mount Sinai was situated according to the Book of Galatians. This Book - plus Acts 15 - delivers Gentiles from the legalism of the OT law for Israel. We are part of the ?One New Man? - the *Key* Mystery God gave to Paul to explain. The Old Testament is by the *New* explained. George Muller saw this most clearly. Then look again at Deuteronomy 11:12. From the *beginning of the year*(January 1, 2012) to the end of the year - December 31, 2012) - the eyes of the LORD are upon the land of Israel for His Chosen People. But what is the equivalent of the land for New Testament saints - of the ?One New Man? - Jew and Gentile alike? *Our body* is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, both individually and corporately. We in our bodies are the land of the LORD. God is the Father of the *spirits* of all men. Our spirit with our redeemed soul and renewed mind - with God - lives in these human bodies - awaiting our resurrected and glorified bodies at the Coming of the Lord and the First Resurrection! And now - our Psalm for the day: *94:18-19 (94:1-23) ?THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE. When I thought, 'My foot slips,' your steadfast love (CHEsed), O LORD*, *held me up. **19** When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.? *O Father, how marvelous are Your ways unto Your children. Your rain falls on all men! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jan 3 09:55:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:55:18 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 12-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 3, 2012 *APR 5 - DEUTERONOMY 12-20 - REVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONS* *1. 12:32 (12:1-14:2) RELIGIOUS LAWS: IDOLATRY AND FALSE PROPHECY. ?Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it? (ESV). **This word* is *Your Plumbline*, Father. By this we evaluate all our words, actions and thoughts. Those who do not bring all things to Your word for confirmation - or would change, set aside, diminish or add to Your Word - have *falsehood* in their heart! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 14:3, 6 (14:3-21) DIETARY LAWS. ?You shall not eat any abomination. 6Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.? *New Testament saints are not under Old Testament dietary laws for Israel. However, these laws were not given by caprice by You, Father. There is wisdom here, if we choose to hear. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 14:22 (14:22-29) RELIGIOUS LAWS: TITHES. ?You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.? *Tithes and offerings are the *minimum* for a New Testament saint! *All* is Yours Father, under the New Covenant, and You can draw on it by our faith as occasion demands! Do we believe this? You promise abundance as we tithe. 2 Corinthians 8-9 is our New Testament guide! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 15:6 (15:1-17:13) SABBATH, FEASTS AND RELIGIOUS LAWS. ?For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.? *And what are the conditions to warrant these promises, Father? To *walk* in Your Word! O forgive us that we treat You, Your Word and Your ways so lightly, transgressing against them, and doing our own thing! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 17:18 (17:14-20) KINGDOM LAWS. ?And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.? *All leaders ought to take care to master Your Word, Father. Our judgment is only right as it is in accordance with Your Word. O be with us when we are tempted to depart from Your right way of doing things! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 18:18-19 (18) RELIGIOUS LAWS: LEVITES, PRIESTS AND PROPHETS. ?I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.? *What a solemn word! Father, we listen to and *obey Jesus* Your Prophet in this. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 19:20-21 (19-20) CIVIL LAWS. ?And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.? *False witnesses are an *abomination* to You Father, and deserve to have done to them what they desired for others! See Hitler as a false witness against the Jews! And Haman! Your justice *finally comes*, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 13:3 (12:1-14:2) WARNING CONCERNING PROPHETS AND DREAMERS. ?You shall **not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.? *Note: *this* is what the LORD did with Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:31). How would any of us stand under such a test? Deuteronomy is a review of Genesis through Numbers. It is a briefer outline what God through Moses gave to the first generation of Israel that He delivered from Pharaoh and Egypt. Deuteronomy is for the *new generation*, that Israel thought would prevent them from entering the Promised Land! Now *they* are hearing what their fathers failed to follow in the 40 year's wandering in the wilderness. Only *two* of that generation crossed Jordan into Canaan-land - Joshua and Caleb. And did this new generation who saw the Wilderness miracles of manna, water out of a Rock and much more - follow through? Actually, No! When Joshua and the elders had successfully led this new generation to possess the land of seven nations all greater than they - then *they too* forsook Jehovah and His ways! The Book of Judges tells of 7 severe judgments from God upon succeeding generations. Then Paul in Galatians and his other epistles - clearly reveals that the law has been replaced with a *New Covenant*. God for the church writes His law *on our hearts* by His Spirit. All who live by Galatians 2:20 and the rest of this letter - are then *above* the law. Paul to Timothy reveals that the law to Israel is for *sinners*! It keeps them in line until they have sense enough to accept Christ as *Lord* and Savior, and by the Gift (d* o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit - and see Jesus *live out* through them His Resurrected life of Glory and Overcoming Life. And let us consider carefully God's warning concerning false prophets and dreams. If *anything* they counsel is *contrary* to God's total Word - * forsake* such words. God through them is *testing* us. Are these things easy to understand? Not at all. *Only* by God's indwelling Spirit through fully-surrendered saints - do these things become clear. Rees Howells, Oswald Chambers and George Muller fully understood these lessons. *They* forsook the *broad way* of the *self-life*, and accepted the challenge of God's *narrow way* of life! *Few* like them do so! Jesus said so! The above 3 saints agree that this is so. *But* - the invitation is freely offered to you and me. Let us consider the *light cost*- pay it - and enter into God's *abundant* life! And now - our Psalm for the day: *95:1-2 (95:1-11) LET US SING SONGS OF PRAISE! ?Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!? *Oh that Your people always had it in their heart to worship You *this* way, Father! Then would we *soon* enter into Your rest and *Hallow Your :name*! We would not then be tempting You in the wilderness! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jan 4 09:25:03 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2012 09:25:03 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 21-26 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 4, 2012 *APR 6 - DEUTERONOMY 21-26 - REVIEW OF LAWS* *1. 21:23 (21) LAWS: FROM MANSLAUGHTER TO HANGING. ?His body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance? (ESV). *We marvel at your attention to detail, Father. You leave *nothing* out; You do *all things*well. We glorify You, and say, *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 22:29 (22) LAWS: FROM HUMANE TO INCEST. ?Then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.? *If this law were followed, men would be far more careful about casual relationship of fornication. We let men off scot-free today, and it is not right. Father, Your ways are right and just! The *moral* law of the Old Covenant carries over to the New, and in the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus makes it yet more serious by lifting it from the act to the thought! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 23:23 (23) LAWS: ON ASSEMBLY TO NEIGHBORLY PRIVILEGES. ?You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.? He who swears to his own hurt, and changes not (Psalm 15:4b), *abides in You, Father! How glib we are in making promises of gifts, and failing to follow through. But *You* are absolutely faithful to Your promises, Father! And You would have us Your children like you, else we fail to *Hallow* Your Name! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 24:5 (24) LAWS: ON DIVORCE AND GLEANING. ?When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.? *How gracious and thoughtful You are, Father! This is *your* word through Moses. O forgive us that we so often fail to be as thoughtful toward those who work for us or are under us. May we take a page from Your Book! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 25:19 (25) LAWS: FROM SCOURGING TO AMALEK. ?Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.? *The wheels of God grind slow, but they grind exceeding small! You are just Father, and live apart from time. King Saul flagrantly disobeyed this word, and Haman, of this line, nearly destroyed all the Jews! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 26:15 (26:1-15) LAWS OF FIRSTFRUITS AND TITHES. ?Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.? *How confidently can we claim Your blessing Father, when we walk in obedience and compassion according to Your Word! Then you can bless our land! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 26:16 (26:16-19) LAW OF MOSES: ITS PURPOSE. ?This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.? *We have entered into a Covenant with You Father, that *You* are our God, and *we are * Your people. Then we can boldly lay claim to Your promises, even - *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 24:4 (24) HOW HOLLYWOOD VIOLATES THIS! ?**Then her former husband, who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the LORD. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.? *The *land* is defiled when we commit anything that is * abomination* in the sight of the LORD: Incest, perversion, abortion, murder, violence or uncleanness. See Romans 1:8-32. Here is the key for NT saints - as to how to apply OT moral law to us in our time. Fully one third of the NT is either a direct quotation from the OT - or a direct reference to some portion of it. Jesus especially - but all 8 of the NT writers - likewise accurately quote for our use in NT times from the OT. But it is obvious that many so-called or self-appointed teacher today - quote from the OT indiscriminately - *not* rightly dividing the Word of Truth! What is *not* in the OT brought forward into the NT - best leave it alone. Much if not most of the Mosaic law is for Israel - as Types and Shadows - and *not* for NT saints, who have the fulfillment - to obey! The * moral* law of the OT? Yes - especially that quoted or referred to by NT writers. But see Acts 15 for an example what is *not* required by Gentile believers to keep: circumcision, and strict Jewish dietary laws! Even Jews are unable to be fully ?Torah Observant,? since the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Fully 200 of the 613 Torah commandments for Jews have *not* been able to be observed since that date: Since Jesus was crucified and brought in a New Covenant - namely *Himself*! God has deliberately allowed Herod's Temple to be destroyed - because *that* day has passed away since the ?Finished Work? of Christ! George Muller understood this distinction thoroughly! In his devotions, he often read the Bible in Hebrew and Greek - for he was thoroughly acquainted with the two Bible languages. Read his biography by Dr. A.T. Pierson. It will clarify the thinking of any who are confused in this area. One other point: The word LOgos - referring to the written Word of God among other references - appears 330 times in the NT. R*E*ma, the spoken or living word of God, including the gifts of the Spirit, as well as dreams and visions - but *70 times*! Four ? to One! By this God points out that we should deal with the written Word of God four ? to one - to that of dreams, visions, prophecy and the gifts of the Spirit. But many we know deal ?ten to one? on the R*E*ma - dreams and visions - insights and prophecies - to the *written Word* of God. *This* George Muller would *never* do! I am fearful and hold ?suspect? all so-called and self-appointed teaches who move in *this* syndrome! And now - our Psalm for the day! *96:7-8 (96:1-13) ?Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! *You have given us Your Name, Father! It is *worthy* to be praised. In Your Name we understand in measure who You are. Your Name is a revelation of Your Self! *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jan 5 09:17:22 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:17:22 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 27-30 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 5, 2012 *APR 7 - DEUTERONOMY 27-30 - RENEWAL OF COVENANT* *1. 27:9-10 (27:1-13) LAW: RENEWED AND MEMORIALIZED. ?Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, 'Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the LORD your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.'? *This is like resurrection day for Israel: the day of their becoming Your people Father, as Your Son on His resurrection! Now Israel is of age as the new generation, *a Kingdom People*, and responsible to obey! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 27:15 (27:14-26) LAW: CURSES FOR DISOBEDIENCE. ?Cursed is the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.? And all the people shall answer and say, ?Amen.? **Idolatry* is the *first* and * greatest* curse of this portion. Images to worship are an *abomination* to You, Father! O may we hear this word, destroy our idols, and do Your will on earth as it is in heaven. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 28:12b-14 (28:1-14) LAW: BLESSINGS ON OBEDIENCE. ?And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.? *Here we see Your blessings on obedience, Father: *full provision* in all aspects! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 28:23 (28:15-68) LAW: CURSES INTENSIFIED. ?And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron.? *How terrible the fruit of disobedience! Here we see spelled out in frightening detail all Your judgment, Father. O forgive us, that we force You to bring such things upon us because of our rebellion and self-will! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 29:12-13a (29:1-13) LAW OF THE COVENANT. ?So that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, 13a that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God.? *This is over and above the covenant of the law at Sinai, and as with the Abrahamic Covenant, You confirmed this new one with the new generation of Israel with an oath! May we *always* take You seriously, Father! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 29:29 (29:14-29) LAW: A WARNING AND MEMORIAL. ?The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.? *Israel must be without excuse if they forsake You Father, and run unto sin! You have spelled it out so clearly. May we in our day *not forsake* Your *New Covenant*! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 30:14 (30:1-20) LAW: WORD OF CONFESSION. ?But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.? *The high confession here concerns the fulfillment of Jesus' coming at Calvary and Pentecost, though there was a lesser fulfillment at the time for Israel. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 29:1 (29:1-13) COVENANT WORDS IN ADDITION TO SINAI. ?These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.? *This is an appropriate new covenant for the new generation, which supersedes in promise the covenant made at Mount Sinai. Some Christian believers want nothing to do with the Old Testament. This is wrong! We must remember that the complete New Testament was not available to the church until about 90 A.D. Apostles, teachers, pastors and parents *all* used the Old Testament in the beginning, because that was *all * they had! They knew how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Because of Acts 15 and soon, Galatians, they knew how to protect Gentile believers from the legalism of OT law! Was this easy to do? Of course not! - and errors were made. And Judaizers arose who tried to force Gentile men believers to be circumcised before being fully accepted in the church at the beginning. Did God know these problems would arise! Of course! Through *many* dangers, toils and snares we have already come1 But *grace* has brought us safe thus far - and *grace* *will bring* us home! See 27:15 above - A little girl in Spain was attending one of George Muller's Christian Schools. Her knowledge of the Bible drew the attention of a priest. He asked her, ?How is it you know the Bible so well?? She told him it was because she was attending this special school.? ?What do they teach you about the ten commandments?, he asked. And she quoted to him the above verse. He stopped her and said, ?That's *not* the way we believe it!? But she responded - ?But *that's* the way it reads in the Bible!? Look above at 28:12b-14. One teacher outlined a 7-fold weekly prayer based on the major 7 compound-Names of Jehovah. *This* portion was made part of one of these 7 days. After several months of reading this once a week, one wife said to her husband: ?If you read these versus once again, I'm going to scream! Because of this reaction, *that is why* since 1985 I have been preparing this ?Through the Bible in a Year? Daily Devotional! I have however put down at the end of each day's reading - one-seventh of the Lord's Prayer. Jesus said, After this manner, *Pray*! It is good for us to daily pray a portion of the prayer Jesus gave His disciples to pray. And *we* are descendants of these disciples, so it is for *us* too! Consider too 30:14 above. The apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10. See how wisely the apostle *applies* this Old Testament verse for New Testament believers! And now, our Psalm for the day: *97:11-12 (1-12) THE LORD REIGNS! ?Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! *Father, You reign over the universe in awesome Majesty and Power! You execute *right*judgment, and do right by Your saints. We rest in You completely. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jan 6 09:02:33 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 09:02:33 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 31-33 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 6, 2012 *APR 8 - DEUTERONOMY 31-33 - REFORMS THROUGH SONG* *1. 31:6 (31:1-8) MOSES: HIS LAST COUNSELS. ?Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you? (ESV). *This is Your word Father, to Your people! We can apply it to us today, just as You gave it to Israel in their day. It is a *Kingdom* principle, and ought to be heeded by all Your people. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 31:14a (31:9-15) MOSES: COMMANDS LAW TO BE READ. ?And the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.? *Moses tied the loose ends together according to Your commandment, Father. He was dedicated to do Your will. We too would follow his example. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 31:23 (31:16-30) MOSES: PURPOSE OF HIS SONG. ?And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, 'Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.'? *You give us all good things that we need, Father! You give us correction through song; a valiant leader; a witness against rebellion. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 32:30 (32:1-43) MOSES: HIS SONG. ?How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?? *Ah, here is a sad commentary: when we Your people forsake You Father, You turn us over to few enemies who defeat us! *Yet*, the opposite is true also! O forgive us that we tempt You, and cause You to bring judgment upon us! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 32:46b-47 (32:44-47) MOSES: CHARGES ISRAEL. ?Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.? **Our wisdom* is to hear and *do* Your words, Father. What blessings for us if we continually walk this way! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 32:49-50a (32:48-52) MOSES PREPARES FOR DEATH. ?Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50a And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people.? *Did death mean defeat for Moses? No sir! He served You Father, in his generation, and was faithful over all his house (Hebrews 3:5). May we all be as faithful to You as Moses! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 33:8 (33:1-29) MOSES: BLESSING OF THE TRIBES. ?Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah.? *Levi through Phinehas (Number 25:10-13) sanctified Your Name Father, and became the binding tribe for all of Israel. This was well pleasing in Your sight, and demonstrated that *Yours* is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 33:27 (33:1-29) MOSES: A WORD EXALTING THE LORD. ?The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy.? *This Father, was Your promise for Israel, and has application for us the Church. We accept Your promise! So *much* in the above passage! A thought on Moses - Because he did not sanctify the Name of Jehovah before Israel by striking the rock in anger for water the second time - instead of speaking to it - therefore he and Aaron lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land! Instead, Joshua took Moses' place - conquered the 7 nations of Canaan, and divided their land for the remaining 9 ? tribes of Israel. Yet - God the merciful - sent Moses with Elijah some 1400 years later to prepare His only begotten Son for His coming Passion! Would Moses have appreciated this gesture? I am sure he did! Notice that of the 12 sons of Jacob - Levi and Joseph received the longest prophecies by Moses. In Genesis 49, Jacob gave Judah and Joseph the longest prophecies. For further insights on these 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel, read Genesis 29 and 30. Here the meaning of their names is brought forth. In Exodus 28 the 12 tribes according to their number in Number 2 - are linked with the 12 stones upon the Breastplate of Aaron the high priest, according to *that* order, not the order of birth. For further insights on the significance of the 12 tribes of Israel, see our Website (*www.2rbetter.org**); *and click on ?Embryonics?. Here there are two articles on each of the 12 tribes. Here the 12 tribes are listed in order of their birth, (including Ephraim and Manasseh under Joseph). The 12 tribes are linked first with the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles that came together at North Battleford, Saskatchewan in 1948. There is also a linkage with the 12 major world cultural groups: they are found in the 5 major continents; four key nations; and 3 cultural groups. Also, under ?Interlinear? - the entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the Bible Numeric discovery of Ivan Panin can be found. The OT book order is as the Hebrews still use it. The NT book order is almost the same as used by Westcott and Hort. However - this has not been thoroughly proof-read - so many typo-errors are present. Also, in the Printed Copy soon to appear, we have reversed the order of the English and transliterated Greek texts. The format also will be changed from 8 ? by 11 - to 6x9. And now - our Psalm for the day: *98:4 (1-9) MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE LORD. ?Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!? *Father, it is with *joyful* hearts that we pick up this exhortation, and praise You, as You *ought* to be praised. With heart, soul, mind and strength we love and praise You. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jan 7 10:02:03 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2012 10:02:03 -0800 Subject: Deuteronomy 34 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 7, 2012 *APR 9 - DEUTERONOMY 34 - REQUIEM FOR MOSES* *1. 34:4 (34:1-4) VISION OF MOSES. And the LORD said to him, ?This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there? (ESV). *How *firm* You are Father, even with Your servant Moses - yet how gracious. Your great love for him did not weaken Your resolve in judgment. May we learn from this, and honor You in similar manner. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 34:5 DEATH OF MOSES. ?So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.? *These are solemn words. You are not like man Father, but Your judgment and justice is * perfect*! Justice and mercy kiss each other in You. We would be like You, Your true people! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 34:6 BURIAL OF MOSES. ?And he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.? *You had a hidden wisdom in this, Father. Weak man could not be tempted to worship at his tomb. You Father, do *all* things well! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 34:7 AGE OF MOSES. ?Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.? *What a testimony! You would have us all live to full age and be in health and strength, if we like Moses would understand Your concern for dietary and health rules for our body. Obesity in the Bible is linked with drunkenness! O forgive us that we so often defile this temple of Your Holy Spirit! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day! * *5. 34:8 MOURNING FOR MOSES. ?And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.? *We are not to sorrow for saints going to be with You, as do the heathen (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). Yet there is a legitimate sorrow as in this instance that You permit, Father. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 34:9 JOSHUA AND MOSES. ?And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.? *The laying on of hands with prayer and prophecy can be a great and legitimate blessing in the ordination of leaders (1 Timothy 1:18; 4:14). Properly exercised - it can equip us to be *overcomers*! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 34:10-11a (34:10-12) LAST TRIBUTE TO MOSES. ?And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew fact to face, 11anone like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do.? *What a high commendation! No wonder Israel and the Church through the centuries have honored Moses! How he glorified You, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 34:11b-12 (34:10-12) THE DEEDS AND TERROR OF MOSES! ?What the LORD sent Moses to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, **12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of Israel.? *Moses was indeed mighty in word and deed! But it was *all* through Your grace, Father! God has packed into this little and short chapter many helpful lessons, that He encourages us to glean. One of them was restored in the 1948 Visitation in Northern Canada: namely, the laying on of hands with prayer and prophecy. This was a ?teaching? exercised in both OT and NT times. But in times between Revival Visitations, it with other manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit tended to disappear. Yet as we study the history of Revivals - *all* of these tend to appear once again during Revival times. This was the *first* manifestation of the Spirit out of 12 - that was restored in the 1948 Visitation. In Hebrews 6:1-2, it is the fourth of 6 Foundational Truths taken for granted at the beginning of the Church - first for Jewish believers - and then for the One New Man - composed of believing Jews and Gentiles. And in those days - it wasn't ?empty hands? on ?empty heads?! In Joshua's case - it wasn't just the gift of the ?Word of Wisdom? imparted to him through Moses - it was the *spirit of wisdom* that came upon him. Only twice in the days of his leadership did he fail to exercise this impartation: once at Ai, and again with the deception of the Gibeonites. He failed because he did not seek the mind of God through the ?Urim and Thummim?! He was so chagrined over these 2 failures at the beginning of his leadership, that we do not see following them - any further lapses! And how may *we* apply this lesson? What is *our* spiritual ?Urim & Thummim?? Read Proverbs 6:20-22, and here we learn that when we *meditate*on the *Word of God* - through our meditation we experience the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit come upon us - *then* we are guided safely like Moses and David, protected - and spoken to by God Himself. Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3 and Psalm 19:14 are relevant passages of Scripture - encouraging *us too* to *meditate* upon the Word of God. Soon there will be printed an ?Outlined Interlinear NT.? Because of its simple format, lay-folk will find it easy to *meditate* over the NT Word of God. *Then* God will speak - protect - and *guide* us! Turn to our Website * www.2rbetter.org* - click on ?Interlinear?, and you will find a rough draft of the entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT. The printed portion to come will have improvements and corrections through proof-reading - but temporarily the Website edition can be most helpful. And now - our Psalm for the day: *99:3-4 (99:1-9) THE LORD OUR GOD IS HOLY. ?Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.? *You are *fearful* in praises, Father; Your Majesty turns us to awesome contemplation! True understanding of You turns us to worship, with full thanksgiving. *Hallowed be your :name.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jan 8 08:50:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2012 08:50:47 -0800 Subject: Acts 1 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 8, 2012 *APR 10 - ACTS 1 - CHURCH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT* *1. 1:4 (1:1-5) JESUS: POST RESURRECTION PROMISE. ?And being assembled with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me? (NNT). *No longer is the Kingdom of God at hand: its fulfillment and immanence through the Holy Spirit is about to be manifested in righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17). *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:8 (1:6-8) JESUS: CLARIFIED PURPOSE OF HOLY SPIRIT. ?But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all :Judea and Samaria, and unto theuttermost of the earth.? *This is the correction to idle eschatology (last things) speculation. Your Kingdom in the Holy Spirit making us *witnesses* Father, is Your will for us! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 1:9 JESUS: HIS ASCENSION. ?And on saying these things, he was taken up, they looking on; and a cloud received him out of their :sight.? *Some think it was a cloud of angels who received Jesus. Whatever it was, it was but 10 days following the Ascension until Pentecost, and Holy Spirit provision. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 1:10-11 (1:10-12) JESUS: HIS RETURN PROMISED. ?And while they were looking steadfastly into the heaven as he went [and] lo, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 who also said, Galilee men, why do you stand looking in the heaven? this :Jesus, who was received up from you into the heaven, shall so come in like manner as you behold him going into the heaven.? *Will Jesus come back literally? Of course, and that to reign on earth with His saints, and make all things new! O forgive us Father, that we insist on complicating Your Word with human tradition, reasonings and theology! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 1:14 (1:13-14) 120: PRAYER IN UPPER ROOM. ?These all with one accord continued steadfastly in :prayer, with the women, and Mariam the mother of :Jesus, and with his :brethren.? *And where were the 500? This number has now been reduced to a remnant of 120. We thank You for faithful remnants, Father. *And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 1:16 (1:15-22) PETER'S PROPOSAL. ?[Men] Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy :Spirit foretold through David's mouth concerning Judas, who became guide to them that took Jesus.? *We marvel at this new take-charge Peter, even before the coming of the Holy Spirit. It was as if an earnest of this had already come upon him. By this action, he corrected the sin of Judas. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 1:24 (1:23-26) MATTHIAS: REPLACES JUDAS. ?And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show of these :two the one whom you have chosen.? *Now there are 12 once again to be witnesses of the soon coming of the Holy Spirit. We bless You Father, for this provision! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:5 (1:1-5) JESUS: EXPLAINS TWO BAPTISMS. ?Because John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be baptized in **the Holy Spirit not many days hence.? *First the *blood* (Calvary), and now the oil (Pentecost). *Passover* and *Pentecost* are now past. And what will * Tabernacles* bring at the *Harvest*, the end of this age? This is the second book inspired by the Holy Spirit through Luke, possibly a Gentile convert to Jesus through the apostle Paul. Greek scholars have noted that his two NT books display the Greek language on a higher level than any other of the 8 NT writers. Not only does Luke write excellent Greek, but he is also one of the finest of Church historians. Not even secular historians come up to his level of carefulness in accurately recording these two letters to a fellow Greek. Yet with all the above careful and accurate recording - unless we come up with an intimate love-relationship with Jesus in the Spirit - we will fall short of the goal that our heavenly Father has for us. To illustrate this most effectively, let me quote from the extraordinary effect the young C.T. Studd before going to China as a missionary had upon the life of the well known F.B. Meyer. (This quote is taken from ?C.T. Studd - Athlete and Pioneer? by Norman P. Grubb, p. 42-44. I first read this biography in 1947, but it is even more challenging for me today!) At Leicester they met F.B. Meyer, who wrote later: ?The visit of Messrs. Stanley Smith and Studd to Melbourne Hall will always mark an epoch in my own life. Before then my Christian life had been spasmodic and fitful; now flaming up with enthusiasm, and then pacing wearily over leagues of grey ashes and cold cinders. I saw that these young men had something which I had not, but which was within them a constant source of rest and strength and joy. And never shall I forget a scene at 7 a.m. in the grey mist of a November morning, as daylight was flickering into the bedroom, paling the guttering candles, which from a very early hour had been lighting up the page of Scripture, and revealing the figures of the devoted Bible students, who wore the old cricket or boating blazer of earlier days, to rend them less sensible to the raw, damp climate. The talk we had then was one of the formative influences of my life. 'You have been up early,' I said to Charlie Studd. 'Yes,' said he, 'I got up at four o'clock this morning. Christ always knows when I have had sleep enough, and He wakes me to have a good time with Him.' I asked, 'What have you been doing this morning?' And he replied, 'You know that the Lord says, ?If you love me, keep my commandments?; and I was just looking through all the commandments that I could find that the Lord gave, and putting a tick against them if I have kept them, because I do love Him' 'Well,' I inquired, 'How can I be like you?' He replied, 'Have you ever given yourself to Christ, for Christ to fill you?' 'Yes,' I said, 'I have done so in a general way, but I don't know that I have done it particularly.' He answered, 'You must do it particularly also.' I knelt down that night, and thought I could give myself to Christ as easily as possible. I gave Him an iron ring, the iron ring of my will, with all the keys of my life on it, except one little key that I kept back. And the Master said, 'Are they all here?' I said, 'They are all there but one, the key of a tiny closet in my heart, of which I must keep control.' He said, 'If you don't trust Me in all, you don't trust Me at all.' I tried to make terms; I said, 'Lord, I will be so devoted in everything else, but I can't live without the contents of that closet.' I believe that my whole life was just hovering in the balance, and if I had kept the key of that closet, and mistrusted Christ, He never would have trusted me with the ministry of His blessed Word. He seemed to be receding from me, and I called Him back and said, 'I am not willing, but am willing to be made willing.' It seemed as though He came near and took that key out of my hand, and went straight for the closet. I knew what He would find there, and He knew too. Within a week from that time He had cleared it right out. But He filled it with something so much better! Why, what a fool I was! He wanted to take away the sham jewels, to give me the real ones. He just took away the thing which was eating out my life, and instead gave me Himself. Since then I have reckoned on Him to keep; but full consecration is a necessary condition of any deep experience of His keeping power.? *And now - our Psalm for the day: 100:3 (100:1-5) HIS STEADFAST LOVE (CHEsed) ENDURES FOREVER. ?Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture? (ESV). *This Psalm is a pearl of praise. We accept its exhortation to praise You with all our heart, O great JEHOVAH Father. Yes, with heart, soul, mind and strength we give praise to You! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jan 9 08:25:24 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2012 08:25:24 -0800 Subject: Acts 2 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 9, 2012 *APR 11 - ACTS 2 - CHURCH: THEOLOGY OF PENTECOST* *1. 2:4 (2:1-4) PENTECOST: ITS FULFILLMENT. ?And all were filled with theHoly Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance? (NNT). *This is *part* of praying with all prayer and supplication *in the Spirit* (Ephesians 6:18). It *also* includes praying with our understanding in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). We speak: the Spirit gives us the words to say. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2:12-13 (2:5-13) PENTECOST: INITIAL REACTION. ?And all were amazed, and perplexed, saying one to another, What does this mean? 13 But others mocking said [that] They are filled with new wine.? *Human reasoning cannot explain Your supernatural acts, Father. Here You have *reversed* the confusion of languages at the tower of Babel. We believe You! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 2:21 (2:14-21) PENTECOST: PETER QUOTES JOEL. ?And it shall be, thatwhoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.? *Father, You gave Your Name '*Jehovah* the Savior' to Jesus, the meaning of His Name. *You* were *in* Your Son, reconciling the world to Yourself! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:23-24 (2:22-28) PENTECOST: PETER QUOTES DAVID. ?Him [Jesus], given up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of :God, you by the hand of lawless men did fasten to a cross and slay: 24 whom :God raised up, having loosed the pangs of :death: because it was not possible that he be held of it.? *O forgive us Father, for having such an inadequate conception of what this verse contains! Open our eyes that we may see! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 2:36 (2:29-36) PENTECOST: LINKED WITH JESUS' RESURRECTION. ?Let all thehouse of Israel therefore know surely, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this :Jesus whom you crucified.? *How awesome! How You have honored and glorified Your only begotten Son Jesus, Father! He is worthy of *all*worship, and we worship You in Him! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 2:38 (2:37-42) PENTECOST: EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS! ?And Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto remission of your :sins; and you shall receive the gift (do-reA, artesian well) of the Holy Spirit.? *This is the 'Peter-package:' *Repentance*, * Baptism*, and then the *Gift* of the Holy Spirit! Have we obeyed You O God in Peter, in this 3-fold mandate? With this - You *bring us not into temptation!* *7. 2:46-47 (2:43-47) PENTECOST: CONTINUING EFFECTS. ?And daily, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they partook of their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47praising :God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added together daily those being saved.? *Hallelujah! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 2:42 (2:37-42) PENTECOST: ITS 4-FOLD FRUIT. ?And they were continuing steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, the breaking of the bread and the prayers.? *This is Your will Father, for each of us who have in the *obedience of faith* received the Peter-package! In July of 1944, my first true mentor, Mrs. Mary Bertha Allquist, a Jewish convert to Jesus, informed me that she sensed the Lord leading her to share with me the Feasts of the LORD from Leviticus 23. She pointed out that Jesus fulfilled the Passover on His Cross at Calvary. Then 50 days following His Resurrection, the Father through Him gave the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. But the Feast of Tabernacles, the third and *great*feast of the Jews, would not be fulfilled until the Son of God returned as Lord of lords and King of kings, to rule from Jerusalem the nations of the world for 1000 years! I had been the paper-boy for Mrs. Allquist for 3 years from 1938 to 1941. Then on Passover of 1944 the LORD revealed Himself to me as a sailor in the Navy - according to His promise to me in the Fall of 1942. Approximately on the Day of Pentecost in 1944, God visited me with the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and in July commissioned me to look into the discovery of Ivan Panin. Then in the Fall of 1945, He further commissioned me to put together the two Bible Numeric texts of Panin - into an ?Outlined Interlinear NT.? Since the coming of Computers, I have been enabled since 2007 to put this manuscript unto our Website. It is now in the hands of the Printer, and soon can be in your hands. To *meditate* over this Interlinear - will release through such ones - a unique ministry both individually and corporately, that will be used of God to prepare for the return of His Son, Jesus! We will all need to spiritually experience *Passover* and *Pentecost*, to be usable for the fulfillment of the Feast of *Tabernacles*! Are we ready?Are we willing? Are we expectant? Are we believing? Let us join together as we prepare to meet with our soon-returning Lord and Savior! And now - our Psalm for the day: *101:5-6 (101:1-8) I WILL WALK WITH INTEGRITY. ?Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me? (ESV). *O Father, in *this word* we see that David was a *man after Your own heart*! Make us like David! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jan 10 09:41:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:41:08 -0800 Subject: Spiritual Warfare Secrets Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 10, 2012 *1. MATURITY - 2011-05-24 - 7-FOLD SPIRITUAL WARFARE - OVERVIEW* *1. Revelation 13:18 (13:11-18) GOD'S ?OUTLINED INTERLINEAR N.T.?* *h. 13:18a **Here is the wisdom. *H*O*de h*e* soPHIa [4678] esTIN. *i. 13:18b THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST* *Who has understanding, let him count the number of the beast;* ho Ech*o*n noun [3563], ps*e*-phiSAt*o* [5585] ton a-rithMON [706] tou th*e*RIou [2342]; *for it is the number of a man: and his :number is Six hundred sixty six (NNT).* a-rithMOS gar anTHR*O*pou esTIN: kai ho a-rithMOS auTOU he-xaKOsi-oi heX*E*kon-ta hex. This discovery by Russian Ivan Panin in 1890, was really a revelation from God to him! Only Bible Greek and Bible Hebrew - the two Bible languages - have this numerical phenomenon. It is God's provision to make His Word meaningful to us just before the return of Christ. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. Matthew 16:18 (16:13-18) CITY CHURCH WITH ELDERSHIP IN GATE.* *f. 16:18 JESUS REVEALS THE FOUNDATION AND TRIUMPH OF HIS CHURCH* *And I also say unto you, that you are Peter,* ka' 'G*O* DE soi LEg*o*, HOti su ei PEtros [4074], *and upon this :rock I will build my :church* kai ePI TAUt*e* t*e* PEtra [4073] oi-ko-doM*E*s*o* [3618] mou t*e*n ek-kl*e*SIan [1577] *and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.* kai PUlai [4439] HAdou [86] ou ka-tiSCHUsou-sin [2729] auT*E*S. What strong encouragement for *us*! *This* is the One who came in the Name of Jehovah, the Pre-incarnate Christ, the Son of God and the son of man - who spoke these words! See God's wisdom through the Eldership in the Gate of the City Church of Antioch in Acts 13:1-3! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. Deuteronomy 32:30 (32:1-43) PRAYER MULTIPLICATION.* *How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight,* *e*yCHAH yirD*O*PH eCHAD Eleph, vu-sheNAIyim y*a*NIYsu re-b*a*B*A*H, *unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up (ESV)?* im - L*O* ciy - ts*u*R*A*M me-ch*a*R*A*M, VAYh*o*V*A*H his-g*i*yR*A*M? *This* shows the power of *corporate prayer* - even though written concerning the enemies of Israel! Kelley Varner wrote a book by this title, which greatly helps one to grasp this *extraordinary* concept. See also Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 18:19 and Zechariah 12:8. We *all* need to avail ourselves of this concept. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (7:11-18) EMBRYONIC REVIVAL PRINCIPLES.* ?*If my people who are called by name humble themselves, * ve-yic-c*a*n*U* amMIY aSHER NIKr*a* - sheMIY a-l*e*yHEM, *and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,* veYITH-PALl*u* VIYbak-sh*u* phaNAY ve-y*a*SHUv*u* mid-dar-c*e*yHEM h*a*-r*a* IYM, *then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.* va-aNIY eshMAH min - hash-sh*a*MAYyim ve-esLACH le-chat-t*a*TH*A*M ve-arP*A*H eth - arTS*A*M. The 12 tribes of Israel moved as one under Solomon in the construction of the Temple! This event is one of the 3 outstanding among the 245 deducible Bible dates according to Bible Numerics. The above suggested prayer for Revival and Restoration is associated with this significant event. *Our :daily :bread give us this day.* *5. Romans 8:26-27 (8:26-30) SPIRIT-LED INTERCESSION.* *a. 8:26-27 THE POWERFUL INTERCESSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT* *And in like manner the Spirit also helps our :infirmity:* HoSAUt*o*s de kai to PNEUma su-nan-ti-lamBAne-tai [4878] t*e* as-theNEIa [769] h*e*M*O*N: *for we know not how to pray as we ought;* to gar ti pro-seuX*O*me-tha [4336] kaTHO dei ouk OIda-men; *but the Spirit himself intercedes mightily for us with groanings unutterable;* alLA auTO to PNEUma hu-pe-ren-tugCHAnei [5241] ste-nagMOIS [4726] a-laL*E*tois [215]; *27 and who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit,* ho de e-rauN*O*N [2045] tas karDIas OIden ti to PHROn*e*-ma [5427] tou PNEUma-tos, *because he intercedes for the saints according to God.* HOti kaTA TheON en-tugCHAnei [1793] huPER haGI*o*n [40]. ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb sets forth Intercessory understanding in a manner that immediately makes clear this biography as both a classic and *a necessity*. *And bring us not into temptation.* *6. Revelation 1:12-18 (1:9-20) FOCUS ON JESUS.* *c. 1:12a And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.* Kai ePEstre-psa BLEpein t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N H*E*tis eLAlei met? eMOU. *d. 12b-13 A VISION OF CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES* *And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;* kai e-pisTREpsas [1994] EIdon hepTA luchNIas [3087] chruSAS [5552]; *13 and amidst the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed down to the foot,* kai en MEs*o* t*o*n luch-ni*O*N HOmoi-on hui*O* anTHR*O*pou, en-de-duMEnon poD*E*r*e*, *and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.* kai pe-ri-e-z*o*sMEnon [4024] pros tois masTOIS Z*O*n*e*n [2223] chruSAN. *e. 1:14-16 A SEVEN-FOLD DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST* *And his :head and his :hair white as white wool, * h*e* de ke-phaL*E* [2776] auTOU kai hai TRIches leuCHAI [3022] h*o*s Eri-on [2053] leuKON, *as snow; and his :eyes as a flame of fire;* h*o*s chi*O*N; kai hoi oph-thalMOI auTOU h*o*s phlox [5395] puROS [4442]; *15 and his :feet like burnished brass, as refined in a furnace;* kai hoi POdes auTOU HOmoi-oi chal-ko-liBAn*o* [5474], h*o*s en kaMIn*o* pe-pu-r*o*MEn*e*s; *and his :voice as **the** voice of many waters;* kai h*e* ph*o*N*E* auTOU h*o*s ph*o*N*E* huDAt*o*n [5204] polL*O*N; *16** and having in his :right **hand** seven stars:* kai Ech*o*n en t*e* de-xiA cheiRI auTOU asTEras [792] hepTA: *and proceeding out of his :mouth a sharp two-edged sword:* kai ek tou STOma-tos auTOU 'romPHAIa [4501] DIsto-mos oXEIa ek-po-reu-oMEn*e *: *and his :countenance as the sun shines in his :strength.* kai h*e* Opsis [3799] auTOU h*o*s ho H*E*li-os [2246] PHAInei [5316] en t*e*duNAmei auTOU. *f. 1:17a And when I saw him, I fell at his :feet as one dead.* Kai HOte EIdon auTON, Epe-sa pros tous POdas auTOU h*o*s neKROS [3498]. *1:17b-18 RE-ASSURING STATEMENT OF JESUS* *And he laid his :right **hand **upon me, saying, * kai Eth*e*ken t*e*n de-xiAN auTOU ep? eME, LEg*o*n, *Fear not; *M*e* phoBOU; *I am the first and the last, **18** and the Living **one**; and I became dead,* eG*O* ei-mi ho PR*O*tos kai ho EScha-tos, kai ho z*o*n; kai e-geNOm*e*n neKROS, *and lo, I am alive unto the ages of the ages,* kai iDOU, z*o*n ei-mi eis tous ai*O*nas t*o*n ai*O*n*o*n [165], *and have the keys of death and of :Hades.* *kai Echo tas kleis [2192] tou thaNAtou kai tou HAdou.* I know no other author than Oswald Chambers who sets forth a focus on Jesus so sharp, pointed and compelling. I come closer and closer into communion with Father and Son through ?My Utmost for His Highest.? *But deliver us from the evil one.* *7. Psalm 19:14 (1-14) BIBLE MEDITATION.* *MEDITATION: PRAYED FOR BY DAVID.* ?*Let the words of my mouth, and the **meditation of my heart,* YI-he-yu le-r*a*TS*O*N imR*E*Y - p*i*y, ve-he-geY*O*N libBIY, *be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer? (KJAV).* le-ph*a*NEYcha, Ye-h*o*VAH, tsuRIY, ve-go-aLIY. There *is* a wrong type of meditation! But *Bible Meditation* is *never*wrong, as practiced most significantly by George Muller and George Whitefield. Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1 are further significant references giving extreme credibility to this often forsaken or neglected concept. *And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors. * *NOTE**: *In 1967 my wife Marie asked me concerning God's purpose in leading us in 1948 into marriage. He promised us both in that year, that His Kingdom would prosper more with us together, than for either of us alone. He gave us 3 verses, and later a fourth one, confirming this. Dennis Bennett and his first wife Elberta were given the same 3 verses: Deuteronomy 32:30; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Matthew 18:19. He later gave us Zechariah 12:8. The first vision He gave me in answer to prayer in 1967 was an *?organic laser-telescope?* - composed of *7 component parts. *The first two parts He revealed to me in 1967, but it wasn't until December 7, 2009 that He revealed the last five. The first of the last five was ?Prayer Multiplication? - which was the key reason He had us marry. Out of our life of prayer together, He answered many prayers to produce a manuscript of the first Component Part of this instrument - namely His ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. This MS is now in the hands of the printer, and soon I will be receiving a book MS copy to Proof-read. The activation of this vision began to take place October 31, 2009, and has now 8 men as members. This is in accord with the second vision God gave that night in 1967, concerning 70 Canadian teams of 8 men each - sitting in the Gates of these 70 cities. The second Component Part of this first vision was the City Church, with an eldership of the 5-fold in the gate of each city. It is interesting to note that the word ?Church? - ek-kl*e*SIa - appears but 114 times in the Bible Numeric Testament: once for Israel in the wilderness (Acts 7); 3 times for the secular assembly in Ephesus, Acts 19:23-41; 14 times - the church in the home, local churches of that day; 15 times the universal church of believers of all time; *but* *81 times* for the *City Church*, composed of many churches in the home or local churches. 14 of these last references are found in Revelation 2-3. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jan 11 10:24:16 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:24:16 -0800 Subject: Acts 3-5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 11, 2012 *ACTS 3-5 - CHURCH: MIRACLE AND PERSECUTION* *1. 3:16 (3:1-4:4) PETER: WITH JOHN HEALS LAME MAN. ?And by the faith in his :name has his :name strengthened this man, whom you behold and know: and the faith which is though him has given him this perfect :soundness in the presence of you all? (NNT). *What a confrontation! When Your Kingdom is manifest in *power* as well as in Word, the status quo is disturbed, Father. It was so with Jesus! Now through His *Resurrection* it is true with His disciples! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 4:12 (4:5-12) PETER: ANSWERS CHARGES OF SANHEDRIN. ?And the salvation is in none other: for neither is there any other name under :heaven, that is :given among men, wherein we must be saved.? *What bold preaching! Your fear O Father, is now greater than the fear of man! How glorious! We rejoice in the power of Your Kingdom. O work in our hearts the will to always desire to fully do Your will! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 4:31 (4:13-31) PETER: WITH APOSTLES PERSECUTED AND PRAYING. ?And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered; and all were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of :God with boldness. *What an example for us! And You Father, in Jesus, are the same yesterday, and today, and forever! We rejoice in this demonstration! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 4:33 (4:32-37) APOSTLES: SEE UNUSUAL RESULTS. ?And with great power gave the apostles their witness for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.? *O forgive us Father, that we live so far below our privileges. Pour out Your Spirit again that we might be emboldened and strengthened to glorify Your Name as did these early disciples. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 5:3 (5:1-11) PETER: CONFRONTS ANANIAS AND SAPPHEIRA. ?But :Peter said, Ananias, why has :Satan filled your :heart to lie to the Holy :Spirit, and to withhold part of the price of the land? *O Father, we quake before the power of Your holiness and Your Majesty! We long to see Your fear upon Your church once again. We long to walk softly in Your presence. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:13-14 (5:12-16) PETER: PERFORMS UNUSUAL MIRACLES. ?But of the rest dared no one join them: the people, however, magnified them; 14 and therewere the more added believing on the Lord, multitudes both of man and women.? *When Your church is cleansed from lying Father, then Your power is released to do good works and miracles. May we see and understand this relationship and order. Write it and burn it upon our hearts. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 5:32 (5:17-42) PETER: WITH APOSTLES CONFRONTS SANHEDRIN. ?And WE are witnesses of these :sayings; also the Holy :Spirit, whom :God has given to them that obey him.? *What boldness and challenge from the lips of Your apostles, Father! What a transformation since Pentecost! What a change since Peter's denial! *But lead us not into temptation!* *NOTE**: 5:41-42 (5:17-42) APOSTLES: CONTINUE SHARING THOUGH PERSECUTED! ?They therefore departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name. **42 And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.? *Now the apostles are experiencing the latter part of the eighth Beatitude! *Rejoice*, and be *exceeding glad*! *Leap for joy*! And they did! Perhaps the key verse in this section for me is Acts 5:32 - *?And WE are witnesses of these :sayings; also the Holy :Spirit whom :God has given to them that obey Him.?* *Obedience* is omitted by some believers, because they overbalance this with *grace*! Bob Mumford calls this ?greasy grace!? It is important to note the emphasis of the Book of Romans. The Holy Spirit has placed this *first* of the 14 epistles of Paul. It is the *foundation book* for Gentile believers, majoring on the six ?Foundation Truths? of Hebrews 6:1-2. (What Romans is for Gentiles in a foundational way: Hebrews is for Messianic Jews!) They *both* major on Hebrews 6:1-2). Romans 1:5 states that it is by Jesus Christ *?through whom we have received grace and apostleship, **unto obedience of faith** among all the nations for his :name's sake!? *This is the ?Alpha?! The *O*-MEga is found in Romans 16:26b, where Paul now states in conclusion by the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ by Paul's gospel *?is made known unto all the nations **unto obedience of faith**!?* We must be under no false illusions! The Gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus is *balanced* by this word: This Gospel of the Holy Spirit through Paul is unto *obedience of faith* for all nations? - corporately and individually. The Spirit quickened these two verses to me very early in my Christian life. He wanted me to walk in this balance of *the obedience of faith* from the very beginning. And now nearly 68 years later, I am * still* committed to obeying Him in joy and love. For He said - *?If you love Me, you **will keep** My commandments!?* If you find *an obedient* believer, you can rest assured that you have a true team member, who can work with your team in a corporate manner! And now - our Psalm for the day:* **102:12-13 (102:1-28) DO NOT HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME. ?But you O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. **13** You will arise and have pity on Zion; **it is the time** to favor her; **the appointed time** has come? (ESV). *?There is a tide in the affairs of men ...? A surf-board rider must learn the timing of the big waves. Issachar had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Father, grant us wisdom to understand our times, the *harvest*, and the significance of the *Feast of Tabernacles*. Then we will *Hallow your :name!* *AN ADDITIIONAL WORD BY DR. DEREK PRINCE* A friend of ours from Canada updated the reception of Christian Channels from our ?dish? this week. As a result last night, I was able to pick up two ?teachings? from Dr. Prince. On the first, he referred to John 10:34-35 (10:22-39) *?:Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your :law [that], I said, You are gods? **35** If HE called them gods, unto whom the word of :God came (**and the scripture cannot be broken)**,? *Prince emphasized the word of Jesus concerning the status of those receiving the Word of God - *?and the **scripture** cannot be **broken**.? *We need to ponder this. In a Canadian seminary I attended following World War II - they taught that Jesus being merely human, said things that really suited the thinking of his day - and did not have reality!? *Wrong*! Almost blasphemous! For Jesus was Son of God prior to His Incarnation, and spoke directly from the Father, and spoke no words and did no miracles except under subjection to His Father - as the Son of man! So - *the written word from God* - the Scriptures - *cannot be broken*! And if we reject Jesus' Word as did these seminary professors - we and they *shall be broken*! We need to ponder this, for *the fear of the LORD* is the beginning of wisdom and the beginning of knowledge. Secondly - Jesus and His Word - both written (Scripture) and spoken (R*E*ma) - are *one*! See John 1:1. Therefore if we reject His Word - *we reject Jesus*! And if we reject Jesus - we repudiate the Bible! Also, look at Revelation 19:13 (19:11-16) ?*And he [Jesus] **is** arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and **his :name** is called **the Word of :God**!?* The above 3 verses are given by Derek Prince in the first lecture I heard him give last night. He was very competent in both Greek and Hebrew, being fluent in Hebrew! He was the youngest Professor in Philosophy in King's College, Cambridge at 24, prior to joining the British armed forces during World War II. I knew him personally, and count him as one of the most accurate Bible teaching scholars I have met or read. Our ?Outlined Interlinear NT? about to be published - backs up the above teaching 100%. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jan 12 09:03:11 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:03:11 -0800 Subject: Acts 6-8 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter. * January 12, 2012 *APR 13 - ACTS 6-8 - CHURCH GROWTH: DEACONS AND STEPHEN* *1. 6:3-4 (6:1-6) STEPHEN: ONE OF SEVEN CITY DEACONS. ?But brethren, Look out from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint over this :business. 4 But WE will continue steadfastly in :prayer, and in the ministry of the word? (NNT). *Note the apostolic priority: *prayer* first; *then* the ministry of the Word! Burn this upon our heart, Father. Amplify for us the importance of the city church deacons for this purpose. How *wise* Your Kingdom principles and priorities. *H**allowed be your :name!* *2. 6:7 DEACONS: SOLUTION LEADING TO FRUITFULNESS. ?And the word of :God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great crowd of the priests were obedient to the faith.? *Here is proof that the obedience of faith to Your Kingdom principles produces divine fruitfulness, Father. May we too be wise and experience such fruitfulness. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 6:8, 10 (6:8-15) STEPHEN: FALSELY ACCUSED. ?And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 10 And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.? *When stirred up, men cannot confront Your servants in honorable ways, Father; they resort to subterfuge, lies and violence. But *in you* we are safe! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 7:59-60 (7:1-8:1a) STEPHEN: DEFENSE AND CONFRONTATION. ?And they stoned :Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my :spirit. 60 And he kneeled, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this :sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.? *O our Father, forgive us that we sometimes have the same spirit of anger and murder in our hearts. Cleanse us from all bitterness and anger. Grant us the same spirit of forgiveness that is here manifested in Your martyr Stephen, and in Your Son our Lord Jesus! *Our :daily :bread, Give us this day.* *5. 8:1b (8:1b-3) SAUL: RINGLEADER IN CHURCH PERSECUTION. ?And Saul was consenting to his :death. And a great persecution arose on that :day against the church :in Jerusalem; and all were scattered abroad throughout the regions of :Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.? *What a contrast between the peace of Your martyr Stephen and the persecuting Saul, Father! We would have all such spirit of Saul purged from our hearts. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 8:12 (8:4-25) PHILIP: ASSISTED BY PETER AND JOHN. ?But when they believed :Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of :God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.? *We note the two priorities preached by Philip, Father: Your *Kingdom*, and the *Name*of Your Son! It is all wrapped up in Jesus and Calvary. Father, we thank You for this message of Philip. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 8:35 (8:26-40) PHILIP: WINS THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. ?And :Philip opened his :mouth, and beginning from this :scripture, preached the gospel to him, :Jesus.? *Ah, here is the message of the Kingdom; here is the Good News for all mankind! It is all wrapped up in *Jesus* and Calvary. Father, we thank You for this message of Philip! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 8:20 (8:4-25) PETER: REBUKES SIMON THE SORCERER! ?But Peter said unto him, Your :silver perish with you, because you have thought to obtain the gift (d**o-reA) of :God with money.? *It cost *Jesus* His life to provide the Gift of the Holy Spirit for us. The Promise of the Father flows out of Calvary. May we not make the mistake of Simon, and lightly esteem this great gift! We should note that the first 7 deacons were for the entire City Church of Jerusalem - composed of hundreds of local churches in the home. At one time I ministered in one *local church* with 24 deacons and deaconesses, 7 elders, 7 trustees, 20 Committee Chairmen, and a Christian School! It is difficult for such a local church to adjust and move into a City Church context. It is comparable to the difficulty of *remodeling* a house, and building it from scratch as the apostle Paul did with 14 City Churches, each composed of scores and even hundreds of local churches. A Greek Word-Study on ?church? (ek-kl*e*SIa) throws more light on this problem. Out of 114 NT references, *once* church refers to Israel as the church in the wilderness (Acts 7); 3 times to the secular city gathering in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41); 14 times to a local church in the home such as led by Aquila and Priscilla in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus; 15 times to the universal church of believers of all time, Jew and Gentile; *but* - *81 times* to the City Church - each composed of many local churches in the home. 14 of these latter are found in Revelation 2 and 3. It is the City Church concept that God indicated is the Pedestal or Stand - that in the vision of the Organic Laser-Telescope - supports the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? using Ivan Panin's two texts; plus the many Greek Word Studies again prepared largely on the basis of Panin's discoveries starting in 1890. ?*On the American Campus? - after 6 years in China - starting p. 99* *(from ?C.T. Studd: Athlete & Pioneer? by Norman P. Grubb)* Knoxville Students' Conference, June 21. After I had returned to my room (writes C.T.) and just upon 10 p.m., in rushed a student and said, ?Since hearing you this morning, I have thought of nothing but hell, because I have not and cannot surrender,? (though I had not spoken of hell or anything like it). I said, ?Why can't you surrender?? ?I don't know.? ?Do you want to?? ?Oh, yes.? ?Well, do it now, get down here on your knees and tell God you will give Him all.? ?I think I may have been unwilling to do as He told me.? ?Well, are you willing now to leave all sin and do His will?? ?Yes.? ?Then just give yourself to Him.? He knelt down, and after a short time gave himself right up, and immediately arose with such a joyful, beaming face and said, ?It's all right now.? He needn't have told me. ?Spirituality is much needed here; there is a great lack of it, too much laughing and chaffing, not a real deep spiritual power. And why? Because they are *afraid* of it. Fancy! They are afraid of minds getting strained, and so instead of giving them fewer meetings, they dilute with the ditch-water of nonsense too often. ?In the afternoon I read and prayed: the others had gone on a boat for an outing and ice creams. Missed tea on purpose, and took the evening meeting. We had a great time. I spoke for an hour and forty minutes. The fellows were quieter at the end than even at the beginning. The Lord was with us in power. Many stayed to speak or arrange interviews. Two came that night. One medical student, uncertain about being a volunteer; he has a mother and sister dependent on him, and he wept as he spoke of leaving them. I took him over the old ground. He saw the love of God, surrendered and left bright. I don't tell these fellows to volunteer; I tell them to surrender to God and to go away rejoicing in Him, and He will in His own way make all plain. Oh, there is no joy in the world like being used of God to bless others. The place is now just on fire, and one so regrets now that this break didn't come earlier, as it might have done, had the talks been more spiritual and appealing to the heart. ?Next day I had interviews all the afternoon and evening, a real glory time. One man told me as I began to probe him - for something seemed wrong - that he had been converted, was saved, and was an Episcopalian. So I said, 'Are all your sins forgiven?' 'No, not all.' 'Ain't it rather dangerous to have any unforgiven?' 'I suppose it is.' 'Do you want them forgiven?' 'Yes.' I explained a bit to him and then he got down on his knees to confess; he was going to confess out loud to me the sins he had committed, but I stopped him and said I didn't want to hear them, but he had better tell them to God. So we knelt and he told them to God, and then out aloud he asked for forgiveness. I asked, 'Has He forgiven you?' quoting, 'If we confess,' etc. 'Yes, He has.' 'Then thank Him.' And he did so. Then he surrendered and asked for the Holy Ghost, and thanked, and afterwards when I had prayed, he rose up with tears in his eyes, pressed my hand and said, 'I never had such an experience as this before.' Glory be to God! You can imagine I went off to supper as full of joy as a gas balloon. Oh my, these souls are indeed more than diamonds - I'd far sooner save one soul than be Queen Victoria. ?As I came away from supper, a man with such a sad face came to me and wanted an interview. He told me he could not conquer a certain kind of sin. I took him off to my room. He said he was a Ministerial Student; he had been converted but had lately fallen into this sin and it had mastered him. We talked long; he loathed it and wanted to quit. He saw his own utter impotence. I said, 'Have you surrendered?' 'Yes, I have, yet sinned again.' 'Have you since that asked forgiveness?' 'No.' 'Well, that comes first.' 'Will you do so now?' 'Yes.' We got on our knees and he confessed and asked forgiveness and receive it and that consciously; then he again made a full surrender, and I said, 'Now ask for the Holy Ghost.' But he did not understand and argued about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, while we were on our knees. I showed him the difference between Apostles before and after Pentecost. He owned that if he was filled with the Holy Ghost, he would not be committing the sin. At last he asked to be filled, and then I prayed and asked God to take out the desire and let it no more enter in: oh, his whole heart went out into it, and he got up anew, and said, 'I know, for I feel He has given me the victory.' So I said, 'Then get down on your knees again and thank Him' and he did. His face had before had despair as black as night written on it, but now it was all changed. He was in tears of joy and went away rejoicing. ?(Next day) Last night I saw - and had a talk with him. He is the one who had become a slave to a sin. He said it was all right, God has given him complete victory and he was a new being; we went under a tree and kneeling down, had some prayer. ?H. was next, and the Lord led me in a strange way. After a bit he said he was saved, sins forgiven. ?Why do you think so?' 'Oh, I feel so.' 'What makes you feel so?' 'Oh, I am trying to make Jesus my example.' 'Oh,' said I, 'then you are quite sure to be damned.' It slipped out before I knew it, and it did the Lord's work, for the fellow was perfectly astounded and asked me again and I repeated it: it so astonished and convicted him, that he asked in the exact words of the Philippian jailer, 'Then what must I do to be saved?' So I showed him. After a while he got down and confessed, received salvation as a gift, then surrendered and asked for the Holy Ghost, and went away quite different.? ?Monmouth, Nov. 19. Had a splendid time all yesterday with souls, interviews all day long, and in the last case a backslider who had fallen into deep sin. He looked as black and sullen as despair, but a three hours' fight gave complete victory. I had him an hour and then had to rush off straight to a meeting: another student took him on till I came back, and I returned two hours afterwards to find he had got the victory just before. You should have seen his face, oh, so bright; it was marvelous. ?After tea the leader of the College Y.M.C.A. came and made a full surrender, asked for the gift of the Holy Spirit and went away knowing he had received, so bright and believing and set on doing personal soul-saving work. There is such a lack of this. It seemed the same tale every place, spiritual darkness because of this not doing personal work. You should have seen the shining face yesterday of the President of the College Y.M.C.A. He had been a Christian two years and had never won one soul. He won his first the night before at my meeting, and yesterday he said he had never been so happy and never believed he could be so happy - too happy to sleep. ?The same evening S. came round and said he had been asked to speak at chapel next day. The Lord at once seemed to tell me that I should have to speak, but I said nothing. God stopped S. speaking ten minutes or more before the end of the time; he could not think of another word, though he had prepared to speak for 25 minutes; every word left him and he had to sit down. I was thereupon asked if I would speak, although I was sitting at the back of the building. I walked up as fast as I could lay legs to the ground and began right away. I prayed first just these words, 'Oh, Lord, may my tongue go as fast as my heart, for Jesus Christ's sake,' and He answered abundantly. I spoke with all the gusto of making a century at cricket against the Australians. Oh, it is so good to know the Lord is with one. ?Then S. came to my room with me for a talk. He came right full out, confessing, surrendering, and receiving the Holy Ghost. Oh, such a change as you cannot understand, he is unrecognizable; we are just about drunk with the Spirit. Oh, such freedom in prayer. We just laughed and thanked and prayed before God. ?God has made things so plain to me and enables me to put it plainly to others. Here is the gist of what I tell them. Assurance of salvation depends on the fact that Jesus paid the penalty of your sin, not on any feeling of yours. As Christ died for you, you belong by rights to Him. After further explanation I say, 'Will you not in a practical business way on your knees yield yourself and all to Jesus?' 'Yes.' Then he or she does it, and I ask if Jesus has accepted him. If they do not know, I simply ask if God is a liar, which at once produces the required assurance, as it is impossible for God to have lied. Then I tell the inquirer to ask in one sentence for the Holy Ghost, and he does it. Then I ask, 'Has He been given?' By the same method the answer comes back 'Yes'; then I tell him to thank God for (1) having accepted him, (2) having given the Holy Ghost. Then I say, 'Don't worry or fret, or think, or try, but just be careful for nothing, only trust and obey His voice. Rejoice and be glad in Jesus always. The feeling will come in due course, but it is a fact that God has given the Holy Ghost. Do not hinder God by helping Him, but quit hindering Him.' They come long-faced, and go away sparkling and beaming.? * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jan 14 09:23:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:23:51 -0800 Subject: APR 14 - Acts 9 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org * * * *January 14, 2012* * * *APR 14 - ACTS 9 - CHURCH: PAUL AND PETER* *1. 9:1-2 SAUL: HIS FORMER LIFE. ?But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 andasked him for letters to :Damascus unto the synagogues; so that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.? *This is not the Kingdom of God: this is the kingdom of Satan! But *Your* Kingdom is *greater*, Father; You can reverse this situation! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 9:5-6 (9:3-9) SAUL: HIS CONVERSION. ?And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute: 6 but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.? *What a dramatic confrontation! Your resurrected and ascended Son Father, appeared in Glory to convert this wayward Saul. What an immediate change! *Your :kingdom come! * *3. 9:15-16 (9:10-19a) SAUL: A DOUBLE BAPTISM. ?But the Lord said unto him Go: for HE is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my :name both before the Gentiles and kings, and the sons of Israel: 16 for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my :name.? *Father You have servants on earth for special tasks, and to do Your will. Saul is a special one in this category! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 9:20, 22 (9:19b-30) SAUL: PROOFS OF GENUINE CONVERSION. ?And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed :Jesus, that this is the Son of :God. 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving this this is the Christ.? *Surely none could doubt the genuine conversion of Saul! What a miracle! Father, forgive us that we so often doubt Your ability to convert the most difficult. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 9:31 THE CHURCH: ITS STATE. ?The church therefore throughout all :Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.? *We can understand this peace! With Saul converted, the church's chief persecutor was now on their side. Father, You can do *all* things! Blessed be Your Name! *And forgive us our :debt, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 9:34-35 (9:32-35) PETER: RESULTS OF HEALING OF AENEAS. ?And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you: arise, and make your bed. And straightway he arose. 35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and in :Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. *How dramatic this healing: a whole town converted! How rapidly You turn about situations, Father! Yes, our faith is strengthened by Your doings! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 9:40 (9:36-43) PETER: RESULTS FROM RESURRECTION OF DORCAS. ?But :Peter put all out, and knelt and prayed; and turning to the body said, Tabeitha, arise. And SHE opened her :eyes; and seeing :Peter sat up.? *There is no doubt that signs and wonders are a means of turning many to the Lord! Father, we magnify You for Your might! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 9:27 (9:19b-30) SAUL: DOORS OPENED BY BARNABAS. ?But Barnabas took **and brought him unto the apostles, and rehearsed to them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had done boldly in the name of Jesus.? *Thank God for Barnabas! Father, we thank You that You have among Your servants catalysts, who bring together those who need to be jointed! *ROOTS - A DAVID L. WOLPER PRODUCTION - 4 DISC DVD* *30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION* *EXTRAORDINARY. WE ARE WATCHING MORE THAN A DRAMA. WE ARE WITNESSING AN EXPERIENCE.* *His name was Kunta Kinte. Kidnapped from Africa and enslaved in America in 1767. He refused to accept his slave name of Toby. Heirs kept his heroic defiance alive, passing on his tale across generations until it reached a young boy growing up in Tennessee. His name was Alex Haley. Through the lineage of one family, Haley and his Pulitzer Prize-winning ROOTS told a story for all America and the world. Seen by 130 million viewers during its premiere telecasts and the winner of dozens of awards, the David L. Wolper production remains an engrossing entertainment 30 years later. Embark on an engrossing unforgettable DVD journey.* *EPISODE 1 in Gambia, West Africa, Kunta Kinte son of Omoro and Binta, distinguished himself in manhood training rituals. But he does not enjoy his new status long: slave traders sweeping the countryside seize him. Chained with other captive, Kunta begins an agonized odyssey to the New World.* *EPISODE 2. Despite a violent rebellion, the slave ship Lord Ligonier completes its voyage and Kunta Kinte endures the indignity of an Annapolis slave auction. Fiddler, the slave in charge of Kunta's training, becomes his only friend - a friendship that's tested when Kunta plans an escape so he can be with Fanta.* *EPISODE 3. In 1776, a nation fights for freedom ... but not for all. Kunta Kinte escapes again and is crippled by slave catchers. He marries, gains a daughter and loses his long-time friend Fiddler. Another chance for escape arises, but Kunta sacrifices it to care for his wife and the newborn he names Kizzy, an African word for ?stay put.?* *EPISODE 4. At age 16, Kizzy is sold and bears her new master's son, who grows up to become fun-loving Chicken George. Yearning to see her parents, Kizzy is comforted by Samuel Bennett, but they are ill-matched. When she returns to her birthplace, Kizzy learns of her parents' fates.* *EPISODE 5. Chicken George is sent to England as payment for his owner's gambling debt. Fourteen years later, he returns home a free man, a status that has a profound effect on the family begun by Kunta Kinte. The Civil War erupts; at last the era of slavery draws to an end.* *EPISODE 6. The Civil War is over but night riders terrorize ex-slaves. By marking his clients' horseshoes, Tom identifies the raiders but endangers his own life. Chicken George, who fought for the Union, rejoins his family. He leads them to a new home in Tennessee.* *DISC 4 - 2007 DOCUMENTARY - CROSSING OVER: HOW ROOTS CAPTIVATED AN ENTIRE NATION.* *Alex Haley's son William Haley and LeVar Burton join the historians and creators of ROOTS in assessing the impact of the book and miniseries on culture and society over the past 30 years* *During commentaries, you may select the video option to view the recording sessions.* *Our Psalm for the day: 104:24-25 (104:1-36) ?O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable living things both small and great? (ESV). *Your *works*, O Jehovah Father, are past finding out! You do all things well. Among living creatures, You make all things both small and great. There is none other like You. *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jan 16 09:35:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:35:05 -0800 Subject: Krauthammer on Obama Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 16, 2012 *Fast Facts** **About Dr. Charles Krauthammer , MD* 1. *Born: **March 13* *, **1950* 2. *Birthplace: **New York City* *, **New York* 3. *Raised in **Montreal* *, **Canada* 4. *Attended **Mc Gill University* * and **Harvard Medical School* 5. *1972* *diving accident left him paralyzed from the neck on down.* 6. *Directed **psychiatric* * research for the **Carter* * administration* 7. *Began writing career in **1981* * with **The New Republic* 8. *Helped develop the "**Reagan* * ** Doctrine**" in the **80's* 9. *Appointed to Presidential Council on Bioethics in **2002* Dr. Charles Krauthammer , MD *Dr. Krauthammer is frequently on the Fox News Channel. He is an M.D., a lawyer **and is paralyzed from the neck down.* *A friend went to hear Charles Krauthammer. He listened with 25 others in a closed room. What he says here is NOT 2nd-hand but 1st. The ramifications are staggering for us, our children and their children. Last Monday was a profound evening. Dr. Charles Krauthammer spoke to the Center for the American Experiment. He is a brilliant intellectual, seasoned & articulate. He is forthright and careful in his analysis and never resorts to emotions or personal insults. He is NOT a fear monger nor an extremist in his comments and views. He is a fiscal conservative and has received a Pulitzer Prize for writing. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News and writes weekly for the Washington Post.* *The entire room was held spellbound during his talk. I have summarized his comments, as we are living in uncharted waters economically and internationally.* *Even 2 Dems at my table agreed with everything he said! If you feel like forwarding this to those who are open minded and have not drunk the Kool-Aid, feel free....* *Summary of his comments: 1. Mr. Obama is a very intellectual, charming individual. He is not to be underestimated. He is a cool customer who doesn't show his emotions. It's very hard to know what's behind the mask. The taking down of the Clinton dynasty was an amazing accomplishment. The Clintons still do not understand what hit them. Obama was in the perfect place at the perfect time. 2. Obama has political skills comparable to Reagan and Clinton. **He has a way of making you think he's on your side, agreeing with your position, while doing the opposite**. ** **Pay no attention to what he SAYS; rather, * *watch what he DOES! ** 3.** **Obama has a ruthless quest for power**. He did not come to Washington to make something out of himself but rather to **change everything, including dismantling capitalism**. He can't be straightforward on his ambitions, as the public would not go along. * *He has a heavy hand and wants to level the playing field with income redistribution and punishment to the achievers of society. He would like to model the USA to Great Britain or Canada . 4. His **three main goals* *are to control **ENERGY, PUBLIC EDUCATION and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE** **by the Federal government**.* *He doesn't care about the auto or financial services industries but got them as an early bonus. The cap and trade will add costs to everything and stifle growth. Paying for FREE college education is his goal. Most scary is his healthcare program because if you make it FREE and add 46,000,000 people to a Medicare-type single-payer system, the costs will go through the roof. **The only way to control costs is with massive RATIONING of services, like in Canada ..* *God forbid! ** 5.** **He has surrounded himself with mostly far-left academic types.** No one around him has **ever even* *run a candy store**. But they are going to try and run the auto, financial, banking and other industries. This obviously can't work in the long run. **Obama is not a socialist; rather he's a far-left secular progressive bent on nothing short of revolution**. He ran as a moderate **but will govern from the hard left**. **Again, watch what he DOES, not what he says.** 6. Obama doesn't really see himself as President of the United States but more as a ruler over the world. **He sees himself above it all, trying to orchestrate & coordinate various countries and their agendas.** He sees moral equivalency in all cultures. His apology tour in Germany and England was a prime example of how he sees America as an imperialist nation that has been arrogant, rather than a great noble nation that has at times made errors. **This is the first President, **ever** **, **who has chastised our allies and appeased our enemies!** 7. He is now handing out goodies. He hopes that the bill (and pain) will not come due until after he is reelected in 2012. He would like to blame all problems on Bush, from the past, and hopefully his successor in the future. He has a huge ego and Dr. Krauthammer believes he is a narcissist. 8. Republicans are in the wilderness for a while but will emerge strong. Republicans are pining for another Reagan but there will never be another like him. Krauthammer believes Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty & Bobby Jindahl (except for his terrible speech in February) are the future of the party. Newt Gingrich is brilliant but has baggage. Sarah Palin is sincere and intelligent but needs to really be seriously boning up on facts and info if she is to be a serious candidate in the future. We need to return to the **party of lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility, strong national defense and State's Rights**.** **9. The current level of spending is irresponsible and outrageous.** We are spending trillions that we don't have. **This could lead to hyperinflation, depression** **or worse**. **No country has ever spent themselves into prosperity.* *The **Media* *is giving **Obama, Reid and* * Pelosi* *a **Pass* *because they love their agenda. But eventually the bill will come due and people will realize the huge bailouts didn't work, nor will the stimulus package. **These were trillion-dollar payoffs to Obama's allies, unions and the Congress to placate the left, so he can get support for #4 above.** 10. The election was over in mid-September when Lehman brothers failed, fear and panic swept in, **we had an unpopular President, and the war was grinding on indefinitely without a clear outcome.** The people are in pain and the mantra of change caused people to act emotionally. **Any Dem would have won this election; it was surprising it was as close as it was.** **11. In 2012, if the unemployment rate is over 10%, Republicans will be swept back into power. If it's under 8%, the Dems continue to roll. If it's between 8-10%, it will be a dogfight. It will all be about the economy. I hope this gets you really thinking about what's happening in Washington and Congress.* *There is a left-wing revolution going on**, according to Krauthammer, and he encourages us to keep the faith and join the loyal resistance. The work will be hard but we're right on most issues and can reclaim our country before it's far too late.* *"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their Constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it." - Abraham Lincoln* *Do yourself a long term favor.* *Send this to all who will listen to an intelligent assessment of the big picture. All our futures and children's futures depend on our good understanding of what is really going on in DC and our action pursuant to that understanding!! * *It really IS up to each of us to take individual action!! * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jan 18 15:30:33 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:30:33 -0800 Subject: Acts 10:1-11:18 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 18, 2012 *APR 15 - ACTS 10:1-11:18 - CHURCH AND GENTILES* *1. 10:4b-6 (10:1-8) CORNELIUS: ANGELIC VISITATION. And he said to him, ?Your :prayers and your :alms are gone up for a memorial before :God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: 6 HE lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea? (NNT). *Father, You master-mind *everything* from heaven! *Nothing* escapes Your attention! *You* are God, and there is *none* other. We gladly submit to Your rule in Christ. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 10:15-16 (10:9-16) PETER: PREPARATION BY VISION. ?And a voice cameunto him again the second time, What things :God has cleansed, Do not YOU make common. 16 And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven.? *This is a remarkable vision. It cut counter to *everything* Peter had been taught. Father, we acknowledge our outlook is colored by false traditions and conclusions. Forgive us for our lack of perception. *Your :kingdom come! * *3. 10:19-20 (10:17-23a) PETER: VISION CONFIRMED. ?And while :Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said, Lo, two men seek you. 20 But arise, and get down, and go with them, nothing doubting: because I have sent them.? *This is *Your* Spirit, Father, and the Spirit of Christ. *You* provided clear direction for Cornelius and Peter. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 10:38 (10:23b-43) PETER: PREACHES TO CORNELIUS. ?How God anointed Jesus :of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all those oppressed of the devil; for :God was with him? *It was foretold that *this* would be the work of Messiah; and *this Jesus* of Nazareth did this! How simple and crystal clear did Peter make Your Gospel of the Kingdom, Father! Forgive us for so often adding or taking away from this simplicity. *Our :daily :bread, Give us this day.* *5. 10:45-46 (10:44-48) GENTILES: RECEIVE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. ?And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, who came with :Peter, because that on the nations also was poured out the gift of the Holy :Spirit. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify :God.? *What the early Jewish disciples received at Pentecost now Gentiles are receiving. You made no difference between Jew and Gentile, Father. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 11:2-3 (11:1-3) PETER: CALLED ON THE CARPET IN JERUSALEM. ?And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, that he went in unto men uncircumcised, and had eaten with them.? *How difficult this must have been for Jews: first Peter: now the apostles. Why are we like this, Father? But when once we see Your position, and walk in it - alright! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 11:17 (11:4-18) PETER: VINDICATES CALL OF GENTILES. ?If then :God gave them the like gift as also to us, who had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand: God?? *How clear is the reasoning of Peter at this juncture! No doubt his answer was much by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, as You promised, Father. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 11:18 (11:4-18) PETER'S DEFENSE ACCEPTED. ?And when they heard these **things, they held their peace, and glorified :God, saying, Then to the nations also has :God granted :repentance unto life.?* Repentance is initially a gift from *You*, Father! Notice in Acts 10:38, that God the Father anointed Jesus His Son (who was also through Mary the Son of :man) - with the Holy Spirit and *power*! First John baptized Him in water prior to the beginning of His 3 years ministry. But no signs or miracles followed this experience. Next the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for a 40 day fast, and a 3-fold testing of Satan. By quoting the Word of God, Jesus successfully withstood the temptations of the devil. Then - it was following these 40 days, that Jesus returned in the *power*of the Holy Spirit - with signs, wonders and miracles. Then it is insufficient for us only to receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. We too like Jesus and Paul, must be led of the Spirit into a time of testing and suffering - even with fasting - before God will entrust us like Jesus and Paul with *power* also. When we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift, He comes *into* (eis) us. But when we receive the *power* (DUna-mis) of the Holy Spirit - he comes *upon*(Epi) us! See Acts 1:8. This is exactly parallel to our text here, Acts 10:38. Jesus in Acts 1:8 is telling His apostles, ?*But you shall receive power (DUna-mis), when the Holy Spirit is come upon (Epi) you: and you shall be my witnesses ...?* A believer will not have *this kind of a witness* that Jesus commissions - until he has this kind of an experience. For my Master of Divinity degree in 1952 at ?Northern Baptist Theological Seminary? of Chicago, I gave it the title - ?Preaching with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.? I made the distinction between receiving the Holy Spirit - eis (into) - and later receiving *empowerment) of the Spirit*(DUna-mis) - by *now* having Him come *upon* (Epi) us! Dr. T. J. McCrossan, examiner in Greek and Hebrew for Canadian Presbyterian Candidates for the Ministry - wrote a book entitled, ?Christ's Paralyzed Church X-Rayed.? Throughout this book he carefully makes the distinction between these two Greek prepositions: eis (into) - and Epi (upon). One who has this ?upon? (Epi) experience of the DUnamis (power) of the Holy Spirit, has a witness comparable to that of Jesus and Paul. It is an * observable* anointing. Then *we too* can walk in Mark 16:17-18 - *?And these signs shall **follow** them that have believed: in my :name shall they cast out demons, speak with tongues; **18** and in the**ir** hands they shall take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on **the** sick, and they shall recover.?* Following the Ascension of Jesus 40 days after His Resurrection and 10 days prior to the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit - we see the fulfillment of the above in Mark 1:19-20 - *?So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them was taken up into :heaven, and sat down at the right * *hand** of :God. **20** And THEY went forth, **and** preached everywhere the Lord working with **them**, and confirming the word by **the signs that followed**.?* Dr. McCrossan wants us to thoroughly understand - that with an ?into? (eis) experience of the Holy Spirit alone - we are part of Christ's paralyzed church! But with an ?upon? (Epi) experience in the DUna-mis (Power) of the Holy Spirit - then we join with Jesus and Paul and the first 12 apostles in a witness confirmed with signs following! And we need to remember that Ivan Panin discovered through Bible Numerics in 1890 - that if *any* portion of the NT could be omitted - the last of such portions would be Mark 16:9-20! *More* Bible Numerics of confirmation appear here than in *any other* portion of the NT! Consider our Psalm for the day: *105:43-45a (105:1-45) TELL OF ALL HIS WONDERFUL WORKS! ?So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. **44** And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, **45a** that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws? (ESV). *What a glorious fulfillment of this verse! You devastated Egypt Father, that this promise might be fulfilled. How great is Your Power, and Your love and faithfulness past finding out. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jan 22 11:18:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:18:50 -0800 Subject: Acts 11:19-12:25 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 22, 2012 * * *APR 16 - ACTS 11:19-12:25 - CHURCH: INTENSIFIED TROUBLE* *1. 11:23-24 (11:19-24) BARNABAS: STRENGTHENS WORK AT ANTIOCH. ?Barnabas, when he came and saw the grace :of :God, was glad; and he exhorted all to cleave unto the purpose of their heart in the Lord: 24 because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith: and a large crowd was added to the Lord? (NNT). *What an unusual gifting to the church! Father, Barnabas was from You in Christ. We bless you for this! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 11:25-26 BARNABAS: SEEKS THE HELP OF PAUL. ?And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul; 26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, both that even for a whole year they were gathered together in the church and taught a large crowd, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.? *Now here was a wise and unselfish action on the part of Barnabas! May we too emulate such wisdom! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 11:28 (11:27-30) AGABUS: ACCURATELY INFORMS OF COMING FAMINE. ?And one of them Agagus by name stood up and signified by the Spirit that a great famine would be over all the inhabited earth: which came to pass in the daysof Claudius.? *Here is another one of Your giftings, Father. We bless you for Agabus too. You do *all* things well: You give us just the ministries we need and just the appropriate time! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 12:5 (12:1-19) PETER: SUPERNATURALLY DELIVERED BY ANGEL. ?Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto :God for him.? *What exciting and traumatic days were there for the early church! How Sovereignly and powerfully You worked, Father! But You are no respecter of *times* or places, and will do *yet more* at the end of the age. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 12:23 (12:20-23) HEROD: JUDGED FOR PRIDE BY ANGEL. ?And immediately theLord's angel struck him, because he gave not :God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and expired.? *My glory I will *not give* to another: this is what You have said, O Jehovah Father! O let us hear this warning, and not be as Herod and Hezekiah (2 Chr. 32:31)! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 12:24 WORD OF GOD: ITS INCREASE! ?But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied.? *What an encouraging word! When we work with and under Your leadership, Father, then we see *Your* results. You in Christ do *all*things well. When we do *our* thing, we get but meager results. We choose to do *Your thing*! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 12:25 BARNABAS, SAUL AND JOHN MARK. ?And Barnabas and Saul returned when they had fulfilled their ministration Jerusalemward, having taken along John :surnamed Mark.? *How good it is that the various city churches sent relief to one another in times of need! We have no doubt that *You*inspired this Father, for you are aware of *all* things! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 12:11 (12:1-19) PETER ACKNOWLEDGES GOD'S DELIVERANCE. ?And when :Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know truly, that the Lord has sent forth his :angel and delivered me out of Herod's hand and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.? *This was a most supernatural deliverance. These things are always common through You Father, when our faith is high. The Book of Acts is often titled by scholars as follows: ?The Book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles: specifically Peter and Paul.? It's long - but accurate and descriptive. It also brings out clearly to us the 3rd Person of the Tri-unity of the Godhead. We see Him in a true function in 2 Corinthians 13:14 - *?The grace (CHAris) of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love (aGApe) of God, and the fellowship (koi-noNIa) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.?* It is proper that Paul should end this letter with this ascription to the Holy Spirit. For all through 2 Corinthians and the Book of Acts we see Fellowship or koi-n*o*NIa exhibited! Notice in Acts 2:42 that one of the four main practices of the early believers from the example of the apostles, was their fellowship or koi-n*o*NIa! It was the Holy Spirit through the apostles setting forth this example to the early church. No wonder Jesus told the 12 that it was *better* for Him to go away - so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, would *then* come to take His place. And he added - *?It is better that He be in you - than I be withyou!? * So those who wish they lived when Jesus walked on earth are missing something! We today - are better off than those - for we like the apostles now have the privilege of the Holy Spirit *in* us - as they! ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb - sets forth the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit following the Ascension of Christ. Then look at Romans 8:26-27 (8:26-30) *?And in like manner the Spirit also helps our :infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself intercedes mightily for **us **with groanings unutterable; **27** and who searches the hearts knows what **is** the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for **the** saints according to God.? *This is a window of insight for us to see the inner working of the Holy Spirit within the life of each believer. And what can enhance the working of the Holy Spirit within our lives? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 (14:1-19) *?I thank :God I speak with a tongue **more than you all**: **19** but in church I would **rather** speak five words with my :understanding that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.? *Paul in his private devotions spoke *more*in a tongue than any other believer. Smith Wigglesworth of England followed his example in the last century. But in church meetings Paul preferred edifying the congregation through words from his understanding. In 1 Corinthians 14:2 Paul explains that who speaks in a tongue *speaks to God*, not men - and such communication from the human spirit is speaking * mysteries*! Some 27 times in the NT this word ?mystery? appears. It takes revelation of the Spirit to perceive and understand these mysteries - and those who use a tongue in their private devotions - greatly enhance their ability to more completely understand the many NT mysteries! Some will undoubtedly say - ?But I don't see such gifts for today, not for me in particular.? I understand this is the teaching we receive in most Evangelical churches. *But* - does such teaching truly accord to what the Bible itself is teaching? I have copied out the NT in English and Greek a number of times, and completely outlined it sentence by sentence - gathering these summaries into paragraphs and sections or chapter equivalents. And truly, I have found that we should let the Bible mean what *it* wants to mean (not necessarily church teaching) - and let God say what *He* wants to say! To check the Greek Aorist tense for ?gave? and ?set? in Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 completely settled this problem for me, and I believe can do the same for any other sincere and diligent seeker. From a sincere friend - who desires to be truly helpful to all fellow-believers. And finally - our Psalm for the day: *106:23 (106:1-48) GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD? (ESV). ?Therefore he said he would destroy them - had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.? *Who has ever thought that intercession was dispensable? Prayer *counts*! Intercession *works*! Father, work in our hearts the truth that You are a *great* God, and that You work through us abundantly above all we can ask or think when we pray, and allow the Holy Spirit to intercede through us! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jan 24 14:59:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:59:48 -0800 Subject: Acts 13-14 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 24, 2012 *APR 17 - ACTS 13-14 - CHURCH EXTENSION: SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES* *1. 13:2 (13:1-3) CHURCH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. ?And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them? (NNT). Ministry* to You Father, with fasting prayer and no preconceived ideas: *this* releases Your Son to build His church through us! In this way we acknowledge You in Christ as *King* of Your Kingdom. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 13:12 (13:4-12) RESULTS THROUGH SUPERNATURAL JUDGMENT. ?Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.? *This was not Paul; this was really *You* Father in Christ revealing Your displeasure with Elymas. Help us always to see You in Your apostles and prophets. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 13:19 (13:13-41) PAUL: MAJORS ON THE RESURRECTION. ?When he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan land, he gave them their :land for an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years.? *This is bold preaching! Father, it is Your Spirit in Paul giving him this holy boldness! Yes, and You give us *all* good things according to Your good pleasure. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 13:48 (13:42-52) THE GOSPEL: JEWS VERSUS GENTILES. ?And as the nations heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of :God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.? *All who the Father gives Me shall come unto Me, Jesus said. Father, we bless You that You have opened our hearts, and given us to Your Son Jesus, that we might exercise the gift of repentance and come to You! O forgive us that we fall so short in understanding, and fail to magnify You as we ought for Your great grace! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 14:3 (14:1-7) ICONIUM: SERIOUS THREATENINGS. ?Long time therefore they tarried there being bold in the Lord, who witnessed unto the word of his :grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by his :hands.? *The clearer the message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God, the sooner the persecution! Is our Gospel so far removed from the apostolic understanding and proclamation, that it has lost its teeth, Father? *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 14:14-15 (14:8-18) HEALING: WRONGLY EXALTS APOSTLES. ?But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard it, they rent their own :garments, and sprang forth among the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, Men, why do you these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that you turn from these :vanities unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and that in them are.? *If not through persecution, then through worship of man would Satan pervert the Gospel. Truth walks the razor edge of heresy! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 14:23 (14:19-28) STONING, ORDAINING, REPORTING. ?And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fastings, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.? *Within *months * following conversion, elders serving as overseers and shepherds were appointed! How different from today! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 13:38-39 (13:13-41) THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS. ?Be it known unto you therefore, men **and brethren, that through his man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: 39 and by him every one that believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.? *This is a *clear* word. This word glorified You and Your Son, Father! Acts 13:48 above is for some one of the most difficult verses of the Bible - while for others it is the most blessed! With my background as first a Presbyterian and then a Baptist, I have like George Muller tended to the latter view. *Apprehension of Truth* comes from learning to meditate upon the Word of God. Our new Outlined Interlinear NT about to come out - will make this much easier. See some points which God began to show Mr. Muller while at Teignmouth, England in 1829: 1. That the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual things; that it can be explained *only* by the Holy Spirit; and that in our day, as well as in former times, *He* is the teacher of His people. The office of the Holy Spirit I had not experimentally understood before that time. Indeed, of the office of each of the blessed persons, in what is commonly called the Trinity, I had no experimental apprehension. I had not before seen from the Scriptures that the Father chose us before the foundation of the world; that in Him that wonderful plan of our redemption originated, and that He also appointed all the means by which it was to be brought about. Further, that the Son, to save us, had fulfilled the law, to satisfy its demands, and with it also the holiness of God; that He had borne the punishment due to our sins, and had thus satisfied the justice of God. And further, that the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our state by nature, show us the need of a Savior, enable us to believe in Christ, explain to us the Scriptures, help us in preaching, etc. It was my beginning to understand this latter point in particular, which had a profound effect on me; for the Lord enabled me to put it to the test of experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost every other book, and simply reading the word of God and studying it. The result of this was, that the first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer *and meditation over the Scriptures*, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously. *But the particular difference was, that I received real strength for my soul in doing so. *I now began to try by the test of the Scriptures the things which I had learned and seen, and found that only those principles which stood the test were really of value. 2. Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of election, particular redemption, and final persevering grace; so much so that, a few days after my arrival at Teignmouth I called election a devilish doctrine. I did not believe that I had brought myself to the Lord, for that was too manifestly false; but yet I held, that I might have resisted finally. And further, I knew nothing about the choice of God's people, and did not believe that the child of God, when once made so, was safe for ever. In my fleshly mind I had repeatedly said, If once I could prove that I am a child of God for ever, I might go back into the world for a year or two, and then return to the Lord, and at last be saved. But now I was brought to examine these precious truths by the word of God. Being made willing to have no glory of my own in the conversion of sinners, but to consider myself merely as an instrument; and being made willing to receive what the Scriptures said; I went to the Word, reading the New Testament from the beginning, with a particular reference to these truths. To my great astonishment I found that the passages which speak decidedly for election and persevering grace were about four times as many as those which speak apparently against these truths; and even those few, shortly after, when I had examined and understood them, served to confirm me in the above doctrines. As to the effect which my belief in these doctrines had on me, I am constrained to state, for God's glory, that though I am still exceedingly weak, and by no means so dead to the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as I might and as I ought to be; yet, by the grace of God, I have walked more closely with Him since that period. My life has not been so variable, and I may say that I have lived much more for God than before. And for this have I been strengthened by the Lord, in a great measure, through the instrumentality of these truths. For in the time of temptation, I have been repeatedly led to say: Should I thus sin? I should only bring misery into my soul for a time, and dishonor God; from being a son of God for ever, I should have to be brought back again, though it might be in the way of severe chastisement. Thus, I say, the electing love of God in Christ (when I have been able to realize it) has often been the means of *producing holiness, instead of leading me into sin.* It is only the notional apprehension of such truths, the want of having them in the heart, while they are in the head, which is dangerous. (pp. 387-8 from ?George Muller of Bristol? by Dr. A.T. Pierson, 1899). Our Psalm for the day: *107:42-43 (107:1-43) LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO. ?The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD? (ESV). *Not unto us, not unto us belongs praise; but unto *Your Name* does praise belong, Father! For we forfeit all right to blessing by our rebellion, disobedience and hard heart; but in Your grace You deliver us when we repent and call on Your Name. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jan 25 12:28:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:28:52 -0800 Subject: Acts 15:1-35 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 25, 2012 *APR 18 - ACTS 15:1-35 - CHURCH PROBLEMS: SOLUTIONS* *1. 15:1 (15:1-2) CIRCUMCISION: PROBLEM TO GENTILES. ?And certain mencoming down from :Judea were teaching the brethren [that], Except you be circumcised after the custom :of Moses, you cannot be saved? (NNT). *Isn't this just like Satan: he holds over us old traditions, old wineskins, that can *never* hold the new wine of the Spirit and be preserved! We need * renewed*, *reconstituted* wineskins! Father, *this* is what we need in both individuals and churches. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 15:4 (15:3-5) JERUSALEM: PLACE OF SOLUTION FOR ANTIOCH. ?And when they came to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed what things :God had done with them.? *Only at Jerusalem could the problems of Antioch with Gentiles be solved. Each city church was sovereign, and justice had to be sought there concerning their troublesome members. We accept Your wisdom here, Father! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 15:8-9 (15:6-12) PETER, BARNABAS AND PAUL SPEAK ON THE PROBLEM. ?And :God, who knows the heart, bore witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as to us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their :hearts by :faith.? *If God baptized Gentiles in the Spirit apart from circumcision, surely *He* is saying something here to which we should listen! You meet us where we *are*, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:14-15a (15:13-21) JAMES SUMMARIZES AND CONFIRMS SCRIPTURE. ?Simon has rehearsed how first :God visited the nations, to take out a people for his :name. 15a And to this agree the words of the prophets.? *Hear the wisdom of City Church Pastor James, half brother of our Lord: Old Covenant Scriptures agree with the reasoning of Peter from the light of experience. O forgive us Father, that we so often stubbornly cling to old ways when You are moving on! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 15:28-29 (15:22-29) THE EPISTLE: FORMED BY HOLY SPIRIT AND LEADERS. ?For it seemed good to the Holy :Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these :necessary things: 29 to abstain from thingssacrificed to idols and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare well.? *How You protect us Father, by not laying upon us burdens we cannot bear! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 15:30-31 (15:30-34) THE EPISTLE: ITS EFFECT. ?They therefore whendismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude, delivered the epistle. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.? *This Jerusalem church conference was a great blessing for Gentile believers. No wonder the saints of Antioch rejoiced! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 15:35 PAUL AND BARNABAS AT ANTIOCH. ?But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the gospel of the word of the Lord, with many others also.? *We bless You Father, that Silas was part of this also. What a victory this renewed message was for the church! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 15:11 (15:6-12) THE BASIS OF DELIVERANCE. ?But we believe we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.? **This* is the heart of the Good News of the Kingdom of God! It is by the *grace of Jesus*, not liturgy or works of the law whereby we are saved. It is *New Covenant!* Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15 - are perhaps the two major NT passages that lay out for us illustrations of the working of a City Eldership or Presbytery in the Gates of Antioch and Jerusalem. Boaz called for an Eldership to meet in the City Gate of Bethlehem to decide an inheritance problem that revolved around Ruth. Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 illustrates how a city Eldership sets apart for ministry - by impartation through the laying on of hands and prophecy. God visited Northern Canada in 1948 to restore this latter practice among 11 others. It brought controversy among hearers - and even temporary doubt upon those commissioned for this restoration process. In Acts 13:1-3 the Holy Spirit led in a commissioning service for the first missionary sending-forth - and in Acts 15 we see how God used the Eldership in the City Gate of Jerusalem to solve one of the most difficult and controversial problems that arose in the early church. Because of denomination separations, it is today very difficult to bring together the key elders of local churches in a city for similar purposes - as functioned in the early church. Again - we see Paul raising up 14 city churches and Elderships where others had not labored. It is obviously easier to build a house from scratch - rather than remodel a house. So it was easier in the beginning to establish city churches in functioning unity - with operating Elderships - than in our fragmented City Churches today, separated by denomination and fellowship divisions. But can it be done today? Yes - but through a ?Remnant? in the beginning - not on a complete city basis. Perhaps even through smaller churches in the home rather than through large and super local churches. But - we can confidently expect to see such happen before the return of our Lord. In Hezekiah's day, when he led Israel to revival and restoration of God's original desire through Moses for Israel - the priests were so far away from such a pattern, that Levites had to do their work for them. But when the priests observed that Hezekiah was truly following the leading of the Lord - then with shame they sanctified themselves and took their place in the Temple. A similar change of outlook could take place with pastors today, once God starts to work with a remnant! Our Psalm for the day: 108:12-13 (108:1-13) WITH GOD WE SHALL DO VALIANTLY. ?Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! 13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes? (ESV). From our point of view, it sometimes seems that You have forsaken us, Father. But no, You are only sifting and maturing us, that You might reveal Yourself unto us in a *deeper* way! Then You can remove the scaffolding of our enemies! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jan 26 15:43:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:43:12 -0800 Subject: Acts 15:36-19:20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 26, 2012 *APR 19 - ACTS 15:36-19:20 - CHURCH GROWTH AND PAUL* *1. 15:36 (15:36-16:5) PAUL: ADDS TIMOTHY TO HIS TEAM. ?And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare? (NNT). *It would seem the right thing to do indeed! They had now been left alone for over a year! Imagine leaving new churches and leaders without help for such a period of time: *not* our 20th Century way! Yet see the prosperity here when led by the Holy Spirit! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 16:9 (16:6-10) PAUL: SUPERNATURALLY LED TO EUROPE. ?And a vision appeared to :Paul at night: A certain Macedonian man was standing and beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.? *Visions and dreams: from Joseph, Daniel and Job (33:14-18). You Father, have guided Your servants this way. Moses You spoke to face to face. May we not despise Your choice this way! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 16:30b-31 (16:11-40) PAUL: PHILIPPI LAUNCHED AMIDST PERSECUTION. And the jailer said, ?Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and YOU shall be saved and your :household.? **Household salvation*: what a glad and joyous message! And this came in the midst of Lydia and the birthing of the church at Philippi! Father, You do *all*things well! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 17:11 (17:1-15) PAUL: CONTRAST BETWEEN THESSALONICA AND BEREA. ?Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.? *O forgive us Father, that so often we fail to exhibit this mind of the Bereans! We consult our own interests, the status quo, our traditions: and fail to realize that *You* are in the thing we sometimes oppose! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 17:27b-28 (17:16-34) PAUL: MEAGER RESULTS AT ATHENS. ?God is not far from each of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being, as certain even of your own :poets have said, For we are also his offspring.? *Sophistry, splitting the infinite and unscrewing the inscrutable - is not the path that leads to trust in Your Messiah, Father! When our head leads before our heart, we do greatly err! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 18:9-11a (18:1-23) PAUL: TROUBLESOME ENTRY INTO CORINTH. ?And the Lord said to :Paul at night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not your peace: 10 because I am with you, and no man shall set on you to harm you: because I have much people in this :city. 11a And he dwelt there a year and six months.? *What reassuring words! You in Christ Father, meet our every need, and here You do it through dreams and visions again! Why do we miss this channel so often? *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 18:26 (18:24-19:20) PAUL: FRUITFUL MINISTRY AT EPHESUS. ?And APOLLOS began to be bold in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of :God more accurately.? *Many things happened here at Ephesus: but this concerning Apollos is of interest. Note that the Numeric Greek manuscript of Ivan Panin places Priscilla ahead of Aquila four times of their six appearances. This is no mistake by the Holy Spirit! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 19:8 (18:24-19:20) PAUL: BOLDNESS IN HIS PREACHING. ?And he entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for three months reasoning and persuading concerning the kingdom of :God.? *A right heart is then followed by a right mind! God led in guidance for Paul and others through dreams and visions many a time, *both* in OT and NT times. However - it is important to note that God more often guides us as we *meditate over His Word*! It is not a case of either/or - but both/and. A principle to be observed is Mark 16:17-20. Here the Holy Spirit guides Mark to note that signs (gifts of the Spirit, miracles, guidance) *follow* the clear and bold preaching of the Word. When we start depending *more* on the signs that follow, than the *Word itself*, then we open ourselves to deception and the confusion from the enemy. The word (LOgos) of the NT appears 330 times, majoring on the *word*itself. R *E*ma (word) - the *living* word - the word of the Spirit - appears but 70 times. In a proportionate sense, we should be spending 4 ? times more on meditation and praying over the written word - than in seeking a prophetic and living word. It is a concern that many believers will chase for a word of the Spirit 90% of the time over against 10% for finding God's will from meditating over His written Word. When we seek God Himself through His Word first - then He is often pleased to give a vision, a dream, a prophecy, a word of the Spirit. But when we seek these latter first, rather than letting *Him*give such in His own Sovereign time - we are not following the example of Paul who said, Follow *me* - as *I* follow Christ! Israel and the church always have false dreamers and diviners who would deceive us. See What God says through Jeremiah in 29:8-9 (29:1-9) JEREMIAH'S LETTER TO THE EXILES. *?For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.? *We need to be as wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves! Jeremiah 23:25-32 (23:9-40) LYING PROPHETS. *?I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the LORD.' 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.? * As important as dreams and visions can be (Job 33:14-18), and here Elihu points out 4 very important purposes for dreams - yet in *God's* sight - His Word is as *wheat*, and dreams are but as *straw*. this does *not*eliminate the value of straw, for without it the wheat cannot mature. But in the final picture, wheat continues, while straw is burnt! We need to keep our perspective in the same way that *God* looks at dreams and visions. They *have* their place! But His Word is pre-eminent - for His Son and His Word are *one*! We need to keep our proportionate times as 4 ? for the Written Word - and *one* for dreams and visions, prophecies and signs following! Here is the way of safety and maturity! Here is the way of Paul and the other 7 NT writers. Here is the way of George Muller, George Whitefield and Oswald Chambers. I am so concerned over many of my fellow-believers - who fail to walk in the above perspective! Our Psalm for the day: *109:23-25 (109:1-31) HELP ME, O LORD MY GOD. ?I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. **24** My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. **25* * I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads? (ESV). *We can rejoice in the light of the end of persecutors. You Father, keep the books! In the end the way of the righteous, You justify; but the end of the persecutor is judgment. *Hallowed be your :name.* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jan 27 15:19:23 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:19:23 -0800 Subject: Acts 19:21-21:14 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 27, 2012 *APR 20 - ACTS 19:21-21:14 - CHURCH GROWTH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT* *1. 19:26 (19:21-41) PAUL'S DECISION IN SPIRIT: EXPLOSION IN EPHESUS. ?And you see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all :Asia, this :Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands? (NNT). *These who have turned the world upside down are come here also (17:6)! This was spoken in Thessalonica, but the same turmoil is in Ephesus. Your Kingdom Father, first brings a sword of division, even as Jesus said! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 20:1 (20:1-6) PAUL: INTERLUDE IN GREECE. ?And after the uproar ceased, :Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave, anddeparted to go into Macedonia.? *When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. These were the words of Your Son Jesus, Father. Sometimes wisdom is the better part of valor! May we always be sensitive to Your Spirit, to apply correct guidance from Your Word! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 20:7 (20:7-12) PAUL IN TROAS: RAISING OF EUTYCHUS. ?And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered to break bread, :Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his :speech until midnight.? *What hunger existed for Your Word in those early days, Father! O may we too hunger after Jesus, the true manna; and thirst after Your Spirit, true drink! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 20:16 (20:13-16) PAUL: BY FOOT TO MILETUS. ?For :Paul had determined to sail past :Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in :Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of :Pentecost.? *Paul was Yours in a unique way, Father; he walked in ways well-pleasing to You, and was able to say, *Follow me*, *as I follow Christ*! O forgive us that we settle for lesser goals. Lord plant our feet on higher ground! *Our :daily :bread, Give us this day!* *5. 20:32 (20:17-38) PAUL'S FAREWELL MESSAGE TO THE EPHESIANS. ?And :now I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his :grace, which is able to build up, and to give the inheritance among all the sanctified.? *The Word of Your Grace at this time Father, was the Old Covenant of prophecy, types and shadows which you had revealed to Paul especially. The New Testament was not yet written. The New is in the Old contained; the Old is by the New explained! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 21:4 (21:1-6) PAUL: A WARNING THROUGH THE SPIRIT. ?And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these told :Paul through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.? *Paul had a clearer word from the Lord directly, and could not be distracted by this true word of warning. The Gospel of the Kingdom is furthered when we obey You directly, Father! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 21:11 (21:7-14) PAUL: WARNED THROUGH AGABUS BY THE SPIRIT. ?And coming unto us, and taking the girdle of Paul, he bound his own :feet and :hands, and said, These things says the Holy :Spirit, Thus shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man whose this :girdle is, and shall deliver him into thehands of the nations.? *This was a traumatic situation. Christians still are divided as to whether Paul was right or wrong. But the future release of Your Kingdom Father, justified Paul! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 20:35 (20:17-38) PAUL'S EXAMPLE. ?In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.? *Paul walked in this word of Jesus, and would have all of us do also!* * Please go to our Website * *and click on ?Interlinear.? Then scroll down to Acts 21:1-14, and check on the NOTE at the bottom. There the principle introduced by Agabus and other prophets in this reading - is expanded upon. This insight has an importance, that if acted upon - will free many believers from rushing around on lower plains of confusion. To listen to Joel Osteen from Houston Texas - will teach one how to *major*on the *Bible*, especially *the NT*. *Don't* major on what the enemy is doing! Let him do his thing! That's his business! Don't talk about it. Talk about what *God* is doing, and what *His Word* says. Be a Joshua. Let 1:8 be your touch-stone. Let not *God's word* depart from your mouth. *Meditate* upon * it* day and night - *not* what Satan is doing - or your doubts and fears. Then *do* what you meditate upon from God's Word - and *then* reap the reward of making your *way prosperous* and having good success. *This* is the Word of God. See also Psalm 19:14 and Psalm one. *And*, make the New Covenant, the NT, the focal point of your *meditation*! Remember what Dr. David Stern says about Hebrews 8:6 (8:1-13) - ?But *now*has he [Jesus] obtained a ministry the *more superior*, by *so much* as he is also mediator of a *better covenant*(than the OT) which has been enacted (or constituted as Torah, the law) upon better promises. Here we learn that God has made the New Covenant the same as the Old Covenant - to *meditate* upon! As a matter of fact, George Muller contends we should meditate and do the NT *more* than the OT! In 1 Timothy 4:15 (4:11-16) Paul tells Timothy to be *diligent in meditating* upon the things he is writing to him there! *Don't* meditate on negatives and Satan's doings. Settle it that you will *think* on the things of God! See Philippians 4:8 (4:4-16). These *8 things* here to *think on*, *speak on*, *do* and *live*! Meditating on such things will *free* you from Satan's deceptions, your own negativity, and lead you into God's spiritual prosperity and success. Joel Osteen's messages lead his people into *this*syndrome. And now our Psalm for the day: *110:1 (1-7) SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND. ?The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool'? (ESV). *This is a remarkable Psalm, with unusual New Covenant significance. 6 times it is quoted in the NT, *more* than any other portion of the OT! Father, You speak here of Your Son, after the order of Melchizedek. You speak of His ultimate victory over *all* His enemies. And * You* have placed *us* in *Him*! Hallelujah! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jan 28 12:29:16 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:29:16 -0800 Subject: Acts 21:15-24:27 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 28, 2012 *APR 21 - ACTS 21:15-24:27 - CHURCH GROWTH: PAUL'S EVANGELISM* *1. 21:15 (21:15-16) PAUL TO JERUSALEM. ?And after these :days we made ready our baggage and went up to Jerusalem? (NNT). *Right or wrong, Paul made a commitment as he understood You Father, and followed through. He * always* gave You the benefit of the doubt! He was Your apostle of going the third mile! Help us to emulate this burning heart for You! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 21:23-24 (21:17-26) PAUL: ACTS ON ADVICE OF JERUSALEM ELDERS. ?Do therefore this that we say to you: We have four men that have a vow from themselves; 24 these take, and purify yourself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads**:** and all shall know that thereis nothing in what they have been informed concerning you; but that yourself also are firm keeping the law.? *Was this compromise? We think not. Was this not in accordance with the heart of Your apostle, Father (ROM 9:1-5; 11:13-14; 1 COR 9:22)? *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 21:28 (21:27-36) ASIAN JEWS: BRING CITY INTO AN UPROAR. ?Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teaches all everywhere against the people, and the law, and this :place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and has defiled this holy place.? *See how hot-heads misconstrue facts and jump to conclusions! Father, deliver us from such: yet, You use even them to work things together for good! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 22:16 (21:37-22:21) PAUL'S COURAGEOUS TESTIMONY. ?And what shall you donow? arise, and be baptized, and wash away your :sins, calling on his :name.? *This is a proper response following such a definite commission. Your Spirit Father, gave this word through Ananias. What a clear cut vision, commission and response. O forgive us, that we fail to respond to You in as full a spirit as did Paul! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 22:25 (22:22-29) PAUL: CLAIMS RIGHT AS A ROMAN CITIZEN. ?And when they had tied him up with thongs, :Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Whether it is lawful for you to scourge a Roman [man], and uncondemned? *What a powerful ploy Paul here employed! Sometimes You lead us to avert persecution, Father. Sometime You lead us like Jesus, to be as a lamb before her shearers, dumb. Whatever Your leading, be with us in the hour of testing! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 23:11 (22:30-23:35) PAUL: UNUSUALLY DELIVERED. ?And the following night the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as you have testified :concerning me at Jerusalem, so must you witness also at Rome.? *We see Father, that you make *all things* work together for good. What a powerful witness of Jesus Paul gave in Jerusalem and Rome! Would he have had this opportunity had he not obeyed You in going up to Jerusalem? *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 24:14-15 (24:1-27) PAUL'S BOLD CONFESSION OF FAITH. ?But this I confess to you, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets; 15 having hope toward :God which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of just and unjust.? *In the light of this testimony Father, *Yours is* the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for ever. Amen! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 24:16 (24:1-27) PAUL'S COMMENDABLE EXAMPLE. ?Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offense toward :God and :men always.? *This is a good resolution in the light of judgment to come! Though Rees Howells spent the majority of his life in Wales, and six years in Africa as a missionary - yet his influence has been largely in America, especially through his biography by Norman P. Grubb, ?Rees Howells, Intercessor.? However, at the encouragement of Mr Grubb and Samuel Rees Howells, son of his father Rees - Doris M. Ruscoe has written a follow-up on his biography entitled, ?The Intercession of Rees Howells.? *This book explains the Scriptural and applied principle of Rees Howells' mission in life. It provides the key to his life's work.* Doris Ruscoe first came to the Bible College of Wales in 1932. She writes, ?After some years of local preaching in Derbyshire I was spiritually 'dried up' and earnestly seeking to meet God in a new way ... the answer came to me through Rees Howells ... The meeting fascinated me. I was gripped with a sense of God's presence as never before, and the first time I heard Rees Howells speak I knew here was a man who really knew God and knew him in a way I had never met in anyone before.? As the war approached Rees Howells declared that prayer was not enough, only the deep spiritual commitment of intercession would take them through the dark days that lay ahead. The author shows, in the words of Norman Grubb ?how the Holy Spirit led Rees Howells from his new birth onwards, to discover the principles of Intercession. She traces for us his earlier stages of learning and application, fascinating to those of us who by grace are being taken the same way.? And now - our Psalm for the day: *111:5-6 (111:1-10) GREAT ARE THE LORD'S WORKS! ?He provides food for those who fear him; **he remembers his covenant forever**. **6** He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations? (ESV). *All Your works Father, are righteous and just; in mercy and covenant love (CHEsed) You balance Your purposes. Your dealings with us and circumstances show that mercy and truth kiss each other. * Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jan 29 09:06:42 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:06:42 -0800 Subject: The Return of God's Glory Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 29, 2012 (?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Congregation Beth Chesed, Tacoma* *Web: **www.2rbetter.org** - Email: **jmbetter at gmail.com* *November 27, 2006)* *?THE RETURN OF GOD?S GLORY? ? Bakht Singh* *INTRODUCTION: *In 1955 Hubert Mitchell introduced us to Bakht Singh. I wanted a key Christian worker for each continent to pray for. He gave me Nicholas Bhengu of Africa, a Zulu saint who founded some 3000 churches in Africa averaging about 600 per church, with 6000 in New London. For America at that time he recommended Billy Graham and for India, Bakht Singh. He founded over 300 churches. He would move into a city with 50 workers. They would often sleep on the train platform. They would pray much early morning and late evening. They would visit homes during the day and invite people to a meeting that night. In one month often 1500 confessed Jesus as Lord. They would leave 4 to 6 workers to follow up, and take 4 to 6 of the new converts to fill this gap, and then press on to a new town or city. This team would found up to 12 churches a year ? but other teams were doing the same thing. Each service lasted 5 hours: 2 hours for worship ? 2 hours preaching and teaching ? one hour for the invitation. They then baptized the new converts immediately according to Acts 2:38. Hubert Mitchell put music to the words of Annie Johnson Flint ? ?He Giveth More Grace?. Following are excerpts from Chapter 2 of ?The Return of God?s Glory?. 7 messages were given at this time in India to workers for WEC (World Evangelization Crusade) founded by C. T. Studd while he served the Lord in Africa. I found this book in my library by accident ? up to this time unread. I found it to be excellent, and trust you will also. ? Jim Watt ?*The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.? 1 Samuel 4:22.* ?*Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.? 2 Chron. 7:1.* In the first sentence, we read that the glory was departed from Israel; and in the second we see that the fire came down from heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the house. There are certain divine principles according to which God works. His glory is seen only when we are willing to abide by those principles. In Exodus 40 we see how the glory came by the fulfilling of those divine principles. In verses 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32 and 33 we read this phrase: -- ?As the Lord commanded Moses.? And in the last verse, ?So Moses finished the work.? Then in Exodus 40:34, ?And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.? That fragment, ?As the Lord commanded Moses?, is repeated as if the Lord Himself was examining the whole work which had been done, and He was fully satisfied in every small detail. It is only when the work is finished according to God?s standard that the Glory comes down. That is how the Bible defines the descent of the glory of God. See what our Lord Himself says in John 4:34, ?My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.? It is only when a work is finished according to God?s perfect revealed will, and according to His heavenly plan, that at His command the GLORY COMES DOWN. Just the mere manifestation of some power or miracle or sign is NOT God?s glory. It is a finished and complete work, done according to His command and order, which brings down the FULL GLORY of God. How can we prove that God?s glory is among His people? First, let us look at Numbers 7:89. ?And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and He spoke unto him.? >From the day that God?s glory had filled the tabernacle He began to speak from between the cherubim, from above the mercy seat. God had spoken to Moses before, from the burning bush: He spoke to him when He called him, on the Mount, and there He gave him the whole law and the pattern for the tabernacle. But now we find this speaking is different altogether. From now onward God began to open His heart to Moses to reveal His whole mind, from between the cherubim. Here we get the proof that God?s glory was amongst His People. God was speaking and He was making His mind clear to all those that came to Him. It was the privilege of anybody among all the twelve tribes that for his personal or family problems or for any other matter concerning the congregation, he could go to Aaron, the high priest, and find out the mind of God and the will of God. Then Aaron would go to God and hear Him speaking from between the cherubim above the mercy seat. God speaking is the one great proof that God?s glory is among His people. Secondly, let us read Numbers 9:15-23. ?The cloud covered the tabernacle.? This is the second great proof that God was with them in His full glory. Their eyes were constantly upon the cloud resting upon the tent of the congregation. Whether the cloud lifted in the morning or mid-day, or evening, or midnight, the children of Israel moved only when the cloud lifted. When the cloud tarried for a day or a week or a month or a year or even longer, they had to stay; they could not move; but wherever the cloud went, they had to go. By these two great signs we know that God?s glory was dwelling amongst His people. Now we find in 1 Samuel 4:22 that the glory departed. There were many causes responsible for that; and because of these causes, these people of God lost their privileges one by one. The time came at last when God had to leave them, -- for a time. Let us consider a few of the causes that were responsible for the spiritual decline of the people. Judges 21:25, ?Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.? The first great cause of their failure and their barrenness was that ?everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.? Secondly, 1 Samuel 2:12-17. Here we see another cause. These sons of Eli the high priest, began to despise the sacrifices; and not only that, they began to use force. We are told in verse 13 that they had with them a fleshhook of three teeth, to take away the flesh which was meant for God. Nowadays, the very same thing is happening, through fleshhooks of three teeth; that is, the honor that ought to be given to God is being given to man, because of (a) Love for money; (b) Love for power; and (c) Love for fame. These are the three great teeth which are being used now by many people. Many people do serve God, no doubt; but you find in their heart of hearts, either they have love for money, love for power, or love for fame. They will make any sacrifice, if only they can satisfy their desire for power, or money, or name! Also, we find that Eli knew all this! Yet, he would not rebuke his sons. That is why God had to punish him so severely. See further in 1 Sam. 3:13 ? ?For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows; because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.? He knew it. Nothing was hidden from him. No doubt he did tell them, ?This is not right!? But as the margin says: ?He did not frown upon them, nor did he rebuke them? As high priest, it was his duty; and when he found corruption going on in the house of God, he ought to have strongly rebuked his sons. But he did not frown upon them, nor rebuke them. For this cause, we find that the glory departed from the house of God, and from Israel. Then we see in 1 Samuel 4:1-6 that Eli knew that his sons were living in sin, and yet he permitted them to carry the ark into the battlefield. These are a few of the causes responsible for the barrenness and death found in those days among God?s people. First of all, we see that every man thought that whatever he did, was right! That is how the downfall began. Secondly, when Eli knew that corruption had come into the house of God, rather than firmly rebuking and punishing his children, he politely scolded them: ?Please don?t do it. It is not good for you.? It is like saying to a thief, ?Mr. Thief, don?t steal ? it is not good for you.? Would he ever listen to you? So God had to say to Eli that he was going to judge his house once and for all! Then we see the evil of these young men in that they carried the ark. They were not only heedless and careless about what they were doing in the house of God, but they were presuming to be leaders of Israel, in carrying the ark! In the same way today, we find so many ungodly men of wealth, position and ability holding responsible positions in the churches and where God?s work goes on! And THAT IS WHY THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED from among the people of God. Whatever the condition was in those days, you find the very same nowadays throughout the world; we have to acknowledge that the glory has departed. Look around the churches in India, America, Canada, Europe or in any other part of the world, you will agree that this is true ? God?s glory has departed! God?s Word has become precious, or rare! In very few places are people receiving good sermons and good teaching. They acquire a good head-knowledge of the Scripture, but there are very few places where God?s message is given in simplicity; where people say, ?Hear ye what God says ? this is His message!? And in those days, we read, God?s Word became precious. They had the privilege of receiving God?s Word from the high priest but, he also became spiritually deaf, dull and dumb. God?s message was not being given to him. The people also became blind, and relied upon their own wisdom and judgment in the work of God! We find everywhere these days that these hooks of three teeth are used by those who call themselves the servants of God. Leave aside modernists and those who are the people of the world, even among the so-called fundamentalists, we find the love for power and fame is there. That is why they have to use force, appeal, and other cunning in advertising. They glorify man in their love for name, or power or money. It gives me a shock when I see servants of God begging for money. Once in America, I heard a man, a good man, making an appeal for money. He said: ?Friends, we have arranged a banquet for young people; and we are expecting ten thousand young people. This is an opportunity to give them God?s Word. But we want ten thousand dollars within two days; and unless you give liberally, we are going to be in a hole.? Now you find almost all Americans in a ?hole? these days. They have to beg for money. They beg through letters, reports, and other means. They beg, and get what they beg for. No one is justified in begging because it is God?s work for which they are asking money. We believe in a living God, and preach a living God! If God can forgive sins, He also can supply needs. One day on the train, I saw a Hindu lady in the same compartment. She said to me, ?How can God meet your needs? You say that you don?t belong to any society, how can God meet your needs?? I said, ?Tell me, do you believe as I told you before, that God forgave my sins? I gave you my testimony of how I struggled hard and tried to get my sins forgiven by every possible means. I was prepared to spend any amount of money and go anywhere to find someone who could forgive my sins. But nobody could. The day came when I heard these words clearly, ?My son, your sins be forgiven you.? I can tell you again and again that the Lord Jesus Christ forgave my sins more than thirty years ago; now can you tell me that your sins are forgiven?? She said, ?No. I can?t say that ? I wish I could say so.? I said, ?Well, if you believe God forgave my sins, is it difficult for Him to supply my needs? The whole amount of the world?s money could never have taken away my sins ? they were so many. If you believe God can forgive a sinner, it is very easy to believe that the same living God can supply all my needs. I believe it. I know it also by experience.? We do not have to ask for money; to do so is lack of faith. If we are God?s servants, God will not fail His servants. Sometimes it is not money, but fame that men are seeking. They want a big report, so that people will say, ?What a great work is being done by So-and-so!? Is it in a desire for fame, that we are working? Now what was the condition in those days? Outwardly they were doing the service of the house of God, but all the time they were grabbing the things of God, and robbing God of His glory. Thus the GLORY was departed from among God?s people. I have come across so many of God?s servants, who have told me very sadly, ?Why is it, brother, we work so hard, we are fundamentalists; we believe in God?s Word; we live a simple life; why can?t we see God?s glory?? THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED However, we read also in God?s Word that the same glory which departed, came back. We see this is 2 Chronicles 7:1. God not only tells us of our failure; but He also has a remedy for everything. God exposes sin in very plain language; there is no book in the world which uncovers and exposes sin in the language that the Bible does! How horrible and terrible is sin! God uncovers it, but He also has a remedy for it! Now we find that as we read the six books from the first book of Samuel through to the end of second Chronicles, we come across the names of four people who play a very important part in bringing back that departed Glory. *In our next mailing we will talk about the first of these four people, and the important principle that she learned and practiced that pleased God! * *NOTE*: *The above message was given while Marie and I were still leading in Congregation Beth Chesed in November 11, 2006. I ran across it in my files yesterday, and felt the Spirit leading for me to share it once again - Jim Watt* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jan 30 10:18:25 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:18:25 -0800 Subject: Hannah: The Return of God's Glory Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 30, 2012 *(?TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma* ? *Federal Way WA 98093-2116* *Web: **www.2rbetter.org** ? Email: **jmbetter at gmail.com* *November 28, 2006)* *?HANNAH: THE RETURN OF GOD?S GLORY? ? Bakht Singh* *INTRODUCTION: Our last Mailing was from Bakht Singh?s ?The Return of God?s Glory?, Chapter 2, Introduction. After Israel lost God?s Glory in the days of the Judges and finally under Eli, our author sees 4 basic principles that resonate with the heart of God, and with His approval, initiates the Return of His Glory! Bakht Singh found these 4 principles associated with 4 people in the 6 books from the first book of Samuel through to the end of second Chronicles. This mailing introduces the first of these 4. Jim Watt* The first is Hannah; the second is Samuel, the third is David, and the fourth is Solomon. In the six books we find that these four characters play a very big part in bringing back the departed glory. As we go along we shall see how these four names speak of four divine principles. In fulfilling these principles we shall find God?s departed glory coming into our hearts, into our assemblies, and into our work. Let us see how these four principles can help us individually and collectively, as God?s servants, that God?s glory may return. First of all turn to 1 Samuel 1:2. The name Hannah means, grace. Even though this woman had a very good name, she was in great sorrow; she was being constantly provoked by Peninnah. In verses 4-7 we find Hannah in sorrow, in pain, and being constantly hurt. Peninnah kept sarcastically saying to her, in order to hurt her: ?You are barren ? it is God?s curse upon you!? We are told, that as Hannah was being so sorely provoked she went and fasted and prayed, yet it seemed that God did not hear her prayer. So she continued weeping, and went on praying with faith. Now Hannah was a godly woman ? a far better woman that the other. Then why did God remain silent to her prayer? It was surely for a purpose. In the beginning Hannah was praying only for her own need: ?Lord I am barren, meet *my *need, take away *my *barrenness. Lord, look upon *me* and *my* affliction and *my *barrenness and *my *condition and *my *sorrow, and save *me* from the reproach of *my *neighbors.? All her tears were for HER NEED. She did not know that God could also have some NEED! Then her prayer changed; ?Lord, now I forsake my own selfish need and promise that if you give me a man-child, he will be lent back to You.? Somehow, when she discovered God?s need, God answered her prayer and gave her a son. Many of us pray like Hannah did: ?Lord we are barren; take away our barrenness. Lord, we are empty, please fill us. Lord, we see no fruit for our labors; Send a revival!? Many prayers are being offered throughout the world for revival, some praying for a whole night, others for a whole week, others still, praying with fasting, but still no answer. Why? Our prayers are selfish; we go by our own conception of how God must work. God must work in this, or that way we think. ?Lord, you must work in this plan and meet our need in this way,? we pray. We ask: ?Lord take away our barrenness; give us more fruit; let us see Your power in our midst, more and more!? But God does not answer our prayers! Why? Because we have not yet discovered God?s need. Yes, we have a need indeed, but what about God? Unless we find God?s need, we cannot expect God to work! We take a lot for granted. We say, India is poor, and we must keep asking for money for India. Are you sure about that? That is not God?s way of working! We must not take for granted that because people are in poverty, they must be given money. Sometimes tragedies and floods are His judgments. We have no right to interfere in God?s work. Even though we should spend the whole of the world?s wealth, we can never remove poverty and sickness from the earth! We as God?s servants must find out what God?s need is today. What is God?s need in India, -- north India, or south India? What is God?s need in Africa, in Europe, or in America? We must find this out by prayer. Don?t go by the assumption that because God worked in a certain place so many years ago, that He must do the same there again today! This is only our own idea! That is why our prayers are left unanswered. I believe we learn in Hannah how to pray. Even though Hannah prayed with fasting, and tears, and with faith; even though she was a sincere, godly woman; nevertheless, God did not hear her prayer. He waited till she understood His need! You, too, may be thinking: ?Why is God so silent? He knows the value of man?s life. Why does He allow this or that to happen and go on for years?? God has His own way of working. He wanted a man, for He cannot work without a man. He wanted a man who was given to Him willingly, and for that He waited. A similar case we see in Elijah, in 1 Kings 19:1-4. He was very sure that because God had sent fire, as recorded in 1 Kings 13:38, surely now He must again send fire. Is not Jezebel a wicked queen? And does she not deserve to be punished? So the prophet was very positive that God would punish this woman, for she deserved it; she had threatened to take the life of God?s servant. But nothing happened! Elijah began to despair when he saw that God was taking no action. He said in effect: ?Now Lord, I resign my office as a prophet, and give You an hour?s notice. From today I refuse to be Your prophet. What is the use of serving You? This wicked woman wants to kill me and YOU ARE ASLEEP!? But God was so gracious. He was not sleeping, but He was not going to punish Jezebel in the wisdom of Elijah! He had already planned that He would use Jehu to punish her, and not Elijah. That was God?s way. Now my point is, that we have no right to dictate to God; He has ways that are higher than our ways, and we can safely wait for Him. What about God?s purpose in the matter of Hannah? God was waiting very patiently, and He was pleased to choose Hannah to be His partner. He permitted that barrenness in the life of Hannah to make her a true partner of God. What an honor to be given to Hannah! She had been praying: ?Lord, take away my reproach.? God was saying, ?Hannah, what about My need? My name is also being reproached.? That is why we also fail; because we are more concerned about our mission, our name, our reputation, and our depression even, than we are for God?s Name. Many of our prayers are for ourselves only! ?Lord, do a new work in our midst, in our group,? we pray. God does not work in that way. We must learn how to pray in order to find God?s need or what He is after. If we want God?s glory to come down, we must first of all learn how to pray thus; for we find that before every true revival, there has been first of all a great burden for prayer. Go to Ireland, Wales, Assam or to any other part of the world where there has been revival, and you will find that it was a prayer revival, first of all. They began to cry everywhere for revival, praying day and night; not only for themselves, but also for the whole world. They were praying that God would have His way, for the first principle is to pray according to God?s will; seeking to find His mind and His need. Please do not assume that you are the only person responsible to take the Gospel to the whole world! Are you sure that God has given this job to you? Read Matt. 28:19-20, and you will see that this commandment is given to all believers. God has not given the monopoly to any one nation or people. We may be wealthy and educated; but we cannot say that because we have more money, or more education that it is our special privilege to evangelize the whole world. Unless we make every believer a strong witness for the Lord and preach the whole church?s responsibility to evangelize, the job is impossible. IT WON?T HAPPEN! Why did God not allow the Jews to evangelize the world? They were a more gifted people; they had their apostles; and yet you see that God passed by the Jews, and He came to Antioch. (Acts 13:2) You would think that the Great Commission would have been given to the apostles at Jerusalem. They are the first people who should be sent out to other parts of Europe to evangelize. But not so. God in His own sovereign way chose Antioch as His center. The center shifts from Jerusalem to Antioch. What about today?s command? Can we very truthfully say that we spend hours in prayer till we know God?s mind? Or are we taking it for granted that this must be God?s plan? *Hannah teaches us the principle of prayer. *She learned how to pray, in order to know God?s will. *CONCLUSION: *Like Hannah, I once believed I knew God?s pattern for my life, and what He would have me do. But suddenly a man I highly regarded approached me and asked if I would consider taking his place as pastor of a certain church. This church had fallen on evil days. Sin had entered in. Unscriptural divorces and remarriages had taken place. Other sexual sins occurred. Debts had taken hold in the city, all to the reproach of God?s Name. I considered this challenge, but knew that if I accepted it, and my name became associated with it, many doors would immediately close to my ministry. I had held meetings in some 70 churches in a 5-state area prior to this time over a 2 years period. So I told God ? ?God, if I take this church, it will tarnish my name by association, and shut most doors to my ministry.? ?Yes,? the Lord responded, ?But consider this. MY NAME is already associated with this church, and has been tarnished in the sight of many. You give YOUR name to lift My Name, and I promise you ? that in the long run, your name will not suffer.? ?For Your sake and Your Name?s sake,? I replied, ?but for no other first priority reason, I submit.? When I attended ministerial meetings soon after, I would hear whisperings,? There?s that new pastor of that church with all those problems and aberrations.? Of course I felt badly. But I remembered God?s long range promise. Then two months following my accession as pastor of this church, a pastor friend of mine asked if I would like to have Nicholas Bhengu of Africa speak at our church. Because I had been praying for him daily for 10 years, I immediately said, ?Yes! Any day that is open!? One last Wednesday night was open on August 20th before he returned to Africa. I picked him up at lunch time and plagued him with questions until service time that night. What an arsenal of wisdom, experience, faith and grace! That night I led in a time of praise and worship. I would glance at him beside me on the platform, and wonder how could God use him? He seemed so passive and dead ? almost like Aaron?s rod before it budded. When he got up he announced he would speak on ?Bones!? ?Bones,? I thought ? ?What could be more deadly?? But before he preached he said ? ?Whenever I come to a new city, I ask God what this city means to Him? I have been in this city for a month, but until tonight He has not spoken to me. But tonight on this platform He said, ?I am going to visit this city in the not too distant future, and I am going to use this Church to spearhead My Visitation! I lived on that word and stood on it for 7 years; and then God visited our city for two successive years in such a Visitation and Glory that we called it City I and City II after Vatican I and Vatican II. 50,000 people attended Round Robin meetings in our Metroplex in one week, with 100?s or perhaps 1000?s saved, healed, delivered, restored and rejuvenated! Everything God promised me took place 7 years later, because like Hannah, I regarded His Name and His interests first. And Nicholas Bhengu that night in August preached on Ephesians 5 ? We are BONE of HIS BONE? ? a message I will never forget as long as I live. And like Hannah ? our church joined Marie and myself in fasting and prayer during those 7 years. We paid the price and met the conditions to see the Glory of the Lord return! Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jan 31 14:33:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:33:50 -0800 Subject: Samuel: The Second Divine Principle - Bakht Singh Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 31, 2012 *(Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma* *December 7, 2006)* *?THE RETURN OF GOD?S GLORY? ? Bakht Singh* *Samuel: The Second Divine Principle* *INTRODUCTION: *In a former mailing we looked at ?Hannah: the first Divine Principle? in the progress of the Return of God?s Glory. Through Eli and his lack of discipline towards his two wicked sons ? God lifted His Glory off of Israel when the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines. The wife of one of the slain sons of Eli named her firstborn ?Ichabod,? ? The Glory has departed. But in God?s thinking He desired to return His Glory to His people again, and initiated His desire through Hannah, a woman. Then He followed up with three more Divine Principles, starting with Samuel. And what is the Divine Principle that God used through Samuel? Read on as Bakht Singh unfolds the revelation that God gave him. ?*And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh, by the Word of the Lord.? 1 Samuel 3:21* This is the second divine principle which has to be fulfilled if we want God to send His glory into our midst, if we are going to allow God to reveal Himself. We need the fearless, faithful witness of men like Samuel. We have good Bible teachers, and many scholars who can write very good books and some very good preachers also ? but not many Samuels. We want men of God, men who are actually the mouthpiece of God; Men who can say boldly and freely: ?Hear ye what God says,? and ?Thus says the Lord.? God?s Word came to Samuel as a small boy. God first told him, ?You go and tell Eli.? How could he, a small boy, go to an old man ? his master, and give him God?s message? But even though it was a difficult and terrible message, he obeyed God and gave it. We find that there are very few people who are prepared to give God?s message. We think we have to be so polite and diplomatic in what we say, so that no one knows what we are talking about! There was a man in England, known as Lord Asquith, a very fine speaker, and with a fine command of language. Yet he spoke in such a way, that no one knew what his views were! Some years ago, I was in Ahmedabad. One Saturday night I began to pray for God?s message. Very clearly God spoke to me saying, "You have to speak on the blood of Christ tomorrow morning.? I said, ?Lord, I will do it on Monday, because there is one leading person on the committee who is a staunch member of the Oxford Group.? There were pastors and missionaries as well as myself invited to dinner on this occasion. I said, ?Lord, if I give that message they will be so angry that they may even cancel the dinner: so let me have the dinner, and I will give the message on Monday.? But God would not leave me! So when the time came, I gave what God had given to me ? and that day they gave me no food! They were so angry with me that they left me without any food the whole evening. The third day, the same person came to me. I asked, ?Are you a member of the Oxford Group?? ?Yes,? he answered. ?And why were you so angry with me?? I asked. He said, ?Because you spoke those things so bluntly.? I said, ?Don?t you believe in perfect love? Is it not one of the rules of the Oxford Group, to love your enemies? And if I be your enemy, you must love me also. You invited me here yourself, and I accepted your invitation ? why don?t you love your enemy?? He saw the point ? that he needed practice and not only theory. They all repented, and the Lord saved them. Now unless we give God?s message at the proper time, the enemy will gain ground. We have a desire to be very polite lest we lose a chance to speak again. We reason this way: If I give God?s full message they will never ask me again. Does it matter? It doesn?t matter. Are we here just to be popular speakers, or do we want to be God?s messengers with God?s message? God wants a man who will be His mouthpiece, who will not be afraid of any man?s face. I feel that in these days there is a serious need for a man like Samuel. Before the work began in Madras, I prayed for a whole month, and God would not speak to me. I fasted too, but still no answer came. One night, I said, ?Lord, I promise Thee I will pay the price, even though I get no more invitations to speak anywhere, I don?t care!? I had been saying, ?Lord, now I have four hundred invitations for campaigns in India, Burma and Ceylon. See Lord, there is an open door in every part of India ? they are all asking me for meetings. I can go anywhere now with the message and somebody else can do the follow-up.? But God would give me no message. Now I prayed, ?Lord, I will be satisfied even if you keep me in one lonely place. I don?t want big campaigns, I only want to be sure I am in Thy will. Nothing else will satisfy me.? When I said that, like a flash God spoke to me, ?Behold, I make a covenant; I will do marvels.? And from that day He gave me more than seventy verses of assurances of how He would work. I believe with all my heart that unless we are men like Samuel, we will not see God?s power fully manifested. He may use us, but not fully; He may bless us, but not fully; He may work among us, but not deeply; unless, we are men like Samuel, and God?s Word can come and go out freely as He gives it. In 1 Samuel 13:5-14, we see how God used Samuel when His people were in trouble. Reading this passage, you will agree by human reasoning that Saul was justified in his action. Their enemies had gathered in large numbers; and all Saul?s men were trembling in fear. Samuel had said that he would come within seven days. But they could not wait. Saul had waited seven full days but still Samuel did not come; so he forced himself to offer a sacrifice, which he had no right to do. He ignored the law of God. He knew full well that he had no business to offer a sacrifice. That was Samuel?s job, not his. So Samuel had to rebuke Saul and at great cost. Many of us may demand that God must work, or answer our prayer within a certain period, perhaps within seven days. God will not work according to our plan. In the first place, it was God that delayed Samuel in coming. We do not know the details; but God was evidently proving and testing Saul. He wanted to show Saul what was in man?s heart; and also that a man like Samuel would implicitly obey God. When we find the enemies coming against us like Saul did, and when we find things becoming very difficult to bear, we often go against the mind of God. Our argument may be: It is the work of God; -- it must not suffer for want of money. Now we have prayed with faith for so many months and no money has come in. So let us go and beg for it! Even in groups who began on a faith basis I find they have started begging and giving many hints for money. Why is it? Because the work is great? ?In the olden days there was not so much work,? we say; ?but now with so many missionaries throughout the world, the work has grown great. We must have more money and thus there is no harm in begging for it!? CAN GOD NOT WORK TODAY? Why did Samuel delay his coming? At God?s command, he delayed. God may delay in sending help for some time. We cannot change the divine principle ? Faith means faith! If we say we have faith ? it must be living faith. Now Saul knew full well that God was going to deliver them through Samuel. This was not the first time God had worked such a miracle. Saul knew that Samuel was God?s prophet and that in the Name of God he would defeat the enemy, and not by their own strength. But the people trembled and were so frightened when Samuel delayed to come, that Saul forced himself, and offered the sacrifice. Now we want men like Samuel, that whenever God?s people depart from the truth, whenever they are acting against God?s Word, God?s servant will have courage to say: ?You are wrong, brother; do not depart from your first vision.? We find that God has prophets, and even today, through His prophets His mind is revealed, and we must obey His word even though it may be hard and faithful. In 1 Samuel 15:23-31 and 16:1, you will see that Samuel had to say a hard thing to King Saul: ?Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.? You will see also from these verses that Saul shed tears over his sin, so much so, that Samuel, even though he was a prophet of God, mourned for him and pleaded to God for him. But it was of no use. God had refused him! You have very false hopes if you think you will bring reformation among the denominations. You may argue about it as much as you like. Let us learn the lesson God wants to teach us in this passage: His command to Saul had been to destroy the enemy utterly, but Saul had spared Agag and the choice of the flock and thus he failed God. God had to refuse Saul for two great failures. Firstly, he changed God?s order for sacrifice. Secondly, he gave partial obedience to His command. The very same thing is happening also among the people of the denominations ? a continual change of God?s order. They think that there is no harm in having some human way in their church life. For example, it is entirely unscriptural to appoint elders by vote. They all know that by having elections in their system they bring strife in the churches. It begins by election. One party wins, the other party loses. How can we justify that practice when we know it is unscriptural. Also, in this way, ungodly men are elected to hold offices! That is why God does not work fully in these groups. There can be blessing; no doubt God can use them to save souls, and spread the Gospel. But He cannot fully bless them. In the same way God allowed Saul to remain as king for some time; but he was no longer really His anointed vessel. And Samuel began to weep, being an old man. He felt sorry for him, and he must have prayed: ?Lord, please forgive him ? forgive Saul. I know he has done wrong: but he has done good also.? But God said to him, ?How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him?? (16:1). You may think that by giving some cooperation to the denominations, you can bring more light and help to them. It will never work. You may see some blessing but you will never see God?s glory, as the Scriptures show. We see further what God was looking for. He wanted the people to come to His full glory. He not only wanted them to overcome the Philistines, which would be for only a short time, but He had a far greater plan for Israel as a nation. They must be brought into their full inheritance in Canaan, and they must see God working fully in their midst. This was God?s purpose. God wants men after His own heart, and even Samuel himself had to learn this lesson. In 1 Samuel 16:2-3 he said: ?If Saul hears it, he will kill me.? And the Lord said, ?I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint unto Me him whom I name unto you.? Here is another reason why God wanted Samuel ? that God?s anointed vessel might be found. Even though Samuel wanted by human wisdom to give Saul one more chance, God refused it. God wants those whom He has called and prepared for a particular service. And you are not likely to find this happening in a group who depend upon election ? they only want the persons of the preference to be the ones appointed for this or that. Now please note verse 4: ?And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Do you come peaceably?? Why did the elders tremble at the coming of Samuel? He did not go with a sword or a stick. He was not going to say what they thought he was going to say. He would say what God told him, for he was a man of God ? God?s prophet. And whatever they had done wrong, it would be uncovered by his coming. This is why they were trembling. If we had men like Samuel, we would find this type of thing happening today and men would be trembling. But while we remain so careful and so diplomatic and so cautious of every word, lest we hurt someone, we will not see anything happing ? There will be no conviction! Samuel was a man of God who brought conviction wherever he went. He went peaceably; yet, MEN TREMBLED. Let us look further at verses 16 and 17 of the same chapter where we are shown the divine principle of choosing leaders: ?for the Lord sees not as man sees: for man looks on the outward appearance. But the Lord looks on the heart.? In the work of the Lord we have to be very, very careful never to be governed by nationality, nor by appearances of any kind. Now it is possible that you have appointed a man as leader of your mission, who has never been called of God, -- and now you are paying the price for it! You may have said, ?He is a very nice man, a qualified man, let him be our leader, preacher or co-worker,? but you have gone only by outward appearance ? NOT BY GOD?S CHOICE. *NOTE:** Gene Edwards founded ?SeedSowers?, Christian Books Publishing House, 4003 N. Liberty Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206 ? Call: 1-800-Act-Book ? **www.seedsowers.com* * They have recently announced the Biography of Bakht Singh. * * *Bakht Singh was, perhaps, the greatest Christian worker ever to emerge outside the traditional church. This is ironic in that he is virtually unknown in the West. When Bakht Singh died in 2003, at the age of 96, some 600,000 people attended his funeral. In his lifetime he raised up over 60,000 churches, the total number of believers in these assemblies running in the millions! It is important to know the Bakht Singh story and *how *he did what he did! Such biographies have been key influences which have changed great men?s lives and are absolutely necessary for the passing of the torch from one century to another. If you come across some hot-hearted man or woman who does not quite ?fit in? to the way things are, please pass this book on to him or her. As surely as Watchman Nee and Singh were affected by the lives of men who came before them, so the story of men like Nee, Singh and T. Austin-Sparks will light a fire in the hearts of young men and women of whom we have not yet heard. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Feb 1 14:49:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 14:49:32 -0800 Subject: David - 3rd Divine Principle - Bakht Singh Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 1, 2012 *(Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma* *December 11, 2006)* *?THE RETURN OF GOD?S GLORY? ? Bakht Singh* *David: The Third Divine Principle* The third name is David, illustrating the third divine principle ? the necessity for God?s order. In Samuel 16:12-14, even though the Lord had departed from Saul, yet we see that God allowed him to continue as king for a while, so that David also might be properly prepared. In 1 Samuel 30:1-4 we read of the tragic way in which David was overcome by the Amalekites at Ziklag. David and his men all began to weep until they had no power left to weep. Why? Because their wives and their children were taken captive; and their houses and possessions were burned ? what a great loss! Now it is generally the privilege of women to weep. They weep on the roadside, bus, on the train ? anywhere. But a man does not weep. If a man should weep on the roadside, it is considered strange. Here we find that David and all his men were weeping. This shows what a very great loss there was to recover! This loss was the result of David?s own failure. He had failed to consult God before he joined the army of the Philistines. The time came when the Philistines joined battle against Israel. 1 Samuel 29. David saw in this an opportunity to avenge himself on Saul; so he decided to join the Philistines in battle too, saying to himself, ?He is my enemy; he has tried to kill me; I have waited so long for this chance; let me go against Saul.? Though he knew full well that God would not allow him to touch Saul, he impatiently joined the Philistines, not waiting to find God?s will as he had done at other times. But he failed, and he and his men suffered great loss. In verse 8 we see David enquiring after God. God forgave him and told him to ?pursue, overtake them, and without fail, recover all.? David pursued, and not only recovered all but found such great spoil that he was able to pay his debts to all his men; and send gifts to the elders in Judah. But God himself dealt with Saul without the help of David. We see in 1 Samuel 31:1-6 that Saul?s end came when the battle of the Philistines went sore against him, and Saul died. David had no need to go against him. God had this in His own control. My point is, that we do not have to go and fight against people ? using carnal weapons! 2 Samuel 24:1-4; 13-17 gives the second occasion when David incurred a loss. He fell into temptation by numbering the people. He knew full well that all the battles had been fought and won because of the power of God, and not by the strength of his army; but because of his pride, he wanted to assure himself that he had a very large army behind him. The result was that God had to punish him, and 70,000 of his men were killed. He was about to wipe out Jerusalem, but He stayed His hand when David confessed his sin on the threshing floor of Araunah: ?Lo I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me.? Then God forgave him, and the very same site became the site for the temple God wanted to be built. In the same way many have failed. They argue: ?We must have more money, more power, more men, more knowledge.? In that way they have changed God?s plans, but cannot defeat the enemy by any human strength or resources. In 2 Samuel 11:1 we see that David becomes a murderer, because of his failure to obey God?s Word and go on duty. That was David?s third loss. David tarried at Jerusalem and was tempted and became an adulterer, and afterwards a deceiver. He repented sincerely, but God had to humble him. To make him humble, God even permitted in David?s life these temptations. In God?s work we have to be extremely humble and broken. So whenever we are going through a testing time, remember, it is that God may make us humble vessels. In 1 Chronicles 13:1-11 we see God dealing with David the fourth time. David should have known that the ark of God was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites, and not taken in a cart; yet in human wisdom he ignored the divine order. The Philistines had returned the ark of God in a new cart, and David began to imitate the Philistines, so God became angry. All Israel came with great zeal, singing and dancing and with harps, to take the ark to the city of David, but the whole procedure was against God?s will. David thought that by having a very grand procession, and a military band, it would please God. But they entirely ignored the revealed plan of God. The Ark must be borne by the Levites. It must be carried on their shoulders. So God?s judgment fell, and then David feared God. Now when David returned to God?s order in bringing back the ark, there was great joy. It was then that David wrote that wonderful psalm in 2 Chronicles 16:7-36. Maybe we have the same temptation that David had. He thought that by making some change he would make a better impression. But in God?s work, we can never change God?s order. Whatever has been revealed in the Bible is to be followed, for every period of time, for every worker and for every group. YOU CANNOT CHANGE IT. When you are tempted and make some change, there always comes loss. Afterwards when David returned to God?s ways, God gave him the pattern and plan for the temple. He did this on two separate occasions; but only after he was delivered from his human wisdom. We think that we are living in different days; but I can see from God?s Word clearly that unless we follow the heavenly pattern in our day, we cannot see God coming in His full glory. Sometimes we have to be brought on the ?threshing floor? because, in God?s work, we are depending far too much on human wisdom and cleverness; but we cannot make any improvement on the heavenly plan. *NOTE:* In review ? we have seen that the Glory of the Lord departed from Israel because of the sin of Eli in refusing to discipline his two wicked sons. God warned him twice. He was not ignorant of God?s thinking. Then we see God?s heart in preparing to return His Glory to Israel through 4 divine principles illustrated by 4 Bible personages: Hannah, who switched from personal desires to God?s desire; Samuel, a man of God, who forthrightly spoke the Word of the Lord on all occasions; now David, who painfully learned the necessity for God?s order; next mailing we will learn the 4th divine principle that finally returned the Glory of God. But back to David ? Why is God such a stickler for HIS order over against ours? In 1963 Marie and I had a house built for us in Kent, Washington. One day when I came to see its progress, the foreman said to me ? ?Oh by the way, I took 5 feet off your living room and added them to the next bedroom. I knew you would like it better that way.? I was so sure no one would be so foolish as to change our plans without first consulting with us, that I assumed I had misheard him. But that weekend I was able to visit my family in Port Alberni, BC, and shared with Marie what I thought I heard the foreman say. She asked ? ?Did you check with the Builder?? I acknowledged that I hadn?t. ?I think you should,? she said. So I phoned, and upon checking, the Builder discovered that our Foreman had foolishly taken it into his own hands to change our plans. As soon as I returned to the Seattle area, I immediately went to Kent to sort out the problem. I told the Foreman: ?We are in the ministry! We have meetings in our home, and actually need a living room larger than our original plans. By taking 5 feet off of it, it makes it impossible for us to use the house as we planned and intended. ?Furthermore, the bedroom you put the extra 5 feet on, is the guest bedroom. We don?t want it too comfortable so that guests may be tempted to want to stay too long. ?Therefore, we can?t take over our house unless you restore our plans the way we gave them to you.? ?Oh, I can?t do that,? he said. ?Then you buy the house, seeing you?ve built it according to your plans, not ours,? I replied. ?Oh, I can?t do that,? he responded. So I turned it over to the Builder, and he ordered the foreman to restore it according to our original plans. He was so upset that he let it sit there for a month. It was a split level colonial house, and the 2-set stairway would have to be moved 5 feet to meet the original requirements. He finally obeyed the builder, but complained that it was the first time he had remodeled a house before he built it the first time! One night the Presence of the Lord drew very near to me, and He spoke, ?This house problem has disturbed and upset you, hasn?t it?? I agreed with Him that the whole episode was deeply disturbing. ?Well, look at it in this light. I am building a house, My Church. And the builders say to Me, ?Lord, we know Your plan and pattern, but You don?t understand our world of today. We will remain anchored to Your Rock ? but we believe it should be geared to the times! We know You will like it better this way!? ?Now I don?t like how denominations and pastors are building My Church according to their changes ? anymore than you like it when your foreman has changed your plans without consulting you. ?And you may use this illustration wherever you go!? David learned this painful lesson. Don?t do ANYTHING in God?s Kingdom in the matter of human change, without checking with Him first! Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Feb 2 08:51:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:51:28 -0800 Subject: Solomon - #4 Principle to Return God's Glory Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 2, 2012 *(Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma* *December 13, 2006)* *?THE RETURN OF GOD?S GLORY? ? Bakht Singh* *Solomon: The Fourth Divine Principle* Now let us consider Solomon illustrating the fourth Divine principle to ensure God?s glory. ?And the house when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building.? 1 Kings 6:1. This was a very unique building. There is no building in the world which can be built without a sound; but there was no need for any sound at all in this building, because every stone fitted in so beautifully according to God?s plan. When you follow God?s plan in your individual life, and family and church life, you will find unity, co-operation, openness, fellowship, and spiritual joy in living together. Otherwise there is strife. When we have God?s plan, and we know our ministries, there will not be any jealousy. Much work has suffered because of jealousy. I remember in one place we were having a meeting. I found it very hard going that day in the meeting. When I came back to my room, I asked the Lord, ?What is it that made it hard?? The Lord spoke to me and showed me that it was my prayer-partner that was at fault. So I called him and said, ?Brother, tell me why was it so difficult today?? He said, ?I am very sorry to confess to you, but I felt very jealous of you while you were speaking.? Even as God?s servants, we can be jealous of each other, and it brings loss. There is no doubt about it; we may have to pray for a whole night or longer to make sure of God?s mind. And then we find oneness. When the work of building was complete, we read in 2 Chronicles 7:1 that there was great joy that day, because the glory of the Lord filled the house! For 140 years God had waited. He loved His people, rebuked them, and chastised them, till they came into His heavenly order, and then the glory came down. In conclusion, let me bring these four things before you again. First, we acknowledge that the glory is departed. We confess our barrenness, and our fruitlessness ? that we are not receiving God?s Word today, as we ought to receive it. ?Lord, make me like Hannah, that knowing Your need, I can learn how to pray, and have the privilege of meeting that need ? as Hannah did, when she offered her son to the Lord.? :?Lord, make me like Samuel ? Your true mouthpiece, that I may know Your message and have Your authority and boldness to give that message.? ?Lord, give us men like David; men after Your own heart, who will be completely free from worldly wisdom; and who can receive Your pattern.? In David we see God?s plan for the Church emerging, when God revealed to him the heavenly plan for the temple. Before God could give David the plan, He had to chastise him; He had to punish him, cleanse him, change him, humble him, empty him completely of human wisdom. So in David we are made Church conscious; in Solomon we are made God-conscious. ?Lord make me like Solomon ? a man of peace ? building God?s temple by living stones fitly joined together by unity and openness.? Our Lord prays in John 17:21-24 for a four-fold oneness: ?that they may be one, as we are,? oneness in relationship; ?that they may be made perfect in one,? oneness in perfection, ?that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them,? oneness in love; ?and the glory which You have given me I have given them;? oneness in glory. It is only by such oneness that we can finally see God?s glory coming down. *NOTE:* Bakht Singh states that jealousy among fellow Christian workers can arise when we are not clear concerning our position in the Body of Christ. Consider this: of all the multitude members in the human body, there is no thought of jealousy. Each member became itself under the hand of God while the embryo was but weeks old. Differentiation took place according to the DNA structure in each cell. The complete body requires EACH member performing in harmony to produce a healthy body. In February of 1948 in Northern Canada, a prophetic word came forth in a Bible College one morning during chapel. God revealed that what He had been promising for the past 13 years, He was about to fulfill! He informed some 80 or so present that morning, that in a new way He was about to reveal to each one their place in His spiritual body ? the Church ? where in the Body God saw him placed ? and how he was to function. He said that He would reveal those who spiritually were ready and prepared for this ministry. When called forth to be ministered to through the laying on of hands and prophecy, God would fulfill His will and desire. In much trepidation, several teaching elders approached the first candidate as he knelt at a chair. Then the Spirit of God like a magnet caused their hands to descend on his head. An anointing to prophesy God?s mind came. It was revealed the type of missionary apostolic ministry God had designed for him with his airplane ? and how this would be enhanced by a powerful gift of healing to confirm God?s purposes. Following this ?Presbytery? type of ministry, the leader being a practical man, invited any sick that morning to come forward to be ministered to by this candidate. Some 15 or so immediately received healing! All the above greatly concerned and disturbed the elders. Were they moving into heresy? Did they have Scriptural warrancy in what they felt led to do? All that night ? like the Bereans of the book of Acts ? they searched the scriptures to see if the leading they followed was legitimate. Among many Bible confirmations they found the account of Timothy. Paul reminded him that according to the prophecies that came to him, he should by them war the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:19). He also said, ?Neglect not the gift in you, which was given you through prophecy, with laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Be diligent in these; give yourself wholly to these; that your progress may be evident to all? (1 Timothy 14-15). Ponder these words. What Hannah, Samuel, David and Solomon performed to see the Glory of God return to His Temple in that day ? so God in 1948 started a restoration of the Presbytery and 5-fold Ministry concept to start putting living stones into His Spiritual Body, the Church. For those who by the above ministry learned their position in Christ?s Body, and received an immediate anointing to start functioning in it ? much occasion for jealousy was counteracted. What came in embryonic form in 1948, is now starting to mature. Recently in France the power and effectiveness of the Presbytery concept was demonstrated. Before the return of Christ we should see this multiplied in all nations and multiplied cities. It is also well to note that the New Testament Presbytery functioned much more widely that just ordaining a man like Timothy to join Paul?s apostolic team. Later Timothy became the Apostolic pastor of the many congregations for the city church of Ephesus, just as James the brother of Jesus functioned in similar fashion in Jerusalem. In Acts 13:1-3 we read of the functioning Presbytery of Antioch, and how the first great missionary movement was launched under Barnabas and Saul. In Acts 15 we see God using the Presbytery concept to successfully solve the great Judaizing controversy that was playing havoc among the Gentile churches Paul and Barnabas were founding. In Israel of old, each town and city had an eldership (or Presbytery) in the main gate of that city. There problems both spiritual, secular and practical were solved. It was in Bethlehem that Boaz called together the elders, and they were witnesses in solving that Ruth the Moabitess, the ancestress of David and Jesus, should go to Boaz, not the nearer kinsman. Just as the glory of God returned to Israel through the Temple of Solomon and his 3 predecessors ? so the Glory of God shall return to the church prior to the return of Jesus, God?s Son. The 12 Embryonic Revival principles of 1948 are coming to maturity! As Communism received a terrific set-back in 1991, so Islam will suffer God?s blow soon ? and 10?s of millions of Muslims will be set free to find the Living God! Submitted by Jim Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Feb 3 10:24:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:24:47 -0800 Subject: Acts 25-26 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 3, 2012 *APR 22 - ACTS 25-26 - CHURCH GROWTH: WITNESS TO LEADERS* *1. 25:5 (25:1-5) PAUL HELD BY FESTUS. ?Let them therefore, says he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if anything is amiss in the man, let them accuse him? (NNT). *How You can protect us Father, in times of turmoil and danger, using even unbelievers to work Your purpose! We see Your Sovereignty and Power here, and acknowledge Your right. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 25:11 (25:6-12) PAUL: APPEALS TO CAESAR. ?If therefore I am a wrong-doer, and have done anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true of which these accuse me, no one can give me to them as a favor. I appeal to Caesar.? *What a forthright and honest testimony! Your servant Paul said, Follow *me* as I *follow* Christ. We submit to this challenge and respond. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 25:19 (25:13-22) PAUL: HEARING DESIRED BY AGRIPPA. ?But [Paul's accusers] had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom :Paul affirmed to be alive.? *You use our troubles Father, to open up opportunities for us to testify concerning Jesus. How *wise* Your counsels. * Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 25:27 (25:23-27) PAUL: PRESENTED TO AGRIPPA BY FESTUS. ?For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.? *The politics of Festus have come home to roost, and are now an embarrassment. Did Agrippa discern this? we are not told. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 26:15-16 (26:1-23) PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE AGRIPPA. ?And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. 16 But arise, and stand upon your :feet: for to this end have I appeared unto you, to appoint you minister and witness both of the things in which you have, and of those in which I will appear to you.? *What an unusual vision! This became an immediate point of conversion for Paul! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 26:27-28 (26:24-29) PAUL'S APPEAL TO AGRIPPA. ?King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. 28 And :Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little you persuade to make a Christian of ME.? *This was a powerful witness and confrontation. Almost, a king was converted! Yes Father, we here see a salutary example of Your ability to fulfill the words of Jesus to Paul! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 26:31b-32 (26:30-32) PAUL: PRONOUNCED NOT GUILTY. ? This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 And Agrippa said to :Festus, This man could have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.? *Here again Your Sovereign purposes take charge Father, and You overrule the thoughts, plans, and devices of men. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 26:17-18 (26:1-23) PAUL: HIS COMMISSION FROM JESUS. ?[I will appear to you] delivering you from the people, and from the nations, unto whom I send you, **18 to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of :Satan unto :God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in me.? *And this You did through Your Son, Father! This is the third time in Acts 26 that Paul gives his testimony. It is a powerful challenge for hearers to hear a clear and forthright testimony. Whenever the Holy Spirit prompts any of us to share how God brought us into His Kingdom, we should be sensitive to obey. It may not be an Agrippa who nearly *comes* to the Lord - but it may well be a loved one, a friend, or a stranger. I have seen a number come to the Lord when I have obeyed His promptings to share how He brought me into His Kingdom. Perhaps to my best friend I shared such the first year of my conversion. He said, ?If what you say is true, a person would be a fool not to take advantage of such an opportunity.? I agreed. And within two weeks he entered into this Gospel opportunity! Shortly after my conversion and birth from above with God's incorruptible Word - I was asked to name the 3 chapters in the book of Acts where Paul gives his testimony. I was too new in the Lord to be able to do so - but I swiftly memorized these 3 locations, plus his testimony in the book of Galatians and Philippians. So - as Paul before King Agrippa faithfully gave his testimony of conversion with a telling application! So you and I have the privilege to join Paul in giving our testimony when opportunity presents itself, and the Spirit confirms. *Let the Redeemed of the LORD say so*! And - our Psalm for the day: *112:5, 7 (112:1-10) THE RIGHTEOUS WILL NEVER BE MOVED! ?It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD? (ESV). *O the deep, deep love of Jesus Father, which is also Your love in Him! It expresses Your faithfulness to Your saints, Your holy ones, those whom You have made living letters of Your Covenant Love! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Feb 6 09:59:30 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2012 09:59:30 -0800 Subject: Acts 27-28 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 6, 2012 *APR 23 - ACTS 27-28 - CHURCH GROWTH IN ROME* *1. 27:25 (27:1-44) PAUL: SHIPWRECKED ON WAY TO ROME. ?Wherefore, men, be of good cheer: for I believe :God, that it shall be even so as it has been spoken to me.? *Good for Paul! It is good to discern and believe Your heavenly vision Father, and to step out *boldly* upon it. O may we Your leaders and people follow this same pattern. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 28:6 (28:1-6) PAUL: DELIVERED FROM A VIPER. ?But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were long in expectation and beheld nothing amiss come to him, they changed their mind, and said he was a god.? *How superstitious the heathen! Thank You Father, for Your Gospel of the Kingdom, which gives us *correct* views on things! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 28:8 (28:7-10) PAUL: HONORED BY PUBLIUS. ?And it was so, that the father of :Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom :Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying hands on him healed him.? *How merciful You are to the heathen Father, through Your Gospel messengers! Yes, and You supplied daily bread for all the ship-wrecked, not just Your own! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 28:15 (28:11-16) PAUL: ARRIVES AT ROME. ?And thence the brethren, when they heard about us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns; whom when :Paul saw, he thanked :God, and took courage.? *May we always remember that Your servants are human Father, and need encouragement, help and ministry along the way! May we remember to *regularly pray* and intercede for them! O forgive us that we so often fail in this responsibility and privilege! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 28:20 (28:17-22) PAUL: TESTIFIES TO JEWS AT ROME. ?For this cause therefore did I invite you to see and to speak with me: for because of the hope of :Israel I am bound with this chain.? *Thank You Father, that Paul was not ashamed of his chain, but used it as an opportunity to bear witness to the Jews of Rome. Yes, and we bless You that You were with him in all his trials, testings and temptations. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 28:23 (28:23-29) PAUL: WARNS THE ROMAN JEWS. ?And when they had appointed him a day, quite a number came unto him to the lodging; to whom he expounded, testifying the kingdom of :God, and persuading them concerning :Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning till evening.? *How we bless You for the faithfulness of Your servant Paul, Father! Yes, and in all his persecutions, trials and testings, You delivered him from the evil one. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 28:30-31. PAUL: EFFECTIVE WITNESS AT ROME. ?And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, 30preaching the kingdom of :God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.? *And this history does not end here! It is *still* being written until Jesus returns! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 27:33 (27:1-44) PAUL: WISDOM IN BREAKING A FAST. ?And while day was coming on, :Paul besought all to partake of food, saying, Today is **thefourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.? *What a storm this must have been to have brought fasting on soldiers, ship's crew, and passengers alike: believers and unbelievers! Now Your mercy Father, enables them to end their fast. I edited and updated the above reading on March 31st. Oswald Chambers reading for this date is also on the life of Paul from the book of Romans, and is most appropriate for today! *Do You See Your Calling? * *(From ?My Utmost for His Highest? by Oswald Chambers)* ? *... separated to the gospel of God ...? (Romans 1:1).* Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as *the* abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell - it is *redemption*. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that *redemption* is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes. Paul did not say that he separated himself, but *?when it pleased God, who separated me ...? (Galatians 1:15).* Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of *redemption*. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. ?Don't ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.? To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose - to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3). And now our Psalm for the day: *113:7-8 (113:1-9) WHO IS LIKE THE **LORD**OUR GOD? ?He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, **8** to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people? (ESV). *No wonder we praise You Father, in the light of Your Condescension, and Grace to the children of men! We see You In Jesus washing the disciples' feet, and like Peter of old we pull up our feet in embarrassment to refuse You. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Feb 7 09:27:19 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2012 09:27:19 -0800 Subject: Joshua 1 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 7, 2012 *APR 24 - JOSHUA 1 - LEADERSHIP PROVISION* *1. 1:2 (1:1-2) JOSHUA: PASSING OF THE TORCH. ? Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel? (ESV). *There is none of us who is indispensable before You, Father. Your Kingdom did not collapse because Moses died, nor will it when anyone of us dies. Humble us with this truth. Show us that You can choose any one of us to succeed Your Moses. We submit. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:3 (1:3-4) JOSHUA: PROMISE OF THE LAND. ?Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, just as I promised to Moses.? *You give us the land, our promise Father; but we must appropriate it, by placing our spiritual foot upon it! Your Sovereignty requires our responsibility for fulfillment. Passivity is the great enemy to possession. ?Standing on the Promises,? is our watchword. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 1:7 (1:5-7) JOSHUA: PROMISE OF VICTORY. ?Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.? *Your complete blueprint must be adhered to Father; not departing from, not adding to, nor taking from. *Then* You fulfill Your promises! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 1:8 (1:8-9) JOSHUA: PROVISION THROUGH THE WORD. ?This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.?* *Meditation* and *confession* of the LOgos word - transforms it into a R*E*ma word, and brings full prosperity and wise doings. Father, burn this truth upon our heart. Circumcise our heart with it. And, *Our :daily :bread, Give us this day!* *5. 1:11 (1:10-11) JOSHUA: CHARGE TO THE OFFICERS. ?Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'? *True faith has wise follow-through - with obedience, preparation and provision. Like You Father, we call the things that are not as though they were, and act like it! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 1:14b-15 (1:12-15) JOSHUA: CHARGE TO 2 ? TRIBES. ?But all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15 until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.? *And be sure your sin will find you out if you fail in this (Numbers 32:20-24). *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 1:16 (1:16-18) JOSHUA: THEIR ANSWER. ?And they answered Joshua, 'All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.'? *What a marvelous response: even death to the disobedient. See King Asa's slogan: Revival or death (2 Chronicles 15:13)! This honors You Father. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:9 (1:8-9) JOSHUA: GOD'S ADDITIONAL WORD TO HIM. ?Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.? *What an encouraging promise You have given Joshua, Father! We move in, and apply it unto ourselves. Joshua 1:8 is one of the most important verses in the OT - and even in the entire Bible. Three things Moses lays upon his servant and successor Joshua, 40 years his junior: he is to read aloud the words of Moses in the first 5 books of the Bible - the Torah, law, or *teaching*. Kings of Israel at the beginning of their reign, were commanded to copy the same by hand, and read the same like Joshua. Secondly, Joshua was to *meditate* upon this portion of God's Bible, which alone was in existence at that time. Meditation in the heart could also be softly vocalized. Thirdly, he was to *do* all written in the Pentateuch, the 5 books of Moses, the Torah. Then follows two wonderful promises - spiritual prosperity and success. Remember too - meditation upon God's Word is to be *day* and *night*! Only two slips are recorded against Joshua in the next 30 years of his life as leader - so his leadership was solidly based on vocalizing the word, *meditating* upon it, and *doing* *all* of it! Psalm 19:14 sets forth the first two of these commands, and Psalm 1:1-3 also. George Muller and George Whitefield followed closely in the steps of Joshua, and both of these saints powerfully set forth the wisdom in basing one's life upon these principles. The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the works of Ivan Panin - can greatly help us in simple and effective meditation. The whole of the NT should be the basis of our careful and faithful meditation! See 1 Timothy 4:15, which according to the Greek can be properly rendered - *?Be diligent in meditating over all the teachings I Paul have given you, Timothy.?* Whatever you are led by the Spirit to memorize in the NT - *faithfully* * meditate* upon it also! It is through *meditation* that we transfer the written word (LOgos) into the *living* Word (R*E*ma, Christ Himself!). And Paul adds in Hebrews 8:6 (8:1-13) *?But now has he [Jesus] a ministry the more superior [than Moses], by so much as he is also mediator of a bettercovenant, which has been constituted by God as Torah upon better promises!? *Because of this, George Muller majored on the NT, which uses the OT as types and shadows. And now - our Psalm for the day: *114:7-8 (114:1-8) TREMBLE AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. ?Tremble O earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.? *It was through Your people Father, that You caused this great effect upon the earth! When we are yielded to You as Israel then was, You can do *anything* through us! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 09:08:57 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2012 09:08:57 -0800 Subject: Joshua 2-5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 8, 2012 *APR 25 - JOSHUA 2-5 - LAND ENTRANCE* *1. 2:9 (2:1-11) JOSHUA: THE SPIES AND RAHAB. ?And she [Rahab] said to the men, 'I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you'? (ESV). *What a testimony from a heathen woman, a sinner! What faith in *You*, Father! O that we Your people always had the perception and heart of Rahab! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 2:18 (2:12-24) JOSHUA: BOUND BY SPIES' WORD TO RAHAB. ?Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.? *Here is a practical turn of faith on the part of Rahab; and You honored it, Father! O may Your will be done in us as effectively as it was in Rahab! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:5 (3:1-13) JOSHUA: PROMISES, AND PROMISED MIRACLE. ?Then Joshua said to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.'? *There is a significance about this that we must *not*pass over! The 12 stones doubled - represent the 12 tribes: 12 baptized (circumcision); 12 resurrected (Romans 6:4). The *sign* of Jordan was Your approval Father, and seal that the 7 nations would go (3:10). To this we too pledge our obedience of faith. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *4. 3:17 (3:14-17) JOSHUA SEES DOUBLE PROMISES FULFILLED. ?Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.? *And the *sign* of the Red Sea for Moses - is now fulfilled through Joshua by Jordan! Not only Israel, but *all nations* took note of this and the 10 plagues - and Sihon, and Og! O forgive us Father, for failing to see Jesus delivering us from Satan, and the world, and the spiritual Canaanites in us, the *greatest* of all! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 4:9 (4:1-24) JOSHUA: THE DOUBLE MEMORIAL. ?And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.? *The second set of 12 stones in the Promised Land: A *sign* to future generations of the miracle at *Jordan*! O may we read Your *signs*aright Father, and not be tempted to forget Your great wonders! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:9 (5:1-9) JOSHUA: REMOVES REPROACH THROUGH CIRCUMCISION. ?And the LORD said to Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.' And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.? *Uncircumcision for a Hebrew was a reproach. See 'uncircumcised' Philistine, David's taunt! The first generation out of Egypt had so much of Egypt left in them, that they failed their second generation in circumcision. Now the LORD had Joshua remedy this. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:15 (5:10-15) JOSHUA: PASSOVER AND CONFIRMATION. ?And the commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, 'Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so.? **Jesus*in a *soldier suit*, said one Sunday School boy (John 17:5). Also, *Passover*re-instituted with old corn of the new land, ended manna! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 3:7 (3:1-13) JOSHUA: GOD'S PROMISE TO HIM. ?The LORD said to Joshua, 'Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.? *Through * signs* and *wonders* You choose to magnify Your chosen, Father. O, do it again today with your leaders! *SPIRITUAL DEJECTION - February 7 - Oswald Chambers* *(From: ?My Utmost for His Highest?)* *Luke 24:21 (24:13-32) ?We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.?* Every fact that the disciples stated was right, but the conclusions they drew from those facts were wrong. Anything that has even a hint of * dejection* spiritually - is always wrong. If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame, not God or anyone else. *Dejection* stems from one of two sources - I have either satisfied a lust or I have not had it satisfied. In either case, *dejection* is the result. *Lust* means ?I must have it at once.? Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God, *instead of seeking God Himself* who gives the answer. What have I been hoping or trusting God would do? Is today ?the third day? and He has still not done what I expected? Am I therefore justified in being *dejected* and in blaming God? Whenever we insist that God should give us an answer to prayer we are off track. The purpose of prayer is that we get ahold of God, not of the answer. It is impossible to be well physically and to be *dejected*, because *dejection* is a sign of sickness. This is also true spiritually. * Dejection* spiritually is wrong, and we are always to blame for it. We look for visions from heaven and for earth-shaking events to see God's power. Even the fact that we are *dejected* is proof that we do this. Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him. One of the most amazing revelations of God comes when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent deity of Jesus Christ! And - our Psalm for the day: *115:16 (115:1-18) TO YOUR NAME GIVE GLORY. ?The heavens are the LORD'S heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of men.? *What a contrast between You and idols, O great Jehovah Father! Why is man so blind and obtuse that he forsakes *You*, the Fountain of Living Waters, and carves out for himself broken cisterns? And why does he insist on seeking to occupy the planets, when it is but the earth that you have given to us as man? In the light of this, we choose to *Hallow your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Feb 14 11:56:24 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:56:24 -0800 Subject: "Fullness of Time" Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 14, 2012 *Report on ?The Fullness of Time? Conference - James A. Watt* *Thursday Feb. 9 to Sunday Feb. 12, 2012, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho* *Hostess: Kari Browning* *- Session 3 - Friday 11:30 am - Kari Browning (Interview with James Watt & Dave & Cheryl Brion)* *(Followed by Outlined Interlinear NT - Gospels - 200 copies)* *- Ministry followed with 5 teams: Timothy Johnson, James Watt & Jim Ray, 5 th team* *- Session 4 - Friday, 7:00 pm - Paul Keith Davis/Dr. James Maloney* *- Session 5 - Saturday, 9:30 am - Shawn Bolz* *- Session 6 - Saturday, 11:30 am - Paul Keith Davis* *- 4:15-5:15 pm - Israel School of the Prophets with Timothy Johnson* *- Plus James Watt re the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles from the 1948 Latter Rain Visitation.* *- Session 8 - Sunday 10:10 am - Shawn Bolz* *(Opening Prayer - James Watt)* *Various Insights -* *It was in February 12, 1948 that God sovereignly visited a Bible College in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and commenced the restoration and bringing together of 12 Embryonic Revival Principles. Very often God simultaneously does a work in the church and in His nation Israel. It was in May of 1948 that God chose to officially restore His nation Israel to their land after a lapse of some 1900 years. His people, their land and their language were all supernaturally restored after nearly 2000 years.* *And in that same time God started to restore in His church on February 12 th, 12 Revival Principles. The laying on of hands and prophecy by the Presbytery or Eldership - had lapsed in general disuse after nearly 1900 years. We learn from Hebrews 6:1-2 that six foundation truths need to be thoroughly laid - and then maintained. The ?laying on of hands? was the 4thof these Foundational Truths. * *Then in Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul revealed how Jesus gave to the church the 5-fold Ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - for the ?chiropractic adjustment? of the 33 vertebrae of the church's spinal cord. The 7 cervical vertebrae effectively unite Christ the Head with His spiritual body - us! The 12 thoracic vertebrae give excellent protection to the heart, lungs and liver; the 5 lumbar vertebrae, providing lifting strength for the body; and the 9 lower vertebrae represent the 9 gifts of the Spirit and the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit.* *The Heavenly Choir was the last of these 12 Embryonic Revival Principles restored in October 1948, following the Feb. 12th Visitation.* *But in February 12, 1967, God supernaturally preserved Israel from 4 enemy nations, and restored Jerusalem once again to Israel, after a lapse commencing in 70 AD, when Rome destroyed her temple. On this day He gave a vision of an ?Organic Laser-Telescope?, which had 7 component parts. The Head of the Observatory announced that the first and key part was the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? - based on the Greek and English Bible Numeric Texts prepared by Ivan Panin of Russia - upon his discovery of how God prepared the Hebrew and Greek alphabets to protect His Word from being counterfeited. Then He led Panin to discover that Bible Numerics even reveal His sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph and section structure. It is this discovery I have used to Outline God's Interlinear NT.* *Next he showed me the Pedestal holding the Interlinear NT. He said that it represented the City Church with a Presbytery or Eldership in the Gate of each City Church. The next parts in 1967 He did not reveal as to their nature, for I did not have a part in preparing them. But on December 7, 2010, in answer to a break-through by an Intercessory team in Minnesota, He revealed the last 5 parts.* *Prayer Multiplication** is seen in the triangular diagram prepared by Pastor Ern Baxter, formerly of Vancouver, BC. He saw how God on the basis of covenant (di-aTH**Eke) offered to each of us the privilege of entering into vertical covenant with him; one which we could accept or reject, but could not modify. My wife Marie and I accepted His offer. Then in 1948 we obeyed his leading to marry on December 27, 1948, and made a SUNthe-kecovenant with each other on a horizontal plain. We took the challenge of Deuteronomy 32:30 that one can drive 1000 to flight, but two - 10,000! We have proved the truth of this! This was linked with the Menorah of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle of Moses. Clan & Household Salvation flows from this!* *But the 4th Component part of the laser-telescope is linked with the Table of Shewbread, where the 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of Israel were placed. These are linked with the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of February 12th 1948, plus the 12 world cultural gifts for the Body of Christ. These can be seen in detail on our Website (www.2rbetter.org) under ?Embryonics?.* *The fifth component part is Worship & Intercession, and is linked with the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb brings out the deep significance of this.* *Component # 6 is ?Focusing on Jesus?. Oswald Chambers in his ?My Utmost for His Highest? brings out this most important part, and is linked with the ?Ark of the Covenant? in the Holy of Holies. Jesus should be the One to whom our thoughts and attention constantly return following all other attentions.* *And lastly, we look at the ?Mercy-Seat? upon the Ark of the Covenant. There we meet with God, and learn to ?meditate? on His Word as seen in the Outlined Interlinear NT. Psalm 19:14, Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 reveal the great meaning in the heart of each one of us - like George Muller - to have Bible Meditation lift us to a level of faith in prayer - that can believe God for whatever challenge He is pleased to lead us into!* *So**, there is a **close relationship between the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of February 12, 1948 - and the Organic Laser-Telescope of February 12, 1967, which incorporates within itself these same 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of 1948.* *Then on February 12, 2008, 60 years after the Northern Canada Visitation, Dr. John Roddam, formerly of St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Seattle, exhorted Marie and myself to let him come into our home and document the pros and cons of the 1948 Visitation. He as a ?Talk-Show? host prepared 10 thirty minute segments to cover the events of 1948 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. These 3 DVD's are still available by contacting < www.reason-for-hope.com> - ?The Fire Continues - 60 years later? with Jim & Marie Watt.* *But on February 12, 2012, 64 years later, the Lord has put together a team for the Printing of ?The Outlined Interlinear NT?! Timothy Johnson of Moses Lake with the help of his team, brought for this conference celebration - the 64th Anniversary of the February 12, 1948 Visitation, the First-fruit of this. I like to note that ?64? is ?2? to the 6th power! On July 1, 1995, the 128th Anniversary of the founding of the Dominion of Canada, 27 nations met in Whistler, BC on that day (which is ?2? to the 7thpower) - and made reconciliation under the leadership of Freda Cooper - with some 60 representatives of 20 tribes of First Nations People - on a vertical relationship with God - followed by horizontal reconciliation of these people with representatives of Great Britain, the United States and Canada. One key Canadian representative who was present - said it was the most significant day of his life.* *I believe that February 12, 2012, 64 years following the 1948 Visitation, with 200 of the first copies of God's ?Outlined Interlinear NT? available - is just a significant event and anniversary! All 200 Gospel copies went within an hour. The remaining volumes will be available with 5 weeks. To obtain this project of God, 70 years following the death of Ivan Panin - contact ?BT Johnson Publishing, PO Box 1247, Moses Lake, WA 98837 - < btjohnsonpublishing.com>.* *On Saturday afternoon at 4:15 pm - Timothy Johnson made his presentation of the ?Israel School of the Prophets? initiation in August of this year. Timothy asked as a part of his presentation if I would run through the12 Embryonic Revival Principles that came together in 1948 in Northern Canada, 64 years ago this very same time. These are:* ?*Healing? - linked with the tribe of Asher, and Latin America as its Cultural link*** ?*Quick & Accurate Decisions? - linked with Dan and North America*** ?*The **Gift of the Holy Spirit? (without tarrying) linked with Simeon and Korea* ?*Our Jewish Roots? - linked with Reuben and Israel*** ?*Presbytery? - linked with Naphtali and Africa*** ?*God's Dwelling? - linked with Zebulun and China*** ?*Sensitivity, obedience & faithfulness? - linked with Issachar & First Nations People*** ?*Bridal Love? - linked with Joseph & Polynesians*** ?*5-fold Ministries? - linked with Levi and Japan*** ?*Fasting? - linked with Gad & Asia*** ?*Heavenly Choir? - linked with Judah & Africa-Americans*** ?*Team Spirit? - linked with Benjamin and Europe*** *The above is not a ?Thus saith the Lord? - but a helpful memory aid (See our Website under ?Embryonics? for more details).* *Then on Sunday morning for Session 8, Kari Browning asked if I would open this last session of the conference with prayer. I again in the spirit of Israel - blessed God for His February 12th ?REma? interventions into ?CHROnos? time: - namely February 12, 1948; February 12, 1967, incorporating 1948 into the ?Organic Laser-Telescope?; February 12, 2008 - 60th anniversary of 1948 with the 3 DVD's on the pros and cons of that Visitation; and lastly February 2012, with the Printing of God's ?Outlined Interlinear NT, 70 years after the death of Ivan Panin.* *DVD's and CD's, are available from the above conference. Let me recommend for you (which I am also ordering for myself) - Session 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8: - * ** *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Feb 15 15:54:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:54:39 -0800 Subject: Glitch Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 15, 2012 *Jim Watt re ordering DVD's on 60th Feb. 12, 1948 Anniversary* *I recently mailed out a Report on* ?*The Fullness of Time? Conference at Coeur d'Alene last week-end.* *I mentioned a DVD set of 3, in 10 sessions,* *pros and cons of the Feb. 12th 1948 Latter Rain Visitation -* *Talk-show host: Dr. John Roddam,* *formerly of St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Seattle.* *This had been successfully available* *through Norlynn Audio Visual Services* ** *entitled ?The Fire Continues - Sixty Years Later?* *by Jim & Marie Watt* *But recently their server turned their service over to another server,* *through which we cannot get through.* *Until they obtain a reliable server,* *Stuart Spani, president, has made available* *his email on a temporary basis for your order -* ** *They apologize for the above problem -* *and as soon as corrected, will let us know.* *Thanks for bearing with us in this time of transition -* * * *Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Feb 16 09:48:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:48:50 -0800 Subject: TRUE GUIDANCE Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 16, 2012 ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma - * *TRUE GUIDANCE: SAFEGUARD FOR GIFT OF PROPHECY?** - 2007.01.16* *(From ?Answers to Prayer? by George Muller)* The ?Presbytery Concept? was restored to the Church on February 12, 1948 at the Sharon Bible School, North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. In a sense it was completely unexpected ? and yet contrariwise, it had been expected for 13 years. Over that period of time God had given a steady stream of encouraging words to George R. Hawtin of Alsask, Saskatchewan concerning this impending Restoration event. During this period of time, God had worked into Hawtin?s character to go along with specific attributes to prepare him for the leadership for 1948. Look at Abraham, Joseph, David and Paul. Each had a 13 year preparation time also, before God released them into the true calling he had for them. In other articles I have written in detail on this. Suffice it to say here, that that day in February will never be forgotten, not only by those who were present, but for the rest of us who saw the results of this Restoration, plus 11 other Revival Principles, which all came together that year. But with every privilege comes responsibility. I have been asked ? What happened during the July 1948 Camp Meeting in North Battleford that brought you into balance? It happened one afternoon that July. George Hawtin had announced in the morning that there would take place that afternoon the Commissioning to Africa of two missionary couples. I knew them both, and had a word for the "Rosenkis.? The other couple was the ?Shepherds.? I had invited Marie Gaudet from Vancouver BC (my wife now) to attend this Camp Meeting. She was interested in the Bible and God, but a Christian Science friend was offering to help her in this direction. I knew that though the help offer was genuine and sincere, yet it was ?very sincerely wrong.? So I sent Marie a return train ticket from Vancouver to Saskatoon, trusting that God would speak to her through the Convention. I had thought that anyone reading the Bible 8 and 12 hours a day would have a good work of grace already started. But when I picked Marie up in Saskatoon at the train station, I knew I was in for a time. Her hair-do was beautiful, but it reminded me of Nefertiti of Egypt, wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, and perhaps a ruler in her own right after his death. I knew that with her long ear-rings, purple lipstick and unusual flashing dress ? that when I brought her 90 miles northwest to a Pentecostal Camp Ground, that much would break loose. It did! Yet by November of that year back in Vancouver, Marie made a decision and choice to follow Christ fully, and in December to let Him possess her by His Holy Spirit. As one of the 7 elders at the Camp in July, I was much on the platform, and then at the front ministering primarily to couples, but also some singles, in Confirmation and Commissioning with the Laying on of Hands and Prophecy. I felt concerned with Marie sitting at the back, and following every service many women would come wanting to get her to the front to be saved. So I asked George Hawtin this afternoon if I could not sit with her. ?But we need the word God gives you,? he said, ?for those ministered to with the Presbytery Concept.? But he understood my concern and relented. ?Alright,? he said, ?Sit with her. But when we minister at the front, stand and give the word God gives you from where you are.? During the service they announced that they would Commission the Rosenkis first as missionaries, and then the Shepherds. So as they ministered according to their announcement for the Rosenkis, I stood and gave the word I believed the Lord had given me for them and then sat again beside Marie. Then they announced ? ?Now we will pray over the Rosenkis!? They had switched the two couples without announcing to that effect. And ? God did NOT as He did for Jacob, show me to cross my hands. I had given the wrong word to the wrong couple. Following the service I sought out Ern Hawtin, and told him of my devastating discovery. He knelt with me, counseled me and prayed with me. I appreciated his love and concern, but I told him that until God showed me why He hadn?t directed me as He did with Joseph and his 2 sons ? I would be seeking some very clear answers. Because of several doctrinal inroads early in this movement, I became concerned. In April of the next year Marie and I severed connections, but not until I had first thoroughly talked to one of the other elders, explaining my concern, and why the possibility of a separation might take place. For 18 years I did not move in the stream that started in 1948. Then in about 1963 I was invited to speak at a church in Everett WA. I felt I had the message for that service when driving up from Kent. But enroute to Everett the Lord said, ?I want you to use the title of ?True Guidance? for your message tonight, and I want you to illustrate the necessity for My perfect Guidance, by recounting what happened at North Battleford in July of 1948, when you gave the wrong word over the wrong couple.? ?I can?t do that,? I said. ?There will be two men in the meeting tonight from North Battleford, and it would NEVER do to tell such a thing publicly.? ?DO it,? He said. I argued with him like a Dutch uncle. It normally took me an hour to drive from my home in Kent to Everett. That night it took two hours! And God wouldn?t change His mind. When I sat on the platform that night ? Sure enough ? there were my two acquaintances sitting in front of me. I don?t know how I got through that service, but I obeyed God, and gave His Word. Then He said, Show the *safe way* way to get ?True Guidance,? not just by relying on prophecy ? but by letting ?My Word? be a Plumbline ? to evaluate, discern and correct ALL prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:29-33). Use the Preface to George Muller?s ?Answers to Prayer,? and his 6 point ?How to Ascertain the Will of God.? Here it is: One. I SEEK at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord?s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. Two. Having done this, I do not leave the result to *feeling* or *simple impression*. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions. Three. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone with the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Spirit guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them. Four. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God?s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit. Five. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright. Six. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective. Then God said ? ?Next use Muller?s Appendix A and his Five Conditions of Prevailing Prayer.? Here they are: One. ENTIRE DEPENDENCE upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only ground of any claim for blessing (See John 14:13, 14; 15:16, etc.) Two. Separation from all known sin. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us, for it would be sanctioning sin. (Psalm 66:18.) Three. Faith in God?s word of promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer. (Hebrews 11:6; 6:13-20.) Four. Asking in accordance with His will. Our motives must be godly: we must not seek any gift of God to consume it upon our lusts. (1 John 5:14; James 4:3.) Five. Importunity in supplication. There must be waiting on God and waiting for God, as the farmer has long patience to wait for the harvest. (James 5:7; Luke 18:1-8; Luke 11:5-10; Daniel 10:12-14.) It is not enough to infallibly know God?s will by correcting any prophecy that does not line up with God?s word. It is THEN necessary to *bring it to pass*. When God revealed to C. T. Studd of England on his way as a missionary to China, that it was His will for him to marry a very fiery Salvation Army miss ? her response to his proposal was ? ?Charlie Studd, if you were the last man on earth, I wouldn?t marry you!? He went to the Lord and said, ?Are you sure?? His response was ? ?She?s the one ? keep drilling!? When they arrived in China he stopped at Shanghai and she went on to Peking. He wrote, ?Twelve reasons why you should marry me.? Answer: ?13 reasons why I shouldn?t.? Each letter went up by one till they reached 20. Then in desperation Charlie fasted and prayed for two weeks. Her next letter ? ?Okay Charley ? God got through to me ? when do you want to get married?? I returned home after that Everett service, somewhat beaten. Very soon afterwards I was asked to speak to about 40 pastors in Portland Oregon at a Full Gospel Business Men?s meeting. I had been advertised as a Baptist pastor, which I was. I had graduated in 1952 from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago with an M.Div. (Master of Divinity) and been assistant pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Chicago, Pastor of Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago and First Baptist Church of Round Lake, Illinois. I overheard one pastor say to another ? ?I wonder what this Charismatic Baptist pastor thinks he?s going to educate us with?? But then God led me to repeat the message on ?True Guidance? I had given in Everett. This time it was much easier telling stories on myself. I was learning the secret of being crucified with Christ and becoming ?dead? to myself. Soon I heard my pastor friend say to his neighbor again ? ?THIS is no Charismatic Baptist ? THIS is an old dog in Pentecost!? That meeting opened up doors for me in the greater Portland area that kept me busy fulfilling them for a year. So WHY did God humble me by having me tell of this incident in 1948? Because He was against prophecy? Not at all. He was absolutely serious to let people hear ? that in HIS sight it is MOST important that we are all very careful and cautious about prophecy, dreams, and the gifts of the Spirit. He could have had me cross my hands like Jacob with his two grandsons in 1948 ? but He DIDN?T. He was willing to humble me that I would everlastingly be careful about the Gift of Prophecy, and that whenever He indicated, I was to share what TRUE Guidance was in His estimation and sight. His WORD is more sure than prophecy or dreams. I have heard too many prophecies ?MISS IT? in so-called ?Presbytery Meetings,? that I feel sick at times. There was a Presbytery Meeting in Southern California on one occasion a number of years ago. The chairman of the Presbytery prophesied over a couple ? ?Thus says the Lord! Thou shalt be as pillars in this church. Here you shall uplift the arms of the pastor as did Aaron and Hur for Moses. You shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of underground water. When all is dry around, your leaf shall not wither, and you will bring forth abundant fruit. ?As long as you stay in this church as pillars for this pastor, you shall be blessed. If you leave this church, you shall not lose your salvation ? but your greatest blessing is by continuing to abide here. ?Thus says the Lord.? Afterwards the pastor said to the chairman, naming him by name. ?I think we might have missed it with this couple. We commissioned them as missionaries to Japan last week.? Response ? ?Well ? you can?t hit it all of the time.? The above would NOT have happened if Presbytery had not been infiltrated with tradition ? departing from the 1948 standards, but MOST OF ALL from the Bible standards. Modern practice in many circles does not allow the Presbytery to know ANYTHING about the candidates prior to ministering to them. This was NOT true of Timothy. Elders from 3 cities were well acquainted with most everything about Timothy! It is testing God wrongly NOT to let the Modern Presbytery know such facts ? and much more. God has given a word on December 20th, 2006, that He would be moving swiftly from that date on to bring to maturity not only the Presbytery concept, but all 12 of the 1948 Revival Principles that came together under the hand especially of George Hawtin, with the 7 elders. At that time we did NOT move in this modern concept. Neither did the Scriptures teach such. The 5-fold ministries need to be carefully cautious not to be carried away with fleshly enthusiasm that cannot be checked with Scripture, Providence and the Spirit. The City Church concept in this area is a GREAT safeguard here. One then doesn?t require outside traveling Presbyteries coming in and being kept apart from all candidates to whom they are to minister. The local pastor elders, who also double with all of the 5-fold, and serve the needs of the City Church freely ? THEY perform this service. Outside prophets are *visitors*. *CONCLUSION*: Well ? all of the above is because of a request today from a Tacoma pastor. I wasn?t at first going to do much with it. Then again, I got the 1963 word from God for Everett. ?Spill the beans on your embarrassment in July 1948. Give the correction of ?TRUE Guidance? from George Muller. And then trust ME to bring good out of evil.? Your friend ? Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Feb 17 13:34:22 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:34:22 -0800 Subject: The Five Kingdoms Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 17, 2012 *Congregation Beth Chesed* *Jim & Marie Watt - May 21, 2006* *?CONVERSION & THE FIVE KINGDOMS?*** One of D.L. Moody?s favorite authors was Henry Drummond of Scotland. His book ?Natural Law in the Spiritual World? especially intrigued Moody. Here we see the wisdom for the basis of Jesus? parables. He took from nature and ordinary human events -- the human interest foundation for his parables, and then related them to the Kingdom of God. In 1946 I came across Drummond?s use of the 5 Kingdoms, and passed it on to some 100 Christian students of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as a witnessing tool. We are all familiar with the ?Mineral Kingdom?. It lies beneath our feet. To all intents and purposes it is inanimate, though in the movement of atoms and electrons, who knows how God looks on this Kingdom. But the ?Vegetable Kingdom? reaches down into the Mineral Kingdom, and through osmosis and other abilities, has the wonderful function of converting the mineral kingdom into the higher vegetable kingdom. A transformation takes place. Scientists can still analyze the mineral content of vegetation, but through photo-synthesis the minerals now partake of the life of this higher kingdom, howbeit in a transformed state. Then Mrs. Cow reaches out her tongue and grabs a tuft of grass, and converts this part of the vegetable kingdom into a higher state ? that of the ?Animal Kingdom?. True, the content of the vegetation can be detected by scientists in the life of the animal ? but it has been TRANSFORMED indeed, and now exists on a higher plane. Next we human beings go to the market and purchase beef steaks. When we have eaten what God said to Noah was now open to the human race after the flood, we transform the animal by digestion into a yet higher state ? the Human Kingdom. Conversion has been active in each of these three stages. But ? wonder of wonders ? in the wisdom and foreplanning of God, through Jesus Christ, He reaches down and accomplished the fourth and greatest phase of transformation and conversion. Through the atoning work of Jesus Christ we by identification receive justification by our faith, all by grace. Then we freely and boldly come to the Father, who grants us ?forgiveness? of our sins ? at the very place Jesus brought His blood as our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek ? after His death, burial and first Ascension. Christ Jesus then tells us that except we eat of His flesh (the Word) and drink of His blood (the Spirit); we have no life (*Z**O**-**e*) in us. But then the Spirit through Paul bids us offer our bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE to God, which is our spiritual and Levitical service to God. Through this He receives us into Himself, and we enter into a life of the Kingdom of God ? more complete, revolutionary and transforming than any of the 3 preceding conversions. Are we INDEED in Him and He in us? Are we truly one with God as Jesus is in the Father, and the Father in the Son? Don?t too quickly claim such an extraordinary transformation ? unless the fruit of it bears witness to the truth of such an experience. All of this is wrought by ?grace? through faith ? not of works, lest any man should boast. God initiated this. Previously He foreknew, and foreordained it. George Muller at one time said such teaching was of the pit and the devil ? but when challenged to look into the New Testament thoroughly, found that 4 times to one the Scriptures corroborated what he had been condemning. He acknowledged that there was a danger in this position if held only in the head and mind ? but if it through prayer and meditation came into the heart ? then it became a powerful incentive to holy living. CONVERSION! CONVERSION! Have we entered into God?s thinking on this marvelous transformation? If we have ? then all the promises of God, become through us a possibility of attainment! Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Feb 18 09:44:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:44:38 -0800 Subject: God's Hidden Language Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 18, 2012 (?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma, January 8, 2007)* *?TAPPING INTO GOD?S HIDDEN LANGUAGE: DREAMS?*** God has laid this on my heart many years ago, but in 1985 it took on a new urgency, and in 1995 I taught a class to some 20 or so for a quarter. Now in 2007 He is saying to do a bit more. Let me introduce this article by repeating an unusual dream that God gave me in 1985. While I was in Point Roberts, BC, I came across a book on dreams written by 3 Catholic Charismatics. Later in Camrose, Alberta I purchased a copy of it, but it is now mislaid, and I don?t recall the name of the title. As a subtitle it read ? ?37 ways of interpretation in doing dreamwork.? While I was reading it, the Spirit spoke to me ? ?Would you like to ask Me for a Destiny dream? I can show you how I see you, and how you can cooperate with Me in letting Me have a more effective right of way through you.? I immediately assented. That night I had a vision of the night in a dream. I found myself in Washington D.C. As I was looking over a beautiful green grassy area, I saw a man approaching me. He was about 5? 6?, and was dressed in casual gabardine slacks and shirt ? but quite expensive looking. By his coloring, I assumed he was from a northern Mediterranean country: Italy, France or Spain. I knew he was a medical doctor. As he got closer, I could see a slight smile of greeting on his face. He then said, ?I am here in response to your request last night to receive from God your destiny dream.? You can imagine my emotions and sensations! He continued: ?The answer is in one word. You will discover that it is like a rose bud. Receive it gently and carefully. You will find that it will open up, and in its fullness all you need to know will be there. The key word is ?Cervantes.?? I immediately wakened, and wrote down in detail all I could remember. The book above that I mentioned has a ?TTAQ? formula. The first ?T? stands for Title. If you were writing this up for a newspaper article, write out a title for it 8 words or less. The second ?T? is for Theme. What is the main thought coming across to you in the dream? "A" stands for affection or feeling. What was the main emotion or feeling you experienced during the dream and following it? ?Q? stands for Question: Question the Holy Spirit as to His purpose and thought behind giving you this dream. When I finished this, I had come to the conclusion that the dream had something to do with a medieval Christian sect, probably in Southern France, that had been under persecution. I did dreamwork along this line for about an hour till the Spirit interrupted me and asked ? ?Don?t you think you should go downstairs and consult the Encyclopedia concerning ?Cervantes?? Chagrined that I hadn?t thought of this myself, I immediately obeyed. I soon discovered that I had been entirely on the wrong track. Cervantes was only mentioned once in the Encyclopedia, and it had nothing to do with a Christian sect. It related to a man from Spain. At the age of 20 he joined the army, and went to fight the Turks in Cyprus with the Greeks. After 5 years of this he decided to return home. But his ship was captured by pirates from North Africa, who held him for ransom for 5 more years until his relatives and church in Spain could raise the ransom money. When he got back to Spain at the age of 30, he was so tired of the old world, that he made an effort to follow the lead of Columbus and go to the new world. But his government said, ?No! We will not give you permission for this. If your relatives and church raised money for your ransom for 5 years, the least you can do is to stay around and show your thanks this way. So you can live, we give you the job as a tax-collector.? But his Spanish people were so poor, that he sought help from God to bring their lives together. God in answer gave him the plot for the first psychological novel. The hero represented the spiritual part of man, and his servant Sancho Panza represented the practical part. Many of you will have guessed by now that the hero was Don Quixote. I read this book when I was 17, and was so disgusted with Quixote for his in my opinion stupid decisions, that I threw the book away, and to this day have not finished it! But from the Encyclopedia I learned that in his 50?s Miguel Cervantes wrote the first half of this book to help his poor fellow citizens put their lives together, and then 5 years later wrote the second half. Nearly all psychological novels since follow the insights developed in his book. By now I realize that the man in Washington D.C. was a Spaniard. Then God spoke to me in answer to my questions. He said, ?In your spiritual part you are somewhat like Don Quixote, and can become so spiritually oriented that you miss it. But the practical Sancho Panza part of you, when balanced with the spiritual, will make you useful in My hands. Every week for the next 2 years I will give you 2 or 3 dreams a week as a check up, to let you see how you are progressing in getting it together.? Which he did! ?However, when you do get it together, you still won?t be fully useful in My hands, for the Quixote part of you will still unduly predominate. But your wife Marie has the practical side of Sancho Panza. When you and Marie are able to fulfill the ?Two Are Better than One? goal, that I set before you for your marriage ? than you will enter into an Intercessory possibility that I told you to call ?Spiritual Star Wars.? Through the prayer multiplication of one driving 1000 to flight, but two driving 10,000 ? and even greater possibilities through the ?Automated Laser Telescope,? you will understand why I call this for you ? your Destiny Dream!? Marie and I have seen the actuality of this on numbers of occasions, and are awed at its potential and possibilities. Dreams again are part and parcel of this. Now for some practical steps to understand dreams in a general way. First, it would do us all good to read Bob Ekblad?s ?Reading the Bible with the Damned.? Here he shows that he serves as a facilitator or midwife when reading the Bible with the marginalized people of our nation. He carefully refrains from suggesting answers himself. Instead he has prisoners and disenfranchised read the Scripture portion, and then asks leading questions so they can find correct answers what God is really like. This is exactly the role for a dream interpreter. He DOESN?T interpret. Instead he asks questions of the dreamer to let HIM discover the symbols in his own dream that could apply ONLY to himself. I have symbols in my past that God brings up in my dreams that you could never understand, and vice versa. When God wants to get my attention, he has my father appear in my dream. My ?donkey ears? go up right away. I know this dream is from God, and my father is a symbol of an attention-getter. One time he used George Hawtin, the leader in the 1948 Northern Canada Visitation. God HAD my attention. This took place in July 1992. This symbol possibly would not have meant the same thing to anyone else. And you have specific people and scenes in your past that relate to you, and I couldn?t possibly interpret them for you. I can only ask questions to help you see your specific symbols and understand what God is saying to YOU through them. Another thing about symbols. Dreams are primarily SYMBOLICAL. They are NOT literal. Let me qualify that. 2-3 % of dreams are literal. For instance, Joseph, step father to Jesus had 4 literal dreams for guidance. The wise men did also. Pilate?s wife did too. But all 6 literal dreams related to Jesus for His safety. The first error most dreamers fall into is to literalize their dreams. God?s forgotten language is NOT literal. It is like the book of Revelation. It is a book of SYMBOLS. So are your dreams, except for rare exceptions. Look at the symbols that God can use between the age of 2-5; 6-12; 13-18; 19-30; 31-50; 51 and up. Help the dreamer come to his own interpretation by understanding the significance of past events, people and objects, and help him to see them as symbols that God loves to use. Note also, that every believer should learn to understand what are symbols unique to him, and how to use them for his own dream interpretation. Now with an unbeliever it is different. They don?t have the Holy Spirit to help them as does a believer. So Joseph had to interpret the dreams of the butler, the baker and Pharaoh. But he interpreted his own dreams. And Daniel had to interpret the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. But we should not try and interpret the dreams of fellow believers. Instead we should work with them in helping them understand these things until they can interpret their own dreams. Note too that we need the gift of ?discernings of spirits? in connection with dreams. All that glitters is NOT gold. All dreams are NOT of God. As a rough rule of thumb, maybe 5 % of our dreams deserve dreamwork. Maybe 5 % or more are night mares and from demons of the pit. Then perhaps 90 % are from our own subconscious ? from the flesh part of it, which Solomon says are brought by the multitude of business (Ecclesiastes 5:3). Or perhaps too much pizza too late at night! I recommend that we discern the 5 % of dreams from God, and do the TTAQ on them. It is a waste of time trying to get something out of most of our dreams. Each one of us has a dream every 90 minutes of sleep in our sleep cycle. Even animals and birds have dreams. They are necessary for our total health. But those from God have unusual meaning over and above that. Angels are vitally connected with dreams and all 9 of the gifts of the Spirit of 1 Corinthians 12:8-ll. In chapter 14, Paul tells us that the SPIRITS (angels of the prophets) are subject to the prophets. Notice how often angels are present when the gifts of the Spirit are functioning in either Testament. H.A. Baker of ?Visions beyond the Veil? fame, saw this in operation in the Chinese Orphanage he and his wife conducted in S.W. China. He also saw it operating in Ka-Do land of that part of China. Sadhu Sundar Singh of India also saw the reality of this, and here the two of them agreed. Note also the symbols used by Jacob in Genesis 49 and Moses in Deuteronomy 33 with the 12 tribes of Israel. Hebrew names are significant. If the character of a person changes, then there is a name change. See Jacob to Israel; Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah. See also the linkage of an animal with the tribes. Issachar and the donkey. Naphtali and the deer. Judah and the LION. No mistake here. Then see that each tribe is identified with a beautiful colored precious stone. These are found in Exodus 28, and the order of the tribes and the stone is in Numbers 2. Each of us as individuals can be linked with one of the tribes, and find that the prophecies of Jacob and Moses can be helpful to us too. We will find that this linkage of symbols and then our own symbols from our past life that God can draw upon, all help to make our dreams not only meaningful ? but tremendously helpful. Look at Job 33 and the insight of Elihu on dreams. Dreams according to him have 4 main purposes. I like the one that keeps us from pride. We are all prone to pride, and why, we will never know, for we really have nothing to be proud of. Paul says all we have, we have RECEIVED! So how on earth can we be proud of what we have received? But there is a more serious matter with Job's 3 friends. How can we receive help from one that God says did NOT speak right with his 2 companions as Job had done? Why did God want the sayings of these 3 ?not so good? friends in the Bible? And He DID! I think it was to give us a test to see how astute we are. See what God said to Jeremiah ? ?If you will take the PRECIOUS from the VILE ? you shall be as My mouth? (Jeremiah 15:19). I believe what Elihu has said here in Job 33 about dreams is precious at this point, but much of what Eliphaz said is vile. We have to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. If we will read the Bible together to get what God is REALLY saying, like Bob Ekblad and his friends ? we will develop a sensitivity and understanding to the real thinking of God both about the Bible as well as about our DREAMS. The two go together. *IN CONCLUSION:* I am writing this for a limited readership ? who I call a Team of transforming Embryonic truths into MATURITY. Dreams will be a real aid and help in this. We can pray for one another, and God will help us develop as a team to receive corporate insights and revelation that none of us alone would receive. Many are not sufficiently serious to walk in the discipline that is necessary to let God have His perfect way in this area. Paul said ? ?These light afflictions are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed!? I agree ? but all do not see this. I find that they want someone else to interpret their dreams for them. It is difficult to encourage them to pay the price to learn to know the Lord, *His Word*, His Spirit, intimately, and the symbols in the past of each one of us that He can draw upon. *Bible Meditation* based on our ?*Outlined*Interlinear New Testament?, using Ivan Panin's two texts, can *greatly* help. Bless you each one. I think highly of you. I expect more from us corporately than I do individually. I see the 12 Embryonics from 1948 becoming MATURE and becoming parameters of safety in the hands of God for the last visitation before the return of His Son! Ready? Let?s all get on the band-wagon together, and mean business for God. Al Houghton with his ?WordatWork? monthly epistle can greatly help us. Many others of you have much to contribute. Let?s pool our resources. Let?s be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. On to victory and the overcoming life both individually and corporately! Your friend, brother and goader! As C.T. Studd said concerning his wife ??I love my wife because she?s a red hot poker chasing me to keep me running for Christ!? Jim Watt P.S. John Sanford, ?Dreams: God?s Forgotten Language? Morton Kelsey, ?God, Dreams & Revelation? A Christian Interpretation of Dreams. Herman Riffel, ?Dream Interpretation: A Biblical Understanding? The above 3 books are all available from Amazon, used or new, extremely reasonable prices. Riffel is my favorite author on dreams. He?s a Baptist, but was a Mennonite. JW. P.P.S. Recently Adrian Beale and Adam F. Thompson have written ?The Divinity Code - The Keys to Decoding your Dreams and Visions? *< www.thedivinitycode.org> - *They have wisely eliminated all aspects of the work of Carl Jung, who moved in a New Age spirit. This latter book is therefore an imporvement on the above 3 authors, all who studied under Jung. Beale & Thompson aid one in interpreting his own dreams in the light of the thoughts above. JW. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Feb 20 11:35:01 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:35:01 -0800 Subject: The Border Crossing Sacrifice Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 20, 2012 (*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed - June 5, 2006**)* *?THE BORDER CROSSING SACRIFICE?* Watkin Roberts of Wales was saved in the 1904 Welsh Revival. God called him to N.E. India in 1910, but it had been closed since 1870, when Rochunga Pudaite?s grandfather took 600 British heads in one day. Watkin Roberts went to Imphal to speak to the Maharaja of Manipur, when Ro?s grandfather invited him to Senvon village in Assam. This was in reply to Watkin?s gift of the Gospel of John to each of the 300 tribal leaders of N. E. India. The Maharaja reminded Mr. Roberts of the 40 year closure. Roberts asked if he signed a document declaring the Maharaja not guilty if he lost his head, could he go in anyway. He was granted 10 days. In those 10 days, 5 young men from this head-hunting tribe received God in Jesus. It was the illustration of ?The Border Crossing Sacrifice? that melted their hearts. Roberts recounted to the people of Senvon Village how the tribes of this area of India made peace when they were tired of taking heads. One chief gave a signal, and if the other tribe was open, they met at the border and killed a sacrifice. The chiefs then reached down and smeared one another with the blood of the animal. They then each cut a finger, dripped the blood in a common container of wine, and both drank it. They took an oath in the presence of their elders, that if either chief broke the covenant of the Border Crossing Sacrifice, his elders would cut him in two at the border! The son of the Senvon village chieftain was one of the 5 who saw that God sacrificed HIS ONLY SON at the border, and is offering to receive any human being who meets Him over the blood of His Son. Since 1910, 85 % of the Hmar tribe of Assam of some 80,000 people are born again Christians, have reached 15 other tribes, and planted churches in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Rochunga, the grandson, has translated the entire Bible into the Hmar tongue plus a hymn book of 400 hymns. He has planted over 60 elementary schools for his tribe, 3 Jr. High Schools, a Senior High School, a College and a hospital ? all for his Hmar people. Dr. Bob Pierce of World Vision said it is the most remarkable story of regional evangelism he has ever come across. He visited these people several times. There are 5 states in N. E. India including Nagaland ? and Watkin Roberts through Chawnga Pudaite, Ro?s father, has had a significant part in bringing the Gospel to this area in 1910. Marie and I met Watkin Roberts in Chicago in 1955 at an NAE Convention. He later contacted us from Toronto and asked us if we could give every courtesy and help to Rochunga who was working on his Master?s degree at Wheaton College. I served as Ro?s American secretary for 17 years for the Indo-Burma Pioneer Mission, and we were grateful to have a part both in time, prayer and finances to help Ro in his rather remarkable ministry. E. W. Kenyon?s book ?The Blood Covenant? is quite parallel to ?The Border Crossing Sacrifice?, which was commonly practiced in the 5 provinces of N. E. India Literally hundreds of thousands have come to Christ through ?The Blood Covenant? and ?The Border Crossing Sacrifice.? It broke the heart of the people of Assam when they realized God had voluntarily in love given His ONLY begotten Son to save us, reconcile us, and that God forgave our sins on the basis of His Son?s Atoning work on our behalf ? ?THE BORDER CROSSING SACRIFICE!? Jim Watt* * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Feb 21 12:08:35 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:08:35 -0800 Subject: Tribulation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 21, 2012 *2012-02-21 - ?TRIBULATION? - FOREWARD - H. A. Baker* *(Author of ?Visions Beyond the Veil - written in the 1920's* *See our Archives - 2010-07-07 to 2010-09-09 for a copy* *Also see end of Chapter IB 2010-07-07 - Adullam Beginnings - for information * *how to receive an updated copy by H. A. Baker's grandson Rolland)* This is a companion volume to *Tribulation to Glory* (sent out 1931) which has been surprisingly well received the few months it has been in circulation. After reading the message of that book many readers say that it brought out clearly truths they had before seen in more or less obscurity. This reaction toward the former book encourages the bringing of the present volume into circulation, for it gives the fuller scriptural support for this theme relating to the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. As in the case of my other books, in sending this one out I have especially in mind our friends who have been faithful prayer supporters of our work for many years and have been interested in all we have done or written. I wish here to assure you that if you will carefully read and meditate upon what is contained in this book and come to believe in the truths herein set forth, you will find yourself brought more fully into the meaning of the cross as we should expect to experience it. You will feel that you are more perfectly in line with the experience of Jesus and the saints who have gone before us. You will see that the cross-bearing way, the tribulation way, is the most glorious way. What we want is truth. All truth must check out with scripture. But we all, as Paul says, see through a glass darkly as compared with seeing all truth as it is in its right setting and proportions. We must ever remember that in our searching for the truth as revealed in the scriptures it is important to maintain a spirit of love and right consideration towards other seekers for truth. Difference in doctrinal beliefs is not ground for unchrist-like attitude of mind. Many of our best friends at present believe differently for what they will find in this present book. We love them none the less for believing what that have been taught - erroneously taught, as we now see it. While I believe what they will read will give such a more consistent and satisfying Christian life, a supreme love for Christ and His children should be paramount. We are naturally inclined to grab at any straw that will help defend us in our position, while rejecting truth that would be most clearly evident were we willing to accept it. It is hard to honestly and fairly consider and weigh every interpretation of scripture on its own merits. More than that, we are naturally cowards. We are afraid to act on the truth we see because of the physical, mental, or spiritual pain honest acceptance and execution of truth will involve. Let's be honest in facing truth and facts. Let's be brave and accept without excuse the truth we see and make our actions check in its execution. Otherwise we will surely miss God's best. My hope is that readers of this book will honestly consider what is written and compare it all with scripture. If what you find is scriptural, as I believe it is, I will rightly expect you to accept it and act upon it regardless of what it may involve in the way of pleasure or pain. It seems to me that the reader will not fail to see that the so-called ?pre-tribulation theory? that the Church will be caught away from the earth before the time of the reign of the man of sin, or anti-Christ, is false doctrine, not supported by scripture. I believe this present discussion will show, on the other hand, that the coming of the Lord will not be until after the so-called great tribulation. Like myself, so far as I know, or anyone who knows, every believer of the popular any-moment-secret-rapture-doctrine came to believe in it by first hearing it from a preacher, or a teacher, or a friend, or from reading it in the religious literature of the day. I know of no one at present who came to this belief at first by his own personal Bible study, do you? Books on this then and much other literature that came to my hand in my first contacts with this subject, with but little exception, taught the commonly accepted erroneous doctrine. I secured a Schofield Bible and practically devoured its contents. I studied every chapter, verse, note, line. At last I came to a ?dead end.? I saw no through road in its teaching. My first contacts with this doctrine and my first study of it through other men's eyes, as well as natural inclination towards so pleasing a way out of the present confusing and evil world, led me to half believe the doctrine and to half-heartedly preach it. In spite of all my reading in its favor there had, from the first, been underneath it all the thought that this very important, much-embracing doctrine was founded on ?inference? rather than definite statements of scripture. I feel certain that it was the Holy Spirit who, one morning, when I was studying this question, brought clearly to my mind nearly all the main considerations found from Chapter I to the end of this present discussion. Later when the Lord poured out the Holy Spirit upon our orphanage of Chinese children in a most remarkable way, as recorded in my book, *Visions Beyond the Veil*, and as shown there, many children, even small children, had repeated visions and other revelations of the reign of the anti-Christ and the persecution of saints as well as revelations of the preaching of the gospel in unusual power at that time. This corroborated what I had seen in the scripture and at the same time made the coming of anti-Christ-tribulation so imminent that it had a very practicable and far-reaching effect on my subsequent missionary work. I will now indicate how this belief affected my work. Shortly after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit just mentioned, the Lord miraculously opened the doors for the remarkable work of the Spirit that took place among the tribal people in the mountains of Yunnan province, China, as recorded in my other book, *God in Ka Do Land.* Thoroughly convinced now that the Church would be on earth till the end of the reign of the anti-Christ and that the anti-Christ persecution was very near, from the time I made my first itinerary among the tribes I always felt the urge to work with, that it might be my last chance to freely preach. No itinerary was ever free from this thought. Knowing that anti-Christ persecutions were ahead and that my people must be prepared for the tribulation that would come upon them, I never wanted to plan any self ease, or prepare myself for less that I expected was to be our lot in the future. I felt no time was to be taken out for furlough or for months or weeks or even days of vacation. I even watched the very hours lest time be lost. I allowed nothing to divert me from the work in hand, so that I might prepare as many people as possible and as well as possible for the day the door would slam in my face and tribulation would settle down on my sheep in the mountains. I expected that I and my Christians of various tribes would be caught together in the persecutions of the anti-Christ, whose spirit we often felt about us. From the first I taught my people that they were not to count their lives dear unto themselves, but I taught them what the Bible said, that the anit-Christ would come first and then Jesus would return. This they plainly saw in reading the Bible for themselves. My many co-workers and I everywhere preached that some, or all, of us might have to be martyrs for Jesus. We talked and preached so much about the cross and how Jesus loved us and died for us, while the Holy Spirit made these things so real that the thought of suffering even unto death for Him who had suffered all for us became a joyful thought and an inspiration to lives of deeper devotion to our Lord. I have seen young men and young women and old men and old women weeping outright many a time because they regretted they had been unable to suffer more for Jesus. Since we would all have to die some time, unless the Lord came in our day, many came to think that of all the forms of death imaginable, there could be no death so satisfactory and glorious as to be a martyr for Jesus. I am relating this because it shows the right outcome of the teaching of right doctrine. My people were always taught that the anti-Christ would come first and then Jesus would come. They were always taught that the more we suffer for Christ, the more Christ-like we become. They knew that the nail-pierced hands are a challenge for us to enter resurrection glory by way of the cross. Is not this the Christian way? Is not this the way the Old Testament prophets and the Old Testament saints went? Is not this the way the Church has come down through the centuries? How about the saints behind the iron and the bamboo curtains today? For whom is there an easy rocking-chair or a soft hammock way to heaven today? Is there to be an exception to the whole principle of Christianity and the experience of the saints ever since the days of Abel? Why any exception? Are saints today better than Daniel and all of his train? Or, are present day saints too weak and cowardly to suffer tribulation and hence desire to be taken away lest they fail the Lord in time of trial? Surely not. If too weak and cowardly, what would they do in heaven if they got there? Would they not be so ashamed when they looked upon the nail-pierced hands and looked into the beaming faces of the martyrs that they would plead night and day for the Lord to allow them to return to earth to really suffer a little for Jesus? In China I faced grave danger many times. I have faced death more than once. Then at last the Lord spoke to my people in the words: (Chinese) ?Bei Muh si dy gong dzo wai, liao. O yao ling ta dao ih go hao di fange.? Which means: ?Pastor Baker's work is finished. I am going to take him to a good place.? I wondered if what I had expected and tried to be prepared for had come. Was I going to die in the midst of my people, or was I going to be killed and go to that ?good place, - heaven? Here I am, out of it all, in the ?good place? - America. How about my people? When I was anxious about what would happen to them, did the Lord not speak directly to me in words, telling me who would not care for them, ?He who cares for the sparrow!? Not one of them will fall without my Father's notice. Not a hair of their heads will perish. If killed for Jesus' sake, not a hair will perish. They are already on the resurrection side. If the Lord wants to keep them alive He will still do what He did while I was there: turn enemies into friends and make the communists, who are supposed to destroy the churches, say that the Christians were the best of the people and even tell the ungodly that had better be Christians. It is my opinion that my sheep, right in the midst of the ungodly mess, are not suffering. On the contrary, they may be suffering great tribulation, as have saints in all ages. To be ready to suffer all things for Christ and to count all loss for Him and to leave it with Him when to suffer in prison or when to be delivered by the angels is the right attitude of mind. Should not every follower of the crucified Christ be prepared to go through great tribulation to glory and then leave it to Jesus to work it all out? Since many readers of this present volume may not have had opportunity to read Volume I, (It costs $100 at Amazon and Alabris!) in the *Introduction*to the present volume, I summarize much that was in the former volume, showing the errors of the any-moment rapture, or the escape-tribulation theory. If you have read the first book you may, if you desire, skip the * Introduction* and begin with Chapter I. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Feb 22 13:52:36 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:52:36 -0800 Subject: Tribulation - Introduction Part A Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 22, 2012 *2012-02-22 - TRIBULATION - INTRODUCTION PART A - H. A. Baker* *A New Doctrine* The teaching that the Church in whole, or in part, will be caught up to heaven before the reign of the man of sin, the anti-Christ, did not appear in church history until the early part of the nineteenth century. Neither any of the early church fathers nor later church writers taught this doctrine. Neither did the early church creeds nor the church creeds of modern time before the nineteenth century teach this doctrine. On the contrary, whenever these writers, or creeds, referred to the last days of the Church, in every such instance they said that the Church would continue on earth to the end of the reign of the anti-Christ. I intended to quote from some of the church fathers and from some of the church creeds; but I believe that is unnecessary, since no one will deny the above statement of facts, and since anyone who cares to do so may make personal investigation as to their truthfulness. Of course beliefs of church fathers or beliefs as stated in creeds do not prove a doctrine true. The Bible is the proof-standard. However, these evidences from church history do show that this doctrine in question is a *new doctrine. * *How We Got the New Doctrine* After my study of the scriptures had led me to believe this an erroneous doctrine I learned about its origin. You may be as surprised as I was to learn how this teaching got into the Church and became so popular. It appears that it came about as follows: In March, 1830, a woman in Richard Baxter's church in London, England, when under supernatural power, prophesied that the Lord Jesus might come any time and that true believers in Him might any day be caught up by translation to heaven. This church and this woman were connected with the Irvingite movement that soon went astray on many false doctrines. The Irvingite movement at that time placed much emphasis on supernatural manifestations such as speaking with other tongues, prophesying under supernatural power, etc. At the same time John Darby and a little group of men gathered at Plymouth, England, were engaged in independent Bible study. This was the beginning of the sect later called ?The Plymouth Brethren.? Although Richard Baxter himself did not accept as true the prophecy of the Irvingite woman in his church, it seems that many others did. And although Darby and his group of Plymouth Brethren were not a part of the Irvingite movement they nevertheless, accepted this prophecy as coming from the Lord, and they incorporated it into their teaching. Since Darby was one of the most influential preachers in England at that time, and since this easy way of escape-tribulation-doctrine was pleasing, and since it is a natural weakness of Christians to be readily attracted by any doctrine that promises to be a ?new? revelation, this supposedly new revelation about the rapture of the Church quickly spread throughout the evangelical churches of England. George Muller of the famous Muller orphanage and Tregelles, reputed to be the best Bible scholar of that century, and Spurgeon, and many others by public addresses and in writing, opposed this new teaching, declaring it to be unscriptural and false. However, all this opposition was in vain, as already shown. Having accepted this ?spirit?-inspired new teaching Darby and his group proceeded by ?new? interpretations and inferences to make the scriptures support the new ?theory.? Darby's line of ?interpretations? and ?inferences? have come down to us today through the Plymouth Brethren sect with little variation from the teachings of Darby. In our day Charles Scofield, one of the Darby line and closely associated with the ?Brethren,? has perhaps done more than any other one man to propagate the escape-tribulation, any-moment, secret-rapture teaching. Another man who helped much in making this teaching widely known was W. E. Blackstone. He summarized the Darby-Scofield teaching on this subject in a book called, ?Jesus Is Coming,? and with the help of some men of wealth sent free copies to preachers and missionaries all over the world. That is how I first came in contact with any definite discussion about the return of the Lord. This was doubtless true in the case of thousands of others who had been as ignorant as I about the whole question. I read recently that Blackstone, after further study, reversed his former view and saw the error of his previous belief. However, he did much in his time in promoting the Darby-Scofield view. Like Blackstone, and Oswald Smith, and Henry Frost, American secretary of the China Inland Mission, and like many, many others, who after more careful study, have reversed their beliefs, you may have to reverse yours, for you will see that the popular belief is ?the tradition of the fathers,? but not of the church fathers. At any rate, the above is a brief outline of the history of this ?new? Darby doctrine. Further information on this point, supported by more evidence of its accuracy, is given in my book *Tribulation to Glory.* *What Darby Taught* So far as I know, all familiar with the facts agree that Darby taught as stated in this chapter. He taught that Jesus might return any moment to raise the dead in Christ and to translate, without death, the believers in Christ, who will be alive at the time. This coming, Darby claimed, would be invisible, noiseless, secret. After the disappearance of the believers from the earth the man of sin, the anti-Christ, would openly appear to reign over the whole world. At the end of this usurper's reign the Lord Jesus would *openly* return to earth to raise the rest of the dead believers, judge the world, and set up His visible kingdom on earth. According to Darby, this first coming of Christ would be ?for? His saints and the coming after the reign of the man of sin would be ?with? His saints for whom He had previously come. Although Darby and his followers of the Darby-Scofield line have written volumes sufficient to fill many a library shelf dealing with the ramification of the any-moment-rapture theory, the main points are discussed in one section of the book ?Tribulation to Glory,? to which we refer the reader. However, for the benefit of those who do not have access to that book I will here more concisely repeat what is in the other book. I will now touch on some of the main teachings of Darby and suggest reasons why these lack sufficient scriptural support. Because Darby and his group could find no direct statement of the scripture that the believers would be translated before the time of the anti-Christ, they found it necessary to support the new doctrine by ?interpretations? and ?inferences? not found by direct statements of the Word of God. How can it be emphasized too strongly that this much-embracing doctrine from Darby's day to ours has only the support of ?inference?? *A. The ?Worthy-to-Escape? Passages* Two passages of Scripture were favorite texts for Darby. One of these reads: ?Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36. Darby said that the things that were ?to come to pass? were the persecutions under the anti-Christ. Darby said that, but the Bible does not. Darby ?inferred? that the reign of the man of sin was in question. Does not the Bible ?infer? that the destruction of the wicked *after* the reign of the man of sin is referred to? Read the context. The Lord was talking about the destruction of the heaven and the earth and what would happen to ?them,? to people on the earth at that time. Who? The wicked. How would ?they,? the wicked, be caught? Unawares. How about us? We would not be caught unawares if we should watch and pray, but would be safe in the day of judgment - ?escape.? Now we see how the following Scripture fits in with my ?inference? that the *day of judgment* and not the reign of the anti-Christ is referred to in the above passage in Luke, Read this: ?What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:11, 12. Peter wrote primarily to Gentile churches, and hence this looking for the day of destruction (post-tribulation) cannot be shifted over to the Jews. Christians in general are to look for the day the wicked will be destroyed. Although I believe that my ?inference? is most scriptural that the passages in Luke and in Peter refer to the same thing, and that in the following Bible study I can show by much scripture that the day we hope to ?escape? is the day of judgment of the wicked, all I insist on here is that this Darby-Scofield ?inference? is unprovable in its setting and that this passage can have *other** *interpretations. A second favorite passage much used to support Darby's theory was this: ?Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, upon the earth,? Rev. 3:10. The ?hour of temptation,? Darby ?inferred,? was the time of the reign of the anti-Christ, and being ?kept? meant being translated to heaven by a rapture before that reign began. So much for this new interpretation started by Darby. So much for inference. Does the Bible say what this hour of temptation is? Does it say how anyone is to be ?kept,? or where, or when? The Greek can mean *kept through* or *kept away from*. For eighteen months I and my people in the mountains of China were kept safe in the midst of the communists. My people at this present ?hour? probably are unharmed in the midst of wolves. I am being kept from ?that hour? by being brought home. But none of us have been translated to heaven. As I will show later, there is a plain scripture to show that the ?hour? through which the Christian hopes to be ?kept? is the day of judgment of the wicked at the end of the reign of anti-Christ. All that I insist on here, however, is that there is plenty of proof that Darby's ?inference? in not ?proof? nor provable by any direct statement of scripture anywhere. *B. The-One-Taken-and-the - Other - Left - Doctrine* Another new interpretation of scripture, which no one seems ever to have heard before the days of Darby, concerned the Lord's statement that at the time of His return two would be grinding at the mill; one would be taken and the other left. Two would be in the same bed; one would be taken and the other left. Two would be together in the field; one would be taken and the other left. Darby said these mentioned as being ?taken? were saved Christians or believers who would thus be ?taken.? Taken where: To heaven. How? By a silent translation, or rapture. When? Any time today, tomorrow - any day, any moment. It would be when the Lord came near the earth to secretly, without any external manifestation, raise the righteous dead and catch the living believers up to meet Him in the air. But, we ask, what proof did Darby have that these to be ?taken? as spoken of by the Lord were to be part of a general rapture of the saints at the time Darby stated: Darby did not *prove* this. He *said* it. Does the Bible say it? No. Darby simply ?inferred? this and then somebody else inferred it and then somebody else until today it still hangs there on ?inference.? Now, while Darby's ?inferences? about what was meant by the one ?taken? and the other ?left? fit into his unproven theory of a secret rapture, these ?inferences? do not fit into the plain statements of the Bible. In fact, the Word of God directly contradicts Darby in this connection. For instance, the Lord Jesus definitely stated that when He comes he will * first* gather out of His kingdom that which offended. He Himself in explaining the meaning of the parable of the wheat and tares and that of the dragnet, said that the tares among the wheat and the bad in the drag-net represented the *wicked* who would ?first? be destroyed before the *good* were gathered in. Matt.13. There it is: Darby said the the Lord would come and first gather the *wheat* from among the tares and leave the tares still in the world. Jesus said that when He comes He will do the very opposite - *first* gather the tares out of the wheat and not leave the tares but bind them into bundles and *burn them*. Does not Jesus' definite statement flatly contradict Darby's ?inference?? What proof is there that the particular moment Jesus had in mind was the time of the resurrection of the dead and the translation of living believers when He was talking about ?the one taken and the other left?? If He referred to the translation of the Church, and the one ?taken? was to be one of those caught up by secret rapture, then do we not have here still another contradiction of scripture? Paul said that it was *he* who revealed to the church the ?mystery? of living believers being caught up to meet the Lord in the air and that of the resurrection of believers at that time. As every Bible student knows, the idea of ?mystery? as used in the Bible is that of making known some truth not previously made known. Now, if Jesus was telling His disciples about the translation of living believers when He told about ?the one taken and the other to be left,? would not Jesus, rather than Paul, have been the revealer of this rapture-?mystery?? And if Jesus revealed this mystery, would not such a comforting and inspiring hope have been handed down through disciples to the days of Paul? And if so, how could Paul have been revealing any ?mystery? at all when he would have been telling disciples what they already would have known? Surely Darby here makes Jesus and Paul contradict one another. In view of the above scriptures and definite statements of Christ, I submit the following ?inferences? as being more consistent than those of Darby: Since the ?tares,? or the wicked men, are *first* to be taken out from the good, could not the ?one taken? be the one taken to be burned and the one not so wicked be ?left?? Could Darby or any one prove that it could not be so?? Here is further support for this inference: Jesus was talking about the similarity between the day of His coming and that of the destruction of the world in the days of Noah and of the destruction in the days of Lot.* Destruction of the wicked* is what He was talking about, was it not? Then what is inconsistent in ?inferring? that although in the days of Noah and Lot the wicked were *all* destroyed suddenly and unexpectedly, in like manner not all, but *some* of the wicked, or unregenerated, would be suddenly destroyed when the Lord comes with His angels to gather the tares? The two in the same bed, the two grinding together at the mill, the two working together in the field might every one of them be *unbelievers. *As students of the Bible must know without argument, the Lord will not * immediately* destroy *all* of the unbelievers when He appears. Will not the destruction of the wicked, begun then, extend over considerable time? At any rate, the believers of the Darby-Scofield interpretations agree that there are unbelievers to be left for the millennium, most of whom, they say, will not ever be converted. Thus, consistent with Darby's own theory about the judgment of the wicked, the worst wicked of the two unbelievers could be ?taken? and the best of the two ?left.? Why not? Equally consistent could not, in some cases, the ?one left? be a true Christian - a grain of wheat left when the tares were taken out? Why not? Furthermore, where is there anything in the statement of the Lord to indicate that anyone was to be ?taken? away from the earth? They were not ?taken? from the earth in the days of Noah or in the days of Lot, were they? These last considerations are not submitted as definite proof; but are they not more consistent with scripture than those of Darby? In short, the above should show that Darby's theory of the righteous being *first*taken from among the wicked is direct contradiction of scripture and the statements of the Lord, and in the second place, when it comes to ?inferences,? plenty of inferences based on direct scripture statement directly oppose those of Darby, showing that he had no sufficient ground for trying to support his theory by such unscriptural and scripture opposing ?inferences.? *Note: *Dr. James R. Graham, Presbyterian scholar and Missionary to China, has unusual confirmation to the views expressed above by H. W. Baker - JAW. * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Feb 23 12:07:34 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:07:34 -0800 Subject: Introduction - Part B - H.A. Baker Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 23, 2012 *2012-02-23 - THROUGH TRIBULATION - INTRODUCTION Part B - H. A. Baker* *Darby's Interpretations and ?Inferences? - for our Translation prior to anti-Christ* *A. The ?Worthy-to-Escape? Passages* *B. The-One-Taken-and-the - Other - Left - Doctrine (A & B in Introduction Part A)* *C. The Man-Child Theory* When Darby first accepted the Irvingite ?spirit?-inspired woman's any-moment, secret rapture teaching he at once grabbed symbolic twelfth chapter of Revelation and pulled it in to help support his new theory. ?Here we have it,? Darby said, ?the man-child is the raptured church.? Bible students who ought to know say that so far as students of church history seem to know, this idea of making the man-child of Revelation refer to the rapture of the Church started with John Darby. This new offspring born of Darby inference, has surely been prolific - its generation is legion. This whole twelfth chapter of Revelation is figurative language, as no one will deny. Its interpretation is not given in the Bible, as is also undeniable. Any interpretation of this chapter must, therefore, be by ?inference.? Rampant throughout the church today are innumerable false doctrines started by teachers who make the Bible speak by ?inference? where, in fact, it preferred silence. No man can prove anything by the twelfth chapter of Revelation, but he can give his imagination full liberty here to warp it to fit almost any theory. All we take time to say here is that this is not proof text for Darby's theory, or any other theory, and to say whatever the figurative language of this chapter may mean, it cannot mean what Darby said, in view of the *facts * stated in the Word of God as quoted in the following studies in this volume. *D. Enoch, Elijah, Noah* The Darby group brought in Enoch, Elijah and Noah to make them help. Enoch and Elijah, they said, were types of the rapture of the Church before the so-called great tribulation, while Noah and his family, saved at the time of the flood, were types of the Jews being saved *through* the great tribulation. Now what are the facts? The bible does not say that Enoch and Elijah are types of anything. If their experiences are to prove anything or to illustrate anything, they can be said to definitely prove that men can be transformed and translated to heaven without having died. This shows the possibility of the translation of living believers at the time of the Lord's return; but, we may well ask, what is there about the experiences of these two prophets to typify anything about the *time* of the translation of the Church, even if there be any typical connection? Elijah had plenty of persecution while he was alive. No unusual great tribulation or time of persecution followed soon after the translation of Enoch or Elijah; what great tribulation were these men caught away to ?escape?? What about the ?inference? that Noah typified the salvation of the Jews * through* the great tribulation? The Bible definitely states that the salvation of Noah and his family typifies *our* salvation by baptism accompanied by right attitude of heart towards God. 1 Peter 3:18-21. This typifies our being saved from destruction in hell, does it not, according to the Bible? The day Noah entered the ark all of the wicked in *all of*the world were *destroyed*. If we seek similarities, is it not true that the Word of the Lord states that at the time the Lord will return *after* the great tribulation He will destroy the tares and gather the wheat into His garner? However, there is no hint in the scripture that the case of Noah was intended to teach anything about the rapture of the Church. This interpretation by ?inference? was new interpretation never taught before Darby's day, but introduced by him to help his new doctrine. *The Church and the Book of Revelation* By the ?inference?-plan started by Darby and his Plymouth Brethren, the book of Revelation was given new interpretations. In this way the messages to the seven churches were supposed to be types of seven church - ?dispensations,? although there is nothing in the messages themselves, or other statements of scripture, that indicate such meaning. From the end of the third chapter to the end of the book nothing applies to the Church, the Darbyites said, for the Church is not specifically mentioned after the third chapter. The fact that the Church is not mentioned by name after the third chapter of Revelation is no more proof that it had been taken from the earth than that it was not on earth when some of the epistles were written, for in some of them the Church is not mentioned. *Darby's New Dispensation* However, Darby nor anyone else denies that saints and believers appear all through the book of Revelation. If the Church would not then be on earth, who must these saints in Revelation be? Very evidently there must be a new ?inference? to fit the new problem. Here is the new make-up which authorities say never before appeared. The Darby-school decided there must be a new and special and unique ?dispensation? intervene between between the time the Lord comes to take His Church by rapture to heaven and the time of the end of the age after the reign of the anti-Christ. This so-called dispensation they called ?The Great Tribulation.? Although this period will be the greatest time of tribulation the world has ever seen, there appears to be no proof from church history that the term, ?the great tribulation,? was ever applied to these concluding years alone. Anyway, the important point is that Darby claimed that during these years in question the Lord would again deal with Israel in a new way and that a different gospel - called ?the gospel of the kingdom? - would be preached during these years and that the result of this would be a different class of believers whom Darby called ?the tribulation saints.? Here it would be easy to write a few whole chapters showing the error of these ?inferences.? But why the need? Do we not all know there can be no other gospel?? Did not Paul say that if any one preached another gospel, let him be accursed? Surely we all know that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. Col. 3:28. We know well enough that Christ broke down the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, making them one body. Eph. 2:14. We also know that all true believers become members of the Church, the body of Christ, do we not? Now, if Darby was right in calling the time of the anti-Christ ?The Great Tribulation? exclusively, then this period must be the time of the greatest revival the world has ever known. The Word says: ?I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people, and tongue stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes ... these are they which came out of [the] great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 9:14. (This is the only place the article ?the? occurs in the Greek in this connection).* Note* We believe that ?the great tribulation? out of which comes the great multitude which no man can number out of every nation, tribe and tongue, began when Adam sold out to the devil. The entrance of sin into God's world brought great tribulation to all mankind and especially to the saints of God who have always been compelled to live in the midst of the enemies of God. While the earth has always been in great tribulation, the end time, under the reign of Satan and the anti-Christ, will be a time of such concentration of the powers of evil that it will be worse than has ever been before, or shall be, the scripture states. ?Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 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 above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.? 2 Thess. 2:1-4. To the casual reader this passage definitely states that the coming of Christ and the translation of living believers would not be till after the reign of the man of sin. As already stated, the early church fathers and other church writers and the church creeds up till the time of Darby accepted this passage of scripture just as it reads. Darby attempted to remove this barrier that blocked his new doctrine by saying that the ?coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? was not the same as ?the day of Christ.? The Darby-school went still farther and stated that the ?day of Christ? is not the same as ?the day of the Lord.? These men ?infer? that and dogmatically state it as a a fact; but by what scripture do they prove it? A statement without proof is not proof. Let any reader take a concordance and search out all the references to the ?day of the Lord,? the ?day of Almighty,? the ?Day of Christ,? the ?Day of Jesus Christ,? etc. and compare what the Darby-school ?infer? and state with what the Bible says. Just look at the above passage. Is Paul not going to special pains in writing to these Christians to tell them not to be deceived by a ?spirit,? or by a letter, or by any claiming Paul's authority, or by any other means? Did he not try to make them know without any doubt whatever that the coming of the Lord would not be till after the reign of the man of sin? That's the way I read it. If the Lord was to come ?any moment? to catch these saints up to heaven and they were to have nothing to do with the man of sin, why bother them about it and get them confused by using confusing language and terms that did not mean what was apparent? Was Paul not very evidently trying to make things very clear to these Christians? If Darby is right, Paul failed, did he not? If this passage cannot be understood as it reads, then Paul failed to write clearly. If Darby is right, then who would naturally read this scripture and even ?guess? what Darby saw unless told about it by someone indoctrinated in the Darby-school? Let me here ask the reader, in all sincerity, whether he ever thought of such an interpretation of this passage as Darby gave until he heard it given by others or read it somewhere. *What About Giving It to The Jews?* Here is another passage of scripture that, taken as it reads, stood squarely against the so-called pre-tribulation theory of the Darby group. It reads: ?Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man: and then shall all the tribes of he earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.? Matt. 24:29, 30. What did Darby do with this passage that stood directly in his way? Why, he gave it to the Jews! Since his theory claimed that was to be the rapture of the Church *before* the reign of the man of sin and since there would be saints when the Lord came ?immediately *after*? that reign, here was something to be ?explained.? Here is the way Darby ?explained? it: He said that during the period of the reign of the man of sin, the lawless one, the anti-Christ, the Lord would deal with the Jews in a special way and that during this period the Jews would lead in the proclamation of the ?gospel of the kingdom.? Later modifications of this theory also brought in a mysterious, unique group of Gentiles to witness at this time. The result, it was claimed, would be what they called ?the tribulation saints.? This Jewish remnant and their converts were the ones to whom the Lord referred in speaking of His coming ?immediately after the tribulation of those days,? and all this in no way concerned the Church, the Darbyites asserted. Having started with Darby, this new scheme of giving-it-to-the-Jews, called by critics ?the Jewish-waste-basket,? has opened the door for ?inferences? and ?interpretations? and ?theories? galore. The Darby-Scofield teachers by this giveaway plan, made all of the after-tribulation signs concerning the Lord's return apply to the Jews. Some of the Darby line, by this Jewish waste-basket-plan, have given all of the sermon on the mount to the Jews alone. Others have given the whole gospel of Matthew to the Jews, while still others have sliced out diverse sections of other parts of the New Testament and handed these all over to the Jews exclusively. Since all this is about the Jews by ?inference? and every man is free to ?infer? as he likes, so long as real proof is not essential in this system, why not just as well make one clean sweep by one big all-inclusive ?inference? and ?infer? that we are out of it all, for the whole New Testament, except a small portion, was written by Jews and the New Testament, or New Covenant, according to the Bible, was a covenant to be made with the Jews. To who was the Holy Spirit directly promised? The Jews. To whom was directly given the command to preach the gospel to the whole world? The Jews. Salvation is from the Jews, Jesus said so. To the Jews were given the covenants and the promises. Paul said so. This Darby-Scofield ?inference? of give-it-to-the Jews comes to another self-contradiction in the Scofield Bible in which it is claimed that Jesus came to the Jews as the Messiah and that had they accepted Him, He would then and there have set up His kingdom on earth and there would have been no death on the cross; but, since the Jews rejected Jesus, He died on the cross and as a result the Church age came in as a parenthesis in the Lord's dealing with the Jews. Thus the Lord's plan about His kingdom to give-it-to-the Jews, according to Scofield, having failed, we got in on the present plan of salvation through the cross and have the hope of resurrection from the dead. There would be no ?second coming? of Christ at all, had the Jews acted as the Lord expected, according to Scofield. Does not all this show that we can follow the Jewish waste-basket false ?theory? and give the whole Bible to the Jews, or we can reject the *whole theory* and appropriate all the of the New Testament promises for Jewish and Gentile believers alike? Thus can we not, with assurance, say that when Jesus was talking to His disciples about the signs they would see and about His coming ?immediately * after* the tribulation of those days?, He was talking about what Jew and Gentile believers alike would see? If not, why not? If He meant otherwise, would He not have clearly said so? *Summary* The foregoing discussion should show that the pre-tribulation-rapture theory started in the days of Darby is founded on ?inference? only and that the inferences drawn are unsupported by definite scripture and in many cases are contradictory to clear teaching of the Word of God. We have considered this under the topics: The-worthy-to escape-doctrine. One-taken-and-one-left. The man-child theory. Enoch, Elijah and Noah. The Church and the book of Revelation. A new dispensation theory. Darby and the Thessalonian letters. About giving it to the Jews. We have now considered the main inference-supported foundation of the imminent rapture theory, while other still more doubtful ?inferences,? too numerous to mention, are also brought forth to give support to this new doctrine which lacks even *one* direct statement of the scripture. I was reluctant to write this chapter that will be so contrary to former beliefs of so many of my friends; but I became convinced that it was necessary to clear up much misunderstanding and to set forth in this way some things the Bible does *not teach* concerning the theme under consideration. Will the reader now, with as little prejudice as possible, turn to the positive study of the Word of God as set forth in the following chapters and stick at it to the end in order to give the subject a fair and complete consideration. Amen! Then let us proceed. *NOTE**: *Dr. James R. Graham came to the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago, possible in 1957-58. He as a Presbyterian scholar, had gone to China as a missionary, and became very proficient in the Chinese language, probably Mandarin. His superiors commissioned him to translate the Notes of ?The Scofield Bible? into Chinese. Half-way through this assignment, he discovered that these Notes were not based on Scripture - but on ?inferences.? As a man of integrity he approached his superiors and resigned his commission in the light of his new-found convictions. ?Through Tribulation?: by H.A. Baker was probably written in the early 1930's. One of the best books ever written on ?The Rapture.? This book is very rare. On a ?Google-Search? under H.A. Baker, and on page 2, see [PDF] ?Under His Wings?, the autobiography of our author, made available to us by his great grandson, Elisha James Baker, August 2008. During his College days in the Midwest, H.A. Baker excelled as the lead on his debating team, and won many debates with other colleges. As you read ?Through Tribulation?, you will see debating skills come forth as he exposes the grave fallacy of the ?Secret Rapture? teaching. I came across his writings as a new convert in 1944, and possess most of his writings. JAW. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Feb 24 14:18:59 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:18:59 -0800 Subject: Through Tribulation - Chapter I - H.A. Baker Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 24, 2012 *2012-02-24 - THROUGH TRIBULATION - Chapter I - H.A. Baker* *THE GOSPELS, THE BOOK OF ACTS,* *THE EPISTLES AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION* *ALL TEACH THAT THE RETURN OF CHRIST* *WILL BE AT THE END OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION AFTER THE* *1) REIGN OF THE ANTICHRIST AND AFTER* *2) UNPRECEDENTED PHYSICAL DISTURBANCES OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.* *A. CHRIST, IN THE GOSPELS, TAUGHT THAT TWO SERIES OF EVENTS* *WOULD PRECEDE HIS COMING.** (* The method followed in this study is as follows: *1*. Each main heading is a PROPOSITION founded on scripture. 2. Immediately below the main proposition follow other *propositions*, also founded on scripture further corroborating the main proposition. 3. Next in order is the scripture proof-text which should show the correctness of the preceding propositions. 4. The scripture text is next followed by ?Notes? which consist of personal comments relating to the foregoing topic. 5. The *black-faced type* in the scripture quotations are the special proof-texts of the preceding propositions. This black-faced part of the quotations may be read, if so desired, without taking time to read the attendant context, printed in ordinary type. 6. Scripture quoted is from the American Standard Version of 1901.) (1) The reign of the anti-Christ during the concluding years of earth's tribulation must *precede* the Lord's return. Christ said that wars and rumors of wars must come, ?but the end is not yet.? There must first be the definite signs that conclude the great tribulation, one being the abomination of desolation prophesied by Daniel. Jesus stated that His coming would be *after* the tribulation of those days, the days of the anti-Christ. (2) Before Jesus comes there will be also the second series of events, ?signs in sun and moon and stars - the roaring of the sea and billows - when the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.? *Proof Text: the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?* *wars and rumors of wars;* *the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel, the prophet, ... then shall be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now; no, nor ever shall be.* *But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:* *the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matt. 24:3-6, 15, 21, 29, 30.* *be great earthquakes,* *great signs from heaven* *the roaring of the sea and the billows;* *powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Luke 21:11, 25, 26* *Note: *Jesus disciples asked him a plain question, ?What shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?? Jesus gave a plain and one hundred per cent clear answer: ?There shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world ... immediately *after* the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken; and *then* ... they shall see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.? To avoid this clear statement of Jesus to His disciples that His coming would be at the end of the tribulation and *after* the disturbances in heaven and on earth, Darby by his system of ?inference,? and by ?inference? alone, said that here Jesus was talking to Jewish disciples and all this applied to the Jews alone and has nothing to do with us, or Gentile believers. Was not this group of disciples to whom Jesus was speaking the same group to whom the Lord gave the great commission to preach the gospel to all the world? Does that have nothing to do with us? Were only the Jews to preach the gospel? Did not many of these same Jewish disciples write books of the New Testament? Were these revelations to the Jews to be the commands and promises to the Jews alone? The promise of the Holy Spirit was made to the Jewish disciples, was it for the Jews alone? Surely any unprejudiced mind must see that here Jesus was talking to His disciples as representatives of all the disciples to follow, whether Jew or Gentile, for in Christ there is no distinction. To whom was this command and promise, to Jew or Gentile disciples: ?Go you, therefore, and teach all nations ... and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.? Who was to ?Go,? only the Jews? With whom would the Lord be present in this preaching? Only the Jews? Who was to do this preaching to the nations till the ?end of the world,? Jews? Gentiles? Was this great promise of the Lord's blessing to only the Jews? Were not *all*disciples, all true Christians, of the church age to preach to all the world? Was not Jesus by His Holy Spirit to be with *all* disciples Jew or Gentile - all members of His true church wherever they worked till the ?end of the world?? In the same way and to the same group represented of all disciples for all the age as was the commission and promise given, was the information given by Jesus that His coming would be *after* the great tribulation ended and the heavens and earth were shaken and the stars fell. In all fairness, is it not like this: Jesus told His disciples, without distinguishing Jew or Gentile, to preach to all the world to the end of the world and promised to be with them in this preaching till the end of the world, and when they asked Him when the ?end? would be (that would end all preaching) He unqualifiedly replied that the end would be after the great tribulation. In all this Jesus very evidently included all disciples in general without race distinction. He did not say or hint that he meant all or any of this for the Jews alone. Darby by ?inference,? without one definite statement from the scripture to support him, said the *Jews alone*. Here we have it: Jesus definite statement, unqualified; Darby's contrary ?inference.? Since the disciples of Christ were to preach the gospel till ?the end of the world,? and since Jesus said that ?the end of the world would be *after*the greatest tribulation and *after* the physical disturbances of heaven and earth, and since the disciples of Christ, without distinction between Jew and Gentile constitute His Church, it follows that the Church will be on earth witnessing till ?the end of the world? *after* the great tribulation. *B. THE HOLY SPIIRT IN THE ACTS AND EPISTLES TEACHES THAT THE COMING OF JESUS WILL BE PRECEDED BY THESE TWO EVENTS.* *(1) *Here we read, in the first place, that Jesus' coming will not be until after ?the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,? the anti-Christ, whose reign will be during the concluding years of the great tribulation. *(2) *The Holy Spirit says that, in the second place, the coming of Christ will also be preceded by physical disturbances in heaven and upon earth: ?wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath - blood and fire and vapor of smoke; that sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes.? *Proof Text: coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him;* *as that day of the Lord is just at hand;* *it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; he that opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God, or that is worshiped;* *And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of his coming. 2 Thess. 2:1-8.* *wonders in the heaven above, *and* signs on the earth beneath;* *the sun shall be turned into darkness. *And* the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord. Acts 2:19, 20* *Note: *Here we quote again Paul's definite statement about the time of the Lord's return: ?Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him ... it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, he that opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God, or that is worshiped.? Here Paul definitely says that no one is to believe a contrary teaching about the time of the coming of Christ, even though it claims to be a special revelation given by a ?spirit.? He warns, ?Let no man beguile you in any wise, ?for,? as he goes on to say, ?the coming of Christ will not be ... ?except ... the man of sin be revealed? (the anti-Christ). Here is clear, definite statement that would appear sufficient to settle the question for any unprejudiced mind. Was Paul talking about *two* comings of the Lord, or one coming? He said that ?it,? that day (singular), will not come, except - etc. What did Darby say? He said that ?the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him? was one coming of the Lord *before* the reign of the man of sin, the anti-Christ, and that ?the day of the Lord? mentioned in this connection is another coming of Christ *after* the man of sin, the anti-Christ, comes. ?Inference.? Wholly ?inference.? Hand the Bible to any man, woman or child who knows nothing about the question discussed and ask such a one whether the writer of these verses is talking about *one* coming of Christ, or *two*. Ask whether or not, after reading these and preceding verses in the chapter above, it is not apparent that the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the same as the ?day of the Lord.? Will not ten out of ten such readers answer that Paul is talking about *one* event and that the day of the Lord and the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ are that same day? Try this on an unprejudiced reader and see. Were Paul talking about *two* events would he not have taken pains to make it clear, since he was definitely writing this to the Thessalonians to clear up some confusion they had in their minds? If he meant *two* when apparently he indicated but *one* coming of Christ, would he not have been adding confusion to confusion, rather than clearing up a question already confused? What say you? I say, yes. It is in place here to refer to another of Darby's ?inferences? in this connection. Paul said that there was something that hindered the manifestation of the ?man of sin? and that until this hindrance was removed, the man of sin would not appear, he who is also called ?the lawless one,?: at the head of the ?mystery of lawlessness.? By pure ?inference,? without even a hint in scripture as to what this hindrance was, Darby declared that this hindrance is the Church. Therefore, Darby said, since this hindrance was the Church and since this hindrance had to be removed before the appearance of the man of sin, the anti-Christ, the Church will be raptured before the so-called great tribulation under the anti-Christ. But where is there any scripture-statement that this hindrance is the Church? Who can prove by even ?inference? that there could be no other that the Church to hinder? Nearly all the world has been heathen to the present day. In the society and the governments of the greater part of the world the church has had very little, if any, noticeable influence. How about China? How about India? How about the tribes of Africa? How about South America? Here is a whole continent shut away from light by the nominal church. Who can show from the Bible, or from history, that it is the Church that has restrained and still hinders lawlessness from running its full course? Satan is the prince of this world; he would have destroyed it long ago, or at least, made it all his, had it not been for the restraining hand of God, who over-rules all. God's power and ways of restraining evil and saying, ?Thus far and no further,? are not now, nor ever were confined to the Church of the New Testament. How about pre-church days of Old Testament time? The Bible does definitely make some statements in comparing the power of the church and that of the anti-Christ. It says: ?And it was given unto (the beast, the anti-Christ), to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues and nations.? Rev. 13:7. We missionaries did not keep the lawless, godless communists out of China. They ran us out. The church in China could not ?hinder? them. They are hindering the church. *C. THE BOOK OF REVELATION ALSO TEACHES THAT THE LORD'S RETURN WILL BE PRECEDED BY THESE TWO SERIES OF EVENTS.* *(1) *Revelation teaches that the first series of events that will take place during the final years of the great tribulation will precede the coming of the Lord, for all the events of the ?six seals? must take place before Jesus' returns. The things under these seals end the great tribulation. *(2) *The second series of events - the physical disturbances in heaven and earth - must also precede the Lord's return, for after the ?sixth seal,? or ending with the sixth seal, ?was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair while the moon became as blood and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth.? These disturbances just precede the great day of ?the wrath of the Lamb,? the return of Christ. *Proof Test: opened one of the seven seals, and - forth conquering, and to conquer.* *he opened the second seal, - peace from the earth.* *he opened the third seal, - a measure of wheat for a shilling and three measures of barley for a shilling;* *he opened the fourth seal, - a black horse, - his name was Death; - the fourth part of the earth to kill with a sword, and with famine and with death,* *opened the fifth seal, - had been slain for the word of God, - their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed,* *he opened the sixth seal, - a great earthquake; - sun became black - moon became as blood; - stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, - heaven was removed as a scroll when it is - every mountain and island were moved out of their places. - kings of the earth - princes, chief captains, - the rich - the strong, - every bondman - free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? Rev. 6:1-17.* *Note: *Darby and his school started another line of argument by ?inference? regarding the book of Revelation. He said that since the Church is not definitely mentioned after the fourth chapter of Revelation it must, therefore, have been translated by rapture before the events that will take place according to the following chapters of this book. But the Church is not definitely mentioned in some of the epistles. To be consistent with Darby's line of ?inference,? must we believe then, that Paul and Peter and John wrote these epistle to churches that were not on earth? We know by a better ?inference? that there was the Church on earth to whom these epistles were written, for they were written to ?believers,? and it is ?believers? who constitute the Church. Likewise, there are ?believers? all through the book of Revelation. Are not all ?believers? member of the Church, or body of Christ, till the day He returns to set up His kingdom? Must not all true believers be born again of the Holy Spirit to see the kingdom of God? When born of the Holy Spirit are they not then in the real Church? Then again, John was to write the book of Revelation to ?the seven churches.? Rev. 1:3, 4. That is the statement at the beginning of the book. At the end of the book we read: ?I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things *in the churches.? * Rev. 22:16. If all the book of Revelation did not concern the whole Church, why write it to the ?churches?? That the message of Revelation is to more that the seven churches is proven by the facts that the revelations of the things that ?must come to pass? as revealed to them did not come to pass in the days of these seven churches. Who will allow Darby's ?inference? to take from us all of Revelation but the first four chapters? This whole book of Revelation harmonizes with the outline of events in the gospels and epistles. The physical disturbances of the heavens and the earth being considered *as the last revealed events* just before the Lord's return, this book will be seen to present a series of views and partial views of scenes and events preceding and following the great day of the Lord's return in glory to judge and reign over all the world. Thus considered, the events of Revelation are not continued successive series but various pictures many of which might be partial views of differing events of the same time. Thus it will be seen that the judgments are followed by the *seventh seal, *the* seventh trumpet* and *seventh vial, *all of which usher in the return of Christ and the setting up of His eternal kingdom. *Conclusion: *Since messages of the book of Revelation were written to all ?the churches? and must apply to the Church, and since these messages indicate that the reign of the anti-Christ and the signs in the heavens will precede the coming of Jesus, the Church will, therefore, go through the great tribulation.* * *Replies:* Oregon pastor - What a needed teaching. Oregon Leader - I'm enjoying the Tribulation series. The Part A is very much like a teaching I heard from David Pawson of England. He is of your age group and an excellent Bible teacher. He reminds me of you. I've attached a teaching he does that coincides with Part A. I think you would be particularly interested in what he says about Darby. His family were in the Plymouth Brethren sect - some agreed with Darby and some did not. Anyway, if you have time, take a listen. B.C. National Leader, Teacher and Preacher: Thanks for this Jim. Very interesting. It is also illustrative of how important it is to study the Word with as few of man's preconceptions as possible. Though I have never delved in to study this subject at depth, just my general reading of the Word had left me to dismiss the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. Now I'll have to even question my mid-trib view! Canadian Leader: I found these two articles on the Rapture and Tribulation very encouraging, showing me that my understanding on these issues was scriptural. I have since the 1970's when I first heard that the rapture theory was not scriptural, and checked it out, and I found that Jesus told his disciples in Matt. 24 that first tribulation would come and then the angels would gather His Elect from the earth. Yet this false teaching is so prevalent in almost all denominations, that if it is brought up, in Bible studies, most think you are spreading heresy. For this reason I would like your permission to post these two articles on my web-site. Thanking you in advance. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Feb 27 12:04:42 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:04:42 -0800 Subject: Through Tribulation - Chapter 2 - H.A. Baker Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 27, 2012 *2012-02-26 - THROUGH TRIBULATION - Chapter 2 - H.A. Baker* *THROUGH TRIBULATION TO HEAVEN* *THE UNVARYING PRINCIPLE OF REDEMPTION* *A. THE SAINTS, THE CHURCH, SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO ESCAPE TRIBULATION * *BUT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM THROUGH GREAT TRIBULATION* The true saints of the true Church should not expect to escape tribulation. On the other hand, it is only through tribulation that they can enter the blessings of the kingdom. They will be beaten and led to judgment before kings and councils. Brother will deliver brother to death, and the father his child. Unbelieving children will deliver their Christian parents to death, and the true saints will be hated of all men. Beholding the suffering and patience of the prophets, he who like them endures suffering in patience ?until the coming of the Lord,? will be blessed. The world hated Christ and persecuted Him. In the world we, too, will have tribulation. The servant is not above his lord. Except a man bear a cross and be willing to renounce all that he has - father, mother, sister, brother, children - and willing to suffer and give his life in death, he cannot be Christ's perfect disciple. He will be a joint heir with Christ in glory if he now be a partaker with Him in suffering. After we have suffered with Him, then will we be perfected, established, and strengthened to rejoice with Him at the revelation of His glory. This path of entering the kingdom through suffering is the path that all the saints of old have trod. It is the road over which all the saints of the present must pass. Paul having been persecuted, scourged, stoned, and dragged about; having counted all things but loss and desiring to be crucified as was the Lord, was passing through trials on the way to the glories of the resurrection life from among the dead. Paul said that ?through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.? The saints of old, bound for the city whose builder and maker was God, and on the way to the resurrection had trials of mocking and scourgings, bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned and sawn asunder. They were tempted and slain. They were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, and were driven out to wander in deserts and mountains and caves and holes of the earth. Therefore we, their successors, encompassed about by all these witnesses must enter their kingdom and share their glory by passing over the same road of suffering they have gone. By the same process as the Lord used in days of old will we be perfected in following the same Perfecter who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross and all shame and has now sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. *Proof text: Take heed that no man lead you astray.* *For they shall deliver you up to councils; ... you shall be beaten:* *And when they lead you to judgment, ... brother shall deliver up brother do death, and the father his child, and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death, ... you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endures to the end time shall be saved. Mark 13:4, 5, 9-13.* *- an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets ... them blessed that endured. James 5:7-10, 11.* *- in me, you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation: ... John 16:33* *- some of them ... shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, ... to make them white, ... to the time of the end. Daniel 11:35.* *- Many shall purify themselves, ... make themselves white, ... be refined; ... Daniel 12:10* *- the world hated you. ... A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. John 15: 19-20.* *- any man ... take up his cross, ... whoever would save his life shall lose it: Matt. 16:24-25.* *- man comes ... hates not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters; yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. .. not bear his own cross, ... cannot be my disciple. ... whoever he be ... that renounces not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26, 27-33.* *- joint heirs with Christ: ... suffer with him ... be also glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17.* *- you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, ... at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13.* *- we are to suffer affliction; 1 Thess. 3:4. ... the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world ... after that you have suffered ... shall himself perfect, establish and strengthen you. 1 Peter 5:8-10.* *- Antioch ... Iconium: ... stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead ... exhorting them ... and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. ... I count all things to be loss ... I* *suffered the lost of all things, ... that I may gain Christ. Acts 14:19-22; Phil. 3:8.* *- power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, ... death; ... I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. Phil. 3:10-11.* *- longsuffering, ... patience, persecutions, sufferings; ... persecutions I endured: and out of them all the Lord delivered me. ... all that would live godly ... shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3:11-13.* *- dead by a resurrection: and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance: ... better resurrection: ... trial of mockings and scourgings, ... bonds and imprisonment: ... stoned, ... sawn asunder, ... slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated; ... wandering in deserts and mountain and caves and the holes of the earth. Heb. 11:35-38.* *- Therefore ... let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus ... for the joy ... endured the cross, despising the shame; ... sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb. 12:1-2.* *Note: * Saints who have gone before us were kept in times of tribulation, as great tribulation as ever could come to man. Daniel was kept from the lions, and his friends were kept through the fiery furnace. So also were the children of Israel kept during the plagues of Egypt. The prophets were kept during great tribulation in Old Testament days until their testimony was complete. In New Testament days the apostles and prophets and saints of God were kept. Paul and Silas in prison and Peter also in prison were kept and delivered. Of course, the real saints of God have always suffered in this evil world that the devil has made a world of great tribulation; but, the true saints suffer no more and no less that is the will of God, so long as they are yielded to His whole will. They suffer only as much as is best for their own spiritual development and for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Until their work is finished the true saints will continue their witness in spite of any and all tribulation. When their work is done and their testimony is complete, the Lord will take them home, perhaps by a martyr's death. But, even so, not a hair of their head will perish, for body and spirit are perfectly and eternally saved in Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Thus the saints are kept safe before death, at the time of death, and through the resurrection after death. A wide-spread theory that there is to be a final group of saints under the reign of anti-Christ, called ?tribulation saints? is one of the many ?inferences? started by Darby and his Plymouth Brethren. As a matter of history the true saints of God have been ?tribulation saints? ever since there have been saints on earth. The spirit of the anti-Christ has always been here, too. The last years of earth will be an intensifying of what has already been experienced - not something new, but more of the *old*. *B. THE SAINTS WILL BE KEPT THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION* The Lord will keep His saints through all of earth's great tribulation. Jesus prayed not that the Father should take His disciples *out* of the world by a rapture to heaven. On the contrary, He sent them *into* the world to endure its tribulation, during which they would be kept from Satan and his powers. The saints will be kept in the days of tribulation, for Jesus' prayer is certain of an answer. With temptations and trials God, who is faithful, will make a way of escape. In times of temptation and tribulation He will deliver His people from the snare and pestilence and the arrows that fly by day and the terror by night. He will give His angels charge over His saints to keep them in all of their ways in any tribulation. *Proof text: ... you should keep them from the evil ... God is faithful ... John 17:15; 1 Cor. 10:13.* *- under the shadow of the Almighty. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, ... You shall not be afraid ... for the arrow ... he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. Psalm 91:3, 5, 11.* *- For I will give you a mouth of wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. ... there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess your souls. Luke 21:15-19.* *Note: *That the church should go through all of earth's age-long great tribulation is consistent with the unvarying principle of God's dealing with His children. Every son He receives He scourges. The saints in all past ages have entered the kingdom of God through great tribulation and suffering. From the day Abel was murdered to the day of the last Old Testament martyr, what was the experience of the prophets and holy men of God if not a march to glory over the rough road of great tribulation? On what road to glory did the apostles and holy men in New Testament days, from the murder of Stephen on, travel, if not the great tribulation road that passed through martyrs' graves? If not through great tribulation, by what road was it the saints from the first to the present century have come on down? Read *?Fox's Book of Martyrs?* and you will know. For thirty years in Russia, and longer in South America, and right now in China and all red countries are the best of saints bing caught away from great tribulation, or are they in the furnace of fire, fire as hot as saints have ever seen? Read *?Total Terror,?* by Kalme, and tell me if there has been, or ever can be, worse torture and more intense suffering that that endured in our day by saints as good as ever have lived and as good, many of them, as ever will live. If any of these have been falsely taught that they would be caught away out of great tribulation, they have found their mistaken teaching. They are now caught *in it*. On what principle, then, should any present-day Christians be taught that the present Church is to be an exception and ?escape? any great tribulation? Looks strange. One-third of the world's population with its Christians already being chewed in the red dragon's mouth and the rest being drawn in, and yet we, who are still free, are to be a unique exception; they say! On what grounds are we to be an exception? Are we more virtuous than others - Daniel, the prophets, the apostles, the saints of all preceding ages? How would the present ease-loving non-cross-bearing, half-converted Church of our day feel over in glory-land after getting there on flowery beds of ease and then seeing the martyrs marching by? Would they not wish to return to earth and return again to heaven over the blood-saturated road the saints before have gone? *I *?infer? that all of Darby's ?inferences? about there being for *any*generation of saints any way to glory but the way of the cross through great tribulation are wrong ?inferences.? *Conclusion*: Since the Bible, from the beginning to end, teaches that suffering tribulation on the way to glory is the way saints of old have gone and saints in the future must go, the Church will go through the great tribulation to its end. *FINAL NOTE**: A friend of mine has alerted me to the thoroughly Biblical teaching of David Pauson of England. One of his teachings is on the Book of Revelation - and deals with the same subject above - namely: the time of the Rapture from a Biblical perspective. I was challenged with his presentation, and believe if any of you want another perspective on what H. A. Baker is presenting on the Tribulation - then this could be a clear help to you. I am adding it to this note so that if you wish, you may Download his CD presentation. His spirit is certainly in line with the Spirit of God. - Jim Watt* *BookofRevelationSeminar08of10.mp3* 23351K Play Download * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Feb 29 09:24:23 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:24:23 -0800 Subject: Marriage & Covenant! Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* February 29, 2012 (?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma - October 11, 2006)* *?MARRIAGE: BOTH A PARABLE & A COVENANT?* In our Western Culture, Separation and Divorce in marriage has reached proportions that often show little difference in statistics either within or without the church. How could such a state of events come to pass? First of all because of ignorance of God?s point of view on this. And secondly ? because in America we have lost our understanding of the distinction between mental belief and discipleship. Look for instance at the high calling of a man and woman into marriage as outlined in Ephesians 5:21-33. When a man and woman take the solemn vows of living together as husband and wife, they are illustrating as one flesh ? what Christ is to His church as ?one spirit?. Everything Moses acted out by God?s command as he recorded in Genesis through Deuteronomy, was a shadow or type of the New Covenant to come ? as Christ would fulfill it. Because Christ would die but once for the remission of our sins ? Moses broke this type by striking the rock a second time. Because he failed to honor God before Israel in correctly acting out the type, he and Aaron lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. Joshua took Moses? place for this honor. So what does God think when married couples break the type and shadow pointing to Christ and His church ? by so easily settling for divorce? On this JESUS IS ADAMANT: Saving for the cause of fornication -- illegal sex outside of the marriage relationship ? there can be no divorce in the eyes of God. Fornication includes adultery, the illegal act of homosexuality, bestiality, and all other acts of perversion. For such, divorce is permissible. So, marriage as a parable according to the above passage of Scripture, makes it far more highly important than most of us are aware of. But ? what of marriage as a Covenant? Some years ago, just preceding his second marriage, Derek Prince wrote a book entitled, ?The Marriage Covenant.? It is a pity that this book is not more widely known and practiced. For Covenant is one of the 4 great Words of the Old Testament. To understand it (B?rith) plus ?Chesed? ? ?Covenant Love? or Grace or Mercy ? would completely transform our thinking on this matter ? and enable our mind to be renewed and come into conformity with the thinking of God. ?Chesed? ? or Covenant Love ? is the glue that holds the Marriage Covenant, and all other Covenants ? together. In Malachi 2 God talks first about the Covenant that He made with the Levites and Priests. He carries on in sharing His deep upset with their lifestyle. He says, You cry out, ?Why has the LORD abandoned us?? I?ll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made with each other on your wedding day when you were young. But you have been disloyal to her, though she remained your faithful companion, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn?t the LORD make you one with your wife? In *body * and in *spirit* YOU ARE HIS. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard yourself; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16?FOR I HATE DIVORCE!? says the LORD, the God of Israel. ?It is as cruel as putting on a victim?s bloodstained coat,? says the LORD Almighty. ?So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife? (Malachi 2:14-16). And of course in our enlightened culture with equality of the sexes ? the same words today apply to the wife for her loyalty to her husband! One might say ? ?But that is Old Testament, and we are freed from law and are under grace.? Oh? But the moral law contained in the Old Testament has been repeated by Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament! And Jeremiah states that God will make a New Covenant with Israel, and write THE WORDS OF THE TORAH (the moral law) on our minds and hearts by the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit within us will live out through us the moral law in the spirit, which Israel could not keep under the Mosaic Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-40). And remember ? You and I who are non-Jews but Gentiles, have been grafted into Israel?s roots, and with them are ?One New Man? in Christ. Romans 9-11 clearly states these truths, and show that in God?s thinking the Church has not replaced Israel. Rather, because of the benefits the church has received through our Jewish Hebraic Roots ? we have the privilege of praying Israel who has returned in unbelief to their land ? into a nation to be born again in a day, and to receive Jesus as their Messiah ? the One they rejected 2000 years ago. Just how does the Marriage as a Covenant impinge upon us? We in the Western world have much to learn from the Middle East and from the Third World countries. Stanley found David Livingstone in Africa because of ?The Blood Covenant.? See E. W. Kenyon?s book with this title. Watkin Roberts demonstrated the power of this concept. God garnered this Welshman into His Kingdom during the Welsh Revival of 1904. He went to India as a missionary in 1910. In response to his gift of the Gospel of John to every Tribal Chieftain in Assam, Manipur and the other 3 NE Provinces of India, the Chieftain of the Senvon village of Assam invited him to come and tell his Hmar people more. A problem: the chieftain had taken 600 British heads in one day 40 years previously, and that part of India had been closed to all Europeans since 1870. Mr. Roberts however prevailed upon the Maharaja of Manipur in Imphal, to let him go to Senvon for 10 days. The first 7 days of his preaching was fruitless. His interpreter told him that if on the way in ? he hadn?t talked so much about Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London ? he, the interpreter, could have told him of the customs of his people, which would have served as Kingdom principles. As conditions existed, the people of Senvon hadn?t understood a thing the missionary had said during the first 7 days. Roberts humbled himself to his interpreter, and begged for help. ?Well?, said the interpreter, ?there?s not much time left, but here is one of the most significant customs of all the 300 tribes in these 5 Provinces. It is called ?The Border Crossing Sacrifice.? When tribes are not taking heads from outsiders, they are taking heads from one another. When one Chieftain tires of this, he goes to the border between the two warring tribes and signals the other chieftain by blowing a horn, or beating a drum. The message says, ?I?m tired of taking and losing heads. Are you too? Come meet me at the Border, and we?ll settle this thing.? ?If the other Chieftain agrees and responds, they come and face each other across the Border. Their elders flank them in a semi-circle, and do the palavering. Should a solution be agreed upon, they kill a sacrifice on the Border. The two Chiefs then reach down into the sacrificial blood, and smear one another with it. They then take a cup of wine, cut themselves in their wrists ? drip a few drops of their own blood into the wine, stir it, and both then drink of it. They then take a very solemn vow or oath, that if either breaks this Covenant, their own elders will do to them what happened to the Border Crossing sacrifice. They also exchange gifts.? Watkin Roberts shared the above story with the Village people that 8thnight. They immediately brightened up for the first time in 7 days. ?Oh, the missionary is getting smart,? they said. ?That?s a very good story! That?s exactly the way we do it!? For the first time they understood him. He then applied the story as a parable. The great God of Heaven who created all things: heaven and earth ? all living creatures including man ? has great sorrow in His heart, because mankind has moved away from Him. So without a drum sound or a horn ? He came to the border between God and man. There He sacrificed His only begotten Son. Then He blew the horn and beat the drum and announced: ?All who meet Me and embrace Me over the blood of My Son ? I will forgive him, restore him, and bring Him into my family again.? Five young men responded. Chawnga Pudaite, son of the chieftain, was one. He memorized much of the New Testament and taught it to his people. Today over 80% of the Hmar, his former head-hunting tribal people, have embraced God over Jesus, God?s Border Crossing Sacrifice. Within a few years, 15 other tribes were evangelized. Now consider the Marriage Covenant! A solemn vow is given by the groom to the bride, and then by the bride to the groom. On Saturday, October 7th, the 1st day of the Feast of Tabernacles, my grandson Seth heard me say, ?Seth, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together after God?s holy Ordinance, in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall live?? Seth answered, ?I will.? Then in turn Jennifer answered affirmatively to the same question. Then they solidified the above Question and Answer, by this exchange of vows, following the joining of their right hands: ?I Seth, take you Jennifer, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, To love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God?s holy ordinance; And to this I give you my pledge.? They then separated hands, and upon rejoining them, Jennifer repeated this vow to Seth. Often in a marriage ceremony Communion (Eucharist or the Lord?s Supper) is celebrated. This speaks of the Border Crossing Sacrifice. Then in a double ring ceremony, an exchange of rings takes place, with a further vow: ?With this ring I thee wed, And with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.? Next comes the Covenant Prayer of Confirmation: ?Lord, SEAL this Covenant Marriage with its exchange of rings, and with its exchange of vows. Let Your Blessing be upon this marriage. And may the LORD bless you and keep you: The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious unto you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.? (Before Stanley found Livingstone, he went through this with a Chieftain far south of Livingstone.) Then there is the ceremony of lighting the ?Unity Candle? from two servant candles, which are then put out, signifying that two lives have now become one flesh. The cutting of the wedding cake, sometimes done with a sword ? could signify the cutting of the Border Crossing Sacrifice. *NOTE: *My oldest grandson Seth and Jennifer his bride, asked if I would give the above as the Homily at their Wedding. Some would not know of the Solemnity and Importance of Marriage, and they felt it would be good for them to know. Others present would know, but perhaps it could deepen their understanding, or stir up their minds in remembrance. Many came up to me following the service to thank me for the enlightenment they received in seeing so clearly how Marriage is both a Solemn Parable and an Important Covenant. I had to tell them: ?You must thank the Bride and Groom ? It was at their request that I gave this Homily for their Wedding. They had read together Derek Prince?s ?The Marriage Covenant?, which we had previously given them as a gift. My wife Marie had lent them 8 other books on Marriage, of which they had already read four. THIS is the way to enter into the ?Halls of Highest Human Happiness? ? a Peter Marshall synonym for ?Marriage.? King Solomon agrees with Peter Marshall. In Ecclesiastes 9:9 (NLT) he says: ?Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God gives you in this world. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.? Both Marie and I believe that to enter into Marriage like Seth and Jennifer ? based on the above two-fold understanding ? is a wonderful foundation and safeguard. In our regular mailings ? we seldom mention personal or family matters. But I was so impressed at the request of Seth and Jennifer for the above Homily, that I felt it deserved an exception. Your friends ? Jim & Marie Watt P.S. Five of our grandsons were present for the above occasion. One of them had a question for me after the ceremony. ?Grandpa ? what has all the taking of those heads to do with marriage and a wedding ceremony?? I tried to tell him that the Border Crossing Sacrifice was an illustration of ?The Blood Covenant?. Marriage is a Covenant, and all covenants are based upon the Great Shedding of Blood by Jesus. Mel Gibson?s ?The Passion of the Christ? is apropos in this respect. The background of the Headhunting Hmar tribe of N.E. India was partly an illustration of Covenant, and the actual detail leading up to making a Covenant would not in Marriage be fully Germaine to the subject ? yet would be valid as the background of the illustration. His response was: ?I still don?t get the connection.? But at least it shows that this pre-teenager is a serious thinker! He will eventually take it in his stride. But just think how THIS will prepare him for his own marriage one day! Marie felt this P.S. would be an important addendum. J & M. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Mar 1 18:28:26 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 18:28:26 -0800 Subject: 7 Churches & 7 Nations Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 1, 2012 *(?TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt ? Beth Chesed, Tacoma - October 25, 2006)* *?7 CHURCHES & 7 NATIONS?* *EXPLANATION:* *OVERCOMING GOALS FOR THE 7 CHURCHES OF REVELATION * On a mailing dated October 21, 2006 and titled: ?12 Gates of the City & the 7 Creative Days?, I received a request: ?Would it be possible to enlarge on this theme?? I was about to respond that a ?Google? search would turn up quite a bit on this, when I ran across something I wrote in 1994 on this subject. Here ?tis! *EPHESUS: MUST OVERCOME THE HIVITE SELF-CENTERED LIFE ? DAY 1* There is a warning here! Alan Vincent of England states that the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is a prophetic word to Ephesus that did not find fulfillment. Ephesus failed. Her Candlestick was removed. She left her first love, did not act upon the warning of Jesus, and little trace of her can be found today in modern Turkey. God is yet awaiting a City Church that will arise, and meet the 7-fold challenge of this epistle. What light could have come to the world had the church of Ephesus arisen to the challenge? But the Hivite spirit of Selfishness and Self-centered living replaced the fire of her first love. Remember again the deadly aspects of Self-centered living: life focused on self; proud of self and self?s accomplishments; self-confidence; depending on self and one?s own abilities; affirming self; seeking to be acceptable to the world and its ways; looking at circumstances from a human perspective; selfish and ordinary living. And again consider what Ephesus could have returned to in Love: an expression of God-centered living; confidence in God; dependence on God and His ability and provision; life focused on God and His activity; humble before God; denying self; seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; seeking God?s perspective in every circumstance; holy and godly living. And what was the Holy Spirit?s goal for the church of Ephesus? Christ?s * Church*, with Himself as her life and Head; Christ?s *Body*, each member individually and corporately responding to its living Head; God?s *One New Man*, with no middle wall of division; the *Temple* of God, Jesus Christ the chief Corner-stone and Capstone; God?s *Building*, only gold and silver and precious stones; Christ?s *Bride*, loving, obeying and respecting Him; God?s *Army*, doing effective warfare against principalities, powers and all territorial spirits. Pray that the church of Jerusalem and all cities of the world may arise to this challenge. *O Father, we do pray that the church of the city in which we live will arise and fulfill the challenge that Ephesus failed in. We pray also for the peace of Jerusalem, and that the church of that city may become a realization of the Epistle to the Ephesians. In Jesus? Name, Amen.* *SMYRNA: MUST OVERCOME THE JEBUSITE SPIRIT OF ENVY ? DAY 2* In this week we are not only considering the 7 churches of Revelation 2 & 3, but also the 7 Canaanite nations of Deuteronomy 7:1, each required by God for Israel to DRIVE OUT and DESTROY. Each of these 7 nations represents the 7 ?Capital? or besetting sins of the human race. The Contemplative movement through St. John of the Cross showed the way to union with God through ?The Ascent to Mount Carmel? (purging oneself from all defilement of the flesh); and through ?The Dark Night of the Soul? (purging oneself from defilement of the spirit); and then perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:1, bringing union and communion with Christ). The Jebusite spirit of ENVY is worse than the capital sin of Hatred (Proverbs 27:4). Envy and Jealousy are twins: the former coveting the possessions of its owner; the latter coveting the characteristics and giftings of their owner. Both break the 10th Commandment of Exodus 20, and are not to be separated. They are twin marks of Covetousness. Smyrna was like the writer of Psalm 73: he coveted the prosperity of the wicked. Yet Jesus Christ had no word against her or Philadelphia, the only two without censure of the seven. Christ encouraged Smyrna in her tribulation and persecution. FAITHFULNESS to Christ in the midst of testing is the key to overcoming and approval. Look only to Jesus, NOT the status or experience of those who measure themselves against others (2 Corinthians 10:12-17). Instead, like Job, endure through testings, trusting God alone in His timing to vindicate and reveal His hidden purposes. The word of Jesus to Smyrna is a difficult but necessary word. He, who has ears, let him hear it. *Father, we trust and rest in Your help to overcome the sin of Envy. Walk THROUGH us the divine perfection of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Enable us to endure testing, and bring us through with flying colors. In Your Son?s Name, Amen.* *PERGAMUM: MUST OVERCOME THE GIRGASHITE SPIRIT OF PRIDE ? DAY 3* Revelation 2:12-17; Deuteronomy 7:1; Ezekiel 28:1-19 According to Charles G. Finney, the selfishness or self-will of Ephesus is the key sin: overcome here, and all else is a house of cards. The Pride of Pergamum is the key sin that led to the fall of Lucifer into Satan. And it is here in Pergamum, the city of Pride, where we again find Satan?s throne. Martyrdom unto death is also found here. Satanism and sexual license are found hand in hand ? so it is not surprising to find the sin of Balaam here too. And there is yet MORE sin ? that of the Nicolaitans, who encouraged idolatry and sexual sin. The Girgashites are the least known in their origins among the 7 Canaanitish nations mentioned in Deuteronomy 7:1. The capital sin of Pride identified with this nation is subtle. It is a *religious spirit*. It is like the smile of Leonardo da Vinci?s ?Mona Lisa?, who seems to intimate the knowledge of a secret unknown to others. People infected with this spirit count all others as of lesser spirituality to themselves. It leads those seduced and deluded by this spirit to become rebellious, above rules and laws that govern others; divisive, strange, peculiar, doing odd things brought on by inner voices that bring reproach to the Gospel. Those who lend their beings to the control of the religious spirit of pride of the Girgashites, believe they alone are truly led of the Holy Spirit. Like Saul of Tarsus before conversion, even the killing of Christians is thought to be serving God. Killing babies, homicides, suicides, are often instigated by this evil spirit. As Satan was a liar and murderer from the beginning, so those who follow the prideful Girgashite, act like those of Pergamum. Yet thank God, Overcomers are in this church also! *Lord, help us to remember that we are ALL open to deception and pride. GUARD us against this subtle sin. Amen* *THYATIRA: MUST OVERCOME THE AMORITE SPIRIT OF LUST ? DAY 4* 1 Kings 16:29 ? 19:4; 21:1-29; 2 Kings 9:1-37 William Barclay gives an excellent geographical and historical background on each of these 7 churches. G. Campbell Morgan sets forth these 7 churches in a helpful and practical manner in his book on this subject. Thyatira means ?Perfume out of Bruising?. There was good coming out of this church that pleased the Lord, but it was a mixture. Along with the good were terrible and grave excesses. Chief among these was the false prophetess Jezebel who the chief apostle and pastor permitted to function and poison the church. Just as Queen Jezebel poisoned Israel through weak and compliant King Ahab, so this evil woman poisoned the church of Thyatira because of the weakness and compliance of the chief pastor. Why do men having the authority suffer themselves to be deceived, deluded and contaminated? Elijah and the Apostle Paul were not of this spirit. It takes an Ahab to make possible a Jezebel. False prophecy has no effect in a church when the leadership is functioning as Prophet, Priest and King in families and churches. But when Patriarchy becomes Matriarchy because men like Ahab abdicate their responsibility, then the situation found in Thyatira becomes possible. Usually women resent being forced by abdicating husbands to take the leadership in the home and church. They much prefer their men to be ?men?. But there are these odd women with ambition and drive who thrive on a weak Ahab. God help the family and church where this takes place. It is usually accompanied with sexual excess, adultery and perversion. Sometimes a man can have a Jezebel spirit, as was evidenced in the 80?s in a large church in Seattle. Thank God again, in spite of the Amorite spirit of LUST (spiritual connections), such a church still has Overcomers! *Father, in our homes and churches, make our men ? MEN; let them function as Prophet, Priest and King; let their wives as co-heirs of God?s grace function as Prophetess, Priestess and Queen. Break the spirit of Ahab and Jezebel, and set us free, in Jesus? Name. Amen.* *SARDIS: MUST OVERCOME THE PERIZZITE SPIRT OF APATHY ? DAY 5* Revelation 3:1-6; Deuteronomy 7:1; Ephesians 5:8-17 Jesus could find nothing good to say about Sardis or Laodicea. What deception and delusion existed in Sardis! All the time they saw themselves in Life, the Lord saw them in Death and Darkness. In such self-deception, a spirit of paralysis seems to take over. It takes intercession on the part of others to blast through this spirit of error, so that anointed eyes can see the true situation of ?apathy? as the Lord sees it. Better to find out now if rugged repentance is necessary in the light of grave deception, than to appear before the Lord at His Judgment Seat, unprepared for His devastating words: You have been weighed in the balance, and found wanting! *Apathy* is a binding, blinding sin. ?Blasting?, on the part of loving, concerned intercessors, alone seems to break through. This is an occasion for extra sadness, because suddenly the Lord comes in judgment as a thief in the night. Those who walk in the Light avoid this irremediable judgment. Rufus Moseley points out the aggressive solution: Learn to abide in Jesus, to remain in union with Him! Choose to manifest Him only in all situations as the Spirit of Love; Cleave to His Freedom which is released to all disciples who walk joyfully in His Word! Gandhi, a non-Christian, advised Christians how to make their faith work in other countries: Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them, in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people. *O Lord, help us to humble ourselves, and profit from the insight of even non-professing Christians ? that pride and apathy might be broken in our lives. Amen.* *PHILADELPHIA: MUST OVERCOME THE HITTITE SPIRIT OF ANGER ? DAY 6* Our dispensational friends tend to see this church and Laodicea jointly representing the end of this age. There is a weak church, namely Philadelphia; but one which is enabled by grace to accomplish God?s purposes in her day. Then there is a section of the church almost completely inundated with materialism, humanism, New Ageism and pleasure: namely Laodicea. Philadelphia, the city of brother-love, has no word against its church by her Lord. Weak, yes; but a little strength; and by the Lord?s enabling grace, entering into the open doors of God. John Dawson speaks of overcoming a besetting sin by operating in the opposite spirit. In one Argentine city of pride, the American team knelt before them Arab style in the public square. This act of humility broke the opposite spirit of pride, and opened the door to effective evangelism. So in Philadelphia ? the opposite spirit of brotherly love broke down the Hittite spirit of anger. This is a paradox, but the pragmatic test is: it works! Try it with individuals or groups, large or small, and this principle usually comes through with flying colors. And what of our enemies, in our weakened condition? It is the Lord Himself who on our behalf causes our enemies to bow before us. Gentile Christians are not Jews, though many through a false ?Replacement Theology? position think they are. But, just ask a Jew! Or, ask God in the light of Romans 11 and many other Scripture passages. Such a position is error and deception, even though tenaciously defended. `And note: not a word of censure by Jesus against this church, a church of humility, brotherly love and perseverance out of weakness. Let us too cleave in faithfulness to Jesus. *O Lord, You alone are the Light of our life, the Love of our soul, the Life of our walk. We cleave to You alone, and in total trust say, ?Manifest through us continually the Balance and Beauty of Yourself.?* *LAODICEA: MUST OVERCOME THE CANAANITE SPIRIT OF GREED ? DAY 7* * *It is sad to think that the last word to these 7 churches should end on such a depressing note. But Realism is better than living in a fool?s paradise, and this but serves as a warning to us. Romans chapter 1 is the potential for every church that walks in the flesh, but not after the Spirit. It is a warning to every individual also. It behooves us to walk softly and humbly before our God, lest we end up and receive from Him a word like unto Laodicea, with nothing at all good to say about us! The Canaanite spirit of greed is one of barter, merchandising, profits, material gain, security in this life, provision for this life alone with no practical though of spiritual verities and life?s tomorrow. The book of Proverbs calls such an individual or church, Fool! And our country of America is so full of this spirit of materialism and greed! G. Campbell Morgan warns us: ?Watch the world; what it is emphasizing today will be operating in the church within 10 years!? Can we not spot this truth? See our low conscience in the church concerning TV violence and lust; see our disdain concerning those who put the Kingdom of God and His righteousness ahead of our own interests; and look at our permissive view concerning school education, abortion, euthanasia, child and woman abuse; new ageism; the occult. Our conscience is dulled and even seared by permissiveness. Religious leaders of Jesus? day sneered at Him for holding up an ideal contrary to their Laodicean spirit of greed and materialism. This century God had to rebuke the world through a Gandhi, who freed a nation from exploitation through upholding the idea of Truth-force and love. *O Lord, protect us from the subtle influence of greed and materialism of the church of Laodicea. Grant us the anointing of the Holy Spirit to see as You see, and Your power and help to choose what pleases You!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Mar 2 10:01:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 10:01:12 -0800 Subject: City Church & Eldership Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 2, 2012 *C. MATURITY - CITY CHURCH & ELDERSHIP - May 26, 2011* *1. MATTHEW 16:18 (16:13-20) THE CHURCH: BELONGS TO JESUS.* f. 16:18 JESUS REVEALS THE FOUNDATION AND TRIUMPH OF HIS CHURCH *And I also say unto you, that you are Peter,* ka' 'G*O* DE soi LEg*o*, HOti su ei PEtros [4074], *and upon this :rock I will build my :church* kai ePI TAUt*e* t*e* PEtra [4073] oi-ko-doM*E*s*o* [3618] mou t*e*n ek-kl*e*SIan [1577] *and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.* kai PUlai [4439] HAdou [86] ou ka-tiSCHUsou-sin [2729] auT*E*S. g. 16:19 THE AUTHORITY JESUS DELEGATES TO PETER AND DISCIPLES *I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatever you shall bind on the earth* D*O*s*o* soi tas KLEIdas [2807] t*e*s ba-siLEIas [932] t*o*n ou-raN*O*N; kai ho eAN D*E*s*e*s [1210] ePI t*e*s g*e*s *shall be bound in the heavens; and whatever you shall loose* EStai de-deMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS; kai ho eAN LUs*e*s [3089] *on the earth shall be loosed in the heavens.* ePI t*e*s g*e*s EStai le-luMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS. Here we see the first of 114 references to the word ?church?. Again, the rules of pedagogy cause us to consider carefully the insights from this first reference. The church was purchased by Christ by His blood. Therefore *we belong* to Him! And the ?counsels? of hell will *not* prevail against Christ's Church! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. MATTHEW 18:15-17 THE CHURCH: SOLVES INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS.* 4. 18:15-17 THREE STAGES IN RESTORING A BROTHER a. 18:15 HOW TO GAIN A SINNER: SEEK TO WIN HIM ALONE *And if your :brother sin, go,* E-AN de ha-marT*E*s*e* ho a-delPHOS sou, HUpa-ge, *reprove him between you and him alone:* Eleg-xon auTON me-taXU sou kai auTOU MOnou: *if he hear you, you have gained your :brother.* eAN sou aKOUs*e*, eKERd*e*-sas [2770] ton a-delPHON sou. b. 18:16 *ONLY* BRING OTHERS IN IF FIRST STEP FAILS. *But if he hear not, take with you one or two more,* eAN de m*e* aKOUs*e*, paRAla-be [3880] meTA sou Eti HEna *e* DUo, *that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word stand.* HIna ePI STOma-tos DUo marTUron [3144] e triON staTHE pan 'REma [4487]. c. 18:17 ONLY TAKE DRASTIC THIRD STEP IF FIRST TWO FAIL *And if he refuse to hear them, tell the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also,* eAN de pa-raKOUs*e* [3878] auT*O*N, eiPON t*e* ek-kl*e*SIa: eAN de kai t*e*s ek-kl*e*SIas pa-raKOUs*e*, *let him be to you as the Gentile and the publican.* ESt*o* soi H*O*Sper ho eth-niKOS [1482] kai ho teL*O*n*e*s [5057]. This is the *second* reference to *church*. Here is a 4-fold manner in which to solve interpersonal problems - and according to Jesus - this is the *only* way for NT observant believers to solve such problems! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. ACTS 13:1-3 THE CITY CHURCH: HAS AN ELDERSHIP IN ITS GATE.* XV. 13:1-14:28 SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH EXTENSION A. 13:1-3 THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MISSIONS a. 13:1 PROPHETS AND TEACHERS AT ANTIOCH *Now in the church that was at Antioch were prophets* *E*san de en An-ti-oCHEIa kaTA t*e*n OUsan ek-kl*e*SIan proPH*E*tai [4396] *and teachers, both :Barnabas and Symeon :called Niger,* kai diDAska-loi [1320], ho te BarNAbas kai Su-me*O*N ho kaLOUme-nos NIger, *and Lucius of Cyrene, *kai LOUki-os ho Ku-r*e*NAIos, *and Manaen foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.* Ma-na*E*N te H*e*R*O*dou tou teTRAar-chou SUNtro-phos, kai SAUlos. b. 13:2 WORSHIP AND FASTING RELEASES THE HOLY SPIRIT *And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,* lei-tourGOUNt*o*n [3008] de auT*O*N t*o* KuRI*o*, kai n*e*-steuONt*o*n [3522], *the Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and Saul* EIpen to PNEUma to HAgi-on, A-phoRIsa-te [873] d*e* moi ton BarNAban kai SAUlon *for the work unto which I have called them.* eis to ERgon ho proSKEkl*e*-mai [4341] auTOUS. c. 13:3 MISSIONARY COMMISSIONING *Then, having fasted *TOte, n*e*STEUsan-tes *and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.* kai pro-seuXAme-noi [4336] kai e-piTHENtes tas CHEIras auTOIS, aPElu-san. Each City Church in NT times had its Eldership in the Gate of its city, just as did Bethlehem in the OT. The 5-fold Eldership of prophets and teachers waited on God - had the Word of the Spirit - fasted - and *obeyed*the Word of the Spirit. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. ACTS 15:22-26 (15:1-35) THE CHURCH & ELDERSHIP: JOINT DECISION.* 2. 15:22-29 SCRIPTURAL ACTION FOLLOWING A DECISION a. 15:22-26 DELEGATES SENT WITH THIS CONCLUSION *Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church,* TOte Edo-xe tois a-poSTOlois kai tois pres-buTErois, sun HOl*e* t*e* ek-kl*e *SIa, *to choose men out from them,* e-kle-xaMEnous ANdras ex auT*O*N, *and send them to Antioch with :Paul and Barnabas: * PEMpsai eis An-tiOchei-an sun t*o* PAUl*o* kai BarNAba: *Judas :called Barsabbas, and Silas,* IOUdan ton kaLOUme-non Bar-sabBAN, kai SIlan, *chief men among the brethren: 23 and they wrote by their hand, * ANdras h*e*-gouMEnous {2233] en tois a-delPHOIS: GRApsan-tes [1125] diA cheiROS auT*O*N, *The apostles and the elder brethren to the brethren* Hoi aPOsto-loi kai hoi presBUte-roi a-delPHOI tois *who are of the nations in :Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:* kaTA t*e*n An-tiOchei-an kai SuRIan kai Ki-liKIan a-delPHOIS tois ex ethN*O*N, CHAIrein: *24 Forasmuch as we have heard that certain from among us* E-peiD*E* *e*KOUsa-men HOti tiNES ex h*e*M*O*N *have troubled you with words, subverting your :souls;* eTAra-xan [5015] huMAS LOgois, e-na-skeuAzon-tes [384] tas psuCHAS huM*O*N; *to whom we gave no commandment; 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord,* hois ou di-e-steiLAme-tha [1291]; Edo-xen h*e*MIN, ge-noMEnois ho-mo-thu-maDON [3661], *to choose out men *e-kle-xaMEnois ANdras *and send them unto you with our :beloved Barnabas and Paul,* PEMpsai pros huMAS sun tois a-ga-p*e*TOIS h*e*M*O*N BarNAba kai PAUl*o*, *26 men that have hazarded their :lives* anTHR*O*pois pa-ra-de-d*o*KOsi [3860] tas psuCHAS auT*O*N *for the name of our :Lord Jesus Christ.* huPER tou oNOma-tos tou KuRIou h*e*M*O*N I*e*SOU ChrisTOU. Probably no greater controversy arose in the early church but that caused by the ?Judaizers?. The Book of Galatians was written by the Spirit through Paul to address this problem. How satisfactory was the 4-fold solution here! *Our :daily :bread give us this day.* *5. RUTH 4:1 (4:1-21) THE OT CITY ELDERSHIP. ?Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there; and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said, Ho, you! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down? (ASV '01). *The cities of Israel from ancient times had an Eldership in the Gate of their cities, with many synagogues within. How important was their decision here. Boaz took precedence over the nearer kinsman. David and David's Greater Son Jesus - came from this decision! *And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. REVELATION 2:7 (2:1-7) SEVEN CHURCHES: SPOKEN TO BY THE SPIRIT.* *e. 2:7a **Who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.* Ho Ech*o*n ous, a-kouSAt*o* [191] ti to PNEUma [4151] LEgei tais ek-kl*e* SIais. f. 2:7b PROMISE TO OVERCOMERS ? PARTAKERS OF THE TREE OF LIFE *To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat of the tree of :life,* T*o* niK*O*Nti [3528], D*O*s*o* auT*O* phaGEIN ek tou XUlou [3586] t*e*s z*o *-*E*S [2222], *which is in the Paradise of :God.* ho es-tin en t*o* pa-raDEIs*o* [3857] tou TheOU. All city churches should be listening to the voice of the Spirit. Pastor Bob Birch of Canada thoroughly understood this. *Overcomers* in each city church emerge as individuals who hear (which implies obedience) the Word of the Spirit. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 1 CORINTIANS 16:19 (16:19-24) THE CHURCH: CAN ALSO LOCALLY BE IN A HOME.* B. 16:19-24 CLOSING GREETINGS 1. 16:19-20 SALUTATIONS AND GREETINGS *a. 16:19a The churches of :Asia salute you.* AsPAzon-tai [782] huMAS hai ek-kl*e*SIai t*e*s A-SIas. *b. 16:19b Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, with the church in their house.* asPAze-tai huMAS en KuRI*o* polLA A-KUlas kai PRISka, sun t*e* kat' OIkon auT*O*N ek-kl*e*SIa. There are 14 local churches mentioned in the NT. Aquila and Priscilla led 3 of these in 3 city churches. The elder of each local church formed the plural city church Eldership as seen in Acts 15. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: *The City Church with its Eldership in the Gate - is *the Pedestal * holding up God's Word: His Bible Numeric Outlined Interlinear Greek NT. In the 1967 Vision I saw the City Churches with their Eldership as being God's Pedestal to *support* His Word: *specifically* this Interlinear product! We are not to be under any false illusions on this. It is God's purpose that this unique Interlinear Greek NT for Laymen - hold pre-eminence over all other NT texts and translations. The Numeric Phenomenon marks it as being unique. It is *not* in the Aramaic text. It is not in the Hebrew translation of the NT. God for His own purposes and according to *His own* counsel, has determined to set it in this particular product. God's Numerics - not the Anglicans Westcott and Hort - established this text. There is much confusion in this area, with many divergent theories and opinions. God is the final adjudicator! And we have His verdict through *His * Numeric phenomenon. Back to the Church - God's Pedestal for His Word! It comes from the Greek word ek-kl*e*SIa, which appears 114 times in the NT. Once in Acts 7 it refers to *Israel* in the Wilderness; 3 times it refers to the secular city of Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41); 14 times it refers to a church in the home such as in 1 Corinthians 16:19; 15 times for the Universal Church: Jew and Gentile in the One New Man for all time; but - *81 times* concerning the City Church! Revelation 2 and 3 contain 14 of these 81 references to the City Church. It is important that we have *God's* perspective on these teachings. It matters little to us who is right or wrong - it only matters that *our God's * perspective is allowed to be predominant. Let God say what *He* wants to say - and let the Bible mean what *it* wants to mean. All of this will come out in the wash upon the return of Christ Jesus - our Lord of lords and King of kings. Roland Allen from England, missionary to China and Africa, author of ?Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?? and ?The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church? - had these two books placed in my hands in 1949 by Harry Conn of Chicago, when I was attending Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. These two books and the exhortation of Mr. Conn started me in the direction that has led me to the above. Jim Watt *SPECIAL**: ?I Have Never Forgotten You? - *Oscar winner Nicole Kedman narrates this fascinating Tribeca Film Festival selection for documentarian Richard Trank, who relays the remarkable story of architect turned Nazi hunter *Simon Wiesenthal*. After losing nearly 90 family members in the Holocaust and surviving a German deathcamp, Wiesenthal volunteered to help the American War Crimes Unit track down war criminals on the lam, and went on to find more that 1,000 of them. - *1 hr. 45 min. 2006* My wife Marie and I received the above from Netflix, and found it one of the most outstanding documentaries on the Holocaust of all we have ever viewed. In it Frederick Forsyth tells how he worked with Wiesenthal in producing ?The Odessa File?. Also, Anthony Hopkins recounts the outstanding part Wiesenthal played in the production of Steven Spielberg's ?Schindler's List.? Added also is Wiesenthal's key part in the production of ?The Boys from Brazil?. It is a pity that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran could not immerse himself in the truth of this - rather than the lies he walks in. J & M *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Mar 3 08:52:35 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2012 08:52:35 -0800 Subject: Honey & Cannamon Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 3, 2012 *Fw: Facts on Honey and Cinnamon* 1 message ------------------------------ *Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 8:36 A.M.* Subject: Fw: Facts on Honey and Cinnamon *Cinnamon and Honey* Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I rather call "crystallizing". When this happens I loosen the lid, boil some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey. * Cinnamon and Honey* Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists: * HEART DISEASES:** * Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins. * ARTHRITIS:** * Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain. * BLADDER INFECTIONS:** * Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder. * CHOLESTEROL**: * Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. * COLDS:** * Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses. * UPSET STOMACH:** * Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.. * GAS**:* According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas. * IMMUNE SYSTEM:** * Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases. * INDIGESTION:** * Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals. * INFLUENZA**:* A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu. * LONGEVITY**:* Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age.. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old. * PIMPLES**:* Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root. * SKIN INFECTIONS:* Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections. * WEIGHT LOSS:* Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet. * CANCER:** * Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day. * FATIGUE**:* Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr.. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week. * BAD BREATH:* People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day. * HEARING LOSS:** * Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it! * You might want to share this information with a friend, kinfolks and loved ones. Everyone needs healthy help information.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Mar 5 18:18:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 18:18:55 -0800 Subject: Romans 9:4-5 - Overview- 8 blessings from Israel Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 5, 2012 * ROMANS 9:4-5 - OVERVIEW - 8 BLESSINGS OF ISRAEL* *INTRODUCTION: *Because Gentiles have been grafted into the Jewish Roots, we now share with them these 8 blessings. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. In Christ we are together ?One New Man.? In Christ we are both parts of His Spiritual Body. This is the Mystery of the Gospel which it was given to Paul to share with the Church. As Apostle to the Gentiles, himself a Jew from the Sanhedrin - he held a position altogether unique. 14 of the epistles of the NT were authored by him, over ? the books of the NT. Almost all of these 14 letters were primarily addressed to Gentiles. Hebrews was uniquely directed towards his fellow Jewish believers. It is important for Gentiles to understand that Romans 11 lays out for us our Gospel debt to Jews. Nations who understand and honor this are blessed. The opposite is true. *This* is perhaps the chief of the Gospel *Mysteries* given to Paul, and has yet to find full fulfillment. Note also how these 8 blessings tend to overlap. *1. ADOPTION - huio-theSIa - Strong #5206 - 5x in NT appearance. It comes from 2 Greek words: *huiOS - meaning son - 382x - and TIth*e*-mi meaning a placing. By all means look up this Strong's reference, as it contains rich material. It is *not* a Western concept. See ?Our Father Abraham? by Dr. Marvin R. Wilson under his chapter of ?Block Thinking.? It is just the opposite to Greek Hellenistic Lineal thinking. The Bible is an Eastern book, and its teaching, especially the Parables, center on this concept. Every Jewish boy had to be adopted by his own father when he came to maturity, and then he became a partner with his father. It then would become ?Isaac and Son,? as it were. Our Western concept of ?adoption? is foreign to the Bible. Perhaps ?Sanctification? as pertaining to full discipleship, is parallel to Biblical Adoption for Gentiles. Suffice it to say - This great blessing to Israel is now shared with us Gentiles in the ?One New Man?, the Church, the Body of Christ. *2. GLORY - DOxa - Strong #1391 - 168x.* This is one of the most difficult concepts for Gentiles to grasp as it relates to God. Howbeit - if one goes to the ?net? on the ?Shekinah glory?, as called by the Jews - there are *innumerable* references, but hardly in line with the original Hebrew meaning. Moses prayed to God, *?Show me Your glory,? * Exodus 33:18,* *which God did in a 13-fold manner, equating His Glory with the revelation of His Name - Exodus 34:6-7 (34:1-9) *?And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth; **7** keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear **the guilty**, visiting the iniquity of the father's upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.? *This is *the revelation of God's nature in the thirteen attributes.*. ?God's ways? are not proclaimed unto Moses in the thirteen characteristic qualities of the Divine Nature. The Rabbis held that there are thirteen distinct attributes in these two verses; though there are differences as to their precise enumerations. *1 & 2. the LORD, the LORD. *Heb. *Ye-h**o**VAH, Ye-h**o**VAH. *Ye-h*o*VAH denotes God in His attributes of mercy: and the repetition is explained in the Talmud as meaning, 'I am the merciful God before a man commits a sin, and I am the same merciful and forgiving God after a man has sinned. Whatever change has to be wrought, must be in the heart of the sinner; not in the nature of the Deity. He is the same after a man has sinned, as He was before a man has sinned.? *3. God. *Heb. *el. *The all-mighty Lord of the Universe, Ruler of Nature and mankind. *4. merciful. *Heb. *raCHUM; *full of affectionate sympathy for the sufferings and miseries of human frailty. *5. and gracious. *Heb. *ve-chanNUN*; assisting and helping; consoling the afflicted and raising up the oppressed. In man these two qualities manifest themselves fitfully and temporarily; It is otherwise with God; in Him, compassion and grace are permanent, inherent and necessary emanations of His nature. Hence, He alone can be spoken of as *raCHUN ve-chanNUN * (Mendelssohn). *6. long-suffering. *Or, 'slow to anger.' Heb. *Erech apPAYim; *not hastening to punish the sinner, but affording him opportunities to retrace his evil courses. *7. abundant in goodness. *Or, plenteous in mercy. Heb. *rav CHEsed; *granting His gifts and blessings beyond the desserts of man. This is the ?fulcrum? or middle-point of these 13 attributes. *8. and truth. *Heb. *ve-eMET*; eternally true to Himself, pursuing His inscrutable plans for the salvation of mankind, and rewarding those who are obedient to His will. Note that ?CHEsed?, lovingkindness, precedes ?eMET? truth, both here and generally throughout Scripture; as if to say, ?Speak the truth by all means; but be quite sure that you speak the truth in love.? *9. keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation. *Heb. *n**o**TZER CHEsed LAe-la-fim;* Remembering the good deeds of the ancestors to the thousandth generation, and reserving reward and recompense to the remotest descendants. *10. forgiving iniquity. *Heb. *n**o**SEH aV**O*N; bearing with indulgence the failings of man, and by forgiveness restoring him to the original purity of his soul. The Heb. for ?iniquity? is aV*O*N; sins committed from evil disposition. *YEtzer haRAH - *is a Hebrew term of this difficult human disposition. *11. transgression. *Heb. *PEsha; *evil deeds springing from malice and rebellion against the Divine. *12. sin. *Heb. *chat-taAH;* shortcomings due to heedlessness and error. *13. will by no means clear the guilty. *i.e. He will not allow the guilty to pass unpunished. Heb. *ve-nakKEY lo ye-nakKEY. *The Rabbis explain: *ve-nakKEY *acquitting - the penitent; *lo ye-nakKEY*, but not acquitting - the impenitent. He is merciful and gracious and forgiving; but He will never obliterate the eternal and unbridgeable distinction between light and darkness, between good and evil. God cannot leave repeated wickedness and obstinate persistence in evil entirely unpunished. His goodness cannot destroy His justice. The sinner must suffer the consequences of his misdeeds. The unfailing and impartial consequences of sin help man to perceive that there is no 'chance' in morals. The punishments of sin are thus not vindictive, but remedial. *visiting ... upon the children.* See Ex. 20:5. This law relates only to the consequences of sin. Pardon is not the remission of the *penalty*, but the forgiveness of the guilt and the removal of the sinfulness. The misdeeds of those who are God's enemies are visited only to the third and fourth generation, whereas His mercy to those who love Him is unto a thousand generations. (The above notes are largely taken from ?The Pentateuch and Haftorahs? edited by J. H. Hertz, Second Edition, 1971.) *3. COVENANTS - di-aTHEke - Strong's #1242, 33x.* See Genesis 12, 15, 17. Here we see the progression for the key Old Testament Covenant that God made with Abraham. In chapter 12 He issues His call, and the three-fold separation He required of Abraham. In Chapter 15 by laying out the unusual sacrifice, and at sundown having a furnace and a torch pass between the divided pieces, He here assures Abram (whose name is not changed until the true covenant in chapter 17) that his servant Eliezer will not be his heir, but that from Sarai he will have a true heir. Also, Abram was almost asleep when God in Icon form as Father and Son walked through the pieces, not Abram, signifying that this was an unconditional promise that did not depend upon Abram at all. It isn't till we reach Genesis 17 that the Real Covenant is reached - all up to this point is preliminary. The circumcision of Abram and all the males of his family is key that validated the covenant. The change of name from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, is most significant. Here God added to their names the letter ?cheth?, which is associated with ?life.? When we say Yeshua Chai - Jesus Lives - we are emphasizing this point. It was following the change of names by ?Life? being inserted, that the bodies of now Abraham and Sarah, became rejuvenated, and in 9 months Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah 91. Not only was this a double miracle, but a triple one, for God revealed the sex of Isaac prior to his birth, and he was one of eight named before his birth. The New Covenant of New Testament, is the Old fulfilled through the birth of Jesus. This Covenant is vastly superior to the Abrahamic, for Jesus inaugurates the Church, the One New Man, His Spiritual Body - and through the now Indwelling Holy Spirit, all promises of the Old Covenant are not viable, and open to Gentiles as well as Jews. Vastly different! *4. GIVING OF THE LAW - no-mo-theSIa - Strong #3548, 1x. The Torah here really means ?Teaching.?* *This* is a temporary tiding over through types and shadows - until ?Grace and Truth? came through the New Covenant in Jesus Christ - to replace the Law of Moses. And yet - all of the moral law under Old Testament Torah is now viable through the Holy Spirit. See Jeremiah 31:31-33 (31:31-34) - *?Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says Jehovah. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Jehovah: I will put my law (TOrah, Teaching) in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.? *What Israel could *not* do in keeping the Old Covenant T*O*rah, Teaching, because the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father was not given until Jesus provided the ?Finished Work? of His Atonement - now under the New Covenant, Jew *and Gentile* can keep the Torah because of the indwelling Spirit. At this point, it is most important to note Hebrews 8:6 - *?But now has he (Jesus) obtained a ministry the more superior; by so much as he is also mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted (ne-no-moTHEte-tai) upon better promises.? *Dr. David Stern in his ?Complete Jewish Bible? translates this word ?enacted? this way - ?God has *constituted as Torahthe New Covenant based upon these better promises.? *This means that in God's sight, ?The New Covenant? is on the same level as the entire Old Testament or Covenant. Messianic Jews accept this. One day Orthodox Jews will also! The word ?ne-no-moTHEt*e*-tai? appears only this once in the NT. We should unite in prayer that all believers and all Jews will have their eyes opened to see and discern the importance of this concept from God's viewpoint. *5. WORSHIP - laTREIa - Strong #2999, 5x.* The tribe of Levi led in this, and is largely laid out in the book of Leviticus, and the Tabernacle Worship as set forth by Moses. Under David and Samuel, Levi again in the Temple built by Solomon, led in this. The book of Psalms, mostly by David, but half by Asaph and other Levites, provided the basis for this wonderful worship. But after Pentecost, an entirely new type of worship arose. We now offer sacrifices to God by the fruit of our lips offering vocal praise and worship, and presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, whether Jew or Gentile. See Romans 12:1-2 for this picture. *?I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of :God, * *to present your :bodies a living sacrifice;** (a whole burnt offering or holocaust) holy, well-pleasing to God, your **spiritual service**. **2**And be not fashioned according to this age: but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that you may prove what **is** the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of :God.? *?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb, shows what it is like to be *possessed* by the Holy Spirit, and prepared by God for true laTREIa or worship. Again, Gentiles now are grafted into their Jewish Roots, and can equally share with them in this high privilege. *6. PROMISES - e-pag-geLIa - Strong #1860, 53x.* This is closely connected with Covenant, which is the basis. The *great*Promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit, all based on Messiah's Atonement. See Acts 1:4 (1:1-5), *?And, being assembled with **them**, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait **for the promise of the Father**, which you have heard from me.?* Yet - take *all* the Promises of the New Testament, and apply them. Don't settle for a ?break-through? - go on to *possess* the land! *Now!* *7. THE FATHERS - paTEres - Strong #3962, 419x* Gentiles can now do research on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and even Joseph. We are now grafted in with Jews into the blessing that is inherent here. Look at the 12 tribes of Israel that come from Jacob. Here too Gentiles can glean areas of their inheritance. So though the patriarchs at the time were *special* for Israel, all that is involved here, is under the New Covenant, for the One New Man. Look up Embryonic Truths on our Website, and find 12 Restored Truths linked with the 12 Tribes of Israel, rich with insight and blessing for you and me. *8. CHRIST - MESSIAH - ChrisTOS - Strong #5547, 569x.* According to the flesh (SARka), Jesus as the Son of Man is our Messiah. He was born *to die* - for both Jew and Gentile. *This** *is the *Mystery* of the Gospel that God reserved for the Apostle Paul to reveal to the Church through his many epistles. As a Jew with rabbinical background, yet he was the *Apostle to the Gentiles* by the will of God. Jesus as God in the flesh is a hateful concept to Satan, for it spells his eventual and certain doom Christ comes from CHRI*o*, Anointed, Strong #5548, 5x. MaSHIach - Anointed One - *Above* His fellows, is the Hebrew word. The *Fullness* of the Godhead bodily indwelt Jesus. His earthly life as Son of Man started in Nazareth and Bethlehem, but His eternal life was evermore with the Father - Before Abraham was, Jesus said, *?I AM?*. Jesus left His eternal relationship to take on identification with us, and as Son of Man, fulfilled Old Testament Scriptures and brought Redemption to the human race, and reconciliation for us with God. In Gethsemane as Son of Man - He questioned the cup of Calvary passing from Him - but immediately repudiated the thought as impossible, for for that very reason He became man and entered into this world. *CONCLUSION: Romans 9-11 should be mastered by every Gentile. Chapter 11 is often a portion of ignorance for much of the church, but ought not to be. These 8 words of Romans 9 above are so rich for Jews, but equally rich for us Gentiles. Let us master and walk in these truths with increasing understanding and application. I have been working on this, plus 13 other natural NT outlines since 1967. I keep updating them from time to time. Now I want to personally meditate over these 8 points for both Jews and Gentiles in the ?One New Man?. Join with me if this appeals to you. Today, March 5, 2012, makes me 88 years and 8 months. It is time I get back into this. I see the Tribe of Reuben as a link with our Jewish Roots, and a link with Romans 9-11, and these 8 points. J.A.Watt * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Mar 8 11:45:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 11:45:32 -0800 Subject: Family Tree Significance 2-fold Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 8, 2012 BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT BIOGRAPHICAL VOLUME III THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY VANCOUVER PORTLAND SAN FRANCISCO CHICAGO 1914 BIOGRAPHICAL - GEORGE ROBERTSON GORDON. George Robertson Gordon, financial agent at Vancouver, devoting his time largely to his duties as executor of several estates and also to the handling of private interests, was born at Goderich, Ontario, September 1, 1861. His par- ents, James and Mary Ann (Gordon) Gordon, were both natives of Ireland, the former born in County Fermanagh and the latter in County Armagh. The father learned the carpenter's trade there and in 1855 crossed the Atlantic to the new world, becoming a resident of Goderich, Ontario, where for thirty-five years he conducted business as a contractor. He filled the offices of town assessor and building inspector for a number of years and passed away in Gode- rich in 1892, at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife arrived in Canada in early womanhood and they were married in Hamilton. She passed away a number of years before her husband, dying in 1875, at tne age of forty-two. At the usual age George R. Gordon began his education as a public-school student in his native city and passed through consecutive grades to the high school, from which he was graduated before entering mercantile circles in 1876, at the age of fifteen. He was first employed as a clerk in a general store in his home town, spending his time in that way until 1881, when he removed west- ward to Manitoba. Owing to ill health while in that province, he soon returned to the east and remained in Ontario until 1884, when he located at Spences Bridge, British Columbia, remaining there for a year. In 1885 he embarked in merchandising at North Bend, British Columbia, in partnership with E. Johnston, but in the spring of 1886 sold out to his partner and came to Van- couver, which was then a small and unimportant town, known as Granville. Here he has resided continuously since and with the growth of the city has been closely associated, watching its development from early days and taking active part in its progress. He began merchandising here in March, 1886, but was burned out by the fire which occurred on the I3th of June of that year. Nothing daunted by this calamity, however, he secured another stock of goods and was soon again engaged in business, in which he continued until 1900, winning a sub- stantial measure of success through all the intervening years, for his trade increased with the growth of the city, his straightforward and honorable busi- ness methods securing him a gratifying patronage. With the opening year of the century he closed out his business and turned his attention to other pursuits becoming secretary of the Terminal City Building Society, the City of Vancouver Building Society and the Burrard Building Society, the last named being the only one of the three now in existence. He resigned his position as secretary in 1911 and at the present time is executor of several estates, while his private interests also make large claim upon his attention and energies. He is the holder of much valuable business and residential property in Vancouver and is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and twelve acres at Langley, British Columbia, which is devoted to the production of fruit, the raising of stock and poultry and to dairy interests, each branch of the business bringing to him a substantial return. His has been a life of unfaltering energy and close application, in which there have been few leisure hours, and his wise utilization of his time and talents has brought him to a most creditable and gratifying position among the leading busi- ness men of the city. Mr. Gordon was married, in Clinton, on Cariboo road, British Columbia, October 18, 1887, to Miss Susan E. Mclntyre, a daughter of John and Anna (Kilpatrick) Mclntyre, both of whom were natives of Stewartstown, Ireland. The father died in Vancouver in June, 1900, at the age of eighty-three years, and Mrs. Mclntyre is still a resident of this city. Although now in her eightieth year, she is still hale and hearty, retains her faculties unimpaired and is as alert and active as a person many years her junior. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gordon have been born two children: Irmgarde, who is a graduate of the Vancouver high school and the Ontario Ladies College of Whitby; and Alva Mclntyre, who is a student at McGill University. Mr. Gordon is a conservative in politics and has been an active and stalwart advocate of party principles. He has voted in every municipal election ever held in Vancouver and for nine years he was a member of the school board of this city. He became one of the founders of the Pioneer Society of Vancouver, of which he is now serving as treasurer, and no man is more familiar with the history of development, progress and improvement here than he. He holds mem- bership in Pacific Lodge, No. 26, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed through all the chairs, and was grand representative to the sovereign grand lodge in 1902-03. He is prominent and popular in the club circles of the city, connected through membership with the Canadian and Progress Clubs. Both he and his wife are active and prominent members of Wesley Methodist church and take helpful interest in various lines of church and charitable work. Mr. Gordon is now serv- ing as a member of the board of trustees of the Ferris Road, Trinity and Dundee Street Methodist churches. His wife is active in the Ladies Aid Socety of the Wesley Methodist church, has been a member of the directorate of the Children's Aid Society for six years and is active in the home work of that organization. In fact, both Mr. and Mrs. Gordon are possessors in large measure of that broad humanitarian spirit which reaches out in helpfulness and kindliness to all, and their labors have done much toward making the world better and brighter for the unfortunate ones. (This is the first of some 200 biographies from the beginning of British Columbia) *NOTE**: *The above on George R. Gordon is an important link in my personal genealogy. Can knowing links in each of our genealogies prove to be significant? I believe so. The English doctor who nursed Scottish Eric Liddell of ?Chariots of Fire? fame - in a Japanese prison of war camp in China before he died - I believe has significance. Billy Graham in his book on prayer, quoted from ?Healing the Family Tree? by Dr. Kenneth McAll - as his story relates to the healing of the Bermuda Triangle. But in a practical manner for each of us as individuals - Dr. McAll shows that if each of us will form a ?Family Tree? going back to our great grandparents - we can clearly see how members in this genealogy can be affected adversely back to great grandparents. When we form such a 4-fold genealogical chart and see such adverse connections - we can then have a communion service - and with such a Family Tree portraying this on the Table, then by the prayer of faith on the basis of our Lord Jesus' Finished Work on Calvary - we can *break* the bondages over afflicted members from the past! Like Dr. McAll - we have seen definite victories from such ?Healing of the family tree?. But *conversely* - it is also important to see the *blessing* coming down from past members of our family Tree! Jonathan Edwards was by faith led to claim through ?Covenant? - salvation for his descendants to the 3rd and 4thgenerations. Some 1600 of these entered into the blessing of the Kingdom of God through Covenant. Charles H. Spurgeon saw similar blessing in his descendants as well as those working for him - some 300. My grandfather James A. Watt who immigrated to Canada from Scotland, died in B.C. His widow, my Irish grandmother, married fellow Irishman immigrant to Canada - G. R. Gordon. He was at that time widower from his first marriage. He was the first one who served Gospel seed into me from the age of 10-14. He did not do so verbally, but each month when we lived on his farm in Langley mentioned above, he brought out for 4 years little 32 page booklets called the ?Lily Series?, recounting the salvation of individuals in England. These sparked a desire in my heart to know God the way these English converts came to know Him. Mr. Gordon followed these up with the book ?*Intra Muros*? by Agnes R. Springer. This even more powerfully planted the desire in me to know the Living God! In the Fall of 1942 I was attending the University of B.C., and for the first time in my life at the age of 19, God spoke to me from Psalm 107:23-24. He said, ?Join the Navy, and I'll reveal Myself to you.? He *knew * the desire of my heart planted there by my step-grandfather Mr. Gordon. I did so in July of 1943, and on Passover of 1944 - 9 months later, God brought to fruition the seed my step-grandfather planted in me. Do I believe in this 2-fold benefit of making use of our Family Trees? Indeed I do! And I encourage each of you - Explore the possibility of potential blessing - by forming a genealogy back to your fourth generation. Claim healing for every living individual in this tree - who may be suffering from a wrong inheritance from one or more past members. But - most of all and positively - find individuals on your part who have powerfully brought down to your spirit blessings untold! Your friend - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Mar 12 11:10:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:10:21 -0700 Subject: Meditation: A Tentative Evaluation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 12, 2012 *(2009-02-24 [Revised]) - MEDITATION - PART 2* *TENTATIVE EVALUATION* *NOTE**: - I am sending forth this Tentative Evaluation on ?Meditation? once again. The Reason: Our ?**Outlined Interlinear NT? will be printed in book form and on E-book this year. It is possible to use this text as an exellent basis for Meditation. Watch our Website and mailings for when these will be available. This ?Interlinear? is not an end in itself - It is a means to an end! - namely - for Meditation!* 1. *MEDITATION *is related to Worship and Prayer. See Girdlestone, ?Old Testament Synonyms,? p. 219. 2. *MEDITATION* is related to Singing and Song. See ?New Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldea Concordance,? A P & A, p. 1206, #7878 SEEagh, and p. 1255 #7891 sheer. 3. Zodhiates states, ?It is possible that the scriptures were read somewhat audibly during the process of *meditation*. See #1897, HaGAH, p. 1587, Hebrew Greek Study Bible, Zodhiates, AMG, 1984. #1897, HaGAH; to murmur, to mutter, to growl, to coo, to sigh, to moan, to roar; to *meditate *, to muse, so speak, to praise; to whisper. The word occurs mostly in poetry, especially in Psalms and Isaiah. It describes a low moaning sound like that of a dove (ISA 38:14; 59:11), or the growling of a lion what has trapped its prey (ISA 31:4). Sometimes it was used to describe the context of mourning (ISA 16:7; JER 48:31) or the whispering of the enemy after the collapse of Jerusalem (LAM 3:62). Wizards made strange noises when they practiced the occult (ISA 8:19). The Psalmist (5:1) cried out to God for help while in distress. Sometimes the term refers to plots (PSA 2:1; PRO 24:2; ISA 59:3, 12); or righteous ponderings (PSA 35:28; 37:30; 71:24; PRO 15:28), or *meditation* (PSA 1:2; 38:12; 63:6; 77:12; 143:5). It is possible that the Scriptures were read somewhat audibly during the process of *meditation.* 1899. Hegah; this mas. noun comes from 1897. It means a murmur, sighing, * meditation*, a thought, growling (used of thunder in Job 37:2, i.e. rumbling). Compare the related term higgayown (1902) which was a musical notation which possibly referred to a harp PSA 92:3). Or, it may have meant that a period of *meditation* was to follow PSA 9:16). 1900. Haguwth; this fem. noun which comes from1897 means *meditation*, it occurs only once (PSA 9:16). 4. *MEDITATION, *#7878 Siyach, Zodhiates, p. 1645. To ponder, to *meditate*, to muse; to speak, to talk, to converse (aloud, or even with oneself), to utter (with the mouth, Job 12:8; PSA 69:13; PRO 6:22); to complain (Job 7:11; PSA 55:18), to talk disparagingly (PSA 69:12); to declare; to pray, to talk with oneself (i.e., to *meditate*, especially upon divine things, PSA 77:4, 7, 13; 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 148); to sing (JUD 5:10; PSA 145:5), to celebrate something in song (PSA 105:2); to consider, to think upon something in song (PSA 105:2); to consider, to think upon something (ISA 53:8). This verb conveys the idea of going over a matter in one's mind, i.e., rehearsing it, whether inwardly or outwardly. 7879. Siyach; this Heb. mas. noun derives from 7878; it is a contemplation, an utterance, a *meditation* (1 K 18:27; PSA 104:34), a thought; a speech, a discourse (2 K 9:11), babbling (PRO 23:29), talking (1 K 18:27); a complaint (1 SAM 1:16; Job 7:13); prayer (PSA 64:1). 7880. Siyach; this Heb. Mas. noun has it origin in 7878. It refers to a shoot (like a word which has been put forth); shrubbery, a shrub, a plant, or a bush. There are only four occurrences (GEN 2:5; 21:15; JOB 30:4, 7). 7881. Siychah; this fem. Heb. noun comes from 7879. It means reflection, devotion, *meditation*, or prayer. There are only three instances in the O.T. (Job 15:4; PS 119:97, 99). ?It is my *meditation* (siychah) all the day!? 5. *MEDITATION. *Present day Jews , especially the Orthodox, use a prayer book while *meditating*, rocking forward and backward; while reading, they usually pray and *meditate* audibly. 6. *David Yonggi Cho *in his ?The Fourth Dimension #2, points out the remarkable effect our *tongue* has upon our psyche (soul) when used, either properly or improperly. Our soul and subconscious is programmed by speech, and when spoken with conviction, triggers the soul and subconscious to bring to pass the expressed thought and conviction. Vocal *meditation* on the Word will trigger 2 PET 1:4, commencing the tendency and train of events to bring it to pass. How important it is that we guard our tongue. How important that we obey Joshua 1:8, by vocal *meditation* upon God's word day and night. Note that when a sheep chews its cud, it brings back stored food to the mouth. When we *meditate*, we bring back the Word memorized to the mouth. When we speak the Word, it is transformed into the Rhema word, and we partake of the Divine Nature (2 PET 1:4). The sheep transform food gathered ahead of time into lamb chops. The analogy is quite exact. 7. *VOCAL MEDITATION* on God's word was not a habit with George Muller for the first 10 years of his life as a believer. He states in his autobiography the amazing change that started in his life once he committed himself to daily vocal *meditation* upon the Word of God. In no Bible Commentary nor in any sermon had he run across this discipline. He found it of such value that from the age of 70 to 87, he traveled 200,000 miles in 40 different countries, and this was one of the seven major emphases that he made in each address. It is unfortunate that believers have not dipped into their Jewish roots, for there they would soon have found this secret that flows out of ?The Living Talmud.? 8. *NOTE *#7880 Siyach. This Heb. masc. noun has its origin in 7878. It refers to a shoot (like a *word* which has been put forth by audible * meditation*). Just as a shoot from a seed takes on visible form, so the word of God in our mind when expressed, drops to our heart, germinates, and tends to form in us the Divine Nature, an actual shining forth of divine manifestation. Vocalization with *meditation* appears to be the key causing germination and growth to take place. 9. *NOTE JOHN 1:1* - and the WORD was GOD. The mind of the Father is perfectly expressed in Jesus, the Living Word. The Written word, given by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, is an exact expression of Him in the letter. When we utilize Joshua 1:8, audibly *meditating* upon the entire Bible, we start the process that can bring us to maturity of sainthood such as is seen in our century in Oswald Chambers, A. E. Tozer, Watchman Nee, Nicholas Bhengu, Smith Wigglesworth, and David Yonggi Cho. Deborah and Anna the prophetess demonstrated this maturity in Bible times. St. Theresa of Avila, Madame Guyon, Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur, and Pandita Ramabai of the Mukti Mission outside of Bombay demonstrated this potential in modern times. 10. *JOSHUA 1:8* - perhaps the key verse on *meditation* from all 77 references. Notice that Hebrew parallelism places *meditation* day and night with Torah in the Mouth. This sets the tempo according to the law of first reference for hah-GAH. 11. *PSALM 29* - an expression of God's *meditative* voice in THUNDER. 12. *MEDITATION* finds a parallel between Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3. A lover of the Word, The Torah, is going to walk like George Muller in Vocal * meditation*. His path will be a shining light, shining *more and more* unto the perfect day. 13. *HIGGAION: *A command by the Spirit for us to *meditate*. Milk this truth for all it is worth. Look at it line by line, and word by word. Talk it over with God. Compare this with - SElah. 14. *PSALM 19:7*. This Law of the Lord, this Torah, is the *meditation* of 19:14, and is that which God commanded to be in the mouth of Joshua. 15. *MEDITATION* is vertical toward God, horizontal toward man, and inward toward self. David's spirit communed with his soul in PSA 103:1-5. 16. *ORAL MEDITATION* in the Word: sets the heart on fire! George Muller found this perhaps the most transforming act of his daily life. Jeremiah discovered he could not remain silent when this fire of God in the Word burned in his bones. God's Word is a *fire*. *Meditate* upon it, and you will catch on fire. 17. *MEDITATION: *the key to discover God's hidden secrets (PRO 2:1-12). Kids enjoy an Easter egg hunt, for God has put this desire in the human heart to find things. The saint of God has a continual feast through * meditation*, for all of God's hidden treasures then start to turn up for him. 18. *GOD CALLED DAVID *a man after His own heart. The *meditations* of David upon God and His word transformed him, tending to bring him to God's image. The Psalms reveal David's *meditative* heart. Learn his secret and be transformed. 19. *BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT*, and horizontally let the outflow build one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. But, let the LOgos of Christ dwell in you richly through *vocal meditation*, and find fulfillment richly in new worship (JNO 4:23-24; Phil 3:3); God *seeks* such worshipers, and very few things He seeks. 20. *THE WELL OF MEDITATION* dried up? Try counting your blessings; see what God has done; recall His wondrous acts; soon your heart will have a new song. What a wonderful way to prime one's pump! 21. *NOTICE*: David often started a Psalm in the depths of despair. But then he changed gears; took his attention off himself and his circumstances; transferred it upon God, His former faithfulness and His promises. Invariably this ended up one's *meditation* in praise! 22. *THERE IS A SPIRIT* of excellence about David. His music at times commenced with solemn sound, *meditatively*. Even in old age this worked for David, and he assures us that, God being no respecter of persons, it will work for us too. 23. *MOURNING IS A FORM OF MEDITATION*, and can be exercised by the good or the evil. For the righteous, it is a form of intercession in the light of the second beatitude. It takes our eyes off ourselves (being poor in spirit), and takes up a mourning burden for those in need of intercession: to lift them up into Christ. Every need we see is not a call to criticize and condemn, but to mourn and intercede. ROM 8:26-27 is an expression of this. 24. *LEARN FROM THE DOVE* when she is troubled. Then hear the change in the sound of her cooing when deliverance comes. Hezekiah started out with mournful dovelike *meditation*, but ended up with great deliverance. Use Isaiah 1:18 as a basis for fruitful *meditation*. 25. *THERE IS A WRONG USE OF MEDITATION.* We can mutter, grumble and complain against the Lord, expressing our disobedience, rebellion and hard-heartedness. How we need Your mercy and converting power at such times, O Lord. 26. *FROM A SEED* spring up shrubs and bushes. This is a natural analogy what happens when we take the LOgos as a seed and *meditate* upon it. Vocalizing upon the word miraculously causes it to germinate as a seed, find its way from the head to the heart, and there grow, bringing forth the Divine Nature, the Christ within. As the female egg is impregnated and finds its way to the womb, eventually bringing forth a child: even so Christ lives within us as we discipline ourselves daily to walk in the way of scriptural *meditation* (GAL 2:20; 1 PET 1:23). 27. *MINISTERING TO THE LORD *with fasting and prayer ((Acts 13:1-3) is a form of *meditation*. When rulers and leaders accept this responsibility, sitting in the gates of the city; the Lord Himself will build His church through us (MAT 16:18-19). 28. *OUT OF ANGUISH AND DESPERATION* of heart we pour out our utterances unto God. This is *meditation* in one of its highest senses. It ought to be a regular part of the life of a believer. 29. *SHOULD DAVID TRY AND MEDITATE *silently, the fire would soon burn, and out would come a voice utterance exactly paralleling his heart contemplation. Jeremiah and David both experienced this consistently. Here we find David *praying* (a synonym for *meditating*) evening, morning and at noon. 30. *NOTE* the three directions of *meditation*: unto *God*, vertically; unto man, horizontally; unto one's own soul by the spirit, inwardly (PSA 103:1-5). All three can be vocal. At least, if they start out silently, they may well end up vocally. 31. *FEW COMMENTARIES, TRANSLATIONS AND SERMONS* seem to catch the strong underlying vocal aspect of *meditation*. George Muller marveled at this lack in his day. Religious Jews continually practised this; but this started to be lost to the Gentile church from about 500 AD. Messianic Jews became swallowed up during the centuries in the Gentile church, and lost their roots in religious historic Judaism. In 1805 they began to form Messianic congregations in Britain; in 1905 in America; and today Messianic congregations worldwide composed of both Jew and Gentile are beginning to rediscover this ancient Biblical method of vocal *meditation*. It is like life from the dead (ROM 11:15). 32. *JEREMIAH* awoke from dreams from the Lord, and found that his sleep had been *sweet* (JER 31:26). Solomon told his son that rest in the Lord with a heart full of the Living Word brought nightly visitations from the Lord in guidance, safety and communion (PRO 6:20-22); Job 33:14-18). But * David* seemed to surpass them all in his exuberant contemplation of the Lord from the viewpoint of all creation. This *meditation* David found * sweet*. 33. *DAVID* constantly recounts all of God's miraculous workings. He regularly reasoned from them. This took his thoughts off himself, his problems and his circumstances, and transformed him through *vocal meditation* into a *praising saint*. He meditated vertically to God and expressed his insights horizontally to men. 34. *PRECEPTS* are God's rules for living. The book of Proverbs illustrates this point beautifully. It was upon *these* that David and the writer of Psalm 119 *meditated**,* that they might fulfill Joshua 1:8 - namely *meditation* upon God's law, precepts and ways - that *obedience of faith* might flow out of this. Paul was not against this, for it is not contrary to the Gospel of the Kingdom, but part and parcel of it. It was the Judaizing addition of tradition to the law, and the departure from faith to works in keeping the law that he objected to in Galatians, Hebrews, and his other epistles. 35. *STATUTES* are given by God to regulate our way of life. They teach us *how to live*. Statutes are in all the books of the Bible, but *Jesus* is our *Living Statute*. *Meditate on Him!* 36. *THE LOVE OF GOD'S WORD*: An incentive to Torah *meditation* day and night. Joshua had this love, and worked on it till it was habitual. It was in his *mouth*; it was *Vocal Meditation*. It was like a sheep chewing its cud: and bringing the written word back to the mouth again and again, till so transformed into a Rhema word, that it is now ready for assimilation. This is a 30-40 hour process for sheep. All natural law has a parable application in the spiritual world. Let us be like Joshua and the sheep. And for Joshua, it was that he then could be careful to *do* by the *obedience of faith*, *all* that was written in it. 37. *GOD'S TESTIMONIES* are His *way* for us for all blessing and enlightenment. God testified concerning many things, and they all should be the basis for our *meditation*. What God thinks to be important, *we*should consider important. *Jesus* is the chief testimony of God, and He should be paramount in all our *meditation*. 38. *VOCAL COMPLAINT OF MEDITATION* unto God is proper under desperate circumstances. Jonah in the belly of the great fish faced such an emergency. He fervently engaged in this exercise; and God heard him and delivered him. 39. *THE REALIST *is not like the Christian Scientist. He sees both good and evil, and quite aware that God does also. It is not giving a negative confession to be a realist, and acknowledge to God with outpouring of soul and heart one's troubles, extremities, and desolation. *Then* we should *vocally meditate* on God's past mercies, reason from them, and wait on Him until He transforms our situation. The Psalmist David knew and practiced this secret. Let not suffering-saving theologies detract us from this important insight of David. 40. *PROVERBS 6:22* - one of the great verses of the Bible. This is the spiritual counterpart of the High Priest's breastplate of judgment which contained the Urim and Thummim. See Exodus 28:15-30, and note how exactly Proverbs 6:20-22 corresponds in the attaching of the breastplate of judgment with the commandment and law (Torah or teaching). One of the rabbis in ?Pirke Abot? (The Wisdom of the Fathers) comments: And when you walk, it (Torah in your heart through *vocal meditation*) shall lead you, *in this world*; When you lie down, it shall watch over you, *in the grave*; And when you awake, it shall talk (God's *meditative* vertical speech to us in our heart) with you, *in the world to come*. I prefer to see all 3 of these blessings of Torah in the heart as *present tense blessings*. When *it * (Torah in our heart through Joshua 1:8 *meditation* ) keeps us and talks with us during sleep, it is often through dreams, and fulfills God's four-fold purpose of Job 33:14-18. 41. *AS A DOVE* quietly coos in times of distress; and as the drunk babbles in his disorientation; so the saint at all times should speak God's word from his heart to His Maker. This is a transforming exercise. It is the grinding of grain into a form that can be mixed and baked into a loaf of bread. 42. *IN THE PROPIATORY ATONEMENT OF CHRIST, *His humanity and divinity, His purpose in the Father: all these are too much for man of Israel's day. Even angels sought to understand. The Father in the New Covenant unfolding, gives us understanding through the Holy Spirit's inward ministry. It is the Spirit of Christ within us Who allows us today to *meditatively* declare the wonders of God manifest in Christ in His propitiatory sacrifice. 43. *NOTE*: The *context* for each reference in the ?Word Study? is taken from the manuscript of ?Through the Bible in a Year,? daily devotional lessons, using the Lord's Prayer format, The *Title* is like a newspaper headline, describing the use of each Hebrew word in its verse and context. 44. *NOTE: *There are two distinct Hebrew roots translated *meditation*, both translated in a parallel form with all synonyms for all parts of speech. One possible explanation for the Holy Spirit to choose to do this, is that each root is separately related with other words such as ?singing, worship, prayer;? this doubles the number of possible relationships that these two root words have. It would be possible to explore constructively these other words related to *meditation*. 45, *OBSERVATION*: Few commentaries, sermons or translations - touch on the underlying nature of the vocalization that exists in Bible *meditation*. It is true that a few references retain the idea of *meditation* as a silent thought; but the vast majority of references demand *vocal accompaniment*. Religious Jews did and still do practice *meditation* this way. It was the constant wonderment of George Muller that so few in his day perceived the importance of this. Witness Lee encouraged it but his exhortation was little regarded because of his separatist stance. Dr. David Yonggi Cho is a strong present day exponent of this. It would seem that *Vocal Meditation* is a concept whose time has come, and that this will become commonplace in the day ahead. A return to this Biblical concept will greatly increase the potential of spiritual growth in all those who will commit themselves to this simple but powerful practice. 46. *GEORGE MULLER* wrote concerning the importance of how we conduct our personal devotions. The word we read *must* be read *aloud*, and *rephrased*to God, giving room for the Holy Spirit to enlarge on the phrase or passage as He will. Mr Muller by the end of his life was reading the whole Bible back to God on his knees 5 times a year (about 15 chapters a day). Faith comes by hearing, hearing the Rhema word of God. $7,500,000 came in by prayer alone prior to 1890 as a result, helping support 10,000 orphans, as well as 8 other projects. 47. *DR. DAVID YONGGI CHO* says that our prayer time must be *aloud*, within the framework of the Lord's Prayer. Then God will speak in His inaudible voice to our spirit. It is our part to *pray* and *obey*. This is the *obedience of faith*. 48. *BELIEVING JEWS* for 4000 years have *meditated* by praying the Word * aloud* back to God. This is a means of renewing the mind, establishing ourselves in the faith, growing in grace, and finding the ability to persevere through difficulties. This is the way of *joy* that leads to * singing* and *dancing* before the Lord. 49. *PHILIPPIANS 3:3 *tells us about the the mark of those circumcised in heart: they worship, or religiously serve God in the spirit. John 4:23-24 tells us that God *seeks* this (Only 2 things God in the Bible says He seeks). Worshiping audibly from the Word brings the Spirit; the *obedience of faith* brings the *truth*. This is true for *both* Testaments, for *both*Covenants, for our Bible is a *unity*. The *new* is in the *old* contained; the *old* is by the *new*explained. (See ?Gospel and Law: Contrast or Continuum?? by Daniel P. Fuller, Eerdmans, 1980). This verse goes on to describe the heart circumcised believer as one who *boasts* in Christ Jesus, and has *no*confidence in the flesh. This causes us to picture God in an elliptical fashion: *Jesus*, the *Son* (*sun*) of righteousness is in the first of the two foci. The Father is in the darkness of the second focus. The Holy Spirit in us takes us around the Father and the Son in an elliptical pathway, even as our earth rotates around the sun. The Spirit reveals the Son, and speaks from Him. The Son reveals the Father and speaks from Him. It is summer when we are on the Son's side, and winter on the Father's, Who dwells in thick darkness. *Rejoice* in our marvelous Triune God! 50. *VOCAL MEDITATION* is the key to release from the Bible what we hear, read, study and memorize. *Obedience* changes the LOgos to a RH*E*ma word. Dick Eastman highly recommends *vocal meditation.* Jim Watt, October 23, 1990. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Mar 13 13:16:17 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:16:17 -0700 Subject: Psalm 19:1-14 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 13, 2012 *PSALM 19:1-14 - (2009-05-31) - Day of Pentecost - Book of Ruth - Barley Harvest* *?THE WORKS - AND THE WORD OF GOD?* *A. 19:1-6 GOD'S FIRST GOSPEL: HIS WORKS!* *a. 19:l GOD'S GOSPEL IN CREATION* hash-sh*a*MAYyim [8064] me-sap-peRIYM [5608] ceB*O*D [3519] - *e*l; *The heavens declare the glory of God;* vu-ma-aSEH [4639] yaD*A*YN magGIYD [5046] h*a*-r*a*KIYa [7549]. *And the firmament shows his handiwork.* *b. 19:2 THE WITNESS OF DAY AND NIGHT* y*o*m leY*O*M yab-biy*A* [5072] Omer [561], *Day unto day utters speech,* veLAYl*a*h leLAYl*a*h ye-chavVEH [2331] - D*A*ath [1847]. *And night unto night shows knowledge.* *c. 19:3 IT IS A SILENT WITNESS* *E*YN - o-mer ve*E*YN de-b*a*RIYM [561]; *There is no speech nor language;* beLIY nashM*A* k*o*L*A*M [6963]. *Whose voice is not heard.* *d. 19:4-5 OUR SUN: PICTURES GOD'S SON!* be-c*a*l - ha*A*retz y*a*TZ*A* kavV*A*M [6457], *Their line is gone out through all the earth,* vu-bikTZ*E*H [7097] TH*E*bel [8398] mil-l*e*yHEM. *And their words to the end of the world.* lashSHEmesh [8121] S*A*M - o-hel [3605] b*a*HEM, *In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun,* veHU ce-ch*a*TH*A*N [2860] yoTZ*E* m*e*-chup-p*a*TH*O* [2646], *5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,* y*a*SHIYSH [7797] ce-gibB*O*R [1368] l*a*RUTZ *O*rach [734]. *And rejoices as a strong man to run his course* *e. 19:6 THE EXTENT OF THEIR WITNESS* mikTZ*E*H [7097] hash-sh*a*MAYIM, *His going forth is from the end of the heavens,* M*O*tz*a*-*O* vu-the-k*u*-phaTH*O* [8622] al - ke-tz*o*TH*A*M [7098]; *And his circuit unto the ends of it;* ve*E*YN nisT*A*R [5640] M*E*ham-ma-th*o* [2535]. *And there is nothing hid from its heat.* *B. 19:7-14 GOD'S SECOND GOSPEL: HIS WORDS* *a. 19:7 PURPOSE OF JEHOVAH'S LAW AND TESTIMONY* t*o*RATH [8451] Ye-h*o*VAH temiyMAH [8549], meSHIYbath [7725] NEphesh [5315]; *The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul;* *e*DUTH [5715] Ye-h*o*VAH ne-e-m*a*N*A*H [539], machCIYmath [2449] PEthiy [6612]. *The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.* b. 19:8 *PURPOSE OF JEHOVAH'S PRECEPTS AND COMMANDMENT* pik-kuD*E*Y [4687] Ye-h*o*V*A*H ye-sh*a*RIYM [[3477], me-sam-me-ch*e*y [8056] - LEB; *The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart:* mitzVATH [4487] Ye-h*o*V*A*H b*a*R*A*H [1249], me-iyRATH [215] *e*yN*A*yim [5869]; *The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.* *c. 19:9 PURPOSE OF JEHOVAH'S FEAR AND ORDINANCES* yirATH [3373] Ye-h*o*V*A*H te-h*o*R*A*H [2889], *o*MEdeth [5975] l*a*AD [5703]: *The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever:* MISHpe-t*e*y [4941] - Ye-h*o*V*A*H eMETH [571], TZ*A*de-ku [6663] yachD*A*V. *The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether.* *d. 19:10 THEIR VALUE* HANnech-m*a*DIYM [2520] MIZz*a*-h*a*b [2091], vu-mipPAZ [6337] r*a*b; *More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold;* vu-me-thuKIYM [4966] mid-deBASH [1706] veNOpheth tzuPHIYM [6688]. *Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.* *e. 19:11 TWO MORE PURPOSES* GAM - ab-be-c*a* [5650] nizH*A*R 2094] b*a*HEM: *Moreover by them is your servant warned:* be-sh*a*mR*A*M [8104] *E*keb [6118] r*a*b. *In keeping them there is great reward.* *f. 19:12 A PRAYER OF CONFESSION* she-giy*O*TH [7691] MIY - ya-biyn [995]? *Who can discern his errors?* MINnis-th*a*-r*o*th [5640] nakK*E*niy [5352]. *Clear me from hidden faults.* *g. 19:13 A PLEA FOR GOD'S PREVENIENT GRACE* gam miz-z*e*DIYM [2086] chaSOC [2820] abDEc*a*; *Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;* AL - yim-she-lu [4910] - BIY:* * *Let them not have dominion over me:* *a*z *e*yTH*A*M [8552], *Then shall I be upright,* ve-nikK*E*Ythi [5352] mip-peSHA [6588] R*A*B. *And I shall be clear from great transgression.* *h. 19:14 THE CAPSTONE OF THIS PSALM* YIhe-yu le-r*a*TZ*O*N [7522] im-r*e*y - PIY [6310] *Let the words of my mouth * ve-hegY*O*N ]1902] libBIY *and the meditation of my heart* le-ph*a*NEYc*a* *Be acceptable in your sight,* Ye-h*o*V*A*H, tzuRI [6697], ve-go-aLIY [1350]. *O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.* *NOTE**: According to His promise to me at the University of British Columbia in the Fall of 1942, God revealed Himself to me at Passover of 1944. Shortly after His revelation, I was on a Navy ?Make and Mend? somewhere outside of HMCS Naden at Esquimalt, BC, just outside of Victoria. A few of us were visiting an old Tavern, and inscribed above its door were the words and reference of Psalm 19:14! This made a deep impression upon me as a new believer, and I immediately put it to memory. Later God impressed upon me the importance of having **His Words in my mouth, praying the Bible, especially Psalms, Proverbs and the New Testament back to Him orally. I later discovered also that Jewish believers meditated from the heart vocally back to God, as they davened before Him. Their Prayer Book (Siddur) which they use, is mostly a collection of Scripture verses for this purpose. One can still see them doing this today before the Western Wall and in their synagogues.* *Oral meditation, praying back to God His Word both with understanding and in the Spirit, releases revelation from the Lord, understanding and insights in His Word, strengthening of one's person: body, soul and spirit. It greatly enhances the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) and grants victory in our thought life (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).* *I link this verse (Psalm 19:14) and this Psalm with Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; and 1 Timothy 4:15.* *I believe these insights that God planted in my heart and mind the first few months of my conversion, have been the secret of the revelations I have received the last 65 years.* I am preparing this Psalm and NOTE on the Day of Pentecost, Solar year (Shavuot is the equivalent in the Jewish Lunar Year). In 1992 my wife Marie and I were in Jerusalem for a 5 week seminar course on our Jewish Roots. Before flying to Israel, God spoke to me in my spirit that He would speak to me a special message on June 6, 1992, the Day of Pentecost and Shavuot of that year. Seldom do these two Solar and Lunar Feasts come on the same day. But - not only these two - but also the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of Jerusalem back into the hands of Israel in 1967 at the Six Days' War -*fell on this day *! These 3 events will never coincide again! Jesus said in Matthew 24 that when Jerusalem is again restored to Israel, that generation would not pass away 'till He would return! A generation may be between 40 and 100 years. God told Abraham that his descendants would be in Egypt 4 generation of 400 years. *I attended a celebration of Shavuot, the Day of Pentecost on June 6, 1992 in a Jerusalem Synagogue unto 2:00 AM. Then Marie and I went to the Western Wall where close to one quarter of a million Jews met there, walking from some 40 synagogue groups, and with their respective Torah Scrolls, consummated the Feast of Weeks following the full reading of the Book of Ruth. Barley Harvest takes place at this time, 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits connected with Passover - tying the two Feasts together. Passover is not consummated until Pentecost takes place with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is incomplete to have but ?Justification by Faith? in the Book of Romans. We need empowerment and the fire of holiness as revealed in the Book of Ephesians! (See Acts 2:38 - ?The Peter Package?).* *As we left the Western Wall about 7:00 AM of June 6, 1992, and as we walked opposite to the Gate of Zion on the return to our hotel - the Word of the Lord came to me - ?This day My decree has gone forth from My Throne. >From now on, 'time' from your vantage point will speed up for the next five years. That you may know that this is My Word through you, read Ezekiel 12:21-28.?* *What happened at Whistler, BC, July 1st 1995 was much of the fulfillment of this word. Freda Cooper led many of her tribal people in confessing their sin of departure from God on their part. As they made reconciliation with God, then representatives from Canada, Great Britain and the United States came and knelt and asked forgiveness on behalf of their people - for their mistreatment of the First Nations People of North America. But not until the First Nations People under the leadership of Freda Cooper firstmade reconciliation with God for their past transgressions. * *David Mainse of Toronto witnessed that this day - July 1st 1995, was the outstanding day to him in his history of all of God's dealing up to that time!* *It is interesting to note that July 1st 1995 is the 128th anniversary of the British North America Act of 1867, declaring the Dominion of Canada a separate and independent entity from Great Britain; while at the same time retaining a position within the British Commonwealth of Nations. 128 is ?2? to the 7th power! God makes no mistakes in His numbering! By some He is called ?The Mighty Numberer!? Through Ivan Panin God has reestablished the original Numeric Greek Text of the New Testament, and its English Numeric New Testament translation. God has commissioned me to put these two texts into an Interlinear Format, transliterating the Greek text into English to facilitate its use by laymen; outlining it according to the Numeric ?sentence?, ?sub-paragraph?, ?paragraph?, and ?section? divisions - and inserting Strong's numbers following the significant Greek words.* *My grandson Keelan Long is preparing a Website for this work, plus Greek Numeric Word Studies, plus Bible Book Outlines based on Numerics, plus selected Hebrew Interlinear chapters, plus Archives. Check out our Website < www.2rbetter.org> for the beginning of these postings. Keelan hopes to develop a method of posting for me (soon age 86), so that I can complete this assignment.* *In Conclusion**: - God is **no respecter of persons. He will use any of us as He used George Muller or me. Vocal Meditation, prayer in the Spirit, devotionally praying back God's word to Him in prayer format - these are the secrets that enable each of us to move up to the level where God's individual calling for each of us can then be achieved. Of course, it requires full discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20); full committal (Mark 8:34) and full renewal of mind (Romans 12:1-2). Then there is no way Satan can hinder God from fulfilling His full and perfect will through each one of us. (I am again sending this forth 2012-03-13; I am today 88 years, 8 months and 8 days - a lot of 8's!) - J.A.Watt* *P.S. In the above paragraph commemorating the 128th birthday of Canada on July 1st 1995, I initially made an error by stating it as 132 years, though it is actually ?2? to the 7th power. On Sunday March 31st, the Day of Pentecost at Aldergrove, BC, I repeated this error in a public service, and was corrected by a man, but failed to catch it. My apologies: ?To err is human - to forgive is divine!? - J.A.W.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Mar 14 12:42:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:42:21 -0700 Subject: 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 14, 2012 *(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #17 - 12:31b-13:13)* *B. 12:31b-13:13 LOVE: IDEAL MOTIVATION FOR SPIRIT MANIFESTATION* *a. 12:31b And I show you moreover an excellent way.* Kai Eti kath? hu-per-boL*E*N hoDON huMIN DEIKnu-mi. *b. 13:1 TONGUES WITHOUT LOVE ARE EMPTY* *If with the tongues of :men I speak, and of :angels, but have not love,* E-AN tais GL*O*Ssais t*o*n anTHR*O*p*o*n laL*O*, kai t*o*n agGEl*o*n, aGAp*e *n de m*e* Ech*o*, *I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.* GEgo-na chalKOS [5475] *e*CH*O*N [2278], *e* KUMba-lon [2950] a-laLAzon [214]. *c. 13:2 OTHER GIFTS WITHOUT LOVE: LEAVE US AS NOTHING* *And if prophecy I have, and all the mysteries I know and all knowledge;* ka? ?AN Ech*o* pro-ph*e*TEIan [4394], kai eiD*O* ta musT*E*ri-a [3466] PANta kai PAsan t*e*n GN*O*sin; *and if all faith I have, so as to remove mountains,* ka? ?AN Ech*o* PAsan t*e*n PIStin [4102], H*O*ste Or*e* me-thisTAnein, *but have not love, I am nothing.* aGAp*e*n de m*e* Ech*o*, ouTHEN ei-mi. *d. 13:3 ALMSGIVING FOR SHOW IS PROFITLESS* *And if I dole out all my :goods,* ka? ?AN ps*o*MIs*o* [5595] PANta ta huPARchonTA mou, *and if I give my :body that I may glory, but have not love,* ka? ?AN pa-raD*O* to S*O*-MA mou HIna kauCH*E*s*o*-mai [2545], aGAp*e*n de m *e* Ech*o*, *it profits me nothing.* ouDEN *o*-pheLOUmai. *e. 13:4-7 HOW LOVE ACTS* *:Love suffers long, is kind;* H*e* aGAp*e* ma-kro-thuMEI [3114], chr*e*sTEUe-tai [5541]; *:love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,* h*e* aGAp*e* ou z*e*LOI [2206], ou per-peREUe-tai [5068], ou phu-siOUtai [5448], *5 is not unseemly, seeks not its :own,* ouk as-ch*e*-moNEI [807], ou z*e*TEI ta he-auT*E*S, *is not provoked, takes not account of :evil;* ou pa-roXUne-tai [3947], ou loGIze-tai [3049] to kaKON; *6 rejoices not in :unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;* ou CHAIrei [5463] ePI t*e* a-diKIa [93], sunCHAIrei de t*e* a-l*e*THEIa [225]; *7 **covers all **things, **believes all **things, **hopes all **things,**endures all **things.* PANta STEgei [4722], PANta pisTEUei [4100], PANta elPIzei [1679], PANta hu-poMEnei [5278]. *f. 13:8 LOVE OUTLASTS OTHER GIFTS* *:Love never fails: but whether **there be **prophecies, they shall be done away;* H*e* aGAp*e* ouDEpo-te PIPtei [1601]: EIte de pro-ph*e*TEIai, ka-tar-g*e*TH* E*son-tai [2673]; *whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall be done away.* EIte GL*O*Ssai, PAUson-tai [3973]; EIte GN*O*sis, ka-tar-g*e*TH*E*se-tai [2673]. *g. 13:9-10 GIFTS ARE IN PART: LOVE IS THE WHOLE* *For we know in part, and prophesy in part;* ek MErous gar giN*O*Sko-men, kai ek MErous pro-ph*e*TEUo-men; *10 but when the perfect is come, what is in part shall be done away.* HOtan de ELth*e* to TElei-on [5046], to ek MErous ka-tar-g*e*TH*E*se-tai. *h. 13:11 MATURITY: SEES LOVE OUTLASTING GIFTS* *When I was a child, I spoke as a child,* HOte *E*m*e*n N*E*pi-os [3516], eLAloun h*o*s N*E*pi-os, *thought as a child, reasoned as a child:* ephROnoun [5426] h*o*s N*E*pi-os, e-lo-giZOm*e*n [3049] h*o*s N*E*pi-os: *when I became a man, I put away the things of the child.* HOte GEgo-na aN*E*R [435], kaT*E*Rg*e*-ka [2673] ta tou n*e*PIou. *i. 13:12 RESURRECTION STATE: WILL REVEAL ALL THIS CLEARLY* *For now we see by a mirror darkly;* BLEpo-men gar ARti di? eSOPtrou [2072] en aiNIGma-ti [135]; *but then face to face: now I know in part;* TOte de PROs*o*-pon [4383] pros PROs*o*-pon: ARti giN*O*Sk*o* ek MErous; *but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.* TOte de e-pigN*O*so-mai [1921] kaTH*O*S kai e-pegN*O*Sth*e*n. *j. 13:13 But now abides faith, hope, love, these :three; and the greater of these is love. * nuNI de MEnei PIStis, elPIS [1680], aGAp*e* [26], ta TRIa TAUta; MEIz*o*n de TOUt*o*n h*e* aGAp*e*.* * *NOTE:* And why would the Holy Spirit lead the apostle Paul to suddenly insert this section between chapters 12 and 14? I think it is probably because the temptation to pridefully use, misuse and abuse the gifts of the Spirit is such a possibility for new believers and carnal Christians. In a sense, chapter 12 deals with the understanding and theology of the gifts of the Spirit. Chapter 14 talks about the use and misuse of the gifts, especially prophecy and tongues. This section points out that *love*, which heads the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, is the greatest safeguard for those tempted to misuse the gifts. As stated before in 12:12-31a, manifestation of the gifts should normally take place immediately following the new birth ? but the development of the fruit of the Spirit ? especially love, the very nature and character of God ? continues throughout our lifetime. Jesus clearly lays out in Mark 8:34 the high cost of discipleship ? ?If any man would come after me, let him *deny himself* , *take up his cross*, and *follow Me*.? There is a progression in these three steps, and when arrived at, allow us to claim like Paul in Galatians 2:20,* ?**I am crucified** with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet * *not** I, but Christ lives in me; **and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live** by the faith of the Son of God, **who loves me, and gave**His life for me! *? See again Mel Gibson?s ?The Passion of the Christ,? to identify with Him in this way. In *this* state there is safety when we manifest the gifts of the Spirit. We do so in the same spirit in which Jesus Himself manifested them in His 3 year ministry on earth. It is always safe to live in the 4 Gospels. There we see Jesus manifesting these supernatural gifts to the glory of God His Father ? and the well-being of His fellow man. So yes ? there is tremendous wisdom of the Spirit in having Paul place this *love* chapter between the two ?gift? chapters. Andrew Murray of South Africa in his scores of books to the whole body of Christ - continually emphasizes the necessity of doing *all* things in love. Faith *works* by love! God *is* love! It is His basic essence, which He consistently manifests as an attribute. When one of Andrew Murray's family members sought confirmation from him after she told somebody off - his response was - that it would be better to give a loving word. As flies respond to honey before vinegar, so people respond to love more quickly than rebuke. We took the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago as leaders in 1953. Its founder was Lewis (Dad) Crittendon, Superintendent of Pacific Garden Mission, and President of the Chicago branch of the Kimball Piano Company. He was *never* known to speak an unloving word to anyone - believer or unbeliever. A friend one time challenged him, ?Dad - I'll bet you've even got a good word for the devil!? That temporarily set him back. But then he brightened and responded, ?Well - we *could* emulate his zeal!? Very early this morning, I felt led to look up this passage, update it, print it up, and put in at the top of my daily devotional list, to run over *every day*. Perhaps some of you would like to join me. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Mar 15 17:06:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:06:08 -0700 Subject: Are you adopted? Am I? Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *S #5206 -- huio-theSIa (5) ? ADOPTION ? SONSHIP * *From S #5207 ? huiOS (381) ? A SON* *From S #5087 ? TIth**e**-mi (192) ? TO PLACE, PUT ASIDE, MAKE* * * *One. ROM 8:15 (12-17) THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION * *c. 8:15 SPIRIT OF BONDAGE VERSUS SPIRIT OF ADOPTION* *For you received not a spirit of bondage again unto fear;* ou gar eLAbe-te PNEUma douLEIas [1397] PAlin eis PHObon [5401]; *but you received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, :Father.* alLA eLAbe-te PNEUma hui-o-theSIas [5206], en h*o* KRAzo-men [2896], AbBA, ho paT*E*R. *Two. ROM 8:23 (18-25). OUR ADOPTION: REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY. * *e. 8:23 OUR STATE: A GROANING FOR ADOPTION - BODY REDEMPTION* *And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,* ou MOnon de, alLA kai auTOI, t*e*n a-parCH*E*N [536] tou PNEUma-tos Echon-tes, *WE ourselves also groan within ourselves,* huMEIS kai auTOI en he-auTOIS steNAz*o*-men [4727], *awaiting our adoption, the redemption of our :body.* hui-o-theSIan [5206] a-pek-deCHOme-noi [553], t*e*n a-poLUtr*o*-sin [629]tou S *O*ma-tos h*e*M*O*N. *Three. ROM 9:4 (1-13). THE ADOPTION: FIRST OF EIGHT COVENANT BLESSINGS.** * *b. 9:3-5a PAUL?S WISH: BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE* *3 **For I could wish that I myself were anathema from the Christ* *e*uCHOm*e*n [2172] gar aNAthe-ma [331] EInai auTOS eG*O* aPO tou ChrisTOU *for my brethren?s sake, my :kinsmen according to **the** flesh:* huPER t*o*n a-delPH*O*N mou, t*o*n sug-geN*O*N [4773] mou kaTA SARka [4561]: *4** who are Israelites; whose **is** the **adoption,** and the glory, ** * HOItiNES ei-sin Is-ra-*e*LEItai; h*o*n h*e* hui-o-theSIa [5206], kai h*e*DOxa [1391], *and the covenants, and the giving of **the** law, and the worship, and the promises; * kai hai di-aTH*E*kai [1242], kai h*e* no-mo-theSIa [3548], kai h*e* laTREIa [2999], kai hai e-pag-geLIai; *5a **whose **are** the fathers, and of whom is the Christ as concerning the flesh,* h*o*n hoi paTEres [3962], kai ex h*o*n ho ChrisTOS to kaTA SARka [4561], *who is over all, God blessed unto the ages.* ho *o*n ePI PANt*o*n, TheOS eu-lo-g*e*TOS [2128] eis tous ai*O*nas [165]. *Four. GAL 4:4-5 (3:23-4:7) GOD?S SON: GIVES ?ADOPTION OF SONS? BY REDEMPTION. * *b. 4:3-5 GOD'S METHOD OF ADOPTING SONS: THROUGH CHRIST* *So we also, when we were babes, * HOUt*o*s kai h*e*MEIS, HOte *E*men N*E*pi-oi [3516], *were in bondage under the rudiments of the world:* huPO ta stoiCHEIa [4747] tou KOSmou [2889] *E*me-tha de-dou-l*o*MEnoi [1402]: *4 but when the fulness of the time came, :God sent forth his :Son,* HOte de *E*Lthen to PL*E*r*o*-ma [4138] tou CHROnou, e-xaPEstei-len ho TheOS ton huiON auTOU, *born of woman, born under law,* geNOme-non ek gu-naiKOS [1135], geNOme-non huPO NOmon, *5 that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoptionof sons. * HIna tous huPO NOmon e-xa-goRAs*e* [1805], HIna t*e*n hui-o-theSIan [5206]a-poLAb *o*-men [618]. *Five. EPH 1:4-6 (3-14) OUR ADOPTION: GOD?S FOREORDAINED PLAN! * * **B. 1:3-14 NINE BLESSINGS IN CHRIST** * *4** even as he chose us in him before** the** world?s foundation,* kaTH*O*S e-xeLExa-to [1586] h*e*MAS en auT*O* pro ka-ta-boL*E*S [2602] KOSmou,* * *that we be holy **and without blemish before him in love* EInai h*e*MAS haGIous kai aM*O*mous [299] ka-teN*O*pi-on auTOU en aGAp*e* *5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself,* pro-oRIsas [4309] h*e*MAS eis hui-o-theSIan [5206] diA I*e*SOU ChrisTOU eis auTON, *according to the good pleasure of his :will, **6** to **the **praise of ** the** glory of his :grace,* kaTA t*e*n eu-doKIan [2107] tou theL*E*ma-tos auTOU, eis Epai-non DOx*e*s t* e*s CHAri-tos auTOU, *which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:* h*e*s e-chaRIt*o*-sen [5487] h*e*MAS en t*o* *e*-ga-p*e*MEn*o*: *NOTE**: **Adoption* (huio-theSIa) appears but 5 times in the Greek NT. It is a combination of 2 words ? ?huiOS? (381x), a son; and TIth*e*mi (192 x) ? to place, put aside, make. Adoption then is the placing or establishing of a SON. Bible Adoption is NOT the same as our Western understanding of adoption. In Bible times a Jewish father would normally place his eldest son under his servants to learn all aspects of his business. When they later came to him and said, ?Sir ? your son has passed all tests, and is now read for ?Adoption.? You can have a special coming out party for him, and then place him beside yourself in your company, which will then be ?Father and Son.? We will then take our place under his direction, just as we have been under yours. THIS is what our Heavenly Father wants to do with us. We are His sons and daughters through the New Birth! But God wants us to receive ?Adoption? unto ?Sonship.? His servants are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers of Ephesians 4:11-12. We are to accept our place under them. They then ADJUST (ka-tar-TIz*o*) us. They give us a spiritual chiropractic treatment to adjust us as the 33 vertebrae of the human body needing adjustment to protect the spinal cord. Adjustment unto ADOPTION and SONSHIP is the will of God for us as outlined in the above 5 references! It is the FIRST of the 8 blessings for Israel, that according to the MYSTERY of the Gospel taught by Paul, we as Gentiles share with Israel in the ?One New Man.? The other 7 blessings in Romans 9:4-5 are equally important for us from God?s point of view. The above 5 quotations of this word, are taken from the coming *?OUTLINED INTERLINEAR NEW TESTAMENT? *by James A. Watt, based on the Bible Numeric Greek and English texts prepared by Ivan Panin. The Outlining is also based on the discovery of Ivan Panin, and appears through the full New Testament text. Watch our Website for when this is published, plus an E-Book text for those more interested in this area. This text enables one to ?meditate? on the Word more like George Muller and George Whitefield, who excelled in this area. But the God who is no respecter of persons can enable each of us to do also! Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Mar 20 15:24:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:24:14 -0700 Subject: Seven I AM's of Jesus Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *?THE SEVEN I AM's OF JESUS?* *(RESULT: OVERCOMERS THROUGH THE PRE-EMINENT ONE)* *NOTE**: *It is important to see Jesus as God sees Him for us. Jesus of course understands the high calling and privilege God has given Him as the Son of Man. But - He is also - Son of God! And at His Resurrection and Ascension, the Father *proclaimed* Him as Lord (Jehovah) and Christ (Messiah)! There is a *man* upon the Throne, at the right hand of the Father. He is both Son of Man and Son of God. The fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him! When He has completed His Millennial reign as Lord of lords and King of kings, He will as Son of Man turn all things back to the Father, that God might be all things in all. Jesus said - Before Abraham was, *?I AM*.? * *The seven I AM's of Jesus in the Gospel of John make this point abundantly clear. It is because of this that He makes the statement recorded in Matthew 23:39 (37-39) *?You (Jerusalem) shall in no wise see me henceforth, till you shall say, 'Blessed who comes in the Lord's (Jehovah's) name.'?* Check our Archives July 14, 2009, Numbers 6:22-27 (It will later be posted on our Website under ?Hebrew.?) Here we see how the Holy Spirit links *?I AM? *with the 7 areas in which He serves as Son of Man, He is recognizing His pre-incarnate state with the Father. At His Bar Mitzvah at the age of 12, He was presented by His parents at the Temple, and 3 days after being missing asked, ?Didn't you know I had to be about My Father's business?? Joseph was His step-father. His true Father was His Heavenly Father, making Him both Son of Man and Son of God. Then He was born to die! Where Adam as the first man failed and brought the whole human race into a fallen state and separated from God - Jesus, the last Adam - yielded *not* to temptation, and as a perfect, sinless sacrifice, died on the Cross at Calvary, and reconciled by His Redemption, all who would believe on Him and receive Him - back to God! No wonder the theme of Oswald Chambers for both himself and us is: *?Personal, Passionate Devotion to Jesus!* I wrote the following ?Seven I Am's of Jesus? back in 1967. With but slight editing, I present them to you again! May we by them become *?Overcomers through the Pre-Eminent One!? - J*.A.W. *SURVEY VIII*. *OVERCOMERS THROUGH THE PRE-EMINENT ONE* *1. John 6:35 (22-40) THE BREAD OF LIFE.* *m. 6:35 JESUS CLEARLY ANSWERS THEIR QUESTIONING* *:Jesus said to them, I am the bread of :life:* EIpen auTOIS ho I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi ho ARtos t*e*s z*o*-*E*S: *who comes unto me shall in nowise hunger, and who believes unto me shall in nowise ever thirst.* ho erCHOme-nos pros eME ou m*e* peiNAs*e*, kai ho piSTEU*o*n eis eME ou m*e*diPS *E*sei P*O*po-te. *i. 6:48 ** **I am the bread of :life**. ** *eG*O* ei-mi ho ARtos t*e*s z*o *-*E*S. - The Bread, ARtos, 100x, Strong 740. - The 'breaking of bread' became the name for the institution breaking (not cutting) the loaf at Lord's Supper, Acts 2:43, 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23. - Metaphorically, Christ is known as the bread of God, John 6:33, 35. - George Muller partook of the Word as Soul-food before he prayed. - Priests ate this bread in type, Bread of Presence, Lev. 24:9. - We minister the living Word by revelation, Romans 8:14. - See the Table of Shewbread in the Tabernacle - 2 piles of six loaves each representing the 12 tribes of Israel. See our Website under ?Embryonics? - here the 12 tribes are linked with the 12 Revival Principles from 1948. *2. John 8:12 (8:12-20) and 9:5 (1-7) THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.* - Light, ph*o*s, 70x - (from PHA*o*, to shine, Strong 5457. *E. 8:12-20 FATHER WHO WITNESSES OF JESUS - UNKNOWN TO JEWS* *a. 8:12 CHRIST THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD* *Again therefore :Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world:* PAlin oun auTOIS eLAl*e*-sen ho I*e*SOUS, LEg*o*n, E-G*O* ei-mi to ph*o*s [5457] tou KOSmou [2889]: *who follows me shall in no wise walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of :life.* ho a-ko-louTH*O*N [190] moi ou m*e* pe-ri-paT*E*s*e* en t*e* skoTIa [4653], all' HExei to ph*o*s t*e*s z*o*-*E*S. *e. 9:5 While I am in the world, I am Light of the world.* HOtan en t*o* KOSm*o* *o*, PH*O*S [5457] ei-mi tou KOSmou. - Metaphorically, the truth in Christ reaching the mind. - Natural man is incapable of receiving spiritual light, 1 Co 1:14. - Believers become 'sons of light' through the New Birth, receiving spiritual capacity for revelation from God, Luke 16:8. - See Candlestick (Menorah) in Tabernacle: gifts of Spirit for light, 1 Co 12:8-11. (Tongues and Interpretation = Prophecy, explaining the 7-fold light. *3. John 10:7 (7-18) THE DOOR.* *John 10:7: ?I am the gate for the sheep? -* *6. 10:7-18 JESUS EXPLAINS PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD* *a. 10:7 :Jesus therefore said again, Amen, Amen, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.* EIpen oun PAlin ho I*e*SOUS, A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN, eG*O* ei-mi h*e*THUra t *o*n proBAt*o*n. - The Door, THUra, 39x, Strong 2374. - Metaphorically, of Christ, John 10:7, 9. - Metaphorically of faith, by acceptance of the Gospel, Acts 14:27. - Also of entrance into the Kingdom of God, Mt 25:10, Lu 13:24-25. - Christ's entrance into a repentant believer's heart, Re 3:20. - Access to behold visions relative to purposes of God, Re 4:1. *4. John 10:11-15 (10:7-18) THE SHEPHERD.* *e. 10:11 THE PURPOSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD* *I am the good :shepherd:* E-G*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N [4166] ho kaLOS [2570]: *the good :shepherd lays down his :life for the sheep.* ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS t*e*n psuCH*E*N [5590] auTOU TIth*e*-sin [5087] huPER t *o*n proBAt*o*n. *f. 10:12-13 THE NATURE OF THE HIRELING* *Who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not,* ho mis-th*o*TOS [3411], kai ouk *o*n poiM*E*N, hou ouk EStin ta PROba-ta Idi-a, *beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees* the-*o*REI ton LUkon [3074] erCHOme-non, kai aPHI*e*-sin [863] ta PROba-ta, kai PHEUgei [5343] *(and the wolf snatches them, and scatters):* (kai ho LUkos harPAzei [726] auTA, kai skorPIzei [4650]): *13 because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep.* HOti mis-th*o*TOS es-tin, kai ou MElei [3411] auT*O* peRI t*o*n proBAt*o*n. *g. 10:14-15 THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS SHEEP* *I am the good :shepherd; and I know :mine, and :mine know me,* eG*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS; kai giN*O*sk*o* ta eMA, kai giN*O*skouSI me ta eMA, *15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father;* kaTH*O*S giN*O*skei me ho paT*E*R, ka' 'G*O* giN*O*sk*o* ton paTEra; *and I lay down my :life for the sheep.* kai t*e*n psuCH*E*N mou TIth*e*-mi huPER t*o*n proBAt*o*n. - The Shepherd, poiM*E*N, 18x, Strong 4166. See Strong 4165, poiMAIn*o*, 11x, to feed or rule. - Metaphorically of Christ, Mt 26:31, Mk 14:27, Jn 10:11, 14, 16, He 13:20, 1 Pe 2:25. - Pastors tend (guide and oversee) as well as feed flock, Acts 10:17, 28. - It was this service committed to elders (overseers or bishops). - Jesus Christ alone is the chief shepherd, 1 Pe 5:4. - Aaron, a type of Christ, faithful over Tabernacle. - King David shepherded God's people Israel, Ps 23. *5. John 11:25-26 (17-44) THE RESURRECTION.* *h. 11:25-26a CHRIST - THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE* *:Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life:* EIpen auT*E* ho I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* aNAsta-sis, kai h*e* z*o*-*E* [2222]: *who believes unto me shall live, even if he die; 26a and every one* ho piSTEU*o*n eis eME, ka' 'n a-poTHAn*e* Z*E*se-tai [2198]; kai pas *who lives and believes unto me shall nowise die unto the age.* ho z*o*n kai PiSTEU*o*n eis eME ou m*e* a-poTHAn*e* [599] eis ton ai*O*na. - The Resurrection, aNASta-sis, 42x, Strong 386. - By metonymy, of Christ as the Author of resurrection. - Many found in Christ strength and firmness, a means of their salvation and spiritual life, Lu 2:34; but also a stone of offense, causing many in Israel to stumble. - God made Aaron's budding rod bring forth almonds, symbol of resurrection. - Christ Jesus raised Lazarus, and will raise us too, 2 Thess 4:13-18. *6. John 14:6 (5-7) THE WAY.* *b. 14:6 NO WAY TO GOD BUT THROUGH CHRIST* *Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life:* LEgei auT*O* I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* hoDOS [3598], kai h*e* aL*E*thei-a [225], kai h*e* z*o*-*E* [2222]: *no one comes unto the Father, but through me.* ouDEIS ERche-tai pros ton paTEra, ei m*e* di? eMOU. - The Way, hoDOS, 102x, Strong 3598. - Metaphorically, a course of conduct, or way of thinking. - The way instructed and approved of God, Ac 18:26, He 3:10. - Paul's ways in Christ, 1 Co 4:17. - The more excellent way of love, 1 Co 12:31. - Personified of Christ as means of access to the Father, Jn 14:6. - The course followed and characterized by followers of Christ, Ac 9:2, 19:9, 23; 24:22. - Christ in Tabernacle: Blood-sprinkled mercy seat on the Ark, which led Israel in her goings. *7. John 15:1 (1-16) THE VINE.* *C. 15:1-16:33 RESULTS FROM THE SPIRIT?S COMING* *3. 15:1-16 FRUIT: PURPOSE OF THE SPIRIT* *a. 15:1 I am the true :vine, and my :Father is the husbandman.* E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* AMpe-los [288] h*e* a-l*e*-thiN*E*, kai ho paT*E*R mou ho ge-*o*rGOS [1092] es-tin. - The Vine, AMpe-los, 8x, Strong 288. - Used figuratively of Christ, Jn 15:1, 4, 5. - A true vine shelters, as 4-fold covering of Tabernacle: badger skins, rams dyed red, goat hairs (humanity), white linen. - Father prunes branches, as they receive life from the true vine. *NOTE**: *There are 14 natural Greek word series in the NT that are related to the 12 tribes of Israel, plus Joseph's two sons. I have linked the Seven I Am's of Jesus from the Gospel of John with the tribe of Judah, the tribe of ?Praise? and of ?The Heavenly Choir?. The verse selections are from the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? which are arranged in a poetical clause form rather than in prose. Winston Churchill in his speeches and Peter Marshall in his sermons used this format. This makes it easier to meditate on such words, much in the spirit that God commanded Joshua to speak, meditate and *do* the Word of God. Joshua 1:8. We can do much better than Joshua as NT saints, when we remember that God has constituted the NT as Torah - equal in authority to the entire OT. (Hebrews 8:6.) Dr. David Stern made this discovery, and deals with it in his ?Jewish NT Commentary?. Try meditating over these 7 sections to test such helpfulness. J.A.W. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Mar 21 12:04:34 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:04:34 -0700 Subject: Numerology & Alphabetology Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 21, 2012 *2012-03-19 - NUMEROLOGY & ALPHABETOLOGY: VOIDS GOD'S WORD* *KABBALAH & THE ESOTERIC - SLIPPING INTO CHRISTIANITY* ?*CLASSICAL HEBREW? - UNDERCUTS GREEK NEW TESTAMENT* *BIBLICAL MEDITATION - JEOPARDIZED BY THE ABOVE* Hi friends - 2012-03-2012 The following article is being sent first to a very few selected friends prior to its regular mailing. It is in my estimation a very serious document. I fear the enemy is launching a very determined effort to sidetrack the Outlined Interlinear NT - so that instead of applying Biblical Meditation upon a simple Bible text, complications are being injected that will make true ?Bible Meditation? exceedingly difficult. I have had 3 very strong examples of this departure from simplicity. One back in the early 2000's in a Messianic Jewish Congregation we were leading. More recently in another Messianic Jewish Congregation. But most recently through a friend who but two years ago was walking soundly in the simplicity of the Word - but has now veered off into this land of excitement because of having departed from the simplicity of the "manna" of the Word. Israel got tired of the simplicity of angel's food, and wanted the food of Egypt. I am afraid my friend is willing to give them what they want. Before I send this out - I need your appraisal. Do you agree? Are their additions, omissions, changes that you suggest? I will most appreciate your words along this line. Your friend - Jim Watt Following are a few responses to my request above: - first from the SeaTac Metroplex - Jim, In my 30 years of ministry - 40 years as a believer - I've come to the conclusion that there is something in the carnal mind that longs for the esoteric and the unusual. While I am a great advocate of Jewish roots, I think much of the preoccupation with Messianic stuff is misguided and a fascination with Judaism rather than Biblical Christianity. Most believers today know much about Jewish customs but little about the revelation given to the apostle Paul. They don't know who they are in Christ, their authority as a believer or the basis of their standing before God (or justification). These truths, which all have heard, are assented to yet not lived. It takes prayerful meditation in God's New Covenant to bring these truths out of the intellectual realm into our lifestyle. As you know, E.W. Kenyon was both a great advocate of meditation and Paul's revelation. As I see it today, the Church is in desperate need of both. Blessings, my friend.* * In Christ, One from the East Coast - Dear Jim, I like the way you approached this. You are consistent in your approach, honoring the Word of God. You are also fair-minded and gracious with your detractors. You are a blessing! Love to Marie. Miss you both! Thanks for including me in the updates and "deeper discussions" like this. God Bless! Another from the SeaTac Metroplex - Dear Brother Jim. I see where you are going, and canot help see through the glass darkly your inference. I was going to call you and see what your take was on the exegesis presented. I will withhold any evaluation. Thank you for your presence. You are and always will be a watch-dog and guardian for common sense and reason. Best to you and your lovely bride --- *My take -* *There are 4 possible ways to interpret the Bible: PRDS - covers the following 4 points of alliteration:* *- Peshat - (lit. simple) - the direct interpretation of meanings* *- Remez - (hints)* *- Derash - (allegorical meanings - think allusions)* *- Sod - (Secret or mystical) - The last three are not mentioned by any OT or NT writers! Jesus in Matthew 15 accused Scribes and Pharisees of His day - of making void the Word of God (in its simplicity) by their traditions.* *Through Kabbalah, Numerology, Gematria and Alphabetology (making each letter of the Hebrew alphabet into a word in itself) - is both secret and verging on the occult.* *See also ?Hebrew Alphabet? under Google, and ?Ancient Hebrew Alphabet?. Some call this ?Classic Hebrew? - but actually it is a departure from the simple Bible (Torah) interpretation. It is a departure from the Simplicity of the given words as they are in the Bible, and makes simple ?Biblical Meditation? in the spirit of George Muller and George Whitefield exceedingly difficult.* *It also undercuts the integrity of the Greek New Testament - that is anything but ?form? alone. But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it becomes through the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the Bible Numeric discoveries of Ivan Panin - an extremely effective way to walk through the ?Tabernacle of Moses? into the very place of the Holy of Holies, and intimacy with God!* *No wonder Jesus was so ?rough? on those Jews of His day, who departed from the pure word of God, into their own traditions. The Talmud and Mishnah, when replacing the Torah in actuality, become suspect. Those who follow that path, are encouraging one to walk even in the spirit of Kabbalah. * *Dr. David Stern - himself from an Orthodox Jewish background, has written a ?Jewish Commentary on the NT?, which he also gave with his own interpretation. In Hebrews 8:6, he by the help of the Holy Spirit and study, discovered the following insight:* *d. 8:6 SUPERIOR COVENANT PRODUCES A SUPERIOR MINISTRY* *But now has he obtained a ministry the more superior,* nun de di-a-pho-r*o*TEras [1313] TEtu-chen [5177] lei-tourGIas [3009], *by so much as he is also mediator of a better covenant,* HOs*o* kai KREITtoNOS [2909] es-tin di-aTH*E*k*e*s [1242] meSIt*e*s [3316], *which has been enacted upon better promises.* H*E*tis ePI KREITto-sin e-pag-geLIais [1860] ne-no-moTHEt*e*-tai [3549]. *See the Greek word from which ?enacted? is translated: *ne-no-moTHEs*e*-tai - *which is the only time used in the NT. It could be freely translated - ?The NT has been constituted as Torah or law - upon these better promises in Jesus (YeSHUa) in the New Covenant.? This makes the Greek New Testament on the same level for all ?Observant Jews? as the Old Covenant - the Torah, the Hebrew OT. That is - now in NT times - no Jew can be truly Observantunless he observes the NT on the same level as the Old! Which means that the Greek NT is not just a ?form? - but in its latent written word (LOgos) is just waiting for us to vocally meditate upon it, and then like in Genesis 1 when the command is spoken, the Holy Spirit springs into action, and transforms it into a living REma word - which is Christ Himself growing in us like He did for Paul in Galatians 2:20. (The text above has been taken from our ?Outlined Interlinear NT? - now being printed.)* *So what am I saying? that 70 years ago this year, Dr. Ivan Panin originally from Russia, completed what God allowed him to discover in 1890 - namely the Bible Numeric structure of the entire Bible, both Hebrew and Greek. These are the only two languages in the world with no numerical equivalent. We in English use for mathematics, Arabic numbers. Romans used Roman numerals. Not so Hebrews and Greeks. Each letter from 4000 BC for Hebrew had a numerical equivalent - so that aleph, beit, gimel, dalet became 1, 2, 3, 4, and tov became 400. In Greek for 3000 years, alpha, beta, gamma, delta became 1, 2, 3, 4, and O-MEga became 800. Jesus (IEsous) in Greek becomes 888! The man of sin in Revelation 13 will be 666. * *Bible Numerics is not numerology linked with Kabbalah, but is simply God's signature to prevent counterfeiting His Bible. All 66 books of the Bible are undergirded with Bible Numerics. We don't need esoteric methods of interpretation by ?alphabetology? and numerology. Let's stick to the simplicity of the known 33 Bible writers of these 66 books. It is so-called ?Classical Hebrew? that leads us from this simplicity. It is quite impossible to have the pre-incarnate Christ fall upon the lintel and doorposts of the Jewish houses in Egypt at the first Passover, and have his head on the lintel - which like the lintel of our doorways - is over 6 feet high! So the word equivalents of each Hebrew letter, cannot be forced to fit this analogy.* *Throughout the church, there are now many, even in Messianic Jewish Congregations - that indulge freely and strongly in this ?Classical Hebrew? method of ?alphabetology? - which few laymen can follow or utilize, or meditate upon. K.I.S.S. - Keep it Simple, Sweetie! Don't let us be led astray from the simplicity of the Word - into esoteric Kabbalistic methods of interpretation. Jesus condemned strongly those of His day who made voidthe simple Word of God by traditions. * *Watch for our completed ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the 50-year labors of Ivan Panin. Under a commission of God, I have spent over 60 years putting his two Bible Numeric texts into an Interlinear format, - outlining each sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph, chapter equivalent, and gathering them into a summarized title for each of the 27 NT books. God allowed Panin to discover this outlining format also. It is a simple format. Panin describes this in the Introduction to his Bible Numeric Greek NT. It is easily usable by lay-folk or scholars. It leads richly into Bible Meditation - and parallel with the Tabernacle pilgrimage of the 7 pieces of furniture - right into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies - through the riven veil!* *Get side-tracked in the maze and traditions warned about above - and you will miss the simplicity of the ways of God! Jim Watt* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Mar 22 11:16:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:16:47 -0700 Subject: A 40th Year 1948 Anniversary Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 22, 2012 *2012-03-22 - FEB. 12, 1988 - 40 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FEB. 12, 1948* *In 1988, February 12, 500 of us from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan - agreed to take part in a 21-day Daniel Fast. It was the 40th Anniversary of the 1948 Visitation by God to Northern Canada, at which time 12 Embryonic Revival Principles came together to complement what started at Azusa Street in 1906. * *Three of these 12 were: The Laying on of Hands and Prophecy to enable seeking individuals to know God's place for them in the Body of Christ; the 5-fold Ministries of Ephesians 4:11-12 to start functioning as a whole; and the Heavenly Choir to be restored, what started in the early 1900's in the meetings of Mrs. Maria Woodworth-Etter.* *For 21 days from February 1-21 we sought God's face for a word to stop the inroads of J. Z. Knight of Yelm, Washington, as she was invited to ?channel? 12,000 year old ?Ramtha?, a strong principality of Satan in this area. Two Seattle TV channels gave her opportunity to do so!* *When I heard of this ungodly news in late 1987, I prayed and sensed God leading me to call for 500 friends and acquaintances to join with me to cause to cease these public demonstrations. The 500 of us completed this assignment, but it was not till February 23rd that God spoke. He then said, ?Make yourselves individually like Michael Knight in the 'Knight Rider'. But instead of using K.I.T.T. to aid you in bringing criminals to justice - Let ME be as K.I.T.T. inside of you! Let me control you individually and corporately, and J. Z. Knight will no longer publicly channel Ramtha in your area. And here are the verses you are not only to master, but which you are to use in allowing Me to live My Life through you by the Holy Spirit. See 'Rees Howells, Intercessor' by Norman P. Grubb as an example of how it looks to have the Holy Spirit take control of your life and possess you on My behalf. First of all, learn and master Romans 12:1-2:?* *IV. ROMANS 12:1-16:23 RIGHTEOUSNESS MANIFESTED IN LIFE* *A. 12:1-2 BEGINS WITH COMPLETE SURRENDER* *a. 12:1 A WHOLE BURNT OFFERING CONSECRATION - HOLOCAUST* *I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of :God,* Pa-ra-kaL*O* [3870] oun huMAS, a-delPHOI, diA t*o*n oik-tirM*O*N [3628] tou TheOU, *to present your :bodies a living sacrifice, * pa-raST*E*sai [3936] ta S*O*ma-ta huM*O*N thuSIan [2378] Z*O*san, *holy, well-pleasing to God, your spiritual service.* haGIan, t*o* The*o* euAres-ton [2101], t*e*n lo-giK*E*N [3050] laTREIan 2999] huM*O*N. *b. 12:2 YIELD TO GOD'S TEACHERS* *And be not fashioned according to this :age:* kai m*e* sun-sch*e*-maTIzes-the t*o* ai*O*ni TOUt*o*: *but be transformed by the renewing of the mind,* alLA me-ta-morPHOUSthe [3339] t*e* a-na-kaiN*O*sei tou noOS, *that you may prove what is the good* eis to do-kiMAzein [1381] huMAS ti to THEl*e*-ma tou TheOU to a-gaTHON *and well-pleasing and perfect will of :God.* kai euAres-ton [2101] kai TElei-on. ?*Next, let Mark 8:34 have its full way in your life:?* *3. 8:34-9:1 DISCIPLESHIP: THE CONDITION FOR KINGDOM GLORY* *a. 8:34 CONDITIONS OF DISCIPLESHIP* *And he called to him the crowd with his :disciples,* Kai pro-ska-leSAme-nos ton OCHlon sun tois ma-th*e*TAIS auTOU, *and** said to them, If any would come after me,* EIpen auTOIS, EI tis THElei oPIs*o* mou elTHEIN, *let him deny himself, and take up his :cross, and follow me.* a-par-n*e*SASth*o* [533] he-auTON, kai aRAt*o* ton stauRON auTOU, kai a-ko-louTHEIt*o* [190] moi. ?*And lastly, see how Paul used Galatians 2:20 to let Me manifest Myself victoriously through his life to found 14 City Churches with an Eldership in the Gate of each - like Antioch (Acts 13:1-3) and Jerusalem (Acts 15). Under My direction, Paul wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament (See 1 Corinthians 14:37). The whole NT is not the words of man, but My words through man! In just like manner - for you and your band of 500 to let Me through these 3 verses possess you - J. Z. Knight will no longer have opportunity to publicly channel and manifest Ramtha. I will be your spiritual K.I.T.T. on behalf of you as my spiritual Michael Knight, in successfully stopping J. Z. Knight from future public channeling and manifestations.?* *f. 2:20 CHRIST LIVING IN US: A LAW THAT SUPERCEDES LAW OF MOSES!* *I have been crucified with Christ; and no longer I live, but Christ lives in me:* ChrisT*O* su-neSTAUr*o*-mai [4957]; z*o* [2198] de ouKEti eG*O*, z*e* de en eMOI ChrisTOS: *and what I now live in the flesh I live by faith which is in the Son of :God,* ho de nun z*o* en sarKI [4561] en PIStei z*o* t*e* tou huiOU tou TheOU, *who loved me, and gave himself up for me.* tou a-gaP*E*sanTOS [25] me, kai pa-raDONtos [3860] he-auTON huPER eMOU. *To my knowledge, J. Z. Knight since February 23, 1988, has no longer had opportunity for public channeling of Ramtha.* *So on the 40th Anniversary of February 12, 1948 - God's Visitation at North Battleford, Saskatchewan - God in His wonderful wisdom, guidance and fulfillment, brought together the 5-fold ministry to successfully do what He promised and said.* *The three verses quoted above that the Lord directed in - are taken from our ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the 50 years labor of Russian Ivan Panin. It is now 70 years since he died in Aldershot, Ontario, and God in His faithfulness is having it printed this year. I trust Panin in heaven is rejoicing at God's faithfulness. Watch our Website for news when this printing is finished and available for distribution. Jim Watt * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Mar 24 13:51:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:51:38 -0700 Subject: Defense & Apologetic Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 24, 2012 *2012-03-24 - DEFENSE & APOLOGETIC FOR TORAH (BIBLE) ALONE* *My first class in Hebrew was in 1946 at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. I was introduced to the words representing each of the 22 letters of the alphabet, and shared my exciting discovery with the professor. He was an outgoing Modernist, Dr. Robert Schnell, and promptly threw cold water on my discovery. I was quite shocked, and decided to do some research on the subject, which I have continued through the years. I am quite satisfied that the normal word equivalent for each of the 22 letters is quite legitimate, and that this has no connection with Kabbala (Cabala) or the occult.* *However, my concern is this: My friends, both Jewish and Gentile who use this information to form Bible interpretation - have no Biblical warranty for such use. Of the 33 known Bible book authors - not one refers to this as a legitimate basis for interpretation, nor does Jesus Himself. I have 3 friends I referred to in a recent article on this subject, who do not handle any Bible teaching without referring to these letter and number equivalents. It does excite the hearers, and one gets incredible computer hits monthly for his teachings making use of this method. Talking to and observing such hearers, I do not find them moving in a ?Bible Meditation? posture like George Muller or George Whitefield. It seems like more of an exciting discovery the teacher shares with his hearers, in a somewhat intellectual rather than a spiritual mode.* *Up till now, I have merely made my own observations, and said nothing. It was when one I highly regarded for his spiritual and edifying teaching - switched in the last few years to the mode above - that I became not just concerned, but alarmed. The majority of his hearers in the meeting I attended really had little background to evaluate what they were hearing.* *Because the Greek language does not lend itself to this type of interpretation as based on the Hebrew, the NT Greek was put down as a Hellenistic intellectual mode - far inferior to the Hebrew. This is an extremely serious conclusion. It immediately downgrades the New Covenant, and lifts up the OT in a manner that does not fit with the Pauline insights. And Paul himself said that his teaching was not of himself - but the Lord by the Spirit gave him all he wrote except a few thoughts in 1 Corinthians 7.* *Concerning numerology. I personally follow Bible Numerics by Ivan Panin, which has nothing to do with numerology. Numerics, because of number equivalents to each letter of both Hebrew and Greek - merely is God's aid in establishing the true original text of the Bible out of the number of manuscript copies existing today. Numerology as I understand it - deals with Bible interpretation on the basis of such numbers.* *Again, on the basis of the Bible writers themselves, both OT and NT, we do not find them majoring on interpretation on the basis of such numbers. Making an inordinate use of such letters and numbers as the basis for Bible interpretation, tends to major on ?head? knowledge, and though exciting because different, does not lead in my experience to true spirituality or intimacy with Jesus.* *My first year as a believer in 1944 found me introduced to a number of teachers in Victoria BC, who majored on numerology. I found it quite ?dry?. I have received 5 years each of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, which does notmake one a scholar - just an earnest student with a Master's degree. I have spent 1000's of hours in Greek perfecting an ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the Greek and English texts prepared by Ivan Panin. And I have spend a considerable time also preparing Hebrew Interlinear sections based on some of my favorite OT passages.* *Much later I led a Messianic Jewish Congregation for 10 years, and had the opportunity through the Torah readings - to discover what Jewish Orthodox writers did in the field of Numerology. They would add up the numbers for passages, and seek to relate such totals with other parts of the OT to produce interpretations. I used two of their texts weekly for several years - namely ?The Pentateuch and Haftorahs? by Hertz, plus ?The Chumash? - The Stone Edition, anthologized from the Rabbinic Writings.* *Some of their notes are excellent - but some are wild, departing from the Torah, and taking on from the Talmud and Mishnah insights that couldn't possibly be condoned by Jesus!* *After having looked into both fields of numerology and alphabetology (my term) for years, - I am more than ever convinced that Jesus words to the Jewish leaders of His day - ?You have made void the Word of God (Torah, both OT and NT) by your traditions? - is applicable to an excessive use of these two disciplines. Again - because no Bible writer refers to either of these disciplines in their writings - then I personally cannot lend my time in these areas. George Muller and Andrew Murray majored on Bible texts alone. Their lives, writings and fruit have been so admirable, that I have no difficulty in seeking to emulate their examples.* *The work I have done (between 40-50,000 hours) on the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? - is not an end in itself but a means to an end - namely: the basis for ?Biblical Meditation? as the major component part for making us useful in the hands of our Lord as an organic laser-telescope group.* *The above may not be convincing or appealing to others. Israel in the wilderness got tired of ?manna? for angels, and wanted the leeks and garlic of Egypt. I fear that an excessive emphasis on numerology and alphabetology - takes us from the manna of Torah - and brings us into the rabbinical views of Talmud and Mishnah; and for some - definitely into the realm of Kabbala and the occult. - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Mar 25 18:26:16 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:26:16 -0700 Subject: Gift Versus Devotional Tongues Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 25, 2012 *1 COR 12:8-11 - TONGUES, GLOSsa, 50x, Strong #1100* *BENEFITS OF DAILY USE OF PRAYER LANGUAGE - INDIVIDUAL & CORPORATE* *MEDICAL REASON: FOR PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT* Dr. Carl Peterson of O.R.U. in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a brain specialist. He was doing research on the relationship between the brain and praying in the Spirit, or speaking in tongues. Some amazing things were discovered! Through research and testing, Dr. Peterson found that as we pray in the Spirit (our heavenly language), there is activity that begins in the brain. As we engage in our heavenly language, the brain releases two chemical secretions that are directed into our immune system, giving a 35 to 40% boost to our immune system. This promotes healing within our bodies. Amazingly, this secretion is triggered from a part of the brain that has no other apparent activity in humans, and we don't use it. It is only activated by our praying in the Spirit. Therefore, we need to pray in our prayer language more than we ever have before. Acts 2:4 (1-4, Amplified Bible) *?And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].?* Jude 20 (17-23, Amplified Bible) *But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit.?* *NOTE**:* Years ago Pastor Dr. David Yonggi Cho of Seoul, South Korea quoted a medical doctor in one of his books. It was not the same as the insights of Dr. Peterson, but it was somewhat parallel. According to the best of my memory, this other doctor scientifically discovered that when believers audibly spoke in their devotional prayer language, a release took place that built up such people in an unusual way in the inward man. This certainly corroborates the Spirit-inspired teaching of the apostle Paul. Mark 16:17-18 (9-18, NNT) *TONGUES: ONE OF THE 5 SIGNS PROMISED BY JESUS TO BELIEVERS. ?And these signs shall follow them that have believed: in my :name shall they cast out demons, speak with tongues; 17 and in their hands they shall take up serpents, and if they drink aught deadly, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.? *Bible Numerics is God's infallible signature. It deftly moves through the conclusions of the ?Bible Critics?, confirming where they were right, and conversely - correcting where they were wrong. In the 8th portion of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6, ?Thine is the kingdom etc.? - Yes - they were right. This was an eager-beaver copyist's addition. But John 8:1-11, the woman caught in the act of adultery - *This* is a bona-fide part of the NT text! And Mark 16:9-20, left out of the NT by the majority of the ?Bible Criticism School? - Bible Numerics is so magnified in this portion, that if any part of the NT should be omitted, this would be the very last portion to go! 2 Timothy 2:15 (2:14-26) *RIGHTLY** DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTHL ?Give diligence to present yourself approved to :God, a workman that needs not to be shamed, rightly dividing the word of the truth.? *This verse was chosen by Lance Latham of Chicago years ago for a Boys' Club that he named *AWANA - APPROVED WORKMEN ARE NOT ASHAMED.* He proved that boys who learned to rightly divide the word of truth, succeeded in life percentage wise to an unusual degree. 1 Corinthians 13:1 (12:31b-13:13) *DIVIDE BETWEEN TONGUES OF MEN AND ANGELS. DIVIDE BETWEEN THE GIFT OF TONGUES AND DEVOTIONAL PRAYER LANGUAGE. ?If with the tongues of :men I speak, and of :angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.? *All apart from ?rightly dividing?, whether we speak of the *gift* of tongues or the devotional prayer language, either one, without love, avails little. 1 Corinthians 14:37 14:37-40) *RECOGNIZE THE LORD SPEAKING THROUGH NT WRITERS. ?If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what things I write you, that it is the Lord's commandment.? *This word needs to be repeated again and again. Many professing believers feel that Paul's words are not on the level with those of Jesus. *False!* It is not just the words of Jesus in the Gospels that should be in red - but all His words through all other writers of the NT. This is a most serious observation, and most upsetting to many who reject the words of Jesus through Paul especially. Paul''s words on worship and tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 are really *not* his words, but the words of Jesus through him. When Israel in the OT rejected the words of Moses, he made the same observation. Israel was not rejecting *his* words, but the words of *Jehovah * through him! (See 1 Cor. 14:37). 1 Corinthians 7:10-12; 39-40 (7:8-40) *EXCEPTION: PAUL SPEAKS HERE, NOT THE LORD. ?But to the married I have charge, not I, but the Lord, That a wife depart not from a husband 11 (but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to the husband); and that a husband leave not his wife. 12 But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. 39 A wife is bound for so long time as the husband lives; but if the husband be fallen asleep, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. But she is more blessed if she abide as she is after my :judgment: and I think that I also have God's Spirit.* This is the only passage in Scripture where the apostle Paul speaks on his own, apart from a command of the Lord speaking through him. Yet because of his faithfulness in the past, he believes he has here the Lord's confirmation. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 (14:1-19) *PAUL'S TESTIMONY CONCERNING HIS USE OF TONGUES. ?I thank :God, I speak with a tongue more than you all: 19 but in church I would rather speak five words with my :understanding that I might instruct others also, then ten thousand words in a tongue. *Here is a very clear illustration where one needs to rightly divide between the *gift of tongues* and *one's devotional prayer language*. 1 Corinthians 14:5 (14:1-19) *PAUL'S DESIRE FOR US CONCERNING THE GIFT. ?Now I would you all to speak in tongues, but rather that you prophesy: and greater he that prophesies than who speaks in tongues, except he interpret, that the church receive edification.? *Do all have the gift of *tongues* or prophecy? *No!* - Yet all may have devotional tongues. Notice here, that Paul by the Spirit makes tongues and interpretation equal to prophecy. That is why the Menorah in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses could have but 7 branches, not 9 - like in the hanukkiah Therefore later in this chapter (14:26-33) when Paul gives rules of order for the most edifying way to have the manifestation of tongues and prophecy in a meeting, we can see the close connection in his rulings. Some feel Paul is quenching their spirits when he does so. *Not so* - these are rules of the Lord for edification, not selfish manifestation of the few! Now consider the verse that follows. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31a (14:12-31a) * TONGUES, LIKE APOSTLES: NOT ALL HAVE THESE GIFTS! ?And :God **has set** some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, **kinds of tongues**. **29** Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all power workers**? **have all gifts of healings? **speak all in tongues**? do all interpret? **31a **But desire earnestly the greater :gifts.? *Consider the above questions by the Spirit through Paul. The Greek construction in each case automatically requires the answer of *No!* Not all are apostles, and *not all* have the *gift of tongues!* Yet, all may have devotional tongues, making the distinctions noted above. Some Bible teachers believe that more Christians may have the gift of prophecy than the gift of tongues. The Gift of tongues is speaking in a language known by men on earth, but unknown to the speaker. It is supernatural. It is therefore a sign to the unbeliever. Stanley Frodsham prior to the '48 Visitation, wrote a book entitled ?With Signs Following,? in which he recounts over 100 instances of this gift. Many have come to the Lord through this supernatural manifestation. Because of lack of discerning between the gift of tongues and one's devotional prayer language, much misunderstanding has of course followed. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (12:1-11) *THE NINE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, INCLUDING TONGUES. ?But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit **to :profit* *. **8** For to one is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom; and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: **9** to another faith, in the same spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; **10** and to another workings of powers; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues; **11** but all these work the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each severally **even as he wills**.? *Henry Blackaby carefully points out that each of these 9 gifts are *not* for the personal edification of the user, but for the *church*. We are *not* to use any of the gifts of the Spirit for personal edification - they are to profit others. This understanding helps to prevent much abuse. Notice too that the gift of discernings of spirits comes between the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues. These two gifts of utterance lead easily to pride and self exaltation. This leads to the possibility of demonic entrance. But the discernings of spirits coming between these two, protect the church from abuse of these two gifts. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (1-19) *DEVOTIONAL TONGUES: GIVES DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD. ? For who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God; for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries.? *Again, rightly dividing the word of truth, it is obvious that Paul here is *not* speaking of the *gift*, but of the devotional prayer language. What a blessing to have this direct access to God, Spirit to spirit. The human mind does not have understanding, but the spirit is tremendously edified. Smith Wigglesworth made use of this hours each day, and testified that *this* was the secret of his ministry, with perhaps 2 million coming to Christ, and tens of thousands healed and delivered. Note also that this communication for the believer is speaking *mysteries.* Pray then for the gift of interpretation, that the mind can also be edified. Paul unveiled *many* mysteries, especially the mystery of the ?One New Man.? No doubt he received this when praying in his devotional prayer language those 3 years in the desert following his conversion, and then receiving the interpretation. 1 Corinthians 14:4 (1-19) *DEVOTIONAL TONGUES: A WAY TO BUILD UP YOUR SPIRIT. ?Who speaks in a tongue **builds up himself**; but who prophesies builds up the church.? *Pastor Dr. David Yonggi Cho and Smith Wigglesworth are leading exponents of those who availed themselves of this privilege. 1 Corinthians 14:13-19 (1-19) *PRACTICAL TEACHING ON TONGUES, BOTH GIFT & DEVOTIONAL.* Note: The context following each verse is established by Bible Numerics. Ivan Panin believed we can trust it! ?*Wherefore let him that speaks in a tongue pray that he interpret. **14**For if I pray in a tongue, my :spirit prays, but my :understanding is unfruitful. **15** What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. *16* Else if you bless in spirit, how shall who fills the place of the unlearned say the Amen at your :giving of thanks, seeing he knows not what you say? *17* For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not built up. **18** I thank :God, **I speak with a tongue more than you all**: **19** but in church I would **rather** speak five words with my :understanding that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.? *Yet Paul in his devotional prayer language exceeded all others in its use.* *I personally believe that the total contexts for tongues, encourages us to believe for interpretation for both the *gift* and for *devotional* tongues. Note too the Spirit's exhortation through Paul to both *pray* and *sing* in the Spirit. There are some who, because of lack of understanding the difference between the gift of tongues and ones' devotional prayer language, disallow singing in the Spirit in the church, either individually or corporately, because they require interpretation in all cases. *This is wrong!* ?40 Years of Signs and Wonders in the Life of Mrs. Marie Woodworth-Etter? abundantly makes this clear. I read this book in 1944, and God made clear to me as a new believer, that in the not too distant future I would see ?The Heavenly Choir? restored. This took place in Edmonton in October, 1948. Singing in the spirit, either individually or corporately, is making use of one's devotional prayer language, and *does not* require one to give an interpretation. One man in Western Canada has written a book on this subject erroneously, bringing confusion to individuals and the church. 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 (20-25) *ANOTHER INSIGHT ON TONGUES. ?In the law it is written, [that] By strange-tongued and by lips of strangers will I speak to this :people; and not even thus will they listen to me, says **the**Lord. **22** So that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving: but prophecy is not to the unbelieving, but to the believing.? * This hearkens back to Frodsham's book, ?With Signs Following.? Paul here quotes from Isaiah 28:11-12 (28:9-13, ASV) *?Nay, but by **men of** strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people; **12** to whom he said, **This is the rest**, give rest to him that is weary; **and this is the refreshing**: yet they would not hear.? *So devotional prayer language is *rest and refreshing* in the spirit for one using it. But the *Gift of tongues* is a sign for the unbelieving, bringing many of them to Christ. 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 14:37-40) *FORBID NOT TO SPEAK IN TONGUES! ** **?So then, my brethren, desire* *earnestly to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. **49** But let all **things** be done decently and in order.? *Would to God all would hear these dual exhortations. 1 Corinthians 14:26-29 (14:26-33) *EDIFYING: THE RULE FOR ALL GIFTS. ?What is it then, brethren? When you come together, **each** has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has **a tongue**, has an interpretation. Let all **things** **be** unto **edifying**. **27** If any speaks in a tongue, * *let it be** by two, or at the most three, **and in turn**; and let one interpret: **28** but if **there** be no interpreter, let him be silent in church; and let him speak to himself, and to :God. **29 **And let prophets speak **by** two or three, **and let the others discern.?* Ern Baxter in his church in Surrey BC, observed this. And after the church gleaned from the preceding 2 o 3 messages, he would ask - ?Now is there anything the Spirit would have us act upon in the light of this Living Word?? Verse 28 then is literally a correction - for every member participating in every service would bring great confusion! Les Pritchard saw it this way. Notice too, that discernings of spirits comes between tongues and interpretation - and prophecy. Many a time a message will come that needs to be corrected, for an evil or carnal spirit has inspired the user, *not* the Holy Spirit! This happened in a church in Tacoma years ago. The pastor witnessed that a visitor had brought a false prophecy. He immediately went to the 4 or 5 elders sharing the platform with him, and got their confirmation. Then he waited for the visiting brother to finish. When he was through the pastor said, ?Now church, I have checked with the elders, and we do not witness that our brother's prophecy was of the Lord. If he would like, we would be glad to meet with him following the service. But now church - Let's go on with the service.? *This* is both a discernings of spirits and a word of wisdom. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-23 (5:12-24) *QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT. ?Quench not the Spirit; **20** despise not prophesyings; **21** but prove all **things**; hold fast what is good; **22** abstain from every form of evil. **23** And the God of :peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your :spirit and :soul and :body be preserved entire, without blame at the presence of our :Lord Jesus Christ.? *Make no mistake - we are quenching the Spirit if we do not encourage individual and corporate singing in the spirit from a ?devotional prayer tongue? sense apart from legal requirement, over against the interpretation requirement for the ?gift of tongues.? Let us *rightly*divide the Word of Truth! *CONCLUSION*: J. E. Stiles wrote a book entitled ?The Gift of the Holy Spirit?. This and other writings came out at the same time as the 1948 Northern Canada Visitation. Some called it ?The Episcopalian Bible? - it was so used by the Historic Churches at the time of the Charismatic Renewal. One of his studies was over a score of reasons why believers should use their devotional prayer language much every day. The above notes I am sure would confirm what was written by Brother Stiles. He also felt that it was unnecessary to ?tarry? for the gift of the Holy Spirit following Pentecost. Indeed, Jesus commanded the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until that time, but from then on we are to follow Acts 2:38. There in the ?Peter Package,? we need to have a Scriptural repentance and baptism - and then immediately through the laying on of hands we can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We saw hundreds receive this way in 1948 in the light of Pastor Stile's exhortation. In the 3 Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania) following the 1906 outpouring at Azusa Stree, some estimated that 50% of the Baptist members of churches there received this gift, scarcely aware of its significance. Can people have an anointing apart from a devotional prayer language? Of course! See John Wesley, George Muller and Oswald Chambers as examples. They were *much* in prayer over the Word - a ?Bible Meditation? posture, but did not move in tongues. This produces an anointing and release of other gifts of the Spirit, which these 3 shared in abundance. Out of 70,000 Wesleyan members who attended class meetings, fully half faithfully and daily used their devotional prayer language. John Wesley affirmed - ?I neither encouraged nor discouraged the speaking in tongues. But of the 50% of my ministers who moved in this favor, I noted that they were amongst my most zealous soul winners.? - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Mar 26 09:28:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:28:28 -0700 Subject: NT Meditation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 26, 2012 *2009-03-10 - MEDITATION, PART 5, 1 TIMOTHY 4:15* *1 Timothy 4:15 (11-16) MEDITATION FOR TIMOTHY: PARALLEL TO JOSHUA 1:8* *From meleTAo (meLEte, MElomai, MElo*, 32x) - 3 times, Strong # 3191* TAUta meLEta [3191]; ?*Be diligent (meditate) in these; * en TOUtois ISthi [2468]; *give yourself wholly to these; * HIna sou h*e* pro-koP*E* [4297] pha-neRA [5318] *e* PAsin. *that your :progress be manifest to all.?* *1. (Originally recorded Thursday November 22, 1990). ?Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). It is dialog with a friend that causes ?spin-offs? in thinking, leading down unexpected vistas of truth! Such dialogue does not disturb unity: it is the very essence and proof of unity. The Jewish rabbis of the Great Synagogue and onwards went at it ?hammer and tong? with one another, so that the most accurate understanding of scripture could come forth. They called it ?halaKAH,? the main area of Talmudic investigation.* * This is what a friend (WJEB) did to me the other day. He challenged me: You write about a concept of meditation from the First Covenant that put together Prayer and Torah (Word) vocally in 20/20 vision. How does this carry over into the Second Covenant? Could it be the ?cooing of doves? of the First, as expressed in the devotional prayer language of the New?* * Strangely enough (or Providentially), just before receiving this letter, I wrote down in my Journal: The apostle and rabbi Paul knew true meditationmore in tongues (his devotional prayer language, not the gift of tongues), than any other man. He said so (1 COR 14:18). He added that he mixed this equally with prayer with his understanding. Being a rabbi and a Jew, the Apostle Paul thoroughly understood Joshua 1:8, and literally practiced it. He would also understand that prayer, worship, spiritual songs, praise, and the Davidic dance, flow out of the basic meaning and Hebrew root of meditation. * * So, vocal meditation, or quiet, cooing utterance with a devotional prayer language over the Word to God, was the basic and integral spiritual exercise of the Apostle. It was night and day. It was in the spirit of Joshua, and all that meditation meant to First Covenant saints.* *2. Only one word is rendered ?Meditation? *in the Second Covenant, namely meleTA*o* (#3191), from the root MEl*o*.* It is the exact counterpart to ?hawGAW? (Strong #1897) in the Hebrew, for Acts 4:25 (meleTA*o*) quotes Psalm 2:1 (hawGAW). *3. J. H. Thayer, ?Greek English Lexicon,? *states that it means: to care for, attend, to carefully practice: 1 TIM 4:15, be diligent in; to *meditate *, i.e. to devise, contrive: Acts 4:25 from Psalm 2:1 (this is the linkage between the Hebrew ?hawGAW,? and the Greek ?meleTA*o*." Used by the Greeks of the *meditative* pondering *and the practice of orators and rhetoricians*, which usage seems to have been in the writer's mind in Mark 13:11. * Meditation* is for *speaking*! It is vocal, which parallels the basic Hebrew meaning and thought for *meditation*. *4. MOCKING *or derogatory speaking: a sign of disrespect and evil, with punishment as the just result. Notice that this mocking is verbal; and vocal *meditation*, part of this family of words, impinges upon it. *5. CARING*: in the same family of words as *vocal meditation.* One who cares *says so*! Not only this, but also proofs of *caring* are given to the one loved. If we care about God and His Word, we will not only tell Him so, but we will *keep* His Words, and seek in all ways to please Him. *6. MetaMElomai* is heart sorrow for wrong and sin, and leads to mouth expression and acts of contrition. However, though it is associated with ?metanoia? (change of mind repentance), it does not necessarily lead to this latter. In the case of Judas, the die was cast - the point of no return reached, and this latter Mind-Repentance is no longer available as a gift. Better for this man that he had never been born. Notice again the verbal accompaniment of ?metaMElomai,? which is associated with *verbal meditation* (meleTA*o*). *7. PREMEDITATION*: A vertical and inward vocal exercise leading to outward, horizontal expression. Jesus said that for disciples in danger or persecution, this is *not* the way to go. Rather, He promised a direct conduit from God, prophetically, by revelation, that would be the exact answer needed under the circumstances. Both are verbal, but the latter is on a high supernatural order. *8. GOD'S JEWISH GIFTS AND CALLING: WITHOUT REPENTANCE.* Does this have application for all of God's people? Of course! But it does not exclude the basic ?grammatico-historical? promise of God which is to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 11 should be carefully exegeted in its context to ascertain exactly what God is saying here. Non-Jewish believers are *not*to be proud, arrogant nor nigh minded against Jews and their roots. Our roots are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and by natural descent Jewish believers have precedence over us. We Gentiles are reconciled to God because of their temporary rejection. The grafting back of the Messianic Jewish congregations today will mean *?Life from the dead? (Romans 11:15).* A subtle anti-semitism has been sown in the church by false theologies (Replacement Theology). But look at the *meditation* of God's heart, thoughts and purposes. He does not see such thoughts and purposes. He does not see such thoughts as are too often entertained in the church today. Out of the *meditation* of His heart He has thoughts of good for all. The spawning of the Hitler-type *meditation* comes from the evil one. The conclusion of the matter is that God's *meditation* requires no repentance concerning the eternal covenant God made with Abraham and his seed, both natural and spiritual (Genesis 17). *9. TIMOTHY'S MEDITATION: AMAZING PARALLEL TO JOSHUA 1:8 (1 TIMOTHY 4:15).*All that Paul enjoined upon Timothy is to be *meditated* upon. This *meditation*, by the comparison of the Greek quotation of the Hebrew word for *meditation* requires that it be *vocal*. As Joshua was to keep the Torah in his mouth, *meditating vocally* upon it day and night; so Timothy was to keep the words of his mentor the Apostle Paul, a rabbi. These things in parallel were part of the warp and woof of Paul's being. What Hebrews did in the First Covenant, we are to continue under the Second Covenant. This is a verse and teaching that is *pivotal*. We should thoroughly understand its implications, and walk in them. It ties the two covenants closely together, assuring us that *Jesus* did *not*destroy or remove the old?: He built upon it by *fulfillment*; He wrote the *law* of the First Covenant on our hearts in the Second Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31), so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we can see Christ in us living out the Sermon on the Mount. What Israel lacked power to do under the First Covenant, we can attain to by the Spirit of Redemption in the Second. *10. One reason we neglect* God, His redemption, His salvation, His Word: is that we fail to *meditate vocally* day and night on His Word. God's Word is Himself extended (John 1:1). The new birth is found in seed form in His word (James 1:18), producing might, strength, dignity and power (Genesis 49:3). We release the divine nature within us (2 Peter 1:4), growing and maturing in it, as we daily and habitually *meditate* in His Word. *?In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,? John 1:1. *We should never underestimate the privilege, power, and potential of *meditating* upon God's Word day and night. We should not forget Paul's example of how he did it (1 COR 14). We should not forget that he said, ?*Follow me, as I follow Christ? (Phil. 3:17; 2 TIM 2:2; 2:10; 1 COR 11:1). ?To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this word? (ISA 8:20) ... ?And as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts? ISA 55:9).* *11. Psalm 110:4 - *one of the most quoted verses in the Second Covenant. God will not *repent* concerning what He has said here. Notice the relationship between *meditation* and *repentance*. What God *purposed*, comes out of the *meditation* of His heart. Our *meditation* should follow *His meditation*. What He has purposed and stated with His mouth, shall not be reversed. As we seek out of His great and basic purposes; as we recognize that we have been created to walk in His purposes; as we *yield* to His will and purposes; then we find His yoke is easy and His burden light; then we enter into true rest of soul; then God makes His face shine upon us, and is gracious unto us; then He lifts up His countenance upon us, and gives us *peace*; then He puts His Name upon us, and blesses us. What a heritage for the godly in Christ Jesus! Honor God in His Son, and all these blessings flow forth upon us. Jesus has this more excellent ministry! *12. GOD'S CARE*: Arises out of His thoughts and purposes for us. He has chosen us because He loved us: not that we had merit or worth; but because it pleased Him to birth the life of His Son in us, mature His Son in us, and bring *many sons* into Glory. The emphasis is not upon the ?manifestation of the sons of God?: rather it is the *manifestation of the Son of God* through us! God's care arises out of *meditation*: our * meditation* causes us to understand His heart, purposes and care. Our prayer is for our *needs*; our thanksgiving is for His *blessing*; our worship is for *Himself*. *Meditation* is the royal road leading to this high revelation. *13. THESE THINGS; *these things; these things (2 PET 1:8; 1:9; 1:10; 1:12; 1:15). Where were *these things* that Peter cared about, and not be * negligent* concerning? The things concerning God's Divine Nature imparted to us through His great and exceeding precious *promises*; and the * meditation* upon the seven virtues to be added with all diligence (2 PET 1:5-7). *Vocal meditation* and obedience to *these things* according to Joshua 1:8 and 1 TIM 4:15 will absolutely revolutionize our lives: leading us into a pathway of spiritual growth with increasing speed, and a pathway shining brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. *Consider* then these truths and exhortations from the Word. Take them for a trial period of 30 days. Associate with those of like desires and goals. Beware of seducing spirits and siren calls. Beware of short cuts that promise much, but lack a high regard for God's Word, the Cross, and the Glorious Redemptive truths and blessings of our Christ through His blood. Refer to the Hebrew counterpart Word Study on *Meditation*, for these two studies are two sides of the same coin. *14. Berry, George R., ?The Interlinear Greek New Testament;? Greek-English NT Lexicon, p. 64, REPENTANCE: *metanoE*o* is the nobler word, the regular expression for thorough repentance; metaMElomai is more loosely used, generally expressing sorrow, regret or remorse. *15. Kittel, G., ?Theological Dictionary of the NT, Vol. IV,? *p. 626. MetanoEIN and metaMElesthai are distinct in class. MetanoEIN means a change of heart either generally or in respect of a specific sin, whereas metaMElesthai means ?to experience remorse.? MetanoEIN implies that one has later arrived at a different view of something (nous); metaMElesthai that one has a differtnt feeling about it (MElei). But it is easy for the two ideas to come together and even merge, since a change of view often carries with it an uncomfortable feeling. When ?remorse? is ascribed to man, there is an obvious difference from repentance metanoEIN, though the LXX does pay tribute to Hellenistic attempt to assimilate metaMElesthai and metanoEIN. Remorse does not have to be pleasing to God. It can be simply a change in mood. It is often the natural result of imprudent and unjust action. In remorse a man sees the bitter end of sin; in repentance (metanoEIN) *he breaks free from it.*Remorse comes of itself at the end of a sinful and foolish way. But a man is called to repentance by the one who brings the divine Word (metanoEIte, Mark 1:15). When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse (metamel *e*THEIS, Matthew 27:3) and brought back the thirty pieces of silver. The reference here is to remorse, not repentance. Judas sees that his action was guilty, and he gives way under the burden. The remorse of Judas (MAT 27:3) and of Esau (HEB 12:17) does not have the power to overcome the destructive operation of sin. When, therefore, the NT separates the meanings of metaMElesthai and metanoEIN, it displays a clear awareness of the unchangeable substance of both concepts. In contrast, Hellenistic usage often effaced the boundary between the two words. *16. NOTE:* The law was good, and a school master to bring one to Christ. When used lawfully, it brought conviction of sin to unbelievers. But it lacked the power to enable the OT saint to rise to the desire of his heart in God. Only the indwelling power of Christ in the Holy Spirit through the Second Covenant could supply such power. Even so, MetaMElesthai lacked the power to enable one to come to true repentance. Sorrow for sin alone is as frustrating as law alone for the OT saint. But the *gift* of repentance has transforming power (Acts 11:18). *17. The root word* for repentance that is sorrow for sin is MEl*o**, and has the thought of ?taking care,? or ?caring.? Caring can be transformed (meta) into sorrow for sin. MeleTA*o*, to *meditate*, is closely associated with the root word MEl*o**. When one *cares* for a person, he *meditates*upon that person. When that Person is God, it is natural to talk to Him, worship Him, commune with Him, reveal his intimate feelings and thoughts to Him. Sometimes words are insufficient or inadequate to communicate our deep feelings to Him. Then we have the ?d*o*reA? of 1 COR 9:15, the *unspeakable gift of the Holy Spirit*, Who came upon Jesus as a dove at His baptism. *He*enables all believers to speak to God with unutterable words of a devotional prayer language; by this we speak to God (1 COR 14:3), and speak mysteries. We can also speak with our understanding (1 COR 14:15), and follow Paul's example by speaking to God *much* in this manner (1 COR 14:18). The Father understands these words, these groanings, these divinely given cooings by the Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Dove (ROM 8:26-27). He who cares deeply for God and His great Redemptive Work in Christ, will want to worship the Father this way (PHIL 3:3; John 4:23-24). Paul says that when he speaks in a tongue, a devotional prayer language, his spirit prays (1 COR 14:14). And he also said, Follow me as I follow Christ (1 COR 11:1). Smith Wigglesworth, David Yonggi Cho, John G. Lake, Mike Bickle: all these and many more, have used this form of worship *much* daily, and have experienced an intimacy with God that is truly supernatural. Their ministries then became exceptionally enhanced. Millions upon millions of others use this love language of the dove unto the Father in measure. Those who balance ?prayer with the spirit and understanding,? and the Word; obtain 20/20 vision in the Spirit, and move more swiftly in partaking of the Divine Nature. *Meditation* is at the heart of all of this. Note - God initiated this with Joshua (1:8). Some 500 or so years later he repeated it with Psalm 1:1-3. 1000 year later again, God through Paul gave this to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:15). All believers have this privilege and responsibility. Jim Watt - November 25, 1990. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Mar 27 10:00:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:00:38 -0700 Subject: Interlinear Commission Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 27, 2012 *2012-03-26 - MY PERCEPTION ON GOD'S ?INTERLINEAR COMMISSION?* *Over the years I have found myself in the embarrassing situation of trying to explain how I perceive that I got into this situation.* *It was in July of 1944 that Russian Jew, Dr. Jewell of Calgary, Alberta introduced Ivan Panin to me in Victoria, B.C., and gave me two pamphlets listing the then available books and pamphlets ?by? or ?on? Panin.* *In 1945 upon discharge from the Navy and receiving a departing gift, I ordered all 20 or so publications listed on the back cover of the above pamphlets. When I read the Introduction to Panin's Bible Numeric Greek NT, I read of his second discovery in the field of Bible Numerics: that even the sentence, paragraph and chapter equivalent structure of each of the 27 NT books - is established by Bible Numerics! I am an ?outliner?, and immediately outlined the book of Ephesians on this basis. I was so intrigued with the clarity that came from this exercise, that I finished outlining the entire 27 books of the NT, with my personal notes. * *To confirm this, in 1946 I sensed God's Spirit speaking to me: ?My servant Ivan Panin died in December 1942 a disappointed man, because his goal and hope of having his 2 Bible Numeric texts: Greek and English - set in an Interlinear format - failed to take place. Now - would you for Me consider taking on this assignment??* *I replied that I would on one condition: that He would undertake the responsibility of seeing it printed, published and distributed. He said He would.* *In 1967, to speed up this project, the Spirit of God strongly impacted my spirit - ?Get My NT done!? It was early in the morning, and I leaped out of bed, and in not too long a time completed a two volume MS of this project. I typed up the complete English text, and by hand copied out underneath each clause, my hand-written Greek text.* *I did this in a ?centered format?, following the example of a Winston Churchill speech, and a Peter Marshall sermon. I sensed this was God's desire.* *I summarized each sentence above the English - in an 8 word or less title; I gathered these up into sub-paragraph summaries; these into paragraph summaries; these into section or chapter equivalent summaries; and these into the 27 Book Summaries. I have made excellent use of this MS through the years. * *Then in 1995 a friend had watched me typing up articles on a typewriter. He told me what a computer could do for me in preparing and correcting MSS, and offered to give me an early Windows Version, a Printer, and lessons for me to be able to make use of them.* *In 2000 my oldest son Jim saw how much I needed a Website to spare me from answering individual requests from mailings. His present to me of this was a life-saver!* *In 2007 I resigned leadership of a Messianic Jewish Congregation, and started typing up the NT * *Outlined Interlinear MS for my Website. My grandson Keelan Long helped set up my Website for this in 2008.* *In October 31st of 2009, I formed a Pilot Prayer Team (PPT) of 8, with one of its responsibilities to undergird in prayer the completion of this Interlinear project. In 2010 I turned the leadership of the PPT over to Elvin Gladney, who made contact with Timothy Johnson for the printing, publication and distribution of this Interlinear Project. To activate the Organic Laser-Telescope was the number one goal.* *On December 7, 2010, a Minnesota Prayer Group of some 40 undergirded this project, and had a break-through in Remembrance of Pearl Harbor.* *On February 12, 1967, in answer to a request from my wife Marie (who supplied a lap-top for the above project), I asked God for a revelation from Him concerning His thinking on why He had led in our marriage. Generally speaking, He had in 1948 the year of our marriage, said that when He links two together to count more in His Kingdom than either could do alone - that this is pleasing to Him. Now - specifically - He gave two visions in one night. The first was of an ?Organic Laser-Telescope? based on the two texts of Ivan Panin now in Interlinear format. He said this is the first and key component part of the 7. I gathered from this that the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? was not an end it itself - but a means to a far greater end.* *He also identified that the second component part of this instrument was a Pedestal - supporting the first part, and represented the restoration of City Churches with an Eldership in the Gate of each city such as seen in Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15.* *The last 5 component parts He did not identify at that time, for I did not have direct connection with them as I did with the first two.* *But on December 7, 2010, He now revealed the last 5 component parts: Prayer Multiplication, set forth by Pastor Ern Baxter in his triangle diagram, and connected with the Menorah or Candlestick in the Tabernacle, was #3. Deuteronomy 32:30, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Matthew 18:19 had been verses given to aid in realizing this truth for Clan & Household Salvation.* *#4 - the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of February 12, 1948, brought together under the direction of George Hawtin of North Battleford, Saskatchewan. These He linked with the Table of Shewbread in the Tabernacle, with the 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of Israel in 2 piles.* *(He had previously linked the Outlined Interlinear NT with the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle. The ?Finished Work? of Christ alone makes the ?Interlinear? effective! The Laver He linked with the City Church and Eldership in the Gate. Roland Allen of England developed this concept in China and Africa to quite an extent.)* *The 5th Component Part of Worship & Intercession, he linked with the Altar of Incense, the last of the 3 pieces of furniture in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb illustrates the tremendous potential in Intercession when we allow the Holy Spirit to possess us in like manner.* *#6 Component Part is the challenge of ?Focusing on Jesus? as illustrated so strongly by Oswald Chambers in his ?My Utmost for His Highest?. It is linked with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Isaiah twice in his prophetic book calls Jesus our Covenant.* *#7 Component Part is ?Bible Meditation? as exemplified by George Muller and George Whitefield. It is at the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies that we find full intimacy with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.* *When a Pilot Prayer Team of 8 allows itself to walk in the above 7 principles, the Lord can then use us to point at Satanic principalities and powers over cities and areas - blast them out of existence - and bring revival, restoration, renewal and revolution to such cities and areas! This will speed up the soon-return of our Lord Jesus!* *On December 2010, Elvin Gladney exhorted me to finish posting the last section of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? on our Website.* *In January 2011, our Printer Timothy Johnson and his associate met in our home with Elvin Gladney, my grandson Keelan Long and myself, to expedite the printing of this project.* *In August of 2011, God Sovereignly brought Elvin Gladney to Himself. He then through Elvin's preparation and divine leadership, placed Jim Ray as his successor for the leadership of the PPT, and as liaison with the Printer and our family. This was to ensure a coordination in all aspects of this project.* *The first 200 copies of the Gospels in this new format were printed for the February 12, 2012 Coeur d'Alene Conference. Progress is taking place to have ready for printing Acts through Revelation. See our PPT as a prayer-undergirding for this, with its leader Jim Ray as the coordinating agent for this project.* *Again - I believe it is important to see: the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is not an end in itself: it is the means to an end, greater than itself. This makes this whole project a ?God thing?. It is not just a project to be accomplished: it is a ?Divine Assignment? with a spiritual-based mandate - undergirded with prayer - not only by the PPT - but by 3 other Intercessory Groups led by Intercessory leaders.* *So - God is fulfilling the promise He gave to me in 1946, that He would assume the responsibility for Printing, Publication and Distribution. J.A.Watt* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Mar 28 12:47:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:47:47 -0700 Subject: Mystery Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 28, 2012 * 2009-03-04 - MYSTERY* (musT*E*ri-on) 27x from MU*o* - ?to shut the mouth? Matthew 13 11 (10-17) *MYSTERIES OF KINGDOM OF HEAVENS: FOR BELIEVERS. ?And he answered **and** said, [that] To you **it** is given to know the ** mysteries** of the heavens, but to them is is not given.? *The parables of Jesus were for those not in His Kingdom. When His disciples asked for understanding, it was immediately given to them. Parables keep unbelievers in safety until they make a decision to enter in. Note that in the Great Commission Jesus commands us to *make disciples*, taking for granted the conversion process. *This* is the great challenge of the church. *Full*understanding of the milk of the word (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). This is what Jesus challenged the rich young ruler with (Mark 10:17-31), and his riches deterred him from following through. Belief in Jesus is *not* enough. Discipleship to Him is Mark 8:34 (8:34-9:1). Oswald Chambers believes that we can be saved without this, but we count little in God's Kingdom until we are disciples. How many church attenders qualify with *this*? Yet, *this*is the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20! Ponder! Mark 4:11-12 (10-20) *THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. ?To you is given the **mystery** of the kingdom of :God: but to th**os**e without, :all **things** are done in parables: **12** that looking they may look, and not see, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest by chance they should turn again, and it be forgiven them.? *Jesus explains why disciples hear and understand the *mysteries* of the Kingdom of God plainly - but those not yet in the discipleship state - in parables. Then He shows that the ?Sower and the 4 soils? is the *key* of all parables (Mark 4:13-21) - by this shall one understand *all* parables. Luke 8:10 (9-15) *MYSTERIES OF KINGDOM FOR BELIEVERS: PARABLES FOR OTHERS. ?And he said, To you **it** is given to know the **mysteries** of the kingdom of :God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.? *This is parallel to Mark 4:11-12. Romans 11:25-26a (25-33) *THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL'S TEMPORARY CUT-OFF. ?For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this :**mystery**, lest you be wise in your own **conceits**, that a hardening in part has befallen :Israel, till what **time** the fullness of the nations be come in; **26**and so all Israel shall be saved:? * Paul was entrusted by the Lord to know this mystery above the other apostles. Peter thought he wrote some things hard to be understood, which unstable Christians wrestled with to their own destruction. Still today, because of the false ?Replacement Theology?, many non-Jewish believers do the very thing Paul warned against in this chapter. And let us remember, the unraveling of the *mystery* does *not* originate with Paul, but is revealed to Paul by our Lord Jesus. To miss this truth is the miss the Lord's teaching, not Paul's. Romans 16:25-27 *THE MYSTERY FOR ALL NATIONS TO OBEY. ?Now to the one able to establish you according to my :gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to revelation of **the** **mystery** kept silent through the times of ages, **26** but now is manifested, and through **the** prophetic scriptures, according to commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith: **27** to **the** only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom the glory unto the ages. Amen.? *This benediction closes and seals all that preceded in the book of Romans. What Paul taught by revelation concerning ?The One New Man,? Christ's spiritual body the Church, composed of both Jew and Gentile - in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians and Colossians - is *all* sealed by this same benediction. Blessed is he who perceives and walks in this revelation. 1 Corinthians 2:7 (6-16) *GOD'S HIDDEN MYSTERY OF WISDOM. ?But we speak God's wisdom in **mystery**, the hidden **wisdom** which God foreordained before the ages unto our glory: **8** which none of the rulers of this :age have known: for had they known **it**, they would not have crucified the Lord of :glory.? * Notice that the wisdom of God in His heart from the beginning was not disclosed during Old Testament times, nor during the life of Jesus on earth. God reserved this disclosure when he had groomed the apostle Paul for this important revelation. 1 Corinthians 4:1 (1-5) *APOSTLES: STEWARDS OF GOD'S MYSTERIES. ?Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of God's ** mysteries**.? *Notice that *being faithful* is a key mark of true stewards of God's *mysteries*. Paul certainly was this. George Muller of the 1800's was a contemporary steward who also qualified. Suffering and humility are other key marks of true apostles. 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:1-2 (13:1-13) *KNOWLEDGE OF MYSTERIES WITHOUT LOVE: WORTHLESS. ?And I show you moreover an excellent way, **13:1** If with the tongues of :men I speak, and of :angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. **2** And if prophecy I have, and all the **mysteries** I know and all knowledge; and if all faith I have, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.? *The humble person like Paul and George Muller qualify here. Jesus said, By their *fruits* shall you know true ministers. If they lack this qualification, they have failed, and we are not to fear them. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (1-19) *PRAYER LANGUAGE TO GOD IS IN MYSTERIES. ?For who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God; for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks **mysteries**.? *Because testified of using this gift more than any of the Corinthian believers, it would seem that God used Paul to impart to him revelation of the *mysteries* that he later on shared with all the the city churches in his writings. For 3 years following his conversion, he met with God alone in the desert, and most probably this was an enriching time when God prepared His servant in the stewardship that he later so faithfully discharged. 1 Corinthians 15:51 (35-58) *THE MYSTERY OF RESURRECTION PRIOR TO DEATH. ?Lo, I tell you a **mystery**: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.? * Here again we have a revelation uniquely presented by Paul, that previously was unknown. It is a great encouragement to believers. On talk shows we hear leaders confessing they have no authentic understanding on this or the life to come. But *we* understand, for God has revealed this *mystery* to us through His chosen vessel, the apostle Paul. To keep him humble in the light of the many extraordinary revelations, He was required to send Paul a ?thorn in the flesh.? Ephesians 1:9 (3-14) *THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WILL IN CHRIST. ?Having made known to us the **mystery** of his :will, according to his :good pleasure which he purposed in him (Christ).? *This is a tremendous passage. Numbers have memorized it. Early in the 70's, I led a class of some 60 in preparing word studies on each significant word in it. It was a rich experience. One youth who is a medical doctor today, did excellent work in his research, coming up with valuable insights. *Christ* is the key to all of God's purposes on our behalf. As we keep our focus on Him, the *mysteries* will become part of the warp and woof of our being. *Ephesians 3 :1-6 (1-13) THE MYSTERY OF THE ONE NEW MAN. ?For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of the Christ, Jesus, in behalf of you :nations,- 2 if so that you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of :God :given me toward you; 3 how that by revelation was made know to me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, 4 whereby, when you read, you can perceive my :understanding in the mystery of the Christ; which in other generations was not made known to the sons of :men as it has now been revealed to his holy :apostles and prophets in Spirit: 6 that the nations are fellow-heirs, and fellow-bodied and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.? I believe we have before us here, the key mystery of all the 27 mysteries mentioned in the New Testament. When I was a very new believer in 1944, Lee Ellenwood from California came up and ministered in Victoria and Port Alberni BC that summer. One of his key verses was *1 Corinthians 12:12 (12-31) *THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S BODY. Think of it! Our body has many members and trillions of cells. But Christ is Head of a spiritual bodycomposed of both Jewish and Gentile believers. The ?Fellowship of the Table? required for this - is clearly set forth by Dr. Daniel Juster of ?Tikkun Ministries.?* Ephesians 3:9-10 (1-13) *THIS DISPENSATION OF GOD'S MYSTERY NO LONGER HID. ?And to bring to light what **is** the dispensation of the **mystery** :hid for the ages in :God who created :all **things**; **10** **in order that**now unto the **principalities and the powers** in the heavenlies be made know through the church the manifold wisdom of :God, **11** according to a plan of the ages which he made in the Christ, Jesus our Lord: **12** in whom we have :boldness and access in confidence through his :faith.? *This is a direct follow-up to the preceding 2 reference to *mystery*. Imagine! God has chosen the Church of Christ through the teaching of his apostles and prophets to reveal to Satan and his high officers their final doom through the wisdom of God through Christ's body - the church! Ephesians 5:31-32 (22-33) *THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. ?For this cause shall a man leave :father and :mother, and shall cleave to his :wife; and the two shall be one flesh. **32** This **mystery** is great: but I speak **in regard** to Christ and the church.? *Now this indeed is a * mystery*. Again, God in his wisdom has chosen the marriage of a man and a woman to illustrate His church. Homosexuality and Lesbianism is a *parody*of this, and the day will come when God will make this abundantly clear. How do human marriages show forth this higher spiritual union wherein believers and Christ as Head become one spirit? Let us pray that through * meditation* in the spirit of Joshua 1:8, and the building up of our spirits through praying in the spirit, will enable God to lift many marriages to this true picture of Christ and His Church. Ephesians 6:19 (10-20) *PAUL: PRAYER NEEDED TO DECLARE THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL. **Pray** on my behalf, that utterance be given me in opening my :mouth with boldness to make know the **mystery** of the gospel.? *It should not surprise us to know how much Satan fears the true and clear and bold preaching* *of the Gospel! The Good News of Christ and His Kingdom - both now and soon coming in greater fulfillment - spells his doom! So - he hinders men like Paul so they find it difficult to preach boldly this extraordinary Good News. But - our prayers on behalf of true preachers - enables them to break through for this in a way that glorifies God, saves and delivers souls, and disciples them to the standard that pleases the heart of God. Colossians 1:25-27 (24-29) *THE GLORY OF GOD'S MYSTERY TO THE NATIONS. ?I became minister, according to the dispensation of :God :given me toward you to fulfill the word of :God, **26** the **mystery** :hid from the ages and from the generations: but now has it been manifested to his :saints, **27**to whom :God was pleased to make known what **is** the riches of the glory of this :**mystery** among the nations, which is **Christ in you, the hope of glory**.? *Colosse was close to Ephesus in Asia Minor, present day Turkey, and one of the 7 churches of Revelation. Apparently Paul wrote this special letter to the Colossians, somewhat paralleling the letter he wrote to the Ephesians. They probably shared these 2 letters with each other. The great phrase - ?*Christ in you, the hope of glory*,? however, sets forth this letter in a unique manner, as enlarging on the *mystery* of the Gospel in Christ. Colossians 2:1-3 (1-5) *A MYSTERY CONTAINING ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. ?For I would have you know how great a conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my :face in **the**flesh; **2** that their :hearts be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the fullness of the understanding, unto full knowledge of the **mystery** of :God, Christ, **3** in whom are all the treasures of :wisdom and knowledge hidden.? *This somewhat parallels 1 Corinthians 1:30-31. Notice how the apostle Paul maintains his focus on Christ in all of his letters. And he said, ?Follow me, as I follow Christ.? Colossians 4:2-4 (2-6) *A DOOR NEEDED TO PROCLAIM THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST. ?Continue steadfastly in :prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; **3**withal praying for us also, that :God open us a door for the word, to speak the **mystery** of the Christ, for which I am also in bonds; **4** that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.? *See the humility of the apostle Paul in this. He knew that the bold proclamation of the *mystery*in Christ was dependent upon the prayers of the saints on his behalf. If we want the results that come form heaven's true anointing upon our lives, we too will humble ourselves and sincerely seek the prayers of our fellow-believers. Note that God opens closed doors in answer to the prayers of others. Charles G. Finney reached a stage where he was unable to break through with his own prayers. In New York he begged the prayers of the saints. They responded, and as great results Finney had ever experienced took place, and one fruit of it was ?Revival Lectures,? that came out of that Crusade. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (1-12) *THE PRESENT MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS. ?For the ** mystery** of :lawlessness does already work: only **there is** :one that restrains now, until he become out of **the** midst.? *The *mystery* of lawlessness was hidden until the preaching and writings of the apostle Paul. This whole epistle majors on this subject, and throws much light on it. Those who master these insights can enter into a higher and more effective form of intercession. 1 Timothy 3:8-9 (1-13) *THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH. ?Deacons likewise **must be** grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; **9** holding the **mystery** of the faith in a pure conscience.? *Here ?faith? is used to speak of the full teaching of Christianity. And it *is* a *mystery*! It requires faith to press in and understand the *mystery* of the faith. Note that it is not just the city church elders who need this, but the deacons too, who in the beginning waited on tables. Philip and Stephen were two of the 7 original deacons - and their solid understanding of the *mystery* of the faith led God to catapult both of them into the higher function of the evangelist. 1 Timothy 3:16 (14-16) *THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS PERTAINING TO CHRIST. ?And confessedly great is the **mystery** of :godliness; Who was manifested in **the** flesh, Seen of Angels, Preached among nations, Believed on in ** the** world, Received up in glory.? * Here we find Paul grooming his protege, who one day would take his place. He later became the apostolic pastor of the city church of Ephesus, composed of many local churches in the home. All of Asia Minor heard the Gospel from this church. Paul later said that if he sent Timothy on an assignment, and they received him in the right spirit - it would be as good and helpful as if they had Paul himself. What a commendation! So - Timothy understood the above *mystery* of godliness concerning Christ, with all 5 aspects of this truth. Revelation 1:20 (9-20) *THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS. ?The **mystery**of the seven stars which you saw in my :right, and the seven :golden lampstands. The seven stars are angels of the seven churches: and the seven :lampstands are seven churches.? *In ?Visions Beyond the Veil? by H. A, Baker, the little former orphans and beggars saw a large angel over a church, as well as a human pastor. Mr. Baker from their coordinated accounts, I believe, rightly assumed that what the children saw was correct. God does deploy an important angel over a city church, just as Satan deploys principalities and powers over cities, regions and nations. Daniel heard from Gabriel that the Prince of the power of Persia held him up until Michael came and routed him. Michael is the angelic prince of God over Israel. These things that were *mysteries* became clarified in New Testament times. Revelation 10:7 (1-11) *THE 7TH TRUMP AND THE MYSTERY OF GOD. ?But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to trump, **then**is also finished the **mystery** of :God, according to **the** good tidings **which** he declared to his :bondmen the prophets.? *This is a significant word. Jesus on the Cross cried out, ?It is Finished,? for He had fulfilled the will of God who sent Him, and His Finished Work on Calvary ushered in a new day for Adam's Race. The 7th Trump in Revelation finished the sequence of events opening up those things revealed in New Testament times, especially to the apostle Paul. What God starts - He finishes. What was hidden in *mysteries*- has been fully revealed in this Gospel Age. Revelation 17:4-5, 7 (1-18) *A MYSTERY: BABYLON THE GREAT - and - THE MYSTERY OF THE WOMAN AND BEAST. ?And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her :hand a golden cup full of abominations, and the unclean **things** of her :fornication, **5** and upon her :forehead a name written, a **mystery**, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ... **7** And the angel said to me, Why did you wonder? I will tell you the **mystery** of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.? *In the last days, Religion and Politics will unite in an uneasy alliance for the purposes of Satan. The * mystery* of religion is likened to a woman. The beast she rides is the ruler sent by Satan, who in the end destroys the woman. Both the woman and the Beast are *mysteries*. Clues are given here to help identify them. However, Jesus said that Prophecy is not so much to help us understand the future in detail, but more as a confirmation, that *when it comes to pass*, we can look back and say, ?Why that's exactly what Jesus predicted, and its fulfillment *is* confirmation of His rule as true Lord and Christ, even as the Father designated Him.* * * * *NOTE*: The word ?Mystery? is sufficiently defined in the respective notes with the above references. To restate - it seems to me that in Ephesians 3:1-6 - we find the key reference in this Word Study that opens up our full understanding to it. The ?One New Man? concept set forth so clearly by the apostle Paul, was one of the more difficult mysteries for not just normal Jews, but even particularly for Jewish believers in Jesus. Acts 15 is the key New Testament chapter plus the book of Galatians, to show both the unity between Jew and Gentile in the church - but also the differences. Messianic Jewish Congregations still rock back and forth over the revelation of this mystery. At the return of Jesus for His church as King of kings and Lord of lords - soon all these difficulties and misconceptions will be solved and put to rest. The above is one of my favorite Greek Word Studies - Trust it may be the same for you - - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Mar 30 17:58:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:58:31 -0700 Subject: Psalm 91 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* March 30, 2012 * * *PSALM 91 - GOD: THE ALMIGHTY SHIELD FOR ALL HIS SAINTS* *1. 91:1-2 THE BLESSING OF ABIDING IN GOD* yo*shev* [3427] be*se*ther [5643] el*yon* [5945] *He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High* be*tzel* [6738] sha*dai* [7706] yith-lo*nan* [3885]. *will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.* o*mar* *lai*ho-vah [3068] makh*si* [4268] vu-me-tzu-da*thi* [4488]*,* *2 I will say of Jehovah, -- ?He is my refuge and my fortress,* e-lo*hai* [430], eb-takh [982] -- *bo*. *my God, in whom I trust.?* *2. 91:3-8 THE PROTECTION GOD GIVES HIS SAINTS* chiy hu ya*tziyl*cha [5337] mip*pakh* [6341] ya*kush *[3353] *Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare* mi*de*ber [1698] hav*voth* [1942]. *and from the deadly pestilence.* be-e-bra*tho *[84] *ya*sech [5526] lach, *4 He will cover you with his feathers,* ve*tak*hath -- che-ma*paiv* [3671] tekh*se* [2620]; *and under his wings you will find refuge;* tzin*nah* [6793] ve-so-khe*rah* [5507] a-mit*to* [571]. *his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.* lo -- *tiy*ra [3372] mip*pa*khar [6343] *lai*lah, *5 You will not fear the terror of the night,* me*khetz* [2071] ya*uph* yo*mam*, *nor the arrow that flies by day,* *mid*de-ber [1698] ba*o*phel ya-ha*loch* *6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness* mik*ke*teb [6986] ya*shud* tza-ha*raim.* *nor **the plague that destroys at midday.* yip*pol* [505] mitz-tze-de*cha*, *7 A thousand may fall at your side,* *e*leph vu-re-ba*bah* [7233] miy-miy*ne*cha, *and ten thousand at your right hand,* e*ley*cha lo yig*gash*. *but** it will not come near you.* rak be-ey*ney*cha tab*biyt* *8 You will only observe with your eyes* vel-shil-lu*math* [8011] re-sha-iym [7563] tir*eh*. *and will see the punishment of the wicked.* *3. 91:9-13 GOD GIVES ANGELIC PROTECTION* chiy Ye-ho*vah* makh*siy* [4268] -- *If you make the Most High your dwelling --* El*yon* *sam*ta -- me-o*ne*cha [4583] *even Jehovah, who is my refuge* -- lo -- te-un*neh* e*ley*cha ra*ah* [7451], *10 then no harm will befall you,* ve*ne*ga [5061] lo -- yik*rab* be-a-ha*le*cha [168]. *and no disaster will come near your tent.* chiy *ma*le-a-chai [4397] ye-tzav-veh [6680] --*lach* *11 For he will command his angels concerning you* lish-ma-re*cha* [8104] be-chal--de-ra*chey*cha [1870]; *to guard you in all your ways;* al -- cha*paim* [3709] yis-sa*u*ne-cha [5375], *12 they will lift you up in their hands,* pen -- tig*goph* [5061] ba*e*ben [68] rag*le*cha [7272]. *so that you will not strike your foot against the stone.* al -- *sha*khal [7826] va*phe*ten [6620] tid*roch* [1869]; *13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;* tir*mos* [7429] che*phiyr* [3715] ve-tan*niyn* [8577]. *you will trample the great lion and the serpent.* *4. 91:14-16 THE RESPONSE GOD LOOKS FOR IN HIS SAINTS* chiy biy *kha*shak [2836] va-a-pal-le*te*hu [6403]; ?*Because he loves me I will rescue him;* a-sag-ge*be*hu [7682] chiy -- ya*da* she*miy* [8034]. *I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.* yik-ra*a*niy [7121], ve-e-e*ne*hu [6030]; *15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;* im*mo* -- *i*no-chiy be-a*rah* [6864], *I will be with him in trouble,* a-khal-le*tze*hu [2502] *va*-a-chab-be*de*hu [3513]. *I will deliver him and I will honor him.* *o*rech ya*miym* as-biy*e*hu [7646] *16 With length of days (long life) will I satisfy him* ve-ar*e*hu [7200] *biy*shu-athiy [3444]. *and I will show him my salvation.? (spoken by Jehovah)* *NOTE:* Mike Servello has written a book based on Psalm 91. He takes 91:4 -- that tells us that Jehovah is our God, and is a *shield* and rampart to all believers. Then he points out how God is our 7-fold Shield: 1. The Shield of the Blood of Jesus. 2. The Shield of God our Father -- a Relationship. 3. The Shield of the angels of God under the Holy Spirit. 4. The Shield of the Full Armor of God. 5. The Shield of the spirit of Faith. 6. The Shield of Integrity and Righteousness. 7. The Shield of Intercession. It is interesting to note that this 7-fold shield can be grouped around the 7 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses. Jesus is clearly linked with the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court. Our Heavenly Father is linked with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The Holy Spirit and the angels under Him are linked with the Menorah -- the 7-fold Lamp stand in the Holy Place. See if you can take the last four and link them with the remaining 4 pieces of furniture. When on a daily basis we set God as our 7-fold Shield, then like Job we will find that He places around us a 7-fold Hedge -- to protect us from the wiles of Satan. 1. *A Mental Hedge *will protect our minds from the arrows of the enemy. See Romans 12:1-2 and Mark 8:34 how to walk in this truth. 2. *An Emotional Hedge*. How important it is to have this hedge in place as a result of God our 7-fold Shield! Many new and carnal believers desperately need to press into the protection of this hedge. 3. *A Physical Hedge*. God desires that our whole body, soul and spirit be preserved blameless till the coming again of our Lord Jesus. Remember again the wonderful promise of 3 John 2 -- *?Beloved, I pray that in all thingsyou prosper and be in health, even as your :soul prospers.?* 4. *A Spiritual Hedge*. Remember, because we are made in the image of God, and because He is *Spirit* -- so we are essentially spirit. God is the God of the *spirits* of all men! We have a soul, and we live in a body -- but as spirit-beings we commune with our Heavenly Father primarily through our spirit! 5. *A Moral Hedge.* Don't think that this is unimportant. ?Be you holy -- for *I* am holy? -- says Jehovah our God. Look at the list of immoral acts that will keep us out of the Kingdom of God, as listed in Galatians 5:19-21: ?*Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are: **fornication ** (all sex sin such as adultery and homosexuality), uncleanness, lasciviousness, **20 **idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, **21** envyings, drunkennesses, revellings, and the like of these; of which I forewarn you, as also I did forewarn, that they who **practise** such **things** shall **not** inherit God's kingdom.?* There are a number of other such lists in the New Testament stating this same truth. *?Be **not** deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap? (Galatians 6:7).* And remember our Bible of all 66 books is *not* the work of 33 writers, but God is speaking supernaturally through each of these writers. The Bible is *God's word*, not man's! Paul categorically states this from himself in 1 Corinthians 14:37: *?If **any** thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what **things** I write you (in all 14 of his NT letters) that it is **the** **Lord's** commandment.?* Peter states the same principle for all OT writers, and all the NT writers: *?For **no** prophecy was ever borne by man's will; but men spoke * *from God**, being borne **on** by **the** Holy Spirit? (2 Peter1:21).* Dr. Ivan Panin, a Russian who majored in Philosophy, Mathematics and English -- through his discovery of the Numeric phenomenon in the Bible, completely and conclusively gives proof of the above, which in spite of all his challenges to scholars, has *never* been contradicted or disproven. 6. *A Financial Hedge*. This has to do with the first promise of 3 John 2 -- that we might *prosper*. Old Testament saints learned how faithful God was in this regard when they walked with Him. How much more will He be faithful to His God-honoring NT saints! 7. *A Leadership Hedge*. Righteousness exalts a nation -- but *sin* is a reproach to any people. Blessed is the people and nation who has a Hedge of Godly leaders. Out of some 21 Kings of Judah, 9 were good, and two, Hezekiah and Josiah were *especially good* like David. They were men after God's own heart, and *removed* the high places. They *even* brought their * thought* life under the control of God! They meditated on God's Word day and night, and were like the Psalm One man. How our nation, the United States of America needs a *return* to men like Washington, Lincoln and Reagan -- who honored God and His Word, and like Job, loved righteousness and *hated* evil. May there be this type of leader returned to us this election year. By all means purchase Mike Servello's book ?*The Shield of God's Protection?,* Mt. Zion Ministries. Mike Servello recommends that believers pray through Psalm 91 on a daily basis, paying special attention to God our 7-fold Shield, and the 7-fold Hedge that comes to us as a result of claiming Him daily as our Shield. You can order his book through Lifes *Truth, *8271 Rt 274, PO Box 171, Holland Patent, NY 13354 -- Tel: 315.865.8370 For those of you who are interested, I have made excellent use of John B. Kohlenberger III -- *The Interlinear Hebrew English Old Testament.?* The English part of Psalm 91 is a combination of his literal interlinear translation plus the NIV marginal text. As you no doubt have noticed, the format for Psalm 91 is parallel to that of Panin's ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. Strong's numbers beside Key Hebrew words can be a help for those who want to go a bit deeper into this Psalm. The transliteration of the Hebrew text is not literal, but phonetic, and somewhat based on the ?Berlitz Hebrew phrase book and dictionary? for tourists. Happy Hunting -- Jim & Marie Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Apr 1 09:25:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2012 09:25:53 -0700 Subject: Psalm 112 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 1, 2012 *2009-01-18 - PSALM FOR THE UPRIGHT - PSALM 112* a. 112:1 TWO REASONS WHY GOD BLESSES A MAN HAle-lu Yah. a-she-rey - IYSH yaRE [3372] eth - Ye-h*o*VAH, *Praise Jehovah. Blessed is the man who fears Jehovah,* be-mi-ts*o*THAIV [4687] chaPH*E*TZ [2654] me*O*D. *Who delights greatly in his commandments.* b. 112:2 GOD'S PROMISE TO CHILDREN OF COVENANT-KEEPERS giB*O*R BAa-retz yi-heYEH za-re*O* [2233]; *His seed shall be mighty upon earth;* d*o*r ye-shaRIYM [3477] ye-b*o*RAC. *The generation of the upright shall be blessed.* c. 112:3 MATERIAL PROMISES TO THE UPRIGHT Ch*o*n va*O*sher be-b*e*yTH*O*; *Wealth and riches are in his house;* ve-tsi-de-kaTH*O* [6666] *o*MEdeth [5975] la*E*D. *And his righteousness endures for ever.* d. 112:4 FURTHER BLESSINGS FOR THE UPRIGHT zaRACH baCH*O*shec *o*r [216] la-ye-shaRIYM; *Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;* chanNUN [2557], ve-raCHUM [7349], ve-tsaBIYK [6662]. *He is gracious and merciful and righteous.* e. 112:5 A MOST POWERFUL PROMISE T*O*B - iysh ch*o*N*E*N [2003] vu-malVETH [3867]; *Well is it with the man that deals graciously and lends;* ye-calC*E*L [3557] de-vaRAYV be-mishP*A*T [4941]. *He shall maintain his cause in judgment.* f. 112:6 ADDED POWERFUL PROMISES ciy - le-*o*L*A*M l*o* - yimM*O*T [4131]; *For he shall never be moved;* leZ*E*cer [2143] *o*LAM yi-heYEH tsaDIYK. *The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.* g. 112:7 THE STATE OF HEART OF THE UPRIGHT mish-she-muAH [8052] R*A*-*ah* l*o* yiyR*A*: *He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:* n*a*CON [3559] libB*O*, b*a*TUach [982] bay-h*o*VAH. *His heart is fixed, trusting in Jehovah.* h. 112:8 JUSTICE FINALLY COMES TO THE UPRIGHT saMUD [5564] libB*O*, l*o* yiyR*A*, *His heart is established, he shall not be afraid,* ad aSHER - yir*E*H be-tsaR*A*YV. *Until he see his desire upon his adversaries.* i. 112:9 GENEROSITY: A MARK OF THE UPRIGHT pizZAR [6340], n*a*THAN la-ev-y*o*NIYM; *He has dispersed, he has given to the needy;* TSI-de-ka-th*o* *o*MEdeth l*a*AD: *His righteousness endures for ever:* karN*O* [7161] t*a*R*O*M [7311] be-c*a*B*O*D [3519]. *His horn shall be exalted with honor.* j. 112:10 THE END OF THE WICKED VERSUS THE UPRIGHT raSH*A* yirEH, ve-c*a*-*A*S [3707]; *The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;* shimN*A*YV yachR*O*K, ve-n*a*M*A*S [4549]: *He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away:* ta-aVATH re-sh*a*IYM [7563] t*o*B*E*D [6] . *The desire of the wicked shall perish.* *NOTE:* For many years - 64 - I have read this Psalm twice a year, and felt - *?I ought to do something special with this Psalm.?* Today, Sunday, January 18, 2009, I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit, *?Make a Hebrew Interlinear presentation of this Psalm, and carefully point out the blessing to the children of Upright, Covenant Parents.?* This is not just a Psalm for children, grandchildren and those to the fourth generation. - *No* - this is a Psalm for godly faith-active parents on behalf of their progeny. First, it is a promise to claim salvation for them. Jonathan Edwards saw these promises, and wrote out a covenant before God. He told Him what he had discovered in His promises, and that he was claiming salvation for his progeny down to the 4th generation. Four generations later a Judge was presiding over a criminal case of a man named Doakes. A news reporter was present recording the proceedings, and discovered that the Judge was a 4th generation descendant of Jonathan Edwards and a ?believer? because of his preacher-ancestor's covenant claim! Out of curiosity the reporter did a search of their family tree. Out of over 1600 descendants, all but 20 were strongly committed to God. There were doctors, lawyers, teachers, government officials, preachers, etc. among these 1600+. However, when he also did a search on the Doake family tree of some 1400, he found over 1000 with criminal records and jail sentences, at great cost to taxpayers because of this sad heritage. But Psalm 112 is not just for salvation for one's progeny! It has a promise for success, prosperity, overcoming trials, joy, happiness and excellent character. My wife Marie and I have been aware of both of these promises, and have claimed them consistently. She has counted well over 40 of her relatives now in the Kingdom of God - and victory for our own personal family again and again. Daily we pray for each member of our children, grandchildren and next month our first great grandchild, Luke Gabriel Long. We have seen many attacks against our family members. We claim victory in each case, and have seen the exceeding faithfulness of God in these regards also. We also add Clan Salvation to our Household Salvation Target. We take the surnames of the spouses of each of our married children and grandchildren, plus those of our parents and sisters. I have some 18 clan names I regularly pray for and claim. Jack Hayford received this revelation from his father and says - *?If I have but one message to preach - and if neither the host pastor nor the Holy Spirit leads otherwise - I **always**preach on Clan Salvation.? *This is *well worth* investigating. Marie's oldest half brother at the age of 75 was reached in Quebec, and *all because* of our joint prayers for the Gaudet Clan among others. At the moment Marie and I are earnestly beseeching God on the behalf of one of our close ones who is being maliciously attacked in a financial manner. We are *assured* that God will undertake on his behalf. - Jim Watt PS. The numbers following certain Hebrew transliterated words provide all true parallel passages to this word in ?Dr. Strong's Concordance.? *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Apr 2 17:07:01 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 17:07:01 -0700 Subject: Laser-Telescope Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 2, 2012 *2012-03-29 - ?THE ORGANIC LASER-TELESCOPE?* *(Given as a Vision February 12, 1967)* *There are 7 Component Parts to this Instrument.* *(See the accompaning Diagram, also appearing in the printed Outlined Interlinear NT.)* *#1. ?OUTLINED INTERLINEAR NEW TESTAMENT.? * *This, said the Lord, is the Key Component Part of the seven.* *However, it is not an end in itself, but a means to a greater end.* *It was revealed to Russian Ivan Panin in 1890, shortly after his conversion.* *(As a professor of Harvard in Boston, he taught advanced Math. to Albert Einstein.)* *As Panin received from Revelation 13:18 - that ?666? is the name and number * *of the coming man of sin, the Antichrist -* *and that the number of Jesus (IeSOUS) in Greek is 888 -* *he then spent 100,000 hours in the next 50 years -* *producing a Greek NT text through ?Bible Numerics?* *identical with the original.* *(See our Website - under ?Archives? -* *dated 2011-01-02 ?Cutting Edge Ministries? on Panin.)* *Later God allowed Panin to discover * *that even the sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph and section format of the NT -* *is established by ?Bible Numerics?.* *I have summarized each of the 27 NT books based on Panin's second discovery.* *Link the above 2 discoveries with the first piece of furniture in the Tabernacle - * *The Brazen Altar in the Outer Court!* *Here Jesus fulfilled the 5 sacrifices of Leviticus 1-7.* *#2. THE CITY CHURCH CONCEPT - with an Eldership in the Gate of each city.* *Roland Allen of England in both China and Africa - pioneered in this area.* *John Dawson of YWAM has followed this up through his first book.* *God emphasizes the ?City Church? over and above the Local Church.* *See the breakdown of the Greek word ?church? (ek-kleSIa) in the NT in its 114 references:* *once** church appears in Acts 7 for Israel;* *3 times it appears in Acts 19 representing a secular city situation;* *14 times it represents local churches - churches in the home;* *15 times it represents the universal church of both Jews & Gentiles, OT & NT.* *But** - 81 times it represents the **City Church -* *14 of these references in Revelation 2 and 3.* *So God - by emphasis - reveals His area of interest!* *Link this 2nd component part with the ?Laver? in the Tabernacle.* *In Ephesians 5:25-27, we learn that Jesus washes the Church* *with the water of the word (LOgos). He is the Word! (John 1:1).* *#3. PRAYER MULTIPLICATION. - Linked with the Menorah - Candlestick -* *in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.* *Pastor Ern Baxter developed a triangular illustration for the basis of this.* *God does nothing with man on earth apart from Covenant.* *His Covenant with us is vertical - di-aTHEke -* *made by a Greater with a lesser.* *We can accept or reject His Covenant - but we cannot alter it!* *I accepted His Covenant in 1944 on Passover as a sailor in the Navy,* *and promised if He revealed Himself to me -* *that I would serve Him according to His NT Covenant.* *This was the first time I truly prayed in my life, and I repeated it three times.* *On the third time I knew that He had heard me, and I was frightened and awed.* *Within a month upon my first open confession of His Lordship over my life, * *He wrote His Covenant on my heart by the Holy Spirit.* *I soon became 1000-fold for His Kingdom.* *In 1948 my wife Marie joined me in this contract.* *At our marriage in December 27th of that year,* *we entered into a horizontal (SUNthe-ke) covenant with each other.* *We discovered that God linked us together to count more for Him this way -* *than either of us could have done alone. Deuteronomy 32:30; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Matthew 18:19.* *Later we discovered Zechariah 12:8, that being grafted into our Jewish Roots,* *the feeble could be as David (10,000 fold) -* *and they of the house of David as God, one million-fold!* *two - 10 million-fold; 4 couples in a Pilot Prayer Team - one billion-fold! * *Behold the 7-fold Tabernacle conditions shining in this context!* *#4. THE 12 EMBRYONIC REVIVAL PRINCIPLES OF 1948 in Northern Canada.* *God had a 13-year preparation for George Hawtin of Star City, Saskatchewan -* *to bring him to Saskatoon to found the Bethel Bible Institute.* *In 1945 He led me to apply here as a student, so that I could obtain Naval discharge.* *On this basis, when the February 12, 1948 Divine Visitation took place,* *I was asked to join the 7-fold Eldership for their Summer Camp Meeting.* *Then in July 1992 through a vision, He commissioned me* *to bring these 12 Embryonics to maturity.* ?*They?, He said, ?would be parameters of safety* *for the last Visitation prior to the return of His Son.?* *Link these 12 with the Table of Shewbread in the Tabernacle Holy Place.* *On this Table were 2 piles of bread, 6 in each pile,* *representing the 12 tribes of Israel.* *On our Website under ?Embryonics?,* *I have indicated the linkage of each tribe with each Embryonic.* *(These relationships - are not necessarily ?Thus says the Lord?.)* *#5. WORSHIP & INTERCESSION. Link these with ?Rees Howells, Intercessor?* *by Norman P. Grubb of CLC (Christian Literature Crusade).* *This is also linked with the Altar of Incense facing the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle,* *which opened up an access for us through the ?Riven Veil,?* *which took place the day of Jesus' Crucifixion!* *Andrew Murray preceded Rees Howells in emphasizing* *the great need of each of our lives to be immersed in prayer and Intercession!* *#6. FOCUS ON JESUS* *Link this with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle.* *Oswald Chambers in ?My Utmost for His Highest? -* *points out the great need for all of us to have such a focus!* ?*Personal, passionate devotion to Jesus? was another way he had this focus! * *Isaiah twice in his prophetic book alludes to Jesus as the Messiah to come - * *as God's Covenant!* *The Ten Commandments in the Ark - represent the Old Covenant.* *With the coming of Jesus and His ?Finished Work on Calvary? -* *this Promise of the Father, the Paraclete - the Helper -* *came into believers and wrote the 10 Commandments on our hearts and minds!* *Master John 13-17 for a full picture of the above!* *#7. BIBLE MEDITATION. Linked with the Mercy Seat in the Holiest of the Tabernacle.* *Linked also with George Muller and George Whitefield -* *who both exemplified in an unusual way - this truth!* *So - what we started out with at the Brazen Altar,* *and Jesus ?Finished Sacrificial Work? on our behalf -* *now we come to the place where we can please and glorify the Father -* *by consummating this truth at the Mercy Seat,* *where He comes to commune with us above the Cherubim,* *just as He met with Moses under the former Covenant.* *The above 7 component parts, when joined together by faith* *under the direction of our Lord Jesus -* *provides in His hand an ?Organic Laser-Telescope?.* *He can then point us at Satanic principalities and powers over cities -* *Blast** them out - just as Michael did in Daniel's day* *for the prince of the power of Persia (Iran).* *Then** Revival can follow in unprecedented ways!* *On February 12, 1967, a second vision immediately followed that of the Laser-Telescope.* *70 Pilot Prayer Teams (PPT) of 8 members each, one of them as Elder leader of each -* *appeared on a Public Square in Canada.* *(These Teams can also be as an Eldership in the Gate of each city on a temporary basis - * *until they pray into being ?5-fold Elderships? for this purpose,* *as indicated in Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15.)* *The Lord said to my wife and myself -* ?*You have been faithful in the commissions given you in the past.* *Now send these 70 teams of 8 throughout my battalions to your left,* *and lead them to take on the Laser-Telescope concept* *through the 8-fold Pilot Prayer Teams.* *They will activate and demonstrate this purpose in 70 Canadian Cities,* *and 70 American Cities.* *Where the two cannot gain entrance together in other nations -* *U.S. teams can ?Hold the Ropes? in prayer and intercession on behalf of the Canadian teams.* *The 4 major cities of the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia) will be key cities in this.* *Fire will fall in this area in an unusual manner,* *and swiftly spread to the continents and their nations.* *Arrows will be shot from these 4 cities to the Pacific Rim Volcanic nations.* *As my servant Pastor David Yonggi Cho prophesied* *in 1975, 1979 and 1984 in Canada -* *these purposes are Mine, and shall prevail. - J.A.Watt* ** [image: Telescope_UPDATED.pptx] *Telescope_UPDATED.pptx* 137K View Download *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Apr 4 13:32:04 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 13:32:04 -0700 Subject: Spiritual Chiropractic Adjustment Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 4, 2012 *EPH 4:12 - SPIRITUAL CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT* *ka-tarTIzo (13x), total cognates (15x), to restore, unite, Strong's # 2675* *GOD'S PURPOSE FOR THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRIES* *1. MT 4:21 (18-22, NNT by I. Panin) MENDING NETS: A FORM OF ADJUSTMENT. ?And going on thence, he saw two other brothers, James the son of :Zebedee, and John his :brother, in the boat with Zebedee their :father, mendingtheir :nets; and he called them.? *Fish to be caught require *mended* nets. The church to become fishers of men, requires to be *mended* or *spiritually adjusted* by the 5-fold ministries to effectively catch souls for God. *2. MT 21:16 (12-16) PERFECTING PRAISE: AGAIN, ADJUSTMENT. ?And the chief priests said to him, Do you hear what these are saying? And :Jesus says to them, Yes: did you never read [that] Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise?? *Isn't it amazing that God uses babes and children to *perfect* praise?? At the time the sperm unites with the egg at conception, some have observed as it were a flash of light. Husband and wife God uses to produce body and soul in the babe - but *He* adds the spirit at the moment of conception - and it seems that our little ones have a sense of the unseen world superior to us adults for the first years of their life. They easily see angels and have visions. See ?Visions Beyond the Veil? by H.A. Baker. *3. LK 6:40 (39-49) PERFECT ADJUSTMENT: MAKES DISCIPLES LIKE THEIR TEACHER. ?A disciple is not above the teacher: but every one perfectedshall be as his :teacher.? *He that lives *godly* in Christ Jesus *shall* suffer persecution! If we rise to let the life of Jesus manifest through us by His Spirit and His Word, then in the *perfected* state, we too will be treated like Jesus. See the last two Beatitudes. *4. 1 PET 5:10 (6-11) PERFECT ADJUSTMENT: FOLLOWS SUFFERING. ?And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal :glory in Christ after you have suffered a little, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.?*Notice that suffering is a necessary prelude to maturity and *perfection*. See the book of Job by Oswald Chambers: ?Baffled to Fight Better!? Here God sets forth his righteous man who hates evil and desires to do good - but *perfects* him and makes him a better man through suffering. *5. ROM 9:22 (19-29) FITTED UNTO DESTRUCTION: THE CONTRAST! ?What if :God, willing to show :wrath, and to make his :power known, bore with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction.? *Those who choose other than God, are then *fitted* for destruction, just as saints who have chosen life, are *fitted* by God's 5-fold for life! *6. 1 COR 1:10 (10-17) CORPORATE PERFECTION: GOD'S GOAL THROUGH THE 5-FOLD. ?Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our :Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same, and no divisions be among you: but thatyou be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.? *We have to *choose*for God's appointed *adjusters* to fit us corporately for this same mind and same judgment. We can't do it ourselves, but we can choose to let our Lord through His chosen appointees do His work! *7. 2 COR 13:9 (1-10) PERFECT ADJUSTMENT: PAUL'S PRAYER. ?For we rejoice, when we be weak, and you be strong: this we also pray for, even your :perfecting.? *Paul in his weakness, tribulations, persecutions and suffering looks at his converts, and desires for his spiritual children maturity and *perfection!* *8. 2 COR 13:11 (11-13) BE PERFECTED: A COMMAND (by submitting to the Lord's 5-fold). ?For the rest, brothers, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace: and the God of :love and peace shall be with you.? **Perfection* is not an option for the saint - it is a * command!* Again, we cannot do this for ourselves. It would be like trying to lift ourselves up by our bootstraps. It takes another to lift us into this state. And the Lord chooses to use the 5-fold to do so. And they are not sinlessly perfect! Some say they will submit to the Lord, but not to pastors or men. Careful! If we want the Lord's best, *this* is the Lord's appointed way! We can miss God if we refuse His appointed way! *9. GAL 6:1 (5:25-6:6) RESTORE THOSE OVERTAKEN IN A TRESPASS! ?Brothers, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, you the spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, lest you also be tempted.? **Restoration!* This is again God's appointed way when we fall. We must humble ourselves and permit our fellow man to lift us back where we once were. Humbling? Perhaps. But those who do the restoration must seek the spirit in the above verse if they would be successful in this needful duty. *10. EPH 4:12 (1-16) ADJUSTMENT UNTO PERFECTION: RESPONSIBILITY OF THE 5-FOLD. ?The 5-fold is given for the perfecting of the saints, unto a work of ministry, unto a building of the body of the Christ.? *This is the key verse for this whole study. Let us observe well God's plan and program. He has designed to mature His church through *His* choice of the 5-fold ministries. We *cannot* take the prerogative upon ourselves! Nor can we deceive ourselves by thinking we are His choice. We need the confirmation for this calling through the Eldership or Presbytery. Man seals God's calling through the ?Laying on of Hands? and prophecy. *11. 1 THESS 3:10 (1-10) PAUL'S DESIRE: TO PERFECTLY ADJUST MISSING DIMENSIONS. ?Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your :face, and may perfect what are lacking in your :faith.? * Paul's chief ministry is prayer and intercession on a constant basis on behalf of the saints. Paul could see what was lacking in these converts, and knew that through God's gifting and calling to him as an apostle, that God through him could meet any need of these saints. *12. HEB 10:5 (1-18) MESSIAH'S PREPARED BODY: THE WORK OF GOD! ?Wherefore when he comes into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering you would not, But a body did you prepare for me.? *See God's wonderful work on behalf of His only begotten Son. Jesus had a Pre-incarnate existence from the beginning with God! Before Abraham was, *He was!* God is *One* - but He is *One* in the Triunity of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, just as we who are made in the image of God are one: spirit, soul and body. Jesus who was very God of very God, became through the body His Father * prepared* for Him, very man of very man. A mystery? Indeed - and *much* for us to meditate upon! *13. HEB 11:3 (3-12) FRAMING OF WORLD: GOD'S MASTER PARABLE. ?By faith we understand that the ages have been framed by God's word, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which appear.? *God used Jesus as the Pre-incarnate Son, as the Living Word, to create all things. See the book of Colossians. According to Romans 1, the universe was designed by God as a lesser gospel to lead us to the light of the *greater* Gospel: Jesus! He used this in the beginning to draw me to Himself as a new teen-ager. *14. HEB 13:21 (20-21) PERFECTING OF GOD'S WILL IN US: MESSIAH'S HIGH CALLING. ?Now our God perfect you in every good to do his :will, to do in us what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom the glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen.? *This is one of the great Benedictory prayers of the Bible. Here is the will of God! He wants us * perfected* into the image of His Son Jesus, so that He through the Spirit and the Word can live His life out through us. He first wants incarnation in us, and then growth, maturity and *perfection* to do His will. Are we ready? Are we willing? Andrew Murray points us effectively in this direction. *NOTE:** *God does not plan for all of the 5-fold to be resident and operate in any one local church. He has designed that they all *should* be resident and operate in each city church, and should move from local church to local church within the city. This insight finds strong confirmation in the following analysis of *Church* - ek-kl*e*SIa. It appears 114x in the Greek NT. *Once* in Acts 7 it refers to Israel as the church in the wilderness. 3x in the book of Acts it refers to the secular church of Ephesus. 14x it refers to a local church within the city church, such as the church in the home of Aquila and Priscilla. 15x it refers to the Universal Church of OT and NT saints. *But* - 81x - it refers to the *City Church* composed of many local churches, such as 14 of these references in Revelation 2-3. Much frustration and damage has taken place because of the lack of understanding in this since the Reformation days of Martin Luther. However, in the last decades men like John Dawson have seen this truth, and clear perspective is beginning to return to the church. *This* will enable the 5-fold ministry to once again function as God has planned it from the beginning. Remember how in the beginning the apostles went forth two by two from local church in the home to local church in the home - in the context of the city church. In 1948 God visited North Battleford, Saskatchewan with a number of Restoration Revival Principles, and brought together 12 of these in an Embryonic state. George R. Hawtin taught on the nature of the 5-fold, majoring on the office of the apostle. He pointed out repeatedly that God sees the office of the apostle and prophet functioning together in the foundation for His church. The Aorist tense of the Greek in Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 conclusively settles that in God's thinking, these 2 offices should continue to function with the other 3 - throughout the entire church age. The importance of this teaching can be fully realized as we consider Galatians 6:1, and the spirit in which spiritual leaders should restore fellow leaders. The last century on, right into this 21st Century, we have witnessed the tragedy of fallen leaders, even to this year in Lakeland, Florida. Leaders who are young and inexperienced need to be supported in prayer, intercession and counsel, for they become targets of the enemy. And when one falls, Paul in Galatians gives exceedingly wise counsel concerning their restoration. Just this day (August 22, 2008) a very wise and humble article has come from Dutch Sheets emphasizing the true role of the church in such matters. Thank God for his honesty, humility and obedience in bringing forth this confession of repentance - much as Daniel did in Daniel 9. *2012-04-04 - The above is one of my favorite Greek Word Studies. Trust it may be a blessing to you also - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Apr 5 09:30:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 09:30:55 -0700 Subject: Ephesians 4:4-6 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 5, 2012 *2012-03-30 - SURVEY IV - THE SEVEN UNITIES - Ephesians 4:4-6* *Link this Survey with Joseph. He fits in with the Moravian Proverb: In essentials unity; in non-essentials tolerance; in all things love! The Research Paper #, the page number, and the Greek Root (*) come from John Stegenga's ?The Greek-English Analytical Concordance of the Greek-English New Testament published in 1963. The Analysis is based on Vine's ?Expository Dictionary.?* *1. ONE BODY. *R.P. #1408, p. 727, A. S*O*ma***, 146 (150) references. ?S*O *ma (body), and PNEUma (spirit) may be separated; PNEUma (spirit) and psuCH* E* (soul), can only be distinguished? - (Cremer). *Body* is used metaphorically, of the mystic Body of Christ, with reference to the whole Church, Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18, 22, 24; also of a local church, 1 Cor. 12:12-31; ministry gifts are for the body, and to perfect it, Eph. 4:11-16. In the Tabernacle of Moses, the Brazen Altar and the Laver are in the ?Outer Court?, which represents the body. *2. ONE SPIRIT. *R.P. #1153, p. 650, B, PNEUma, from PNE*o****, 385 (428) references. Like the wind, He is invisible, immaterial and powerful! The Holy Spirit in the New Testament has Divine attributes: distinct Personality in the Godhead; operation in connection with the Lord Jesus in His Birth, His life, His baptism, His Death; operations in the world; in the Church; sent at Pentecost by the Father and by Christ; operations in the individual believer; in production of Scriptures. See John 14-16 for a treatise by the Lord Jesus on the Holy Spirit. ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb gives much illumination on the Holy Spirit! *3. ONE HOPE. *R.P. #397, p. 243, A, elPIS***, 54 (87) references. This word describes the happy anticipation of good (most frequent significance). Our hope is the prospect before us who are *called* and have responded to the Gospel, Eph. 1:18, 4:4. This is an *objective* hope, as opposed to subjective hope of Romans 15:4. Hope is a factor in salvation, Romans 8:24. In 1 & 2 Thessalonians, our *hope* is the *sure* return of our Lord Jesus in power and glory, at which time we are resurrected, and receive a glorious body like as His present resurrected body! And what of our *calling*? See R.P. 624 , p. 394, I.B, KL*E*sis, from kaLE*o ****, 11 (519) References. The origin, nature and destiny of God's calling is *heavenly*! *4. ONE LORD. *R.P. #755, p. 466, D, KUri-os, from KUros***, 747 (772) references. This word signifies having power or authority. It is joined with the absolute title of Deity, John 20:28! It is used only of God and the Lord Jesus after this (except in Acts 10:4 & Revelation 7:14). See: Never addressed by personal Name (Jesus): always the *Lord Jesus*. The Savior's title of ?Lord? rests upon His Resurrection, Acts 2:36, Romans 10:9, 14:9, and is realized only in the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:3! *5. ONE FAITH.* R.P. #1100, p. 618, I.H. PIStis, from PEIth*o***, *244 (708) references. By metonymy, it spells out what is believed, the contents of belief, the faith, Acts 6:7, 14:22; Galatians 2:23, 3:35, 6:10; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:10, Jude 3, 20. It is a *firm conviction * acknowledging God's revelation of truth. *6. ONE BAPTISM. *R.P. #183, p. 109, C, BAPtis-ma, from BAPt*o****, 22 (126) references. *This* is the baptism by the Lord Jesus in the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:13. John prophesied this baptism, Matthew 3:11, Acts 11:16. Christian baptism is a type and condition for this, consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence (BAPt*o*, dip). Baptism in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost is a metaphorical use of this word. Salvation through the Holy Spirit is not ordinarily given till after water baptism, Acts 8:15-16. *7. ONE GOD.* R.P. 522, p. 342, I.A, TheOS***, 1344 (1456) references. In the New Testament, it speaks of His unity, Mark 12:29; self-existence, John 5:26; immutability, James 1:17; eternity, Romans 1:20; universality, Matthew 10:29; almighty power, Matthew 19:26; infinite knowledge, Acts 2:23; creative power, Romans 11:36; absolute holiness, 1 Peter 1:15; righteousness, John 17:25; faithfulness, 1 Corinthians 1:9; love, 1 John 4:8; mercy, Romans 9:15. And lastly, see the break-down of *and FATHER. *R.P. #1092, p. 610, A, paT *E*R***, 418 (440) references. *NOTE**: *Under Body in Point 1, I refer to the Outer Court as containing the first 2 pieces of Tabernacle Furniture: the Brazen Altar and the Laver. The Holy Place represents the soul, and has three pieces of furniture: the Menorah or Candlestick; the Table of Bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel in 2 piles of 6 pieces each; and the Altar of Incense facing the veil before the Holy of Holies, where Worship & Intercession takes place. Andrew Murray and Rees Howells demonstrate the importance of this. Then the Holy of Holies represents the spirit. Here we find the 6th and 7th piece of Tabernacle Furniture: the Ark of the Covenant, containing God's Old Covenant which was given to Israel in 10 commandments. Our *Lord Jesus* is our New Covenant, mentioned twice as such in the Prophecy of Isaiah. Oswald Chambers teaches us how to ?Focus on Jesus? - who encourages us to give ?Our Utmost? for ?His Highest.? The ?Finished Work? of Christ on Calvary should lead us into ?Personal, passionate devotion to Jesus!? The Mercy Seat is where we have the potential of Intimacy with God as had Moses. Through the Riven Veil that took place at Calvary - we have free access - dependent on our understanding of the first 5 pieces of furniture. Lee Ellenwood of California brought the above forcibly to my attention in 1944 - as a new convert in the Canadian Navy. I do not remember him omitting in any lecture the Tabernacle diagram Later - much later, a brother and I wrestled together to understand David's prayer in Psalm 86:11 *?Unite my heart to fear Your Name!?* What is a *united heart*? How does it fit into the ?Path of the Just? through the 7 pieces of Tabernacle Furniture? What came to us was that when we are born into this world since Adam - our human spirit is ?*dead?* in trespasses and sins - inherited from Adam's sin. But the Second or Last Adam - our Lord Jesus - at Calvary made propitiation for Adam's sin, and we now can be reconciled to God through His Blood Redemption. Our human spirit is *then*made alive! But our ?soul? in the Holy Place - has not been *renewed* in mind, emotions and will. When we walk in *Romans 12:1-2* - our soul is lifted up to the level of our ?made alive? spirit, and the two become our *?united heart!?* But in our unsaved or unregenerate state prior to the new birth *from above * - our soul and body is ?in cahoots? - that is *united* in the ?flesh state? - which *never* can be pleasing to God. However - when the soul, by acting upon Romans 12:1-2 - lifts us into the spirit and *a united heart* - *the flesh* is broken up - leaving the body alone - to *now follow* the engine (spirit), coal car (soul) - and like a good *caboose* (body) - having to follow! *Our body* is the temple of the Holy Spirit; our Lord Jesus is the Redeemer and Savior of *our soul*; and Jesus then leads us into the Holy of Holies to have intimacy with Him there with His Father - and now our Father. God the Father is His Father uniquely as the only begotten Son! You and I have God as our Father as *adopted* sons. Jesus now has become *the Head* of His spiritual body - the ?One New Man? composed of Jew and Gentile alike, with the middle wall of partition through the Old Testament law done away - and has become the New Covenant written on our heart and mind by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31). Does the above confuse some of you? It at one time did me too. But once God opened it up to us by ?revelation? - it has become exceedingly precious, real, releasing and dynamic. I take a daily walk through the Tabernacle, visiting each piece of furniture in turn - and enter through the riven veil into the Holy of Holies, where we all have the privilege of being seated in heavenly places with the Father and our Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit at this time dwells in us now individually and corporately as the Temple of God! I know that as you pray over this, talk to God about it, *meditate* upon it - then the Holy Spirit - our Teacher and Helper - will guide each one of us into this place of the ?Halls of Highest Human Happiness? - Oneness, unity and intimacy with our God! The above words of these ?7 Unities? may be sung, with Psalm 48 as a Chorus - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Apr 6 09:59:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 09:59:32 -0700 Subject: 5-fold Ministry Survey Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 6, 2012 *2012-04-05 - SURVEY V - 5-FOLD MINISTRIES, Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:38; Tit. 1:5; 1 Tim 3:12* *Link these with Ephraim - the tribe of Joshua.* EPHESIANS g. 4:11-16 HIGH PURPOSE OF MINISTRY GIFTS OF CHRIST TO CHURCH *And HE gave some as apostles; and some, prophets;* kai auTOS Ed*o*-ken tous men a-poSTOlous [652]; tous de, proPH*E*tas [4396]; *and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; * tous de, eu-ag-ge-lisTAS [2099]; tous de, poiMEnas 4166] kai di-das-KAlous [1320]; 12* for the perfecting of the saints, unto a work of ministry,* pros ton ka-tar-tisMON [2677] t*o*n haGI*o*n [40], eis ERgon di-a-koNIas [1248], *unto a building of the body of the Christ:* eis oi-ko-doM*E*N [3619] tou S*O*ma-tos tou ChrisTOU: 13* till we :all attain unto the unity of the faith,* MECHri ka-tanT*E*s*o*-men [2658] hoi PANtes eis t*e*n heNOt*e*-to [1775] t*e *s PISte-*o*s, *and of the knowledge of the son of :God, unto a perfect man,* kai t*e*s e-pigN*O*se-*o*s [1922] tou huiOU tou TheOU, eis ANDra TElei-on [5046], *unto a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ: *14 *that we no longer be babes,* eis METron h*e*-liKIas [2244] tou pl*e*R*O*ma-tos [4138] tou ChrisTOU: HIna m*e*KEti *O*men N*E*pi-oi, *tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of :teaching,* klu-d*o*-niZOme-noi kai pe-ri-pheROme-noi panTI aNEm*o* t*e*s di-da-skaLIas, *by the sleight of :men, in craftiness, unto the wiles of :error;* *en te kuBIa [2940] ton anTHROpon, en pa-nourGIa [3834], pros ten me-thoDIan [3180] tes PLAnes;* 1 CORINTHIANS o. 12:28 GOD SOVEREIGNLY SETS THE VARIOUS MEMBERS *And :God has set some in the church,* Kai hous men Ethe-to ho TheOS en t*e* ek-kl*e*SIa [1577], *first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,* PR*O*ton a-posTOlous [652], DEUte-ron proPH*E*tas [4396], TRIton di-dasKAlous [1320], *then powers, then gifts of healings,* Epei-ta duNAmeis [1411], Epei-ta chaRISma-ta iaMAt*o*n [2386], *helps, governments, kinds of tongues.* an-tiL*E*Mpseis [484], ku-berN*E*seis [2941], GEn*e* gl*o*sS*O*N [1100]. TITUS B. 1:5-16 PURPOSE OF QUALIFIED ELDERS 1. 1:5-9 QUALIFICATION AND FUNCTION OF ELDERS a. 1:5-6 ELDERS *For this cause I left you in Crete ** *TOUtou CHArin aPEleiPON [2641] se en KR*E*t*e*, *that you should set in order the things wanting,* HIna ta LEIpon-ta e-pi-di-orTH*O*s*e*, *and appoint elders in every city, as I gave you charge;* kai ka-taST*E*s*e*s [2525] kaTA POlin pres-buTErous [4245], h*o*s eG*O* soi di-e-taXAm*e*n [1299]; 6* if any is blameless, husband of one wife,* EI tis esTIN eNEGkl*e*-tos [410], miAS gu-naiKOS [1135] aN*E*R [435], *having believing children not accused of riot or unruly.* TEKna [5043] Ech*o*n piSTA [4103] m*e* en ka-t*e*-goRIa [2724] a-s*o*TIas [810] *e* a-nuPOtak-ta [506]. 1 TIMOTHY f. 3:12 HOME QUALIFICATION OF DEACONS *Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ** *diAko-noi Est*o*-san miAS gu-naiKOS ANdres, *ruling the children and their own :houses well.* TEKn*o*n [5043] kaL*O*S pro-iSTAme-nos [4291] kai t*o*n iDI*o*n OIk*o*n. g. 3:13 REWARD OF DEACONS *For who have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing,* hoi gar kaL*O*S di-a-koN*E*san-tes [1247] bathMON [898] he-auTOIS kaLON pe-ri-poiOUNtai [4046], *and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.* kai polL*E*N par-r*e*SIan [3954] en PIstei t*e* en ChrisT*O* I*e*SOU. *1. APOSTLES. R.P. #1366, p. 709, II.C, aPO-sto-los, from STELlo*, 81 (296) references.* One sent forth with a commission. Through miracle, carves out city churches from raw heathenism. The beginning church peculiarly founded upon the 12 apostles. Yet, there are many other apostles like Paul, Acts 14:4, 14; Romans 16:7; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:6. 12 other apostles are mentioned. Missionaries emulating Paul's ministry are modern apostles. There are many so-called and self-appointed apostles. *2. PROPHETS. R.P. #428, p. 283, XXIX.A, proPHEtes, from eREo*, 149 (4080) references.* Prophets speak for God what cannot be known by natural means. They forthtell the will of God for past, present or future. They edify, comfort and encourage believers (build up, cheer up, stir up), 1 Corinthians 14:3. They reveal to unbelievers secrets; convict of sin; constrain to worship. They restore dead or languishing churches, as a Revivalist, Ezekiel 37. They enable church members to find their ministry, and function in their gifts to the Body of Christ, 1 Timothy 1:18. There *are* false prophets! *3. EVANGELISTS. R.P. #24, p. 15, V.C., eu-ag-ge-lisTES, from Ago*, 3 (1291) references.* Messenger of glad tidings, or preachers of the Gospel, Acts 21:8. A distinctive function in the church, Ephesians 4:11. They are Missionaries who preach, but do not found new churches. A N.T. evangelist has ?power? gifts to shock one into the Kingdom of God. Two of the first deacons became evangelists. *4. PASTORS. R.P. #1158, p. 656, A, poiMEN*, 18 (40) references. SHEPHERD - correct translation.* Metaphorically (a figure of speech) of those who act as pastors in the churches, Ephesians 4:11. Tends (guides & oversees) as well as feeds the flock, Acts 10:17, 28. Tends and exercises oversight, 1 Peter 5:1-2. Involves tender care and vigilant superintendence. See Exodus 18 - Jethro's advice to Moses that accorded with God, and exemplified by Timothy in Ephesus, Titus in Crete: elders over elders. *5. TEACHERS. R.P. #333, p. 185, E, diDASka-los, from diDASko*, 58 (219) references.* Teachers of *truth* in the churches (there are *many* false teachers). The authority of the message requires obedience. Apostles, prophets and pastors include this office also. The true evangelist teaches foundation truths thoroughly, Hebrews 6:1-2. *6. ELDERS. R.P. #1179, p. 666, D, presBUte-ros, from PRESbus*, 67 (79) references.* Exercise spiritual care and oversight over the churches. Raised up and qualified by the work of the Holy Spirit, Acts 20:28. *Not* a self-appointed office! Paul appointed Timothy and Titus for this function. *OVERSEER. R.P. #1317, p. 695, D, ePI-sko-pos, from SKEPto-mai*, 7 (34) references.* Bishop or overseer indicates the nature of the elders' work. All three words relate to the same office. ?Elder? indicates the maturity of experience, 1 Timothy 4:12. Young Mormon elders hardly qualify here. God's plan: A plurality of elders to be appointed in each city church, called the Presbytery, 2 Timothy 4:14, with an apostolic pastor like Timothy or Titus over the city Presbytery. Each local church in the home in the beginning had but one elder. All these together formed the plurality of Eldership in the City Church. *7. DEACONS. R.P. #705, p. 424, II.A, diAko-nos, from KOnis*, 31 (109) references.* Primarily denotes a servant with regard to character. Used of the servants of Christ in the work of preaching and teaching. Used of those who serve in the churches, Acts 6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13. *8. HELPS. R.P. #770, p. 456, III.B, anTIle-sis, from lamBAno*, 1 (447) references.* Official functionaries are not in view; rather households which devote themselves to minister to saints. Especially helping and ministering to the weak and needy. *9. GOVERNMENTS. R.P. #743, p. 443, A, kuBERne-sis, from ku-berNAo*, 1 (3) references.* To guide through steering or piloting. Metaphorically (a figure of speech), those who act as guides in a local church. Those who exercise the word of knowledge and word of wisdom. *NOTE**: *There is great deal of controversy concerning the 5-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11-12. A number of books have been written in this area. Recently I mailed out a Greek word study on *ka-tarTIzo* - to perfect, equip, chiropractically *adjust* the members of the Body of Christ, so our Lord Jesus as Head - by the Holy spirit, can cause His Church, His Body, to function corporately under His control. This took place to a large extent in the church of Jerusalem and Antioch in the beginning. The ?5-fold? have this appointed function, and it is the Body members they ?adjust?, who are to do the work of the ministry. The majority of Evangelicals to day feel that apostles and prophets ceased at the end of the church's First Century. Why choose these first two, and retain the last three? Their is no scriptural warranty for either of these actions! However, the Holy Spirit's use of the word *gave* in Ephesians 4:11, and *set* in 1 Corinthians 12:28, are in the Aorist tense. This tense expresses God's design to have these 5 ministries continue as long as there *is* a church. During times of spiritual decline, they tend to cease to function. But as soon as Revival and Renewal takes place, they spring into a functioning mode once again, along with the gifts of the Spirit of 1 Corinthians 12:8-ll, including tongues or glossolalia. Look up Strong's # for each of the above, and do a thorough Greek Word Study on each. This discipline can be extremely enlightening. Any seven significant references to any one of these words - tend to bring forth an accurate definition to any selected word. We have taken each significant Greek word in the NT and made studies for each reference, followed by a ?Tentative Evaluation? for each word. These studies are based on Ivan Panin's ?Bible Numeric Greek and English texts, his Outlined Interlinear Greek NT, the Concordance of John Stegenga, and Englishman's Greek Concordance. We *cannot* say a ?Thus says the Lord? over these results - but we can say - the ?Tentative Evaluations? are most illuminating. The above remarks are based on these 4000 manuscript pages. J.A. Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Apr 7 12:11:23 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 12:11:23 -0700 Subject: Seven "I Am's" Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 7, 2012 *2012-03-15 - SEVEN I AM'S FROM JOHN - Link with Judah* *1. BREAD. R.P. #145, p. 80, I.H. ARtos, from Aro*, 99 (296) references* *John 6:35 and 48: ?I am the bread of life**?* m. 6:35 JESUS CLEARLY ANSWERS THEIR QUESTIONING *:Jesus said to them, I am the bread of :life:* EIpen auTOIS ho I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi ho ARtos t*e*s z*o*-*E*S: *who comes unto me shall in nowise hunger, and who believes unto me shall in nowise ever thirst.* ho erCHOme-nos pros eME ou me peiNAse, kai ho piSTEUon eis eME ou me diPS*E*sei P*O*po-te. *i. 6:48 ** I am the bread of :life.** ** *eG*O* ei-mi ho ARtos t*e*s z*o*- *E*S. The ?breaking of bread? became the name for the institution breaking (not cutting) the loaf at the Lord's Supper, Acts 2:42, 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23. Metaphorically, Christ is known as the bread of God, John 6:33, 35. George Muller partook of the Word as Soul-food before he prayed. Priests ate this bread in type! Bread of Presence, Leviticus 24:9. We minister the living Word by revelation, Romans 8:14. *2. LIGHT. R.P. #1512, p. 783, I.L. PHOS, from PHAo*, 70 (255) references* *of the WORLD. R.P. #717, p. 429, A, KOSmos*, 187 (202) references* *John 8:12 and 9:5: ?I am the light of the world.?* E. 8:12-20 FATHER WHO WITNESSES OF JESUS - UNKNOWN TO JEWS a. 8:12 CHRIST THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD *Again therefore :Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world:* PAlin oun auTOIS eLAl*e*-sen ho I*e*SOUS, LEg*o*n, E-G*O* ei-mi to ph*o*s [5457] tou KOSmou [2889]: *who follows me shall in no wise walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of :life.* ho a-ko-louTH*O*N [190] moi ou m*e* pe-ri-paT*E*s*e* en t*e* skoTIa [4653], all' HExei to ph*o*s t*e*s z*o*-*E*S. *e. 9:5 While I am in the world, I am Light of the world.* HOtan en t*o* KOSm*o* *o*, PH*O*S [5457] ei-mi tou KOSmou. Metaphorically, the truth in Christ reaching the mind. Natural man is incapable of receiving spiritual light, 1 Corinthians 2:14. Believers become ?sons of light? through the New Birth, receiving spiritual capacity for revelation from God, Luke 16:8. It was *this* that Thomas Kinkaid sought to portray in his paintings, and which the world could not grasp. See the candlestick in the Tabernacle: here the ?gifts of the Spirit? are for *light*, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. *3. DOOR. R.P. #544, p. 355, I.G., THUra, from THUo*, 39 (265) references * *John 10:7: ?I am the gate for the sheep? -* 6. 10:7-18 JESUS EXPLAINS PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD *a. 10:7 :Jesus therefore said again, Amen, Amen, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.* EIpen oun PAlin ho I*e*SOUS, A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN, eG*O* ei-mi h*e*THUra t *o*n proBAt*o*n. Metaphorically, of Christ, John 10:7, 9. Metaphorically of faith, by acceptance of the Gospel, Acts 14:27. Also of entrance into the Kingdom of God, Matthew 25:10, Luke 13:24-25. Christ's entrance into a repentant believer's heart, Revelation 3:20. Access to behold visions relative to the purposes of God, Revelation 4:1. *4. SHEPHERD. R.P. #1158, p. 657, A, poiMEN*, 18 (40) references, John 10:11* *GOOD. R.P. #625, p. 395, A., kaLOS*, 102 (142) references.* *John 10:11-15: ?I am the good shepherd...?* e. 10:11 THE PURPOSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD *I am the good :shepherd:* E-G*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N [4166] ho kaLOS [2570]: *the good :shepherd lays down his :life for the sheep.* ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS t*e*n psuCH*E*N [5590] auTOU TIth*e*-sin [5087] huPER t *o*n proBAt*o*n. f. 10:12-13 THE NATURE OF THE HIRELING *Who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not,* ho mis-th*o*TOS [3411], kai ouk *o*n poiM*E*N, hou ouk EStin ta PROba-ta Idi-a, *beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees* the-*o*REI ton LUkon [3074] erCHOme-non, kai aPHI*e*-sin [863] ta PROba-ta, kai PHEUgei [5343] *(and the wolf snatches them, and scatters):* (kai ho LUkos harPAzei [726] auTA, kai skorPIzei [4650]): *13 because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep.* HOti mis-th*o*TOS es-tin, kai ou MElei [3411] auT*O* peRI t*o*n proBAt*o*n. g. 10:14-15 THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS SHEEP *I am the good :shepherd; and I know :mine, and :mine know me,* eG*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS; kai giN*O*sk*o* ta eMA, kai giN*O*skouSI me ta eMA, *15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father;* kaTH*O*S giN*O*skei me ho paT*E*R, ka' 'G*O* giN*O*sk*o* ton paTEra; *and I lay down my :life for the sheep.* kai t*e*n psuCH*E*N mou TIth*e*-mi huPER t*o*n proBAt*o*n. Metaphorically of Christ, Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27; John 10:11, 14, 16; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25. Pastors tend, guide and oversee, as well as feed the flock, Acts 20:17, 28. It was this service committed to elders (overseers or bishops). Jesus Christ alone is the chief shepherd, 1 Peter 5:4. Aaron, a type of Christ, was faithful over the Tabernacle. King David shepherded God's people Israel, Psalm 23. *5. RESURRECTION. R.P. #595, p. 371, II.B, aNAsta-sis, from HISte-mi*, 42 (648) references.* *John 11:25: ?I am the resurrection and the life...? * h. 11:25-26a CHRIST - THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE *:Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life:* EIpen auT*E* ho I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* aNAsta-sis, kai h*e* z*o*-*E* [2222]: *who believes unto me shall live, even if he die; *26a* and every one* ho piSTEU*o*n eis eME, ka' 'n a-poTHAn*e* Z*E*se-tai [2198]; kai pas *who lives and believes unto me shall nowise die unto the age.* ho z*o*n kai PiSTEU*o*n eis eME ou m*e* a-poTHAn*e* [599] eis ton ai*O*na. By metonymy, of Christ as the Author of resurrection, John 11:25. Many found in Christ strength and firmness, a means of their salvation - many in Israel to stumble. God made Aaron's budding rod bring forth almonds, symbol of resurrection. Christ Jesus raised Lazarus, and will raise us too, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. *6. WAY. R.P. #999, p. 554, I.A, hoDOS, 102 (137) references.* *TRUTH. R.P. #792, p. 464, II.B, a-leTHEIa, from a + LEtho*, 107 (203) references.* JOHN b. 14:6 NO WAY TO GOD BUT THROUGH CHRIST *Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life:* LEgei auT*O* I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* hoDOS [3598], kai h*e* aL*E*thei-a [225], kai h*e* z*o*-*E* [2222]: *no one comes unto the Father, but through me.* ouDEIS ERche-tai pros ton paTEra, ei m*e* di? eMOU. Metaphorically, a course of conduct, or way of thinking. The way instructed and approved of God, Acts 18:26, Hebrews 3:10. Paul's way in Christ, 1 Corinthians 4:17. The more excellent way of love, 1 Corinthians 12:31. Personified of Christ as means of access to the Father, John 14:6. The course followed and characterized by followers of Christ, Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23; 24:22. Christ in the Tabernacle: Blood-sprinkled mercy seat on the Ark, which led Israel in her goings. *7. VINE. R.P. #82, p. 53, A, AMpe-los*, 8 (32) references. - John 15:1* *TRUE vine. R.P. #792, p. 464, II.D, a-le-thiNOS, a + LEtho*, 27 (203) references.* John C. 15:1-16:33 RESULTS FROM THE SPIRIT?S COMING 3. 15:1-16 FRUIT: PURPOSE OF THE SPIRIT *a. 15:1 I am the true :vine, and my :Father is the husbandman.* E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* AMpe-los [288] h*e* a-l*e*-thiN*E*, kai ho paT*E*R mou ho ge-*o*rGOS [1092] es-tin. Used figuratively of Christ, John 15:1, 4, 5. A true vine shelters, as 4-fold covering of Tabernacle: badger skins, rams dyed red, goat hairs (humanity), white linen. Father pruned branches, as they receive life from the true vine. *NOTE*: Here we have a 7-fold picture of Christ - yet *much more* than this! For our Lord Jesus uses the peculiar meaning of ?Jehovah? in each of these 7 references: ?*I am*? - E-G*O* ei-mi. In the Pentateuch (Torah), Moses points out that the essence of the meaning of the Tetragrammaton: Jehovah - is ?*I am*? - E-G*O* ei-mi! It was Jesus' use of this - that so enraged the Jewish leaders of His day. They termed it ?blasphemy? and took up rocks to stone Him. *But* - He *was* all He said! He came from the Father, *knew* His Father - and as Son of man - was the perfect servant to His Father. He spoke *only*His Father's words as Son of man, and did *only* His deeds as signs and wonders. Just as these are 7 ?I AM's? in the Gospel of John, so John by the Spirit selects 7 of Jesus' signs to portray aspects of His character. In Isaiah there are 4 ?Servant Songs? prophetically looking forward to the Messiah to come: Jesus! The prophetic device Isaiah uses here - the Catholic theologians called the ?sensus plenior? - the *fuller* sense! Modernists *hate* this term - but it is *true*, nonetheless! I originally wrote the above outline in 1967, and now 45 years later - the day before Resurrection Sunday - the *first* day of the week - I find we are celebrating Jesus' resurrection (2012-04-07). Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 lays out how important and necessary is the death *and Resurrection* of our Lord Jesus! Had He *not* risen, we would be yet dead in our trespasses and sins. But He *has* risen, and His ?finished work? on Calvary is now *abundantly justified*! We *are* redeemed. We *have been* reconciled! He purchased the Presence of the Father, His heredity of the indwelling Holy Spirit to *also*indwell us! Now *our* resurrection is assured at His Second Coming! *This* is the *Blessed Hope* of the believer! Our Lord Jesus in His resurrection became the First Fruit! We will join Him in Resurrection Bodies like His present Glorified Body when He returns in Glory with His holy angels (not His saints yet). He will following our resurrection give out awards to saints at His B*E*ma (Judgment Seat) - and 1000 years later declare final judgment on all who rejected Him - who is God's *only* selection for man's salvation! No wonder Felix trembled when Paul reasoned of these things! J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Apr 8 18:00:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 18:00:31 -0700 Subject: Rees Howells and the Holy Spirit Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 9, 2012 *2012-04-09 - REES HOWELLS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT* *(From ?The Intercession of Rees Howells? by Doris M. Ruscoe - CLC, 1983)* IV. ROMANS 12:1-16:23 RIGHTEOUSNESS MANIFESTED IN LIFE A. 12:1-2 BEGINS WITH COMPLETE SURRENDER Romans a. 12:1 A WHOLE BURNT OFFERING CONSECRATION - HOLOCAUST *I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of :God,* Pa-ra-kaL*O* [3870] oun huMAS, a-delPHOI, diA t*o*n oik-tirM*O*N [3628] tou TheOU, *to present your :bodies a living sacrifice, * pa-raST*E*sai [3936] ta S*O*ma-ta huM*O*N thuSIan [2378] Z*O*san, *holy, well-pleasing to God, your spiritual service.* haGIan, t*o* The*o* euAres-ton [2101], t*e*n lo-giK*E*N [3050] laTREIan 2999] huM*O*N. *1. No single person* can receive the Holy Spirit until he has made a full and complete surrender. He is a person, and when he comes in, he brings in all that is of God, and from that time it is in God you live and not to any selfish motives. I never once sought a blessing after he came in; I had the blesser himself. It may take you some time to get used to this new realm, but do not try to do anything of yourself. When he wants to do something through you, he will make it plain. You need to realize your position in him: *?Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hasblessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ? *(Ephesians 1:3). Live with him, come to know him and allow him to speak to you. When you have the Holy Spirit, you do not need to make a show. He will reveal himself without your effort. It is a new realm altogether, a realm in which you are *?transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God? *(Romans 12:2). This life in the Holy Spirit is as simple as it is great. JOHN b. 14:16-17 THE INWARD NATURE OF THE COMFORTER *And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,* ka? ?G*O* e-r*o*T*E*s*o* ton paTEra, kai ALlon paRAkl*e*-ton [3875] D*O*sei huMIN, *that he be with you for ever, *17 *the Spirit of the truth:* HIna h*e* meth? huM*O*N eis ton ai*O*na, ta PNEUma [4151] t*e*s a-l*e* THEIas: *whom the world cannot receive; because it sees him not, neither knows:* HO ho KOSmos ou DUna-tai laBEIN; HOti ou the-*o*REI auTO, ouDE giN*O*Skei [1097]: *YOU know him; for he abides with you, and is in you.* huMEIS giN*O*Ske-te auTO; HOti par? huMIN MEnei [3306], kai en huMIN ES-TIN. *2. The Holy Spirit* is not an influence but a divine person, the third person of the Godhead, with all the attributes of a person: will, intelligence, power and love. He is the only witness on earth today of the Savior and of Calvary, and he is the only one who can make God's will known to you. We do not know these things until they are revealed to us, and at the 1906 Llandrindod Wells Convention in Wales, he was revealed to me, and I saw him. I had lived for the Savior for three and a half years and longed to give my life back to him. The first morning of the convention, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. *?You has he quickened, and has raised you up to sit with Christ in heavenly places.? *It was the crucified Christ I had seen before; but now I had a vision of the *glorified* Christ, and only one glimpse of that is enough for eternity. I saw myself sitting with the one I loved throughout eternity, and like the apostle Paul I was dazzled, and all the things of earth grew strangely dim. *?Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit? *(1 Corinthians 2:9-10). I believe my experience was like that of the prophet Isaiah. He saw God and saw himself. He said, *?Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips? *(Isaiah 6:5). The Holy Spirit then appeared to me and said, ?I am the one who revealed that position to you and I want a body to dwell in to reveal the Savior through you.? I saw that he was God, that he was holy, pure, divine, and I was a man with a sinful nature. Before that experience I had never seen myself. All I had by nature was self, a self I had cultivated and kept under, a self the Holy Spirit would not live with. He showed me what it would mean if he came in. The verse he gave me was, *?Know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?? *(Romans 6:3). As really as the Savior died on that Cross, I would have to die before my nature was changed. Whether it is ?good self? or ?bad self? it is still self and must go to the Cross. I had received a sentence of death as really as a prisoner in the dock. For seven days he dealt with me. My will would have to go; I would never have another choice and I was never to question him in thought, word or motive. Each day he cleansed and purged me so that I could never go back again to my former life; and finally he gave me one hour to decide whether I, myself, was to live on, or he was to live in me. My destiny for eternity depended on that hour. At last I said, ?Lord, I am willing,? and he came in. He did not force the decision on me: I had to decide. I was carried right into the presence of God and the verse he gave me was: *?Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus? *(Hebrews 10:19). >From that time on there was a line drawn between my old life and this new one. Like John the Baptist, I had to decrease and he had to increase. ACTS n. 5:32 A MOST SIGNIFICANT VERSE *And WE are witnesses of these :sayings; also the Holy :Spirit,* kai h*e*MEIS es-men MARtu-res t*o*n 'r*e*MAt*o*n TOUt*o*n; kai to PNEUma to HAgi-on, *whom :God has given to them that obey him.* ho Ed*o*-ken ho TheOS tois pei-tharCHOUsin [3980] auT*O*. *3. It is exactly the same* for a man who is born again to receive the Holy Spirit as for a man who is not born again to receive the Savior. He is given to them that *obey*. It is *his all* for *your all*. Suppose you have a property of a hundred acres and you wish to sell all except the one acre right in the middle. The new owner might resent your walking over his property and might even take you to law about it, but the verdict would be, ?If he has one acre in the middle, he must have a right of way to it.? If you withhold just one acre of your life from the Holy Spirit, the devil will find not one way of getting to it, but many. The Holy Spirit comes in to take full possession. Your life is like a plot of land, marred and made barren by the Fall, and cannot bring forth fruit unto God. The Holy Spirit will begin to work on it, one acre at a time, until he has dealt with it all. You cannot play with him. Those who have no fear of the Holy Spirit have never seen him. I had far more fear of him than I had of my old schoolmaster when I was a boy in school. He will never take second place to self or the devil, and he will not dispute with you. I never once minimized the third person of the Godhead. When he comes in, God comes in, and he will not mix with your sinful nature. You are to die *to* sin as really as the Savior died *for* sin. JOHN e. 12:25 APPLICATION TO A HUMAN SOUL *Who loves his :soul loses it; and who hates his :soul* ho phiL*O*N [5368] t*e*n psuCH*E*N auTOU a-polLUei [622] auT*E*N; kai ho miS *O*N t*e*n psuCH*E*N auTOU *in this :world shall guard it unto life eternal.* en t*o* KOSm*o* TOUt*o* eis z*o*-*E*N ai*O*ni-on phuLAxei [5442] auT*E*N. *4. When you have given up *your life entirely to the Holy Spirit you have no right to take it back or to resent what he does with it. You will have no more claim on your life yourself, and you accept everything from him, whether it seems to be for you or against you. The surrender of outward things is only the beginning. When he comes in, he shows you yourself as he sees you, and he deals with the old nature, its thoughts and motives. Human reasoning and understanding belong to the old nature, which God tells us not to trust (Proverbs 3:5). You must learn to be quiet before God for him to show you these things. At one time I spent three hours with him and the Word every evening for several months, and he dealt with every thought and motive of self. LUKE d. 24:49 JESUS PROMISES THE HOLY SPIRIT *And lo, I send forth the promise of my :Father upon you:* kai iDOU, eG*O* e-xa-poSTELl*o* [649] t*e*n e-pag-geLIan [1860] tou paTROS mou eph' huMAS: *but tarry YOU in the city, until you be clothed with power from on high.* HUmeis de kaTHIsa-te en t*e* POlei, HE*o*s hou enDUs*e*s-the [1746] ex HUpsous [5311] DUna-min. c. 24:52-53 THE JOYOUS AFTERMATH *And THEY worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:* kai auTOI pro-skuN*E*san-tes auTON, huPEstre-psan eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M MEta chaRAS meGAl*e*s: 53 *and were continually in the temple, blessing :God.* kai *E*san diA panTOS en t*o* hi-eR*O*, eu-loGOUNtes [2127] ton TheON. *5. Joy is not the proof* that the Holy Spirit has come, nor are sorrow and testing proofs that he has not come. The disciples were rejoicing in the knowledge of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins, but they needed power for service. It is as unreasonable for a missionary to go out without the power of the Holy Spirit, as it is for a minister who is not born again to preach the Gospel. The Spirit will change your nature and change your motives so that you may live entirely for him. He may not give you anything to do for some time, but you will have the realization daily that he is in you, and you will have more fellowship with him than with anyone else. Just live with him and come to know him. When you are ?in God? your position with him is a million times greater than anything he does through you. We are so apt to be active, but when he wants to do something through you, he will do it. The realization that he was in me was so great, that it affected everyone I met. There was great joy when my eldest brother was converted, and many of us who were born again had great fellowship together; but when the Holy Spirit came into my life it was different. Some of my friends did not want him, and he had no fellowship with them. Once the Holy Spirit has taken you into the presence of God, you have more fellowship on ?the other side? than down here. Put the man of God where you like, but if God is there, it is heaven upon earth. ROMANS g. 6:5-7 THE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES OF IDENTIFICATION *For if we have become like-natured with him in the likeness of his :death,* ei gar SUMphu-toi [4854] geGOna-men t*o* ho-moi*O*ma-ti [3667] tou thaNAtou auTOU, *we shall yet be also in the likeness of the resurrection;* alLA kai t*e*s a-naSTAse-*o*s [386] eSOme-tha; 6* knowing this, that our old :man was crucified with him,* TOUto giN*O*skon-tes [1097], HOti ho pa-laiOS [3820] h*e*M*O*N ANthr*o*-pos su-ne-stauR*O*th*e* [4957], *that the body of :sin be done away, that we no longer be in bondage to :sin;* HIna ka-tar-g*e*TH*E* [2673] to S*O*ma t*e*s ha-marTIas, tou m*e*KEti douLEUein h*e*MAS t*e* ha-marTIa; 7* for who has died is justified from :sin.* ho gar a-po-thaNON [599] de-diKAIo-tai [1344] aPO tes ha-marTIas. *6. Self cannot put self on the Cross: *only the Holy Spirit can do this. If the death of the Lord Jesus is real to you, will you go to Calvary with Him? It is not weeping for the death 2000 years ago, but being willing to go to death yourself. I have never tried to show Calvary in words. It *must*be a revelation. Death must work in you and then life, and just to the extent you allow him to put you to death, will you live. With many, the planting into the death of the Savior is only a theory. You only understand his death as you enter into it in reality. The apostle Paul said, *?I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me? *(Galatians 2:20). Anyone who has really seen Calvary, is lost to the world. You must get rid of sin and limitations: the death must be actual. The law will not be satisfied with theory. It is when you die to the law of sin and death that you are free (Romans 8:2). After you are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the death of the Savior, you then walk in newness of life. Some people live in the forgiveness of sin. Just as interest can be paid out of capital, some people do this spiritually. If you reckon yourself dead to sin, you have no right to live in it. The only proof of the Holy Spirit is the life of the Holy Spirit. Leave ?the old man? on the Cross, and rise with the Savior to a new life. ROMANS g. 6:5-7 THE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES OF IDENTIFICATION *For if we have become like-natured with him in the likeness of his :death,* ei gar SUMphu-toi [4854] geGOna-men t*o* ho-moi*O*ma-ti [3667] tou thaNAtou auTOU, *we shall yet be also in the likeness of the resurrection;* alLA kai tes a-naSTAse-os [386] eSOme-tha; *7. This life is not a death life* but a resurrection life. Jesus said, *?I am the resurrection and the life?, *and if you are in him you are in the resurrection. The prayer of the apostle Paul was, *?That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death? *(Philippians 3:10). Suffering is the very thing the ?old man? will run away from. *?For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him: if we suffer we shall also reign with him? *(2 Timothy 2:11-12). The way to the throne is always the way of the Cross. The devil only has power on this side of Calvary. The Savior always had power over him; but he came to conquer him, so that the Savior through man might ever have the victory over him. The Holy Spirit comes in with all the power of the risen Lord, and he in me constantly had victory over the enemy. The Holy Spirit was constantly binding the devil. 2 CORINTHIANS b. 2:14 THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST *But thanks to :God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ,* T*o* de The*O* CHAris, t*o* PANto-te thri-amBEUon-ti [2358] h*e*MAS en t*o*ChrisT *O*, *and makes manifest through us the savor of his :knowledge in every place.* kai t*e*n osM*E*N 3744] t*e*s GN*O*se-*o*s auTOU pha-neROUNti [5319] di' h*e *M*O*N en panTI TOp*o*. *8. You must see* that you get victory in every change that the Holy Spirit makes in you. I had victory in every situation. You will not be tested in the open unless you have had victory on that point in private. God can always test his own faith, but not the faith of man. You cannot hold out in a test without a revelation. Whatever you give to God, if you believe for it, you will have the hundredfold. Before you can move on to something higher, you must have perfect victory in your present position. The ?old man? tries to get victory in a place where he is not situated. You must get victory where you are. Only those who have walked it know the joy of a life of faith. In a battle, what counts is that you have had victory all along. JOHN A. 1:1-4 DIVINE FELLOWSHIP IS JOYFUL 3* what we have seen and heard declare we to you also,* ho he-*o*RAka-men kai a-k*e*KOa-men a-pagGELlo-men kai huMIN, *that you also may have fellowship with us:* HIna kai huMEIS koi-n*o*NIan [2842] Ech*e*-te meth? h*e*M*O*N: *yes, and :OUR :fellowship is with the Father,* kai, h*e* koi-n*o*NIa de h*e* h*e*-meTEra meTA tou paTROS, * and with his :Son Jesus Christ:* kai meTA tou huiOU auTOU I*e*SOU ChrisTOU: 4* and these things WE write, that our joy be made full.* kai TAUta GRApho-men [1125] h*e*MEIS, HIna h*e* chaRA h*e*M*O*N h*e* pe-pl*e *-r*o*MEn*e* [4137]. *9. How can we enter *the ?holiest of all?, when the High Priest only entered once a year? This has been taken too lightly. God's presence has not changed; his holiness has not changed; but the Holy Spirit brings us into his own fellowship, the fellowship of the Trinity. God has given me much over the years, gifts and estates; but they are as nothing compared with my fellowship with him. When you come into his realm, you are released from earthly things, and your work from then on is to do the will of God. He in you will put more value on the things of eternity than on anything else. He will take the victories of the Savior and apply them through you. At first your fallen reason cannot believe God, and he must change you. Faith will not follow human reason, but reason will always follow faith. I think of my years of abiding. What a wonderful life it was to live ?within the veil? day after day. Self cannot abide in the Savior, but as the Holy Spirit deals with you, he takes all the unbelief out of you. While you abide in the vine, all his life will flow through you. Everything of nature is to be subdued to the life of the Holy Spirit in you. *NOTE**: *At the strong urging of Norman P. Grubb, author of ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? - Doris M. Ruscoe has written a sequel to his biography. She was a member of Rees Howells' Intercessory Team of some 100, from several years before World War II until his death in 1950. The notes above were recorded primarily by Howells' personal secretary, taken mostly from lectures given to the Bible School students, and the Intercessory Prayer Meetings - often 5 times a day! These messages came from a burning heart, which had fully experienced all he gave that was recorded. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Apr 9 13:21:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 13:21:18 -0700 Subject: Wired for Intimacy Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 9, 2012 *2012-04-09 - ?Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain?* *by Dr. William M. Struthers, Wheaton College, Illinois* *(Interviewed by January 11, 2010, the Albert Mohler Program.* WE ARE FAST BECOMING THE PORNOGRAPHIC society. Over the course of the last decade, explicitly sexual images have crept into advertising, marketing, and virtually every niche of American life. This ambient pornography is now almost everywhere, from the local shopping mall to prime-time television. By some estimations, the production and sale of explicit pornography now represents *the seventh-largest industry* in America. New videos and internet pages are produced each week, with the digital revolution bringing a host of new delivery systems. Every new digital platform becomes a marketing opportunity for the pornography industry. To no one's surprise, the vast majority of those who consume pornography are males. It is no secret that males are highly stimulated by visual images, whether still or video. That is not a new development, as ancient forms of pornography attest. What is new is all about access. Today's men and boys are not looking at line pictures drawn on cave walls. They have almost instant access to countless forms of pornography in a myriad of formats. But, even as technology has brought new avenues for the transmission of pornography, modern knowledge also brings a new understanding of how pornography works in the male brain. While this research does nothing to reduce the moral culpability of males who consume pornography, it does help to explain how the habit becomes so addictive. As William M. Struthers of Wheaton college explains, ?Men seem to be wired in such a way that pornography hijacks the proper functioning of their brains, and has a long-lasting effect on their thoughts and lives.? Struthers is a psychologist with a background in neuroscience and a teaching concentration in the biological bases of human behavior. In *Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain**, *Struther presents key insights from neuroscience that go a long way toward explaining why pornography is such a temptation for the male mind. ?The simplest explanation for why men view pornography (or solicit prostitutes) is that they are driven to seek out sexual intimacy,? he explains. The urge for sexual intimacy is God-given and essential to the male, he acknowledges, but it is easily misdirected. Men are tempted to seek ?a shortcut to sexual pleasure via pornography? and now find this shortcut easily accessed. In a fallen world, pornography becomes more than a distraction and a distortion of God's intention for human sexuality. It becomes as an *addictive poison*. Struthers explains: *Viewing pornography is not an emotionally or or physiologically neutral experience. It is fundamentally different from looking at black and white photos of the Lincoln Memorial or taking in a color map of the provinces of Canada. Men are reflexively drawn to the content of pornographic material. As such, pornography has wide-reaching effects to energize a man toward intimacy. It is not a neutral stimulus. It draws us in. Porn is vicious and voyeuristic at its core, but it is also something more. Porn is a whispered promise. It promises more sex, better sex, endless sex, sex on demand, more intense orgasms, experiences of transcendence.* Pornography ?acts as a poly drug,? Struthers explains. As Dr. Patrick Carnes asserts, pornography is ?a pathological relationship with a mood-altering experience.? Boredom and curiosity lead many boys and men into experiences that become more like drug addition than is often admitted. Why men rather than women? As Struthers explains, the male and female brains are wired differently. ?A man's brain is a sexual mosaic influenced by hormone levels in the womb and in puberty, and molded by his psychological experience.? Over time, exposure to pornography takes a man or boy deeper along ?a one-way neurological superhighway? where a man's mental life is over-sexualized and narrowed. This superhighway has countless on-ramps, but very few off-ramps. Pornography is ?visually magnetic? to the male brain. Struthers presents a fascinating review of the neurobiology involved, with pleasure hormones becoming linked to and released by the experience of a male viewing pornographic images. These experiences with pornography and pleasure hormones create new patterns in the brain's wiring, and repeated experiences formalize the rewiring. And then, enough is never enough. ?If I take the same dose of a drug over and over my body begins to tolerate it; I will need to take a higher dose of the drug in order for it to have the same effect that it did with a lower dose the first time,? Struthers reminds us. So, the experience of viewing pornography and acting out on it creates a demand in the brain for more and more, just to achieve the same level of pleasure in the brain. While men are stimulated by the ambient sexual images around them, explicit pornography increases the effect. Struthers compares this to the difference between traditional television and the new high definition technologies. Every thing is more clear, more explicit, and more stimulating. Struthers explains this with compelling force: *Something about pornography pulls and pushes at the male soul. The pull is easy to identify. The naked female form can be hypnotizing. A woman's willingness to participate in a sexual act or expose her nakedness is alluring to men. The awareness of one's own sexuality, the longing to know, to experience something as good, wells up from deep within. An image begins to pick up steam the longer we look upon it. It gains momentum and can reach a point where it feels like a tractor-trailer rolling downhill with no brakes.* *Wired for Intimacy* is a timely and important book. Struthers offers keen and strategic insights from neurobiology and psychology. But what makes this book truly helpful is the fact that Struthers does not leave his argument to neuroscience, nor does he use the category of addiction to mitigate the sinfulness of viewing pornography. Sinners naturally look for fig leaves to hide sin, and biological causation is often cited as a means of avoiding moral responsibility. Struthers does not allow this, and his view of pornography is both biblical and theologically grounded. He lays responsibility for the sin of viewing pornography at the feet of those who willingly consume explicit images. He knows his audience - after all, his classrooms are filled with young male college students. The addict is responsible for his addiction. At the same time, any understanding of how sin works its deceitful evil is a help to us, and understanding how pornography works in the male mind is a powerful knowledge. Pornography is a sin that robs God of his glory in the gift of sex and sexuality. We have long known that sin takes hostages. We now know another dimension of how this sin hijacks the male brain. Knowledge, as they say, is power. I am always glad to hear from readers. Write me at * **Mohler **>.* I interviewed Dr. Struthers on January 11, 2010 edition of *The Albert Mohler Program**. Listen **here**.* *NOTE**: *A friend of mine from Canada supplied me with a ?dish?, by which I can obtain 40 Christian Channels from ?space net?. On Saturday April 7, 2012, I inadvertently turned on to a recent broadcast of Dr. William Struthers? over ?Mastering Life Ministries?, **, * PurePassion.us>*, Tel: 615-507-4166. I immediately ordered this book by Dr. William Struthers, ?Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain.? Mothers and wives will want to make sure that sons, husbands, grandsons, nephews etc., read this book. It will save many from heartache and great frustration. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Apr 10 08:32:19 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:32:19 -0700 Subject: Jesus the Son Versus prophets Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 10, 2012 *2012-04-09 - ?THE SON - MORE THAN THE PROPHETS?* *(From ?The Holiest of All? - An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews -* *by Andrew Murray* *HEBREWS SUMMARY: THE ABSOLUTE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST* A. 1:1-2:4 THE SOBER IMPORTANCE OF THE WORDS OF GOD'S SON 1. 1:1-4 GOD FULLY BACKS UP HIS SON'S WORD TO US *:God, having spoken of old to the fathers in the prophets* Po-lu-meR*O*S [4181] kai po-luTROp*o*s [4187] PAlai [3819] ho TheOS, *by different portions and in different manners,* laL*E*sas tois paTRAsin en tois proPH*E*tais [4396], 2 *has at the end of these :days spoken to us in a Son,* ep' eSCHAtou [2078] t*o*n h*e*-meR*O*N TOUt*o*n eLAl*e*-sen h*e*MIN en hui*O *, *whom he appointed heir of all, through whom also he made the ages;* hon Eth*e*-ken [5087] kl*e*-roNOmon [2818] PANt*o*n, di' hou kai ePOI*e*-sen [4160] tous ai*O*nas [165]; We all know that there are two Testaments - the Old and the New. These represent two dispensations, two modes of worship, two sorts of religions, two ways in which God has intercourse with man, and man draws nigh to God. The one was provisional, preparatory, and intended to pass away. What it gave and wrought was not meant to satisfy, but only to awaken the expectation of something better that was to come. The other was the fulfillment of what had been promised, and destined to last for ever, because it was itself a complete revelation of an everlasting redemption, of a salvation in the power of an endless life. In both Old and New Testament it was God who spoke. The prophets in the Old, and the Son in the New, were equally God's messengers. God spoke in the prophets no less truly than in the Son. But in the Old everything was external and through the mediation of men. God Himself could not yet enter and take possession of man and dwell in him. In the New all is more directly and immediately divine - in an inward power and reality and life, of which the Old had only the shadow and hope. The Son, who is God, brings us into the very presence of God. And wherefore was it that God did not, could not, from the very beginning, reveal Himself in the Son? What need was there of these two ways of worshiping and serving Him? The answer is twofold - If man were indeed intelligently and voluntarily to appropriate God's love and redemption, he needed to be prepared for it. He needed first of all to know his own utter impotence and hopeless wretchedness. And so his heart had to be wakened up in true desire and expectancy to welcome the value what God had to give. When God speaks to us in Christ, it is as the Father *dwelling in the Son.* *?The words that I say unto you, I speak not from Myself, but **the Father abiding in Me does the works.?* Just as God's speaking in Christ was an inward thing - So God can still speak to us in no other way. The external words of Christ, just like the words of the prophets, are to prepare us for, and point us to, that inner speaking in the heart by the Holy Spirit, which alone is life and power. This is God's true speaking in His Son. It is of the utmost consequence for our spiritual life that we should rightly understand these two stages in God's dealing with man. In two ways, not in one; not in more than two; in two ways has God spoken. They indicate what, in substance, is God's way with every Christian. There is, after his conversion, a time of preparation and testing, to see whether he willingly and heartily sacrifices all for the full blessing. If in this stage he perseveres in earnest effort and striving, he will be brought to learn the two lessons the Old Testament was meant to teach. He will become more deeply conscious of his own impotence, and the strong desire will be awakened after a better life, to be found in the full revelation of Christ as able to save completely. When these two lessons are learned - the lesson of despair of self and hope in God alone - the soul is prepared, if it will yield itself in faith to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to enter truly into the New Testament life within the veil, in the very Holiest of All, as it is set forth in this Epistle. Where Christians, through defective instruction, or through neglect and sloth, do not understand God's way for leading them on unto perfection, the Christian life will always remain full of feebleness and failure. It was thus with the Hebrew Christians. They belonged to the New Testament, but their life was anything but the exhibition of the power and joy Christ came to reveal. They were far behind what many of the Old Testament saints had been; and the reason was this - they knew not the heavenly character of the redemption Christ had brought. They knew not the heavenly place in which He ministers, nor the heavenly blessing He dispenses, nor the heavenly power in which He secures our enjoyment of these blessings. They knew not the difference between the prophets and the Son; what it means that God has now spoken to us in His Son. The one object of the Epistle is to set before us the heavenly priesthood of Christ and the heavenly life to which He in His divine power gives us access. It is this gives the Epistle its inestimable value for all time, that it teaches us the way out of the elementary stage of the Christian life to that of full and perfect access to God. Let us grasp and hold firmly the difference between the two stages. In the one, the action of man is more prominent: God speaks in the prophets. In the other, the divine presence and power are more fully revealed: God speaks in the Son, who bears and brings the very life of God, and brings us into living contact with God Himself. In the one, it is the human words that occupy and influence and help us to seek God; in the other, the divine indwelling Word reveals its power within. In the one, it is multiplicity of thoughts and truths, of ordinances and efforts; in the other, the simplicity and the unity of the one Son of God, and faith in Him alone. How many have sought by study and *meditation* and acceptance of the words of the Bible to find God, and yet have failed. They knew not that these were but the finger-posts pointing to the living Son, - words coming indeed from God, most needful and profitable, and yet not sufficient; only yielding us their true blessing when they have brought us to hear God Himself speaking in His Son. *1. Let none of us rest content with the lower stage. Let us see that personal fellowship with God, through the Holy Spirit, is what Christ gives. God calls us to it: Christ lives in heaven to work it, through the Spirit He gives from heaven.* *2. One may know much of the Bible and the words of God, and yet remain feeble. What one needs is to know the living Word, in whom God speaks within, in life and power.* *3. All the prophets point to the Son, as the true Prophet. Let us take them very definitely as our teachers, to reveal God to us.* *4. When I speak a word, I desire all its meaning and force to enter into him whom I address. God has in these last days but one Word. He desires to have all that Word is and means enter in and live in us. Let us open our hearts, and God will speak into it that one Word, ?This is My Son,? in such a way that He will indeed be all our own.* *NOTE**: *The above chapter by Andrew Murray lays out clearly the contrast between OT prophets and our Lord Jesus; OT and NT; Old Covenant and New Covenant. Murray wrote some 300 books and booklets during his lifetime, some in Dutch that have not been translated. His book ministry has had an extraordinary effect throughout the whole world; many in this area were not even aware of his specific ministry in South Africa to the Dutch church. George Muller and Charles H. Spurgeon held similar views with Andrew Murray concerning this relationship between Old and New Testaments. Because the Jews addressed in the Book of Hebrews were unable to see this clear distinction, they were unable to enter into the clear exposition of the apostle Paul. It is for this reason that Andrew Murray and George Muller so clearly set forth this contrast and distinction. May we *too* walk in this insight they failed to perceive. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Apr 11 12:11:40 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:11:40 -0700 Subject: The Armor of God - Eph. 6:10-20 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 11, 2012 *2012-04-05 - SURVEY VI. ARMOR OF GOD. Ephesians 6:10-20* *1. TRUTH. R.P. #792, p. 464, II.B, a-leTHEIa from LEtho*, 107 (203) references.* *LOINS. R.P. #1053, P. 586, osPHUS*, 8 references* Truth protects the ?reins?: our subconscious motivations. It comprises the true teaching of the Gospel, Romans 1:25. Truth is in God, and is embodied in Jesus Christ, John 14:6. Truth involves sincerity, integrity of character as well as words. John 8:44 describes Satan, one in whom there is *no truth*! *2. RIGHTEOUSNESS. R.P. #325, p. 170, XIII.D, di-kai-oSUne from DEcho-mai*, 92 (1023) references.* *BREASTPLATE. R.P. #546, p. 356, TH**Orax*, 5 references.* Righteousness protects our emotions, will and heart (conscious motivations). The character or quality of being right or just: likewiseness. It is the sum total of the religious duties of man: almsgiving (duty to neighbor); prayer (duty to God); fasting (duty of self-control), Matthew 6:1-18. Abraham became this by accepting God's Word and mind and spirit, Romans 4:3. The death of Christ proves that God is just, who passes not over sin, Romans 3:25-26. *3. PEACE. R.P. #428, p. 269, VII.A, eiREne from eREo*, 92 (4080) references.* *GOSPEL. R.P. #24, p. 14, V.A. eu-agGEli-on, from Ag**o*, 79 (1291) references.* *FEET. R.P. #1173, p. 663, POUS*, 93 (108) references.* Protects us from majoring on minors: Communism, Social gospel, etc. Harmonizes relationships between God and man through the Gospel, Acts 10:36. Sense of rest and contentment, a fruit of the Gospel, Matthew 10:13. *4. FAITH. R.P. #1100, p. 618, I.H., PIStis from PEItho*, 244 (708) references.* *SHIELD. R.P. #544, p. 355, I.H., thu-reOS, from THUo*, 1 (2651) references. * Protects us from festering slanders, persecution and smarting rejection. Trust in a living God and Christ, protects us from fiery darts. Trust in God's promises lifts us above Satan's attacks through man. *5. SALVATION. R.P. #1407, p. 727, I.D., soTEri-os, from SOzo*, 5 (212) references.* *HELMET. R.P. #657, p. 411, A.2, pe-ri-kePHAlai-os, ke-phaLE*, 2 (89) references.* Protects our thought life from Satan's insidious suggestions, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Gives perspective on tribulation because of Hope of the Resurrection, Romans 13:11. Immediate deliverance upon fulfilling Hebrews 6:1-2, the Foundation Truths! All blessings bestowed by God on men in Christ through the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 6:2; whether past, present (sanctification, 1 Peter 1:9) or future. *6. WORD. R.P. #428, p.282, XXV.B, 'REma, from eREo*, 70 (4076) references. * *SWORD. R.P. #3868, p. 482, I.B., MAchai-ra, from MAcho-mai*, 29 (46) references.* *SPIRIT. R.P. #1153, p. 650, B, PNEUma, from PNE**o*, 385 (428) references.* 2 Corinthians 10 3-5 protects us from fighting Satan carnally, Ephesians 6:12). Luke 1:37 - No *word* from God shall be void of power! When the Spirit brings an individual scripture to mind - it first requires that we are regularly storing our mind with Scriptures! The word of the Spirit comes by revelation, Romans 8:14. *7. PRAYER. R.P. #461, p. 310, II.B., pro-seuCHE, from EUcho-mai*, 37 (134) references.* *SUPPLICATION. R.P. #326, p. 179, B, DEe-sis, from DEo*, 'B', 19 (43) references.* *WATCHING. R.P. #1494, p. 775, II.A., a-grupNEo, from Ago + HUPnos*, 4 (18) references.* *BOLDLY. R.P. #428, p. 282, XXVI.A, par-reSIa, from eREo*, 31 (4076) references.* Protects us from relying on man's resources; grants Spirit-power. Prayer is addressed to the Father and Son. Prayer in the Name of our Lord Jesus is led of the Spirit, Romans 8:26, James 5:16. Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:1, 5:5 also like prayer and supplication. Understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15) and will (Colossians) are also involved in prayer. *ARMOR. R.P. #1035, p. 572, A.1, pa-noPLIa, from HOplon*, 3 (11) references.* The above 7 pieces of armor comprise God's Heavenly Panoply! See ?The Authority of the Believer?, by J.A. MacMillan, Christian Publications. We need the spiritual helps of God for overcoming the temptations of the Devil! *NOTE**: Many people meditate **daily on these 7 pieces of armor! The actual context of Ephesians 6:10-20 demands that we see this armor as being for the corporate soldier of Jesus Christ. Of course - it also has an individual application!* *We can remember the words God gave to Joshua concerning the Old Covenant. He was to ensure that the Torah - the 5 books of Moses - did not depart our of his mouth. He was to meditate upon what he spoke day and night! All this was so he would be careful to do all that was written here, and that he had spoken. The promise that followed was that after these three things had been done, - then he would make his way prosperous, and then he would have good success.* *Do God's words to Joshua apply to us today? Not exactly! We live now under a new - a better covenant. Jesus inaugurated it at Calvary and Pentecost! And - He Himself is that Covenant! Isaiah twice says so!* *But yet more importantly - the Spirit in Hebrews 8:6 has an extraordinary word for us! Talking of Jesus it says: * d. 8:6 SUPERIOR COVENANT PRODUCES A SUPERIOR MINISTRY *But now has he obtained a ministry the more superior,* nun de di-a-pho-r*o*TEras [1313] TEtu-chen [5177] lei-tourGIas [3009], *by so much as he is also mediator of a better covenant,* HOs*o* kai KREITtoNOS [2909] es-tin di-aTH*E*k*e*s [1242] meSIt*e*s [3316], *which has been enacted upon better promises.* H*E*tis ePI KREITto-sin e-pag-geLIais [1860] ne-no-moTHEt*e*-tai [3549]. *The word enacted bears the following meaning as brought forth by Dr. David Stern in his ?Jewish NT? and ?Jewish NT Commentary?.* *This better covenant has been constituted as Torah, on the same level of authority as the Old Covenant! But it is superior to the Old Covenant for the above reasons.* *Therefore** - let these words sink deep into our hearts! God would have you and me **speak aloud, meditate upon - and do - the words of Jesus and His apostles in the New Covenant!* *I have collated 15 natural Bible series in the NT, starting with the Beatitudes, and ending with the 7 churches of Revelation. * *I read aloud, meditate upon, and do these daily - as key readings of the NT - and still walk in the entire NT: Relish the Gospels! Be enlarged by the book of Acts. Let James through Jude establish you. Find in Romans through Thessalonians - amazing answers to ?mysteries?. Hebrews will lead you into the Holy of Holies. Timothy, Titus & Philemon will give you a post-graduate course - And God has designed the ?Revelation? as His ?Temple Capstone?!* *Can you perceive the power that is in these exercises? It makes us just as effective and powerful as Joshua in the OT - and yet more so! - inasmuch as the New Covenant has been constituted as Torah on Better Promises, and by a Better Redeemer!* *Soon we will have the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the works of Ivan Panin.* *Not only** is the Greek text the same as the original - but the translation then becomes more trustworthy than any other translation, * *and the Bible Numeric based outlining* *gives us contexts for every NT verse* *more accurate than any other contextual study!* *Friends! God has favored us in these last days - starting this year - 2012 - with a tool - a means of becoming like Joshua - for our NT times.* *When I am awake during the night - I immediately commence to run over these 15 outlines - which I have memorized. What a blessed time I have each night I happen to be awake. Join me! Speak aloud the Word of God with me! Meditate on what you speak - with me! Then - DO it! with me! Find prosperity and success in the Kingdom of God, such as you never dreamed possible!* *Your blessed, exhilarated, and joyful friend - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Apr 12 10:43:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:43:58 -0700 Subject: Ephesians 2:11-22 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 12, 2012 *(From: EPHESIANS #3 - 2:11-22)* D. 2:11-22. WRETCHED GENTILE CONDITIONS CONTRASTED WITH TEMPLE a. 2:11-12. GENTILES REMEMBER HOPELESSNESS *Wherefore remember, that once you, the nations in **the **flesh,* Di? ho mn*e*-moNEUe-te [3421], HOti poTE huMEIS, ta ETHn*e* [1484] en sarKI, *who are called Uncircumcision* hoi leGOme-noi a-kro-busTIa [203] *by what is called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;* hoPO t*e*s le-goMEn*e*s pe-ri-toM*E*S [4061] en sarKI chei-ro-poi*E*tou [5499]; 12* that you were at that :season apart from Christ,* HOti *E*te t*o* kaiRO eKEIn*o* ch*o*RIS ChrisTOU, *alienated from the commonwealth of :Israel,* a-p*e*l-lo-tri-*o*MEnoi [526] t*e*s po-liTEIas [4174] tou Is-ra*E*L, *and strangers to the covenants of the promise, * kai XEnoi [3581] t*o*n di-a-th*e*K*O*N [1242] t*e*s e-pag-geLIas, *having no hope and without God in the world.* elPIda m*e* Echon-tes kai Athe-oi en t*o* KOSm*o*. b. 2:13 GENTILES: BROUGHT NIGH THROUGH BLOOD OF CHRIST *But now in Christ Jesus you that once were far **off* nuNI de en ChrisT*O* IeSOU huMEIS hoi poTE ONtes makRAN *are become nigh in the blood of the Christ.* e-geNEth*e*-te egGUS en t*o* HAIma-ti [129] tou ChrisTOU. c. 2:14-18 CHRIST MAKES JEW AND GENTILE ONE NEW MAN *For HE is our :peace, who made :both one,* AuTOS GAR es-tin h*e* eiR*E*n*e* [1515] h*e*M*O*N, ho poi*E*sas ta amPHOte-ra hen, *and broke down the middle wall of the partition, *15* having abolished in his :flesh the enmity,* kai to meSOtoi-chon [3320] tou phragMOU [5418] LUsas, t*e*n ECHthran [2189] en t*e* sarKI auTOU, *the law of the commandments contained in ordinances;* ton NOmon t*o*n en-toL*O*N [1785] en DOGma-sin [1378] ka-tarG*E*sas [2673]; *that he might create in himself of the two one new man, making peace;* HIna tous DUo KTIs*e* [2936] en auT*O* eis HEna kaiNON [2537] ANthr*o*pon, poi*O*N eiR*E*n*e*n; 16* and might reconcile :both in one body to :God* kai a-po-ka-talLAx*e* [604] tous am-phoTErous en heNI S*O*ma-ti [4983] t*o*The *O* *through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:* diA tou stauROU [4716], a-pokTEInas [615] t*e*n ECHthran [2189] en auT*O*: 17 *and he came and preached peace to you the far off, and peace to the nigh:* kai elTH*O*N eu-*e*g-geLIsa-to [2097] eiR*E*n*e*n huMIN tois makRAN, kai eiR *E*n*e*n tois egGUS: 18* because through him we :both have the access * HOti di? auTOU Echo-men t*e*n pro-sa-g*o*G*E*N [4318] hoi amPHOte-roi *in one Spirit unto the Father. ** *en heNI PNEUma-ti pros ton paTEra. d. 2:19-22 FOUNDATION FOR THE ONE NEW MAN AND ONE BODY *So then you are no more strangers and sojourners,* Ara oun ouKEti esTE XEnoi [3581] kai PAroi-koi [3941], *but are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of :God?s household,* alLA es-te sun-poLItai [4847] t*o*n haGI*o*n [40], kai oiKEIoi [3906] tou TheOU, 20* being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,* e-poi-ko-do-m*e*THENtes [2026] ePI t*o* the-meLI*o* [2310] t*o*n a-posTOl*o*n [652] kai pro-ph*e*T*O*N, *Christ Jesus himself being chief corner stone;* ONtos ak-ro-g*o*-niAIou [204] auTOU ChrisTOU I*e*SOU; 21* in whom every building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;* en h*o* PAsa oi-ko-doM*E*, su-nar-mo-lo-gouMEn*e* [4883], AUxei eis naON HAgi-on en KuRI*o*; 22* in whom you also are built together into a habitation of :God in Spirit. * en h*o* kai huMEIS su-noi-ko-doMEISthe [4925] eis ka-toi-k*e*T*E*ri-on [2732] tou TheOU en PNEUma-ti. *NOTE:* J. Sidlow Baxter in his ?Explore the Book,? has an interesting and helpful insight for understanding the 7 city churches of Paul in his first 9 epistles. Romans represents the Outer Court of the Tabernacle ? Justification by Faith. 1 & 2 Corinthians represent how the church of Corinth had moral lapses in relationship to the great standard restored through Martin Luther. Galatians shows how the churches in the area of modern Turkey departed doctrinally from the key teaching of this letter, and through the Judaizers sought to return to the legalism of Jewish standards. Even in the Old Testament, only Gentiles living in close proximity to Jews were required to move in this manner, and in the latter part of Acts 15 were freed by God from even this. Baxter saw Ephesians as the high point of church truth in the Bible. It is rich in pictures and analogies of the relationship of believers ? both Jew and Gentile ? to Christ. Philippians is the Holy Spirit through Paul shoring up lapses in Joy and Unity from this high standard. Colossians points out doctrinal aberrations from Ephesus, and tendencies to revert to worship of angels, and departing from God the Father?s true standards for His Son. Greek cults of that day sought to wean true believers from the way God sees these things, and God used Paul by the Spirit to seek to return them to the true Plumbline of truth. Arianism and Jehovah?s Witness cultism was in existence back then! It is *here* that believers enjoy being in the Holy Place of God?s Tabernacle and Temple! 1 & 2 Thessalonians prepare God?s people for the Second Coming of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The early church constantly kept this truth in view. George Muller in his day did the same, and Mother Basilea Schlink. Here believers experience the first-fruits of Bridal-Love with Christ. Here one enters the riven veil, and experiences divine relationship in the Holy of Holies. There is one other key thought that emerges clearly from this passage ? ?The One New Man.? Reuven Doron has written a book in the early 1990?s with this title. By all means do a ?Google-Search? and order it. It is clear, warm and living. The recent writings of Dr. Daniel Juster also clearly bring out this truth of Jew and Gentile in one body, the Church. Mike Bickle has partnered with Juster to give a living example of this truth. The Church has a marvelous privilege and responsibility of praying the Messianic Jewish Movement into the 5-fold ministry and the other 11 Embryonic Revival Principles restored in 1948 in Northern Canada. Next year ? 2008 ? is the 60th Anniversary of the rebirth of Israel as a nation, and God?s Visitation on February 11th at North Battleford, Saskatchewan. The Rev. Dr. John Roddam of Seattle, and Stuart Spani of North Vancouver BC have produced a 3 DVD package of 10 parts featuring Marie and myself as the last living elder of the 1948 July Camp Meeting of that time. Order through * - ?The Fire Continues ... Sixty Years Later? -*The above full ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will be printed and available this year, possibly before summer (2012). - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Apr 13 13:14:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:14:48 -0700 Subject: Five-fold - or - Four-fold? Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 13, 2012 *2012-04-11 - Five-fold - or - Four-fold?* *NOTE**: *I recently received the following response from the mailing of my following response - ?*Shepherds and teachers are the same as indicated by the lack of a definite article.?*** As you can see from my response, I held his same position for a number of years. Why I withdrew from my former dogmatic position, you can observe. I suppose I am mellowing in theological positions with the passing of the years - but I trust I am as close to adhering to *the true* meaning of Scripture nonetheless. *You* judge! Do a Google-search on ?Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky,? the Flagship of this denomination of some 16 million. I am impressed with the scholarship of this man, yet at the same time his openness in receiving people in spite of their position. This is an area I would desire to emulate more. ?*I am the last of the 7 elders from the Summer Camp meeting of 1948 at North Battleford, Saskatchewan.* *I really feel that elders should be somewhat older. I was but 25 at the time, but had been with the teachers of the Sharon Orphanage and Schools in 1945 as a first year student at Bethel Bible Institute, and when the divine Visitation came, I was asked to join them.* *12 Embryonic Revival Principles came together that year, starting February 12th. The second concerned the Five-fold Ministry Gifts of Ephesians 4:11-12. George R. Hawtin delved into this portion of the Scriptures again and again, so as a young person, I easily picked it up. Later I became interested in the 4 couplets in Isaiah 11:2, describing the ministry of the coming Messiah, and by linking shepherds (pastors) and teachers together as a couplet, I felt I had a match. I continued in a Four-fold treatment of this passage in Ephesians for a number of years.* *However, I was influenced by the illustration of Ivan Panin: ?If you take a drop of water out of the ocean and analyze it, in trace form you will find all the constituent elements of the ocean. In like manner, when you take a verse out of the Bible and analyze it, it should not in any manner contradict any other portion of Scripture.? I like that. Some have said, But that would mean that a teacher of the Word would have to have an accurate grasp of the entire Bible. Exactly! That's why James said in 3:1 - ?Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation!? Rather, our attitude should be like Panin in one of his favorite verses in Isaiah 66:2b - ?But this is the one to whom I will look declares the LORD: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word!? I like that, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge. A healthy respect for Him and His Word, is wisdom indeed!* *So as I continued in my growth in Him - I came across 1 Corinthians 12:28 - ?And :God has set some in the church, first apostle, second prophets, third teachers, and numbers to follow.? As in Ephesians 4:11, there are no definite articles preceding ?teacher? there, nor before these first 3 ministries. As some have pointed out in the Ephesians passage, does this make these three in Corinthians - one - as pastor and teacher are linked as one there, because there is no article preceding ?teacher?? * *And then what of 1 Timothy 5:17 - ?Let the elders ruling well (pastors, shepherds) be counted worthy of double honor, specially those who toil in the word and teaching.? The obvious conclusion here is that all elder pastors are not gifted also in teaching, and therefore are not teachers.* *Going back to Panin's analogy of a drop of ocean water - and a Bible verse out of the total Bible context - then I have to be careful about interpreting Ephesians 4:11-12! * *I have typed up the entire NT translation of Panin's English translation, including each colon (:) standing for the definite article ?the? - preceding a noun or other part of speech preceded by a colon, but for which it would be improper to translate it. I wrote in by hand his entire Bible Numeric Greek text underneath, clause by clause and sentence by sentence, not word for word. I also outlined each Bible Numeric sentence, gathered these summaries into sub-paragraphs, paragraphs, sections or chapter equivalents and finally the 27 NT books. I agree with Panin concerning the importance of the Greek article, whether translated or indicated by symbol. Jehovah Witnesses love to point out from John 1:1 that Jesus is not divine like the Father - because there is no article preceding Him when described as just God - no article!* *But in John 20:28, Thomas responds to Jesus' challenge concerning His true resurrection by saying: ?My :Lord and my :God.? Here the article precedes Jesus as God, making Him one with His Father!* *So what is my ?take?, and what is my ?conclusion?? I have to reverently say to God, that I don't know His Word as completely as I would like. I come back to a saying from a Book Title I picked up in the mid-40's - ?Let God say what He wants to say - and let the Bible mean what it wants to mean.? Therefore I humbly come back to Ephesians 4:11-12 and say - perhaps after all this verse does not preclude the 5-fold ministry. So I must eat humble pie. But for His sake and His Word's sake - being dead to sin according to Romans 6, I am most willing to do.* *Do I ask others to follow my example. Not necessarily. In 1945 I was handed a tract - ?Others may - you cannot!? I am on a pilgrimage. Others are on their pilgrimages. The Moravian proverbs says, ?In essentials, unity; in non-essentials - tolerance; in all things, charity or love.? I count this problem as a non-essential. You can see my tentative position from above. Several fellow-students - not scholars - have discussed this. Some have asked Greek professors concerning this. The more we study and discuss, the less dogmatic we become in this particular area. In the areas of the ?essential?! No compromise! But in this area, - well!?* *Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Apr 14 10:23:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:23:28 -0700 Subject: 5-fold/4-fold Response Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 14, 2012 *2012-04-14 - RESPONSE TO ?FIVE-FOLD - or - FOUR-FOLD??* A professor friend of mine read my article response - ?Five-fold - or - Four-fold?? He has sent me the following response, which I much appreciate. As he inferred - there are many other 5-fold connections in the human body that likewise confirm the Ephesians 4:11 five-fold. One is the 5 lumbar vertebrae. They are the power and lifting vertebrae. Just as they are as it were the fulcrum for the body's 33 vertebrae to protect the spinal cord - which sends messages from the brain to every organ and cell of the human body - so the 5-fold ministries give support, adjustment and equipping to every member of Christ's spiritual body. Here is my friend's most interesting response: On Fri, Apr 13, 2012 at 3:33 PM, wrote: *Dear Bro Jim: I have followed you for years online and am on your mailing list. I agree with your answer to the brother that I just accessed today. Although it is not an essential concerning our salvation, I do believe it is an essential to our perfection. Let me give you several illustrations, some you may have already known, some you may not. I just leave them here for your consideration. For years I taught in a Canadian Christian College writing and teaching from the present truth revelation God was giving as I studied the Word. Before I began there in 1991, my heart had been being exercised concerning the term used by Paul, "the Body of Christ". The Lord kept drawing my thinking to doing a study on this subject from the perspective of the natural body being a type and shadow. Although I have a number of Doctoral letters behind my name, medical doctor is not one of them. I did not want to venture into that arena not having the medical authority to do so. Then Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancy wrote their initial book "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made". Dr Brand providing the medical expertise and a basis of spiritual insight through his years and a leprosy surgeon in India, and Philip Yancy his superb writing skills. Because of your walk with God and spiritual birth in the move of 1948, you will understand when I speak of knowing things by revelation that you were unable you are unable to prove, because of lack of the availability of natural knowledge. Because of that level of revelation, I was able to take Dr. Brand's applications into further depth. I would particularly like to apply some of that the understanding of what we have always called, "the five-fold ministry". Please be patient with me in this. (I am going to block and paste from different portions of my courses "Spiritual Parallels to the Natural Body, & from Spiritual Parallels to The Natural Body, The Head") Different quotes have a double space between them. **"In every portion of the body we have those cells, bones, body members, and organ functions that speak of the five ministry gifts. As we come to them, we will deal with each expression that shows a portion of the function. It is these cells that are able to continue to multiply, that are a type of the five ministry gifts. They do the repair needed to those portions of the Body that need it. "** (Spiritual Parallels to the Natural Body) **"The White Blood Cells: These patrol the blood, these FIVE DISTINCT TYPES of cells form the initial assault forces against infection and invaders."* *There are some arresting similarities between the operation of the white cells and the functioning of the five ministry gifts. The primary function of the white cells is to fight invaders and is a defensive position. In the following paraphrase from Dr. Brand's book, we set the stage for that understanding. * *"Very appropriate to describing what happens within our bodies is language and imagery used for war. Our bodies simply declare war on invaders." (This next section is rather long but foundational to understanding the parallels) Often God's ministries go on the attack when something threatens them from outside the Body of Christ. i.e., legislation, community actions, etc. The white blood cells do not become mobilized until there is an invasion into the body. These white blood cells are to keep the blood pure and free from foreign matter. The white blood cells form the initial assault forces. They have very distinctive functions. This, then, sets the context for our understanding of the function of ministry within the Body of Christ. In describing the action of the white cells, we will first give an overview of their action and then delineate why we feel each, in their function, is like certain ministry. I am going to place a footnote with each one that will describe the spiritual ministry parallel, as well as say what the reference source was. There is a group of white cells that serve as the initial assault troops, who are armed with crude chemicals; these try to overwhelm the invaders by force of numbers, alone. There are others that come in with heavier chemicals as ammunition equivalent to battle tanks. Another group of white cells float freely in the bloodstream, taking out stray invaders. There is also a group that try to herd the invaders into the lymph glands, like taking captives back to a fortress for execution. Then there is the sanitary corps, who stay around and clean up after all the fighting is done." Because some of the white cells are programmed for only one disease, there needs to be a vast number of them. ..... Most white cells live only 10 hours, but a few live for sixty or seventy years and are the memory bank that preserve that battle strategy against the invaders. These cells check into their assigned lymph glands every few minutes. Dr. Brand calls them the master cells. Before we deal with "master cells", I want to talk about the majority cells that last only 10 hours. This refers to the majority of the ministries working within the Body at large, not having a major effect on the whole. Their influence is basically local or temporary, though. There is an interesting application when the spiritual equivalent is examined. There is a scripture in the book of Eccl. that seems to fit the description. ECC 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. In our study it would seem that the lymph nodes represent local assemblies. This being true, it would validate that all ministry, whether Apostle or any of the others, should be based from a local assembly. They may travel throughout the Body, but there must be a "checking in" at their local bases from time to time. In the words of our verse, these representatives of the Apostolic ministry are the "masters of assemblies" They are given to oversee the local assemblies. 1CO 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Concealed in this passage is another responsibility of the Apostle. Again, using the language of scripture and of Dr. Brand, we find the master builder, in the body, builds an immune system, or army. In this master white cell are hidden all the plans for war, and the formula used to raise the armies of resistance to invasion. These "walking libraries" hold within them the blueprint for battle and building. The Apostolic Ministry are ordained of God to found local assemblies. God places within them the blueprint, or vision, for the expression of the local assemblies they found. It is important in our understanding of this that we do not expect all Apostles to act and react the same. Each one is to be distinctive in his/her expression and work. In the natural, without these senior white cells, the body would loose all ability to protect itself. You will note, as you read the writings of the Apostles, that each one had a distinctive expression. There were certain errors that each one fought and others that they all rose up against. They are the ministry that keep the consistency in the Body of Christ. It is their call to keep the Body free from the invasion of error. It is important to notice the following statement and apply it to the Body of Christ. "In order to win the bodies, antibodies must kill 100 percent of the invaders." The purpose of God, in the midst of all of the type and shadow, is to be able to express His desire for His Body through them. His desire is that His Body be fully free from error of infection, virus, and disease. Dr. Brand says that is as difficult a task as killing all mosquitoes in a given city. Without the ministry that God has provided, it is impossible to be able to keep His Body error free. There are those who will not acknowledge certain of the ministry. This means that their portion of the Body has an immune deficiency. The Body of Christ is weak and sickly because the Body of Christ refuses to allow the ministry to function as God ordained. The restrictions placed upon the ministry are like drugs used to suppress immunity. It is the purpose of God that the ministry function as directed by the Head. Our Creator has placed within the white cells certain capabilities. Some have the ability to pick up or build a certain antibody. That white cell's whole life will be dedicated to that one purpose. Some He has programmed to flow throughout the body, dealing with stray microbes that may have escaped from the initial fight. ..... "Although there are five white blood cells, there are three that are more alike than others. There is a relationship between the three and the others, the three could be called virus or microbe eaters." These three could be said to be the equivalent of the three governmental ministries. **1CO 12:28** And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."... * *"In the foot God places five toes that are indicative of His care for our walk, both naturally and spiritually. There spiritual counterparts are: 1. Grace to keep our walk in balance. 2. Ministry to help balance out our walk with Him and our walk with one another.* *"The Blasts, who produce the fibers, are likened by Dr. Paul Brand to the ministry of prophets and teachers. They interpret the unchangeable principles in the light of the peculiar conditions of their day. They teach the word and the Spirit of it, thereby helping the Bones of the Body adapt to the stresses of the time. I would like to suggest another possibility to Dr. Brand?s description, what he feels is the application of the Blasts that lay the fibres. In what we have read in the text describing the work of these spiritual Blasts, he uses the word ?interpret.? In the use of this, he suggests to me a scripture in Job." * *All expressions of the ministry are covered with skin. Clearly God wants to bring the ministry to a place where they are willing to be hidden from sight, yet fully functional.* *[from the section on the ear] In the INNER EAR are three canals , that although they are filled with the same fluid as the other portions of the inner ear, their function is totally different than the other. These three canals govern our balance. If these are faulty it is impossible for us to maintain our balance. These canals are collectively called the Corti. Two stand basically upright and the other is horizontal. These aptly detect movement of the head and send appropriate messages to the brain. If there is a problem in these, we will not be able to tell which way is up. Again these are coordinated in the brain, not in the ear. This means that we must be sensitive to those commands that come from the brain that interpret our circumstances or our posture according to the norms of God. (Norms are the absolutes of God. Many today do not realize that that there are absolutes. These are only known in the brain) ... An interesting factor in the understanding of balance is, that men and women can balance without sight, but cannot balance if the inner ear is dysfunctional. One of the reasons for this is that there are five nerves that come into these three canals. These three five nerves of these canals represent the positions of the five fold ministry in checking out the balance in the word that we hear in the Spirit. God has placed them there in type and shadow that we might learn to walk in balance. It is interesting that they are not seen, in type, in the outer ear or the middle ear. It is the inner ear that is governed by these ministry. It is not the surface levels of hearing that God is speaking of when these are looked at.(from The Head) ..................................................................................... There are a number of other quotes I could use, but I just wanted to communicate that in the natural body, the type and shadow that God Himself made, the 5-fold ministry is typed both in multiple ways and in varied expressions throughout the whole of the Body. I hope I have not wasted your time, but I really felt to send this to you. Your friend * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Apr 16 20:58:02 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:58:02 -0700 Subject: New Covenant Meditation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 16, 2012 *2012-04-16 - NEW COVENANT MEDITATION* *God gave to Joshua a basis for successful meditation under the Old Covenant - the Torah, the 5 books of Moses. Note the 3 conditions, and the 2 promises:* *JOSHUA 1:8 (1:1-9) - ?JEHOVAH'S CHARGE TO JOSHUA?* (Parallel to Psalm 1:2) l*o* - yaM*U*SH [4185] s*e*PHER [5612] ha-t*o*R*A*H [8451] hazZEH mipP*I*Yc* a* [6310], *This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,* ve-h*a*G*I*Ytha [1847] b*o* y*o*M*A*M veLAYlah, *but you shall meditate on it day and night,* leMAan tishM*O*R [8104] la-aS*O*TH [6213] ce-c*a*l - hac-c*a*TH*U*B [3789] b *o*: *that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it:* c*i*y - *a*z tatzL*I*Yach [6743] eth - de-r*a*CEca [1870], *for then you shall make your way prosperous,* veAZ tasC*I*YL [7919]. *and then you shall have good success.* *The book of the law (sePHER ha-toRAH) was not to depart from Joshua's mouth. For us as NT saints - it is the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that is not to depart from our mouths. Hebrews 8:6 confirms this, for here the Holy Spirit through the writer tells us that Jesus is the Mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted or constituted as Torah upon better promises. The ?Mystery? of the ?One New Man? revealed by the Lord through Paul, shows that Gentiles share equally with Jews in the wonderful New Covenant promises originally made to Israel. * *So - for us - we are to meditate day and night on the New Covenant. I am linking a number of key passages - natural Greek Word Studies - that are like mountain peaks of this covenant. We need the full covenant - but these will help us get started, and also help us maintain this meditating posture. * *And finally, the above two steps are to enable us to do what we speak and meditate upon! Except we follow up the first two steps with doing what we speak and meditate upon - we are like the man Jesus spoke of who built his house upon the sand instead of upon a rock foundation (Matthew 7:24-27)! * *George Muller and Andrew Murray saw clearly that we must go beyond the Old Covenant with its types and shadows - and enter into the reality of the New Covenant, which is Christ Jesus Himself! However, we can use the Tabernacle of Moses with its types and shadows and its 7 pieces of furniture, to walk through daily many of the New Covenant sets of seven. The 7 days of Creation fit here also. For added help in understanding the present day application of the Tabernacle, one can purchase ?The Tabernacle Tour?, A Handbook on Heart Transformation by Jim Ray. See < www.thetabernacletour.com>* *Here then are the natural Bible outlines I meditate upon in turn daily, with the Tabernacle tour:* *THE BEATITUDES - Matthew 5:1-12 (5-7) - link with Asher (See our Website, Embryonics and Asher)* *Poor in Spirit - See Isaiah 66:2b - Ivan Panin's verse* *They that Mourn - For self - and others in Intercession* *The Meek - Moses: Numbers 12:3; - Jesus - Matthew 11:28-30* *Who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness - Pray for this to be your portion* *The Merciful - Yes!* *The Peace-makers - Moves one from child state to ?Young Man? state!* *Persecuted for Righteousness sake - a Blessed State!* *Persecuted for Jesus' sake - a Twice-Blessed State!* *THE LORD'S PRAYER - Matthew 6:9-13 (6:1-18) - Link with Ephraim* f. 6:9 PRAYER PATTERN: FIRST THE FATHER'S NAME! *Pray YOU therefore thus:* HOUt*o*s oun proSEUches-the [4336] huMEIS: *Our Father who is in the heavens, Hallowed be your :name.* PAt*e*r h*e*M*O*N ho en tois ou-raNOIS, Ha-gi-asTH*E*t*o* [137] to OnoMA [3686] sou. g. 6:10a* **Your :kingdom come**. *elTHAt*o* [2064] h*e* ba-siLEIa [932]sou. h. 6:10b *Your :will be done**, As in heaven, so on earth.* ge-n*e*TH*E*t*o* [1096] to THEleMA [2307] sou, h*o*s en ou-raN*O*, kai ePI g *e*s. i. 6:11 *Our :daily :bread** Give us this day.* ton ARton [740] h*e*M*O*N ton e-piOUsi-on [1967] dos [1325] h*e*MIN S*E*me-ron [4594]. j. 6:12 PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS: ITS CONDITION *And forgive us our :debts,* kai Aphes [863] h*e*min ta o-pheiL*E*ma-ta [3781] h*e*M*O*N, *As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* h*o*s kai h*e*MEIS aPH*E*ka-men [863] tois o-pheiLEtais [3781] h*e*M*O*N. k. 6:13 PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE - IF TESTED *And bring us not into temptation,* kai m*e* ei-seNEGkes [1533] h*e*MAS eis pei-rasMON [3986], *But deliver us from the evil one.* alLA 'RUsai [4508] h*e*MAS aPO tou po-n*e*ROU [4190]. *JESUS' 7 ?I AM'S? - Link with Judah.* *I am the Bread of life - John 6:35, 48.* *I am the Light of the world - John 8:12, 9:5.* *I and the Gate (Door) of the sheep - John 10:7.* *I am the good Shepherd - John 10:11.* *I am the Resurrection and the life - John 11:25.* *I am the Way, the truth, and the life - John 14:6.* *I am the true Vine - John 15:1.* *THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE** - James 3:17-18 (3:13-18) - Link with Dan* e. 3:17 THE NATURE OF HEAVENLY WISDOM *But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,* h*e* de An*o*-then soPHIa PR*O*ton men hagN*E* [53] es-tin, Epei-ta ei-r*e* -niK*E* [1516], *gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, * e-pi-eiK*E*S [1933], eu-peiTH*E*S [2138]], mesT*E* eLEous [1656] kai karP*O*N a-gaTH*O*N, *without variance, without hypocrisy.* a-diAkri-tos [87], a-nuPOkri-tos [505]. *OUR POSTURE IN THE LIGHT OF END TIMES** - 1 Peter 4:7-11 - Link with Manasseh* D. 4:7-11 OUR CONDUCT IN THE LIGHT OF THE SECOND COMING a. 4:7-11a OUR CONDUCT IN THE LIGHT OF THE SECOND COMING *But the end of all **things** is nigh:* PANt*o*n de to TElos [5056] *E*Ggi-ken [1448]: *be therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayers:* *so*-phroN*E*sa-te [4993] oun, kai N*E*psa-te [3525] eis pro-seuCHAS [4335]: 8* above all being fervent in your :love among yourselves;* pro PANt*o*n t*e*n eis he-auTOUS aGAp*e*n [26] ek-teN*E* [1618] Echon-tes; *for love covers a multitude of sins:* HOti aGAp*e* kaLUPtei [2572] PL*E*thos [4128] ha-mar-ti*O*N [266]: 9* hospitable one to another without murmuring:* phiLOxe-noi [5382] eis alL*E*lous Aneu gog-gusMOU [1112]: 10 *according as each has received **a gift, ministering** it among yourselves,* HEka-stos kaTH*O*S Ela-ben CHAris-ma [5486], eis he-auTOUS auTO di-a-koNOUNtes [1247], *as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;* h*o*s kaLOI oi-koNOmoi [3623] poiKIl*e*s [4164] CHAri-tos [5485] TheOU; 11a* if any speaks ? as if oracles of God;* ei tis laLEI ? h*o*s LOgi-a [3051] TheOU; *if any ministers ? as of the strength which :God supplies:* ei tis di-a-koNEI [1247] ? *o*s isCHUos [2479] h*e*s cho-r*e*GEI [5524] ho TheOS: *that in all things :God be glorified through Jesus Christ,* HIna en PAsin doXAz*e*-tai [1392] ho TheOS diA I*e*SOU ChrisTOU, *whose is the glory and the dominion unto the ages of the ages.* H*O* es-tin h*e* DOxa kai to KRAtos [2904] eis tous ai*O*nas [165] t*o*n ai* O*n*o*n. *SEVEN BLOCKS FOR FAITH** - 2 Peter 1:5-7 (1:1-11) - Link with Simeon* b. 1:5-7 SEVEN CONDITIONS TO MAINTAIN THE PROMISES *Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence,* kai, auTO TOUto de spouD*E*N [4710] PAsan pa-rei-seNEGkan-tes [3923], *in your :faith supply :virtue;* e-pi-cho-r*e*G*E*sa-te [2023] en t*e* PIStei [4102] huM*O*N t*e*n a-reT*E*N [703]; *and in :virtue :knowledge; 6 and in :knowledge :self-control;* en de t*e* a-reT*E* t*e*n GN*O*sin [1108]; en de t*e* GN*O*sei t*e*n egKRAtei-an [1466]; *and in :self-control :patience; and in :patience :godliness;* en de t*e* eg-kraTEIa t*e*n hu-po-moN*E*N [5281]; en de t*e* hu-po-moN*E* t* e*n euSEbei-an [2150]; 7* and in :godliness **brotherly :kindness**; and in **your **brotherly :kindness :**love**. * *en de te eu-seBEIa ten phi-la-delPHIan [5360]; en de te phi-la-delPHIa ten aGApen [26].* *PROOFS OF THE BIRTH FROM ABOVE** - 1 John - Link with Simeon* *John 3:7 (3:1-15) **NECESSITY OF NEW BIRTH FROM ABOVE. * *1 John 2:29 (2:18-29) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **DOER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.* *3:9 (3:1-12) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **SIN NOT PRACTISED.* *4:7 (4:7-21) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **LOVE OF BROTHERS.* *5:1 (5:1-12) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **BELIEF IN JESUS AS CHRIST.* *5:4 (5:1-12) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **OVERCOMING THE WORLD.* *5:18 (5:18-21) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: **KEEPING ONESELF FROM SATAN. * *THE BLESSINGS OF TRIBULATION** - Romans 5:3-5 (5:1-11) - Link with Joseph* b. 5:3-6 FURTHER BLESSINGS THAT FLOW FROM THE SPIRIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS *And not only so, but let us also rejoice in :tribulations:* ou MOnon de, alLA kai kauCH*O*me-tha en tais THLIpse-sin [2347]: *knowing that :tribulation works patience;* eiDOtes HOti h*e* THLIpsis hu-po-moN*E*N [5281] ka-terGAze-tai [2716]; 4* and patience, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:* h*e* de hu-po-moN*E*, do-kiM*E*N [1382]; h*e* de do-kiM*E*, elPIda [1680]: 5* and :hope puts not to shame; because the love of :God has been shed abroad* h*e* de elPIS ou ka-taisCHUnei [2617]; HOti h*e* aGAp*e* [26] tou TheOU ekKEchu-tai [1632] *in our :hearts through the Holy Spirit :given us:* en tais karDIais h*e*M*O*N diA PNEUma-tos HaGIou tou doTHENtos [1325] h*e* MIN: *BLESSINGS FROM THE ONE NEW MAN** - Romans 9:4-5 (9:1-13) - Link with Reuben* b. 9:3-5a PAUL?S WISH: BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE 3 *For I could wish that I myself were anathema from the Christ* *e*uCHOm*e*n [2172] gar aNAthe-ma [331] EInai auTOS eG*O* aPO tou ChrisTOU *for my brethren?s sake, my :kinsmen according to **the** flesh:* huPER t*o*n a-delPH*O*N mou, t*o*n sug-geN*O*N [4773] mou kaTA SARka [4561]: 4* who are Israelites; whose **is** the **adoption**, and the **glory**, ** * HOItiNES ei-sin Is-ra-*e*LEItai; h*o*n h*e* hui-o-theSIa [5206], kai h*e*DOxa [1391], *and the **covenants**, and **the **giving of **the** law**, and the ** worship**, and the **promises**; * kai hai di-aTH*E*kai [1242], kai h*e* no-mo-theSIa [3548], kai h*e* laTREIa [2999], kai hai e-pag-geLIai; 5a *whose **are** the **fathers,** and of whom is the **Christ** as concerning the flesh,* h*o*n hoi paTEres [3962], kai ex h*o*n ho ChrisTOS to kaTA SARka [4561], *who is over all, God blessed unto the ages.* ho *o*n ePI PANt*o*n, TheOS eu-lo-g*e*TOS [2128] eis tous ai*O*nas [165]. *SEVEN-FOLD MINISTRIES** - Romans 12:6-8 (12:3-21) - Link with Naphtali* c. 12:6-8 MINISTER ACCORDING TO PROPORTION OF FAITH *And having gifts differing according to the grace :given us,* Echon-tes de chaRISma-ta [5486] kaTA t*e*n CHArin t*e*n doTHEIsan h*e*MIN diApho-ra [1313], *whether prophecy, prophesy according to the proportion of :faith;* EIte pro-ph*e*TEIan [4394], kaTA t*e*n a-na-loGIan [356] t*e*s PIste-*o*s; *7 or ministry, attend to the ministry; who teaches, to the teaching;* EIte di-a-koNIan, en t*e* di-a-koNIa [1248]; EIte ho diDASk*o*n [1321], en t *e* di-da-skaLIa; *8 or who exhorts, to the exhorting: who gives, be it with liberality;* EIte ho pa-ra-kaL*O*N [3870], en t*e* pa-raKL*E*sei: ho me-ta-diDOUS, en haPLOt*e*-ti; *who rules, with diligence; who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.* ho pro-i-STAme-nos [4291], en spouD*E* [4710]; ho e-le*O*N [1653], en hi-laROt*e*-ti [2432]. *GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT** - 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (12:1-11) - Link with Zebulun* e. 12:8-11 NINE SOVEREIGN MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT *For to one is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom;* h*o* men gar diA tou PNEUma-tos DIdo-tai LOgos soPHIas [4678]; *and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:* ALl*o* de LOgos GN*O*se-*o*s [1108], kaTA to auTO PNEUma: *9 to another faith, in the same Spirit;* heTEr*o* PIStis [4102], en t*o* auT*O* PNEUma-ti; *and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;* ALl*o* de chaRISma-ta [5486] iaMAt*o*n [2386], en t*o* heNI PNEUma-ti; *10 and to another workings of powers; and to another prophecy;* ALl*o* de en-erG*E*ma-ta [1755] duNAme-*o*n [1411]; ALl*o* de pro-ph*e*TEIa [4394]; *and to another discernings of spirits: to another kinds of tongues;* ALl*o* de di-aKRIseis [1253] pneuMAt*o*n: heTEr*o* GEn*e* gl*o*sS*O*N [1100] ; *and to another interpretation of tongues;* ALl*o* de her-m*e*NIa [2058] gl*o*sS*O*N; *11 but all these works the one and the same Spirit,* PANta de TAUta en-erGEI [1754] to hen kai to auTO PNEUma, *dividing to each severally even as he wills.* di-aiROUN [1244] iDIa heKASt*o* kaTH*O*S BOUle-tai [1014]. *FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT** - Galatians 5:22-23 (5:17-24) - Link with Issachar* e. 5:22-23 NO LAW TOUCHES THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT *But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, * ho de karPOS tou PNEUmaTOS es-tin aGAp*e* [26], chaRA [5479], eiR*E*n*e* [1515], *longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,* ma-kro-thuMIa [3115], chr*e*sTOt*e*s [5544], a-ga-th*o*SUn*e* [19], PIStis [4102], *23** **gentleness**, **self-control**; against :such **there **is no law.* praUtes [4236], egKRAteia [1466]; kaTA ton toiOUton ouk EStin NOmos. *THE SEVEN UNITIES** - Ephesians 4:4-6 (4:1-16) - Link with Joseph* b. 4:4-6 THE SEVEN UNITIES OF OUR CALLING 4* **There is **one **body**, and one **Spirit**, even as also you were called in one **hope **of your :calling;* hen S*O*ma, kai hen PNEUma, kaTH*O*S kai ekL*E*th*e*-te en miA elPIdi t*e*s KL*E*se-*o*s [2821] huM*O*N; 5* one **Lord**, one **faith**, one** baptism**, *6* **one God and **Father* * of all,* heis KUri-os, MIa PIStis [4102], hen BAPtis-ma [908], heis TheOS kai paT*E*R panT*O*N, *who **is **over all, and through all, and in all.* ho ePI PANt*o*n, kai diA PANt*o*n, kai en PAsin. *THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRIES** - Ephesians 4:11-12 (4:1-16) - Link with Levi* g. 4:11-16 HIGH PURPOSE OF MINISTRY GIFTS OF CHRIST TO CHURCH *And HE gave some as apostles; and some, prophets;* kai auTOS Ed*o*-ken tous men a-poSTOlous [652]; tous de, proPH*E*tas [4396]; *and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; * tous de, eu-ag-ge-lisTAS [2099]; tous de, poiMEnas 4166] kai di-das-KAlous [1320]; *12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto a work of ministry,* pros ton ka-tar-tisMON [2677] t*o*n haGI*o*n [40], eis ERgon di-a-koNIas [1248], *unto a building of the body of the Christ:* eis oi-ko-doM*E*N [3619] tou S*O*ma-tos tou ChrisTOU: *THE ARMOR OF GOD** - Ephesians 6:14-18 (6:10-20) - Link with Gad* e. 6:14-16 STAND THROUGH USING GOD?S DEFENSIVE ARMOR *Stand therefore, having girded your :loin with truth,* ST*E*te oun, pe-ri-z*o*SAme-noi [4024] t*e*n osPHUN [3751] huM*O*N en a-l*e* THEIa, *and put on the breastplate of :righteousness,* kai en-duSAme-noi [1746] ton TH*O*ra-ka t*e*s di-kai-oSUn*e*s [1343], *15 and shod your :feet with preparation of the gospel of :peace;* kai hu-po-d*e*SAme-noi [5265] tous POdas en he-toi-maSIa [2091] tou eu-ag-geLIou t*e*s eiR*E*n*e*s; *16 **in all **things** taking up the shield of the **faith**,* en PAsin a-na-laBONtes [353] ton thu-reON [2375] t*e*s PISte-*o*s, *wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery :darts of the evil ** one.* en h*o* duN*E*ses-the PANta ta BEl*e* [956] tou po-n*e*ROU ta pe-pu-r*o*MEna [4448] SBEsai [4570]. f. 6:17-20 PRESS THE BATTLE THROUGH GOD?S OFFENSIVE ARMOR *And receive the helmet of :salvation,* kai t*e*n pe-ri-ke-phaLAIan [4030] tou s*o*-t*e*RIou [4992] DExas-the, *and the sword of the Spirit, which is God?s word:* kai t*e*n MAchai-ran [3162] tou PNEUma-tos, HO es-tin 'R*E*ma [4487] TheOU: *18 with all prayer and supplication* diA PAs*e*s pro-seuCH*E*S [4335] kai de*E*se-*o*s [1162] *praying at every season in **the** Spirit,* pro-seuCHOme-noi [4336] en panTI kaiR*O* [2540] en PNEUma-ti, *THINGS TO THINK UPON** - Philippians 4:8 (4:1-0) - Link with Judah* 4. 4:8-9 A CLOSING WORD a. 4:8 FINALLY: EIGHT THINGS TO RECKON *For the rest, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever are honorable,* To loiPON, a-delPHOI, HOsa esTIN a-l*e*TH*E* [227], HOsa semNA [4586], *whatever are just, whatever are pure, whatever are lovely, whatever are of good report;* HOsa DIkai-a [1342], HOsa hagNA [53], HOsa pros-phiL*E* [4375], HOsa EUph*e*ma [2163]; *if there be any virtue, and if any praise, take account thereof.* ei a-reT*E* [703], kai EI tis Epai-nos [1868], TAUta loGIzes-the [3049]. *FOUNDATION TRUTHS** - Hebrews 6:1-2 (5:11-6:8) - Link with Benjamin* e. 6:1-2 AN EXHORTATION: GO BEYOND FOUNDATIONS *Wherefore leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ,* Di? ho aPHENtes ton t*e*s arCH*E*S [746] tou ChrisTOU LOgon, *let us be borne on unto the perfection; not laying again a foundation* ePI t*e*n te-leiOt*e*-ta [5047] pheR*O*me-tha; m*e* PAlin theMEli-on [2310]ka-ta-balLOme-noi *of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, --* me-taNOIas [3341] Apo neKR*O*N ERg*o*n, kai PIste-*o*s [4102] ePI TheON, -- *2** the teaching of **baptisms**, and of **laying on of hands**,* bap-tisM*O*N [909] di-daCH*E*N, e-piTHEse*O*S [1936] te chrei*O*N, *and of **resurrection** of **the** dead, and of eternal **judgment**.* a-naSTAse-*o*s [386] neKR*O*N, kai KRIma-tos [2917] ai-*o*NIou. *THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION** - Revelation 2 & 3 - Link with Naphtali * *Ephesus - A Church that Lost Its First Love - 2:1-7* *Smyrna - A Church in Tribulation - 2:8-11* *Pergamos - A Church with False Teachers - 2:12-17* *Thytira - A Church Tolerating False Prophecy - 2:18-29* *Sardis - A Church with Dead Orthodoxy - 3:1-6* *Philadelphia - A Church Fulfilling Ideal Faithfulness - 3:7-13* *Laodicea - A Lukewarm Church: Abhorred by Christ - 3:14-22* *NOTE**: For added help, turn to our Website www.2rbetter.org and click on ?Interlinear?. Here you will find full contexts for the above 18 passages for meditation. The entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will hopefully be in print before summer.* * For yet more information on the 12 tribes of Israel as linked with the 12 Revival Principles that came together in 1948, click on our ?Embryonics?. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Apr 17 21:53:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:53:51 -0700 Subject: Wired for Intimacy Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 17, 2012 *2012-04-17 - WIRED FOR INTIMACY -* *How pornography hijacks the male brain. By William M. Struthers.* *We are hard-wired for human intimacy and relationships. *But in our pornified culture, pornography disrupts how men interact with women. Countless Christian men struggle with the addictive power of porn. And all too often our responses, such as prayer and accountability groups, are of limited help. Neuroscientist and researcher William Struthers explains how pornography affects the male brain and what we can do about it. Because we are embodied beings, viewing these images changes how the brain works, how we form memories and make attachments. By better understanding the biological realities of our sexual development, we can cultivate healthier sexual perspectives and interpersonal relationships. Struthers exposes false assumptions and casts a vision for a redeemed masculinity, showing how our sexual longings can actually propel us toward sanctification and holiness in our bodies. *With insights for men who struggle and those who care for them, this book offers hope for freedom and transformation.* ?*This book opens the door for Christians to talk about men, sex and addiction in a candid and intelligent manner.? - Douglas Weiss, *Ph.D., author of Sex, Men and God, president of the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy ?*Wired for Intimacy is a groundbreaking book on the brain chemistry of sexual addiction. Every man needs to understand how his sexual choices affect this crucial part of his humanity. It will be a great help toward sanctification for those who embrace its message.? - Russell Willingham, *author of Breaking Free: Understanding Sexual Addiction and the Healing Power of Jesus ?*Finally there's a book that scientifically quantifies what those of us who work in the field of sexual addiction have long understood: pornography powerfully impacts the brain. Wired for Intimacy surpasses the typical recovery book in its scientific foundation and careful scholarship. This is a much-needed and welcome addition to the Christian literature addressing the pandemic of pornography.? - Marnie C. Ferree, *director of Bethesda Workshops, author of No Stones: Women Redeemed from Sexual Addiction *William M. Struthers *(Ph. D., University of Illinois at Chicago) is associate professor of psychology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, where he teaches courses on behavioral neuroscience, men and addictions, and the biological bases of behavior. His theoretical research in the area of neuroethics, the biological bases of spirituality and personhood, and the nature of integration in psychology. *Introduction* *What is it about pornography* that makes it so appealing to so many men? Why does a naked female body or a movie of a woman having sex seem to hijack a man's brain, hypnotizing him and rendering him incapable of making good decisions? Why might a man who is married to a lovely wife risk that relationship for a ten-second video clip of a couple having sex? What is it about being male that makes it so difficult for men to look away? While pornography ravages and destroys the lives of both men and women, this book and the research within focuses almost exclusively on pornography's impact on men. It is true that women are increasingly becoming consumers of pornography, but there is little doubt that it is primarily men who are hooked on it. And the reasons that women view pornography are very different that the reasons men do. Men seem to be wired in such a way that pornography hijacks the proper functioning of their brains and has a long-lasting effect on their thoughts and lives. As a biopsychologist and person of faith, I am in a unique position to engage many of the questions posed above. It is hard to be a Christian in the United States and not be sensitive to the pervasive influence of pornography and the warped views of sexuality that saturate our culture. Pornography and the hypersexuality found in the media are almost impossible to avoid. As I have looked carefully at some of my Christian beliefs about sexuality and felt convicted to respond to the pornification of our culture, I have had an unexpected opportunity to integrate my faith with my academic discipline. As I have studied how the brain develops, how hormones and culture affect it and how addictions and compulsions develop, it has become increasingly apparent to me why many men struggle so much. In this book I share this material, and I hope it can be a part of the healing process that so many long for. Like many adolescent boys growing up in the 1980s, I had occasional opportunities to view lingerie catalogs in the mail and softcore pornography magazines stashed away by friends and relatives. These were my first exposures to the naked female form, eliciting what I now know to be sexual interest. As I grew older, frontal nudity and erotic sexual scenes in movies became readily viewable on cable television channels such as HBO and Playboy. Home videotapes made access to all types of pornography easier than ever before. While I can't recall feeling a compelling attraction toward pornography, I won't deny that I found it hypnotizing when I stumbled upon it. But I was struck by the hold that it had over several of my teenage friends and their desire to expose me to it. Perhaps I was just late in my sexual awakening, but as I entered my twenties, my exposure to porn shifted into high gear. Legally an adult and living with other men who were enjoying the freedoms of college life, I was exposed to additional forms of pornography. I became increasingly aware of how many men subscribed to *Playboy* and regularly rented adult videos. I began to notice how many of my friends and acquaintances - men who by all other accounts would have made fine boy-friend and husbands - sacrificed relationships with real women for the allure of an image of a woman on the magazine page or video-tape of a couple having sex. I admit that I was not a saint and did not avert my eyes from every temptation, I believe that it is only by the grace of God that I was mostly spared from the seductive draw of the pornographic page and screen. I can think of many ways I have benefited from computer technologies and the vast knowledge available on the Internet. But I also delete dozens of e-mails each day that solicit pornographic material, sexual enhancement products or opportunities for sexual encounters. My workplace has an Internet filter, but sexually explicit material is easy to access if you are determined. I put on self-imposed blinders as I wade through tantalizing advertisements with Victoria's Secret models in the margins of my weather forecast. My Internet service provider's homepage is littered with dating services (?Hot Single Girls in Your Neighborhood Looking for Love!?) and my sports websites have galleries of scantily clad cheerleaders. If I watch a soccer match on television with my children, I have to be vigilant to change the channel when commercials for Viagra are aired. In a world that has been hypersexualized, it is hard to get through the day without being battered and numbed by the intrusions of pornography. Many people have asked me if I have ever looked at pornography. I'm not sure if the question is geared to label me a hypocrite or to appeal to an ?everybody does it? mentality. When I tell them that I find many things on television or on newsstands pornographic, they frown. Apparently this makes me a prude, which is worse than being a hypocrite. Yes, I have viewed pornography because *it is everywhere*. You cannot get away from it; if you don't view it intentionally, you will unintentionally. The result is that repeated exposure to pornography and the objectification of the female body changes the way our brains see each other. Repeated exposure to any stimulus results in neurological circuit making. That is how we learn. But what does pornography teach and how does it change those who regularly consume it? My journey in asking this question began several years ago when, as a faculty member at a Christian college, two significant things happened. First, I knew three men in different stages of life from varied backgrounds who had problems with pornography and engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviors. These men had allowed pornography to warp their idea of sexuality, impacting them and their families negatively. Watching these men deal with the consequences of their problems was exceptionally painful. In one situation, I felt that I had unknowingly contributed to the breakdown of one man's marriage by encouraging him to discover the wonders of the Internet for quick and easy stock trading. Instead he discovered it as a gateway to free pornography and depravity. A second factor was an upper-division psychology class I taught called Men and Addictions. In part of this course, I spent a significant amount of time exploring findings about men's struggles with pornography and compulsive sexual behaviors. We evaluated whether or not a person could become addicted to porn and if it should be classified as a clinical problem. This component to the course turned out to be an invitation for hordes of college-aged men to visit me during my office hours. There they confided that they felt trapped by their inability to stop consuming pornography. The weight of the guilt they carried was heartbreaking. I began the process of seeking out therapeutic options for these men and came across statistics about the adult entertainment industry. I was flabbergasted at the economics and demographics of it all. I met regularly with these young men and referred them to counselors when appropriate. It became apparent that many of them were dealing with significant emotional and spiritual wounds that had resulted from their experience with pornography. This book is a result of the great need for healing that I saw in these men as a result of pornography consumption. My personal agenda will be clearly evident to anyone who reads this book. It stems from my Christian faith and my desire that each person fully understand how we all are unique and appreciate how much we share in common as human beings created in the image of God. My faith requires that every human life be viewed as sacred and the dignity of every individual be respected and honored. When we better understand the devastating spiritual, psychological, social and biological reality of how pornography violates our unique position in God's creation, we will be better able to minister to those who have been wounded by it. Because of this perspective, I view pornography as a institutional evil that prays on the disaffected, wounded and desperate members of society. I believe that even those who wholeheartedly embrace pornography's lie of sexual fulfillment and freedom (whether producers, actors or consumers) are still loved by God. Our calling as Christians is to examine ourselves and walk alongside those who have been damaged by this evil. We are not to demonize others, but to share God's healing, grace and mercy as they discover their identity in Christ. Healing and right thinking about our sexual nature are found in the person of Jesus Christ, Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the church. Many excellent books have been written by Christian authors who explain in plain terms how men can deal with pornography. They use language common in Christian culture and easy for many men to grab hold of: lust of the flesh, sexual sin, diseased soul, sexual idolatry. Much good comes from using this language when wrestling with the reality of pornography. Many of these authors rightly frame pornography as more than just an ethical or legal matter - it is a *spiritual* matter. Pornography is also a *physical* matter, rooted in the biological intricacies of our sexual design. In my opinion, nowhere is the complexity of our sexual nature seen more than in the wiring of the brain. Our reproductive organs are often given too much attention in the discussion of sexuality. It is the brain, however, where we feel the sexual longing, the arousal, the focus and the ecstasy that comes from sexual intimacy. Using spiritual and psychological language to describe the tenacious grip of sexually destructive patterns is helpful. But calls to pray harder, move the computer to the living room and get plugged into an accountability group only go so far. They come across as hollow to many men whose brains have been altered and rewired by their experiences with pornography. They have trained their brains to respond sexually to the pornography they consume. We need to move to the next stage of dealing with pornography, cybersex addictions and sexual compulsions. We can find healthy ways to train the male brain to understand and act on its sexual nature. By appreciating our created nature and acknowledging pornography's unhealthy impact on our brain (and the rest of our body), we have a better path forward. I hope that as recent scholarship in the brain sciences reframes and informs our ideas about how we are made, we can develop a better understanding of how fearfully and wonderfully made we are. Pornography taps into many men's wrong thinking about themselves, in places where their brains are most vulnerable to exploitation. But as we appreciate the reality of our sexuality and place it within the biblical narrative, we will see hope for redemption. As we more clearly see our need for redemption and the path of sanctification, we will be better equipped to heal from the wounds of pornography and allow our sexuality to be a necessary part of the process by which we are conformed to the image of Christ. *NOTE**: *There is no quotation above from the book proper. From the back cover and the Introduction, it is our hope than many will order this book. Part 1: How Pornography Works - and Part 2: Healthy Masculinity and Sexuality - allows the author to give hope to many who feel hopeless in this addiction. Mothers and wives can help sons and husbands through this book. I immediately ordered a copy when I heard Dr. Struthers on an unexpected program I turned on. It is published by InterVarsity Press, and can be contacted by * * - also handles it. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Apr 18 14:46:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:46:53 -0700 Subject: More New Covenant Meditation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 18, 2012 *2012-04-18 - Further Areas for NEW COVENANT MEDITATION* *Just as God gave Joshua areas on which to meditate under the Old Covenant (Joshua 1:8) - so for New Covenant saints - He gives us special areas for meditation. The promises for New Covenant meditation are just as great as Joshua had under the Old. See the first of these for us:* *THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, Matthew 4:17-7:29* 1. 4:23 (4:17-25) KINGDOM PATTERN. 2. 5:9 (5:1-16) KINGDOM MATURITY. 3. 5:19 (5:17-48) KINGDOM HEART. 4. 6:14-15 (6:1-18) KINGDOM MOTIVATION. 5. 6:33 (6:19-34) KINGDOM PROVISION. 6. 7:12 (7:1-12) KINGDOM RELATIONSHIPS. 7. 7:13-14 (7:13-29) KINGDOM PATHWAY. *THE SEVEN SAYINGS OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS* THE FIRST WORD - * ?Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.? *Luke 23:34 (23:32-49) THE SECOND WORD - *?Amen I say unto you, Today shall you be with me in :Paradise.? *Luke 23:43 (23:32-49) THE THIRD WORD - Jesus said to his mother: *?Woman, behold, your :son!? *Then he said to the disciple, *?Behold, your :mother!? *John 19:26-27 (19:25-27) THE FOURTH WORD - *?El**o**i, Eloi, lema sabachthanei? *that is, *My God, my God, why did you forsake me?? *Matthew 27:46 (27:45-56); Mark 15:34 (15:33-41) THE FIFTH WORD - *?I thirst.? *John 19:28 (19:28-30) THE SIXTH WORD - *When :Jesus therefore had received the vinegar he said, ?It is finished:? and he bowed his head **and** gave up **his** :spirit. *John 19:30 (19:28-30) THE SEVENTH WORD - *And :Jesus cried with a loud voice, **and** said, ?Father, into your hands I commend my :spirit:? and having said this, he breathed **his **last. *Luke 23:46 (23:33-49) *A COMPLETE DEFINITION OF LOVE* e. 13:4-7 HOW LOVE ACTS *:Love suffers long, is kind;* H*e* aGAp*e* ma-kro-thuMEI [3114], chr*e*sTEUe-tai [5541]; *:love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,* h*e* aGAp*e* ou z*e*LOI [2206], ou per-peREUe-tai [5068], ou phu-siOUtai [5448], *5 is not unseemly, seeks not its :own,* ouk as-ch*e*-moNEI [807], ou z*e*TEI ta he-auT*E*S, *is not provoked, takes not account of :evil;* ou pa-roXUne-tai [3947], ou loGIze-tai [3049] to kaKON; *6 rejoices not in :unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;* ou CHAIrei [5463] ePI t*e* a-diKIa [93], sunCHAIrei de t*e* a-l*e*THEIa [225]; *7 **covers all **things**, **believes all **things**, **hopes all **things* *,** **endures all **things**.* *PANta STEgei [4722], PANta pisTEUei [4100], PANta elPIzei [1679], PANta hu-poMEnei [5278].* *SEVEN AREAS OF ?DESERVING? FOR JESUS* e. 5:11-12 THE DECLARATION OF MANY ANGELS *And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels* kai EIdon, kai *E*kou-sa ph*o*N*E*N agGEl*o*n POLl*o*n *round the throne and the living beings and the elders;* KUKl*o* [2943] tou THROnou kai t*o*n Z*O*-*o*n kai t*o*n pres-buTEr*o*n; *and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands,* kai *e*n ho a-rithMOS [706] auT*O*N mu-riAdes [3463] mu-riAd*o*n, *and thousands of thousands; *12* saying with a great voice,* kai chi-liAdes [5507] chi-liAd*o*n; LEgon-tes ph*o*N*E* meGAl*e*, *Worthy is the Lamb :slain to receive the power,* A-xiON [514] es-tin to arNIon [721] to es-phagMEnon [4969] laBEIN t*e*n DUna-min, *and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.* kai PLOUton, kai soPHIan, kai isCHUN, kai tiM*E*N [5092]*,* kai DOxan, kai eu-loGIan. *SEVEN CITY CHURCHES SET FORTH BY PAUL.* *- ROME - JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH - Jesus set forth as our PASSOVER - Foundation Truths for Gentiles, parallel to Hebrews 6:1-2* *- CORINTH - Correction in Experience - for falling short from Truth in Romans* *- GALATIA - Correction in Doctrine - Judaizers fell from Truth in Romans* *- EPHESUS - GOD'S MASTER-PIECE - Christ's Heredity in the Holy Spirit made available to us because of Justification by Faith! 50 days after Resurrection, PENTECOST - Shavuot!* *- PHILIPPI - Correction in Experience - for falling short of the love of the Spirit* *- COLOSSE - Correction in Doctrine - falling short of the many-fold picture of the Bride of Christ in Ephesians.* *- THESSALONICA - THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S RETURN - THE BLESSED HOPE! Will take place at the Feast of TABERNACLES - Succot - the third great feast of the Lord - Leviticus 23.* (The above insights seen in ?Explore the Book? by J. Sidlow Baxter). *ROMANS - THE GREAT ?DOCTRINAL? BOOK OF THE BIBLE.** Martin Luther was freed through ?**Justification by Faith? - wrote the 95 theses - and inaugurated the Protestant Reformation.* *- 1:16-17 (1:1-17) - INTRODUCTION TO JUSTIFICATION* *- 3:28 (1:18-4:25) - OT LAW SHUTS UP TO JUSTIFICTION* *- 5:17 (5:1-21) - ATONEMENT AND GRACE: BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION* *- 8:10 (6-8) - HOLY SPIRIT: PROMISE OF JUSTIFICATION* *- 11:25 (9-11) - RELATIONSHIP OF ISRAEL & GENTILES TO JUSTIFICATION* *- 12:18 (12:1-16:23) - PRACTICAL OUTWORKING OF JUSTIFICATION* *- 16:25, 27 (16:25-27) - ?GLORY TO GOD? FOR JUSTIFICATION!* *EPHESIANS - GOD'S GREAT PICTURE OF THE SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH **-* *- Contains various pictures of our relationship to Christ -* *1. The Church - 1:23 (1:15-2:10)* *2. Christ's body - 1:23 (1:15-2:10)* *3. We are his workmanship - 2:10 (1:15-2:10)* *4. He has created us as his One New Man - Jew & Gentile together - 2:15 (2:11-22)* *5. God's household - 2:19 (2:11-22)* *6. God's building - 2:21 (2:11-22)* *7. God's holy temple - 2:21 (2:11-22)* *8. A habitation of God in Spirit - 2:22 (2:11-22)* *9. The mystery of the Christ - 3:5 (3:1-13)* *10. The saints - 4:12 (4:1-16)* *11. A perfect man - 4:13 (4:1-16)* *12. The Bride of Christ - 5:22-33* *13. The Army of God - 6:10-20* *AN OUTLINE OF EPHESIANS** - (Based on the ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? - Ivan Panin's Greek and English texts)* *- 1:3 (1:2-14) - NINE BLESSINGS IN MESSIAH* *- 2:8-9 (1:15-2:10) - VISION MOTIVATES* *- 2:21-22 (2:11-3:21) - REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY: THE CHURCH* *- 4:11-12 (4:1-16) - CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTING: EQUIPPING - PERFECTING* *- 5:11-12 (4:17-5:14) - SANCTIFICATION: INEVITABLE COROLLARY* *- 5:28-30 (5:15-6:9) - LOVE RELATIONSHIPS* *- 6:12 (6:10-24) - MYSTERY OF EVIL* *NOTE**: Fuller information on the above outlines can be obtained from our Website - , by turning to ?Interlinear? which contains the full NT text, plus ?notes?. We expect the printed copy of the Interlinear to be available by summer.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Apr 22 19:02:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:02:05 -0700 Subject: John 3:1-21 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 22, 2012 * * *(From JOHN #6 - 3:1-21)* D. 3:1-21 NEW BIRTH, ATONEMENT AND JUDGMENT EXPLAINED 1. 3:1-15 NICODEMUS! ATONEMENT IS BASIS FOR BIRTH FROM ABOVE a. 3:1-2 NICODEMUS IS ARRESTED BY SIGNS OF JESUS *Now there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a ruler of the Jews:* *E*n de ANthr*o*-pos ek t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n, NiKOd*e*-mos Ono-ma auT*O*, ARch*o*n [758] t*o*n IouDAI*o*n: 2 *the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi,* HOUtos *E*Lthen pros auTON nukTOS, kai EIpen auT*O*, 'RabBEI [4461], *we know that you are a teacher come from God;* OIda-men HOti aPO TheOU eL*E*lu-thas [2064] diDAska-los [1320]; *for no one can do these :signs which you do, except :God be with him.* ouDEIS gar DUna-tai TAUta ta s*e*MEIa [4592] ha su poiEIS, eAN m*e* h*e* ho TheOS met' auTOU. b. 3:3 NATURE AND NECESSITY OF REGENERATION *Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, Amen, I say unto you,* a-peKRIth*e* I*e*SOUS kai EIpen auT*O*, A-M*E*N [281], aM*E*N, LEg*o* soi, *Except one be born from above,* eAN M*E* tis gen-n*e*TH*E* [1080] An*o*-then [509], *he cannot see the kingdom of :God.* ou DUna-tai iDEIN t*e*n ba-siLEIan [932] tou TheOU. c. 3:4 NICODEMUS CAN ONLY SEE NATURAL BIRTH - THE LETTER *:Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born being an old man?* LEgei pros auTON ho NiKOd*e*-mos, P*o*s DUna-tai ANthr*o*-pos gen-n*e*TH*E*nai GEr*o*n [1088] *o*n? *can he enter a second time into the womb of his :mother, and be born?* m*e* DUna-tai eis t*e*n koiLIan [2836] t*e*s m*e*TROS auTOU DEUte-ron ei-selTHEIN, kai gen-n*e*TH*E*nai? d. 3:5 BIRTH FROM ABOVE IS BY WATER AND SPIRIT, NOT NATURAL BIRTH *:Jesus answered, Amen, Amen, I say unto you,* a-peKRIth*e* ho I*e*SOUS, A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* soi, *except one be born of water and Spirit,* eAN M*E* tis gen-n*e*TH*E* ex HUda-tos kai PNEUma-tos, *he cannot enter into the kingdom of :God.* ou DUna-tai ei-selTHEIN eis t*e*n ba-siLEIan tou TheOU. e. 3:6 FLESH AND SPIRIT CONTRASTED *What is born of the flesh is flesh; * to ge-gen-n*e*MEnon ek t*e*s sarKOS SARX es-tin; *and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.* kai to ge-gen-n*e*MEnon ek tou PNEUma-tos PNEU-MA es-tin. f. 3:7* Marvel not that I said to you, You must be born from above.* m*e* thauMAs*e*s [2296] HOti EI-PON soi, Dei huMAS gen-n*e*TH*E*nai An*o* -then. g. 3:8 BIRTH BY THE SPIRIT IS INWARD AND INVISIBLE *The Spirit breathes where he wills, and you hear his :voice,* to PNEUma HOpou THElei pnei [4154], kai t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N [5456] auTOU aKOUeis, *but do not know from where he comes, and where he goes:* alLA ouk OIdas POthen ERche-tai, kai pou huPAgei: *so is every one :born of the Spirit.* HOUt*o*s esTIN pas ho ge-gen-n*e*MEnos ek tou PNEUma-tos. h. 3:9 * Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?* a-peKRIth*e* NiKOd*e*-mos kai EIpen auT*O*, P*o*s DUna-tai TAUta geNESthai? i. 3:10 JESUS QUESTIONS NICODEMUS *Jesus answered and said to him, * a-peKRIth*e* I*e*SOUS kai EIpen auT*O*, *Are you the teacher of :Israel, and do not understand these things?* Su ei ho diDAska-los tou Is-ra*E*L, kai TAUta ou giN*O*skeis? j. 3:11 NICODEMUS DID NOT RECEIVE JESUS' SIMPLE WITNESS *Amen, Amen, I say unto you [that], We speak what we know, and witness what we have seen;* aM*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* soi [HOti], ho OIda-men laLOUmen, kai ho he-*o*RAka-men mar-tuROUmen; *and you receive not our :witness.* kai t*e*n mar-tuRIan h*e*M*O*N ou lamBAne-te. k. 3:12 A PENETRATING QUESTION *If I told you the earthly things and you believe not, * ei ta ePIgei-a [1919] EIpon huMIN kai ou piSTEUe-te, *how shall you believe if I tell you :heavenly?* p*o*s eAN EIp*o* huMIN ta e-pouRANni-a piSTEUse-te? l. 3:13 ONLY THE SON OF MAN HAS SPOKEN FROM HEAVEN *And no one has ascended into the heaven,* kai ouDEIS a-naBEb*e*-ken [305] eis ton ou-raNON, *except he that descended out of the heaven, the Son of :man.* ei m*e* ho ek tou ou-raNOU ka-taBAS [2597]*,* ho huiOS tou anTHR*O*pou. m. 3:14-15 THE BRAZEN SERPENT: A TYPE OF CHRIST *And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,* kai kaTH*O*S M*o*-uS*E*S HUps*o*-sen [5312] ton Ophin [3789] en t*e* eR*E*m* o* [2048], *so must the Son of :man be lifted up;* HOUt*o*s hu-ps*o*TH*E*nai dei ton huiON tou anTHR*O*pou; 15* that whoever believes have in him eternal life.* HIna pas ho piSTEU*o*n en auT*O* Ech*e* z*o*-*E*N ai*O*ni-on. 2. 3:16-21 ATONEMENT: GOD'S PURPOSE - JUDGMENT: PENALTY FOR REJECTION a. 3:16 THE LOVE OF GOD IN GIVING HIS SON FOR MAN *For :God so loved the world,* HOUt*o*s gar *e*GAp*e*-sen [25] ho TheOS ton KOSmon [2889], *that he gave his :only begotten :Son, that whoever* H*O*Ste ton huiON ton mo-no-geN*E* [3429] Ed*o*-ken, HIna pas ho *believes unto him perish not, but have eternal life.* piSTEU*o*n eis auTON m*e* aPOl*e*-tai [622], ALla Ech*e* z*o*-*E*N ai*O* ni-on. b. 3:17 THE END FOR WHICH GOD SENT HIS SON *For :God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world;* ou gar aPEstei-len ho TheOS ton huiON eis ton KOSmon HIna KRIn*e* [2919]ton KOSmon; *but that the world be saved through him.* all' HIna s*o*TH*E* [4982] ho KOSmos di' auTOU. c. 3:18 BELIEF: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALVATION AND JUDGMENT *Who believes unto him is not judged: who believes not has been judged already, * ho piSTEU*o*n eis auTON ou KRIne-tai: ho m*e* piSTEU*o*n *E*d*e* KEkri-tai, *because he has not believed unto the name of the only begotten Son of :God. * HOti m*e* pePIsteu-ken eis to Ono-ma tou mo-no-geNOUS [3439] huiOU tou TheOU. d. 3:19 REJECTION OF LIGHT: BASIS OF JUDGMENT *And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world,* HAUt*e* DE es-tin h*e* KRIsis, HOti to ph*o*s [5457] eL*E*lu-then eis ton KOSmon, *and :men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their :works were evil.* kai *e*GAp*e*-san hoi ANthr*o*-poi MALlon to SKOtos *e* to ph*o*s; *e*n gar auT*O*N po-n*e*RA ta ERga. e. 3:20 PRACTICERS OF EVIL HATE THE LIGHT *For every one that practices evil things hates the light,* pas gar ho PHAUla [5337] PRASs*o*n [4238] miSEI [3404] to ph*o*s, *and comes not unto the light, that his :works be not reproved.* kai ouk ERche-tai pros to ph*o*s, HIna m*e* e-legchTH*E* [1651] ta ERga auTOU. f. 3:21 DOERS OF TRUTH COME TO LIGHT *But who does the truth comes unto the light,* ho de poi*O*N t*e*n aL*E*thei-an [225] ERche-tai pros to ph*o*s, *that his :works be manifested that they have been worked in God.* HIna pha-ne-r*o*TH*E* [5319] auTOU ta ERga HOti en The*O* es-tin eir-gasMEna [2038]. *NOTE**: *3:1-15 - Nicodemus was high up as a ruler in Jewish affairs - yet he was completely ignorant concerning true spiritual concepts. Still - the ?signs? Jesus performed were so authentic, that they drew this man - by night - to search Jesus out and find answers to his questions. It is in the Gospel of John that the author again and again emphasized the importance of Jesus' words by the double ?Amen, Amen? emphasis. Each time we run across this introduction to one of Jesus' statements, the importance is so great that it will pay us to memorize each of these statements, and spend time in meditating upon them. Note too that it is one thing to ?see? the kingdom of God - and it is * another* thing to enter it. The birth from *above* with water (the living word) and *Spirit*, are the conditions for this entrance. How many ?see?, but do not press on to enter? *He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, shall be filled!?* The reward is *not* to the passive person, but to the earnest seekers. In 3:8 we learn of the mysterious and inexplicable workings of the Spirit. His comings are unexpected, and often *sudden*. And - when a person is * totally* committed to God and His ways, like Oswald Chambers - *abandoned*to the Spirit, - then like George Muller, Rees Howells and Chambers - their movements *also* become inexplicable and strange like those of the Spirit. One of Chamber's interesting quotes is, ?*Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.? * I have found this concept to be freeing. 3:14-15 brings out an aspect for Jesus' first coming that makes a great deal of sense. Jews have had difficulty and stumbled over the two comings of the Messiah. His first coming was designed by the Godhead to make the Son of Man the ?Suffering Servant or Messiah? - as the one to bring Redemption and Reconciliation to the lost race of Adam. It fits in with Isaiah 53, which Jewish rabbis usually bypass. But His next coming will be as Lord of lords and King of kings - and though the Jews expected this at His first coming - they will be shocked at the Reality of His Second Coming. They will *then* realize that in their ignorance, they rejected Him as a whole at His First Coming. Zechariah depicts their deep mourning when they discover the wound-marks in hands, feet and side - that they helped give Him at His first coming. Yet God in His wisdom used even this to make room for the coming of Gentiles into the Church, the One New Man - along with a remnant of believing Jews, the Messianic believers. Some scholars have wondered if 3:16-21 is also a part of Jesus' words to Nicodemus; or whether they stopped at verse 15, and are general words that follow. Up till now I have had no opinion on this - but today as I looked closely at the Interlinear Greek text, I have tentatively concluded that they *also* are a part of Jesus' words to Nicodemus. What do you think? J.A.Watt P.S. - The complete manuscript of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is now in the hands of the Printer. Much of it has already been processed and proof-read for printing. In the very near future it can be in your hands - plus an E-book copy for those preferring this. The above format has already been adjusted to a 6x9 page - for ease in transferring to the E-book format. J. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Apr 23 09:32:40 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:32:40 -0700 Subject: John 5:1-30 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 23, 2012 *(From: JOHN #11 - 5:1-30)* V. 5:1-47 THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CONFIRMED A. 5:1 SECOND FEAST ATTENDED BY JESUS *After these things was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. * MeTA TAUta *e*n he-orT*E* [1859] t*o*n IouDAI*o*n; kai aNEb*e* I*e*SOUS eis Ie-roSOlu-ma. B. 5:2-47 JESUS ANSWERS HIS ADVERSARIES 1. 5:2-9a JESUS HEALS AN INFIRM MAN ON THE SABBATH a. 5:2 THE POOL OF BETHESDA *Now there is in :Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool,* EStin de en tois Ie-ro-soLUmois ePI t*e* pro-ba-tiK*E* [4262] ko-lumB*E*THra [2861], *the one called in Hebrew Bethzatha, having five porches.* h*e* e-pi-lo-goMEn*e* He-bra-isTI [1447] B*e*th-zaTHA, PENte stoAS [4745]Echou-sa . b. 5:3 * In these lay a multitude of the sick, blind, halt, withered.* en TAUtais kaTEkei-to PL*E*thos t*o*n as-theNOUNt*o*n, tuphL*O*N [5185], ch* o*L*O*N [5560], x*e*R*O*N [3584]. (5:4 - Omitted by Bible Numerics) c. 5:5 * And a certain man was there who had been thirty and eight years in his :infirmity.* *e*n DE tis ANthr*o*-pos eKEI triAkon-ta kai okT*O* Et*e* Ech*o*n en t*e*as-theNEIa [769] auTOU. d. 5:6 JESUS QUESTIONS HIM *:Jesus seeing this man lying down, and knowing that he had been thusalready a long time, * TOUton iD*O*N ho I*e*SOUS ka-taKEIme-non, kai gnous HOti poLUN *E*d*e*CHROnon [5550] Echei, *said to him, Would you be made whole?* LEgei auT*O*, THEleis hu-gi*E*S [5199] geNESthai? e. 5:7 THE SICK MAN'S ANSWER *The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man,* a-peKRIth*e* auT*O* ho as-theN*O*N, KUri-e, ANthr*o*-pon ouk Ech*o* HIna, *when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:* HOtan ta-rachTH*E* [5015] to HUd*o*r, BAl*e* me eis t*e*n ko-lumB*E*THran [2861]: *but while I am coming, another steps down before me.* en h*o* de ERcho-mai eG*O*, ALlos pro eMOU ka-taBAInei. f. 5:8* :Jesus said to him, Arise, take up your :bed, and walk.* LEgei auT*O* ho I*e*SOUS, Egei-re, Aron ton KRAbatTON [2895] sou, kai pe-riPAtei [4043]. g. 5:9a* And straightway the man became whole, and took up his :bed and walked.* kai euTHE*o*s eGEne-to hu-gi*E*S ho ANthr*o*-pos, kai *E*re ton KRAbat-ton auTOU kai pe-ri-ePAtei. 2. 5:9b-30 JESUS CLAIMS EQUALITY WITH GOD a. 5:9b* Now it was the sabbath on that :day.* *E*n de SABba-ton [4521] en eKEIn*e* t*e* h*e*MEra. b. 5:10 SABBATH CONTROVERSY *Said the Jews therefore to the one cured, It is the sabbath,* Ele-gon oun hoi IouDAIoi t*o* te-the-ra-peuMEn*o*, [2323] SABbaTON es-tin, *and it is not lawful for you to take up the bed.* kai ouk ExeSTIN [1832] soi Arai ton KRABba-ton. c. 5:11 THE HEALED MAN'S RESPONSE *But he answered them, He who made me whole,* hos de a-peKRIth*e* auTOIS, Ho poi*E*sas me hu-gi*E*, *the same said to me, Take up your :bed, and walk.* eKEI-NOS moi EIpen, Aron ton KRABbaTON sou, kai pe-riPAtei. d. 5:12* They asked him, Who is the man that said to you, Take up, and walk?* *e*R*O*t*e*-san [2065] auTON, TIS es-tin ho ANthr*o*-pos ho eiP*O*N soi, Aron [142], kai pe-riPAtei? e. 5:13 THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JESUS *But the one healed knew not who it was; * ho de iaTHEIS [2390] ouk *E*dei TIS es-tin; *for :Jesus disappeared, a crowd being in the place.* ho gar I*e*SOUS eXEneu-sen, OCHlou ONtos en t*o* TOp*o*. f. 5:14 JESUS' WARNING TO THE HEALED MAN *After these things :Jesus finds him in the temple, and said to him, See, you are become whole:* MeTA TAUta heuRIskei auTON ho I*e*SOUS en t*o* hi-eR*O*, kai EIpen auT*O*, Ide, hu-gi*E*S GEgo-nas: *sin no more, lest something worse befall you.* m*e*KEti haMARta-ne, HIna m*e* CHEI-RON [5501] SOI ti GEn*e*-tai. g. 5:15* The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.* aP*E*Lthen ho ANthr*o*-pos, kai EIpen tois 'IouDAIois HOti I*e*SOUS es-tin ho poi*E*sas auTON hu-gi*E*. h. 5:16 * And for this the Jews persecuted :Jesus, because he did these things on a sabbath.* kai diA TOUto eDI*o*-kon [1377] hoi IouDAIoi ton I*e*SOUN, HOti TAUta ePOIei en sabBAt*o*. i. 5:17 * But he answered them, My :Father works even until now, and I work.* ho de a-peKRIna-to auTOIS, Ho paT*E*R mou HE*o*s ARti erGAze-tai [2038], ka' 'G*O* erGAzo-mai. j. 5:18 FURTHER PERSECUTION *For this therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him,* diA TOUto oun MALlon eZ*E*toun auTON hoi IouDAIoi a-pokTEInai [615], *because he not only broke the sabbath, but also said :God* HOti ou MOnon Elu-e to SABba-ton, alLA kai paTEra Idi-on *was** his own Father, making himself equal with :God.* Ele-ge ton TheON, Ison he-auTON poi*O*N t*o* The*O*. k. 5:19 JESUS JUSTIFIES HIMSELF *:Jesus therefore answered and said to them,* A-peKRIna-to oun ho I*e*SOUS kai Ele-gen auTOIS, *Amen, Amen, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself,* A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN, ou DUna-tai ho huiOS poiEIN aph' he-auTOU ouDEN, *but what he sees the Father doing:* an M*E* ti BLEp*e* ton paTEra poiOUNta: *for whatever things HE does, these the Son also does likewise.* ha gar an eKEInos poi*E*, TAUta kai ho huiOS hoMOI*o*s [3668] poiEI. l. 5:20 HE EXPLAINS YET MORE CLEARLY *For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that himself does:* ho gar paT*E*R phiLEI [5280] ton huiON, kai PANta DEIKnu-sin [1166] auT*O*ha auTOS poiEI: *and greater works than these will he show him, that YOU may marvel.* kai MEIzo-na [3187] TOUt*o*n DEIxei auT*O* ERga, HIna huMEIS thauMAz*e*-te [2296]. m. 5:21 AS THE FATHER - SO THE SON *For just as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, * H*O*sper gar ho paT*E*R eGEIrei tous neKROUS kai z*o*-o-poiEI, *thus the Son also makes alive whom he will.* HOUt*o*s kai ho huiOS hous THElei z*o*-o-poiEI. n. 5:22-23a FATHER'S GIFT OF JUDGMENT TO THE SON *For neither does the Father judge any one, but has given all :judgment to the Son;* ouDE gar ho paT*E*R kriNEI [2919] ouDEna, alLA t*e*n KRIsin [2920] PAsan DEd *o*-ken t*o* hui*O*; 23a* that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.* HIna PANtes tiM*O*si [5091] ton huiON, kaTH*O*S tiM*O*si ton paTEra. o. 5:23b * Who honors not the Son honors not the Father that sent him.* ho m*e* tiM*O*N ton huiON ou tiMA ton paTEra ton PEMpsan-ta auTON. p. 5:24 THE BELIEVER'S HAPPY STATE *Amen, Amen, I say unto you [that],* A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN [HOti], *who hears my :word, and believes him that sent me,* ho ton LOgon mou aKOU*o*n, kai piSTEU*o*n t*o* PEMpsanTI me, *has eternal life, and comes not into judgment,* Echei z*o*-*E*N ai*O*ni-on, kai eis KRIsin ouk ERche-tai, *but has passed out of :death into :life.* alLA me-taBEb*e*-ken ek tou thaNAtou eis t*e*n z*o*-*E*N. q. 5:25 A PROPHETIC WORD *Amen, Amen, I say unto you, that an hour comes, and now is,* aM*E*N, aM*E*N, leG*O* huMIN, HOti ERche-tai H*O*ra, kai NUN es-tin, *when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of :God, and who hear shall live.* HOte hoi neKROI aKOUsou-sin t*e* ph*o*N*E*S tou huiOU tou TheOU, kai hoi aKOUsan-tes Z*E*sou-sin*.* r. 5:26-27 THE FATHER'S FULLER GIFT TO THE SON *For just as the Father has life in himself, * H*O*Sper gar ho paT*E*R Echei z*o*-*E*N en he-auT*O*, *thus gave he to the Son also to have life in himself:* HOUt*o*s kai t*o* hui*O* Ed*o*-ken z*o*-*E*N Echein en he-auT*O*: 27* and he gave him authority to pass judgment, because he is Son of man.* kai e-xouSIan [1849] Ed*o*-ken auT*O* KRIsin poiEIN, HOti huiOS anTHR*O*pou esTIN. s. 5:28-29 THE RESURRECTION *Marvel not at this: for the hour comes,* m*e* thauMAze-te [2296] TOUto: HOti ERche-tai H*O*ra, *in which all they in the tombs shall hear his :voice,* en h*e* PANtes hoi en tois mn*e*MEIois [3419] aKOUsou-sin t*e*s ph*o*N*E*S auTOU, 29* and shall come forth; who have done the good things,* kai ek-poREUson-tai [1607]; hoi ta a-gaTHA poi*E*san-tes, *unto resurrection of life; who have practiced the evil things, unto resurrection of judgment.* eis aNAsta-sin [386] z*o*-*E*S; hoi ta PHAUla [5337] PRAxan-tes [4238], eis aNAsta-sein KRIse-*o*s. t. 5:30 THE SON: A PERFECT SERVANT TO THE FATHER *I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge:* Ou DUna-mai eG*O* poiEIN ap' e-mauTOU ouDEN: kaTH*O*S aKOU*o*, KRIn*o*: *and :my :judgment is righteous;* kai h*e* KRIsis h*e* eM*E* diKAIa esTIN; *because I seek not MY :will, but the will of him that sent me.* HOti ou z*e*T*O* to THEl*e*-ma to eMON, alLA to THEl*e*-ma tou PEMpsanTOS me. *NOTE**: *In the Spring of 1945 I was drafted from HMCS Naden near Victoria, BC, to HMCS Cornwallis, near Digby, Nova Scotia. There as a sailor I met an Anglican clergyman who discovered I had recently become a Christian believer. He asked me what I found most challenging in the New Testament. I told him - ?The epistles of Paul, especially that of Romans.? He replied, ?Son, I urge you to spend *much* time in the Gospels. Learn the direct words of Jesus. See and meditate on what He has said. You will then find that your Christian life will become solidly based. Then go on to the epistles.? When one reads the passage of John 5:1-30 above, it is easy to see the wisdom of my clergyman friend, who counseled me. What a joy it has been - preparing the Interlinear Greek NT on the Gospel of John. I will then go to Matthew, Mark and Luke, which for me will complete this wonderful and blessed assignment from the Lord. John is the spiritual Gospel of the Son of God, with the perspective of the eyesight of an eagle. Matthew describes Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Gospel with so many quotations from the OT, that it especially appeals to Jews. Mark is the Gospel of Jesus as the Son of Man and servant of the Father, and appeals to the Roman type of character. Here He is symbolized as a servant by the ?ox?. Luke is the Gospel of the Son of Man, with a special regard for women, and appeals to the Greek type of mind. How wise God was to have 4 different types of men record the earthly life of His only begotten Son - in whom He was *well-pleased*! Luke was a Greek convert to Christianity, and a part of the One New Man. The section of John above shows the increasing animosity of the Jewish religious leaders of that day to Jesus, who so clearly refuted their traditions that made void the Word of God, - and who despised the needs of the common people. American political leaders would do well to look into this Gospel, and see how they make void the wisdom of our early Founding Fathers, and how they arrogantly fail to listen to the cries of the hurting common people. Just see how the healing of this lame man by Jesus on the Sabbath, brought such unjustified criticism upon Him, and showed such little compassion for the poor healed man. Nothing Jesus said really got through to these blind and biased leaders, who had forgotten the real call of God upon them from the beginning of their nation. The lessons of this passage are innumerable. Let us read and meditate upon the sentences and subdivisions. Truly the Spirit *will* speak to our spirits, and illuminate our hearts and minds. Some have asked: What Greek text do you use in this Interlinear? It is not the Textus Receptus, Westcott & Hort, or any other of the 6 major Greek manuscripts. It is the Bible Numeric Greek text produced by Ivan Panin beginning in 1890 and completed approximately 1940, 2 years before his death. He spent 50 years and 100,000 hours through Bible Numerics in perfecting a Greek text the same as the original - no copy. God also allowed Ivan Panin to discover through Bible Numerics the sentence and paragraph structure of the NT, which I have used in outlining the entire ?* Outlined* Interlinear NT?, using both his Greek and English texts. To understand the marvel of Bible Numerics that God worked into His Bible 4000 years ago in Hebrew; and 3000 years ago in Greek; turn to our Website * * and click on ?Archives?. Then scroll down to 2011-01-02 ?Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin?. Here you will find a challenging, brief historical account of the remarkable discoveries of Ivan Panin. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Apr 24 11:39:27 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:39:27 -0700 Subject: John 11:17-53 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 24, 2012 *(From: JOHN #26 - 11:17-53)* 2. 11:17-44 RELATION OF INDIGNATION TO RESURRECTION a. 11:17* :Jesus therefore came and found that he had been in the tomb four days already.* El-TH*O*N oun ho I*e*SOUS HEUren auTON TESsaras *E*d*e* h*e*MEras Echon-ta en t*o* mn*e*MEI*o* [3419]. b. 11:18-19 THE STATE OF BETHANY *Now Bethany was nigh to :Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;* *e*n de B*e*-thaNIa egGUS t*o*n Ie-ro-soLUm*o*n, h*o*s aPO staDI*o*n [4712]DEka PENte; 19* and many of the Jews had come to :Martha and Mariam,* polLOI de ek t*o*n IouDAI*o*n e-l*e*LUthei-san pros t*e*n MARthan kai Ma-riAM, *to console them concerning their brother.* HIna pa-ra-muTH*E*s*o*n-tai [3888] auTAS peRI tou a-delPHOU. c. 11:20 MARTHA MEETS JESUS FIRST *:Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming,* h*e* oun MARtha, h*o*s *E*kou-sin HOti ho I*e*SOUS ERche-tai, *met him: but Mariam still sat in the house.* huP*E*Nt*e*-sen auT*O*: Ma-riAM de en t*o* OIk*o* e-kaTHEze-to. d. 11:21 * :Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my :brother had not died.* EIpen oun h*e* MARtha pros I*e*SOUN, KUri-e, ei *e*s H*O*de, ouk an aPEtha-nen ho a-delPHOS mou. e. 11:22 * And now I know that, whatever you shall ask of :God, :God will give you.* kai nun OIda HOti, HOsa an aiT*E*s*e* ton TheON, D*O*sei soi ho TheOS. f. 11:23* :Jesus said to her, Your :brother shall rise again.* LEgei auT*E* ho I*e*SOUS, A-naST*E*se-tai [450] ho a-delPHOS sou. g. 11:24* :Martha said to him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.* LEgei auT*O* h*e* MARtha, OIda HOti a-naST*E*se-tai en t*e* a-naSTAsei [386], en t*e* esCHAt*e* h*e*MEra. h. 11:25-26a CHRIST - THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE *:Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life:* EIpen auT*E* ho I*e*SOUS, E-G*O* ei-mi h*e* aNAsta-sis, kai h*e* z*o*-*E* [2222]: *who believes unto me shall live, even if he die; 26a and every one* ho piSTEU*o*n eis eME, ka' 'n a-poTHAn*e* Z*E*se-tai [2198]; kai pas *who lives and believes unto me shall nowise die unto the age.* ho z*o*n kai PiSTEU*o*n eis eME ou m*e* a-poTHAn*e* [599] eis ton ai*O*na. i. 11:26b * Do you believe this? ** *piSTEUeis TOUto? j. 11:27 MARTHA EXPRESSES HER FAITH IN CHRIST *She said to him, Yes, Lord: I have believed that you are the Christ,* LEgei auT*O*, Nai, KUri-e: eG*O* pePIsteu-ka HOti su ei ho ChrisTOS, *the Son of :God, even he that comes into the world.* ho huiOS tou TheOU, ho eis ton KOSmon erCHOme-nos. k. 11:28 MARTHA GOES FOR MARY *And when she had said this, she went away,* kai TOUto eiPOUsa, aP*E*Lthen, *and called Mariam her :sister secretly saying,* kai ePH*O*n*e*-sen Ma-riAM t*e*n a-delPH*E*N auT*E*S LAthra EIpa-sa, *The Teacher is here, and calls you.* Ho diDAska-los PAre-stin, kai ph*o*NEI se. l. 11:29* And SHE, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him.* eKEIn*e* de, h*o*s *E*kou-sen, *e*GERth*e* taCHU [5035], kai *E*Rche-to pros auTON. m. 11:30 JESUS APPROACHES BETHANY *(Now :Jesus was not yet come into the village,* (OUp*o* de e-l*e*LUthei ho I*e*SOUS eis t*e*n K*O*m*e*n, *and was still in the place where :Martha met him.)* all' *e*n Eti en t*o* TOp*o* HOpou huP*E*Nt*e*-sen auT*O* h*e* MARtha.) n. 11:31 THE JEWS FOLLOW MARY *The Jews then who were with her in the house, and consoling her,* hoi oun IouDAIoi hoi ONtes met' auT*E*S en t*e* oiKIa, kai pa-ra-muTHOUme-noi [3888] auT*E*N, *when they saw :Mariam that she rose up quickly and went out,* Idon-tes t*e*n Ma-riAM HOti taCHE*o*s aNESt*e* kai eX*E*Lthen, *followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to wail there.* *e*-koLOUth*e*-san [190] auT*E*, DOxan-tes HOti huPAgei eis to mn*e*MEIon HIna KLAUs*e* [2799] eKEI. o. 11:32 MARY SHARES HER DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE DELAY OF JESUS *:Mariam therefore, when she came where Jesus was,* h*e* oun MaRIam, h*o*s *E*Lthen HOpou *e*n I*e*SOUS, *and** saw him, fell down at his :feet, saying to him, Lord,* iDOUsa auTON, Epe-sen auTOU pros tous POdas, LEgou-sa auT*O*, KUri-e, *if you had been here, my :brother had not died.* ei h*e*s H*O*de, ouk AN mou aPEtha-nen ho a-delPHOS. p. 11:33-34a THIS TROUBLES JESUS *When Jesus therefore saw her wailing,* I*e*SOUS oun h*o*s EIden auT*E*N KLAIou-san, *and the Jews also wailing who came with her,* kai tous su-nelTHONtas auT*E* IouDAIous KLAIon-tas, *he was indignant in spirit and troubled himself, *34a* and said, * a-ne-briM*E*sa-to [1690] t*o* PNEUma-ti kai eTAra-xen [5015] he-auTON, kai EIpen, *Where have you laid him?* Pou teTHEIka-te auTON? q. 11:34b* They say to him, Lord, come and see.* LEgou-sin auT*O*, KUri-e, ERchou kai Ide. r. 11:35* :Jesus wept. ** *eDAkru-sen [1145] ho I*e*SOUS. s. 11:36 * The Jews therefore said, See how he loved him!* Ele-gon oun hoi IouDAIoi, Ide p*o*s ePHIlei [5318] auTON! t. 11:37 THE JEWS ALSO QUESTION THE ACTION OF JESUS *But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man,* tiNES de ex auT*O*N EIpan, Ouk eDUna-to HOUtos, ho aNOIxas tous oph-thalMOUS tou tuphLOU, *have done so that this man also should not die?* poi*E*sai HIna kai HOUtos m*e* a-poTHAn*e*? u. 11:38a* Jesus therefore again indignant within himself came to the tomb. * I*e*SOUS oun PAlin em-briM*O*me-nos [1690] en he-auT*O* ERche-tai eis to mn* e*MEIon. v. 11:38b* Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.* *e*n de SP*E*lai-on [4693], kai LIthos ePEkei-to ep' auT*O*. w. 11:39a * :Jesus said, Take you away the stone.* LEgei ho I*e*SOUS, Ara-te [142] ton LIthon [3037]. x. 11:39b THIS COMMAND OF JESUS TROUBLES MARTHA *Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, * LEgei auT*O* h*e* a-delPH*E* tou te-te-leu-t*e*KOtos [2348], MARtha, *Lord, he already stinks, for he is dead four days.* KUri-e, *E*d*e* Ozei [3605], te-tarTAIos GAR es-tin. y. 11:40 JESUS QUESTIONS MARTHA *:Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you, * LEgei auT*E* ho I*e*SOUS, Ouk EIpon soi, *that if you believe, you should see the glory of :God?* HOti eAN piSTEUs*e*s, Ops*e* t*e*n DOxan [1391] tou TheOU? z. 11:41a* They took away therefore the stone. ** **E*ran oun ton LIthon. aa. 11:41b THE PRAYER OF JESUS *And :Jesus lifted up his :eyes, and said, * ho de I*e*SOUS *E*ren tous oph-thalMOUS An*o*, kai EIpen, *Father, I thank you that you heard me.* PAter, eu-cha-riST*O* [2168] soi HOti *E*kouSAS mou. bb. 11:42 HIS CONFIDENCE IN HIS FATHER *And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the crowd that stands around I said it,* eG*O* de *E*dein HOti PANtoTE mou aKOUeis: alLA diA ton OCHlon ton pe-ri-eST *O*ta [4026] EIpon, *that they may believe that you did send me.* HIna piSTEUs*o*-sin HOti SU me aPEstei-las [649]. cc. 11:43 * And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.* kai TAUta eiP*O*N, ph*o*N*E* meGAl*e* [3173] eKRAUga-sen [2905], LAza-re, DEUro Ex*o*. dd. 11:44a THE UNUSUAL RESURRECTION *The dead man came forth, bound :hand and :foot with grave-clothes;* eX*E*Lthen ho teth-n*e*K*O*S [2348], de-deMEnos [1210] tous POdas kai tas CHEIras keiRIais [2750]; *and his :face was bound about with a napkin.* kai h*e* Opsis [3799] auTOU sou-daRI*o* [4676] pe-ri-eDEde-to [4019]. ee. 11:44b* :Jesus said to them, Loose him, and let him go.* LEgei auTOIS ho I*e*SOUS, LUsa-te [3089] auTON, kai Aphe-te [863] auTON huPAgein [5217]. 3. 11:45-46 DIVISION AGAIN a. 11:45 BELIEF OF MANY JEWS: RESULT OF THIS RESURRECION *Many therefore of the Jews, who came unto :Mariam* PolLOI oun ek t*o*n IouDAI*o*n, hoi elTHONtes pros t*e*n Ma-riAM *and beheld what he did, believed unto him.* kai the-aSAme-noi ho ePOI*e*-sen, ePIsteu-san eis auTOU. b. 11:46 REPORT TO THE PHARISEES *But some of them went away unto the Pharisees, * tiNES de ex auT*O*N aP*E*Lthon pros tous Pha-riSAIous, *and told them what things Jesus had done.* kai EIpan auTOIS ha ePOI*e*-sen ho I*e*SOUS. 4. 11:47-53 DIE IS CAST: DEATH FOR JESUS IS SURE a. 11:47 THE SANHEDRIN SEEKS A RESPONSE *The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees* SuN*E*ga-gon [4863] oun hoi ar-chi-eREIS [749] kai hoi Pha-riSAIoi [5330] *gathered a Sanhedrin, and said, What do we? because this :man does many signs.* suNEdri-on [4892], kai Ele-gon, Ti poiOUmen? HOti HOUtos ho ANthr*o*-pos polLA poiEI s*e*MEIa. b. 11:48 THEIR CONCERN IF JESUS IS NOT STOPPED *If we let him thus alone, all will believe on him:* eAN aPH*O*men auTON HOUt*o*s, PANtes piSTEUsou-sin eis auTON: *and the Romans will come and take away both our :place and :nation.* kai eLEUson-tai hoi 'R*o*MAIoi [4514] kai aROUsin [142] h*e*M*O*N kai ton TOpon kai to ETHnos. c. 11:49-50 THE PROPHECY OF CAIAPHAS *But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest of that :year,* heis DE tis ex auT*O*N, KaiAphas, ar-chi-eREUS [749] *o*n tou e-ni-anTOU [1763] eKEInou, *said to them, YOU know nothing at all,* 50 *nor consider* EIpen auTOIS, HuMEIS ouk OIda-te ouDEN, ouDE loGIzes-the *that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people,* HOti sumPHErei huMIN HIna heis ANthr*o*-pos a-poTHAn*e* huPER tou laOU, *and the whole nation perish not.* kai m*e* HOlon to ETHnos aPOl*e*-tai [822]. d. 11:51-52 THE PROPHETIC COUNSEL OF CAIAPHAS *Now this he said not of himself: but being high priest of that :year,* TOUto de aph' he-auTOUouk EIpen: alLA ar-chi-eREUS *o*n tou e-ni-auTOU eKEInou, *he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;* e-proPH*E*teu-sen [4395] HOti Emel-len [3195] I*e*SOUS a-poTHN*E*skein huPER tou ETHnous; 52* and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather* kai ouch huPER tou ETHnous MOnon, all' HIna kai ta TEKna [5043] *into one the children of :God that are scattered abroad.* tou TheOU ta di-e-skor-pisMEna [1287] su-naGAg*e* [4863] eis hen. e. 11:53* From that :day on therefore they took counsel to kill him.* Ap' eKEIn*e*s oun t*e*s h*e*MEras e-bouLEUsan-to [4823] HIna a-pokTEIn*o*-sin [615] auTON. *NOTE**: *In one sense, it is scarcely necessary to write a Note. The Reason is - that the ?outline? inserted into the Interlinear text is almost self-explanatory. The idea for these outlines came to me first in 1945, after I ordered and received the 20 books or so either ?by? or ?on? Ivan Panin. When I read his introduction to his Greek Bible Numeric text, I found that Bible Numerics not only establishes what was the ?original? Greek Text from among 7 quite complete NT Greek Manuscript copies, plus thousands of fragments - but also it establishes what are *true* sentences, sub-divisions, paragraphs and sections (chapter equivalents). I like to summarize, and thought - What if I summarize each sentence; gather these summaries into the sub-divisions; the sub-divisions into paragraphs; the paragraphs into section, and the sections into Books - What would I discover? What might be for me the first of the 27 NT books to put to this test? Why not Ephesians? I was so amazed at the result, that I was ?hooked?. I typed up the entire Numeric English NT, and hand-wrote the complete Greek text underneath clause by clause. Then I summarized the entire NT. I used Roman Numerals - for the Sections, or chapter equivalents. Capital Letters - for Paragraphs Arabic numbers - for Sub-divisions Lower Case letters for Sentences This produced an *entirely different flavor* for each book of the NT! Check this out with the section above. It does *not* follow the regular Chapter and Verse division as found in our King James and other translations. To confirm the *great importance* of this discovery by Panin through Bible Numerics - I received help in University summaries in 1946 through Jock Davidson, a fellow student at St. Andrews College of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was amused at my ?grousing? because I wasn't receiving the grades in University subjects I felt I was capable of. He offered: ?Come up to my room, give me an hour of your time - and I'll show you how to lift all your present grades by a full point. If you have a ?C? - it will become a ?B?; if a ?B? - an ?A?; if an ?A?, and ?A+?. I could scarcely believe him, but I thought, ?I can afford an hour to give it a trial.? ?First of all?, he said, ?when you take notes on class subjects, leave the upper ? of the right hand page blank. At the end of the day, summarize the left and right page into that corner. Two weeks before the exam, summarize the summary, and memorize it. ?When the exam comes up, and it says, Choose any 5 of the following 7 question, and answer fully in essay type answer, *Don't* start answering immediately. Instead, *outline* each of the 5 question you choose, leaving a space for the fuller answer later on. When all 5 are summarized, then go back to question one and start answering in essay style. If you don't finish this stage, not to worry. The professor will see by your summaries and the two or three answers you complete, that you know what you are doing. He'll be so glad that he doesn't have to read all 5 short essays, that he'll in gratitude give you an ?A?! ?Summarize text books in the same manner as the lecture notes. ?For term papers, make a careful outline of the development you plan to use. Then write it up according to the outline at the top.? Then he said ?Of course, I myself don't follow this plan rigidly.? His room-mate piped up, ?O yes he does! He's like a slave to the above!? I followed Jock's above 4 suggestions, won 3 scholarship the next semester, and graduated ?cum laude? (with honor). I could hardly believe it! I have taught over 1000 students the above, and many of them can testify of similar results. ?But? - and this is a *big* but - when you carefully follow Panin's Bible Numerics method of outlining the 27 books of the NT - you will be awarded by God a ?summa cum laude? - a graduation *with* *great* *honor*! Then you won't need a *NOTE* to give understanding of difficult passages. This Outline Method of summarizing the 27 NT Books - will be its own reward! As you can see, I leave a space above my summaries. By all means cross out any of mine that don't sit well with you, and substitute them with your own! You will never be the same again. We together will start to think God's thoughts after Him, and indeed enter into the mind of Christ. Especially when we take God's challenge to Joshua in 1:8, and read *aloud*these sentences and summaries, and meditate over them - even kneeling before God as we do so. George Muller did this. George Whitefield too. I do also. Blessings on you as you take this challenge. May we *all* end up in God's sight ?summa cum laude? - graduates with *great* Honor! - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Apr 25 08:49:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:49:21 -0700 Subject: Matthew 1:1-25 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 25, 2012 *(From: MATTHEW #1 - 1:1-25)* *MATTHEW'S SUMMARY: THE LION OF JUDAH AND HIS KINGDOM* I. 1:1 THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS *A genealogy of Jesus Christ, David's Son, Abraham's Son.* BIBlos [976] geNEse-*o*s [1078] I*e*SOU ChrisTOU, huiOU DauID, huiOU A-braAM. II. 1:2-6a ABRAHAM TO DAVID *Abraham begat :Isaac, Isaac in turn begat :Jacob,* AbraAM eGENn*e*-sen [1080] ton IsaAK, I-saAK de eGENn*e*-sen ton IaK*O*B, *Jacob in turn begat :Judah and his :brethren,* IaK*O*B de eGENn*e*-sen ton IOUdan kai tous a-delPHOUS auTOU, 3* Judah in turn begat :Phares and :Zara of :Thamar,* IOUdas de eGENn*e*-sen ton PhaRES kai ton ZaRA ek t*e*s THAmar, *Phares in turn begat :Hesrom, Hesrom in turn begat :Aram,* PhaRES de eGENn*e*-sen ton HesR*O*M, HesR*O*M de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-RAM, 4* Aram in turn begat :Aminadab, Aminadab in turn begat :Naasson,* A-RAM de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-mi-naDAB, A-mi-naDAB de eGENn*e*-sen ton Na-asS* O*N, *Naasson in turn begat :Salmon, *5* Salmon in turn begat :Boes of :Rachab, * Na-asS*O*N de eGENn*e*-sen ton SalM*O*N, SalM*O*N de eGENn*e*-sen ton BoES ek t*e*s 'RaCHAB, *Boes in turn begat :Iobed of :Ruth, Iobed in turn begat :Jessai,* BoES de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o*B*E*D ek t*e*s 'Routh, I*o*B*E*D de eGENn*e*-sen ton IesSAI, 6b* Jessai in turn begat :David the king.* IesSAI de eGENn*e*-sen ton DauID ton ba-siLEa. III. 1:6b-11 FROM DAVID TO BABYLON REMOVAL *David in turn begat :Solomon of the wife of :Uriah, *7* Solomon in turn begat :Roboam,* DauID de eGENn*e*-sen ton So-loM*O*na ek t*e*s tou OuRIou, So-loM*O*N de eGENn*e*-sen ton 'Ro-boAM, *Roboam in turn begat :Abija, Abija in turn begat :Asaph,* 'Ro-boAM de eGENn*e*-sen ton AbiA, A-biA de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-SAPH, *8 Asaph in turn begat :Josaphat, Josaphat in turn begat :Joram,* A-SAPH de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o*-saPHAT, I*o*-saPHAT de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o* RAM, *Joram in turn begat :Oziah, *9* Oziah in turn begat :Joatham,* I*o*RAM de eGENn*e*-sen ton O-ZIon, O-ZIas de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o*Atham, *Joatham in turn begat :Achas, Achas in turn begat :Hezekiah,* I*o*Atham de eGENn*e*-sen ton Achas, Achas de eGENn*e*-sen ton He-zeKIan, 10* Hezekiah in turn begat :Manasseh, Manasseh in turn begat :Amos,* He-zeKIas de eGENn*e*-sen ton Ma-nasS*E*, Ma-nasS*E*S de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-M*O*S, *Amos in turn begat :Josiah,* A-M*O*S de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o*SIan, 11* Josiah in turn begat :Jechoniah and his :brethren* I*o*SIas de eGENn*e*-sen ton Ie-choNIan kai tous a-delPHOUS auTOU *at the time of the Babylon removal.* ePI tes me-toi-keSIas Ba-buLOnos. IV. 1:12-16 FROM BABYLON REMOVAL TO CHRIST *After the Babylon removal Jechoniah in turn begets :Salathiel,* MeTA de t*e*n me-toi-keSIan Ba-buL*O*nas Ie-choNIas genNA [1080] ton Sala-thi*E*L, *Salathiel in turn begets :Zorobabel, *13* Zorobabel in turn begets :Abioud, * Sa-la-thi*E*L de genNA ton Zo-roBAbel, Zo-roBAbel de genNA ton A-biOUD, *Abioud in turn begat :Eliakeim, Eliakeim in turn begat :Azor,* A-biOUD de eGENn*e*-sen [1080] ton E-li-aKEIM, E-li-aKEIM de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-Z*O*R, 14* Azor in turn begat :Sadoc, Sadoc in turn begat :Acheim,* A-Z*O*R de eGENn*e*-sen ton SaD*O*K, SaD*O*K de eGENn*e*-sen ton A-CHEIM, *Acheim in turn begat :Elioud, *15* Elioud in turn begat :Eleazar,* A-CHEIM de eGENn*e*-sen ton E-liOUD, E-liOUD de eGENn*e*-sen ton E-leAzar, *Eleazar in turn begat :Maththan, Maththan in turn begat :Jacob,* E-leAzar de eGENn*e*-sen ton MathTHAN, MathTHAN de eGENn*e*-sen ton IaK*O*B, 16* Jacob in turn begat :Joseph the husband of Mary,* IaK*O*B de eGENn*e*-sen ton I*o*S*E*PH ton ANdra [435] MaRIas, *of whom was begotten Jesus :called Christ.* ex h*e*s e-genN*E*th*e* I*e*SOUS [2424] ho leGOme-nos ChrisTOS [5547]. V. 1:17 SUMMARY OF GENEALOGIES - 42 GENERATIONS *All the generations therefore from Abraham till David are fourteen generations,* PAsai oun hai ge-neAI [1074] aPO AbraAM HE*o*s DauID geneAI DEka TESsa-res, *and from David till the Babylon removal fourteen generations,* kai aPO DauID HE*o*s t*e*s me-toi-keSIas Ba-buL*O*nos ge-neAI DEka TESsa-res, *and from the Babylon removal till the Christ fourteen generations.* kai aPO t*e*s me-toi-keSIas Ba-buL*O*nos HE*o*s tou ChrisTOU ge-neAI DEka TESsa-res. VI. 1:18-25 BIRTH OF JESUS a. 1:18 MARY ENGAGED TO JOSEPH *Now the birth of :Jesus Christ was thus:* Tou de I*e*SOU ChrisTOU h*e* GEne-sis HOUt*o*s *e*n: *His :mother Mary, betrothed to :Joseph, before they came together,* Mn*e*-steuTHEIs*e*s [3423] t*e*s m*e*TROS auTOU MaRIas, t*o* I*o*S*E*PH, prin h*e* su-nelTHEIN [4905] auTOUS, *was found with child of the Holy Spirit.* heuREth*e* [2147] en gasTRI [1064] Echou-sa ek PNEUma-tos [4151] HaGIou [40] . b. 1:19 JOSEPH SOUGHT AN HONORABLE SOLUTION *And Joseph her :husband being righteous, and not willing to make an example of her,* I*o*S*E*PH de ho aN*E*R auT*E*S DIkai-os [1342] *o*n, kai m*e* THEl*o*n auT* E*N deig-maTIsai [1209], *was minded to put her away privately.* e-bouL*E*th*e* [1014] LAthra [2977] a-poLUsai [630] auT*E*N. c. 1:20 BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD *But as he thought on these things, lo,* TAUta de auTOU en-thu-m*e*THENtos [1760], iDOU, *the Lord's angel appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph,* AGge-los [32] KuRIou kat' Onar [3677] ePHAn*e* [5316] auT*O*, LEg*o*n, I*o*S *E*PH, *David's Son, do not fear to take to you Mary your :wife:* huiOS DauID, m*e* pho-b*e*TH*E*S [5399] pa-ra-laBEIN [3880] Ma-riAN t*e*n guNAI-KA [1135] sou: *for what is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.* to gar en auT*E* gen-n*e*THEN [1080] ek PNEUmaTOS es-tin HaGIou. d. 1:21 JESUS IS PRE-NAMED *And she shall bear a son, and you shall call his :name :JESUS;* TExe-tai [5088] de huiON [5207], kai kaLEseis [2564] to Ono-ma [3686] auTOU I*e*SOUN; *for HE shall save his :people from their :sins.* auTOS gar S*O*sei [4982] ton laON [2992] auTOU aPO t*o*n ha-mar-ti*O*N [266]auT *O*N. e. 1:22-23 SCRIPTURE FULFILLED *Now all this is come to pass that it might be fulfilled* TOUto de HOlon GEgo-nen HIna pl*e*-r*o*TH*E* [4137] *which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying,* to 'r*e*THEN [4483] aPO tou KuRIou diA tou proPH*E*tou [4396] LEgon-tos, 23 *Lo, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son,* I-DOU, h*e* parTHEnos [3933] en gaSTRI HExei, kai TExe-tai [5088] huiON, *And they shall call his :name Emmanuel;* kai kaLEsou-sin to Ono-ma [3686] auTOU Em-ma-nou*E*L [1694]; *which being interpreted is, :God with us.* HO es-tin me-ther-m*e*-neuOme-non [3177], Meth' h*e*M*O*N ho TheOS. f. 1:24-25 JESUS BORN *And :Joseph arose from his :sleep* e-gerTHEIS [1326] de ho I*o*SEPH aPO tou HUPnou [5258] *and did as the Lord's angel commanded him, and took to him his :wife,* ePOI*e*-sen h*o*s proSEta-xen [4367] auT*O* ho AGge-los KuRIou, kai paREla-ben t*e*n guNAIka auTOU, 25* and knew her not till she had borne a son; and he called his :name JESUS.* kai ouk eGIn*o*-sken auT*E*N HE*o*s hou Ete-ken huiON; kai eKAle-sen to Ono-ma auTOU I*e*SOUN. *NOTE**: *Matthew 1 is different from any other of the 260 chapters in the NT. According to the sentence, paragraph and section structure revealed by Bible Numerics and discovered and utilized by Ivan Panin, this chapter has *six sections* of chapter equivalents! What might God be trying to tell us here? Many folk are not too interested in Bible Genealogies. Think of 1 Chronicles and its first 10 chapters! How many who read the Bible through in a Year - skip these? Yet - God has something to say by His Spirit concerning our DNA. First of all - we are *all* one family in Adam - fallen through him to be sure - but Redeemed by Jesus Christ through His blood of the Cross! And each one of us who have heard His call - and responded - now find ourselves in the ?One New Man?! Here there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, rich or poor - but *all* brethren in this New Jerusalem, Christ's Heavenly Bride! Matthew 1 shows Christ's Genealogy through Joseph, His legal - but not natural father. Luke shows His genealogy through Mary - through Solomon's brother Nathan. So Jesus is Son of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God! He is God's only begotten Son, our Elder Brother, and the only Savior of the world! I am interested in genealogies to a point - but I *do* find these 42 generations in Matthew as leading to Christ - to be fascinating - and to bear thoughtful meditation. There is another thought that impressed me here. Before Jesus was born - God gave His Name to Joseph. Jesus is the eighth Bible personage named prior to Birth! An angel of the Lord named Abraham's first son through the Egyptian Hagar - and called him ?Ishmael: God hears? (Genesis 16:10)! God heard Hagar's prayer, and answered. But Ishmael was not God's design for Abraham's inheritance, but a son through his wife Sarah! God told Abraham that the son through Sarah was to be called ?Isaac - laughter? (Genesis 1:19) - and the covenant would be established through him, not Ishmael. God's choice prior to Christ was the Jewish nation of Israel, promised 4000 years ago. And *we* as Gentiles have been grafted into the root of Israel, and enjoy and share with them the 8-fold blessings of Romans 9:4-5. Solomon, 1 Chronicles 22:9; Josiah, 325 years before birth, 2 Kings 13:2, 2 Kings 22:1; Maher-shalal-hashbaz, Isaiah 8:1-3; Cyrus, 175 years before birth (Isaiah 44:18-45); John the Baptist, Luke 1:13; 60-63 - these are the others named before birth. It is fitting that Jesus is the 8th of this special group. He arose from the dead on the *eighth* day! His letter/number equivalent in the Greek is 888! Old things are completed with 7 - but new beginnings start with 8! Look at these. Consider them. Ask God about them. Seek *His* thinking of significance concerning them. But major on the last of these 8. It is *Jesus* that takes *pre-eminence* over all that precedes. And this chapter, Matthew 1, introduces us to God's Son, and God's thinking surrounding His Son. J.A.Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Apr 26 09:35:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:35:51 -0700 Subject: Matthew 16:1-20 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 26, 2012 *(From: MATTHEW #26 - 16:1-20) * E. 16:1-12 WARNING AGAINST PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES 1. 16:1-4 THE SIGN OF JONAH FOR CARPERS a. 16:1 JEWISH LEADERS SEEK A SIGN *And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him* Kai pro-selTHONtes hoi Pha-riSAIoi kai Sad-douKAIoi, peiRAzon-tes* *[3985] *asked him to show them a sign from :heaven.* e-p*e*R*O*t*e*-san [1905] auTON s*e*MEIon [4592] ek tou ou-raNOU e-piDEIxai [1925] auTOIS. b. 16:2 WEATHER FORECAST FOR EVENING *But he answered and said to them, When it is evening,* ho de a-po-kriTHEIS EIpen auTOIS, O-PSIas ge-noMEn*e*s, *you say, Fair weather: for the heaven is red.* LEge-te, EuDIa [2115]: purRAzei [4449] gar ho ou-raNOS. c. 16:3a* And in the morning, Foul weather today: for the heaven is red and lowering.* kai pr*o*I, S*E*me-ron cheiM*O*N [5494]: purRAzei gar stugNAz*o*n [4768] ho ou-raNOS. d. 16:3b WEATHER FORECASTING FAILS IN SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT *You know how to discern the face of the heaven;* to men PROs*o*-pon tou ou-raNOU giN*O*ske-te di-aKRInein [1252]; *but you cannot discern the signs of the seasons.* ta de s*e*MEIa t*o*n kaiR*O*N [2540] ou DUnas-the. e. 16:4a DESIRE FOR SIGNS : INDICATION OF AN EVIL GENERATION! *An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign;* ge-neA po-n*e*RA kai moi-chaLIS [3428] s*e*MEIon e-pi-z*e*TEI; *and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of Jonah.* kai s*e*MEIon ou doTH*E*se-tai auT*E*, ei m*e* to s*e*MEIon I*o*NA. f. 16:4b * And he left them, **and** departed. ** *kai ka-ta-liP*O*N [2641]auTOUS, aP *E*Lthen. 2. 16:5-12 BEWARE OF LEAVEN OF SCRIBES AND PHARISEES a. 16:5* And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take loaves. * Kai elTHONtes hoi ma-th*e*TAI eis to PEran e-peLAthon-to [1950] ARtous laBEIN. b. 16:6 JESUS WARNS DISCIPLES OF FALSE LEAVEN *And :Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware* ho de I*e*SOUS EIpen auTOIS, HoRAte [3708] kai proSEche-te [4337] *of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s [2219] t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o*n. c. 16:7* And they reasoned among themselves, saying [that], We took no loaves.* hoi de di-e-loGIzon-to [1260] en he-auTOIS, LEgon-tes [HOti], ARtous ouk eLAbo-men. d. 16:8 JESUS REBUKES THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING *And :Jesus perceiving it said, You of little faith,* gnous de ho I*e*SOUS EIpen, Ti di-a-loGIzes-the, *why do you reason among yourselves, because you have no loaves?* en he-auTOIS, o-liGOpi-stoi [3640], HOti ARtous ouk Eche-te? e. 16:9 JESUS REASONS WITH THEM *Do you not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves* OUp*o* noEIte, ouDE mn*e*-moNEUe-te [3421] tous PENte ARtous *of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?* t*o*n pen-ta-kis-chiLI*o*n, kai POsous koPHInous [2894] eLAbe-te? f. 16:10 * Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many hampers you took up?* ouDE tous hepTA ARtous t*o*n te-tra-kis-chiLI*o*n, kai POsas sphuRIdas [4711] eLAbe-te? g. 16:11a* How do you not perceive that I spoke not to you concerning loaves?* p*o*s ou noEIte HOti ou peRI ARt*o*n EIpon huMIN? h. 16:11b* But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* proSEche-te [4337] de aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o *n. i. 16:12 DISCIPLES FINALLY GET THE POINT *Then they understood that he bade them beware not of the leaven* TOte suN*E*kan [4920] HOti ouk EIpen proSEchein aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s *of the loaves, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* t*o*n ARt*o*n, alLA aPO t*e*s di-daCH*E*S [1322] t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o*n. F. 16:13-20 THE IDENTITY OF JESUS AND HIS PURPOSE a. 16:13 JESUS SEEKS FROM HIS DISCIPLES HOW *OTHERS* IDENTIFY HIM *Now when :Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea :Philippi,* ElTH*O*N de ho I*e*SOUS eis ta MEr*e* Kai-saRIas t*e*s PhiLIPpou, *he asked his :disciples, saying,* *e*R*O*ta tous ma-th*e*TAS auTOU, LEg*o*n, *Who do :men say that the Son of :man is?* TIna LEgou-sin hoi ANthr*o*-poi EInai ton huiON tou anTHR*O*pou? b. 16:14 THE VARIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS MEN ATTEMPTED FOR JESUS *And they said, Some say John the Baptist; and some Elijah; * hoi de EIpan, Hoi men I*o*An*e*n ton bap-tisT*E*N; ALloi de *E*-LEIan; *and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.* HEte-roi de, Ie-reMIan, *e* HEna t*o*n pro-ph*e*T*O*N. c. 16:15* He says to them, But who do YOU say that I am?* LEgei auTOIS, HuMEIS de TIna me LEge-te EInai? d. 16:16 * And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living :God.* A-po-kriTHEIS de SIm*o*n PEtros EIpen, Su ei ho ChrisTOS, ho huiOS tou TheOU tou Z*O*Ntos [2198]. e. 16:17 JESUS REVEALS THE SOURCE OF PETER'S DISCERNMENT *And :Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you,* a-po-kriTHEIS de ho I*e*SOUS EIpen auT*O*, MaKAri-os [3107] ei, *Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you,* SIm*o*n Ba-ri-*o*NA: HOti sarx kai HAIma ouk a-peKAluPSEN soi, *but my :Father who is in the heavens.* all' ho paT*E*R mou ho en tois ou-raNOIS. f. 16:18 JESUS REVEALS THE FOUNDATION AND TRIUMPH OF HIS CHURCH *And I also say unto you, that you are Peter,* ka' 'G*O* DE soi LEg*o*, HOti su ei PEtros [4074], *and upon this :rock I will build my :church* kai ePI TAUt*e* t*e* PEtra [4073] oi-ko-doM*E*s*o* [3618] mou t*e*n ek-kl*e*SIan [1577] *and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.* kai PUlai [4439] HAdou [86] ou ka-tiSCHUsou-sin [2729] auT*E*S. g. 16:19 THE AUTHORITY JESUS DELEGATES TO PETER AND DISCIPLES *I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatever you shall bind on the earth* D*O*s*o* soi tas KLEIdas [2807] t*e*s ba-siLEIas [932] t*o*n ou-raN*O*N; kai ho eAN D*E*s*e*s [1210] ePI t*e*s g*e*s *shall be bound in the heavens; and whatever you shall loose* EStai de-deMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS; kai ho eAN LUs*e*s [3089] *on the earth shall be loosed in the heavens.* ePI t*e*s g*e*s EStai le-luMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS. h. 16:20 * Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no one that he is the Christ.* TOte e-peTIm*e*-sen tois ma-th*e*TAIS HIna m*e*-deNI EIp*o*-sin HOti auTOS es-tin ho ChrisTOS. *NOTE**: *Unbelievers like the Pharisees and Sadducees are to be avoided, especially their teaching! It is like leaven! And leaven in the Bible usually has a connotation of *evil*! My background was in this type of environment. I did not hear the Gospel clearly presented until *after* I became a Christian! We will do well to heed Jesus' warning concerning these types of teachers. Those who take away from the Word of God (Sadducees), and those who *add* to God's Word (Pharisees) - *they* are modern versions of such false teachers. 3 times in the Bible God warns of these latter (Deuteronomy, Proverbs and Revelation). It is interesting to note the questions of Jesus to His disciples concerning His identity. The general answers given by His disciples did not satisfy Him. He wanted *their* direct answer as to His identity. Peter by direct revelation of the Spirit of the Father received the answer Jesus desired. He was the *Christ*, the *Messiah* to come, the *Son* of the living God! What a revelation! And Jesus *confirmed* that this was what He was looking for! He pronounced a blessing upon Peter in the light of this revelation. Now 16:18 has been a verse with a number of interpretations by scholars. It seems that the majority feel that the revelation God gave Peter concerning His Son - as a *confession*, was the ?rock? upon which Jesus would build His church. However, the use of the two Greek words for ?rock? might offer another outlook. The word Peter is ?PEtros?, meaning ?a little rock?. The rock upon which Jesus said He would build His church is ?PEtra?, a large rock. Off the Province of Newfoundland and the great fishing banks off the shores of New England, are the ?Grand Banks?, or ?PEtra?. Upon it are numbers of smaller rocks, ?PEtros?. Jesus Himself can be likened to the Grand Banks - ?PEtra?, and we like Peter are living stones built upon Him, to form a Living Temple of Living Stones, with Jesus the Chief Corner Stone, and also the coming Capstone, the Alpha and Omega. It is true, that each living stone needs to receive Spirit revelation from the Father - but I tend to favor this latter view. Further, not only Peter, but all true living stones receive the keys of the Kingdom. As we faithfully proclaim the Gospel as Peter did, it becomes a key to open the door to the Kingdom of God. In 16:19 the ?Williams? translation of the NT is perhaps closer to the truth here than almost all others. It reads, ?Whatever you shall bind on earth, must already in the mind of God *have been bound* in heaven (Perfect Passive Participle); and whatever you shall loose on the earth must already *have been loosed*(Perfect Passive Participle) in heaven. This translation requires us to live close enough to God, that knowing His mind, we can *then* boldly proclaim on earth *His* desire, and it *shall*be done. This is quite a different perspective in the use of the keys of the Kingdom. It makes *us* the water-boys of God, not God *our* water-boy. I am not dogmatic on this point, but I personally favor it, and personally follow it. George Muller, Rees Howells and Oswald Chambers did also. I, like them, can be *bold* in my faith, when I know the mind of God. See 1 John 5:14-15 - *?And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his :will, he hears us; 15 and if we knowthat he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.?* Our *boldness* here comes when we ask *anything* *according to Hiswill *! This fully accords with the Williams translation of Matthew 16:19. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Apr 27 12:41:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:41:00 -0700 Subject: Mark 1:1-8 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 27, 2012 *(From: MARK #1 - 1:1-8)* *MARK - SUMMARY: THE GOSPEL OF SERVICE AND POWER* I. 1:1-8 THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST - INTRODUCTION a. 1:1* A beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.* ArCH*E* [746] tou eu-ag-geLIou [2098] I*e*SOU ChrisTOU. b. 1:2-4 JOHN PREPARES FOR JESUS BY A REPENTANCE MESSAGE *Even** as **it is written in :Isaiah the prophet:* KaTH*O*S GEgrap-tai en t*o* *E*-SAIa t*o* proPH*E*t*e* [4396]: *Lo, I send my :messenger before your face,* I-DOU, a-poSTELl*o* ton AGgeLON [32] mou pro proS*O*pou [4383] sou, *Who shall prepare your :way; *3* A voice of one crying in the wilderness,* hos ka-ta-skeuAsei [2680] t*e*n hoDON [3598] sou; ph*o*N*E* [5456] bo*O*Ntos [994] en t*e* eR*E*m*o* [2048], *Make you ready the way of the Lord, Make his :paths straight;-* He-toiMAsa-te [2090] t*e*n hoDON KuRIou, euTHEIas [2117] poiEIte tas TRIbous [5147] auTOU;- 4 *John came, who was baptizing in the wilderness and preaching* eGEne-to I*o*An*e*s, ho bapTIz*o*n [907] en t*e* eR*E*m*o* k*e*RUSs*o*n [2784] *a baptism of repentance unto remission of sins.* BAPtis-ma [908] me-taNOIas [3341] eis Aphe-sin [859] ha-mar-ti*O*N [266]. c. 1:5 THE WIDE RESULTS OF JOHN'S MESSAGE *And all the country of Judea went out unto him,* kai e-xe-poREUe-to pros auTON PAsa h*e* IouDAIa CH*O*ra [5561], *and all they of Jerusalem; and were baptized of him* kai hoi Ie-ro-so-luMEItai PANtes; kai e-bapTIzon-to hup' auTOU *in the river Jordan, confessing their :sins.* en t*o* IorDAn*e* po-taM*O* [4215], e-xo-mo-loGOUme-noi [1843] tas ha-marTIas auT*O*N. d. 1:6 JOHN'S FOOD AND CLOTHING *And :John was clothed with camel's hair* kai *e*n ho I*o*An*e*s en-de-duMEnos [1746] TRIchas [2359] kaM*E*lou [2574] *and a leather girdle about his :loin; and was eating locusts and wild honey.* kai Z*O*n*e*n der-maTIn*e*n [1193] peRI t*e*n osPHUN [3751] auTOU; kai ESth* o*n aKRIdas kai MEli Agri-on. e. 1:7 JOHN HIGHLY EXALTS JESUS *And he preached, saying, After me comes the one mightier than I, the latchet* kai eK*E*rus-sen, LEg*o*n, ERche-tai ho i-schuROteROS [2478] mou oPIs*o*mou, hou ouk eiMI hi-kaNOS *of whose :shoes I am not fit to stoop down and unloose.* KUpsas [2955] LUsai [3089] ton hiMANta [2438] t*o*n hu-po-d*e*MAt*o*n [5266]auTOU. f. 1:8* I baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.* eG*O* eBAPti-sa huMAS HUda-ti [5204]; auTOS de bapTIsei huMAS PNEUma-ti [4151] HaGI*o* [40]. *NOTE: *The Gospel of Mark with its first eight verses points up the uniqueness of Panin's Discovery of Bible Numerics as it relates to a clearer and more accurate context. The old adage of ?A text without a context is a pretext? applies here. God's Bible Numeric sentence, subdivision, paragraph and section structure - establishes a context for the entire NT with a uniqueness not found anywhere else. For instance: between Ephesians chapter 1 and chapter 2, Bible Numerics makes but a * sentence* division - *not* a chapter - as is normally found. Here in Mark, the first 8 verses form a Section or chapter equivalent. This sets these 8 verses apart in a unique and important manner. The next chapter equivalent section is Mark 1:9 to 6:29! This throws an entirely different light on these beginning 6 chapters from the point of view of contextual understanding. I encourage all readers of this Interlinear Greek NT based on the two texts of Ivan Panin - to carefully examine all NT books from this outlined point of view. Many of the insights found in my *NOTES* - spring out of such an examination. I am not sure if even Panin himself saw the importance of outlining the entire NT on the basis of his Discovery. God set this up at the time of each Hebrew and Greek Bible writer, and not even *they* were aware of this unusual and helpful feature. It would seem that God has reserved the production of a text featuring this Discovery of ?Context? for the ?Last Days,? preceding the return of His Son - to offset the erroneous ?Textual Criticism? of many of the Liberal, Modernistic and Humanistic so-called scholars. It was in 1945 that I discovered the significance of Ivan Panin's Discovery. Since then I have devoted tens of thousands of hours to produce this Interlinear Greek NT, which has but 40 chapters to go for completion. The enemy of our souls greatly hates and fears this production. Four different individuals who call themselves friends of Ivan Panin, have done everything in their power to undermine this work, giving it a twist that completely destroys its efficacy. Normally - at 87 I should be too old to be giving myself to this work. But I believe I have a mandate from God to do this for Him - no matter how difficult. It is for me, then, a joy to have heard his Word in 1967 - ?Get *My* New Testament done!? This for me is then a labor of love, and a privilege to please Him. If *He* is pleased, I am pleased. If others are pleased and profit from it also, that is an extra bonus. For *me alone* to make use of this Interlinear, the labor has been worth it. Mark 1:8 contrasts John's *water* baptism with that of Jesus' *Spirit*baptism. The two are analogous! They are both baptisms of *immersion*, not ?washing? as one has said. In the family of words or cognates surrounding the root word *baptize*, (bapTIz*o*); there are 80 total references, with 4 parts of speech involved. All but one of these deal with immersion. bap-tisMOS, appearing 4 times in the NT, *is* properly translated a ?washing?, but *none* of the other 76. This is an example where ?a little bit of Greek is a dangerous thing.? One of the 4 so-called friends of Panin with no academic background in Greek, has changed Panin's translation in all 80 cases to say ?Washing? or ?to wash.? Who needs enemies when they have so-called friends? I do *not* count myself as a scholar. I have had 2 years of classical Greek at the University of Saskatchewan under Dr. Leddy, a Rhodes scholar; and 3 years of NT Greek, which does not make one a scholar, but it does provide some background in this area. I have also had 5 years of Latin and 5 years of Hebrew, which * again*, does *not* qualify one as a scholar; but it does give somewhat to help Lay-folk make use of the Bible Numeric Discoveries of Panin. In 1947 at St. Andrew's College, a Seminary of the United Church of Canada in Saskatchewan, I studied the Gospel of Mark under Dr. John Corston from Nova Scotia, who obtained his doctorate degree in Greek from Edinburgh, Scotland. He knew this Gospel so thoroughly, that he could quote it in Greek in its entirety, giving his own free translation as he went along. One day for a special verse, he asked the 20 or so of us in the class, to read from any other translation we happened to have, to give more light on the verse. Mr. Thomas read from Panin's English translation, which he had purchased from me. Dr. Corston said - ?Mr. Thomas - that translation comes most closely to the Greek text. From what are you reading?? When Mr. Thomas said that it was Ivan Panin's translation, the professor replied - ?Oh no! that this could happen to me!? The average scholar is like Dr. Corston. He won't even investigate the validity of Bible Numerics. Such scholars say, ?This is so incredible, that it's not even worth investigating!? Even many Evangelical scholars often take this same position. But what *they* count incredible - God chose the only two languages in the world, Hebrew and Greek, which have no numerical equivalents, for His Bible of 66 books. (24 in the Jewish OT). When numbers are substituted for letters, the Antichrist, the man of sin, when he comes, will be equivalent to ?666?. Jesus in Greek - ?I*e*SOUS? - is 888. Iota, 10; *E*ta, 8; Sigma, 200; Omi-cron, 70; Upsi-lon, 400; SIGma, 200; Total, *888*! Go to our Website, *;* and click on ?Interlinear?. At the close of the Introduction, is a ?URL?, leading to Toronto, Canada, for an article on ?How to Use Bible Numerics to witness to Mathematical and Scientific individuals.? There are 5 links in this article. The one under ?Dr. Keith L. Brooks,? is helpful as an introduction. It also makes available how to order all books ?by? or ?on? Ivan Panin. Karl Sabiers book was written in 1941 one year before Panin's death in Aldershot, Ontario. Sabiers interviewed him for one year prior to the writing of this book, so it clearly represents the final thinking of Panin on this Discovery. Panin's Introduction to his Bible Numeric Greek NT is very helpful also, for those who desire to check out more thoroughly this extraordinary Discovery. Panin was not the first to make this Discovery. It had been uncovered by Astruc in the 1700's - but Panin was the first to do 100,0000 hours of research to produce a Greek NT with no alternate readings, and an English translation setting forth the contextual basis of sentences, subdivision, paragraphs and sections or chapter equivalents. Because of this phenomenal research, he could be called the true Discoverer. I apologize for the length of this *NOTE*: there are many already convinced of the integrity of Panin's Discovery, and others who are interested to research it for personal satisfaction. Men like Dr. Jowett of Scotland, Winkie Pratney of New Zealand, Dr. David duPlessis of South Africa, are but 3 of hundreds who are satisfied with the Discovery claims of Dr. Panin. J.A.Watt *Addendum**: *Here are a couple of good questions that came in as a result of the above mailing. I am giving them, plus my response: ?I find the explanation about ?bap-tisMOS? interesting. Obviously, I too hold that biblical baptism means the immersion of the believer. But I am curious about the explanation. Two questions: If ?bap-tisMOS means *immersion*, then why don't you translate it ?immersion? rather than the more nebulous transliteration ?baptism? that I believe was invented in the early English translations to avoid taking sides in the immersion/dipping/pouring debate? And, what is the actual difference in meaning between ?washing? and ?immersion? since both would refer to the total contact of water with that which is being ?baptized?? Does ?washing? refer to the impact of the act ofbaptism while ?immersion? refer to the mode of the act?? - Just interested in your thinking. *Answer*: Good questions - not sure if I can give a satisfactory answer - but here goes - One: bap-tisMOS really doesn't mean immersion in the strict sense of what John the Baptist or Jesus' disciples or the early church did. It seems to be a specific noun used in Jewish liturgy for the Levitical washing of sacrifices and containers. In the Tabernacle and Temple there were water containers specifically for this purpose, not directly for immersion. The Levites washed parts of the sacrifice at these places, and the utensils connected with these duties - so that immersion was not really the thought here. My former associate took these 4 references, and applied them to all the other 76 - *not* kosher! Here's another thought: John Knox, when sent back to Scotland by Calvin, had to make a decision on the ?mode? of baptism. 49 went down to London from Scotland for this purpose. 24 voted for immersion; 24 for sprinkling. The Chairman cast the deciding vote for sprinkling - hence the Presbyterians (my background) by one vote left the Baptist field! King James set English translators to produce the King James or Authorized Version of 1611. The King was a language scholar, so the translators came to him with their specific problem. They reminded him that bapTIz*o* in the Greek literally means to dip or immerse. Should they translate it this way, the people would say - ?Then why don't we do it?? But if we transliterate the Greek word, we can give it any meaning we want.? Reply of the King - ?Transliterate it? - and say it means to sprinkle. - Interesting! Question 2 - The difference between ?washing? and ?immersion is based on the technical Levitical use of the two words. So - only 4 times in the NT is ?washing? the proper translation for the technical use of bap-tisMOS - while all the other 76 are properly translated dip as in dyeing - or immersion. So - really there *is* a distinct difference as I understand between bap-tisMOS and the other references, and should not be confused. Maybe this doesn't answer your questions to your satisfaction - but it seems the best I can do - Jim. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Apr 28 09:56:04 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:56:04 -0700 Subject: Galatians - Introduction Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 28, 2012 *2012-04-28 - GALATIANS - Introduction* *(From THE MESSAGE - The Bible in contemporary Language - Eugene H. Peterson * *NavPress - Bringing Truth to Life - www.navpress.com)* *When men and women get their hands on religion, one of the first things they often do is turn it into an instrument for controlling others, either putting or keeping them ?in their place.? The history of such religious manipulation and coercion is long and tedious. It is little wonder that people who have only known religion on such terms experience release or escape from it as freedom. The problem is that the freedom turns out to be short-lived.* *Paul of Tarsus was doing his diligent best to add yet another chapter to this dreary history when he was converted by Jesus to something radically and entirely different - a free life in God. Through Jesus, Paul learned that God was not an impersonal force to be used to make people behave in certain prescribed ways, but a personal Savior who set us free to live a free life. God did not coerce us from without, but set us free from within.* *It was a glorious experience, and Paul set off telling others, introducing and inviting everyone he met into this free life. In his early travels he founded a series of churches in the Roman province of Galatia. A few years later Paul learned that religious leaders of the old school had come into those churches, called his views and authority into question, and were reintroducing the old ways, herding all these freedom-loving Christians back into the corral of religious rules and regulations.* *Paul was, of course, furious. He was furious with the old guard for coming in with their strong-arm religious tactics and intimidating the Christians into giving up their free life in Jesus. But he was also furious with the Christians for caving in to the intimidation.* *His letter to the Galatians churches helps them, and us, recover the original freedom. It also gives direction in the nature of God's gift of freedom - most necessary guidance, for freedom is a delicate and subtle gift, easily perverted and often squandered.* *NOTE**: *Eugene Peterson was a seminary professor in an East-coast Presbyterian institution. His denominational leaders noted that Professor Peterson was gifted with a life-giving word. They were also aware that their churches were slipping into a lethargy and deadness. They challenged him to consider temporarily leaving his teaching profession, and taking one of their churches as minister - with the hope that new life could be breathed into it. Mr. Peterson took the challenge, and was appalled at the deadness and lethargy that he encountered. What could he do? He fell upon the idea of taking the book of Galatians, and rendering it into contemporary language. It produced such life-giving results, that he did this for the entire New Testament, and taught it in this format to the congregation. The Navigators were enthused over the life-giving results that they too experienced in its use, and challenged Professor Peterson to do the same for the entire Old Testament. He temporarily withstood their challenge, but finally agreed, and produced the entire Bible in ?The Message? format. The Preface to Galatians above shows how powerfully and effective is this translation. It was introduced to me by a friend in the early 2000's, and I too have been blessed and motivated by it. Back in the mid 1960's Ken Peterson attended our church in Seattle, the Broadway Tabernacle. Through his mother he invited me to the Montana area near Flathead Lake to hold meetings. We later found out that Ken and Eugene are brothers. I am sure that all of you who dip into ?The Message? - will find it a life-imparting experience both for yourself and those you minister to. - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Apr 30 18:30:37 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:30:37 -0700 Subject: God's Personal Commissions to me Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* April 30, 2012 *2012-04-29 - Vashon Island - Frank Davis - Overview of the Word of Lord* *for the last 70 years from 1942* *- 1933 - Spring - Langley BC - Romans 1:20 - Gospel in Creation - the Heavens* *- G.R. Gordon - The Lily Series, monthly for 4 years + Intra Muros* *- A Gospel Seed planted* *- United Church of Canada - The Canadian Boy S.S. take home paper - The Puzzle Corner* *4 years of 52 weeks each - 4 Bible verses to find - for 4 books* *- 1942 - Fall - Psalm 07:23-24 - Join the Navy and I'll reveal myself to you. - This was one month before Ivan Panin died in December. God arranged for me to be in the Navy where He planned to reveal Himself to me, and then in July have a fellow Russian introduce Panin to me in 1944. Then in 1945 God hooked me on Panin's discovery of the Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph paragraphing, which led me to outline the Book of Ephesians, and then volunteer to put together Panin's Greek and English texts in an Interlinear format, and outline it all. Now it is 2012 - 70 years following the death of Panin, and his life's desire to see his work in an Interlinear format will be printed! God is the Master Chess-player! And all we are pawns and pieces on his board so He can defeat Satan! It reminds me of how Daniel counted up the 70 years from Jeremiah's prophecy of Judah's captivity - and then prayed for their restoration! I guess what Daniel did for Judah, I am doing for Panin.* *- 1942 - Fall - Dr. Gerald B. Switzer - Prof. of Church History - Union College - U.C. of Canada* *series of 6 messages - ending with, ?Every young man ought to consider the ministry as a profession.?* *- God used it to get a commitment from me -* *- 1943 - July - RCNVR - HMCS Naden - read 100 books in the hope of finding God * *- Gordon Jary - witness of a backslider* *- 1944 - finally turned to the Bible for the first time seriously - Romans - Knew God's conditions - * *- finally yielded - prayed seriously for first time in life - 3rd time, knew He heard.* *- Go to Vern McMahon - former Communist chum - and tell him you can't go that way any more - you have made a decision to serve Me according to the Bible.* *- Did - born again - because fulfilled Romans 10:9-10 -* *- Read the Bible through in 6 weeks to see what I had got myself into.* *- Asked the Lord - ?Why out of 500 friends and acquaintances, have You revealed Yourself to me?? ?Because?, He said, ?I am going to restore my church with apostles and prophets, and if you are faithful, you may have part in this.?* *- Passover - full moon of Nisan 14* *- 7 books immediately dropped into my hands* *this year.* *- George Muller's ?Answers to Prayer?* *- Smith Wigglesworth's ?Ever Increasing Faith?* *- Dr. Charles S. Price - Golden Grain* *- H.A. Baker - ?Visions Beyond the Veil?* *- ?40 Years of Signs and Wonders in the Life of Mrs. Maria Woodworth-Etter? * *(#3 Word of the Lord - ?In the not too distant future, you will see the Heavenly Choir restored.?* *- ?Herald of His Coming? - ?Household Salvation? by J.A. MacMillan* *- July - Dr. Jewel from Calgary Alberta - Russian Jew - ?I will teach you Greek, if you will study the works of the great Ivan Panin? - 2 pamphlets with some 20 books ?by? or ?on? Panin.* *- July - baptized in Holy Spirit* *- Used a naval leave to go to Port Alberni, and from Mrs. Mary Bertha Allquist learned the spiritual significance of the Urim and Thummim through Proverbs 6:20-22 - plus the significance of the 7 feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23.* *- 1945 - August - Word of the Lord from HMCS Cornwallis, Digby, Nova Scotia - after I made a bike right - ?Write George R. Hawtin, Bethel Bible Institute, Saskatoon, and apply as a student.?* *- October - preached following naval discharge at Port Alberni - Man I made bike right with - present - and had led my father to the Lord on his death bed - visited him every night of his last 30 days.* *- Saskatoon - BBI - ordered the 20 Panin books, and uncovered Panin's Bible Numeric discovery of the original Greek text, plus its sentence, paragraph and section structure - also on Numerics.* *- 1946, February 12, Word of Lord came to me at 3:00 AM - ?Ask Me for your family in salvation - and I will give them to you.? I jumped out of bed on a cold cement floor - 38 degrees below zero outside, and quickly said - ?My father, my mother and my brother.? ?You've got them,? was the answer, so I jumped back into bed, and all three marvelously came into the Kingdom in their respective times.* *- Also - same time - Word of the Lord - ?He came as a burning, flamingfire to dwell in the heart of His people.? I thought it was a verse from the Scripture, but faculty members of the Institute said, Not so! But it is an entirely scriptural word of the Spirit. I have claimed it, and walk in it.* *- 1947 - Jock Davidson - showed me how to win scholarships by: proper note taking; proper outlining of texts; how to write essay type tests; how to write term papers* *- I applied this to outlining the Book of Ephesians - and was so impressed that I made a commitment to make an Outlined Interlinear NT based on Panin's 2 texts.* *- 4 members of the male quartet from the IVCF chapter of the University of Saskatchewan volunteered to purchase this when completed.* *- 1948 - Feb. 12 - God's Visitation at Sharon Orphanage and Schools at North Battleford, Saskatchewan (formerly BBI of Saskatoon). Ern Hawtin in April came to Saskatoon to report on this Visitation.* *- June 30 - offered my self with the ?Gift of Singleness? for missionary work in a N. Africa Muslim country. God again spoke, ?But if I could link you with one that together you could count more in My Kingdom that either of you could alone, would you consider that?? I agreed, and within days received a letter from Marie Gaudet informing me that she was reading the Bible 8 and 12 hours a day! She came to the July '48 Camp Meeting at North Battleford, plus the 6 weeks of meetings in Vancouver BC with the Hawtin party - made a decision for Christ, and was baptized in the Spirit. We were married December 27 of that year, and had our first date on our honeymoon.* *- I was invited to be one of the 7 elders for the July Camp Meeting of that year at North Battleford.* *1949 - Because some problems started to come into this fellowship, in April of '49 Marie and I left Regina, Saskatchewan for the USA and Minnesota.* *- In September God led us to the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago, where I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree, and completed 5 years of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, enabling me to complete the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?.* *- 1951 - God visited NBTS with a Visitation through Wheaton College, which had originated in Seattle at King's Garden. 1000 souls were saved within weeks, revival for 100 churches led by student pastors.* *- 1952 - Attended a Wm. Branham meeting in Hammond, Indiana, and God granted us our first son as a result.* *- 1955 - Samuel B. Doctorian from Beirut, Lebanon came to our church in Chicago, and brought a visitation from the Lord.* *- 1958 ?Dutchie? Booth from Bogalusa, Louisiana came to our Baptist church in Chicago, and initiated a move for the next 9 months that brought 100 souls to the Lord* *- 1959 February - went to Round Lake, Illinois to the First Baptist Church for 4 years. Saw it grow from 30 to 200. Then in June of '62 - ?You have been faithful for the past 18 years. Resign as pastor from this church and move to the West Coast. I am about to lay the foundation for what I promised you in 1944.?* *- 1963 - Wrote the ?Through the Bible in a Year? reading guide.* *- 1964 - Derek Prince asked if I would consider taking his place at the Broadway Tabernacle of Seattle, as he had to return to England. It was a church in trouble because of the predecessors of Dr. Prince. I hesitated because of its reputation - but received this word, ?Look at it this way - My name is already associated with the church. If you give your name to lift My name - in the long run you will not suffer.? For His sake I did so. That August Nicholas Bhengu of South Africa spoke for us. He had a word of the Lord for us. God had chosen this church to bring a visitation to the Seattle Metroplex. This took place in 7 years, and we thankfully stood on that word until its fulfillment. * *- 1967, Feb 12, two visions in answer to prayer. The Organic Laser Telescope with 7 Component parts, the chief being Ivan Panin's Outlined Interlinear NT. The second - Elderships of 8 in 70 of the leading cities of Canada - and the same for the USA, with ?hands across the border? in support from the US when they were unable to visit countries open to Canada. * *- ?Get My NT done!? (Not mine - not Panin's - but God's!)* *- dream - my father - In light of a very fruitful garden harvest in Port Alberni - ?Whatever you want to do with all your heart, you will alwaysaccomplish!? * *- 1968 - Fred Dorflein of the FGBMF permitted me to challenge 200 pastors at their conference: to meet each Wednesday morning at 7:00 AM until God visited our city. 12 responded: Dennis Bennett with 2 associates; Joseph Fulton with 2 associates; a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Assembly of God and myself from an Independent Church. * *- 1971 - Dennis Bennett, now the chairman of a group of some 30, challenged us to host 50 apostolic teachers across the continent for a week of closed session meetings morning and afternoon, plus a Round Robin evening type of meetings with 5 churches. 30 responded to the invitation, all their needs were met, and 50,000 met during the week at the evening meetings, with some 1000 saved, healed and other needs met. The closed session meetings solved many problems. Both Seattle daily newspapers gave wonderful coverage, and deferred to Dennis Bennett in what they printed. This was repeated in 1972. But after the resignation of Dennis Bennett, the spirit he engendered was sabotaged by his successor, and God in sorrow lifted His Spirit in 1973.* *- 1973 - I became associate pastor with Ern Baxter of the Surrey Christian Centre in BC. The Greek Word Study format that came on March 18, 1967, we used to produce some 4000 MS pages of these for Pastor Baxter. He carried them around the world with him.* *- 1982 - first Wednesday in August. Jack Hayford visited the First Baptist Church of Arcata, California, and presented ?Clan Salvation.? From this - untold blessing has come.* *- 1987 - Wetaskiwin, Alberta - Hobbema - Nick Adams - 1st Wednesday in August - God revealed the cause of a 10 year unseasonal rain both seed-time and harvest. Farmers were having their farms taken over. Once revealed, we approached the ?5 nations? of Hobbema - they worked with us in prayer on the first Wednesday of September. God answered. No rain until December 11th. For the first time in 10 years every farmer harvested his crops, prepared the soil for spring seeding, and repaired fences etc. It was the talk of meteorologists across Canada.* *- 1987 - September, Hawaii, Daniel Kikawa picked up from the challenge of Wetaskiwin, wrote ?Perpetuated in Righteousness? plus a follow-up - and has seen a visitation in his State.* *- 1990 - February - Beth Simcha - learned of the danger of ?Replacement Theology?.* *- 1992 - June 6, at Zion Gate - ?This day my decree has gone forth from My Throne - In the next 5 years time will speed up from your vantage point. That you may know this is My Word - check the last verses of Ezekiel 12.? On that day, Christian Pentecost fell on the same day as Jewish Shavuot - plus it was the 25th anniversary of the fall of Jerusalem back into the hands of Israel because of the ?6 Day War.?* *- July of '92 - ?Take the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles from 1948 and link them with the 12 tribes of Israel. Believe to see them brought to maturity. They will be parameters of safety preceding the last Visitation before the Return of My Son.? (See our Website under ?Embryonics?.)* *- 1995 - July 1 - the 128th Anniversary of the Independence of Canada through the BNA. 37 nations met at Whistler, BC, 2200 delegates. That day some 20 tribes of First Nations People met under the leadership of Freda Cooper, granddaughter of the great Coast Salish chief. She first led some 60 of her people in making vertical repentance and reconciliation with God, and then representatives from Great Britain, Canada and the US apologized and asked forgiveness from them for the broken covenants by white immigrants. David Mainse said it was the most outstanding day of his life to witness this.* *- 1998 - Richard Long of Ottawa challenged me to write up the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles that came together in 1948, 50 years previously.* *- 2000 - I did so, and my oldest son Jim generously made a Website for me to handle the many requests that came in.* *- 2007 - My grandson Keelan updated my Website to receive the Outlined Interlinear NT.* *- 2009 - On October 31st, we formed a ?Pilot Prayer Team? in the light of the second vision in 1967. The goal was to see the Laser-Telescope with its 7 component parts start to function in the Lord's hands to produce the ?Spiritual Star Wars? effect. Within months we saw a miraculous demonstration of this.* *- 2010 - Elvin Gladney in January contacted our Printer, and shared the vision - that the Outlined Interlinear NT is not an end in itself, but the chief component part of 7 to produce the Organic Laser- Telescope. Timothy Johnson picked up on this, and offered to print it. However, God promoted Elvin to be with him in August of 2011. Jim Ray has taken over as leader of the Pilot Prayer Team, and coordinator to work with a core team for the accomplishment of this vision. On February 12, 2012, the core team met in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a Conference. The first 200 copies of the Gospels of the Outlined Interlinear NT were made available, and were all sold within an hour. The complete NT will be ready for printing before summer.* *INSIGHTS**: The 1948 Visitation at North Battleford with its 12 Embryonic Revival Principles, - linked with the 1967 Feb. 12 vision of the Organic Laser-Telescope, of which the Outlined Interlinear NT is the chief component part - plus the Table of Bread in the Tabernacle with the 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of Israel - is lined up with the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles. It does seem that God in 2012, the 64**thanniversary of the '48 visitation - and the 70 th anniversary of Ivan Panin's Home-going - is causing all of these to come together for some purpose of His own, which could most possibly come to pass before this year is over. * A friend of mine invited me to his church on Vashon Island - to share. I suggested that my wife Marie and I share on ?Clan & Household Salvation?. However - he felt it would be more profitable for his people if I shared out of my experience with God's dealings with me in various commissions during the last 68 years. As I prayed concerning this change, confirmation came through a member of our PPT (Pilot Prayer Team) - that this would be in line with what I previously shared in Gig Harbor. So as I shared on the key underlined portions of God's dealings in the past; we sensed God's blessings on this presentation. Then our PPT member confirmed the importance of this, by testifying how the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? has led him into more effective ?Meditation?, bringing him into a more practical ?Intimacy with God?. I previously sent these notes out to a few selected friends. This morning I sensed it could be a help to send them out to our general mailing. No doubt each one of us could produce a parallel listing of God's dealing with us individually through our lifetime. - *Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed May 2 13:11:43 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 2 May 2012 13:11:43 -0700 Subject: Pull the Plug on Porn Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 2, 2012 *2012-05-02 - The PORN EPIDEMIC - How To Break Free* *PULL THE PLUG on PORN** - J. Lee Grady* *(Forwarded by Andrew Strom - Revival List* *YES! - You have permission to post these emails to friends or other groups, boards, etc. -* *unless there is a copyright notice which says differently)* *If you or someone you love is struggling with a porn addiction, take these steps to freedom.* *At a men's conference I sponsored last weekend in Philadelphia, some of my friends took the stage and got gut-level honest about their temptations. I was so proud of their courage. Shay, a young father from Ohio, admitted that he was exposed to hard-core pornography when he was only five years old. He began modeling what he saw in X-rated videos when he was just six.* *Another guy from Pennsylvania told the men in the audience that he began watching porn when he was a preteen - and this led him to sex with dozens of girls in high school. Until recently this man still battled the shame of this porn habit even though he was a lay leader in his church.* ?*It's not enough to whisper a quiet prayer under your breath. To break free from a life-controlling habit as powerful as porn, you must talk to someone else. And you should do it sooner, not later.?* *Jason, a youth pastor in northwestern Pennsylvania, preached to the men on Friday night about how to reclaim purity in our sex-saturated culture. Like so many of the guys in our conference, Jason had been exposed to porn at a young age. His lust could not be satisfied by masturbation or kinkier videos, so his addiction drove him to seek out multiple girls for instant gratification. That's where porn leads.* *Thankfully all these guys eventually found Christ and discovered the grace to escape the porn trap. They are happily married today, and they've been freed from the shame of past failures. But I meet many Christian men who are not so fortunate. A huge percentage of men in church have given up trying to resist temptation.* *If you are one of those men (or women) who wears a fake smile when you go to church, pretending to be an ?overcomer? when you really are a prisoner of lust, then please consider taking these radical steps. (And if you know someone who is battling this monster, please consider forwarding this message to him or her.)* *1. Spill your guts. The first step toward repentance is honesty and it must be brutal. To repent means to turn 180 degrees, so this decision cannot be half-hearted. It's not enough to whisper a quiet prayer under your breath. To break free from a life-controlling habit as powerful as porn, you must talk to someone else. And you should do it sooner, not later. * *James 5:16 says, ?Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed? (NASB). I have prayed with many guys about their porn addictions, and they have testified that the power of their sin broke the moment they admitted it. Sit down with someone (preferably a more mature Christian you know and trust) and put all your cards on the table. If you humble yourself, God will give you grace to change.* *2. Get ruthless. Sin is deceitful. It loves to make up excuses such as, ?No one knows about your habit, so it's not hurting anyone,? ?I deserve this little treat? or ?I can play with fire and not get burned.? Don't believe the lies. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup, and many men today forfeit their relationship with God by compromising with porn.* *You can't break free from sexual sin by slowly backing away from it or taming it like a pet. The Bible tells us to ?flee? from immorality (2 Timothy 2:22). You must lay the axe to the root of your problem. Cut off all access to porn. Say goodbye and slam the door in its face. And it you can't stop looking at it in your phone or computer, get rid of your phone and computer.* *3. Keep no secrets. Guys addicted to porn struggle with constant shame. They can't enjoy prayer or worship because they feel condemned. They can't share their faith with others because they feel like hypocrites. And many Christian men are so full of guilt they turn to alcohol or drugs to numb their pain.* *It is not enough to confess your sin to a brother once. You must stay in relationship with people who love you enough to confront you. Find one or two accountability partners and make a covenant with them to live transparently. And don't wait until you fall to call for counsel. Contact them whenever you feel tempted. Send up a flare and ask for help before it's too late.* *4. Refocus your life on others. Lust is ultimately about self-gratification. When a young man gets hooked on porn, he can't grow up emotionally. This is why some adult men in their 50's and 60's act like 13-year-olds when it comes to sex. They are stuck in perpetual puberty.* *You will never break free from bondage of sexual sin simply by gritting your teeth and trying to forget the images you saw in magazines or videos. You must totally redirect your energies toward serving others: your spouse, your children, your church and the needy people around you. Throw yourself into selfless ministry and starve your illegal urges.* *5. Stay filled with the Spirit. None of these previous steps are possible without the Holy Spirit, who is our promised Helper (see John 14:16). Self-help is not the answer. Ask the Spirit to fill your life with His refining fire. He will go to the root of your unholy desires, burn up your lust and give you supernatural ability to resist temptation.* *NOTE**: K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Sweetie. - There are many books and articles available along this line to help - but **this one is simple, short, and can be extremely effective. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri May 4 14:37:17 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 4 May 2012 14:37:17 -0700 Subject: Acts 2:1-21 Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 4, 2012 *(From: ACTS #3 - 2:1-21)* II. 2:1-47 THE THEOLOGY OF PENTECOST 1. 2:1-4 THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER FULFILLED a. 2:1* And when the day of :Pentecost was being fulfilled, * Kai en t*o* sun-pl*e*ROUSthai t*e*n h*e*MEran t*e*s pen-t*e*-koST*E*S [4005] , *all were together in the one **place**. ** * *E*san PANtes hoMOU ePI to auTO. b. 2:2 ACCOMPANIMENTS OFTHE SPIRIT *And suddenly a sound came from :heaven as of a mighty wind rushing,* kai eGEne-to APHn*o* ek tou ou-raNOU *E*chos H*O*Sper phe-roMEn*e*s pno*E*S biAIas, *and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.* kai ePL*E*r*o*-sen [4127] HOlon ton OIkon hou *E*san kaTH*E*me-noi [2521]. c. 2:3 FIRE OF THE SPIRIT *And tongues as if of fire being distributed appeared to them;* kai *O*PHth*e*-san [3700] auTOIS di-a-me-riZOme-nai [1266] GL*O*Ssai h*o*SEI puROS [2523]; *and it sat upon each of them. ** *kai eKAthi-sen eph' HEna HEka-ston auT*O* N. d. 2:4 ALL FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT *And all were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues,* kai ePL*E*Sth*e*-san PANtes PNEUma-tos HaGIou, kai *E*Rxan-to laLEIN heTErais GL*O*Ssais, *as the Spirit gave them utterance.* kaTH*O*S to PNEUma eDIdou a-pophTHEGges-thai [659] auTOIS. 2. 2:5-13 MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT: A SIGN TO UNBELIEVERS a. 2:5 MANIFESTATION: ITS FIRST SETTING *Now in Jerusalem were dwelling Jews, devout men,* *E*san de en Ie-rou-saL*E*M ka-toiKOUNtes [2730] IouDAIoi, ANdres eu-laBEIS [2126], *from every nation, those under :heaven.* aPO panTOS ETHnous [1484], t*o*n aPO ton ou-raNON. b. 2:6 THE MULTITUDE COME TOGETHER *And when this :voice was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded,* ge-noMEn*e*s de t*e*s ph*o*N*E*S TAUt*e*s, suN*E*Lthe to PL*E*thos [4128], kai su-neCHUth*e* [4797], *because each heard them speaking in his own :language.* HOti *E*kou-sen heis HEka-stos t*e* iDIa di-aLEKt*o* [1258] laLOUNt*o*n auT* O*N. c. 2:7 MANIFESTATION: A CAUSE OF AMAZEMENT AND MARVELING *And they were amazed and marveled, saying,* eXIstan-to [1839] de kai eTHAUma-zon [2296], LEgon-tes, *Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans?* OuCHI iDOU, PANtes HOU-TOI ei-sin hoi laLOUNtes Ga-liLAIoi? d. 2:8-11 MANIFESTATION: A SIGN TO ALL NATIONS *And how do we hear, each in our own :language in which we were born?* kai p*o*s h*e*MEIS aKOUo-men, HEka-stos t*e* iDIa di-aLEKt*o* h*e*M*O*N en h *e* e-genN*E*th*e*-men? 9* Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in :Mesopotamia,* PARthoi kai M*E*doi kai E-laMEItai, kai hoi ka-toiKOUNtes [2730] t*e*n Me-so-po-taMIan, *and Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and :Asia, *10* and Phrygia and Pamphylia, * IouDAIan te kai Kap-pa-doKIan, PONton kai t*e*n A-SIan, PhruGIan te kai Pam-phuLIan, *Egypt and the parts of :Libya :about Cyrene,* AIgup-ton kai ta MEr*e* [3313] t*e*s LiBU*e*s t*e*s kaTA KuR*E*n*e*n, *and :Roman sojourners, both Jews and proselytes, *11 *Cretans and Arabians, * kai hoi e-pi-d*e*MOUNtes 'R*o*MAIoi, IouDAI-OI te kai proS*E*lu-toi, KR*E*tes kai Ara-bes, *we hear them speak in our :tongues the mighty works of :God.* aKOUo-men laLOUNt*o*n auT*O*N tais h*e*-meTErais GL*O*Ssais ta me-gaLEIa [3167] tou TheOU. e. 2:12 * And all were amazed, and perplexed, saying one to another, * eXIstan-to de PANtes, kai di-*e*-poROUNto, ALlos pros ALlon LEgon-tes, *What does this mean? ** *Ti THElei TOUto EInai? f. 2:13* But others mocking said [that] They are filled with new wine.* HEte-roi de di-ach-leuAzon-tes Ele-gon [HOti] GLEUkous me-me-st*o*MEnoi [3325] eiSIN. 3. 2:14-21 GOD VINDICATES HIS PROPHETIC WORD a. 2:14 PETER'S ADDRESS *But :Peter, standing with the eleven,* StaTHEIS, de ho PEtros, sun tois ENde-ka, *lifted up his :voice, and spoke forth to them,* eP*E*ren t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N auTOU, kai a-pephTHEGxa-to auTOIS, *You** men of Judea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem,* ANdres IouDAIoi, kai hoi ka-toiKOUNtes Ie-rou-saL*E*M PANtes, *be this known to you, and give ear to my :words.* TOUto huMIN gn*o*STON [1097] ESt*o*, kai e-n*o*TIsas-the [1801] ta 'R*E*maTA [4487] mou. b. 2:15-18 QUOTATION FROM JOEL *For these are not drunken, as YOU suppose; * ou gar h*o*s huMEIS hu-po-lamBAne-te, HOUtoi meTHUou-sin; *for it is **the** third hour of the day; ** * EStin gar H*O*ra TRIt*e* t*e*s h*e*MEras; 16* but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:* alLA TOU-TO es-tin to ei-r*e*MEnon [2045] diA tou proPH*E*tou [4396] I*o*-*E *L: 17* And it shall be in the last days, says :God,* Kai EStai en tais esCHAtais [2078] h*e*MErais, LEgei ho TheOS, *I will pour forth of my :Spirit upon all flesh:* ek-che*O* [1632] aPO tou PNEUmaTOS [4151] mou ePI PAsan SARka [4561]: *And your :sons and your :daughters shall prophesy,* kai pro-ph*e*TEUsou-sin [4395] hoi huiOI huM*O*N kai hai thu-gaTEres [2364]huM *O*N, *And your young :men shall see visions,* kai hoi ne-aNIskoi [3495] huM*O*N hoRAseis [3706] Opson-tai [3700], *and your :elders shall dream dreams:* kai hoi presBUte-roi [4245] huM*O*N e-nupNIois [1798] e-nup-ni-asTH*E*son-tai [1797]: 18* Yes and on my :bondmen and on my :bondmaids in those :days* kai ge ePI tous DOUlous mou kai ePI tas DOUlas mou en tais h*e*MErais eKEInais *Will I pour forth of my :Spirit; and they shall prophesy.* ek-che*O* [1632] aPO tou PNEUmaTOS mou; kai pro-ph*e*TEUsou-sin [4395]. c. 2:19-21 SALVATION RIGHT UP TO TRIBULATION *And I will show wonders in :heaven above, And signs on :earth beneath;* kai D*O*s*o* [1325] TEra-ta [5059] en t*o* ou-raN*O* An*o*, kai s*e*MEIa [4592] ePI t*e*s g*e*s KAt*o*; *Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:* HAIma [129], kai pur [4442], kai atMIda [822] kapNOU [2586]: 20* The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood,* ho H*E*li-os me-ta-straPH*E*se-tai eis SKOtos, kai h*e* seL*E*n*e* [4582]eis HAIma [129], *b**efore the great and notable day of **the** Lord come:* prin elTHEIN h*e*MEran KuRIou t*e*n meGAl*e*n [3173] kai e-pi-phaN*E* [2016]: 21* And it shall be, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.* kai EStai, pas hos eAN e-pi-kaLEs*e*-tai [1941] to Ono-ma KuRIou s*o*TH*E*se-tai [4982]. *NOTE**: *The word ?Theology? comes from two Greek words signifying ?a * word* about *God*?. ?The Theology of Pentecost? is a phrase coined by Pastor Ern Baxter signifying, ?God's Word concerning the Feast of Pentecost, and the Promise of the Father fulfilled by the coming of the Holy Spirit to replace Jesus on earth, according to His promise to His disciples in John 13-17.? Pastor Baxter had a personal library of some 17,000 volumes, but his ?working library? consisted of some 1500 volumes, which he had mastered. When I stayed with him on occasion, he and Ruth set me up to sleep in his library. He usually cautioned me, ?Be sure to show respect to these volumes, and you may look into a volume or two that interest you.? The Greek Word Studies I developed primarily from the Bible Numeric phenomenon discovered by Ivan Panin, I made available to him. With the help of an assistant, we produced some 4000 MS pages of the major NT Greek words, which he carted around the world on his travels. He often asked, ?Do you happen to have a Greek Word Study on ?righteousness? (di-kai-oSUn*e*), which being interpreted meant, ?Could you have it ready for me yesterday?? I served as Mr. Baxter's associate for 3 years in Surrey, British Columbia, and to the time of his home-going in 1993 from the time we developed a close friendship in 1948 through the North Battleford Visitation, we maintained this relationship. ?The Theology of Pentecost? was one of Pastor Baxter's chief interests, and in this and other of his interests, I profited much. He developed a diagram on God's *covenant* - our relationship to Him as individuals through this; and subsequently our relationship with one another. He put God at the apex of a triangle, and illustrated how He offers His covenant (di-aTH*E*k*e*) to us as individuals. We can accept or reject His offer, but we *cannot* modify it. Once we accept, we can advance to a thousand-fold fruitfulness through Him. But when we link *horizontally*with a fellow believer (SUNth *e*-k*e*), *Prayer Multiplication* kicks in, and we become 10,000-fold (Deuteronomy 32:30). Through Zechariah 12:8 we can further advance to a million-fold each, and 4 couples can reach a billion-fold effectiveness. * This* is when with six other component parts, ?Spiritual Star Wars? through an ?organic automated Laser-Telescope? kicks in! So - of the 7 component parts of this revelation, Pastor Baxter contributed to the understanding of the 3rd component part. 2:1-4 - In the understanding of ?The Theology of Pentecost?, the Promise of the Father mentioned in Acts 1:4 - *here* finds fulfillment. 2:5-13 - reveals how God uses ?Signs Following? (Mark 16:17-20) to alert the attention of unbelievers, and many times ushers them into the Kingdom of God. 2:14-21. Here Peter weaves a prophetic picture of how the Feast of Pentecost has a distinct relationship with the events right up to the last days preceding the Return of our Lord Jesus. Oswald Chambers was a great believer in maintaining a constant daily, hourly and even momentarily focus on Jesus, through whom the Holy Spirit comes. For *He* is the *baptizer* in the Holy Spirit. Not only are we filled with the Spirit through this baptism, but, like a bottle in a sink of water - we are *immersed* in the Spirit. Dr. J. Edwin Orr made much of this analogy. He also talked of the 3 baptizers and the 3 elements. When we are ?saved?, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ. Then the preacher baptizes us into water, a symbol of this. Finally, Jesus baptizes us into the Holy Spirit. No finer book than ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb in chapter 5 and 31, simplifies and clarifies this - the true ?Theology of Pentecost?. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat May 5 09:30:40 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 5 May 2012 09:30:40 -0700 Subject: Acts 11:27-12:25 Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 5, 2012 *(From: ACTS #20 - 11:27-12:25)* XIV. 11:27-12:25 SUPERNATURAL GUIDANCE AND INCREASE OF THE CHURCH A. 11:27-30 SPIRIT LEADS IN FAMINE RELIEF a. 11:27* Now in these :days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.* En TAUtais de tais h*e*MErais kaTH*E*Lthon aPO Ie-ro-soLUm*o*n proPH*E*tai eis An-tiOchei-an. b. 11:28 AGABUS ACCURATELY PREDICTS FAMINE *And one of them Agabus by name stood up and signified by the Spirit * a-naSTAS de heis ex auT*O*N aNOma-ti Aga-bos eS*E*mai-nen diA tou PNEUma-tos *that a great famine ** * liMON meGAl*e*n *would be over all the inhabited earth: which came to pass in the days of Claudius.* MELlein Eses-thai eph' HOl*e*n t*e*n oi-kouMEn*e*n [3625]: H*E*tis eGEne-to ePI KlauDIou c. 11:29-30 CHURCH ACTS ON WORD OF THE SPIRIT *And the disciples, every one of them according to his ability,* t*o*n de ma-th*e*T*O*N, kaTH*O*S eu-poREI-TO tis H*O*ri-san [3724], HEka-stos auT*O*N, *determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in :Judea:* eis di-a-koNIan [1248] PEMpsai ka-toiKOUsin en t*e* IouDAIa a-delPHOIS: 30* which also they did, *ho kai ePOI*e*-san, *sending it unto the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.* a-poSTEIlan-tes pros tous pres-buTErous diA cheiROS BarNAba kai SAUlou. B. 12:1-23 TWO SUPERNATURAL CONTRASTING EVENTS 1. 12:1-19 A SUPERNATURAL DELIVERANCE a. 12:1 HEROD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH *Now about that :season Herod the king* Kat' eKEInon de ton kaiRON ePEba-len H*e*R*O*d*e*s ho ba-siLEUS *put forth his :hands to harm certain :of the church.* tas CHEIras kaK*O*-SAI [2559] ti-nas t*o*n aPO t*e*s ek-kl*e*SIas. b. 12:2 * And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.* aNEIlen [337] de IA-k*o*-bon ton a-delPHON I*o*Anou maCHAIr*e* [3162]. c. 12:3a* And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.* iD*O*N de HOti a-reSTON es-tin tois IouDAIois, proSEthe-to sul-laBEIN kai PEtron. d. 12:3b * And those were the days of the unleavened loaves.* *E*san de h*e*MErai t*o*n aZUm*o*n [105]. e. 12:4 HEROD IMPRISONS PETER *And when he had taken him, he put him in prison,* hon kai piAsas [4084], Ethe-to eis phu-laK*E*N [5438], *and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him;* pa-raDOUS TESsar-sin te-traDIois stra-ti-*o*T*O*N [4757] phuLASsein [5442]auTON; *intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.* bouLOme-nos [1014] meTA to PAScha [3957] a-na-gaGEIN auTON t*o* la*O*. f. 12:5 THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR PETER *:Peter therefore was kept in the prison:* ho men oun PEtros e-t*e*REIto en t*e* phu-laK*E*: *but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto :God for him.* pro-seuCH*E* de *e*n ek-teN*O*S gi-noMEn*e* huPO t*e*s ek-kl*e*SIas pros ton TheON peRI auTOU. g. 12:6 THE STATE OF PETER IN PRISON *And when :Herod was about to bring him forth,* HOte de *E*mel-len pro-sa-gaGEIN [4254] auTON ho H*e*R*O*d*e*s, *on that :night :Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,* t*e* nukTI eKEIn*e* *e*n ho PEtros koiM*O*me-nos [2837] me-taXU DUo stra-ti- *o*T*O*N, *bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison.* de-deMEnos haLUse-sin duSIN: PHUlaKES [5441] te pro t*e*s THUras eT*E*roun t *e*n phu-laK*E*N. h. 12:7a THE LORD'S ANGEL ROUSES PETER *And, lo, the Lord's angel stood by him, and a light shined in the cell:* kai, iDOU, AGge-los KuRIou ePEst*e*, kai ph*o*s Elam-psen en t*o* oiK*E* ma-ti: *and he struck :Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly.* paTAxas de t*e*n pleuRAN tou PEtrou, *E*gei-ren auTON, LEg*o*n, A-NAsta en TAchei [5034]. i. 12:7b * And his :chains fell off from his :hands.* kai eXEpe-san [1601] auTOU hai haLUseis ek t*o*n cheiR*O*N. j. 12:8a * And the angel said unto him, Gird yourself, and bind on your :sandals.* EIpen de ho AGge-los pros auTON, Z*O*sai [4024], kai huPOd*e*sai [5265] ta sanDAliA [4547] sou. k. 12:8b* And he did so. ** *ePOI*e*sen de HOUt*o*s. l. 12:8c* And he says to him, Throw your :garment about you, and follow me. * kai LEgei auT*O*, Pe-ri-baLOU [4015] to hiMAtiON [2440] sou, kai a-koLOUthei [190] moi. m. 12:9 PETER OBEYS AS IN A VISION *And he went out, and followed; and he knew not* kai e-xelTH*O*N, *e*-koLOUthei; kai ouk *E*dei *that what was done through the angel was true, but thought he saw a vision. * HOti a-l*e*THES es-tin to giNOme-non diA tou agGElou, eDOkei de HOra-ma BLEpein. n. 12:10 THE ANGEL LEADS PETER OUT OF PRISON AND DEPARTS *And when they were past the first and second guard,* di-elTHONtes de PR*O*t*e*n phu-laK*E*N [5438] kai deuTEran, *they came unto the iron :gate that leads into the city;* *E*Lthan ePI t*e*n PUl*e*n [4439] t*e*n si-d*e*RAN [4503] t*e*n PHErou-san eis t*e*n POlin; *which opened to them of its own accord: *H*E*tis au-toMAt*e* *e*NOIg*e* [455] auTOIS: *and they went out, and went on through one street;* kai e-xelTHONtes, pro*E*Lthon 'RUm*e*n [4505] MIan; *and straightway the angel departed from him.* kai euTHE*o*s aPEst*e* ho AGge-los ap' auTOU. o. 12:11 PETER REALIZES THE LORD'S DELIVERANCE *And when :Peter was come to himself, he said,* kai ho PEtros en he-auT*E* geNOme-nos, EIpen, *Now I know truly, that the Lord has sent forth his :angel* Nun OIda a-l*e*TH*O*S, HOti e-xaPEstei-len ho KUri-ou ton AGge-lon auTOU *and delivered me *kai eXEIlaTO [1807] me *out of Herod's hand and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. * ek cheiROS H*e*R*O*dou kai PAs*e*s t*e*s pros-doKIas [4329] tou laOU t*o*n IouDAI*o*n. p. 12:12 PETER GOES TO JOHN MARK'S HOME *And when he had considered, he came to the house* su-niD*O*N [4894] te, *E*Lthen ePI t*e*n oiKIan *of :Mary the mother of John :surnamed Mark;* t*e*s MaRIas t*e*s m*e*TROS I*o*Anou tou e-pi-ka-louMEnou [1941] MARkou; *where many were gathered together and praying.* hou *E*san hi-kaNOI su-n*e*-throisMEnoi [4867] kai pro-seuCHOme-noi [4336]. q. 12:13 * And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, * KROUsan-tos de auTOU t*e*n THUran tou puL*O*nos, proS*E*Lthe paiDIsk*e*hu-paKOUsai, *Rhoda by name. ** * oNOma-ti 'ROd*e*. r. 12:14 RHODA ANNOUNCES PETER'S PRESENCE *And when she recognized the voice of Peter, she opened not the gate for :joy, * kai e-pigNOUsa t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N tou PEtrou, aPO t*e*s chaRAS ouk *E*noi-xen ton puL*O*na, *but ran in, ** * eis-draMOUsa de, *and** reported that :Peter stood before the gate.* aP*E*Ggei-len [518] heSTAnai ton PEtron pro tou puL*O*nos. s. 12:15a * And they said unto her, You are mad.* hoi de pros auT*E*N EIpan, MAIn*e* [3105]. t. 12:15b * But she was confidently affirming it to be so.* h*e* de di-i-schuRIze-to [1340] HOUt*o*s Echein. u. 12:15c * And they said, It is his :angel. ** *hoi d' Ele-gon, Ho AGge-los es-tin auTOU. v. 12:16 PETER CAUSES AMAZEMENT *But :Peter continued knocking: and when they opened, they saw him,* ho de PEtros ePEme-nen [1961] KROU*o*n: aNOIxan-tes de, EIdan auTON, *and were amazed. ** * kai eXEst*e*-san [1839]. w. 12:17a PETER RECOUNTS THE LORD'S DELIVERANCE *But he, beckoning with the hand to be silent,* ka-taSEIsas [2678] de auTOIS t*e* cheiRI siGAN [4601], *rehearsed to them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison.* di-*e*G*E*sa-to [1334] auTOIS p*o*s ho KUri-os auTON eX*E*ga-gen ek t*e*s phu-laK*E*S. x. 12:17b * And he said, Report these things to James, and to the brethren. * EIpen te, A-pagGEIla-te [518] IaK*O*b*o*, kai tois a-delPHOIS tauTA. y. 12:17c * And he departed, and went to another place.* kai e-xelTH*O*N, e-poREUth*e* eis HEte-ron TOpon. z. 12:18 * Now when day came, no small stir was among the soldiers, * Ge-noMEn*e*s de h*e*MEras, *e*n TAra-chos [5017] ouk oLIgos en tois stra-ti* O*tais *What HAS become **of** :Peter! ** * ti Ara ho PEtros eGEne-to! aa. 12:19a HEROD COMMANDS THE DEATH OF PETER'S GUARDS *And when Herod had sought for him and found him not,* H*e*R*O*d*e*s de e-pi-z*e*T*E*sas [1934] auTON kai m*e* heuR*O*N, *he examined the guards, and commanded that they be led away to death.* a-naKRInas [350] tous PHUla-kas, eKEleu-sen a-pachTH*E*nai [520]. bb. 12:19b * And he went down from :Judea to Caesarea, and tarried there.* kai ka-telTH*O*N aPO t*e*s IouDAIas eis t*e*n KaiSAri-an, diEtri-ben. 2. 12:20-23 JUDGMENT ON A PROUD PERSECUTOR a. 12:20 TYRE AND SIDON SEEK PEACE FROM HEROD *Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon:* *E*n de thu-mo-maCH*O*N [2371] TuRIois kai Si-d*o*NIois: *and they came with one accord unto him, and,* ho-mo-thu-maDON [3561] de paR*E*san pros auTON, kai, *having persuaded Blastus the chamberlain of the king, they asked for peace, * PEIsan-tes [3982] BLAston ton ePI tou koiT*O*nos [2846] tou ba-siLE*o*s, *e*TOUNto eiR*E*n*e*n, *because their :country was fed from the royal country.* diA to TREphes-thai [5142] auT*O*N t*e*n CH*O*ran [5561] aPO t*e*s ba-si-liK *E*S [935]. b. 12:21 HEROD ADDRESSES THOSE OF TYRE AND SIDON *And upon a set day :Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel,* takT*E* de h*e*MEra ho H*e*R*O*d*e*s en-duSAme-nos esTH*E*ta [2066]ba-si-liK *E*N [937], *and** sat on the throne, **and made an oration unto them.* kaTHIsas ePI tou B*E*ma-tos [968], e-d*e*-m*e*GOrei [1215] pros auTOUS. c. 12:22* And the people shouted, God's voice, and not man's.* ho de D*E*mos e-pePH*O*nei, THEou ph*o*N*E*, kai ouk anTHR*O*pou. d. 12:23 THE LORD'S ANGEL PUNISHES HEROD *And immediately the Lord's angel struck him,* pa-raCHR*E*ma [3916] de ePAta-xen [3960] auTON AGge-los KuRIou, *because he gave not :God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and he expired.* anth' h*o*n ouk Ed*o*-ken t*e*n DOxan t*o* The*O*: kai geNOme-nos sk*o*l*e* KObr*o*-tos, eXEpsu-xen. 3. 12:24 * But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied.* Ho de LOgos tou KuRIou *E*Uxa-nen [837] kai e-pl*e*THUne-to [4129]. C. 12:25 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: SERVANTS RETURN *And Barnabas and Saul returned* BarNAbas de kai SAUlos huPEstre-psan *when they had fulfilled their ministration Jerusalemward,* eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M pl*e*R*O*san-tes [4137] t*e*n di-a-koNIan [1248], *having taken along John :surnamed Mark.* sun-pa-ra-laBONtes [4838] I*o*An*e*n ton e-pi-kl*e*THENta MARkon. *NOTE**: (2010-03-11) - * These notes which accompany each mailing will be eliminated at the time of printing, but will appear on our Website. The ?Notes? are not inspired, and should not accompany the printing of the actual NT Interlinear text. Here is another of the reasons I believe the Lord is *not* leading for them to be printed along with the text. Let me illustrate this from my reading last night in ?Oswald chambers: Abandoned to God? by David McCasland, Discovery House Publishers, 1993, pp. 87-88: ?Chambers' crisis of full surrender to God in 1901 profoundly altered his life. Some time after the experience, he spoke of it in a letter to a friend: - 'You ask a question about the baptism of the Holy Spirit - did I get there all at once or easily? No, I did not. Pride and the possession of the high esteem of my many Christian friends kept me out for long enough. But immediately I was willing to sacrifice all and put myself on the Altar, which is Jesus Himself, all was begun and done. ?Holiness is not an attainment at all, it is the gift of God, and the pietistic tendency is the introspection which makes me worship my own earnestness and not take the Lord seriously at all. It is a pious fraud that suits the natural man immensely. *He* makes holy, *He* sanctifies, *He*does it all. All I have to do is come as a spiritual pauper, not ashamed to beg, to let go of my right to myself and act on Romans 12:1-2. It is never 'Do, do, and you'll be' with the Lord, but 'Be, be, and I will do through you.' It is a case of 'hands up' and letting go, and then entire reliance on Him.' ?During the next five and a half years at Dunoon, Chambers developed into a powerful and much sought after preacher. To his gift of unique and forceful expression he added *tact* and *compassion*, qualities evidently lacking in his earlier years. Duncan MacGregor's son Easdale, a close friend and keen observer of Chambers, notes that Oswald's earlier sermons 'seemed to create a fear of God, in the sense of terror, in his hearers rather than of confidence and love.' One request to the principal for a preacher from the college concluded with a prohibition against Oswald: 'Dinna send us young lang-haired swearin' parson!'? Yesterday I was reading from ?One Church Many Tribes? by Richard Twiss, published by Regal Books, 2000, excerpts from pp. 191-197 - ?In November 1996, in a remote part of the world, the sleepy and picturesque town of Rotorua, New Zealand, witnessed a turning point in modern Church history. The inaugural World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) signaled the emergence of indigenous people as a critical factor in God's purposes for nations. I heard and saw there the advent of a new song of reconciliation for the Church coming from indigenous people. Centuries of pain resulting from rejection by their colonial brethren had given birth to a word of *forgiveness* and *healing* for the Body of Christ. ?As I listened to the pain and observed the tears of grief and loss of indigenous people from generations of pain and rejection, one thing was evident: *There was a glaring absence of bitterness and resentment*. Any hearts that still questioned and harbored ill feelings were softened by deep-seated words of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing at the heart of what was said. ?Approximately 30 Native North Americans from the United States and Canada entered the sports center and slowly walked in a clockwise procession as a traditional-style grand entry, some wearing traditional regalia. We were accompanied by a David Ruis worship song entitled ?Let the River Flow,? sung in part in the Saulteax language. In single file we marched and danced around the interior of the arena until we reached the center aisle in the back. I then called my blond-haired, blue-eyed wife to my side and, hand in hand, we led the delegation to the front as we danced a traditional friendship dance. Many told us later that just the sight of us dancing in a traditional way, as a cross-cultural couple, was living proof that reconciliation is possible in Jesus Christ. As we all stood facing the audience, we could see many were crying and rejoicing before the Lord. ?A report reached us the next day that five Maori people, including one who had been in prison, prayed to receive Jesus Christ because they were so deeply touched by our entrance, our music and our dance. One Maori brother said he began weeping when we entered and could not stop for the next hour because of the presence of God and the beauty of the Lord he saw in us. Later, an Aboriginal man from Australia shared his joy with us: When he saw us dancing, he had joined us and danced in the traditional style of his own tribe. He said it was the first time he had felt the liberty to do so as a Christian. He was released, blessed and affirmed by the Lord as he danced. ?A White brother spoke of being acutely aware of the fact that the treasure of indigenous people generally continues to be excluded from the Church and that, as a result, the church rarely has the benefit of ?drinking from their wells.? The gathering made me realize more than ever before that this is a story the Church around the earth needs to hear and see.? The lack of bitterness at this conference of 2000 people from 32 countries and 100 nations - for past mistreatment - has produced a spirit of Jesus that is opening doors of Evangelism in a special way for our First Nations People. I am committed as an Anglo White person to stand with them until like the 12 tribes of Israel, they like Benjamin who was nearly lost as a tribe to Israel (last chapters of the Book of Judges), may take their world place as one of the 12 cultural groups of our earth. I want a deeper drinking from the wells of Oswald Chambers since 1901, and the World's Aboriginal peoples as manifested in 1996 in New Zealand. Then I trust that my ?NOTES? following these Interlinear mailings, may take on more of the spirit above. J.A.Watt *Addendum: The prophets of the OT, and John the Baptist and Jesus in the NT, prayed for those in office and authority; but at the same time spoke out openly and forcefully against abuses by those holding such office. A modern prophet and John the Baptist is Dr. David Barton, more of a historian than a Biblical speaker, but very famous for his knowledge of historical facts as well as Biblical truths.* *DR. DAVID BARTON - ON OBAMA* *Respect the Office? Yes. Respect the man in the Office? No, I am sorry to say.* *I have noted that many elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, called upon America to unite behind Obama. Well, I want to make it clear to all who will listen that I AM NOT uniting behind Obama!* *I will respect the Office which he holds, and I will acknowledge his abilities as an orator and wordsmith and pray for him. BUT that is it. I have begun today to see what I can do to make sure that he is a one-term President!* *Why am I doing this? it is because:* *- I do not share Obama's vision or value system for America;* *- I do not share his Abortion beliefs;* *- I do not share his radical Marxist's concept of re-distributing wealth;* *- I do not share his stated views on raising taxes on those who make $150,000+ (the ceiling has been changed three times since August);* *- I do not share his view that America is Arrogant;* *- I do not share his view that America is not a Christian Nation;* *- I do not share his view that the military should be reduced by 25%;* *- I do not share his view of amnesty and giving more to illegals than our American Citizens who need help;* *- I do not share his views on homosexuality and his definition of marriage; * *- I do not share his views that Radical Islam is our friend and Israel is our enemy who should give up any land;* *- I do not share his spiritual beliefs (at least the ones he has made public);* *- I do not share his Beliefs on how to re-work the healthcare system in America;* *- I do not share his Strategic views of the Middle East; and* *- I certainly do not share his plan to sit down with terrorist regimes such as Iran.* *Bottom line: my America is vastly different from Obama's, and I have a higher obligation to my Country and my GOD to do what is Right!* *For eight (8) years, the Liberals in our Society, led by numerous entertainers who would have no platform and no real credibility but for their celebrity status, have attacked President Bush, his family, and his spiritual beliefs!* *They have not moved toward the center in their beliefs and their philosophies, and they never came together nor compromised their personal beliefs for the betterment of our Country!* *They have portrayed my America as a land where everything is tolerated except being intolerant!* *They have been a vocal and irreverent minority for years!* *They have mocked and and attacked the very core values so important to the founding and growth of our Country!* *They have made every effort to remove the name of GOD or Jesus Christ from our Society!* *They have challenged capital punishment, the right to Bear firearms, and the most basic principles of our criminal code!* *They have attacked one of the most fundamental of all Freedoms, the right of free speech!* *Unite behind Obama? Never!!!* *I am sure many of you who read this think that I am going overboard; but I refuse to retreat one more inch in favor of those whom I believe are the embodiment of Evil! PRESIDENT BUSH made many mistakes during his Presidency, and I am not sure how history will judge him. However, I believe that he weighed his decisions in light of the long established Judeo-Christian principles of our Founding Fathers!!!* *Majority rules in America, and I will honor the concept; however, I will fight with all of my power to be a voice in opposition to Obama and his ?goals for America.?* *I am going to be a thorn in the side of those who, if left unchecked, will destroy our Country! Any more compromise is more defeat!* *I pray that the results of this election will wake up many who have sat on the sidelines and allowed the Socialist-Marxist anti-GOD crowd to slowly change so much of what has been good in America!* ?*Error of Opinion may be tolerated where Reason is left free to combat it.? - Thomas Jefferson* *GOD bless you and GOD bless our Country!!!* *Thanks for your time; be safe. **?**In GOD We Trust?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun May 6 15:51:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 6 May 2012 15:51:28 -0700 Subject: Acts 21:1-14 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 6, 2012 *(From: ACTS #35 - 21:1-14])* D. 21:1-14 LESSONS ON WARNINGS FROM THE SPIRIT 1. 21:1-6 WARNING OF THE SPIRIT a. 21:1-2 FROM MILETUS TOWARDS PHOENICIA *And when it came to pass that we were parted from them and had set sail,* H*o*s de eGEne-to a-nachTH*E*nai [321] h*e*MAS a-po-spasTHENtas [645] ap' auT*O*N, *we came with a straight course unto :Cos,* eu-thu-droM*E*san-tes [2113] *E*Ltho-men eis t*e*n K*o*, *and the next day unto :Rhodes, and from there unto Patara:* t*e* de heX*E*S eis t*e*n 'ROdon, ka' 'KEIthen eis PAta-ra: 2* and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, andset sail. * kai heuRONtes PLOIon [4143] di-a-peR*O*N [1276] eis PhoiNIk*e*n, e-piBANtes [1910], aN*E*CHth*e*-men. b. 21:3 PAST CYPRUS TO TYRE *And when we had sighted :Cyprus, and leaving it on the left,* a-naPHAnan-tes [398] de t*e*n KUpron, kai ka-ta-liPONtes [2641] auT*E*N eu*O *nu-mon [2176], *we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre;* ePLEo-men eis SuRIan, kai kaT*E*Ltho-men [2609] eis TUron; *for there the ship was to unload her :cargo.* eKEIse gar to PLOIon *e*n a-po-phor-tiZOme-non [670] ton GOmon [1117]. c. 21:4 PROPHETIC WARNING TO PAUL *And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days:* a-neuRONtes [429] de tous ma-th*e*TAS, e-peMEIna-men [19611 auTOU h*e*MEras hepTA: *and these told :Paul through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.* HOti-nes t*o* PAUl*o* Ele-gon diA tou PNEUma-tos, m*e* e-piBAInein [1910]eis Ie-roSOlu-ma. d. 21:5-6 FROM TYRE - BACK ABOARD SHIP *And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days,* HOte de eGEne-to h*e*MAS e-xarTIsai [1822] tas h*e*MEras, *we departed and went on; all, with wives and children,* e-xelTHONtes e-po-reuOme-tha [4198]; pro-pemPONt*o*n [4311] h*e*MAS PANt*o*n *bringing us on till out of the city:* sun gu-naiXI kai TEKnois, HE*o*s Ex*o* t*e*s POle*o*s: *and kneeling on the beach, *kai THENtes ta GOna-ta ePI ton ai-gi-aLON,* * *we prayed, *6* and bade each other farewell;* pro-seuXAme-noi, a-p*e*-spaSAme-tha alL*E*lous; *and we went on board :ship, but they returned :home.* kai eNEb*e*-men eis to PLOIon, eKEInoi de huPEstre-psan [5290] eis ta Idi-a. 2. 21:7-14 FOREWARNINGS - BUT STRENGTHENED TO DO GOD'S WILL a. 21:7 PAUL'S TEAM ARRIVES AT PTOLEMAIS *And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre,* H*e*MEIS de ton ploun [4144] di-aNUsan-tes [1274] aPO TUrou, *we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the brethren,* ka-t*e*nT*E*sa-men [2658] eis Pto-le-maIda; kai as-paSAme-noi [782] tous a-delPHOUS, *and** abode with them one day.* eMEIna-men h*e*MEran MIan par' auTOIS. b. 21:8 NEXT STEP: PHILIP'S HOME AT CAESAREA *And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea:* t*e* de ePAUri-on e-xelTHONtes, *E*Ltha-men eis KaiSAri-an: *and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist,* kai ei-selTHONtes eis ton OIkon PhiLIPpou tou eu-ag-ge-liSTOU [2099], *who was one of the seven, we abode with him.* ONtos ek t*o*n hepTA, eMEIna-men [3306] par' auT*O*. q* Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.* TOUt*o* de *E*san thu-gaTEres TESsa-res parTHEnoi [3933], pro-ph*e*TEUou-sai [4395]. d. 21:10 AGABUS FROM JUDEA *And as we tarried some days, * e-pi-meNONt*o*n de h*e*MEras PLEIous, *a certain prophet came down from Judea, Agabus by name.* kaT*E*L-THEN tis aPO t*e*s IouDAIas proPH*E*t*e*s, oNOma-ti Aga-bos. e. 21:11 MESSAGE OF AGABUS TO PAUL *And coming unto us, and taking the girdle of Paul,* kai elTH*O*N pros huMAS, kai Aras [142] t*e*n Z*O*n*e*n [2223] tou PAUlou, *he bound his own :feet and :hands, and said,* D*E*sas [1210] he-auTOU tous POdas kai tas CHEIras, EIpen, *These things says the Holy :Spirit, Thus shall the Jews* TAde LEgei to PNEUma to HAgi-on, Ton ANdra HOU es-tin h*e* Z*O*n*e* *at Jerusalem bind the man whose this :girdle is,* HAUt*e* HOUt*o*s D*E*sou-sin [1210] en Ie-rou-saL*E*M hoi IouDAIoi, *and shall deliver him into the hands of the nations.* kai pa-raD*O*sou-sin eis CHEIras ethN*O*N. f. 21:12 PAUL URGED NOT TO GO TO JERUSALEM *And when we heard these things, both we and they* h*o*s de *e*KOUsa-men TAUta, pa-re-kaLOUmen [3870] h*e*MEIS te kai hoi *of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.* enTOpi-oi tou m*e* a-naBAInein auTON eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M. g. 21:13 PAULS READINESS TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST'S SAKE *Then :Paul answered, *TOte a-peKRIth*e* ho PAUlos,* * *What do you do, weeping and breaking my :heart?* Ti poiEIte, KLAIon-tes kai sunTHRUPtonTES mou t*e*n karDIan? *for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem* eG*O* gar ou MOnon deTH*E*nai [1210], alLA kai a-po-thaNEIN [599] eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M *for the name of the Lord Jesus.* heTOIm*o*s Ech*o* huPER tou oNOma-tos tou KuRIou I*e*SOU. h. 21:14 PAUL'S FRIENDS LEAVE HIM TO HIS WILL *And when he would not be persuaded, *m*e* pei-thoMEnou de auTOU, *we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.* h*e*-suCHAsa-men, eiPONtes, Tou KuRIou to THEl*e*ma giNESth*o*. *NOTE**: *21:9 - The four daughters of Philip prophesied (pro-ph*e*TEUou-sai), which would correspond with the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. But this would *not* place them in the *office* of prophet, as in Ephesians 4:11-12. The feminine equivalent form is #4398 proPH*E*tis, but Philip's 4 daughters are *not* in this category. 21:10-14 - Paul in the past mentioned that in city after city prophecies came forth of bonds that awaited him in Jerusalem. This was confirmed in Tyre (21:4). But Agabus in the latter part of this reading, like Ezekiel of old, acted out what would happen to Paul should he go up to Jerusalem. It is important to note here how Paul lived out these prophecies - he did * not* let them distract him from what *he* believed was the Lord's *guidance*at this time for his life. Were the prophecies true? Absolutely. But from Paul's viewpoint, they were *not* to take precedence over the more important guidance from God. There are believers today who will go a thousand miles to get a word from the Lord. But - do they know how to get * direct* guidance from Him, that supersedes prophetic words and revelation? This is a serious situation. Fully committed disciples like Paul - do not live on the level of prophetic guidance from others, even though authentic. They have so progressed into the Lord like Oswald Chambers, George Muller and Rees Howells - that *their* guidance is a direct word from the Lord. Does one often hear this distinction made today? Confirmation to Paul in the above - can be found in the life of Elisha when his mentor Elijah was about to be taken from him (2 King 2:3) - *?And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Do you know that Jehovah will take away your master from your head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.? *This happened again with the prophets from Jericho 2 verses later. Elisha did not need confirmation from the gift of prophecy. As a prophet, he like Paul had direct guidance from the Lord. We need to ?come up higher?, and not live in the realm of depending upon gifts of the Spirit for guidance. They can be true words as to what is about to happen should we follow a certain course - but *not* the personal word and guidance of the Lord for us. Many are confused over this passage with Paul, Agabus and the other prophets. Perhaps these words will help some to sort out the above, lead them to ?move to higher ground? like Paul and Elisha, and *not miss* the * true* guidance of the Lord. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon May 7 11:40:25 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 7 May 2012 11:40:25 -0700 Subject: Urgent Prayer Request Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 7, 2012 *2012-05-07 - AN URGENT PRAYER REQUEST* *Re the Manuscript for Printing of the ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? by Pentecost* *in the light of so many Satanic attacks.* *(A word of explanation re Panin's book order -* ?*God allowed Ivan Panin to discover ?Bible Numerics?* *to uncover the original Greek text of the New Testament;* *plus the sentence, subdivision, paragraph and section structure;* *plus the author of each New Testament book;* *and even the book order - of each New Testament book!?)* *Ivan Panin died in December of 1942, 70 years ago. One month before he died, God spoke to me for the first time at the age of 18 - to join the Canadian Navy, where He would reveal Himself to me. He did this at Passover in 1944 in Victoria B.C., and in July laid on me the works of Ivan Pan through a Russian Jew, Dr. Jewel of Calgary, Alberta.* *On the basis of Dr. Jewel's gift of 2 pamphlets on Panin, I ordered all the books listed there either ?by? or ?on? Panin. When I discovered the unique sentence, subdivision, paragraph and section structure of each of the 27 NT books, and the insight that came upon outlining the book of Ephesians in the light of this, I offered to produce for God and Panin an ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? on this basis. In 1967 the Lord strongly emphasized that I was to get His NT done. It was not mine, nor Panin's, nor my family's, nor that of any team - but it was God's! I was merely His steward to complete it.* *That same year He revealed that the ?Interlinear? was not an end in itself; it was merely the means to a greater end: namely, it was the initial component part of seven - for an ?Organic Laser-Telescope?, to produce a ?Spiritual Star Wars? effect. Each of the 7 component parts line up with the 7 pieces of furniture in Moses' Tabernacle.* *The ?Interlinear? represents Jesus as the Word of John 1:1, and Himself as the 5-fold sacrifice of Leviticus as laid out on the Brazen Altar; then He is also the basis of ?Bible Meditation? through the Interlinear on the Mercy Seat with the Father. So Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega of this revelation, and points to George Muller and George Whitefield as to how we too can use the Interlinear as the basis for ?New Covenant Bible Meditation?. A Pilot Prayer Team and an Eldership (Presbytery) in the Gate of each City Church, will then receive the fruit of this Interlinear through the ?Organic Laser-Telescope?.* *The present world church by-and-large - and the average believer may not perceive the potential in the above - but Satan does. Elvin Gladney fully perceived this potential and effectively helped me demonstrate it in 3 cities of Cascadia. He was the second leader of the first Pilot Prayer Team formed October 31, 2009. Elvin introduced this ?Interlinear? potential so effectively to Timothy Johnson of Moses Lake in 2009, that Timothy felt God leading him to offer to print the ?Interlinear? for me, in line with the above vision and purpose.* *But in August 2011, God called Elvin up higher. Jim Ray became the third leader of the Pilot Prayer Team, and as Chairman of the Interlinear Publication Committee, has sought to move with the Printing Committee and my family - in finalizing what Elvin initiated.* *Unusual** difficulties and trials have accompanied this process. Only ** God can see us through to final victory as promised in Psalm 91.* *Last night 4 of the key members of the publication committee met by Telephone Conference. Our goal: to see the complete ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? manuscript ready for printing - by this year's Feast of Pentecost, Sunday May 27th. * *This** is the Urgent Prayer Request noted above. Will you join with us that this design of **God will proceed to successful fruition?* *Jim Watt - your friend, and member of the Interlinear Publication Committee.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed May 9 16:58:41 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 16:58:41 -0700 Subject: Amos the Prophet Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 9, 2012 *2012-05-09 - AMOS - INTRODUCTION* *(From ?The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language? by Eugene H. Peterson)* *More people are exploited and abused in the cause of religion than in any other way. Sex, money, and power all take a back seat to religion as a source of evil. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. The biblical prophets are in the the front line of those doing something about it. * *The biblical prophets continue to be the most powerful and effective voices ever heard on this earth for keeping religion honest, humble, and compassionate. Prophets sniff out injustice, especially injustice that is dressed up in religious garb. They sniff it out a mile away. Prophets see through hypocrisy, especially hypocrisy that assumes a religious pose. Prophets are not impressed by position or power or authority. They aren't taken in by numbers, size, or appearances of success.* *They pay little attention to what men and women say about God or do for God. They listen to God and rigorously test all human language and action against what they hear. Among these prophets, Amos towers as defender of the downtrodden poor and accuser of the powerful rich who use God's name to legitimize their sin.* *None of us can be trusted in this business. If we pray and worship God and associate with others who likewise pray and worship God, we absolutely must keep company with these biblical prophets. We are required to submit all our words and acts to their passionate scrutiny to prevent the perversion of our religion into something self-serving. A spiritual life that doesn't give a large place to the prophet-articulated justice will end up making us worse instead of better, separating us from God's ways instead of drawing us into them.* *NOTE**: Prophets are not popular. When King Jehoshaphat of Judah requested a true prophet of the LORD to give counsel to him and King Ahab of Israel - the latter said concerning the prophet Micaiah - ?I hate him - he always speaks evil of me!? Jehoshaphat chided Ahab for this outburst, but it did little good!* *When John the Baptist rebuked King Herod for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias contrived to have John beheaded!* *When Jesus as the Son of God and a true prophet confronted the scribes and Pharisees of His day - they arranged to have Him crucified.* *Persecution and death has been the normal end for all true prophets. It mattered not to them whether it was a king, a governor, a ruler or a rich man - all true prophets spoke out the truth - let the chips fall where they may!* *There was a time when the word that came forth over pulpits was of this order. Mary Queen of Scots heard John Knox speak concerning her so clearly, that she wept. She said, ?I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the armies of England! When Know preached, it is said that he ?dinged the pulpit into blads.? Interpretation: While he preached, he hit the pulpit so hard, that splinters flew off!* *We have an election coming up. Is it legitimate for one to hear from the pulpit concerning our present president? Should he be given a second term? Or is he like Mary Queen of Scots - one who needs to hear from the pulpits of the land areas where he needs to repent, truly come to God, and hew the line as a ruler by conforming to the Word of God? If all professing Christians heard and followed such words, we would have a definite change in the presidency.* *There are many in our land who are not clear in their thinking concerning the prophetic responsibility of the pulpit in this area for our day. J.A.Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu May 10 17:40:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 10 May 2012 17:40:51 -0700 Subject: Matthew 15:1-20 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 10, 2012 *(From: MATTHEW #24 - 15:1-20)* B. 15:1-20 ESSENTIAL FALSITY OF THE PHARISEE POSITION 1. 15:1-11 TRADITION MAKING VOID THE WORD OF GOD a. 15:1-2 THE PHARISEES NIT-PICK *Then come to :Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and Scribes, saying,* TOte proSERchon-tai t*o* I*e*SOU aPO Ie-ro-soLUm*o*n Pha-riSAIoi kai gram-maTEIS, LEgon-tes, 2 *Why do your :disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?* DiA ti hoi ma-th*e*TAI sou pa-raBAInou-sin [3845] t*e*n paRAdo-sin [3862] t* o*n pres-buTEr*o*n [4245]? *for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.* ou gar NIPton-tai [3538] tas CHEIras HOtan ARton esTHI*o*-sin. b. 15:3 JESUS REVERSES THE SITUATION *But he answered and said to them, Why do YOU also transgress* ho de a-po-kriTHEIS EIpen auTOIS, DiA ti kai huMEIS pa-raBAIne-te [3845] *the commandment of :God because of your :tradition?* t*e*n en-toL*E*N [1785] tou TheOU diA t*e*n paRAdo-sin [3862] huM*O*N? c. 15:4 GOD'S WORD THROUGH MOSES *For :God said, Honor your :father and :mother:* ho gar TheOS EIpen, TIma [5091] ton paTEra kai t*e*n m*e*TEra: *and, Who reviles father or mother, let him die.* kai, Ho ka-ko-loG*O*N [2551] paTEra *e* m*e*TEra, thaNAt*o* [2288] te-leuTAt *o* [5053]. d. 15:5 THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PHARISEES *But YOU say, Whoever shall say to his :father or :mother,* huMEIS de LEge-te, Hos an EIp*e* t*o* paTRI *e* t*e* m*e*TRI, *That with which you might have profited by me is a gift to God, shall in no wise honor his :father.* D*O*ron [1435] ho eAN ex eMOU *o*-phe-l*e*TH*E*S [5623], ou m*e* tiM*E*sei ton paTEra auTOU. e. 15:6* And you made void the law of :God because of your :tradition.* kai *e*-kuR*O*sa-te [208] ton NOmon tou TheOU diA t*e*n paRAdo-sin huM*O*N. f. 15:7-8 JESUS NAILS THEIR HYPOCRISY *You** hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, * hu-po-kriTAI [5273], kaL*O*S e-proPH*E*teu-sen peRI huM*O*N *E*-SAIas, LEg*o *n, 8 *This :people honors me with their lips; but their :heart is far from me. * Ho laOS HOUtos tois CHEIleSIN [5491] me tiMA; h*e* de karDIa auT*O*N PORr*o*aPEchei [568] ap' eMOU. g. 15:9 * But in vain they worship me, Teaching for doctrines precepts of men.* MAt*e*n [3155] de SEbonTAI [4576] me, diDAskon-tes di-da-skaLIas enTALma-ta [1778] anTHR*O*p*o*n. h. 15:10-11 JESUS EMPHASIZES THE PROBLEM *And he called to him the crowd, and said to them, Hear, and understand:* kai pro-ska-leSAme-nos [4341] ton OCHlon, EIpen auTOIS, A-KOUe-te, kai suNIe-te [4920]: 11* Not what comes into the mouth defiles the man;* ou to ei-serCHOme-non eis to STOma koiNOI [2840] ton ANthr*o*-pon; *but what goes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.* alLA to ek-po-reuOme-non [1607] ek tou STOma-tos, TOUto koiNOI ton ANthr*o* -pon. 2. 15:12-14 COMMAND: LEAVE BLIND GUIDES ALONE! a. 15:12 THE DISCIPLES' CONCERN *Then come the disciples, and say to him,* TOte pro-selTHONtes hoi ma-th*e*TAI, LEgou-sin auT*O*, *Do you not know that the Pharisees were stumbled, when they heard the saying?* OIdas HOti hoi Pha-riSAIoi aKOUsan-tes ton LOgon, e-skan-daLISth*e*-san [4624]? b. 15:13 JESUS' STERN REPLY *But he answered and said, Every planting* ho de a-po-kriTHEIS EIpen, PAsa phuTEIa [5451] *which my :heavenly :Father planted not, shall be rooted up.* h*e*n ouk ePHUteu-sen [5452] ho paT*E*R mou ho ouRAni-os, e-kri-z*o*TH*E*se-tai [1610]. c. 15:14a * Leave them, they are blind guides.* Aphe-te [863] auTOUS, tuphLOI [5185] ei-sin ho-d*e*GOI [3595]. d. 15:14b* And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit.* tuphLOS de tuphLON eAN ho-d*e*G*E*, amPHOte-roi [297] eis BOthu-non [999]peSOUNtai [4098]. 3. 15:15-20 INTERPRETATION OF WORDS THAT DEFILE a. 15:15* And :Peter answered and said to him, Declare to us the parable.* A-po-kriTHEIS de ho PEtros EIpen auT*O*, PHRAson [5419] h*e*MIN t*e*n pa-ra-boL*E*N. b. 15:16* And he said, Are you also even yet without understanding?* ho de EIpen, AkM*E*N kai huMEIS aSUneTOI [801] es-te? c. 15:17 NEUTRALITY OF WHAT ENTERS THE MOUTH *Do you not perceive, that all that goes into the mouth* ou noEIte [3539], HOti pan to ei-spo-reuOme-non [1531] eis to STOma *passes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?* eis t*e*n koiLIan [2826] ch*o*REI [5562], kai eis a-pheDR*O*na [856]ekBALle-tai [1544]? d. 15:18 DEFILEMENT: THROUGH WHAT COMES *OUT* *OF* THE MOUTH *But the things which go out of the mouth* ta de ek-po-reuOme-na ek tou STOma-tos *come forth out of the heart; and those defile the man.* ek t*e*s karDIas eXERche-tai; ka' 'KEIna koiNOI [2840] ton ANthr*o*-pon. e. 15:19-20 A LIST OF DEFILEMENT FROM THE HEART *For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, * ek gar t*e*s karDIas eXERchon-tai di-a-lo-gisMOI [1261] po-n*e*ROI, PHOnoi [5408], *adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies:* moiCHEIai [3430], porNEIa [4202], kloPAI [2829], pseu-do-mar-tuRIai [5577], blas-ph*e*MIai [988]: 20* these are what defile the man;* TAU-TA es-tin ta koiNOUNta [2840] ton ANthr*o*-pon; *but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not the man.* to de a-nipTOIS [449] cherSIN [5495] phaGEIN ou koiNOI ton ANthr*o*-pon. *NOTE**: *Jesus is *very* clear in this passage - both to the Pharisees as well as to His disciples. Here He is pulling no punches. The Pharisees walked into this appropriate rebuke. It was so clear and frontal, that it bothered His disciples. But He responded both to them and to the crowd so plainly - that there could be *no* misunderstanding. The Pharisees deserved this rebuke. But they were so blind and set in their ways, that they did not want anyone pointing out their hypocrisy. The ?tradition of men? meant far more to them than the ?Word of God.? They replaced God with man. It is important to see that the Orthodox Jews of today by and large - still 2000 years later - have the *same* spirit of the Pharisees of Jesus' day. They follow the ?Talmud? and its human traditions *above* the Torah, the 5 books of Moses, plus the rest of the OT. They *also* fail to understand Hebrews 8:6, which puts the NT on the same level of Torah, as the OT. And they still reject Isaiah 53 as pointing to a suffering Messiah, because it conflicts with *their* theology of a *reigning* Messiah. Jesus indeed will come the second time as a reigning Messiah; but for the sake of Redemption, it was necessary to come first and fulfill the types and shadows of Leviticus in the 5 sacrifices outlined at its beginning. But in Zechariah we learn that upon Christ's return - when Israel sees the wounds He received at His first coming in the house of His friends - they will *deeply* mourn - and *then* a remnant nation will be born in a day. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri May 11 10:34:19 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 11 May 2012 10:34:19 -0700 Subject: Matthew 16:1-20 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 11, 2012 *(From: MATTHEW #26 - 16:1-20) * E. 16:1-12 WARNING AGAINST PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES 1. 16:1-4 THE SIGN OF JONAH FOR CARPERS a. 16:1 JEWISH LEADERS SEEK A SIGN *And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him* Kai pro-selTHONtes hoi Pha-riSAIoi kai Sad-douKAIoi, peiRAzon-tes* *[3985] *asked him to show them a sign from :heaven.* e-p*e*R*O*t*e*-san [1905] auTON s*e*MEIon [4592] ek tou ou-raNOU e-piDEIxai [1925] auTOIS. b. 16:2 WEATHER FORECAST FOR EVENING *But he answered and said to them, When it is evening,* ho de a-po-kriTHEIS EIpen auTOIS, O-PSIas ge-noMEn*e*s, *you say, Fair weather: for the heaven is red.* LEge-te, EuDIa [2115]: purRAzei [4449] gar ho ou-raNOS. c. 16:3a* And in the morning, Foul weather today: for the heaven is red and lowering.* kai pr*o*I, S*E*me-ron cheiM*O*N [5494]: purRAzei gar stugNAz*o*n [4768] ho ou-raNOS. d. 16:3b WEATHER FORECASTING FAILS IN SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT *You know how to discern the face of the heaven;* to men PROs*o*-pon tou ou-raNOU giN*O*ske-te di-aKRInein [1252]; *but you cannot discern the signs of the seasons.* ta de s*e*MEIa t*o*n kaiR*O*N [2540] ou DUnas-the. e. 16:4a DESIRE FOR SIGNS : INDICATION OF AN EVIL GENERATION! *An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign;* ge-neA po-n*e*RA kai moi-chaLIS [3428] s*e*MEIon e-pi-z*e*TEI; *and no sign shall be given it, but the sign of Jonah.* kai s*e*MEIon ou doTH*E*se-tai auT*E*, ei m*e* to s*e*MEIon I*o*NA. f. 16:4b * And he left them, **and** departed. ** *kai ka-ta-liP*O*N [2641]auTOUS, aP *E*Lthen. 2. 16:5-12 BEWARE OF LEAVEN OF SCRIBES AND PHARISEES a. 16:5* And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take loaves. * Kai elTHONtes hoi ma-th*e*TAI eis to PEran e-peLAthon-to [1950] ARtous laBEIN. b. 16:6 JESUS WARNS DISCIPLES OF FALSE LEAVEN *And :Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware* ho de I*e*SOUS EIpen auTOIS, HoRAte [3708] kai proSEche-te [4337] *of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s [2219] t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o*n. c. 16:7* And they reasoned among themselves, saying [that], We took no loaves.* hoi de di-e-loGIzon-to [1260] en he-auTOIS, LEgon-tes [HOti], ARtous ouk eLAbo-men. d. 16:8 JESUS REBUKES THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING *And :Jesus perceiving it said, You of little faith,* gnous de ho I*e*SOUS EIpen, Ti di-a-loGIzes-the, *why do you reason among yourselves, because you have no loaves?* en he-auTOIS, o-liGOpi-stoi [3640], HOti ARtous ouk Eche-te? e. 16:9 JESUS REASONS WITH THEM *Do you not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves* OUp*o* noEIte, ouDE mn*e*-moNEUe-te [3421] tous PENte ARtous *of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?* t*o*n pen-ta-kis-chiLI*o*n, kai POsous koPHInous [2894] eLAbe-te? f. 16:10 * Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many hampers you took up?* ouDE tous hepTA ARtous t*o*n te-tra-kis-chiLI*o*n, kai POsas sphuRIdas [4711] eLAbe-te? g. 16:11a* How do you not perceive that I spoke not to you concerning loaves?* p*o*s ou noEIte HOti ou peRI ARt*o*n EIpon huMIN? h. 16:11b* But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* proSEche-te [4337] de aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o *n. i. 16:12 DISCIPLES FINALLY GET THE POINT *Then they understood that he bade them beware not of the leaven* TOte suN*E*kan [4920] HOti ouk EIpen proSEchein aPO t*e*s ZUm*e*s *of the loaves, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.* t*o*n ARt*o*n, alLA aPO t*e*s di-daCH*E*S [1322] t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n kai Sad-douKAI*o*n. F. 16:13-20 THE IDENTITY OF JESUS AND HIS PURPOSE a. 16:13 JESUS SEEKS FROM HIS DISCIPLES HOW *OTHERS* IDENTIFY HIM *Now when :Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea :Philippi,* ElTH*O*N de ho I*e*SOUS eis ta MEr*e* Kai-saRIas t*e*s PhiLIPpou, *he asked his :disciples, saying,* *e*R*O*ta tous ma-th*e*TAS auTOU, LEg*o*n, *Who do :men say that the Son of :man is?* TIna LEgou-sin hoi ANthr*o*-poi EInai ton huiON tou anTHR*O*pou? b. 16:14 THE VARIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS MEN ATTEMPTED FOR JESUS *And they said, Some say John the Baptist; and some Elijah; * hoi de EIpan, Hoi men I*o*An*e*n ton bap-tisT*E*N; ALloi de *E*-LEIan; *and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.* HEte-roi de, Ie-reMIan, *e* HEna t*o*n pro-ph*e*T*O*N. c. 16:15* He says to them, But who do YOU say that I am?* LEgei auTOIS, HuMEIS de TIna me LEge-te EInai? d. 16:16 * And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living :God.* A-po-kriTHEIS de SIm*o*n PEtros EIpen, Su ei ho ChrisTOS, ho huiOS tou TheOU tou Z*O*Ntos [2198]. e. 16:17 JESUS REVEALS THE SOURCE OF PETER'S DISCERNMENT *And :Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you,* a-po-kriTHEIS de ho I*e*SOUS EIpen auT*O*, MaKAri-os [3107] ei, *Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you,* SIm*o*n Ba-ri-*o*NA: HOti sarx kai HAIma ouk a-peKAluPSEN soi, *but my :Father who is in the heavens.* all' ho paT*E*R mou ho en tois ou-raNOIS. f. 16:18 JESUS REVEALS THE FOUNDATION AND TRIUMPH OF HIS CHURCH *And I also say unto you, that you are Peter,* ka' 'G*O* DE soi LEg*o*, HOti su ei PEtros [4074], *and upon this :rock I will build my :church* kai ePI TAUt*e* t*e* PEtra [4073] oi-ko-doM*E*s*o* [3618] mou t*e*n ek-kl*e*SIan [1577] *and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.* kai PUlai [4439] HAdou [86] ou ka-tiSCHUsou-sin [2729] auT*E*S. g. 16:19 THE AUTHORITY JESUS DELEGATES TO PETER AND DISCIPLES *I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatever you shall bind on the earth* D*O*s*o* soi tas KLEIdas [2807] t*e*s ba-siLEIas [932] t*o*n ou-raN*O*N; kai ho eAN D*E*s*e*s [1210] ePI t*e*s g*e*s *shall be bound in the heavens; and whatever you shall loose* EStai de-deMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS; kai ho eAN LUs*e*s [3089] *on the earth shall be loosed in the heavens.* ePI t*e*s g*e*s EStai le-luMEnon en tois ou-raNOIS. h. 16:20 * Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no one that he is the Christ.* TOte e-peTIm*e*-sen tois ma-th*e*TAIS HIna m*e*-deNI EIp*o*-sin HOti auTOS es-tin ho ChrisTOS. *NOTE**: *Unbelievers like the Pharisees and Sadducees are to be avoided, especially their teaching! It is like leaven! And leaven in the Bible usually has a connotation of *evil*! My background was in this type of environment. I did not hear the Gospel clearly presented until *after* I became a Christian! We will do well to heed Jesus' warning concerning these types of teachers. Those who take away from the Word of God (Sadducees), and those who *add* to God's Word (Pharisees) - *they* are modern versions of such false teachers. 3 times in the Bible God warns of these latter (Deuteronomy, Proverbs and Revelation). It is interesting to note the questions of Jesus to His disciples concerning His identity. The general answers given by His disciples did not satisfy Him. He wanted *their* direct answer as to His identity. Peter by direct revelation of the Spirit of the Father received the answer Jesus desired. He was the *Christ*, the *Messiah* to come, the *Son* of the living God! What a revelation! And Jesus *confirmed* that this was what He was looking for! He pronounced a blessing upon Peter in the light of this revelation. Now 16:18 has been a verse with a number of interpretations by scholars. It seems that the majority feel that the revelation God gave Peter concerning His Son - as a *confession*, was the ?rock? upon which Jesus would build His church. However, the use of the two Greek words for ?rock? might offer another outlook. The word Peter is ?PEtros?, meaning ?a little rock?. The rock upon which Jesus said He would build His church is ?PEtra?, a large rock. Off the Province of Newfoundland and the great fishing banks off the shores of New England, are the ?Grand Banks?, or ?PEtra?. Upon it are numbers of smaller rocks, ?PEtros?. Jesus Himself can be likened to the Grand Banks - ?PEtra?, and we like Peter are living stones built upon Him, to form a Living Temple of Living Stones, with Jesus the Chief Corner Stone, and also the coming Capstone, the Alpha and Omega. It is true, that each living stone needs to receive Spirit revelation from the Father - but I tend to favor this latter view. Further, not only Peter, but all true living stones receive the keys of the Kingdom. As we faithfully proclaim the Gospel as Peter did, it becomes a key to open the door to the Kingdom of God. In 16:19 the ?Williams? translation of the NT is perhaps closer to the truth here than almost all others. It reads, ?Whatever you shall bind on earth, must already in the mind of God *have been bound* in heaven (Perfect Passive Participle); and whatever you shall loose on the earth must already *have been loosed*(Perfect Passive Participle) in heaven. This translation requires us to live close enough to God, that knowing His mind, we can *then* boldly proclaim on earth *His* desire, and it *shall*be done. This is quite a different perspective in the use of the keys of the Kingdom. It makes *us* the water-boys of God, not God *our* water-boy. I am not dogmatic on this point, but I personally favor it, and personally follow it. George Muller, Rees Howells and Oswald Chambers did also. I, like them, can be *bold* in my faith, when I know the mind of God. See 1 John 5:14-15 - *?And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his :will, he hears us; 15 and if we knowthat he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.?* Our *boldness* here comes when we ask *anything* *according to Hiswill *! This fully accords with the Williams translation of Matthew 16:19. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat May 12 15:55:02 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 12 May 2012 15:55:02 -0700 Subject: Joy - Philippians Introduction Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 12, 2012 *2012-05-12 - PHILIPPIANS - Introduction* *(From ?The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language? - Eugene H. Peterson)* *This is Paul's happiest letter. And the happiness is infectious. Before we've read a dozen lines, we begin to feel the joy ourselves - the dance of words and the exclamations of delight have a way of getting inside us.* *But happiness is not a word we can understand by looking it up in the dictionary. In fact, none of the qualities of the Christian life can be learned out of a book. Something more like apprenticeship is required, being around someone who out of years of devoted discipline shows us, by his or her entire behavior, what it is. Moments of verbal instruction will certainly occur, but mostly an apprentice acquires skill by daily and intimate association with a ?master,? picking up subtle but absolutely essential things, such as timing and rhythm and ?touch.?* *When we read what Paul wrote to the Christian believers in the city of Philippi, we find ourselves in the company of just such a master. Paul doesn't tell us that we can be happy, or how to be happy. He simply and unmistakably is happy. None of his circumstances contribute to his joy: He wrote from a jail cell, his work was under attack by competitors, and after twenty years or so of hard traveling in the service of Jesus, he was tired and would have welcomed some relief.* *But circumstances are incidental compared to the life of Jesus, the Messiah, that Paul experienced from the inside. For it is a life that not only happened at a certain point in history, but continues to happen, spilling out into the lives of those who receive him, and then continues to spill out all over the place. Christ is, among much else, the revelation that God cannot be contained or hoarded. It is this ?spilling out? quality of Christ's life that accounts for the happiness of Christians, for joy is life in excess, the overflow of what cannot be contained within any one person.* *NOTE**: *?*Joy* is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.? - Teilhard de Chardin. I found this quotation in a boys' room many years ago, and it captivated me. Fits in with Paul in Philippians? Then Nehemiah came up with - ?The *joy of the LORD* is your strength.? Neh. 8:10. *True*! Next David says, ?Weeping may tarry for the night - but *joy* comes with the morning.? Psalm 30:5. Back in the '50's in Chicago at the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church - we had each member memorize a chapter from the Bible. Marie outdid herself, and memorized the entire book of Philippians - a *lot* of positive *joy* here! So do you think that God considers *joy* to be an important ingredient for the ?overcoming? Christian? Read again Eugene Peterson's ?Introduction to the Book of Philippians?, and let your heart receive from the apostle Paul his overflow from the *joy of the LORD*! J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun May 13 08:23:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 08:23:52 -0700 Subject: Mother's Day Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 13, 2012 *2009-05-10 - PROVERBS 31:10-31 (ASV '01) - MOTHER'S DAY* ?*DESCRIPTION OF A WORTHY WOMAN?* *E*sher - CHAyil [2428] m*i*y yimTZ*A* [4672]? *A worthy woman who can find?* ve-r*a*CHOK mip-pe-n*i*yN*I*YM [6443] micR*A*H [4337]. *For her price is far above rubies.* B*A*tach [982] b*a*h l*e*b [3820] ba-aL*A*H [1167], *11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,* ve-sh*a*L*A*L [7998] l*o* yechS*A*R [2637]. *And he shall have no lack of gain.* ge-m*a*LATHhu [1580] t*o*b ve-l*o* - R*A* *12 She does him good and not evil* c*o*l yeM*E*Y chayYEYah [2416]. *All the days of her life.* D*A*Rsh*a*h [1875] TZEmer v*u*-mishT*I*YM *13 She selects wool and flax* vaTAas [6213] beCH*E*petz [2656] capPEY*a*h. *And works eagerly with her hands.* H*A*ye-th*a*h c*a*-aN*I*Yy*o*th [591] s*o*CH*E*R [5503]; *14 She is like the merchant-ships;* mim-merCH*A*K t*a*B*I*Y la-cheM*A*H [3899]. *She brings her bread from afar.* vaT*A*k*a*m [6965] be*O*D LAYl*a*h, *15 She rises also while it is yet night,* vat-tiT*E*N TErep [2954] le-b*e*yTH*A*H, *And gives food to her household,* veCHOK [2706] le-na-a-roTHEYah [5291]. *And their task to her maidens.* z*a*-meM*A*H [2161] S*A*reh, vat-tik-k*a*CH*E*h*u* [3947]; *16 She considers a field, and buys it;* mip-peR*I*Y [6529] capPEY*a*h N*A*te-*a* [5193] C*A*rem [3754]. *With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.* CH*A*ge-r*a*h be*O*Z [5797] m*a*-theNEY*a*h [4975] *17 She girds her loins with strength* vat-te-amM*E*TZ [553] ze-ro-*o*THEY*a*h [2220]. *And makes strong her arms.* T*A*a-m*a*h [2938] c*i*y - t*o*b sachR*A*H [5504]; *18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable;* L*O* - yicBEH [3518] baLAYl*a* n*e*R*A*H [5216]. *Her lamp goes not out by night.* Y*A*dey-*a*h shil-leCH*A*H bac-c*i*ySH*O*R [3601], *19 She lays her hands to the distaff,* ve-capPEY*a*h T*A*Mc*u* [8551] P*A*lec [6418]. *And her hands hold the spindle.* CAPp*a*h p*a*rS*A*H [6566] le-*a*N*I*Y [6041]; *20 She stretches out her hand to the poor;* ve-y*a*DEY*a*h shil-leCH*A*H [7971] L*A*ebY*O*N [34]. *Yes, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.* l*o* - th*i*yR*A* [3372] le-b*e*yTH*A*H miSH*A*leg [7950]; *21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household;* c*i*y c*a*l - b*e*yTH*A*H l*a*BUSH sh*a*N*I*YM [8144]. *For all her household are clothed with scarlet.* mar-baD*I*YM [4765] *A*se-th*a*h - L*A*H; *22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry;* sh*e*sh [8336] ve-ar-g*a*M*A*N [713] le-b*u*SH*A*H [3830]. *Her clothing is fine linen and purple.* n*o*D*A* [3045] bash-she-*a*R*I*YM [8179] ba-aL*A*H, *23 Her husband is known in the gates,* be-shibT*O* [3427] im - zikN*E*Y [2205] *A*retz. *When he sits among the elders of the land.* saD*I*YN [5466] *A*sa-th*a*h vat-timCOR [4376], *24 She makes linen garments and sells them,* va-chaG*O*R n*a*-theN*A*H lacCE-na-aN*I*Y [3669]. *And delivers girdles unto the merchant.* *o*z [5797] - ve-h*a*D*A*R [1926] le-b*u*SH*A*H; *25 Strength and dignity are her clothing;* vat-tishCHAK [7832] leY*O*M a-chaR*O*N. *And she laughs at the time to come.* P*I*Y*a*h [6310] p*a*thCH*A*H [6605] be-ch*a*-ceM*A*H [2451]; *26 She opens her mouth with wisdom;* veTH*O*rath [8451] - CHEsed [2617] al - le-sh*o*N*A*H [3956]. *And the law of kindness is in her tongue.* TZ*O*p*i*y-yah [6822] ha-l*i*yC*O*TH [1979] b*e*TH*A*H, *27 She looks well to the ways of her household,* veL*A*chem atzL*U*TH [6104] l*o* th*o*CH*E*L. *And eats not the bread of idleness.* K*A*M*u* B*A*ney-*a*h VAye-ash-sheR*U*-*a*h [833]; *28** **Her children rise up, and call her blessed;* ba-aL*A*H, VAY-HAleL*A*H [1984], *Her husband **also**, and he praises her, **saying**:* raB*O*TH B*A*n*o*th [1323] *A*s*u* CH*A*Yil, *29** **Many daughters have done worthily,* veAT *a*L*I*YTH al - culL*A*n*a*h. *But you excel them all.* SHEker [8267] HAch*e*n [2580] veHEbel [1892] hayY*O*p*i*y [3308]; *30 Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;* ishSH*A*H [802] yir-ath [3373] - Ye-h*o*V*A*H [3068], h*i* thith-halL*A*H ]1984]. *But a woman that fears Jehovah, she shall be praised.* te-n*u* - L*A*H mip-peR*I*Y [6529] y*a*DEY*a*h; *31 Give her of the fruit of her hands;* V*I*Yha-leL*U*-*a*h bash-she-*a*R*I*YM [8179] ma-aSHEY*a*h [4639]. *And let her works praise her in the gates.* *NOTES**: *The following remarks are by the widow of Peter Marshall - Catherine Marshall, in her book ?To Live Again.? Here we obtain a glimpse of her role as a wife and widow, and Peter's high picture of ?Woman,? which of course accords with wife and mother. It does agree with Solomon and Proverbs 31:10-31, doesn't it? Just months after the death of Peter at 46 years of age in 1949, Catherine edited 12 of Peter's Sermons in a book entitled ?Mr. Jones, Meet the Master.? It is this book she is autographing, and it is from this book that she quotes an excerpt from his sermon ?*Keepers of the Springs.? J.A.W.* ?It is a rare party, I found, which the average bookseller can handle in orderly fashion. Americans do not like lines; I can't say that I blame them. They would rather crowd around, poking books in all directions, first come, first served. The autographer - sunk down in the middle of the melee, feeling like a target for bow and arrow practice, gasping for a breath of fresh air, her right arm aching, the flowers on her left shoulder tickling her nose, the corsage pin scratching her shoulder - sits there, writing furiously, her signature getting more and more illegible, wondering if the smile on her face looks as mechanical is it began to feel a full hour ago. She meanwhile has one eye on the bookstore clock and the other on the still-unsigned piles of books which must be autographed before an escape can be made back to the hotel room. ?It should not have surprised me that I was finding details of my new life - such as sleepless nights on jerking trains or bumpy plane rides - a hurdle and a challenge. The truth was I couldn't even read a plane or train schedule. During twelve years of marriage, all training and motivation has been in quite the opposite direction. During these years I had stayed in the background - a behind-the-scenes wife. So definitely was this true that there were those in my husband's congregation who did not know whether or not the minister was married, or at best, had never seen me. ?This was quite in keeping with Peter's ideas and ideals on the subject of marriage. He took a dim view of feminism. But he was able to articulate this in a way that had attracted rather than repelled most of the feminine sex who heard him. His credo of marriage was spelled out - indeed, spread all over the landscape - in his sermon *?Keepers of the Springs.? *Yet during all his years in the ministry, this had been by far the most popular sermon he had ever preached. *The emancipation of womanhood began with Christianity* *and it ends with Christianity . . . .* *When women in this country achieved equality with men,* *it was accomplished only by stepping down from the pedestal* *on which Christianity, chivalry, and idealism had placed her. . . .* *So she copied the vices of men - in the name of progress!* *But it is not progress to go in a downward direction.* *It is not progress to lower moral standards and to lose ideals!* *No woman every became lovelier by losing her essential femininity.* *There is no substitute for goodness . . .* *nothing can take the place of purity.* *To be sweet is far better than to be sophisticated.* *America needs young women who will build true homes,* *whether they live in two rooms - or ten . . .* *whether starched white organdy curtains * *hang at the windows - or silk damask.* *We need homes where harassed husbands may find peace* *understanding* *refreshment of body and soul . . .* *where children may find the warmth of love . . .* *where friends may find hospitality* *graciousness* *and joy.* *Only out of such homes will go men with strength and courage* *to help the United States build a new and a better world.* *To make such homes is therefore,* *any woman's supreme contribution to her country* *and to her generation. . . .* ?There might well have been some conflict between Peter and me over his strong views on the role of women in marriage had I not discovered early in our life together that putting these ideas into practice brought me joy and satisfaction at a deep level. Such nonfeminist ideas meant that I was single-eyed in the marriage relationship. I was not a divided personality. All the talents I possessed, all energy, all creativeness, were poured into the marriage partnership, and no effort was made to channel any part of it in any other directions. ?For any minister - who must preach twice or three times every Sunday and often prepare several weekday talks - a steady stream of new ideas is the breath of life. Therefore, I handed over to Peter any ideas that came to me or that I stumbled across in reading that might be sermon material, as well as any thoughts I might have on the ever-present church organizational or personnel problems. ?Nor was any of this a hardship or a sacrifice. I felt in need of neither credit nor approbation for It. For I was discovering for myself during those years the profound truth of that ancient and inexorable law that '*he that loses his life . . . shall find it.'? *Submitted by J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue May 15 13:24:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 15 May 2012 13:24:38 -0700 Subject: Tribes & Temperaments Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 15, 2012 *2012-05-15 - TRIBES & TEMPERAMENTS* *In 1949 I served as Assistant Pastor to Dr. D. A. Scotchie McCall of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Chicago. That Fall we had Dr. A.W. Slemming from England as guest speaker one Wednesday evening. He presented his message that night as a ?Show and Tell? - and came out dressed like Aaron as a Jewish High Priest. It was most captivating! He spoke on the 12 tribes of Israel, represented by the 12 stones he wore on the ?Breastplate of Judgment?. At the close of the service I purchased his book entitled ?These Are the Garments.? There were 12 chapters on the 12 tribes of Israel. After reading up on them I asked the Lord - ?There is more on this, isn't there?? He encouraged me to ask Him for the ?more?, and He would add to them. Fourteen years later in 1963 I came across Dr. Tim LaHaye's books on the 12 Temperaments. Out of curiosity I did a ?Matching test? with the 12 tribes and the 12 Temperaments, and came up with the following.* *In the 4 Gospels, Jesus is perfectly balanced between the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in Matthew - 50 points; the servant spirit of the Ox in Mark - 50; the Son of Man of Luke - 50; and the Eagle of John representing Jesus as the Son of God - 50.* *God gives a portion of each of these 4 to us also, but none of us have the perfect score of Jesus. The two highest scores for two of the Gospels link us with one of the 12 tribes, and shows us our linkage with the appropriate Temperament. Those who know us well, especially our family, can help us to find our Tribe and Temperament. From the age of three, it is possible to see the temperament and tribe of our children, for Solomon says in Proverbs - that the child is the father of the man! * *Following is the listing of the 12 tribes according to the order of the march in Numbers chapter 2. * *1. JUDAH is a ?Matthew/John? - and means Praise! From him descends the Lion of the Tribe of Judah; Colossians sets forth this same truth in the Pre-eminence of Christ! Just as Judah was first among the tribes in order of the march, so Christ is pre-eminent in all of God's creation. John, the spiritual gospel, whose emblem is the eagle, sets forth this same pre-eminency through the 7 I AM's. Through Christ and Judah, the shout of a king is in the midst of Israel and the Church (Numbers 23:21). When we meditate upon Philippians 4:8, Christ is built up within us in these 8 glorious ways. ?The Heavenly Choir? which was restored to the Church in 1948, brings forth praise and worship in a wonderful way. African-Americans through their suffering, manifest the new song of the Lord. They sing, ?We shall overcome? - and by faith can truly sing - ?We now overcome today!? Maybe as many as one out of 12 of us are linked with Judah and this two-fold powerful Temperament! And - not only each of us as individuals can be linked with one of these 12, but also each local church! Each City Church! Each State or Province - and each nation or country. Each of us can also be linked with one of the 7 ministries of Romans 12:6-8!* *2. ISSACHAR is a ?Mark/Luke? - and represents the wise soul-winner. He is wise like a donkey, which in the Middle East and South America, is a very valuable animal. Kings rode on donkeys, and Jesus on Palm Sunday rode on a donkey. The qualification for the soul winner - is the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is also a guard against returning to legalism, man's traditions, natural man's way of doing things, and walking in lusts of the flesh. Sow to the Spirit that you received after baptism (Acts 2:38), and you will reap the nature of Christ, and He being lifted up in you, will draw souls to Himself! I like to look at the ?First Nations People? - who have the potential of sensitivity, faithfulnessand obedience. Like the 11 tribes in Judges contrived to get 600 wives for Benjamin to start that tribe up again - we need to stand with the First Nations People until God brings them again to their full potential!* *3. ZEBULUN means ?dwelling? or ?abiding?. John 15:1-16 is a picture of the fruitful abiding life. ?Mark/Matthew? shows forth this temperament. The Gifts of the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 make Missions powerful and apostolic. Christians are to manifest gifts of the Spirit as soon as saved. Missionary Paul justified his apostleship on the basis of powerful gifts (2 Corinthians 12:12). Note that the Church of Corinth, though a carnal church, yet manifested all the gifts of the Spirit. God did not intend these gifts to cease with the apostolic age, and according to church history, they did not. The Aorist tense in Ephesians 4:11, ?gave?, and in 1 Corinthians 12:28, ?set?, confirm this. I like to look at China, and Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man, and his goal of 100,000 missionaries to move to Israel in our day, evangelizing Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists on the way. Martyrs? Of course! But they will then join the martyrs of Revelation 6:9-11!* *4. REUBEN is a ?Luke/Mark?, and represents the nation of Israel, and for the Church, ?Our Jewish Roots?! Reuben was a man of weakness and indecision, but could have prevailed had he availed himself of spiritual resources. Sin, disgrace and great loss came to him because he did not lay a good foundation, could not curb his lust and weakness. Fasting helps to overcome weakness and lust of the flesh. We need to add to our faith the virtues of 2 Peter 1:6-8. However, though Reuben lost the Kingship, the Blessing and the Priesthood because of sin, yet God reserved for him Simeon and Gad on the South side of the Tabernacle, and identification with the 8 blessings of Israel in Romans 9:4-5 (9:1-13).* *5. SIMEON is a ?John/Mark?, and represents South Korea, and the Gift - do-reA - of the Spirit. One with the ?Simeon? Temperament can take 2 Peter 1:6-8 (1:1-11) - and can powerfully overcome any other weakness. Simeon under his father's blessing appeared cruel, vindictive and unrestrained; suffered loss in Israel, and eventually became swallowed up in Judah. We have modern counter-parts like Simeon, who fiercely resisted his father's rebuke, and justified himself in a lawless act. He who is is truly repentant and believes the gospel, will show a different type of evidence of God's working in his life. 1 John reveals six evidences of a truly converted man. The new birth reveals itself in unmistakable changes, that should be studied carefully by those who mistake profession and intellectual assent for true possession and transformation. By their fruits you shall know them! * *6. GAD is a ?John/Matthew?, and represents Asia. Gad is like a lion, a troop, is he who is overcome, but overcomes at the last (Revelation 12:11)! He does so through the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Like Gad, we should recognize that we overcome Satan when properly defended and guarded. We may lose a battle, but we shall surely win the war! Elijah was a Gadite - a noble example! Elijah was one who prevailed through fasting like Jesus and Daniel. This was one of the 3 initial restoration truths that brought forth the 1948 Visitation in Northern Canada.* *7. EPHRAIM is a ?Mark/John?, and was marked by Jacob's prophecy as one slated for double fruitfulness, ahead of his older brother Manasseh. I have linked Ephraim with the Lord's Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13. What better way can one find for fruitfulness - than by living daily in this truth?* *JOSEPH is the father of this younger son, and in his two sons has a double portion through the prophecy of his father Jacob. I link him with ?Bridal Love?, and this can be seen in the 7 Unities of Ephesians 4:4-6 (1-16). When one prays over the history of the Polynesians, there are truths here that remind one of Joseph. Of all the sons of Jacob, none has more parallels with our Lord in their histories, than this 11th son given to him through Rachel.* *8. MANASSEH is a ?Luke/Matthew?. His name means ?forgetfulness?. Ephraim was set before Manasseh, though the younger, just as the church has pre-eminence above Israel. The greater spiritual blessing came to the church; yet Israel, like Manasseh, has not been forgotten. Replacement Theology has forgotten this. 1948 witnessed the return of Israel to her homeland as a nation. June 1967 witnessed the occupancy of Jerusalem by Israel: Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles or non-Jews until the end. Soon the time of Jacob's trouble will commence under a world-wide ruler called the Syrian. 1 Peter 4:7-11 reveals the changes that ought to take place in our lives in the light of the end times, when consummation for both Israel and the Church takes place. Romans 9-11 reveals this coming union. I link Manasseh with ?counseling? - nouthetic counseling! True counseling grounds the counselee in a renewed mind like Romans 12:2, where he can think God's thoughts after him.* *LEVI had no inheritance in the land, for the LORD was his inheritance. Levi was the tribe of guidance for Israel's leaders through the Urim and Thummim. The 5 clans of Levi were like the 5 ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11-12, and can spiritually adjust the members of the 12 tribes to function in a unity under their Head - our Lord Jesus Christ. The parallel between Israel and the Church here is a blessing.* *9. BENJAMIN is a ?Luke/John?. This was the tribe of the apostle Paul. Benjamin is the ?wolf? tribe. If ever a tribe needed conversion, this tribe did. Look at Saul of Tarsus before his conversion and becoming Paul the apostle! Spiritually speaking I identify with this tribe, and desperately needed conversion, and continue to need to walk in the sanctifying power of the Spirit. Hebrews 6:1-2 (5:11-6:8) are the steps for true conversion needed by the Benjamin tribe. Hebrews brings forth the Gospel for Jews, and Romans sets forth the Foundation Truths for Gentiles. We should study these two epistles carefully, for they are the foundation for all that follows. A vital experience in the Holy Spirit following baptism leads naturally into all further truth.* *10. DAN is a ?John/Luke?. Dan means judge. Dan finds his New Testament parallel in Thessalonians and the Second Coming. We must through the Holy Spirit have a sanctified and holy work done in our lives, so that as overcomers we might have part in the first resurrection! All God's promises are to overcomers! to disciples! to those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Christ. The words of the Lord Jesus to the seven churches of Revelation form a composite picture of the conditions for the overcoming life. James 3:17 outlines 7 marks of wisdom for Dan, and backs him up in his ?quick decisions.? United States and Canada portray this practical tribe.* *11. ASHER is a ?Matthew/Mark?. Asher is the happy man of true heart religion. Only a man of union with God through the true pattern of prayer can evidence the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12, the true fruit of the blessed man. And God is more interested in what we are to and with Him, than what we do for Him! Link Asher with ?healing?, spiritual and physical. Latin Americans have demonstrated this in a number of their nations.* *12. NAPHTALI is a ?Matthew/Luke?. Naphtali is the wrestling hind. He enters rest through overcoming the trials of life. Self-denial, reckoning oneself dead through identification with Christ's death, allows the restful beauty of Christ to shine through. The self-denying mind of Christ on behalf of others is seen in Romans 12:6-8. This is the ?Presbytery? concept, with an Eldership in the Gate of the City Church. It was the first of 12 Embryonic Revival Principles restored to the Church in the Canadian 1948 Visitation. In Kenya and Tanzania, Africa, there are strong indications that the Presbytery concept could sweep that Continent, and be a blessing to the world. Pray that indeed it might be so.* *NOTE**: One can check our Website and click on ?Embryonics?. Here are listed the above 12 tribes with a fuller account of prophetic words and history for each one. The meaning of their names is found in Genesis 29 and 30; Jacob's prophecy over each in Genesis 49; Moses' prophecy over each in Deuteronomy 33; the order of their march in Numbers 2; and their historical outworking in the balance of the Old Testament. J.A.Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed May 16 11:33:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 11:33:50 -0700 Subject: Mark 9:2-29 Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 16, 2012 *(From: MARK #14 - 9:2-29)* H. 9:2-13 THE TRANSFIGURED JESUS a. 9:2-3 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS *And after six days :Jesus takes with him :Peter, and :James,* Kai meTA h*e*MEras hex pa-ra-lamBAnei [3880] ho I*e*SOUS ton PEtron, kai ton IAk*o*-bon, *and John, and brings them up into a high mountain apart by themselves:* kai I*o*An*e*n, kai a-naPHErei [399] auTOUS eis HOros hu-ps*e*LON [5308]kat iDIan MOnous: *and he was transfigured before them; *3* and his :garments became* kai me-te-morPH*O*th*e* [3339] EMpros-then auT*O*N; kai ta hiMAti-a auTOU eGEne-to *glistening, exceeding white, so as no fuller on :earth can whiten them.* STILbon-ta [4744], leuKA [3022] LIan, HOIa gnaPHEUS ePI t*e* g*e*s ou DUna-tai HOUt*o*s leuKAnai. b. 9:4 * And Elijah appeared to them with Moses: and they were talking with :Jesus.* kai *O*PHth*e* [3700] auTOIS *E*-LEIas sun M*o*-uSEI [3475]: kai *E*san sun-laLOUNtes t*o* I*e*SOU. c. 9:5 PETER'S SUGGESTION *And :Peter answers and says to :Jesus, Rabbi,* kai a-po-kriTHEIS ho PEtros LEgei t*o* I*e*SOU, 'RabBEI, *it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tents;* kaLON es-tin h*e*MAS H*O*de EInai: kai poi*E*s*o*-men treis sk*e*NAS [4633]; *for you one, and for Moses one, and for Elijah one.* soi MEan, kai M*o*-uSEI MIan, kai *E*-LEIa MIan. d. 9:6* For he knew not what to answer; for they became sore afraid.* ou gar *E*dei ti a-po-kriTH*E*; EKpho-boi [1630] gar eGEnon-to. e. 9:7 THE WITNESS OF THE FATHER *And a cloud came overshadowing them: and a voice came* kai eGEne-to nePHEl*e* [3507] e-pi-skiAzou-sa [1982] auTOIS: kai eGEne-to ph *o*N*E* [5456] *out of the cloud, This is my :beloved :Son: hear him.* ek t*e*s nePHEl*e*s, HOU-TOS es-tin ho huiOS mou ho a-ga-p*e*TOS: aKOUe-te auTOU. f. 9:8* And suddenly looking around they saw no one any more with themselves, save :Jesus only.* kai eXApi-na pe-ri-blePSAme-noi ouKEti ouDEna EIdon meth' he-auT*O*N, ei m*e * ton I*e*SOUN MOnon. g. 9:9 THE CHARGE OF JESUS *And as they were coming down from the mountain,* Kai ka-ta-baiNONt*o*n [2597] auT*O*N ek tou Orous, *he charged them that they tell no one what things they had seen,* di-eSTEIla-to [1291] auTOIS HIna m*e*-deNI ha EIdon di-*e*G*E*s*o*n-tai [1492], *save when the Son of :man should have risen from the dead.* ei m*e* HOtan ho huiOS tou anTHR*O*pou ek neKR*O*N a-naST*E*. h. 9:10 * And they kept the saying, questioning among themselves what the rising from the dead is.* kai ton LOgon eKRAt*e*-san, pros he-auTOUS sun-z*e*TOUNtes TI es-tin to ek neKR*O*N a-naST*E*nai. i. 9:11 QUESTION *And they asked him, saying,* kai e-p*e*R*O*t*o*n auTON, LEgon-tes, *Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?* HOti LEgou-sin hoi gram-maTEIS HOti *E*-LEIan dei elTHEIN PR*O*ton? j. 9:12 JESUS' ANSWER *And he said to them, Elijah indeed comes first,* ho de Eph*e* auTOIS, *E*-LEIas men elTH*O*N PR*O*ton, *and** restores all **things: and how is it written of the Son of :man,* a-po-ka-tiSTAnei [600] PANta: kai p*o*s GEgrap-tai ePI ton huiON tou anTHR*O *pou, *that he suffer many things and be set at naught?* HIna polLA PAth*e* [3958] kai e-xou-de-n*e*TH*E* [1847]? k. 9:13 ELIJAH AND JOHN THE BAPTIST LINKED *But I say unto you, that an Elijah is even come,* alLA LEg*o* huMIN, HOti kai *E*-LEIas eL*E*lu-then, *and they have done to him whatever they would, even as it is written of him.* kai ePOI*e*-san auT*O* HOsa *E*the-lon, kaTH*O*S GEgrap-tai ep' auTON. I. 9:14-29 FAITH AND FASTING-PRAYER: KEY TO CASTING OUT DEMONS a. 9:14 CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWING THE TRANSFIGURATION *And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd* Kai elTHONtes pros tous math*e*TAS, EIdan OCHlon poLUN *about them, and scribes questioning with them.* peRI auTOUS, kai gram-maTEIS sun-z*e*TOUNtas [4802] pros auTOUS. b. 9:15 THE CROWD SALUTES JESUS *And straightway the whole crowd, when they saw him,* kai euTHUS pas ho OCHlos, iDONtes auTON, *were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.* e-xe-thamB*E*th*e*-san [1568], kai proSTREchon-tes [4370] *e*SPAzon-to [782]auTON. c. 9:16 * And he asked them, What do you question with them?* kai e-p*e*R*O*t*e*-sen [1905] auTOUS, Ti sun-z*e*TEIte [4802] pros auTOUS? d. 9:17-18 EXPLANATION FROM ONE OF THE CROWD *And one of the crowd answered him, Teacher,* kai a-peKRIth*e* auT*O* heis ek tou OCHlou, DiDAska-le, *I brought unto you my :son, who has a dumb spirit;* *E*neg-ka ton huiON mou pros se, Echon-ta PNEUma Ala-lon [216]; 18* and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down:* kai HOpou eAN auTON ka-taLAb*e* [2638], 'R*E*Ssei [4486] auTON: *and he foams, and grinds his :teeth, and pines away:* kai aPHRIzei [875], kai TRIzei [5149] tous oDONtas [3599], kai x*e*RAIne-tai [3583]: *and I spoke to your :disciples that they cast it out; and they were unable. * kai EIpa tois ma-th*e*TAIS sou HIna auTO ekBAl*o*-sin; kai ouk Ischu-san [2480]. e. 9:19 JESUS REQUESTS THE BOY BE BROUGHT TO HIM *And he answers them and says, O faithless generation,* ho de a-po-kriTHEIS auTOIS LEgei, *O* ge-neA Api-stos, *how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me.* HE*o*s POte pros huMAS Eso-mai? HE*o*s POte aNExo-mai [430] huM*O*N? PHEre-te auTON PROS me. f. 9:20 THE DEMONIC REACTION *And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him,* kai *E*neg-kan auTON pros auTON: kai iD*O*N auTON, *straightway the spirit convulses him grievously;* to PNEUma euTHUS su-neSPAra-xen [4952] auTON; *and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.* kai peS*O*N ePI t*e*s g*e*s, e-kuLIe-to [2947] aPHRIz*o*n [875]. g. 9:21a * And he asked his :father, How long time is it since this has come to him?* kai e-p*e*R*O*t*e*-sen [1905] ton paTEra auTOU, POsos CHROnos esTIN h*o*s TOUto GEgo-nen auT*O*? h. 9:21b* And he said, From a child. ** *ho de EIpen, Ek pai-diOthen [3812] . i. 9:22 THE REPORT OF THE FATHER *And oft-times it has cast him both into fire and into waters,* kai polLAkis kai eis pur auTON Eba-len kai eis HUda-ta, *to destroy him: but if you can do anything have pity on us, and help us.* HIna a-poLEs*e* auTON: all' EI ti DUn*e* bo*E*th*e*-son [997] H*E*min, splagch-nisTHEIS eph' huMAS. j. 9:23a * And :Jesus said to him, As to the If you can!* ho de I*e*SOUS EIpen auT*O*, To Ei DUn*e* [1410]! k. 9:23b* All things are possible to him that believes.* PANta du-naTA t*o* piSTEUon-ti. l. 9:24* Straightway the father of the little child cried out, and said, I believe; help my :unbelief.* euTHUS KRAxas [2806] ho paT*E*R tou paiDIou, Ele-gen, PiSTEU*o*; bo*E*thei [997] mou t*e* a-piSTIa. m. 9:25 JESUS REBUKES THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT *And :Jesus seeing that a crowd was running together,* iD*O*N de ho I*e*SOUS HOti e-pi-sunTREchei [1998] OCHlos, *rebuked the unclean :spirit, saying to him,* e-peTIm*e*-sen [2008] t*o* PNEUma-ti t*o* a-kaTHARt*o* [169], leG*O*N auT*O* , *Dumb and deaf :spirit, I command you, * To Ala-lon kai k*o*PHON PNEUma, eG*O* e-piTASs*o* soi, *come out of him, and come no more into him.* Exel-the ex auTOU, kai m*e*KEti eiSELth*e*s eis auTON. n. 9:26 IMMEDIATE RESULTS OF THE EXORCISM *And having cried out, and convulsed him much, he came out:* kai KRAxas, kai polLA spaRAxas [4682], eX*E*Lthen: *and the boy became as one dead; so that the many said [that] He is dead.* kai eGEne-to h*o*SEI neKROS; H*O*ste tous polLOUS LEgein [HOti] A-PEtha-nen. o. 9:27 * But :Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. * ho de I*e*SOUS kraT*E*sas t*e*s cheiROS auTOU, *E*gei-ren auTON; kai aNEst*e * [450]. p. 9:28 QUESTION OF THE DISCIPLES *And when he was come into the house, his :disciples asked him privately,* kai ei-selTHONtos auTOU eis OIkon, hoi math*e*TAI auTOU kat' iDIan e-p*e*R*O *t*o*n auTON, *Why could not we cast it out?* HOti h*e*MEIS ouk *e*-duN*E*th*e*-men [1410] ek-baLEIN auTO? q. 9:29 * And he said to them, This :kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.* kai EIpen auTOIS, TOUto to GEnos en ou-deNI DUna-tai e-xelTHEIN, ei m*e* en pro-seuCH*E* [4335]. *NOTE**: *9:2-13 This paragraph is one of the high marks in the life of Jesus as Son of man upon earth. When we speak of His death, burial, Ascension and Pouring out of the Holy Spirit, we could precede these four events with His Incarnation, Bar Mitzvah and Transfiguration. These *seven*events in the life of our Savior - are seven windows giving us a deeper understanding of this Extraordinary Being. Whatever of Truth we can meditate upon for a fuller understanding of Him, is bound to lead us to a deeper consecration of our life for Him. My utmost - for *His* *Highest*! The Transfiguration is a *true* window into the coming manifestation of the Kingdom of God. It is inward and invisible today - it will be outward and Glorious tomorrow! Jesus' three close disciples *recognized* Moses and Elijah, most probably by inward revelation of the Spirit. Read H.A. Baker's ?Visions Beyond the Veil?. These 40 little Chinese children saw the same things in the Spirit, and recognized saints of the past when they were temporarily transported to Heaven and Paradise in groups. It is interesting to note that there is a possible ?transfiguration? for you and me in this present time. We read about it in Romans 12:2. The same word used for Transfiguration in Mark 9, is also used here in Romans concerning the desire of God for each of us to have *renewed* or * transfigured* *minds*. The Holy Spirit in our spirit as we obey God, then takes *our* thoughts in our mind, and transfigures them, so that we think God's thoughts after Him. Not too many saints enter into this potential and possibility - but it is *freely* offered to us all. Those who indeed hunger and thirst after righteousness, are abundantly filled by our blessed God. The word *transfigured* means to be changed like a caterpillar - moving into chrysalis stage - but emerging as a beautiful butterfly! God wants our human and often unworthy thoughts to be so lifted in a like parallel transfiguration! The ?high places? in Judah that only two kings removed - Hezekiah and Josiah - are like these human thoughts that can be changed by the renewing of our minds. Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - *every thought*brought into captivity to Christ! This is just another way of looking at it. Also, to see the spirit of Elijah work in John the Baptist is an important revelation. And yet - he that is *least* in the Kingdom of Heaven - is greater than John the Baptist. Not greater in ministry - but greater in * privilege*. He who has received the Holy Spirit - the d*o*-reA as a *gift*, has entered into privilege that was *not available* prior to Christ's passion. 9:14-29 - Here are lessons that can open up to us in clarity and understanding by the Holy Spirit, the Teacher Jesus promised subsequent to His Ascension. As we meditate over God's Word in prayer - on our knees - like George Muller and George Whitefield - we will scarcely be able to believe what God will open up to us. John the Baptist couldn't understand these things. He even had doubts at times concerning the true Messiahship of Jesus. But *we* have the privilege to lose all such doubts! to *glory*in Christ Jesus as the only-begotten Son of God - to see Him as God's choice to come to earth as our Redeemer and Reconciler to God! By the Holy Spirit Jesus literally imparts to *us* *His* very heredity! We enter into a new creation through entrance into the Kingdom of God, which is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Repent! for the Kingdom of God is at hand - was the initial message of both John the Baptist and Jesus. It was realized on the Day of Pentecost, 50 day following His Resurrection, and ten days after His Ascension. It will be manifested at * our* Resurrection when Jesus returns again! Then the remnant nation of Israel will be born again in a day! Then the One New Man Mystery of Ephesians 2 and 3 will become a glorious living Reality. The time is at hand. Repent, and believe the Gospel! J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu May 17 11:39:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 11:39:12 -0700 Subject: God, Bible & Same-Sex Marriage Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 17, 2012 *2012-05-17 - God - Bible - and Same-Sex Marriage* *I have been concerned about our President's position on illegitimate and unscriptural marriage.* *A friend of mine was questioned concerning his ?take? on this. Instead of answering directly, he quoted his denomination's position on this problem, on which he entirely agreed.* *I felt it was such a clear and necessary word, that I am enclosing it for you also.* *Trust it will be as helpful to you as it was to me -* *Your friend - Jim Watt* *AG opposes President Obama's Stance on Same-Sex Marriage * *The article below was released Thursday 10 May 2012 - 10:50 AM CST via AG News* *The Assemblies of God, in reaction to President Barack Obama's embracing of same-sex marriage, is voicing its dissent and objection. According to Dr. George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, the Assemblies of God is in complete disagreement with the president's new position and takes exception to the president's taking Scripture out of context to defend his position.* ?*The Bible clearly teaches that marriage should be a life-long commitment between one man and one woman,? states Dr. George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. ?There is no affirmation of homosexual behavior found anywhere in Scripture. However, the Bible is replete with evidence that homosexual behavior is immoral and comes under the judgment of God.?* *The president also referred to the Bible, claiming Christ sacrificing himself for mankind and the golden rule as reasons for endorsing same-sex marriage.* ?*Although it has become popular to quote Scripture grossly out of context to serve a personal or political agenda, is still doesn't change what God's Word clearly states,? Wood says.* *Wood adds that in light of what Scripture says, Christians should not be surprised by individuals and groups twisting Scripture, citing 2 Timothy 4:3, ?For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.?* *In the Assemblies of God's official position paper on homosexuality, it states, ?We believe, in the light of biblical revelation, that the growing cultural acceptance of homosexual identity and behavior, male and female, is symptomatic of a broader spiritual disorder that threatens the family, the government, and the church.?* *The paper also states, ?Not only do the Scriptures condemn more flagrant examples of homosexual violence and promiscuity, they also provide no support for the popular modern idea that loving and committed homosexual relationships between two long-term partners are morally acceptable. Homosexual activities of every kind are contrary to the moral commandments God has given us.?* *Wood adds that it's important for Christians to not underestimate the implications of a pro-homosexual, pro-abortion president, and what it means for the church. ?In no time in our nation have we ever needed to pray more for our political leaders and this country than we need to today,? Wood says.* *For more information on the Assemblies of God stance on homosexuality and other areas, see its website and click on ?Beliefs.? * *Previous communications about SB 6239 (Washington State), Same-Sex Marriage was sent from the Northwest Ministry Network on February 27, 2012* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri May 18 15:41:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 15:41:08 -0700 Subject: Focus on Jesus Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 18, 2012 *2012-05-18 - FOCUS ON JESUS - Oswald Chambers* *(From ?My Utmost for His Highest?)* ?*Look at the birds of the air ... Consider the lilies of the field? - Matthew 6:26, 28* *Living Simply - Yet ?Focused* ?*Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin? - they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon - all of these simply are as well - yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God's designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, ?Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me.? In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you ?will flow rivers of living water? (John 7:38). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our * *Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually - just as ?the lilies of the field.?* *The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and ?the lilies of the field? - simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.* *If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live - yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.* *NOTE**: *On December 7, 2009, Jesus revealed to me the last 5 ?Component Parts? of His ?Organic Laser-Telescope? that produces for Him the ?Spiritual Star Wars.? In 1967 He revealed the first 2 component parts: ?The Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the 2 discoveries of Ivan Panin; and ?The City Church concept? with an Eldership in its Gate. Now 32 years later He revealed the last 5 parts. The 6th Component Part: ?* Focusing* on Jesus? as brought forth through Oswald Chambers in a special way - ?*My Utmost* for *His Highest*? - and - Personal, passionate devotion to Jesus! One of the chief things to *focus* on in Jesus - is what God has made Him for Israel and for the ?One New Man? - a *Covenant*! See Isaiah 42:6 - *?I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations.? *This the Father did for His Son, our Messiah! And again in Isaiah 49:8 - *Thus says the LORD: ?In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land.?* To see Jesus as God's Covenant for Israel and the Church - as the Christ, the Promised Messiah! as the Son of God; as our Savior through His Finished Work on Calvary! On the Giver of the Holy Spirit in us and we in Him; as our Hope in the Coming King - all of these and much more - are what we ought to *Focus* on in Him at all times! It is only Galatians 2:20 constantly at work in us - we being dead to ourselves and constantly *alive*in Him by His Spirit - with Him living out His life through us - only *this* makes true disciples - makes us well-pleasing to our God! And can any one of us do this perfectly? *No*! But we *can be* on the way - and our hope is that at His coming He will send His angels and gather us to Himself. *Then* we receive our resurrection bodies like His! Then as overcomers on the way now - we become *perfected*! *This* is our hope! It is the *blessed* hope! J.W.Watt Could the following be an illustration of this? *The Romney You May Not Know* - You won't hear this on the evening ?news?. This man has Character with a capital ?C?! Sometimes, this facet of Romney's personality isn't so subtle. In July 1996, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner at Bain Capital, had disappeared. She had attended a rave party in New York City and gotten high on ecstasy. Three day later, her distraught father had no idea where she was. Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to help find Gay's daughter. Romney set up a command center at the La Guardia Marriott and hired a private detective firm to assist with the search. He established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the NYPD, and went through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York, and asked them to help find his friend's missing daughter. Romney's accountants at Price Waterhouse Cooper put up posters on street poles, while cashiers at a pharmacy owned by Bain put fliers in the bag of every shopper. Romney and the other Bain employees scoured every part of New York and talked with everyone they could: prostitutes, drug addicts, anyone. That day, their hunt made the evening news, which featured photos of the girl and the Bain employees searching for her. As a result, a teenage boy phoned in, asked if there was a reward, and then hung up abruptly. The NYPD traced the call to a home in New Jersey, where they found the girl in the basement, shivering and experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a massive ecstasy dose. Doctors later said the girl might not have survived another day. Romney's former partner credits Mitt Romney with saving his daughter's life, saying, ?It was the most amazing thing, and I'll never forget this to the day I die.? So, here's my epiphany: Mitt Romney simply can't help himself. He sees a problem, and his mind immediately sets to work solving it, sometimes consciously, and sometimes not-so-consciously. He doesn't do it for self-aggrandizement, or for personal gain. He does it because that just how he's wired. Many people are unaware of the fact that when Romney was asked by his old employer, Bill Bain, to come back to Bain & Company as CEO to rescue the firm from bankruptcy, Romney left Bain Capital to work at Bain & Company for an annual salary of one dollar. When Romney went to the rescue of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, he accepted no salary for three years, and wouldn't use an expanse account. He also accepted no salary as Governor of Massachusetts. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat May 19 16:17:46 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 19 May 2012 16:17:46 -0700 Subject: Luke 17:1-10 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 19, 2012 "Outlined Interlinear New Testament" - Final Proof-reading complete, and Manuscript into hands of Printer by Pentecost Sunday. Notification how to order will be available following that. *(From: LUKE #30 - 17:1-10)* E. 17:1-10 THREE DUTIES OF DISCIPLES WHO ARE SERVANTS 1. 17:1-4 DEAL WITH THOSE CAUSING STUMBLING a. 17:1 JESUS' WORD ON OFFENCES *And he said unto his :disciples, It is impossible but that :stumblings should come;* EIpen de pros tous ma-th*e*TAS auTOU, A-NENdekTON [418] es-tin tou ta SKANda-la m*e* elTHEIN; *but woe to him, through whom they come!* pl*e*n ouAI [3759], di' hou ERche-tai! b. 17:2 THE MILLSTONE ANALOGY *Well for him if a millstone were hanged about his :neck,* lu-si-teLEI [3081] auT*O* ei LIthos mu-liKOS [3684] peRIkei-tai peRI ton TRAch*e*-lon [5137] auTOU, *and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should stumble one of these :little ones.* kai ERrip-tai [4496] eis t*e*n THAlas-san, *e* HIna skan-daLIs*e* t*o*n miKR *O*N [3398] TOUt*o*n HEna. c. 17:3 SIN - REBUKE - REPENTANCE - FORGIVENESS *Take heed to yourselves: if your :brother sin, rebuke him;* proSEche-te [4337] he-auTOIS: eAN haMARt*e* ho a-delPHOS sou, e-piTIm*e*-son [2068] auT*O*; *and if he repent, forgive him.* kai eAN me-ta-no*E*s*e* [3340], Aphes [863] auT*O*. d. 17:4 REPETITION OF THIS ORDER! *And if he sin against you seven times in the day,* kai eAN hepTAkis t*e*s h*e*MEras ha-marT*E*s*e* eis se, *and seven times turn again to you, saying, I repent; you shall forgive him. * kai hepTAkis e-piSTREps*e* [1994] pros se, LEg*o*n, Me-ta-no*O* [3340]; aPH* E*seis [863] auT*O*. 2. 17:5-6 GREAT FAITH NOT NEEDED - ACT ON WHAT YOU HAVE a. 17:5* And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.* Kai EIpan hoi aPOsto-loi t*o* KuRI*o*, PROSthes [4369] huMIN PIstin. b. 17:6 THE NATURE OF FAITH *And the Lord said, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed,* EIpen de ho KUri-os, Ei Eche-te PIstin h*o*s KOKkon [2848] siNApe-*o*s [4615], *you would say to this :sycamore tree, Be rooted up,* eLEge-te an t*e* su-kaMIn*o* [4807] TAUt*e*, E-kriZ*O*th*e*-ti [1610], *and be planted in the sea; and it would obey you.* kai phuTEUth*e*-ti [5542] en t*e* thaLASs*e*; kai huP*E*kou-sen [5219] an huMIN. 3. 17:7-10 PRINCIPLE: WE ONLY DO OUR DUTY WHEN WE SERVE a. 17:7-8 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LORD AND SERVANTS *But who of you, having a bondman plowing or keeping sheep,* Tis de ex huM*O*N, DOUlon [1401] Ech*o*n a-ro-tri*O*Nta [722] *e*poiMAInon-ta [4165], *who will say unto him, when he is come in from the field, * hos ei-selTHONti ek tou aGROU, eREI auT*O*, *Come straightway and sit down to meat;* EuTHE*o*s pa-relTH*O*N aNApe-se [377]; 8* but will not rather say to him, Make ready so that I may sup,* all' ouCHI eREI auT*O*, HeTOIma-son [2090] ti deipN*E*s*o* [1172], *and gird yourself, and serve me, till I eat and drink;* kai pe-ri-z*o*SAme-nos, di-aKOnei moi, HE*o*s PHAg*o* kai PI*o*; *and afterward you shall eat and drink?* kai meTA TAUta PHAge-sai kai PIe-sai su? b. 17:9 * Does he thank the bondman because he did the things commanded?* m*e* Echei CHArin t*o* DOUl*o* HOti ePOI*e*-sen ta di-a-tachTHENta [1299]? c. 17:10 THE OBEDIENT SERVANT *So you also, when you shall have done all the things commanded you,* HOUt*o*s kai huMEIS, HOtan poi*E*s*e*-te panTA ta di-a-tachTHENta huMIN, *say [that], We are unprofitable bondmen; we have done what was our duty to do.* LEge-te [HOti], DOUloi aCHREI-OI [888] es-men; ho *o*PHEIlo-men [3784] poi*E *sai pe-poi*E*ka-men. *NOTE**: (2010-12-15) - 17:1-4 - *SKANda-la - *stumblings* - are very serious incidents to bring upon fellow believers, especially children. Sexual sin and abuse is serious enough, but there are other ways that hurt a brother. And - what we do to a fellow believer - we do to Christ! - for * He* is one with every member of His spiritual body. Yet, if a brother sin against us, *we* are to rebuke (e-piTIm*e*-sin) him. We *are* our brother's keeper. We can *not* be like Cain who murdered his brother Abel. And no matter how many times a rebuked brother repents and asks for our forgiveness - we *must* grant it. *God* is all-forgiving this way. We see it in Jesus, Who is God manifest! 17:5-6 - The apostles immediately recognized that they needed *increased*faith to forgive a repenting brother after sinning and being rebuked - especially if he repeats this a number of times. Peter in another Gospel asked Jesus if he could *fix* his brother after 7 such times of forgiving him. No, Jesus said, not even 70 + 7! - which it would be impossible to see that many sins in a day. And Jesus said faith as small as a grain of mustard seed - will meet the need of that above. 17:7-10 - It is important for us to see ourselves as servants! Jesus was * this* to His Father in His earthly life. Four times in the book of Isaiah Jesus is prophetically foretold in the four ?*Servant* Songs.? If *Jesus*is our example in all of this, then we can certainly obtain grace to *also* live like Him down here. And - when we've done *all* that is our duty to do - it *yet* is but our duty, and does not merit praise. Yes - we do need grace for this. But just think - Jesus as the Eternal Son of God manifested this earthly type of servant spirit for 33 years down here. On the Mount of Transfiguration we see Him as He was with the Father before His Incarnation. He volunteered for this position. He came to earth not to be ministered to - *but to minister*, and to give His life a ransom for many! Oh - what grace! Oh - what love! And when He is allowed by us to live His life in and through us supremely by His Spirit - then *we too* on earth can be like Him in those 33 years! J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon May 21 17:03:13 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 17:03:13 -0700 Subject: John 1:1-18 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 21, 2012 * (From JOHN #1 - 1:1-18) * *JOHN'S SUMMARY: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE LIVING GOD* I. 1:1-2:11 JESUS COMMENCES HIS MIRACULOUS MINISTRY A. 1:1-18 PURPOSE OF JESUS: TO REVEAL GOD TO MAN 1. 1:1* In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with :God, and the Word was God.* En arCH*E* [746] *e*n ho LOgos [3056], kai ho LOgos *e*n pros ton TheON, kai TheOS *e*n ho LOgos. 2. 1:2-13 PURPOSE OF WORD: LIGHT AND LIFE FOR MEN a. 1:2 * The same was in **the** beginning with :God. ** *HOUtos *e*n en arCH*E* pros ton TheON. b. 1:3 * All things became through him; and without him nothing became that had become.* PANta di' auTOU eGEne-to [1096]; kai ch*o*RIS auTOU eGEne-to ouDE hen ho GEgo-nen. c. 1:4 * In him was life; and the life was the light of :men.* en auT*O* z*o*-*E* [2222] *e*n; kai h*e* z*o*-*E* *e*n to ph*o*s [5457] t*o*n anTHR*O*p*o*n. d. 1:5 * And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.* kai to ph*o*s en t*e* skoTIa [4653] PHAInei [5316]; kai h*e* skoTIa auTO ou kaTEla-ben [2638]. e. 1:6 * There came to be a man, sent from God, his name was John.* eGEne-to ANthr*o*-pos, a-pe-stalMEnos [649] paRA TheOU, Ono-ma auT*O* I*o*An *e*s. f. 1:7 PURPOSE OF JOHN: A WITNESS UNTO BELIEF *The same came for a witness,* HOUtos *E*Lthen eis mar-tuRIan [3141], *that he might witness of the light, that all might believe through him.* HIna mar-tuR*E*s*e* peRI tou ph*o*TOS, HIna PANtes piSTEUs*o*-sin [4100]di' auTOU. g. 1:8 * HE was not the light, but came that he might witness of the light. * ouk *e*n eKEInos to ph*o*s, all' HIna mar-tuR*E*s*e* peRI tou ph*o*TOS. h. 1:9 * The true :light was which coming into the world lights every man.* *E*n to ph*o*s to a-l*e*-thiNON ho ph*o*TIzei [5461] PANta ANthr*o*-pon erCHOme-non eis ton KOSmon. i. 1:10* He was in the world, and the world became through him, and the world knew him not.* en t*o* KOSm*o* *e*n, kai ho KOSmos di' auTOU eGEne-to, kai ho KOSmos auTON ouk EGn*o*. j. 1:11 * He came unto his :own possessions, and his :own received him not. * eis ta Idi-a *E*Lthen, kai hoi Idi-oi auTON ou paREla-ben [3880]. k. 1:12-13 A NEW BIRTH - RESULT OF ACCEPTING THE WORD *But as many as received him, to them gave he authority to become children of God,* HOsoi de Ela-bon auTON, Ed*o*-ken auTOIS e-xouSIan TEKna TheOU geNESthai, *even** to them that believe unto his :name:* tois piSTEUou-sin eis to Ono-ma auTOU: 13* who were begotten, not of bloods, nor of the will of flesh,* hoi ouk ex haiMAt*o*n [129], ouDE ek theL*E*ma-tos sarKOS*,* *nor of man's will, but of God.* OUde ek theL*E*ma-tos [2307] anDROS, all' ek TheOU e-genN*E*th*e*-san [1080] . 3. 1:14-18 PURPOSE OF JESUS: REVEAL GOD IN FLESH a. 1:14 INCARNATION AND CHARACTER OF CHRIST *And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us,* Kai ho LOgos sarx eGEne-to, kai eSK*E*n*o*-sen [4637] en h*e*MIN, *and we beheld his :glory, glory as of an only begotten with a father,* kai e-the-aSAme-tha [2300] t*e*n DOxan auTOU, DOxan h*o*s mo-no-geNOUS [3439] paRA paTROS, *full of grace and truth.* PL*E*r*e*s CHAri-tos [5485] kai a-l*e*THEIas [225]. b. 1:15 WHAT JOHN WITNESSED OF JESUS *(John witnessed of him, and cried, saying, -* (I*o*An*e*s mar-tuREI peRI auTOU, kai KEkra-gen, LEg*o*n, - *This was he who said - Who comes after me is become before me:* HOUtos *e*n ho eiP*O*N - Ho oPIs*o* mou erCHOme-nos EMprosTHEN mou GEgo-nen: *for he was first in regard of me.)* HOti PR*O*-TOS mou *e*n.)* * c. 1:16* Because of his :fullness we all received, and grace upon grace.* HOti ek tou pl*e*R*O*ma-tos [4128] auTOU h*e*MEIS PANtes eLAbo-men, kai CHArin anTI CHAri-tos. d. 1:17 CONTRAST OF MOSES AND JESUS *Because the law was given through Moses;* HOti ho NOmos [3551] diA M*o*-uSE*o*s eDOth*e*; *the grace and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ.* h*e* CHAris kai h*e* aL*E*thei-a diA I*e*SOU ChrisTOU eGEne-to. e. 1:18 THE MANIFESTATION THAT CHRIST HAS GIVEN OF THE FATHER *God no one has ever seen; an only begotten, himself God,* TheON ouDEIS he*O*ra-ken [3708] P*O*po-te; mo-no-geN*E*S, TheOS, *who is unto the bosom of the Father, HE has declared him.* ho *o*n eis ton KOLpon [3859] tou paTROS, eKEInos e-x*e*G*E*sa-to [1834]. *NOTE**: *John 1:1-18 is called the ?Prologue? to the whole Gospel of John, and in theological circles, the ?Prolegomena?. It is unique in the entire Bible, and gives the relationship of Jesus to the Father and to us, in a manner that is indeed unique. Jehovah's Witnesses have made a big deal out of 1:1, where it states that Jesus the ?Word? was ?God?, but without being preceded by the definite article ?the?. They say that he was but ?a God?, while the Father was ?the God.? I challenged one young Jehovah's Witness leader in charge of a group - ?If I could show you a passage, even from your own Interlinear Greek NT, the ?Emphatic Diaglott?, where Jesus is called ?the? God, would you acknowledge that your doctrine of making Jesus less the the Father is false? ?Yes?, he said, ?but you can't do that.? ?Turn to John 20:28,? I said, ?and read to me.? Here Thomas, when he saw the resurrected Christ with the nail-prints in His hands and feet, and the mark of the sword-thrust in His side, fell at His feet and said to Him, My ?the? Lord, and my ?*the*? God. This young man was immediately chagrined and at a loss before a home group of some 20 that he was seeking to disciple. One of our church members had been invited to attend this group, but told the leader she didn't think her pastor would approve of the teaching. ?Invite him to come,? he challenged, ?and tell him he can challenge me in any area where he has a problem. Following my challenge he said, ?I have had a dozen or so pastors challenge me in the past, but you are the first one that has put me into a losing situation.? I did not do this to embarrass this young leader, but to save our church member from falling into heresy and error. This took place in 1955 in Chicago through the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church, of which I was pastor. 1:1-2 throws light against the Gnostic error that took place, even starting in the first century of the church. It is interesting to note in 1:4, that the ?life? of Jesus is the ?light? of men - and His Life is the Life of the Holy Spirit, also called Eternal Life! 1:12-13 has been memorized by many, and is part of the 108 verses in the ?Topical Memory System? put out by the Navigators years ago. I love 1:14, telling how Jesus took on our human form to tabernacle among us, like Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness. For those with eyes to see, they could see the glory of the Father shining through the body of Jesus in His three year ministry amongst us. It was following the Holy Spirit descending on Him as a Dove that this manifestation with the Signs and Wonders commenced. Jesus did not perform a miracle prior to that time, in spite of some of the statements in apocryphal books. The contrast between the ministry of Moses and Jesus cannot be more clearly stated than in 1:17. And 1:18 makes it clear that all we know or can know of the Father, is only through Jesus Christ. God has chosen *Him*to manifest the fullness of the invisible God. Oswald Chambers in his writings, makes this point abundantly clear. People who love to memorize portions of Scripture, not just verses - are rewarded greatly through the memorization of this passage. Then as they * meditate* upon it, *great* reward becomes theirs. Lance Latham of Chicago raised up the ?AWANA? Clubs for boys and later also for girls. It stands for ?*A*pproved *W*orkmen *A*re *N*ot *A*shamed?. He had the members memorize chapters and even *books* of the New Testament. The Book of Romans was one he strongly encouraged for complete memorization. Over 50% of the boys in one Club ended up as pastors or missionaries because of this strong challenge! It is now 2012-05-21, and the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the two Bible Numeric NT texts prepared by Ivan Panin - is about to be printed. It will appear in a slightly different format from that above, so that it can be more easily made available in the E-book format also. Readers will be kept informed how to order both these publications. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed May 23 14:04:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 14:04:50 -0700 Subject: John 9:35-10:21 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 23, 2012 *(From: JOHN #23 - 9:35-10:21)* 4. 9:35-41 JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF IN A SITUATION OF JUDGMENT a. 9:35 JESUS LOOKS UP THE HEALED MAN *Jesus heard that they had cast him out;* *E*kou-sen I*e*SOUS HOti eXEba-lon [1544] auTON Ex*o*; *and found him and said, Do YOU believe unto the Son of :man?* kai heuR*O*N auTON EIpen, Su piSTEUeis eis ton huiON tou anTHR*O*pou? b. 9:36 * HE answered and said, And who is he, sir, that I may believe on him?* a-peKRIth*e* eKEInos kai EIpen, Kai TIS es-tin, KUri-e, HIna piSTEUs*o* eis auTON? c. 9:37 * :Jesus said to him, You have both seen him, and he it is that speaks with you.* EIpen auT*O* ho I*e*SOUS, Kai he*O*ra-kas [3708] auTON, kai ho laL*O*N meTA sou eKEI-NOS es-tin. d. 9:38a.* And he said, Lord, I believe. ** *ho de Eph*e*, PiSTEU*o*, KUri-e. e. 9:38b* And he worshiped him. ** *kai pro-seKUn*e*-sen [4352] auT*O*. f. 9:39 DISCRIMINATING EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL *And :Jesus said, For judgment I came into this :world,* kai EIpen ho I*e*SOUS, Eis KRIma [2919] eG*O* eis ton KOSmon [2889] TOUton * E*Lthon, *that who see not may see; and who see may become blind.* HIna hoi m*e* BLEpon-tes [991] BLEp*o*-sin; kai hoi BLEpon-tes tuphLOI [5185] GEn*o*n-tai. g. 9:40 QUESTION OF THE PHARISEES *Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, * *E*kou-san ek t*o*n Pha-riSAI*o*n TAUta hoi met' auTOU ONtes, kai EIpan auT* O*, *Are WE also blind?* M*e* kai h*e*MEIS tuphLOI es-men? h. 9:41 JESUS MAKES A CLEAR APPLICATION *:Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin:* EIpen auTOIS ho I*e*SOUS, Ei tuphLOI *E*te, ouk an EIche-te ha-marTIan [266] : *but now you say that, We see: your :sin remains.* nun de LEge-te HOti, BLEpo-men: h*e* ha-marTIa huM*O*N MEnei. 5. 10:1-6 PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD a. 10:1 ONLY THIEVES AND ROBBERS FAIL TO ENTER THE DOOR OF THE SHEEPFOLD *Amen, Amen, I say unto you, * A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN, *Who enters not by the door into the fold of the sheep,* ho m*e* ei-serCHOme-nos diA t*e*s THUras [2374] eis t*e*n auL*E*N t*o*n proBAt*o*n, *but goes up some other way, the same is a thief and robber.* alLA a-naBAIn*o*n al-laCHOthen, eKEInos KLEPt*e*s [2812] esTIN kai l*e*ST*E*S [3027]. b. 10:2* But who enters by the door is shepherd of the sheep.* ho de ei-serCHOme-nos [1525] diA t*e*s THUras poiM*E*N [4166] es-tin t*o*n proBAt*o*n. *c. 10:3 SHEEP KNOW THE VOICE OF THEIR OWN SHEPHERD* *To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his :voice:* TOUt*o* ho thu-r*o*ROS [2377] aNOIgei [455]; kai ta PROba-ta t*e*s ph*o*N*E*S [5456] auTOU aKOUei: *and he calls his :own sheep by name, and leads them out.* kai ta Idi-a PROba-ta ph*o*NEI kat' Ono-ma, kai eXAgei [1806] auTA. d. 10:4 SHEEP FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THEIR SHEPHERD *When he has put forth all his :own, he goes before them,* HOtan ta Idi-a PANta ekBAl*e* [1544], EMpros-then [1715] auT*O*N poREUe-tai [4198], *and the sheep follow him: for they know his :voice.* kai ta PROba-ta auT*O* a-ko-louTHEI [190]: HOti OIda-sin [1492] t*e*n ph*o*N *E*N auTOU. e. 10:5 SHEEP FLEE FROM THE VOICE OF STRANGERS *And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him:* al-loTRI*o* [245] de ou m*e* a-ko-louTH*E*sou-sin [190], alLA PHEUxon-tai [5343] ap' auTOU: *for they know not the voice of :strangers.* HOti ouk OIda-si t*o*n al-loTRI*o*n t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N. f. 10:6 THE JEWS DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS PARABLE OF JESUS *This :proverb spoke :Jesus to them: but THEY understood not* TAUt*e*n t*e*n pa-roiMIan [3942] EIpen auTOIS ho I*e*SOUS: eKEInoi de ouk EGn*o*-san *what things they were which he spoke to them.* TIna *e*n ha eLAlei auTOIS. 6. 10:7-18 JESUS EXPLAINS PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD a. 10:7 * :Jesus therefore said again, Amen, Amen, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.* EIpen oun PAlin ho I*e*SOUS, A-M*E*N, aM*E*N, LEg*o* huMIN, eG*O* ei-mi h*e*THUra t *o*n proBAt*o*n. b. 10:8 WISDOM OF SHEEP *All that came before me are thieves and robbers: * PANtes HOsoi *E*Lthon pro eMOU KLEPtai [2812] eiSIN kai l*e*STAI: *but the sheep did not hear them.* all' ouk *E*kou-san auT*O*N ta PROba-ta. c. 10:9 SALVATION IS *ONLY* THROUGH JESUS THE DOOR *I am the door; by me if any enter, he shall be saved,* eG*O* ei-mi h*e* THUra [2374]; di' eMOU eAN tis eiSELth*e*, s*o*TH*E*se-tai [4982], *and shall go in and go out, and find pasture.* kai ei-seLEUse-tai kai e-xeLEUse-tai, kai noM*E*N [3542] heuR*E*sei [2147]. d. 10:10 CONTRAST BETWEEN THIEVES AND JESUS *The thief comes not, but to steal, and kill, and destroy:* ho KLEPt*e*s [2812] ouk ERche-tai, ei m*e* HIna KLEps*e* [2813], kai THUs*e* [2380], kai a-poLEs*e* [622]: *I came that they may have life, and may have abundance.* eG*O* *E*Lthon HIna z*o*-*E*N [2222] Ech*o*-sin, kai pe-risSON [4053] Ech*o* -sin. e. 10:11 THE PURPOSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD *I am the good :shepherd:* E-G*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N [4166] ho kaLOS [2570]: *the good :shepherd lays down his :life for the sheep.* ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS t*e*n psuCH*E*N [5590] auTOU TIth*e*-sin [5087] huPER t *o*n proBAt*o*n. f. 10:12-13 THE NATURE OF THE HIRELING *Who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not,* ho mis-th*o*TOS [3411], kai ouk *o*n poiM*E*N, hou ouk EStin ta PROba-ta Idi-a, *beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees* the-*o*REI ton LUkon [3074] erCHOme-non, kai aPHI*e*-sin [863] ta PROba-ta, kai PHEUgei [5343] *(and the wolf snatches them, and scatters):* (kai ho LUkos harPAzei [726] auTA, kai skorPIzei [4650]): 13 *because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep.* HOti mis-th*o*TOS es-tin, kai ou MElei [3411] auT*O* peRI t*o*n proBAt*o*n. g. 10:14-15 THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS SHEEP *I am the good :shepherd; and I know :mine, and :mine know me,* eG*O* ei-mi ho poiM*E*N ho kaLOS; kai giN*O*sk*o* ta eMA, kai giN*O*skouSI me ta eMA, 15* even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father;* kaTH*O*S giN*O*skei me ho paT*E*R, ka' 'G*O* giN*O*sk*o* ton paTEra; *and I lay down my :life for the sheep.* kai t*e*n psuCH*E*N mou TIth*e*-mi huPER t*o*n proBAt*o*n. h. 10:16 GENTILES WILL BE GRAFTED INTO THE ROOT OF ABRAHAM *And other sheep I have, which are not of this :fold:* kai ALla PROba-ta Ech*o*, ha ouk EStin ek t*e*s auL*E*S [833] TAUt*e*s: *them also I must bring, and they shall hear my :voice;* ka' 'KEIna DEI me a-gaGEIN, kai t*e*s ph*o*N*E*S mon aKOUsou-sin; *and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.* kai geN*E*son-tai MIa POIMn*e* [4167], heis poiM*E*N [4166]. i. 10:17 REASON FOR FATHER'S LOVE OF HIS SON *For this the Father loves me, * diA TOU-TO me ho paT*E*R a-gaPA, *because I lay down my :life, that I take it again.* HOti eG*O* TIth*e*-mi t*e*n psuCH*E*N mou, HIna PAlin LAb*o* auT*E*N. j. 10:18a* No one took it away from me, but I lay it down of myself.* ouDEIS *E*ren auT*E*N ap' eMOU, all' eG*O* TIth*e*-mi auT*E*N ap' e-mauTOU. k. 10:18b* I have authority to lay it down, and have authority to take it again.* e-xouSIan [1849] Ech*o* THEInai [5087] auT*E*N, kai e-xouSIan Ech*o* PAlin laBEIN auT*E*N. l. 10:18c * This :commandment received I from my :Father.* TAUt*e*n t*e*n en-toL*E*N [1785] Ela-bon paRA tou paTROS mou. 7. 10:19-21 ANOTHER DIVISION AMONG JEWS BECAUSE OF THIS a. 10:19* A division arose again among the Jews because of these :words.* SCHISma [4978] PAlin eGEne-to en tois IouDAIois diA tous LOgous [3056]TOUtous. b. 10:20* And many of them said, He has a demon, and is mad; why do you hear him?* Ele-gon de polLOI ex auT*O*N, DaiMOni-on [1140] Echei, kai MAIne-tai [3105]; ti auTOU aKOUe-te? c. 10:21 CHRIST'S MIRACLES CONVINCE SOME THAT CHRIST IS NOT A DEMONIAC *Others said, These are not the saying of a demoniac; * ALloi Ele-gon, TAUta ta 'R*E*ma-ta [4487] ouk EStin dai-mo-ni-zoMEnou [1139] ; *can a demon open the eyes of the blind?* m*e* daiMOni-on DUna-tai tuphL*O*N oph-thalMOUS aNOIxai [455]? *NOTE**: *- *The Parable of the Good Shepherd* has an up-to-date application for *us* today. Just as the Pharisees proved themselves thieves and robbers by the way they treated the common people as ?scum?, Jesus showed Himself as the ultimate contrast from Heaven, as the One who laid down His life for His sheep! What application can be made of this politically for the U.S.? Well, our Founding Fathers prepared a nation for justice and freedom. Abraham Lincoln the following century spelled out this foundation in the Gettysburg address on November 18, 1863. Here is a comment on this speech two years later, with the speech itself: On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner commented on what is now considered the most famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called it a ?monumental act.? He said Lincoln was mistaken that ?the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.? Rather, the Bostonian remarked, ?The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech.? *Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.* *Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.* *But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.* Today, politically speaking, we have a News Media, a President and a Government rapidly destroying this foundation through socialism, a concept diametrically opposed to a government *of the people, by the people, and for the people*. This government trashes the wishes of the people and illegally pushes forward an untested socialistic health-care program, plus other bills that the majority of the people fear - but - like the Pharisees of old, this President and government and Media are determined to push through what is the Pharisaic ?hireling? false care of the sheep. As the Pharisees crucified Jesus for coming against their agenda - so *this*government is willing to take *any* method to prevail against those they see as enemies. If one can, by all means retrieve Glenn Beck's TV program of today, Wednesday June 2, 2010. Here he clearly expresses the blatant hypocrisy of the Flotilla that usurped the sovereign right of Israel in defending its little sliver of land, and its small population, against the Muslim land mass, and ten-fold the population. And where does the US today stand with this perversion of justice - seeking to camouflage its humanitarian aid in the face of blatant terrorism? The world, the nations, the United Nations, Turkey and Iran and the Muslim world, unilaterally seek the destruction of Israel, a people God calls the apple of His eye. A perfect nation and people? No - but at the Return of Christ, a Jew after the flesh, He will see Israel born again in a day, to rule the earth through this nation. What Harry Truman did in making the rebirth of this nation possible after 1900 years - the US now has joined the spirit of the world opposing the will of God. Will they succeed? No - a resounding No! - for they are indeed fighting God, just as the Pharisees of Jesus' day. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu May 24 17:00:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:55 -0700 Subject: Interlinear: MEANS to an end Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 24, 2012 *The ?OUTLINED INTERLINEAR NT?: Its Relationship* *To The ?ORGANIC LASER-TELESCOPE? -* *Its FIRST and FOREMOST CORPORATE PART* *I need to continually reiterate - ?The Outlined Interlinear NT? is not an end in itself! It is a key means to a greater end! Beyond the Sacred Page - we seek Thee, Lord! The Bible itself is but a pointer to our Lord Jesus, Who is the Living Word!* *And what is a chief key to make this happen? Bible Meditation! Praying over the Word! Praying on one's knees over the Word! This was the secret of the extreme fruitfulness of the lives of George Muller and George Whitefield.* *The first time I heard from the Lord was in my unconverted state in the Fall of 1942, while a second year student at the University of British Columbia in the College of Arts & Commerce. As I was reading Psalm 107:23-24, He spoke to my spirit very clearly: ?Join the Navy, and I'll reveal Myself to you!? This was just a month or so before the death of Russian Ivan Panin in Aldershot, Ontario. It is now 70 years later. I remember another 70-year time-frame. Daniel, as a captive in the 3rd empire of his captivity, after 70 years, read in the book of Jeremiah that Judah was to be a captive in Babylon for 70 years because of her flagrant sins. The 70 yeas was now up. So in Daniel 9 we read of Daniel's intercessory prayer for God to end the 70 years of captivity. It was done by Cyrus, who was named 100's of years before his birth!* *Panin died in 1942, saddened that his 50 years of 100,000 hours of labor in producing the Bible Numeric Greek NT text and his English translation of it - had not been put together into an Interlinear format.* *On Passover of 1944, 9 months after I obeyed the Lord in joining the Navy - He fulfilled His promise and gloriously revealed Himself to me. I felt I too could jump over the moon - like the cow in the nursery rhyme. I walked in the euphoria of the new birth for months.* *Then in July of that same year, Dr. Jewel from Calgary, Alberta introduced me to the works of Ivan Panin. Following my discharge from the Navy at the end of World War II, I ordered all the books ?by? or ?on? Ivan Panin posted on the 2 pamphlets Dr. Jewel had given me. When they arrived in the Fall of 1945 in Saskatoon, I was captivated by the Introduction to Panin's Greek New Testament. Here I learned that not only did Bible Numerics establish the original text of the 27 books of the Greek NT, but it also established the correct sentence, subdivision, paragraph and section divisions of each of these same books.* *As a committed ?outliner? - I outlined the book of Ephesians according to Panin's discovery. I was so blessed, that I'm not sure that I walked on earth for days. I was so captivated with the extraordinary insights that came to me through this outlining - that I offered myself to God to outline the entire NT on the basis of this discovery. I received another ?word? from the Lord, commissioning me to do so for His sake, and to fulfill the desire of Panin.* *In 1967 He again spoke to me - ?Get MY NT done!? I learned from this it was not Panin's - not mine - not any team of helpers - but it was God'sOutlined Interlinear NT. I flew at the completion of this project, and the manuscript became a 2-binder some 5 inches high. I typed up Panin's entire English translation, leaving room to write in by hand underneath - his corresponding Bible Numeric Greek text, and above each sentence a summary. I gathered the sentence summaries into subdivisions; these into paragraph summaries; these into section or chapter equivalents; and these into the 27 NT book summaries. From this I received spiritual insights into God and His Word, that made these 40,000 hours or so - well worth it.* *Also on February 12, 1967, in response to the request of my wife Marie, I asked God for His insights on the true purpose of our marriage. In His answer - He gave me two visions, proving that ?Two are Better than One!? The first He as Lord showed Himself as the Head of an Observatory. He said that because we had been faithful in working on two of the 7 Component Parts of an ?Organic Laser-Telescope?, Marie and I had the privilege of being together to see the assemblage of these 7 parts, and the extraordinary results this instrument would accomplish in the Lords' hands.* *The first and foremost of the 7 component parts He said - was the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on Ivan Panin's two Bible Numeric texts. The second had to do with the City Church concept with an Eldership in the Gate of each city. The next 5 component parts He did not at that time reveal, because I did not have a direct part in their preparation.* *In 2000 AD our son Jim saw my need of a Website, and effectively prepared this for me. It was chiefly to permit readers to go directly there to receive the 12 Embryonic revival principles that came together in the 1948 Visitation in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.* *In 2007 my grandson Keelan Long volunteered to update this Website, so that an ?Archive? section could make available the various articles I was then writing. I asked him if he could also provide a section for the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?, which he also did (at considerable time and labor on his part). For my birthday in July 2008, my wife Marie presented me with a Laptop to expedite the printing of this entire Interlinear.* *On October 31, 2009 God directed me to call together a Pilot Prayer Team to ?activate? the ?Organic Laser-Telescope?. Almost immediately we were called upon to believe for a miracle of near resurrection in California. It took place! Then on December 7, 2009, an Intercessory team in Minnesota had a break-through, and contacted us that they believed God would give to us an extraordinary revelation on the 68th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. That morning the Lord graciously answered my prayer of February 12, 1967, and revealed the last 5 component parts of the Laser-Telescope: 3) Prayer Multiplication, linked with the Menorah of the Tabernacle, set forth by Pastor Ern Baxter; 4) The 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of 1948, linked with George Hawtin and the Table of Bread in the Tabernacle; 5) Worship & Intercession linked with Rees Howells and Andrew Murray at the Altar of Incense; 6) Focus on Jesus linked with Oswald Chambers and the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies; 7) and Meditation on the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? linked with George Muller and George Whitefield at the ?Mercy Seat?.* *In 1967 God linked 1) Panin's Interlinear with the Brazen Altar, where Jesus fulfilled the 5 offerings of Leviticus 1-7; and 2) the City Church concept with an Eldership in each Gate - linked with Roland Allen and the Tabernacle Laver.* *In 2010 I turned the leadership of the Pilot Prayer Team over to Elvin Gladney. He shared with Timothy Johnson of Moses Lake the vision of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? as the chief component part of the ?Organic Laser-Telescope.? Timothy felt God leading him as a Printer to offer his services in printing the ?Interlinear?. Elvin pushed me to complete the Interlinear, placing it all on our Website. This I did on December 31, 2010. In January 2011, Keelan Long our grandson, Elvin Gladney, Timothy Johnson and his associate Jim Blanchard met in our home to further plan the format for printing the Interlinear in both book form and E-book. At Moses Lake in January of that year; Cultus Lake, BC for the ?Prayer for Canada? national conference; Portland in May; and Abbotsford BC in June, we saw a demonstration in each of these 4 cities of the power of the ?Organic Laser-Telescope? through its chief component part of the ?Interlinear?.* *Then in August God gave Elvin a graduation present, and elevated him to His heavenly Kingdom at the age of 53. Through God's pre-arrangement, Jim Ray stepped into his place of leadership in the PPT, and as chairman for the Printing , publication and Distribution of the Interlinear NT.* *On February 12, 2012, the 64th Anniversary of the 1948 Visitation in Northern Canada, 200 copies of the Interlinear Gospels were made available at Coeur d?Alene, Idaho's ?Fullness of Time? Conference. There Kari Browning interviewed me on ?God's TV?, and all 200 copies went within an hour. Now for Pentecost Sunday, it appears likely that the entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will be in the hands of the Printer, and ready for printing, the 70th Anniversary of the death of Ivan Panin.* *But - through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come - But grace has brought us safe thus far - and grace will bring us home! Many Satanic hindrances and difficulties have occurred throughout this time. At the same time, amazing victories have also occurred, master-minded by the Lord.* *Because the Lord commissioned me to see the fulfillment of Panin's hopes and dreams of 1942, and because He has shown me so clearly that the Interlinear is not an end int itself - but the chief component part for the means to the end. - Therefore I have for His sake been placed in a deciding position for each stage of this endeavor. My family through the Website production in 2000; its update in 2007; the laptop in 2008; a contract in 2011 - all show their part in the background of this production.* *However, the Pilot Prayer Team and Printer are all deeply involved not only in prayer for the Interlinear production - but also for the function of the ?organic Laser-Telescope? in a ?Spiritual Star Wars? effect. This is an area of discipleship that goes beyond straight conversion. When Jesus' family had concerns on His behalf and wished to bring Him out of a meeting - He said - Who are my mother, brothers and sisters? They who hear and do the will of my Father. In this sense I have two families. A natural family that has been a tremendous help in the past. And a spiritual family committed to the two-fold vision: not just the production of the Interlinear; but also its fitting into the 7-fold instrument - to further God's Kingdom in an even greater dimension.* *Because of this, I as author of the Interlinear, commissioned by God for its final purpose, have made the decision to stand by the spiritual family for full Printing, Publishing and Distribution. In doing this have I rejected y natural family? Not at all. The very fact they have contributed in a 4-fold manner to the preparation of this is proof of that.* *But to preserve unity of the final phases, I have moved primarily with the discipleship team in decision making. This Jesus did with His own family also. And in the end, how did it turn out with Him? On the Cross he turned his mother over to His beloved disciple John. She was one of the 120 that awaited His promise of the Father in the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Quite possibly 2 of His half-brothers who formerly did not understand Him or believe in Him, James and Jude, also were there. They later became 2 of the 8 writers of the NT - and James became the chief apostolic pastor of the Church of Jerusalem.* *I believe all members of all families - can move up to positions of blessing and authority to satisfy and fulfill all their desires and longings. - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat May 26 14:17:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 14:17:00 -0700 Subject: Acts 13:1-12 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 26, 2012 *(From: ACTS #21 - 13:1-12)* XV. 13:1-14:28 SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH EXTENSION A. 13:1-3 THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MISSIONS a. 13:1 PROPHETS AND TEACHERS AT ANTIOCH *Now in the church that was at Antioch were prophets* *E*san de en An-ti-oCHEIa kaTA t*e*n OUsan ek-kl*e*SIan proPH*E*tai [4396] *and teachers, both :Barnabas and Symeon :called Niger,* kai diDAska-loi [1320], ho te BarNAbas kai Su-me*O*N ho kaLOUme-nos NIger, *and Lucius of Cyrene, *kai LOUki-os ho Ku-r*e*NAIos, *and Manaen foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.* Ma-na*E*N te H*e*R*O*dou tou teTRAar-chou SUNtro-phos, kai SAUlos. b. 13:2 WORSHIP AND FASTING RELEASES THE HOLY SPIRIT *And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,* lei-tourGOUNt*o*n [3008] de auT*O*N t*o* KuRI*o*, kai n*e*-steuONt*o*n [3522], *the Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and Saul* EIpen to PNEUma to HAgi-on, A-phoRIsa-te [873] d*e* moi ton BarNAban kai SAUlon *for the work unto which I have called them.* eis to ERgon ho proSKEkl*e*-mai [4341] auTOUS. c. 13:3 MISSIONARY COMMISSIONING *Then, having fasted *TOte, n*e*STEUsan-tes *and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.* kai pro-seuXAme-noi [4336] kai e-piTHENtes tas CHEIras auTOIS, aPElu-san. B. 13:4-12 ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MISSIONS 1. 13:4-5 MESSENGERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT a. 13:4 INITIAL OBEDIENCE TO LEADING OF HOLY SPIRIT *THEY therefore, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit,* AuTOI men oun, ek-pemphTHENtes [1599] huPO tou HaGIou PNEUma-tos, *went down to Selucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.* kaT*E*Lthon [2718] eis Se-leuKIan; eKEI-THEN te aPEpleu-san [636] eis KUpron. b. 13:5 GOD'S WORD PROCLAIMED IN SYNAGOGUES *And when they were at Salamis, * kai geNOme-noi en Sa-laMIni, *they proclaimed the word of :God in the synagogues of the Jews:* kaT*E*Ggel-lon ton LOgon tou TheOU en tais su-na-g*o*GAIS t*o*n IouDAI*o*n: *and they had also John as attendant.* EIchon de kai I*o*ANn*e*n hu-p*e*REt*e*n [5257]. 2. 13:6-12 JUDGMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT a. 13:6-7a BAR-JESUS: A FALSE PROPHET TO THE PROCONSUL *And having gone through the whole island unto Paphos,* Di-elTHONtes [1330] de HOl*e*n t*e*n N*E*son Achri PAphou, *they found a certain man, *HEUron ANdra tiNA, *a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus* MAgon [3097], pseu-do-proPH*E*t*e*n [5578], IouDAIon, h*o* Ono-ma Bar-I*e* SOUS; 7a* who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding.* hos *e*n sun t*o* an-thuPAt*o* [446], SerGI*o* PAUl*o*, anDRI su-neT*O* [5908]. b. 13:7b REQUEST TO HEAR THE GOSPEL *HE called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear * HOUtos pro-ska-leSAme-nos BarNAban kai SAUlon, e-peZ*E*t*e*-sen aKOUsai *the word of :God. ** * ton LOgon tou TheOU. c. 13:8 ELYMAS OPERATES AS A SORCERER *But Elymas the sorcerer *anTHIsta-to de auTOIS E-LUmas ho MAgos *(for so is his :name interpreted) withstood them, * (HOUt*o*s gar me-ther-m*e*NEUe-tai to Ono-ma auTOU), *seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.* z*e*T*O*N di-aSTREpsai [1294] ton anTHUpa-ton aPO t*e*s PIste-*o*s. d. 13:9-10 PAUL STRONGLY CONFRONTS THIS TOOL OF SATAN *But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,* SAUlos de, ho kai PAUlos, pl*e*sTHEIS [4130] PNEUma-tos HaGIou, *fixed his eyes on him, *10* and said, O, Devil's son,* a-teNIsas [816] eis auTON, EIpen, *O*, PL*E*r*e*s [4134] panTOS DOlou [1388] *full of all guile and all villainy, enemy of all righteousness,* kai PAs*e*s 'ra-di-ourGIas [3973], huiE di-aBOlou [1228], echTHRE [2190] PAs *e*s di-kai-oSUn*e*s, *will you not cease to pervert the right :ways of the Lord?* ou PAUs*e* di-aSTREph*o*n [1294] tas hoDOUS tou KuRIou tas euTHEIas? e. 13:11a PAUL PRONOUNCES GOD'S JUDGMENT *And now, lo, the Lord's hand is upon you, * kai nun, iDOU, cheir KuRIou ePI se, *and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.* kai Es*e* tuphLOS [5185], m*e* BLEp*o*n ton H*E*li-on Achri kaiROU. d. 13:11b JUDGMENT IMMEDIATELY CONSUMMATED! *And immediately a mist fell on him and darkness;* pa-raCHR*E*ma [3916] de Epe-sen ep' auTON achLUS [887] kai SKOtos [4655]; *and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.* kai pe-riAg*o*n [4013] eZ*E*tei [2212] chei-ra-g*o*GOUS [5497]. g. 13:12 THE EFFECT OF THIS JUDGMENT UPON THE PROCONSUL *Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed,* TOte iD*O*N ho anTHUpa-tos [446] to ge-goNOS, ePIsteu-sen, *being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.* ek-pl*e*sSOme-nos [1805] ePI t*e* di-daCH*E* [1322] tou KuRIou. *NOTE**: *This mailing commences the beginning of the second half of the Book of Acts. Chapters 1-12 dealt primarily with the ministry of Peter - apostle to the circumcision. Chapters 13-28 deal primarily with the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles, the uncircumcision. It starts out in 13:1-3 with the Holy Spirit inaugurating the beginning of a wider mission through the Presbytery of the church of Antioch, composed of Prophets and Teachers. In February of 1948, this ?Presbytery Concept? was restored in a clearer manner after some 1900 years, in the North Battleford, Saskatchewan Visitation. Concomitant, or along with this restoration, came the restoration of the 5-fold equipping ministry of Ephesians 4:11-12, majoring on Apostles and Prophets. Three of the five Presbytery members present, obeyed the Holy Spirit by first checking, but then launching Barnabas and Saul upon Paul's first missionary journey. Notice the word ?lei-tourGOUNton: - ?ministered?. This was one of the 5 chief callings for the OT Levitical ministry in type and shadows. Now it takes on a NT ?One New Man? mystery importance. It has been said by some that the church today has lost the secret working of the Holy Spirit in this concept, and often it is but empty hands on empty heads. But it was notthis way in the beginning. We need to add to these 2 restored revival principles of 1948 with the other 10, - the 12 altogether linked with the 12 tribes of Israel, and the 12 world-wide cultural groups. (To follow through on these 12 Revival Principles brought together in the 1948 Visitation, please turn to our Website <*www.2rbetter.org* >. Click on ?Embryonics?, and there you will find this triple listing of twelves.) The First Nations People I see linked with the tribe of Issachar, and the ?Sensitivity, Faithfulness and Obedience?, as one of the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles which today need to be brought to maturity. 7 of these 12 principles were strongly exemplified in the life of George Hawtin, who God was pleased to use to spearhead this 1948 Visitation; and this third one mentioned, appeared again and again in his life. Was he perfect? Of course not. None is perfect but God manifested in Jesus Christ, who is pleased to live out His perfect, resurrected life through all surrendered disciples. Paul makes this explicitly clear in Galatians 2:20. Acts 13:4-12 illustrates how the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus - used Saul and Barnabas in Cyprus. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun May 27 15:13:30 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 15:13:30 -0700 Subject: Acts 21:1-14 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 27, 2012 *(From: ACTS #35 - 21:1-14])* D. 21:1-14 LESSONS ON WARNINGS FROM THE SPIRIT 1. 21:1-6 WARNING OF THE SPIRIT a. 21:1-2 FROM MILETUS TOWARDS PHOENICIA *And when it came to pass that we were parted from them and had set sail,* H*o*s de eGEne-to a-nachTH*E*nai [321] h*e*MAS a-po-spasTHENtas [645] ap' auT*O*N, *we came with a straight course unto :Cos,* eu-thu-droM*E*san-tes [2113] *E*Ltho-men eis t*e*n K*o*, *and the next day unto :Rhodes, and from there unto Patara:* t*e* de heX*E*S eis t*e*n 'ROdon, ka' 'KEIthen eis PAta-ra: 2* and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, andset sail. * kai heuRONtes PLOIon [4143] di-a-peR*O*N [1276] eis PhoiNIk*e*n, e-piBANtes [1910], aN*E*CHth*e*-men. b. 21:3 PAST CYPRUS TO TYRE *And when we had sighted :Cyprus, and leaving it on the left,* a-naPHAnan-tes [398] de t*e*n KUpron, kai ka-ta-liPONtes [2641] auT*E*N eu*O *nu-mon [2176], *we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre;* ePLEo-men eis SuRIan, kai kaT*E*Ltho-men [2609] eis TUron; *for there the ship was to unload her :cargo.* eKEIse gar to PLOIon *e*n a-po-phor-tiZOme-non [670] ton GOmon [1117]. c. 21:4 PROPHETIC WARNING TO PAUL *And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days:* a-neuRONtes [429] de tous ma-th*e*TAS, e-peMEIna-men [19611 auTOU h*e*MEras hepTA: *and these told :Paul through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.* HOti-nes t*o* PAUl*o* Ele-gon diA tou PNEUma-tos, m*e* e-piBAInein [1910]eis Ie-roSOlu-ma. d. 21:5-6 FROM TYRE - BACK ABOARD SHIP *And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days,* HOte de eGEne-to h*e*MAS e-xarTIsai [1822] tas h*e*MEras, *we departed and went on; all, with wives and children,* e-xelTHONtes e-po-reuOme-tha [4198]; pro-pemPONt*o*n [4311] h*e*MAS PANt*o*n *bringing us on till out of the city:* sun gu-naiXI kai TEKnois, HE*o*s Ex*o* t*e*s POle*o*s: *and kneeling on the beach, *kai THENtes ta GOna-ta ePI ton ai-gi-aLON,* * *we prayed, *6* and bade each other farewell;* pro-seuXAme-noi, a-p*e*-spaSAme-tha alL*E*lous; *and we went on board :ship, but they returned :home.* kai eNEb*e*-men eis to PLOIon, eKEInoi de huPEstre-psan [5290] eis ta Idi-a. 2. 21:7-14 FOREWARNINGS - BUT STRENGTHENED TO DO GOD'S WILL a. 21:7 PAUL'S TEAM ARRIVES AT PTOLEMAIS *And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre,* H*e*MEIS de ton ploun [4144] di-aNUsan-tes [1274] aPO TUrou, *we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the brethren,* ka-t*e*nT*E*sa-men [2658] eis Pto-le-maIda; kai as-paSAme-noi [782] tous a-delPHOUS, *and** abode with them one day.* eMEIna-men h*e*MEran MIan par' auTOIS. b. 21:8 NEXT STEP: PHILIP'S HOME AT CAESAREA *And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea:* t*e* de ePAUri-on e-xelTHONtes, *E*Ltha-men eis KaiSAri-an: *and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist,* kai ei-selTHONtes eis ton OIkon PhiLIPpou tou eu-ag-ge-liSTOU [2099], *who was one of the seven, we abode with him.* ONtos ek t*o*n hepTA, eMEIna-men [3306] par' auT*O*. c. 21:9 *Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.* TOUt*o* de *E*san thu-gaTEres TESsa-res parTHEnoi [3933], pro-ph*e*TEUou-sai [4395]. d. 21:10 AGABUS FROM JUDEA *And as we tarried some days, * e-pi-meNONt*o*n de h*e*MEras PLEIous, *a certain prophet came down from Judea, Agabus by name.* kaT*E*L-THEN tis aPO t*e*s IouDAIas proPH*E*t*e*s, oNOma-ti Aga-bos. e. 21:11 MESSAGE OF AGABUS TO PAUL *And coming unto us, and taking the girdle of Paul,* kai elTH*O*N pros huMAS, kai Aras [142] t*e*n Z*O*n*e*n [2223] tou PAUlou, *he bound his own :feet and :hands, and said,* D*E*sas [1210] he-auTOU tous POdas kai tas CHEIras, EIpen, *These things says the Holy :Spirit, Thus shall the Jews* TAde LEgei to PNEUma to HAgi-on, Ton ANdra HOU es-tin h*e* Z*O*n*e* *at Jerusalem bind the man whose this :girdle is,* HAUt*e* HOUt*o*s D*E*sou-sin [1210] en Ie-rou-saL*E*M hoi IouDAIoi, *and shall deliver him into the hands of the nations.* kai pa-raD*O*sou-sin eis CHEIras ethN*O*N. f. 21:12 PAUL URGED NOT TO GO TO JERUSALEM *And when we heard these things, both we and they* h*o*s de *e*KOUsa-men TAUta, pa-re-kaLOUmen [3870] h*e*MEIS te kai hoi *of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.* enTOpi-oi tou m*e* a-naBAInein auTON eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M. g. 21:13 PAULS READINESS TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST'S SAKE *Then :Paul answered, *TOte a-peKRIth*e* ho PAUlos,* * *What do you do, weeping and breaking my :heart?* Ti poiEIte, KLAIon-tes kai sunTHRUPtonTES mou t*e*n karDIan? *for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem* eG*O* gar ou MOnon deTH*E*nai [1210], alLA kai a-po-thaNEIN [599] eis Ie-rou-saL*E*M *for the name of the Lord Jesus.* heTOIm*o*s Ech*o* huPER tou oNOma-tos tou KuRIou I*e*SOU. h. 21:14 PAUL'S FRIENDS LEAVE HIM TO HIS WILL *And when he would not be persuaded, *m*e* pei-thoMEnou de auTOU, *we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.* h*e*-suCHAsa-men, eiPONtes, Tou KuRIou to THEl*e*ma giNESth*o*. *NOTE**: *21:9 - The four daughters of Philip prophesied (pro-ph*e*TEUou-sai), which would correspond with the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. But this would *not* place them in the *office* of prophet, as in Ephesians 4:11-12. The feminine equivalent form is #4398 proPH*E*tis, but Philip's 4 daughters are *not* in this category. 21:10-14 - Paul in the past mentioned that in city after city prophecies came forth of bonds that awaited him in Jerusalem. This was confirmed in Tyre (21:4). But Agabus in the latter part of this reading, like Ezekiel of old, acted out what would happen to Paul should he go up to Jerusalem. It is important to note here how Paul lived out these prophecies - he did * not* let them distract him from what *he* believed was the Lord's *guidance*at this time for his life. Were the prophecies true? Absolutely. But from Paul's viewpoint, they were *not* to take precedence over the more important guidance from God. There are believers today who will go a thousand miles to get a word from the Lord. But - do they know how to get * direct* guidance from Him, that supersedes prophetic words and revelation? This is a serious situation. Fully committed disciples like Paul - do not live on the level of prophetic guidance from others, even though authentic. They have so progressed into the Lord like Oswald Chambers, George Muller and Rees Howells - that *their* guidance is a direct word from the Lord. Does one often hear this distinction made today? Confirmation to Paul in the above - can be found in the life of Elisha when his mentor Elijah was about to be taken from him (2 King 2:3) - *?And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Do you know that Jehovah will take away your master from your head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.? *This happened again with the prophets from Jericho 2 verses later. Elisha did not need confirmation from the gift of prophecy. As a prophet, he like Paul had direct guidance from the Lord. We need to ?come up higher?, and not live in the realm of depending upon gifts of the Spirit for guidance. They can be true words as to what is about to happen should we follow a certain course - but *not* the personal word and guidance of the Lord for us. Many are confused over this passage with Paul, Agabus and the other prophets. Perhaps these words will help some to sort out the above, lead them to ?move to higher ground? like Paul and Elisha, and *not miss* the * true* guidance of the Lord. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon May 28 12:54:44 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 28 May 2012 12:54:44 -0700 Subject: Acts 26:24-32 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 28, 2012 *(From: ACTS #44 - 26:24-32)* 2. 26:24-29 REACTION OF FESTUS AND AGRIPPA a. 26:24 FESTUS' REACTION TO PAUL'S TESTIMONY *And as he thus made his defense, :Festus said with loud :voice, Paul, you are mad;* TAUta de auTOU a-po-lo-gouMEnou, ho PH*E*stos meGAl*e* t*e* ph*o*N*E* ph*e*SIN, MAIn*e*, PAUle; *your much learning turns you to madness.* ta polLA se GRAMma-ta [1121] eis maNIan [3130] pe-riTREpei [4062]. b. 26:25 PAUL POLITELY CORRECTS FESTUS *But :Paul said, I am not mad, excellent Festus;* ho de PAUlos, Ou MAIno-mai, ph*e*SIN, KRAti-ste [2903] PH*E*ste; *but I speak forth words of truth and soberness.* alLA a-l*e*THEIas kai s*o*-phroSUn*e*s [4907] 'R*E*ma-ta a-pophTHEGgo-mai [659]. c. 26:26 PAUL APPEALS TO AGRIPPA'S UNDERSTANDING *For the king knows of these things, unto whom I speak boldly:* ePIsta-tai [1987] gar peRI TOUt*o*n ho ba-siLEUS, pros hon par-r*e*-si-aZOme-nos [3955] laL*O*: *for I am persuaded that none of these is hidden from him;* lanTHAnein [2990] gar auTON TOUt*o*n ou PEItho-mai [3982] ouTHEN; *for this has not been done in a corner.* ou GAR es-tin en g*o*NIa [1137] pe-pragMEnon [4238] TOUto. d. 26:27a* King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?* piSTEUeis, Ba-siLEU A-GRIPpa, tois proPH*E*tais? e. 26:27b. * I know that you believe. ** *OIda HOti piSTEUeis. f. 26:28 KING AGRIPPA'S TESTIMONY *And :Agrippa said unto Paul, *ho de A-GRIPpa pros ton PAUlon, *With but little you persuade to make a Christian of ME.* En oLIg*o* me PEItheis [3952] Chri-sti-aNON [5546] poi*E*sai [4160]. g. 26:29 PAUL'S DESIRE: ALL PRESENT TO BELIEVE AS HE DOES! *And Paul said, I would to :God, that whether with little or with great,* ho de PAUlos, EuXAIm*e*n [2172] an t*o* The*O*, kai en oLIg*o* kai en meGAl* o*, *not you only, but also all that hear me today,* ou MOnon SE, alLA kai PANtas tous aKOUonTAS mou S*E*me-ron, *might become such as I am, except these :bonds.* geNESthai toiOUtous hoPOIos [3697] kai eG*O* ei-mi, pa-rekTOS [3924] t*o*n desM*O*N [1199] TOUt*o*n. 3. 26:30-32 AGRIPPA VINDICATES PAUL a. 26:30-31 AGRIPPA'S CONCLUSION *And the king rose, and the governor, and Bernice,* A-NEst*e* te ho ba-siLEUS, kai ho h*e*-geMON [2232], H*E* te BerNIk*e*, *and they that sat with them: *31* and when they had withdrawn,* kai hoi sun-kaTH*E*me-noi auTOIS: kai a-na-ch*o*R*E*san-tes [402], *they spoke one to another, saying [that],* eLAloun pros alL*E*lous, LEgon-tes [HOti], *This :man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.* OuDEN thaNAtou *e* desM*O*N Axi-on PRASsei ho ANthr*o*-pos HOUtos. b. 26:32 HIS DETAILED VINDICATION OF PAUL *And Agrippa said to :Festus, This man could have been set at liberty,* A-GRIPpas de t*o* PH*E*st*o* Eph*e*, A-po-leLUSthai eDUna-to ho ANthr*o*-pos HOUtos, *if he had not appealed to Caesar.* ei m*e* e-peKEkl*e*-to [1941] KAIsa-ra. *NOTE**: *26:24 - A *bold* witness for the Gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, excites a strong reaction from unbelievers! Governor Festus illustrates this. But note in the following verse Paul's respectful answer to Festus. We can *all* learn and profit much from the example of the apostle Paul. Then too, see Paul's further argument on the behalf of Festus. He, by the recourse to King Agripps's knowledge, uses this as a further proof of the accuracy of his statements. We too, like Paul, can draw on areas of our knowledge, friends, background, and specific knowledge of the Scriptures - to persuade those in doubt. But suddenly, Paul leaves the problems of Festus, and turns to Agrippa. By the Spirit's gift of a word of knowledge and wisdom, he discerns that the king has an open heart to the revelation of the OT prophets. Paul first questions Agrippa's faith in this direction, and then strongly confirms it. Agrippa's response is one of those unique responses in all of Scripture - *?With but little you persuade to make a Christian of ME!?* What a confession! Not completely yet - but almost. And then Paul's response - Except for these chains, I wish all of you listening to me were the same as me! Then King Agrippa clearly and completely exonerates Paul from all the charges laid against him by the leading Jews of his day. And - this type of Jewish leader is still active 1900 years later, and just as violently stands against all Messianic Jewish believers. Jesus is *still* not acknowledged by them as the One who came in the Name of the Lord Jehovah. But - we can pray and intercede for these rejectors of Jesus as God's only begotten Son - on the basis of Zechariah 12:10-14. For when Jesus returns - which is very soon - and these leaders see the nailprints in His hands and feet, and the mark of the spear thrust into His side - then the great repentance and weeping will take place! J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue May 29 10:40:04 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 10:40:04 -0700 Subject: James 5:7-20 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 29, 2012 *(From: JAMES #7 - 5:7-20)* IV. 5:7-20 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN PATIENCE, WORD & PRAYER 1. 5:7-11 LESSONS IN PATIENCE a. 5:7a* Be patient therefore, brothers, until the presence of the Lord.* Ma-kro-thuM*E*sa-te [3114] oun, a-delPHOI, HE*o*s t*e*s pa-rouSIas [3952]tou KuRIou. b. 5:7b THE FARMER IS PATIENT UNTIL HARVEST RAIN. *Lo, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth,* iDOU, ho ge-*o*rGOS ekDEche-tai ton TImi-on karPON ton t*e*s g*e*s, *being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.* ma-kro-thuM*O*N ep? auT*O*, HE*o*s LAb*e* PROi-mon [4406] kai Opsi-mon [3797]. c. 5:8 PATIENCE IN THE LIGHT OF JESUS? SOON COMING *Be YOU also patient; stablish your :hearts:* ma-kro-thuM*E*sa-te kai huMEIS; st*e*RIxa-te tas [4741] karDIas huM*O*N: *because the presence of the Lord is at hand.* HOti h*e* pa-rouSIa tou KuRIou *E*Ggi-ken. d. 5:9 THE SOON COMING OF CHRIST REBUKES BACKBITING *Murmur not, brothers, against one another, that you be not judged:* m*e* steNAze-te [4727], a-delPHOI, kat? alL*E*l*o*n, HIna m*e* kriTH*E*te: *lo, the judge stands before the doors.* iDOU, ho kriT*E*S pro t*o*n thuR*O*N ESt*e*-ken. e. 5:10 THE PROPHETS EXEMPLIFY PATIENCE *Take, brothers, for an example of :suffering and of :patience,* huPOdeig-ma [5262] LAbe-te, a-delPHOI, *te*s ka-ko-paTHIas [2552] kai t*e*s ma-kro-thuMIas, *the prophets, who spoke in the name of **the** Lord.* tous proPH*E*tas, hoi eLAl*e*-san en t*o* oNOma-ti KuRIou. f. 5:11 THE BLESSING OF ENDURANCE SHINES THROUGH JOB?S PATIENCE *Lo, we call them blessed that endured:* iDOU, ma-kaRIzo-men [3106] tous hu-poMEInan-tas [5278]: *you have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord,* *te*n hu-po-moN*E*N I-*O*B *e*KOUsa-te, kai to TElos KuRIou EIde-te, *how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.* HOti poLUsplagchNOS [4184] es-tin ho KUri-os, kai oikTIRm*o*n [3629]. 2. 5:12 LESSONS IN SIMPLICITY OF SPOKEN WORD *But above all, my brothers, swear not, * Pro PANt*o*n de, a-delPHOI mou, m*e* omNUe-te [3660], *neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath:* M*E*te ton ou-raNON, M*E*te t*e*n g*e*n, M*E*te ALlon tiNA HORkon [3727]: *but let your :yes be yes, and the no, no; that you fall not under judgment. * *E*t*o* de huM*O*N to Nai, nai, kai to Ou, ou; HIna m*e* huPO KRIsin PEs*e* -te. 3. 5:13-20 RESULTS OF FERVENT PRAYER a. 5:13a * Is any among you suffering? Let him pray.* Ka-ko-paTHEI [2553] tis en huMIN? pro-seuCHESth*o* [4336]. b. 5:13b * Is any cheerful? let him sing praise. ** *eu-thuMEI [2114] tis? psalLEt*o* [5567]. c. 5:14-15 ANOINTING BY ELDERS: CURE FOR THE SICK *Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church;* as-theNEI [770] tis en huMIN? pro-ska-leSASth*o* tous pres-buTErous [4245] t *e*s ek-kl*e*SIas; *and let them pray over him, having anointed **him** with oil in the name of the Lord:* kai pro-seuXASth*o*-san ep? auTON, aLEIpsan-tes [218] eLAI*o* [1637] en t*o*oNOma-ti tou KuRIou: 15* and the prayer of :faith shall save the weary one, and the Lord shall raise him up;* kai h*e* euCH*E* t*e*s PISte-*o*s S*O*sei ton KAMnon-ta [2577], kai e-geREI auTON ho KUri-os; *and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.* ka? ?n ha-marTIas *e* pe-poi-*e*K*O*S, a-pheTH*E*se-tai [863] auT*O*. d. 5:16a TWO CONDITIONS FOR HEALING *Confess therefore your :sins one to another, and pray one for another, * e-xo-mo-loGEISthe [1843] oun alL*E*lois tas ha-marTIas, kai proSEUches-the huPER alL*E*l*o*n, *that you be healed.* HOp*o*s iaTH*E*te. e. 5:16b * The supplication of a righteous man avails much in its working.* poLU isCHUei DE*e*-sis [1162] diKAIou e-ner-gouMEn*e* [1754]. f. 5:17 ELIJAH?S EXAMPLE OF EFFECTIVE SUPPLICATION: NO RAIN *Elijah was a man of like passions with us,* *E*-LEIas ANthr*o*-pos *e*n ho-moi-o-paTH*E*S [3663] h*e*MIN, *and he prayed fervently that it might not rain;* kai pro-seuCH*E* pro-s*e*Uxa-to tou m*e* BRExai [1026]; *and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.* kai ouk Ebre-xen ePI t*e*s g*e*s e-ni-auTOUS treis kai M*E*nas hex. g. 5:18 HIS PRAYER FOR RAIN: GRANTED *And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain,* kai PAlin pro-s*e*Uxa-to; kai ho ou-raNOS hu-eTON [5205] Ed*o*-ken, *and the earth brought forth her :fruit.* kai h*e* g*e* eBLASt*e*-sen [985] ton karPON auT*E*S. h. 5:19-20 BLESSING TO THE SINNER THROUGH THE SOUL-WINNER *My brothers, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him;* A-delPHOI mou, eAN tis en huMIN pla-n*e*TH*E* aPO t*e*s a-l*e*THEIas, kai e-piSTREps*e* tis auTON; 20* know that who converts a sinner from **the** error of his way* giN*O*Ske-te HOti ho e-piSTREpsas ha-mar-t*o*LON ek PLAn*e*s [4106] hoDOU auTOU *shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.* S*O*sei [4982] psuCH*E*N auTOU ek thaNAtou, kai kaLUpsei [2572] PL*E*thos ha-mar-ti*O*N. *NOTE: *This seventh and closing section of the letter by James to Messianic Jewish Congregations both at home and in the Diaspora ? but proves again the practical wisdom of the brother of Jesus ? and how it is the New Testament link with the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. The Numeric paragraphing and sentence structure revealed to Ivan Panin, shows how wonderfully the Holy Spirit has used the 33 known writers of the 66 books of the Bible. He allows them to use their own vocabulary, life experiences, education and unique individuality; while at the same time divinely guiding all that they wrote. Here we see the merging of Heaven and earth, God and man. Were the Bible writers aware how marvelously God was using them in this manner? In part, but not in the numeric structure. This is but the wonder of our God. It is fitting that God would lead James to close his letter with this three-fold lesson. Would you link together Patience, Keeping the Word simple, and Effective Prayer? Not likely. Neither would I. But see how effectively James under the guidance of the Spirit does so! And remember what Paul said about the 14 letters he wrote! He said, *?If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what ** things** I write you, **that it is **the** Lord?s commandment*? *(1 COR 14:37)*. In other words, Paul the apostle was totally aware that he was under the immediate guidance of the Lord in *all* of his writings. People who have problems with Paul?s writings, best be most careful! One day we will all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for our behavior, example and Teaching! What Paul says about his writings applies equally to *all other Bible writers*! Peter says, *?For no prophecy was ever borne by man?s will; but men spoke **from God**, being **borne **on** by **the** Holy Spirit**?* *(2 PET 1:21)*. No wonder James says *?Be not many teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive **greater **condemnation?* *(JAS 3:1)**.* I shudder for the sake of those who will face judgment for so much bad, false, superficial and careless teaching that abounds today! Thank God, there are those like Ivan Panin, who seriously regarded these words by Isaiah ? ?*But will I look around,* *For him who is humbled and smitten in spirit,* *And **so cares anxiously for my word**? (66:2b, Rotherham).* This was the manner in which Panin regarded God?s Word! This is how James and Paul regarded it! These three are worthy examples for all of us. Beware of those who fail to measure up with them. - J.A.Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed May 30 17:25:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 17:25:58 -0700 Subject: 1 John 2:7-17 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 30, 2012 *(From: 1 JOHN #2 - 2:7-17) * C. 2:7-17 DIVINE FELLOWSHIP IS VICTORIOUS 1. 2:7-8 GOD?S WORD IN VICTORY a. 2:7 THE WORD: THE OLD COMMANDMENT *Beloved, no new commandment write I to you,* A-ga-p*e*TOI, ouk en-toL*E*N kaiN*E*N [2537] GRAph*o* huMIN, *but an old commandment which you had from the beginning:* all? en-toL*E*N pa-laiAN [3820] *e*n EIche-te ap? arCH*E*S: *the old :commandment is the word which you heard.* h*e* en-toL*E* h*e* pa-laiA es-tin ho LOgos hon *e*KOUsa-te. b. 2:8 A WALK IN LIGHT AND LOVE: A NEW COMMANDMENT *Again, a new commandment write I to you, which **thing **is true in him and in you;* PAlin, en-toL*E*N kaiN*E*N GRAph*o* huMIN, HO es-tin a-l*e*THES [227] en auT *O* kai en huMIN; *because the darkness is passing away, and the true :light already shines.* HOti h*e* skoTIa [4653] paRAge-tai, kai to ph*o*s [5457] to a-l*e*-thiNON *E *d*e* PHAInei [5316]. 2. 2:9-11 GOD?S LOVE IN VICTORY a. 2:9* Who says he is in the light and hates his :brother, is in the darkness even until now.* Ho LEg*o*n en t*o* ph*o*TI EInai kai ton a-delPHON auTOU miS*O*N, en t*e*skoTIa esTIN HE *o*s ARti. b. 2:10 * Who loves his :brother abides in the light, and no stumbling is in him.* ho a-gaP*O*N ton a-delPHON auTOU en t*o* ph*o*TI MEnei, kai SKANda-lon en auT*O* ouk EStin. c. 2:11 A BLIND WALK: RESULT OF HATRED OF BROTHER *But who hates his :brother is in the darkness,* ho de miS*O*N ton a-delPHON auTOU en t*e* skoTIa esTIN, *and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes,* kai en t*e* skoTIa pe-ri-paTEI, kai ouk OIden pou huPAgei, *because the darkness has blinded his :eyes.* HOti h*e* skoTIa eTUPHl*o*-sen [5186] tous oph-thalMOUS auTOU. 3. 2:12-17 GOD?S KNOWLEDGE IN VICTORY a. 2:12* I write to you, little children, because your :sins are forgiven you for his :name?s sake.* GRAph*o* huMIN, tekNIa, HOti aPHE*o*n-tai [863] huMIN hai ha-marTIai diA to Ono-ma auTOU. b. 2:13a* I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from thebeginning. * GRAph*o* huMIN, paTEres, HOti egN*O*ka-te [1097] ton ap? arCH*E*S. c. 2:13b* I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one .* GRAph*o* huMIN, ne-aNISkoi [3495], HOti ne-niK*E*ka-te [3528] ton po-n*e*RON [4190]. d. 2:13c* I wrote to you, little children, because you know the Father.* Egra-psa huMIN, paiDIa [3813], HOti egN*O*ka-te ton paTEra. e. 2:14a* I wrote to you, fathers, because you know him who is from thebeginning. * Egra-psa huMIN, paTEres, HOti egN*O*ka-ton ap? arCH*E*S. f. 2:14b THREE QUALIFICATIONS FOR YOUNG MEN IN CHRIST! *I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong,* Egra-psa huMIN, ne-aNISkoi, HOti is-chuROI [2478] es-te, *and the word of :God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.* kai ho LOgos tou TheOU en huMIN MEnei [3306], kai ne-niK*E*ka-te [3528] ton po-n*e*RON. g. 2:15a* Love not the world, neither the things in the world.* m*e* a-gaPAte ton KOSmon, m*e*DE ta en t*o* KOSm*o*. h. 2:15b * If any loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.* eAN tis a-gaPA ton KOSmon, ouk EStin h*e* aGAp*e* tou paTROS en auT*O*. i. 2:16 OPPOSITES: THE WORLD AND THE FATHER! *Because all that **is** in the world, the lust of the flesh* HOti pan to en t*o* KOSm*o*, h*e* e-pi-thuMIa [1939] t*e*s sarKOS [4561] *and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of :life,* kai h*e* e-pi-thuMIa t*o*n oph-thalM*O*N kai h*e* a-la-zoNIa [212] tou BIou [979], *is not of the Father, but is of the world.* ouk EStin ek tou paTROS, alLA ek tou KOSmou esTIN. j. 2:17 THE TRANSITORY WORLD VERSUS THE ETERNAL GOD *And the world passes away, and the lust thereof:* kai ho KOSmos paRAge-tai [3855], kai h*e* e-pi-thuMIa auTOU: *but who does the will of :God abides unto the age.* Ho de poi*O*N to THEl*e*-ma [2307] tou TheOU MEnei eis ton ai*O*na [165]. *NOTE:* Many Bible students have noted that God loves to set forth truth in ?threes?. The Triunity of the Godhead is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man is made in the image of God: body, soul and spirit. Moses? Tabernacle and Solomon?s Temple are Outer Court, Holy Place and Holy of Holies. Now here in 1 John we find two more, out of scores of examples of 3-fold truths. The Holy Spirit through John writes to - little children, young men and fathers. God would have us all reach the third stage, yet we all start out in the Kingdom of God as little children. Natural birth, growth and development are a fitting type of this. Then John takes ?young men?, and reveals the potential of a three-fold victory: strong, the word of God abiding, and overcoming the evil one. The above are less than 10 examples of 3-fold truths. Out of curiosity I have listed over 100 such examples. You who read this might obtain a blessing by seeing how many you can collate from Bible study. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu May 31 09:33:29 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 09:33:29 -0700 Subject: 1 John 4:1-21 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* May 31, 2012 *(From: 1 JOHN #5 - 4:1-21)* IV. 4:1-5:21 SAFEGUARDS FOR DIVINE FELLOWSHIP A. 4:4-6 GUARDED BY TRUTH 1. 4:1 WARNING AGAINST FALSE SPIRITS *Beloved, believe not every spirit,* A-ga-p*e*TOI, m*e* panTI PNEUma-ti pisTEUe-te, *but prove the spirits, whether they are of :God;* alLA do-kiMAze-te ta PNEUma-ta, ei ek tou TheOU es-tin; *because many false prophets are gone out into the world.* HOti polLOI pseu-do-proPH*E*tai [5578] e-xe-l*e*LUtha-sin eis ton KOSmon. 2. 4:2-3 WARNING AGAINST ANTICHRIST *Hereby know you the Spirit of :God:* En TOUt*o* giN*O*ske-te to PNEUma tou TheOU: *every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of :God:* pan PNEUma ho ho-mo-loGEI I*e*SOUN ChrisTON en sarKI e-l*e*-luTHEnai ek tou TheOU es-tin: 3* and every spirit that confesses not :Jesus is not of :God:* kai pan PNEUma ho m*e* ho-mo-loGEI ton I*e*SOUN ek tou TheOU ouk EStin: *and this is the **spirit** of the antichrist,* kai TOU-TO es-tin to tou an-tiCHRIStou [500], *whereof you have heard that it comes; and is now in the world already.* ho a-k*e*KOa-te HOti ERche-tai; kai nun en t*o* KOSm*o* esTIN *E*d*e*. 3. 4:4-6 ENCOURAGEMENT TO OVERCOME a. 4:4 OVERCOME THROUGH THE INDWELLING ONE *YOU are of :God, little children, and have overcome them:* HuMEIS ek tou TheOU es-te, tekNIa, kai ne-niK*E*ka-te [3528] auTOUS: *because greater is the one in you than the one in the world.* HOti MEIz*o*n [3187] esTIN ho en huMIN *e* ho en t*o* KOSm*o*. b. 4:5 MERE PROFESSORS ARE HEARD OF THE WORLD! *THEY are of the world: * auTOI ek tou KOSmou eiSIN: *therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them* diA TOUto ek tou KOSmou laLOUsin, kai ho KOSmos auT*O*N aKOUei. c. 4:6a OVERCOME: BECAUSE GOD?S VOICE IS RECOGNIZED IN HIS OWN *WE are of God: who knows :God hears us;* h*e*MEIS ek tou TheOU es-men: ho giN*O*Sk*o*n to TheON a-KOUei h*e*M*O*N; *who is not of God hears us not.* hos ouk EStin ek tou TheOU ouk aKOUei h*e*M*O*N. d. 4:6b * From this we know the spirit of :truth, and the spirit of :error. * ek TOUtou giN*O*Sko-men to PNEUma t*e*s a-l*e*THEIas [225], kai to PNEUma t* e*s PLAn*e*s [4106]. B. 4:7-21 GUARDED BY GOD?S LOVE 1. 4:7-10 GOD?S LOVE GIVEN IN HIS SON a. 4:7 LOVE OF BRETHREN: A TEST OF THE NEW BIRTH! *Beloved, let us love one another: for :love is of God;* A-ga-p*e*TOI, a-gaP*O*men alL*E*lous: HOti h*e* aGAp*e* ek tou TheOU es-tin; *and every one that loves is begotten of :God, and knows :God.* kai pas ho a-gaP*O*N ek tou TheOU geGENn*e*-tai [1080], kai giN*O*Skei ton TheON. b. 4:8* Who loves not knows not :God; for :God is love.* ho m*e* a-gaP*O*N ouk EGn*o* ton TheON; HOti ho TheOS aGAp*e* es-TIN. c. 4:9 LOVE OF GOD: MANIFESTED IN LIFE FOR US THROUGH THE SON *Herein was the love of :God manifested in us,* en TOUt*o* e-pha-neR*O*th*e* [5319] h*e* aGAp*e* tou TheOU en h*e*MIN, *that :God has sent his :only begotten :Son* HOti ton huiON auTOU ton mo-no-geN*E* [3439] aPEStal-ken ho TheOS *into the world that we might live through him.* eis ton KOSmon HIna Z*E*s*o*-men [2198] di? auTOU. d. 4:10 LOVE: MANIFESTED BY GOD TOWARD US WHILE YET SINNERS *Herein is :love, not that WE have loved :God,* en TOUt*o* esTIN h*e* aGAp*e*, ouch HOti h*e*MEIS *e*-gaP*E*ka-men ton TheON, *but that HE loved us,* all? HOti auTOS *e*GAp*e*-sen h*e*MAS, *and sent his :Son as propitiation for our :sins.* kai aPEStei-len ton huiON auTOU hi-lasMON [2434] peRI t*o*n ha-mar-ti*O*N h* e*M*O*N. 2. 4:11-16a GOD?S LOVE INDWELLS BELIEVERS a. 4:11 GOD'S LOVE SHOULD LEAD TO OUR LOVE *Beloved, if :God so loved us, * A-ga-p*e*TOI, ei HOUt*o*s ho TheOS *e*GAp*e*-sen h*e*MAS, *we also ought to love one another.* kai h*e*MEIS oPHEIlo-men alL*E*lous a-gaPAN. b. 4:12-13 LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER: A CONDITION FOR ABIDING *No one has ever beheld God: if we love one another, :God abides in us,* TheON ouDEIS P*O*po-te teTHEa-tai: eAN a-gaP*O*men al-L*E*lous, ho TheOS en h*e*MIN MEnei, *and his :love is perfected in us:* kai h*e* aGAp*e* auTOU te-te-lei-*o*MEn*e* [5048] en h*e*MIN esTIN: 13* hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us,* en TOUt*o* giN*O*Sko-men HOti en auT*O* MEno-men kai auTOS en h*e*MIN, *because he has given us of his :Spirit.* HOti ek tou PNEUma-tos auTOU DEd*o*-ken h*e*MIN. c. 4:14 LOVE WITNESSED TO: GOD?S SENDING HIS SON INTO THE WORLD *And we have beheld and witness* kai h*e*MEIS te-theAme-tha kai mar-tuROUmen [3140] *that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.* HOti ho paT*E*R aPEStal-ken ton huiON s*o*T*E*ra [4990] tou KOSmou. d. 4:15 LOVE CONFESSION: KEY TO GOD?S INDWELLING *Whoso shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of :God,* hos eAN ho-mo-loG*E*s*e* HOti I*e*SOUS ChrisTOS es-tin ho huiOS tou TheOU, *:God abides in him, and he in :God.* ho TheOS en auT*O* MEnei, kai auTOS en t*o* The*O*. e. 4:16a. * And WE know and have believed the love which :God has in us.* kai h*e*MEIS egN*O*ka-men kai pe-pisTEUka-men t*e*n aGAp*e*n h*e*n Echei ho TheOS en h*e*MIN. 3. 4:16b-21 GOD?S LOVE MANIFESTED THROUGH BRETHREN a. 4:16b GOD'S LOVE FLOWS THROUGH THOSE WHO ABIDE IN HIM *:God is love; * Ho TheOS aGAp*e* esTIN; *and who abides in :love abides in :God, and :God abides in him.* kai ho MEn*o*n en t*e* aGAp*e* en t*o* The*O* MEnei, kai ho TheOS en auT*O*MEnei. b. 4:17 BOLDNESS IN DAY OF JUDGMENT: PURPOSE OF LOVE *Herein is :love made perfect with us * En TOUt*o* te-teLEI*o*-tai [5048] h*e* aGAp*e* meth? h*e*M*O*N, *that we may have boldness in the day of :judgment;* HIna par-r*e*SIan [3954] Ech*o*-men en t*e* h*e*MEra t*e*s KRIse-*o*s [2920] ; *because as HE is, even so are WE in this :world.* HOti kaTH*O*S eKEI-NOS es-tin, kai h*e*MEIS es-men en t*o* KOSm*o* TOUt*o*. c. 4:18 NATURE OF LOVE: TO CAST OUT FEAR AND PERFECT US *No fear is in :love: but :perfect love casts out the fear* PHObos ouk EStin en t*e* aGAp*e*: all? h*e* teLEIa [5046] aGAp*e* Ex*o*BALlei [906] ton PHObon, *because the fear has punishment; and who fears is not perfected in :love.* HOti ho PHObos KOla-sin [2851] Echei; ho de phoBOUme-nos ou te-teLEI*o*-tai en t*e* aGAp*e*. d. 4:19 * WE love, because HE first loved us.* H*e*MEIS a-gaP*O*men, HOti auTOS PR*O*tos *e*GAp*e*-sen huMAS. e. 4:20 CONTRADICTION OF LOVE: TO HATE OUR BROTHER *If one say that I love :God, and hates his :brother,* eAN tis EIp*e* HOti A-gaP*O* ton TheON, kai ton a-delPHON auTOU miS*E* [3404], *he is a liar: for who loves not his :brother whom he has seen,* PSEUSt*e*s [5583] esTIN: ho gar m*e* a-gaP*O*N ton a-delPHON auTOU hon he*O* ra-ken, *cannot love :God whom he has not seen.* ton TheON hon ouch he*O*ra-ken ou DUna-tai a-gaPAN. f. 4:21 LOVE?S COMMANDMENT: TO LOVE BOTH GOD AND MAN *And this :commandment we have from him,* kai TAUt*e*n t*e*n en-toL*E*N Echo-men ap? auTOU, *that who loves :God love his :brother also.* HIna ho a-gaP*O*N ton TheON a-gaPA kai ton a-delPHON auTOU. *NOTE:* God has provided two safeguards as guardians for us: Truth and Love! It is interesting to note the order for these two that the Holy Spirit gave to John ? Truth precedes Love! Truth comes from two Greek words ? *LE*th*o*: to hide; and ?a? ? the removal of that which caused the hiding. For instance: God hid from His Old Testament saints a truth ? and also from the beginning church ? until He released the apostle Paul for his unique ministry to the uncircumcised nations. In Galatians and Ephesians he shows that in the church, Jew and Gentile have the middle wall of partition broken down ? and they become ?One New Man.? This truth *was* a hidden * mystery*; but from the time of Paul?s ministry to the Gentiles, it became an open truth. It is one of the greatest revealed truths in New Testament times. The lid of this hidden mystery came off, and Paul valiantly in the Spirit contended for this truth. See the difficulty for Peter, the apostle to the circumcision ? the Jews ? to receive this truth himself. Paul had to openly rebuke him in his letter to the Galatians, for his withdrawal from this truth at Antioch. But in Romans 9-11, especially the first verses of chapter 9, the Holy Spirit through Paul not only shows the privilege of Jews receiving the 8-fold blessing recorded there, but he wonderfully reveals that all blessings for Jews, are *now* an inheritance of the uncircumcision also, through being grafted into their Jewish Roots! Possibly it is because of this tremendous revelation of ?The One New Man?, that hearts of Gentiles especially opened up in thanksgiving to God. *Love*is the outflow of these New Testament revelations opened up especially by the Spirit through Paul. And what of the Jews as an integral part of the ?One New Man,? and now joined with Gentiles as outlined in Acts 10 and 11? Well, the 11 apostles received this revelation from Peter, and rejoiced at the goodness and mercy of God in receiving Gentiles on the same basis of grace through faith, that allowed them, Jews, to come into God?s Kingdom. So here we can see the possible sequence that made both Truth and Love * guardians* for both Jews and Gentiles in the ?One New Man?. James through Jude are transitional letters to prepare Jews especially for the strong meat of Paul?s 14 epistles. These 7 letters are like Senior High School, while Paul?s letters are like College and Graduate School in University. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jun 1 10:55:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2012 10:55:10 -0700 Subject: Romans 1:18-32 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 1, 2012 *(From: ROMANS #2 - 1:18-32) * C. 1:18-32 THE NATURE & CONSEQUENCES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS 1. 1:18-23 THE NATURE OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS a. 1:18-19 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS INEXCUSABLE *For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven* A-po-kaLUPte-tai [601] gar orG*E* TheOU ap' ou-raNOU *against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,* ePI PAsan aSEbei-an kai a-diKIan anTHR*O*p*o*n, *who hold down the truth in unrighteousness;* t*o*n t*e*n aL*E*thei-an [225] en a-diKIa ka-teCHONt*o*n [2722]; 19* because what is known of :God is manifest in them; * di' HOti to gn*o*sTON tou TheOU pha-neRON [5318] es-tin en auTOIS; *for :God manifested it to them.* ho TheOS gar auTOIS e-phaNEr*o*-sen. b. 1:20-21 PROOF THAT UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS INEXCUSABLE *For his :invisible things since the world's creation* ta gar aOra-ta auTOU aPO KTIse-*o*s [2937] KOSmou *are clearly seen, being perceived through the things made,* tois poi*E*ma-sin noOUme-na [3539], ka-thoRAtai [2529], *both his everlasting :power and divinity;* h*e* te aIdi-os [126] auTOU DUna-mis kai theiOt*e*s [2305]; *that they be without excuse: *21* because, knowing :God,* eis to EInai auTOUS a-na-po-loG*E*tous [379]: di' HOti, GNONtes [1097] ton TheON, *they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks;* ouch h*o*s TheON eDOxa-san [1392], *e* *e*u-chaRISt*e*-san [2168] ; *but became vain in their :reasonings,* alLA e-ma-tai*O*th*e*-san [3154] en tois di-a-lo-gisMOIS auT*O*N, *and their senseless :heart was darkened.* kai es-koTISth*e* h*e* aSUne-tos auT*O*N karDIa. c. 1:22-23 THE FOOLISHNESS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS *Professing to be wise, they became fools,* PHASkon-tes [5335] EInai soPHOI, e-m*o*RANth*e*-san [3471], 23* and changed the glory of the incorruptible God* kai *E*Lla-xan t*e*n DOxan tou aphTHARtou TheOU *for a likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds,* en ho-moi*O*ma-ti eiKOnos phtharTOU anTHR*O*pou, kai pe-teiN*O*N [4071], *and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.* kai te-traPOd*o*n [5074], kai her-peT*O*N [2062]. 2. 1:24-32 THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS a. 1:24-25a USELESSNESS: THE CONSEQUENCE OF CHOOSING UNRIGHTEOUSNESS *Wherefore :God gave them up* Di' ho paREd*o*-ken [3860] auTOUS ho TheOS *in the lusts of their :hearts unto uncleanness, * en tais e-pi-thuMIais t*o*n kardi*O*N auT*O*N eis a-ka-tharSIan, *that their :bodies be dishonored among them:* tou a-tiMAzes-thai [818] ta S*O*ma-ta auT*O*N en auTOIS: 25a* in that they exchanged the truth of :God for the lie,* HOIti-nes meT*E*Lla-xan [3337] t*e*n aL*E*thei-an tou TheOU en t*o*PSEUdei [5579], *and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator,* kai e-seBASth*e*-san [4573] kai eLAtreu-san [3000] t*e* KTIsei paRA ton KTIsan-ta [2936], *who is blessed unto the ages.* HOS es-tin eu-lo-g*e*TOS [2128] eis tous ai*O*nas. b. 1:25b * Amen. *A-M*E*N. c. 1:26-27 THE VILENESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES *For this cause God gave them up unto passions of dishonor:* DiA TOUto paREd*o*-ken [3860] auTOUS ho TheOS eis PAth*e* a-tiMIas [819]: *for both their females changed the natural use* HAI te gar TH*E*lei-ai [2338] auT*O*N meT*E*Lla-xan [3337] t*e*n phu-siK*E*N [5446] CHR*E*sin [5540] *into what **is** against nature: *27* and also the males,* eis t*e*n paRA PHUsin [5449]: hoMOI*o*s te kai hoi ARse-nes [730], *leaving the natural use of the female,* aPHENtes t*e*n phu-siK*E*N CHR*E*sin t*e*s th*e*LEIas, *burned in their :lust one toward another,* ex-eKAUth*e*-san [1572] en t*e* oRExei auT*O*N eis alL*E*lous, *males with males working the unseemliness,* ARse-nes en ARse-sin t*e*n as-ch*e*-moSUn*e*n [808] ka-ter-gaZOme-noi [2716] , *and receiving in themselves the needful recompense of their :error.* kai t*e*n an-ti-misTHIan h*e*n Edei t*e*s PLAn*e*s [4106] auT*O*N en auTOIS a-po-lamBAnon-tes [618]. d. 1:28-32 A REPROBATE MIND: THE CONSEQUENCE OF REJECTING GOD *And even as they refused to have :God in their knowledge,* Kai kaTH*O*S ouk e-doKIma-san [1381] ton TheON Echein en e-pigN*O*sei, *:God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do the things unbecoming;* paREd*o*-ken [3860] auTOUS ho TheOS eis aDOki-mon [96] noun, poiEIN ta m*e*kaTH *E*kon-ta [2520]; 29* filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice;* pe-pl*e*-r*o*MEnous [4137] PAs*e* a-diKIa [93], po-n*e*RIa [4189], ple-o-neXIa [4124], kaKIa [2549]; *full of envy, murder, strife, guile, malignity;* mesTOUS PHTHOnou [5355], PHOnou [5408], Eri-dos [2054], DOlou [1388], ka-ko- *e*THIas [2550]; 30* whisperers, backbiters,* psi-thu-risTAS [5588], ka-taLAlous [2637], *haters of God, insolent, haughty,* The-os-tuGEIS [2319], hu-brisTAS [5197], hu-pe-r*e*PHAnous [5244], *boastful, inventors of evils, disobedient to parents,* a-laZOnas [213], e-pheu-reTAS [2182] kaK*O*N, goNEUsin [1118] a-peiTHEIS [545], 31* without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, merciless:* a-suNEtous [801], a-sunTHEtous [802], a-STORgous [794], a-ne-le*E*mo-nas [415]: 32 *they who, knowing the ordinance of :God,* HOIti-nes, to diKAI*o*-ma [1345] tou TheOU e-pigNONtes [1921], *that who practice the such are worthy of death,* HOti hoi ta toiAUta PRASson-tes [4238] Axi-oi thaNAtou eiSIN, *not only do them, but also consent with those practicing them.* ou MOnon auTA poiOUsin, alLA kai su-neu-doKOUsin [4909] tois PRASsou-sin [4238]. *NOTE**: *This is one of the most sober passages in Scripture, and cuts across elements of society in every age, from the days of Abraham to the present. Note what God says about such elements who do not want to have God or His Son Jesus in their thoughts, words or society: *He gives them up!*Alright, you want to have your own way? Then have it, and reap at last what you have sown! You have judged yourselves. Three times in this passage God by His Spirit says that *He gives them up!* There are fellowships of churches which seek to water down and re-interpret passages such as this. It can't honestly be done! If we let God say what He wants to say, and the Bible mean what it wants to mean - then there's no dodging the issue.. Paul says in Ephesians - It's even a *shame* to speak of the acts of sin recounted in this passage - so unnatural - so filthy - and bringing into the body the righteous reward of such unrighteous acts - such as *Aids*. There are various articles and insights in this Website that reveal God's * Bible* - His Scriptures - as *unique* above all books in the world - religious or secular. *Only* the 66 books of the Bible reveal the Bible Numeric Phenomenon in exact accord with all *other sciences.* The Numeric features of James through Jude are *exactly* the same as those of our sun's 7 major planets! *Imagine*!. Let me lay a foundation for the above notes on this passage. Marie and I attended a High School in Port Alberni, BC of some 160 students from 1937-41. Who would have thought that a boys' basketball team from such a small school would win the Canadian Western Basketball Championship of the 4 Western Provinces of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba? It wasn't because of the extraordinary prowess of the team - but of the ?Coach? - Bill Wiles, the H.S. Math, Science and P.A. teacher. He had a vision for extraordinary success for these boys; he had a format for training and discipline; he had the ability to work out some 20 basic plays that he had the boys master; he talked a business into supplying them with great red and white uniforms; he produced in these ?Termites? a ?Team Spirit? of success. No team in Western Canada could stand against them. And for 50 years these boys and their Coach - as long as he lived - met together annually to reminisce on those glorious 4 years. Arthur Delamont with his parents and family emigrated from England to Canada in the early 1900's. He had a wonderful Salvation Army Band background. In his early 30's he moved with his wife and son from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Vancouver, BC. A boy approached him in 1928 for trumpet lessons. Arthur responded. Soon boy after boy was added, until he formed a band. For the next 50 years the Vancouver Kitsilano Boys Band traveled to Europe 15 times, plus 5 World Fairs, and won over 200 top band awards: in tone, deportment, marching, sight reading, punctuality and appearance. In Britain this boys band even came out on top over Mature, Adult Bands. Like Bill Wiles, he insisted on perfection as the goal. Punctuality was a sacred must! Appearance in pictures had to be perfect. The uniforms of a blue cape fastened back to show beautiful red satin linings, with black socks and highly polished black shoes - black pants with one red stripe - white long sleeved shirts, and a neat cap - these too contributed to awards. Their marching technique from 1930 on was second to none. Again - not just the 1000's of boys - but a bandmaster with a vision, promotional instincts, enthusiasm, ability - yes, again a leader brought success. In 1944 a Russian Jew introduced me to the Russian genius, Ivan Panin. He started out as a radical Nihilist and was forced to flee Russia in the later 1800's. He succeeded as a Philosopher, Mathematician and English expert. Albert Einstein was one of his Math students at Harvard. Both had probable I Q's upwards to 200. When he discovered the marvels of Bible Numerics he was hooked, and spent 50 years and 100,000 hours producing both a Greek and English New Testament based on this amazing discovery. Again - we find another man like Wiles and Delamont, possessed by a vision and an indomitable drive to succeed in his vision. How opposite to the sad list in Romans 1:24-32. Then consider Abraham, the founder of the nation of Israel, based on the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 17. But on the way to this goal, he rescued his nephew Lot from the extreme sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Another man committed to a vision to know, serve and obey God to the end, based on high moral and ethical goals. Again see the contrast with the latter part of Romans 1. King David was one of his illustrious descendants. He too had a vision to glorify God, and be a man after God's own heart. No hanky-panky here. When he slipped and sinned, he immediately confessed it, made it right with God, and continued on. God gave him a 7-fold program for the illustrious Temple that his son Solomon built. In a sense it is by vision - the Temple of David! God calls the beginning of a venture as if already complete. David's beginning here qualifies. He had a desire and a vision; he obtained the Temple location; God wrote the blueprint on his heart by the Spirit; he gathered tremendous amounts of material ahead of time. He taught and showed Solomon the plans; he provided the music and Temple worship; he and Samuel provided the Levitical order of service. Jesus, the greater Son of David, the Promised Messiah - came to minister as a servant, and give His life a ransom for many; he fulfilled the covenant of Abraham and the Mosaic and Temple typology. The 2 pillars of the Temple, Jachin and Boaz, typified God's Covenant and oath. He raised up 12 disciples for the 12 tribes of Israel, but prepared for the ?One New Man? by soon admission of Gentiles into the Church. See Benjamin in the latter chapters of the Book of Judges. Fit this into Romans 1:18-32. Benjamin was wiped out but for 600 young men, because of homosexual and heterosexual sin. See our Website * . *Under Archives, Embryonics, Outlines and Interlinear - lie a groundwork and framework to justify the emphasis God puts upon Himself, His Son and His Word! In Psalm 2 it says God in heaven will *laugh* at His enemies who seek to remove Him from their thoughts, words and society. In the end, remember Noah! Then a flood removed the wicked and saved 8 righteous; so soon, A fire will destroy the wicked, and preserve a remnant like David, who are people after God's own heart. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jun 2 08:37:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 08:37:52 -0700 Subject: Romans 4:1-25 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 2, 2012 *From: ROMANS #6 - 4:1-25)* H. 4:1-25 A HISTORICAL PICTURE HOW FAITH JUSTIFIES 1. 4:1-8 HOW ABRAHAM & DAVID BECAME RIGHTEOUS a. 4:1* What then shall we say that Abraham, * Ti oun eROUmen heu-r*e*KEnai [2147] A-braAM, *our :forefather, according to the flesh, has found?* ton proPAto-ra [3962] h*e*M*O*N, kaTA SARka? b.4:2* For if Abraham was justified by works, he has whereof to glory; but not toward God.* ei gar A-braAM ex ERg*o*n e-di-kai*O*th*e* [1344], Echei KAUch*e*-ma [2745]; all' ou pros TheON. c. 4:3a* For what says the scripture?** *ti gar h*e* graPH*E* LEgei? d. 4:3b* And he - Abraham - believed :God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.* E-PI-steu-sen de - A-braAM - t*o* The*O*, kai e-loGISth*e* [3049] auT*O*eis di-kai-oSUn *e*n [1343]. e. 4:4* Now to him that works, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.* t*o* de er-ga-oMEn*o*, ho misTHOS ou loGIze-tai kaTA CHArin, alLA kaTA oPHEIl*e*-ma [3783]. f. 4:5 FAITH IN THE JUSTIFIER: THE BASIS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS *But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly one, * t*o* de m*e* er-ga-zoMEn*o*, pisTEUon-ti de ePI ton di-kaiOUNta [1344] ton a-seB*E* [765], *his :faith is reckoned for righteousness.* loGIze-tai h*e* PIstis auTOU eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n. g. 4:6-7 DAVID FORESAW GOD'S METHOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS *Even as David also pronounces :blessing upon the man, * kaTHAper kai DauID LEgei ton ma-ka-risMON [3107] tou anTHR*O*pou, *to whom :God reckons righteousness apart from works, *7* saying* h*o* ho TheOS loGIze-tai di-kai-oSUn*e*n ch*o*RIS ERg*o*n, *Blessed they whose :iniquities are forgiven, And whose :sins are covered.* MaKAri-oi h*o*n aPHEth*e*-san [863] hai a-noMIai, kai h*o*n e-pe-kaLUPHth*e*-san [1943] hai ha-marTIai. h. 4:8 * Blessed the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.* maKAri-os aN*E*R hou ou m*e* loGIs*e*-tai KUri-os ha-marTIan. 2. 4:9-12 CIRCUMCISION IS A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH a. 4:9 ABRAHAM'S JUSTIFICATION AS IT RELATES TO TIME OF CIRCUMCISION *Is this :blessing therefore upon the circumcision,* ho ma-ka-risMOS oun HOUtos ePI t*e*n pe-ri-toM*E*N [4061], *or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say,* *e* kai ePI t*e*n a-kro-busTIan [203]? LEgo-men gar, *To :Abraham the faith was reckoned for righteousness.* E-loGISth*e* t*o* A-braAM h*e* PIstis eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n. b. 4:10a* How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision?* p*o*s oun e-loGISth*e*? en pe-ri-toM*E* ONti, *e* en a-kro-busTIa? c. 4:10b-12 CIRCUMCISION: A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH *Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: *11* and he received a sign of circumcision,* ouk en pe-ri-toM*E*, all' en a-kro-busTIa: kai s*e*MEIon [4592] Ela-ben pe-ri-toM*E*S, *a seal of the righteousness of the faith which was through the uncircumcision:* sphraGIda [4973] t*e*s di-kai-oSUn*e*s t*e*s PIste-*o*s t*e*s en t*e*a-kro-busTIa: *that he be father of all them that believe, through uncircumcision,* eis to EInai auTON paTEra PANt*o*n t*o*n pi-steuONt*o*n, di' a-kro-busTIas, *that the righteousness might be reckoned to them;* eis to lo-gisTH*E*nai auTOIS t*e*n di-kai-oSUn*e*n; 12* and father of circumcision to them who not only are of circumcision,* kai paTEra pe-ri-toM*E*S tois ouk ek pe-ri-toM*E*S MOnon, *but who also walk in the steps* alLA kai tois stoiCHOUsin [4748] tois ICHne-sin [2487] *of our :father Abraham's :faith which he had in uncircumcision.* t*e*s en a-kro-busTIa PIste-*o*s tou paTROS h*e*M*O*N A-braAM. 3. 4:13-15 THE CONTRAST OF LAW AND FAITH a. 4:13 ABRAHAM'S FAITH: PRECEDED THE GIVING OF LAW *For not through law was the promise to :Abraham* Ou gar diA NOmou h*e* e-pag-geLIa [1860] t*o* A-braAM *or to his :seed that he should be heir of the world,* *e* t*o* SPERma-ti [4690] auTOU to kl*e*-roNOmon [2818 auTON EInai KOSmou, *but through righteousness of faith.* alLA diA di-kai-oSUn*e*s PIste-*o*s. b. 4:14-15 LAW AND FAITH: MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE *For if they of the law are heirs, the faith is made empty and the promise is made void:* ei gar hoi ek NOmou kl*e*-roNOmoi, keKEn*o*-tai [2758] h*e* PIstis kai kaT*E *Rg*e*-tai h*e* e-pag-geLIa: 15* for the law works wrath; but where no law is, neither is transgression.* ho gar NOmos orG*E*N ka-terGAze-tai [2716]; hou de ouk EStin NOmos, ouDE paRAba-sis [3847]. 4. 4:16-22 ABRAHAM: AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FAITH ACTS a. 4:16-17 FAITH'S BASIS *For this cause it is of faith, that it be according to grace;* DiA TOUto ek PIste-*o*s, HIna kaTA CHArin; *to the end that the promise be sure to all the seed;* eis to EInai beBAIan [949] t*e*n e-pag-geLIan panTI t*o* SPERma-ti; *not to that only of the law, but to that also* ou t*o* ek tou NOmou MOnon, alLA kai t*o* *which is **of Abraham's faith (who is father of us all *17* as it is written [that],* ek PIste-*o*s A-braAM (HOS es-tin paT*E*R PANt*o*n h*e*M*O*N kaTH*O*S GEgrap-tai, [HOti], *I have made you father of many nations), before him whom he believed, God,* PaTEra polLON ethNON TEtheiKA [5087] se), kaTEnan-ti hou ePIsteu-sen, TheOU, *who makes alive the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they are.* tou z*o*-o-poiOUNtos [2227] tous neKROUS [3498], kai kaLOUNtos [2227] ta m*e * ONta, h*o*s ONta. b. 4:18 FAITH'S BATTLE *Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he become father of many nations,* hos par elPIda ep' elPIdi ePIsteu-sen, eis to geNESthai auTON paTEra polL*O*N ethN*O*N, *according to what had been spoken, So shall your :seed be.* kaTA to ei-r*e*MEnon, HOUt*o*s EStai to SPERma [4690] sou. c. 4:19-21 FAITH'S METHOD *And without weakening in the faith he considered his own :body* kai m*e* as-theN*E*sas [770] t*e* PIstei ka-teNO*e*-sen [2657] to he-auTOU S *O*ma *now as good as dead (being about a hundred years old),* *E*d*e* ne-ne-kr*o*MEnon [3499] (e-ka-ton-taEt*e*s pou huPARch*o*n), *and the deadness of the womb of Sarah;* kai t*e*n NEkr*o*-sin t*e*s M*E*tras [3388] SARras; 20* yet, looking unto the promise of :God, he doubted not through :unbelief, * eis de t*e*n e-pag-geLIan tou TheOU, ou di-eKRIth*e* [1252] t*e* a-pisTIa [570], *but waxed strong through :faith, giving glory to :God,* alLA e-ne-du-naM*O*th*e* [1743] t*e* PIstei, dous DOxan t*o* The*O*, 21* and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.* kai pl*e*-ro-pho-r*e*THEIS [4135] HOti ho eP*E*Ggel-tai, du-naTOS es-tin kai poi*E*sai. d. 4:22* Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.* di' HO kai e-loGISth*e* auT*O* eis di-kai-oSUn*e*n. 5. 4:23-25 EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM SET FORTH FOR US TO FOLLOW *Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned to him;* Ouk eGRAph*e* de di' auTON MOnon, HOti e-loGISth*e* auT*O*; 24* but for ours also, to whom it shall be reckoned,* alLA kai di' h*e*MAS, hois MELlei loGIzes-thai, *who believe on him that raised Jesus our :Lord from the dead,* tois pisTEUou-sin ePI ton eGEIran-ta [1453] I*e*SOUN ton KUri-on h*e*M*O*N ek neKR*O*N, 25* who was delivered up for our :trespasses, and was raised for our :justification.* hos pa-reDOth*e* diA ta pa-rapT*O*ma-ta [3900] h*e*M*O*N, kai *e*GERth*e*diA t *e*n diKAI*o*-sin h*e*M*O*N. *NOTE**: *This is one of the richest portions of the first 4 chapters of Romans - and one of *the most practical.* The Outline for 4:16-22 - ?How Faith Acts? - is from a sermon I heard W. J. Ern Baxter preach in 1944 in Victoria BC. Look at it in this context: *a. 4:16-17 - Faith's Basis* *b. 4:18 - Faith's Battle* *c. 4:19-21 - Faith's Method* *d. 4:22 - Faith's Result* Then look at the example of Abraham for *Faith's Battle*. Would he believe his *sense* knowledge - or would he stick to what God's Word had said to him - Faith's Basis? He chose the *latter*. Now see the steps in *the method* Abraham chose to exemplify faith in God's Word, and how he let this triumph over the knowledge of the 5 senses: *1. He didn't weaken in his faith.* *2. He considered his body and realized the impossibility of fathering the covenant child Isaac.* *(He was 99, and impotent.)* *3. He recognized Sarah was in the same situation.* *4. Yet - he gazed steadfastly at what God had promised him - a child through Sarah!* *5. He refused to let doubt rise through unbelief.* *6. He let his faith steadily grow!* *7. He gave glory to God by praising and thanking Him before the answer came to pass!* *(Smith Wigglesworth and Billy Bray walked this same walk - not just a talk!)* Then - Faith's Result. God looked down on Abraham, and counted his living faith as ?Righteousness!? - before the fulfillment of the promise! He had become like God, who calls the things that are not, as if they *already are! * E. W. Kenyon's 24 various books all acclaim triumphantly the above truth. Of course he has been greatly maligned! Did not the Holy Spirit through Paul say, ?He that lives godly in Christ Jesus, *shall* suffer persecution?? At least 3 books have been written against him. The enemy Satan, the devil, doesn't want believers strengthening their faith through this author of faith-fostering books! He died in the late 40's, at the same time as Dr. Charles S. Price and Smith Wigglesworth. But Pastor Joe McIntyre felt the Holy Spirit motivating him to write a * defense* for this man who was no longer here to* *defend himself. Joe's book,* ?**E. W. Kenyon: the **True** Story,? *is one of the finest Apologetics and Defenses of* *a wrongly-maligned man I have read. Do a Google-search on the *Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society *and purchase this book. You will find yourself living in the reality of Abraham's faith in Romans 4:16-22. *It works!* J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jun 3 09:01:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2012 09:01:18 -0700 Subject: Romans 9:1-13 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 3, 2012 *(From: ROMANS #11 - 9:1-13) * III. 9-11 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: ITS RELATIONSHIP TO JEW & GENTILE A. 9:1-13 RIGHTEOUSNESS REJECTED BY ISRAEL a. 9:1-2 PAUL?S SORROW: REJECTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY HIS PEOPLE *I say truth in Christ, I lie not,* A-L*E*thei-an [225] LEg*o* en ChrisT*O*, ou PSEUdo-mai [5574], *my :conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, * sun-mar-tuROUs*e*s [4828] moi t*e*s su-neiD*E*se*O*S [4893] mou en PNEUma-ti HaGI*o*, 2* that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my :heart. * HOti LUp*e* [3077] moi esTIN meGAl*e* kai a-diAleip-tos [88] oDUn*e* [3601] t*e* karDIa mou. b. 9:3-5a PAUL?S WISH: BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE 3 *For I could wish that I myself were anathema from the Christ* *e*uCHOm*e*n [2172] gar aNAthe-ma [331] EInai auTOS eG*O* aPO tou ChrisTOU *for my brethren?s sake, my :kinsmen according to **the** flesh:* huPER t*o*n a-delPH*O*N mou, t*o*n sug-geN*O*N [4773] mou kaTA SARka [4561]: 4* who are Israelites; whose **is** the **adoption**, and the **glory**, ** * HOItiNES ei-sin Is-ra-*e*LEItai; h*o*n h*e* hui-o-theSIa [5206], kai h*e*DOxa [1391], *and the **covenants**, and **the **giving of **the** law**, and the ** worship**, and the **promises**; * kai hai di-aTH*E*kai [1242], kai h*e* no-mo-theSIa [3548], kai h*e* laTREIa [2999], kai hai e-pag-geLIai; 5a *whose **are** the **fathers,** and of whom is the **Christ** as concerning the flesh,* h*o*n hoi paTEres [3962], kai ex h*o*n ho ChrisTOS to kaTA SARka [4561], *who is over all, God blessed unto the ages.* ho *o*n ePI PANt*o*n, TheOS eu-lo-g*e*TOS [2128] eis tous ai*O*nas [165]. c. 9:5b * **Amen. ** *aM*E*N (281]. d. 9:6a * But not as though the word of :God has failed.* Ouch HOIon de HOti ekPEPt*o*-ken [1601] ho LOgos [3056] tou TheOU. e. 9:6b-7 GOD?S PURPOSE: BASED ON HIS SOVEREIGN CHOICE *For they are not all Israel, that **are** of Israel: *7* neither, because they are Abraham?s seed,* ou gar PANtes hoi ex Is-ra*E*L [2474], HOUtoi Is-ra*E*L: oud?, HOti eiSIN SPERma [4690] A-braAM, *are all children: but, In Isaac shall your seed be called.* PANtes TEKna [5043]: all?, En I-saAK kl*e*TH*E*seTAI [2563] soi SPERma [4690]. f. 9:8 GOD?S CHILDREN: OF PROMISE ? NOT OF FLESH *That is, the children of the flesh ? they are not children of :God;* tout? EStin, ou ta TEKna [5043] t*e*s sarKOS [4561] ? TAUta TEKna tou TheOU; *but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.* alLA ta TEKna t*e*s e-pag-geLIas [1860] loGIze-tai [3049] eis SPERma [4690]. g. 9:9 ISAAC: FULFILMENT OF GOD?S PROMISE *For the word of promise **is **this**,* e-pag-geLIas [1860] gar ho LOgos [3056] HOUtos, *According to this :season will I come, and :Sarah shall have a son.* KaTA ton kaiRON [2540] TOUton eLEUso-mai, kai EStai t*e* SARra huiOS [5207]. h. 9:10-12 ELECTION FULFILLED IN JACOB AS WELL AS IN ISAAC *And not only **so**;* ou MOnon de; *but Rebecca also having conceived by one, by our father :Isaac ?* alLA kai 'ReBEKka ex heNOS KOIt*e*n [2845] Echou-sa [2192], I-saAK tou paTROS h*e*M*O*N ? 11* for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad,* M*E*p*o* gar gen-n*e*THENt*o*n [1080], m*e*DE praXANt*o*n [4238] ti a-gaTHON *e* PHAUlon [5337]*,* *that the purpose of :God according to election might stand,* HIna h*e* kat? ek-loG*E*N [1589] PROthe-sis [4286] tou TheOU MEn*e*, *not of works, but of him that calls,* ouk ex ERg*o*n [2041], all? ek tou kaLOUNtos [2564], 12* it was said to her [that], The elder shall serve the younger. * erR*E*th*e* auT*E* [HOti], Ho MEIz*o*n [3187] douLEUsei [1398] t*o*eLASso-ni [1640]. i. 9:13 * Even as it is written, :Jacob I loved, but :Esau I hated.* kaTHAper GEgrap-tai [1125], Ton IaK*O*B eGAp*e*-sa [25], ton de *E*-SAU eMIs *e*-sa [3404]. *NOTE:* Do you find it difficult to follow Paul?s reasoning from the Scriptures? Cheer up ? the apostle Peter did also! Here are his words on this ? *?And account that the longsuffering of our :Lord is salvation; even as our beloved :brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, wrote you; **16 **as also in all **his** letters, speaking in them of these ** things**; wherein are some hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstedfast wrest, as also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction?*(2 Peter 3:15-16). Now ? *That* is quite a word! ?Unlearned? and ?unstedfast? are two descriptions the Apostle Peter gives to people who misuse the scriptures! And ? such people are *in* the churches ? even *Evangelical* churches. So how does this fit in with Romans 9-11? There are those who read these 3 chapters and reason them completely away as being irrelevant to the church. They *completely* miss the warning of the apostle Paul in Chapter 11. Israel has *not* been completely rejected by God, and all His blessings and privileges transferred to the church! ?Replacement theology? such as held by many in Reformation movements, in British Israel and Islam ? is * completely* untenable in the light of careful reading of this section of scripture by Paul. Then too we must *beware* of so-called evangelicals, who reject as inspired those letters of Paul that contain teachings that run counter to their convictions. When such occurs, both God and Paul are for them, in jeopardy. But for those who understand and accept the discoveries of Ivan Panin, such questioning by the doubters holds no water. Billy Bray of earlier centuries said ? ?*Down* with the doubters, and *up* with the shouters!? Smith Wigglesworth challenged such ? ?Do you believe? Can you * shout*?? Finally, look at Romans 9:3-5a, and see the 8 amazing blessings given to Israelites, and which we who are grafted in share: (l) the adoption, (2) the glory, (3) the covenants, (4) the giving of the law (Torah), (5) the worship, (6) the promises, (7) the fathers, (8) and *Christ*, the *Messiah*- sonof man and Israeli after the flesh. Note especially the *first* blessing the Holy Spirit has Paul point out. We in the Western world have difficulty understanding the significance of * adoption* from the Biblical viewpoint. It is *not* adopting a child from outside one?s family! Rather, it is training a son under overseers of the father. When he has mastered the various departments of his father?s business, the overseers then inform the father: ?Your son has mastered the various aspects of your business. He is now ready to be *adopted*. Your business will then become ?Father & Son? ? and we will then be under your Son as well as under you. And applying Biblical adoption ? we see that to be born again makes us a true son of Heavenly Father, and the Spirit of God in our heart leads us to accurately say, ?Abba, Father.? But ? we are not yet *adopted*! Jesus told his apostles to make *disciples*from among all nations. To be *discipled* according to all the commandments of the Lord in the *New Covenant* ? qualifies us for spiritual *adoption* to our Heavenly Father. There are only 5 references to adoption in the entire New Testament. Here they are for your ardent research. Later on we?ll put out the Greek Word Study on these remarkable 5 references. The ?*placing*? of a ?*son*? is the literal meaning of Bible adoption: Romans 8:15 (12-17) Romans 8:23 (18-25) Romans 9:4 (1-13) Galatians 4:5 (1-5) Ephesians 1:5 (3-14) The above context verses are determined from Ivan Panin?s Numeric based paragraphing. Your study ahead of time will mean much more to you, than looking at the notes or insights of anyone else first, including myself. As you pray in the Spirit over the verse containing this word and its context, God will be sure to give you unexpected light. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jun 7 11:21:44 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 11:21:44 -0700 Subject: Personal Choices Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 7, 2012 *2012-06-07 - REPORT OF PERSONAL CHOICES - * *This is a sober report. On one occasion the apostle Paul had an option to leave this world to go to heaven, which he judged was the most favorable for him. At the same time he knew by staying down here longer - he could be of more benefit and blessing to his fellow saints. He chose this latter.* *In a similar sense this morning, Thursday June 7th at 4:00 am, I had a similar choice presented to me. The preceding Saturday June 2 at 9:30 am, I had a sudden, unexpected and entirely new physical attack. A numbness, swelling, discoloration and pain came to my upper face. I had just complete proof-reading Romans 9-12 for my own ?Outlined Interlinear NT? MS, but immediately lost all ability to continue in this task, which I have not been able to return to - to this hour.* *I visited my Primary Care doctor at Group Health on Monday morning. He gave me a thorough exam, and put me on a medication that has been helpful, yet has not returned me so far to normal. Saturday night I attended a Pilot Prayer Team meeting, but had to ask to be brought home somewhat early. Sunday am. Marie and I spoke to a new Korean church. 3 or more of the members advised me to see my primary-care doctor Monday morning, which I did.* *I was in bed most of Saturday, Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday I was up somewhat, but back in bed Wednesday. I have been unable to eat in large measure. Marie has prayed for me each night, which I know has been helpful* *Then this morning at 4:00 am I had a divine visitation. It seemed that the Lord was saying: ?You have a choice. You may come to Me, and rejoin your loved ones and friends who have preceded you - or you can stay and do further work to help your fellow saints down below - prepare for My soon Coming.?* *I chose the latter, and immediately sensed the Lord's touch upon my body. I was able to exercise almost normally, and for the first time since Saturday was able to take my vitamin and mineral supplements. I then found I was again able to walk almost normally. Marie could immediately discern the improvement in my facial complexion.* *So now - I will finish my personal ?Outlined Interlinear NT? MS, that can also then be available for printing in a new format - Plus a ?Through the Bible in a Year? Daily Devotional, based on Ivan Panin's Bible Numeric texts. This will enable readers to use the E-Book Version for Bible Meditation - plus the Daily Devotional - which will speed up the ability to be part of the ?Organic Laser-Telescope? phenomenon which leads to the Lord using us for his ?Spiritual Star Wars? effect over cities, regions and nations.* *I completed the written MS of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? in 1967, and put it on computer December 31, 2010 at the instigation of Elvin Gladney. This went in final proof-read form to the Printers on Pentecost Sunday of this year. It was 6 days later that I was struck with this physical problem, and received the opportunity to go Home. The Commission I received from the Lord to complete the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? came in 1946, but the foundation was actually laid in the Fall of 1942, a month before the death of Ivan Panin. This year is the 70th anniversary of his death, and a fitting time for his life's labors to be realized in consummation. It was his dying wish to see his 2 Bible Numeric Texts printed in an Interlinear Format. I trust he and his friends in heaven will be pleased with the 50,000 hours I have put into this monumental task. The ?Outlined? nature of this Interlinear - is based on Panin's Discovery of the Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph structure of the Greek text he perfected.* *But the work I can now complete on the Daily Devotional of the ?Through the Bible in a Year? MS - will complement the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. I completed the MS for this in 1991, and have 5/12 of it already on computer. It will be intensive to complete this project and provide it for the printers - but it will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. Please pray for me.* *I also have a full MS ready to put on computer for printing on 2 books by Rufus Moseley, a friend of Dr. E. Stanley Jones. I have arranged it as a daily devotional, and added to each day's reading a 7 point addition lining up with Biblical sets of 7 - such as the 7 days of creation, the 7 pieces of furniture of the Tabernacle, the 7 Feasts of the Lord.* *I believe this too could be a blessing to members of Christ's body, just as it has been to me.* *How long would the above take to prepare for printing? Several years at least.* *Now had I been born in China, at birth I would have been one year of age. My next birthday of 89 comes up this coming July 5th. That would make me 90! And should I be a good Chinese citizen, then at death they would give me 2 extra years, making me 92. And what years God is going to add to me in the light of His above promises - who knows? For His sake, and for the saints' sake - I am willing to do all that pleases Him.* *So - I felt led to set the above for your understanding and prayers. God is more interested in this than me or my fellow saints. I am His - and am willing to continue to be pleasing in His sight down here. I enjoy doing the tasks He assigns to me, though arduous. But He has gifted me with the ability to do them. However - the gifting to do them is all of Him, and noneof me. Therefore - all I can say is - ?I am an unprofitable servant. I have only done that which is my duty to do. All the enablement came from Him!?* *And of course - this is true of all of us. Please join me then, in returning to Him thanks for the particular gifts He has given each of us individually, whether five, two or one talents - and let us together take the position of being ?unprofitable servants?. We have all merely used the individual gifts He has given us, and used them for His leading and purposes!* *Your friend - Jim Watt* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jun 11 17:01:57 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:01:57 -0700 Subject: God Bless Canada Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 11, 2012 *2012-06-11 - God Bless Canada!* *(Posted on June 5, 2012 by Jerusalem Connection, in Uncategorized* *By Shira Sorko-Ram, Maoz)* *Canada has long been considered a classical liberal democracy. In fact, according to Wikipedia, Canada is presently one of the more liberal countries in the Americas - a nation with government-regulated free market, with an emphasis on social justice and social progressivism such as abortion issues and same-sex marriage.* *However, a quiet revolution has been taking place since Stephen Harper was sworn in with his own personal Bible as Canada's 22nd prime minister in 2006.* *The prime minister is a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church, and his critics castigate him for being a ?born-again Christian.? Journalist Colin Campbell of www.macleans.ca noted that ?the church [of Harper] looks and sounds nothing like the ornate, staid Catholic churches attended by past prime ministers. There is no choir, organ or pews. Instead, there is a drum kit, guitars, piano and metal chairs. There is a large wooden cross at the front, but little else by way of decoration. The pastor used PowerPoint graphics, projected onto the building's pale pink walls to highlight his sermon. Worshipers are encouraged to clap or raise their hands to the sky while singing.? Even though this prime minister governs over a nation of whom only about 10% are evangelicals, he is immensely popular. In fact, in the 2011 parliament elections, his party won an absolute majority.* *According to the Globe and Mail, Harper is moving towards smaller government, encouraging growth through low taxes and the fewest regulations possible. Within three years, his aim is to balance the national budge, ?a feat virtually unequaled in the developed world.? (theGlobeandMail.com; 29Mar2012)* *But his changes grabbing global headlines are in international foreign policy, specifically Israel. Believe it or not, headlines in many news outlets and and blogs read: ?Canada is the World's Most Pro-Israel Country.? * *Journalists are somewhat baffled as to what drives the prime minister's pro-Israel agenda. Even though he has ?embraced Israel as has no Canadian leader before him,? the media notes that out of 34 million Canadians, Jews number only 315,000. In contrast, the number of Canadian Muslims is expected to nearly triple in the next 20 years, from about 940,000 in 2010 to nearly 2.7 million in 2030, according to the Pew Research Center.* *The media concludes that Harper seems to be acting out of personal conviction. He has been known to stand up for Israel since 1997 when he worked for a conservative economic organization. Even then, where there could have been no political calculation, he made it clear that he believed Canada should be a loyal, true ally of Israel.* *And wonder of wonders, the prime minister has been able to transform Canadian policy for Israel with little opposition.* *Harper's strong feelings for Israel can be seen as consistent with his distinctly conservative background and worldview. He believes Israel is a bulwark of democracy and Western civilization warring against terrorists in a region governed by brutal autocrats.* *Soon after becoming prime minister, he was the first to cut off funds to the Palestinian Authority in 2006 when it was taken over by Hamas.* *He has spoken out often about growing global anti-Semitism.* *In nine items against Israel at a recent committee of the UN General Assembly, Canada consistently voted with a small group of Israel's staunchest allies - the US and four small Pacific island nations.* *Last year, Harper made world headlines when he alone refused to sign on to a G8 statement which specifically called for talks based on a return to Israel's 1967 borders, plus some minor land swaps negotiated with Palestinians - an idea President Barack Obama pressed for vigorously. Harper would not sign on until that phrase was deleted.* *When UNESCO, a UN organization, decided to bypass the UN's legal methods for accepting a new nation into the UN and voted for Palestine to be admitted to UNESCO, only 14 nations of of 194 voted against recognizing Palestinian statehood. Two of those states with the US and Canada.* *Last year, Canada was projected to be voted onto the all-important UN Security Council. It was not, and Harper suggested it was because of Canada's stalwart defense of Israel.* *For the prime minister, however, it was a small price to pay. ?Whether it is at the United Nations or any other international forum, the easy thing to do is simply to just get along and go along with this anti-Israeli rhetoric,? Harper said. ?As long as I am prime minister, whether it is at the UN or the Francophone (French speaking) or anywhere else, Canada will take a stand whatever the cost.? (Tabletmag.com; 9Aug2011)* *We go back to one of God's great foundational promises: ?I will bless those who bless you and curse him who curses you.?* *There is no doubt in my mind that God is blessing and will continue to bless a nation whose leader serves God and his moral foundation is based on the Bible. Certainly the favor of God is upon Prime Minister Harper and the Canadian people. Needless to say, this prime minister needs the prayers of his citizens.* *NOTE**: Marie and I both have dual citizenship. I am US born - but of Canadian parentage: my father from Gananoque, Ontario; my mother from just north of Halifax, Nova Scotia. My education is primarily from Canada until the age of 25. My parents both have Presbyterian backgrounds, but in 1927 joined the United Church of Canada, in which I was brought up.* *Marie is French Canadian Roman Catholic in her background, and was born in Port Alberni, BC. We met in Grade 9 of HS in Port Alberni, and were married in 1948 in Port Alberni.* *We are aware of the 3 prophecies given by Dr. David Yonggi Cho for Canada in 1975 at Kelowna, BC; 1979 at Toronto; and 1984 at Halifax. In all 3 prophetic words he indicated that God had an elected purpose for Canada in the last day - all in His Sovereignty as the Master-Potter.* *If God could unite a Francophone and an Anglophone for a type of Canadian unity - then He can easily fulfill all His last days' purpose through Canada in world-wide missions and evangelism. And it does seem that He has the right Prime-minister in place for His purposes in this regard.* *Canada's official national anthem has quite a history. It was originally commissioned by the Lt. Governor of Quebec for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day Ceremony; Calixa Lavalee wrote the music as a setting of a French Canadian patriotic poem composed by poet and judge Adolphe-Basile Routhier of Montreal. The lyrics were originally in French and translated into English in 1906. Here is the official English translation:* *O Canada!* *Our home and native land!* *True patriot love in all thy sons command.* *With glowing hearts we see thee rise,* *The True North strong and free!* *From far and wide,* *O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.* *God keep our land glorious and free!* *O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.* *O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.* *J.A. Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jun 12 09:40:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:40:31 -0700 Subject: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 12, 2012 *(From: 2 CORINTHIANS #5 - 5:11-21)* H. 5:11-21 FURTHER MOTIVATION TO MINISTER 1. 5:11-15 CONSTRAINT: BY FEAR OF LORD AND LOVE OF SOULS a. 5:11 THE FEAR OF THE LORD AND SOUL-WINNERS *Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord,* *we persuade men, but we are manifested to God;* EiDOtes oun ton PHObon tou KuRIou, anTHR*O*pous PEItho-men, The*O* de pe-pha-neR*O*me-tha; *and I hope that we are manifested also in your :consciences.* elPIz*o* [1679] de kai en tais su-neiD*E*se-sin [4893] huM*O*N pe-pha-neR*O*Sthai [5319]. b. 5:12 CONTRAST OF TWO TYPES OF SOUL-WINNERS *We are not again commending ourselves to you,* ou PAlin he-auTOUS su-nisTAno-men [4921] huMIN, *but as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf,* alLA a-phorM*E*N [874] diDONtes huMIN kauCH*E*ma-tos [2745] huPER h*e*M*O*N, *that you may have toward those glorying in face, and not in heart.* HIna Ech*e*-te pros tous en proS*O*p*o* [4383] kau-ch*o*MEnous [2744], kai m *e* en karDIa. c. 5:13 A WISE CONTRAST *For whether we were beside ourselves, it is to God;* EIte gar eXESt*e*-men [1839], The*O*; *whether we are of sober mind, it is to you.* EIte s*o*-phroNOUmen [4993], huMIN. d. 5:14-15 LOVE OF CHRIST: CONSTRAINT FOR PAUL *For the love of the Christ constrains us;* h*e* gar aGAp*e* tou ChrisTOU suNEchei [4912] h*e*MAS; *having thus judged, that one died for all, therefore :all died;* KRInan-tas [2919] TOUto, HOti eis huPER PANt*o*n aPEtha-nen [599], Ara hoi PANtes aPEtha-non; 15* and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live to themselves,* kai huPER panT*O*N aPEtha-nen, HIna hoi Z*O*Ntes m*e*KEti he-auTOIS Z*O*sin, *but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.* alLA t*o* huPER auT*O*N a-po-thaNONti kai e-gerTHENti [1453]. 2. 5:16-19 FOR THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION a. 5:16 EVEN CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH: NOT KNOWN *So that we from :now on know no one after the flesh:* H*O*ste h*e*MEIS aPO tou nun ouDEna OIda-men kaTA SARka [4561]: *even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.* ei kai egN*O*ka-men [1097] kaTA SARka ChrisTON, alLA nun ouKEti giN*O* Sko-men. b. 5:17 A VERY TRUE DESCRIPTION *So that if any is in Christ, he is a new creature: * H*O*Ste EI tis en ChrisT*O*, kaiN*E* KTIsis [2937]: *the old are passed away; lo, they are become new.* ta arCHAIa [744] paR*E*Lthen [3928]; iDOU, GEgo-nen kaiNA. c. 5:18-19 GOD: THE BASIS OF CHRIST'S RECONCILIATION *But all the things are of :God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, * ta de PANta ek tou TheOU, tou ka-talLAxan-tos [2644] h*e*MAS he-auT*O* diA ChrisTOU, *and gave to us the ministry of :reconciliation;* kai DONtos h*e*MIN t*e*n di-a-koNIan [1248] t*e*s ka-tal-laG*E*S [2643]; 19 *to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,* h*o*s, HOti TheOS *e*n en ChrisT*O* KOSmon ka-talLASs*o*n [2644] he-auT*O*, *not reckoning to them their :trespasses,* m*e* lo-giZOme-nous [3049] auTOIS ta pa-rapT*O*ma-ta [3900] auT*O*N, *and having committed to us the word of :reconciliation.* kai THEme-nos [5087] en h*e*MIN ton LOgon t*e*s ka-tal-laG*E*S. 3. 5:20-21 BECAUSE OF HIGH CALLING: AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST a. 5:20 GOD WORKS RECONCILIATION THROUGH MEN *We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though :God were entreating by us:* HuPER ChrisTOU oun presBEUo-men [4243], h*o*s tou TheOU pa-ra-kaLOUNtos di' h*e*M*O*N: *we beseech on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to :God.* deOme-tha [1189] huPER ChrisTOU, ka-talLAg*e*-te [2644] t*o* The*O*. b. 5:21 CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION *Him who knew no sin he made sin on our behalf;* ton m*e* GNONta ha-marTIan huPER h*e*M*O*N ha-marTIan ePOI*e*-sen; *that WE might become righteousness of God in him.* HIna h*e*MEIS geN*O*me-tha [1096] di-kai-oSUn*e* [1343] TheOU en auT*O*. *NOTE**:* There are 3 verses in this passage that stand out to me: 5:13 - For the sake of winning souls, Paul restrained himself before them, lest they be turned off by his exorbitant love to God. When alone with God, he showed no restraints. To me, this is a good example for us today. In revivals, some seem to be unaware of Paul's wisdom at this point, and turn off unbelievers with their unrestrained emotional joy. God loves us to be as little children before Him - but for the sake of souls - He desires us to restrain ourselves before them, but give Him their unrestrained love in private. Are we willing to walk in this wisdom of the Spirit through the apostle Paul? Then consider 5:17. I memorized this soon after my conversion 65 years ago, and have blessed God for the truth and reality found here. It is difficult to plumb the depths of this verse; but as we meditate upon it, and pray it back to God in our own words with thanksgiving, then the Spirit opens it up like a rose bud, or peels it back layer by layer as in an onion. Lastly there is 5:21. It is *God* who made Jesus His only begotten Son *sin * on our behalf. Jesus was born to die! Had Satan insight on this beforehand, he would never have permitted Calvary to take place! It was his undoing. He is an entirely defeated foe since the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus! Peter's sermon in Acts 2 at Pentecost is evident proof of this. God as the Master chess-player effectively defeated the devil. Oswald Chambers in his various writings, especially ?My Utmost for His Highest?, points out that Jesus at Calvary effected the right for Him from the throne of God following His Ascension, to place His very nature into us by the Holy Spirit. We are a *new creation*. Christ in us, according to Galatians 2:20, was the sublime secret of Paul's effectiveness. It really wasn't Paul - it was *Christ* living out *His Life* through Paul! Rees Howells in his biography by Norman P. Grubb effectively points out this same truth! What nuggets of almighty revelation lie in the Bible, God's Word! Let us not leave it to remain as the *letter*, but through faith, obedience and full discipleship in meditation, let us permit God to make His Son *supreme*in us, to the pulling down of strongholds! - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jun 13 10:17:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:17:31 -0700 Subject: Father's Day Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 13, 2012 *JOB 29:1-25 (ASV '01) - JOB RECALLS HIS PAST HAPPINESS* 1. 29:1 INTRODUCTION *And Job again took up his parable, and said,* vayY*O*seph [3254] Yyob se*E*TH me-sh*a*L*O* [4912], vay-y*o*MAR, 2. 29:2-10 JOB IN A GENERAL WAY RECALLS PAST BLESSINGS *Oh that I were as in the months of old,* MIY - yit-teN*E*Yniy ce-yarCHEY [3391] - KEdem, *As in the days when God watched over me;* ciyM*E*Y eL*O*ah [433] yish-meR*E*niy [8104]; 3* When his lamp shined upon my head,* be-hilL*O* [1984] N*E*r*o* [5216] aL*E*Y r*o*SHIY [7218], *And by his light I walked through darkness;* le*O*Hr*o* [216] *E*lec CH*O*shec [2822]; 4* As I was in the ripeness of my days,* ca-aSHER hayYIYthiy biyM*E*Y ch*a*rPIY [2779], *When the friendship of God was upon my tent;* beS*O*D [5475] eL*O*ah aL*E*Y *a*-h*a*LIY [168]; 5 *When the Almighty was yet with me,* be*O*D SHADday [7706] im-m*a*DIY, *And my children were about me;* se-biy-b*o*THAY ne-*a*hR*A*Y [6288]; 6* When my steps were washed with butter,* birCHOTZ [7364] ha-liyCHAY [1978] be-ch*e*M*A*H [2529], *And the rock poured me out streams of oil!* veTZ*U*R [6697] y*a*TZ*U*K [694] im-m*a*DIY pa-le-g*e*y [6388] - SH*A*men [8081]! 7* When I went forth to the gate unto the city,* beTZ*E*thiy SHAar [8179] a-l*e*y - K*A*reth [7176], *When I prepared my seat in the street,* b*a*rCH*O*B [7339] *a*CIYN m*o*-sh*a*BIY [4186], 8 *The young men saw me and hid themselves* r*a*-*U*niy ne-*a*RIYM [5286] ve-nechB*A*-*u* [2244] *And the aged rose up and stood;* VIYshiy-shiym [3453] K*A*m*u* [6965] *a*M*A*d*u* [5975]; 9* The princes refrained from talking,* S*A*riym [8269] *a*-tzeR*U* [6113] be-milLIYM, *And laid their hand on their mouth;* veCAPH y*a*SIYm*u* le-phiyHEM [6310]; 10 *The voice of the nobles was hushed,* k*o*l [6963] - ne-giyDIYM nechB*A*-*u* [2244], *And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.* v*u*-le-sh*o*N*A*M [3956] le-chiC*A*M [2441] d*a*-B*E*k*a*h [1692]. 3. 29:11-12 SPECIFIC REASONS FOR BEING BLESSED *For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me;* ciy *O*zen [241] SH*A*ma-*a*h, VAte-ashR*E*niy [833]; *And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me:* veAYN [5869] r*a*-aTH*A*H, va-te-iyD*E*niy [5749]: 12* Because I delivered the poor that cried,* CIY - a-malL*E*T [4422] *a*NIY [6041] me-shavV*E*a [7768], *The fatherless also, that had none to help him.* ve-y*a*TH*O*M [3490], ve-l*o* - *o*Z*E*R [5826] l*o*. 4. 29:13 FURTHER REASONS FOR RECEIVING BLESSING *The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me;* birCATH [1293] *O*v*e*d [6] *a*LAY t*a*V*O*; *And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.* veL*E*V [3820] al-m*a*N*A*H {490] arN*A*N [7442]. 5. 29:14 JOB'S CHARACTER *I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:* TZEdek [6664] l*a*-vash-tiy, - vay-yil-baSH*E*niy [3847]: *My justice was a a robe and a diadem.* CIme-iyl [4598] ve-tz*a*NIYPH [6797] mish-p*a*TIY [4941]. 6. 29:15 FURTHER GOOD DEEDS OF JOB *I was eyes to the blind,* *e*yNAYim [5869] H*A*yiy-thiy LAivV*E*R [5787], *And feet was I to the lame.* ve-ragLAYim [7272] lap-piS*E*ach [6455] *A*niy. 7. 29:16 AND MORE *I was a father to the needy:* a*v* *a*-n*o*CHIY L*A*eb-y*o*N*A*M [34]: *And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.* veRIB l*o* - y*a*DAtiy [3045] ech-keR*E*h*u* [2713]. 8. 29:17 JOB PROVIDES DELIFERANCE FROM THE WICKED *And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous,* V*A*a-shab-be-r*a*h [7665] me-thal-le*O*TH [4997] avV*A*L [5767], *And plucked the prey out of his teeth.* v*u*-mish-shinNIYV [4973] ashLIYC T*A*reph [2964]. 9. 29:18 -20 jOB'S HOPE FOR HIS FUTURE *Then I said, I shall die in my nest,* V*A*-*o*-mar, im - kinNIY [7064] enV*A* [1478], *And I shall multiply my days as the sand:* ve-caCH*O*L [2344] arBEH [7235] y*a*MIYM: 19* My root is spread out to the waters,* sh*a*rSHIY [8328] PH*A*THv*u*-ach [6605] e-l*e*y - M*A*yim, *And the dew lies all night upon my branch:* veTAL [2919] y*a*LIYN bik-tziRIY [7102]: 20* My glory is fresh in me,* CEb*o*-diy [3519] ch*a*D*A*SH [2319] im-maDIY, *And my bow is renewed in my hand.* ve-kashTIY [7198] be-y*a*DIY tha-chaLIYPH [2498]. 10. 29:21 THE VALUE OF JOB'S COUNSEL *Unto me men gave ear, and waited,* LIY - sh*a*m*U* [8085], ve-yiCH*E*Ll*u* [3176], *And kept silence for my counsel.* ve-yid-deM*U* [1826] leM*O* a-tz*a*THIY [6098]. 11. 29:22 THE RESPECT GIVEN TO HIS COUNSEL *After my words they spoke not again;* a-chaR*E*Y de-v*a*-riy l*o* yishN*U*; *And my speech distilled upon them.* ve-*a*L*E*Ym*o* thitTOPH [5197] mil-l*a*THIY [4405]. 12. 29:23 JOB: AS REFRESHING AS THE RAIN *And they waited for me as for the rain;* veYIchaL*U* [3176] cam-m*a*T*A*R [4306] LIY; *And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.* v*u*-phiyHEM p*a*-aR*U* [6473] le-malK*O*SH [4456]. 13. 29:24 HIS ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS APPRECIATED *I smiled on them, when they had no confidence;* esCHAK [7932] a-l*e*-hem, l*o* ya-aMIYn*u* [539]; *And the light of my countenance they cast not down.* ve*O*R [216] p*a*NAY [6440] l*o* yap-piyL*U*N [5307]. 14: 29:25 HIS POSITION AMONG OTHER MEN *I chose out their way, and sat as chief, * Eba-char [977] darC*A*M [1870], ve-a-SH*E*B [3427] rosh [7218], *And dwelt as a king in the army,* ve-eshC*O*N [7931] ceMElech [4428] bag-geD*U*D [1415], *As one that comforts the mourners.* ca-aSHER a-b*e*LIYM [57] ye-raCH*E*M [5162]. *NOTE*: This is a ?Father's Day? Passage and Message. I received it sometime around 1979 at the ?Word of God Community,? Ann Arbor, Michigan. Just as Proverbs 31:10-31 is a Mother's Day Message for the honor given the ideal mother by her children and husband - so Job 29:1-25 is for a Father and Husband as honored by his wife, 10 children, and both young and old in the gate of the city. This is the position Boaz held in the city of Bethlehem. Here he became husband of Ruth and great grandfather of King David. Just as it takes children and husband to give honor to a virtuous woman, so it takes children, wife and leaders to give honor to a worthy father, elder and husband. Of course - Job went through one of the most severe testings possible for any man. It fits perfectly into the sixth portion of the Lord's Prayer. Here Jesus taught His disciples to pray - ?Our Father, who art in heaven - if it be possible to perfect me and bring me into the image of Jesus, please let me not suffer undue testing. However, if in Your judgment testing - even severe - is necessary to bring me as a son into Your Glory - then Your will be done. Just please make sure that Satan gains no advantage over me during the time of such testing,? God definitely answered this prayer for Job. He *did* allow Satan to severely test Job in two dimensions. But He brought Job through to a position where a formerly good man was made ?much better!? This is also much in accord with the verb tenses of the Lord's Prayer on our behalf. For of the 7 petitions that Jesus gave us in this prayer, six are commands in the imperative mood. But *not* the sixth request. ?Lead us not into testing,? is in the subjunctive mood, leaving it up to God whether He deems it necessary or not to permit us like Job to go through fiery testing! But - just as He brought Job through to a greater and higher position of intimacy with Him - so - because He is no respecter of persons - He will also protect us from the deep, evil desires of Satan, and safely bring us like Job into His safe haven at last. May wives, children, friends, fellow leaders - be faithful on the behalf of all fathers - to bring us by God through their prayers - into a similar rightful and fruitful result as He did for Job. The only book I ever saw my father read was the book of Job. A worthy choice! One of the first books Oswald Chambers published was the Book of Job - entitled - ?Baffled to Fight Better.? All fathers would do well to read not only the book of Job, but also Oswald Chambers commentary upon it. Testing *is* Baffling! There is no doubt about it. But - in God's inscrutable Wisdom - it is *always* right when He permits it. Here is a further insight from a somewhat similar perspective from George Muller - ?It pleased the Lord to lead me to see a higher standard of devotedness than I had seen before. He led me, in a measure, to see what is my true glory in this world, even to be despised, and to be poor and mean with Christ. I saw then, in a measure, though I have seen it more fully since, that it ill becomes the servant to seek to be rich, and great, and honored in this world where his Lord was poor, and mean, and despised.? The apostle Paul and George Muller saw much alike in this respect. John Wesley also walked in this same spirit. God bless all fathers in this critical upcoming Father's Day of 2009! - Jim Watt (It is now Father's Day 2012, 3 years later - but the above words are still apropos.) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jun 14 09:29:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:29:14 -0700 Subject: Galatians 3:1-22 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 14, 2012 *(From: GALATIANS #3 - 3:1-22)* D. 3:1-6 A DEFENSE FOR THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE a. 3:1 DECEPTION LEADS US FROM BASIS OF CHRIST'S DEATH *O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you,* *O* aNO*e*-toi [453] GaLAtai, tis huMAS eBASka-nen, *before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?* hois kat' oph-thalMOUS I*e*SOUS ChrisTOS pro-eGRAph*e* [3788] es-tau-r*o*MEnos [4717]? b. 3:2 THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT: ON BASIS OF FAITH, NOT WORKS OF LAW *This only would I learn from you,* TOUto MOnon THEl*o* maTHEIN [3129] aph' huM*O*N, *Did you receive the Spirit from works of law, or from hearing of faith?* ex ERg*o*n NOmou to PNEUma eLAbete, *e* ex a-ko*E*S [189] PISte-*o*s [4102]? c. 3:3* Are you so foolish? having begun in Spirit, are you now perfected in flesh?* HOUt*o*s aNO*e*TOI [453] es-te? e-narXAme-noi [1728] PNEUma-ti, nun sarKI e-pi-teLEISthe [2006]? d. 3:4* Did you suffer so many things in vain? if indeed in vain.* toSAUta ePAthe-te [3958] eiK*E* [1500]? ei ge kai eiK*E*. e. 3:5 MIRACLES ARE WROUGHT BY FAITH, NOT BY WORKS *Who therefore supplies you the Spirit, and works miracles among you,* ho oun e-pi-cho-r*e*G*O*N [2023] huMIN to PNEUma, kai e-nerG*O*N [1754]duNAmeis [1411] en huMIN, *is it **from works of law, or from **the** hearing of faith?* ex ERg*o*n NOmou, *e* ex a-ko*E*S [180] PISte-*o*s [4102]? f. 3:6* Even as Abraham believed :God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.* kaTH*O*S A-braAM ePIsteu-sen t*o* The*O*, kai e-loGISth*e* [3049] auT*O*eis di-kai-oSUn *e*n [1343]. E. 3:7-22 BLESSING OF FAITH AND PURPOSE OF LAW HARMONIZED 1. 3:7-9 FAITH: THE BASIS OF SPIRITUAL SONSHIP WITH ABRAHAM a. 3:7* Know then that who are from faith, these are sons of Abraham.* GiN*O*Ske-te [1097] Ara HOti hoi ek PIS-te-*o*s, HOU-TOI huiOI ei-sin A-braAM. b. 3:8 GOD FORESAW GENTILES IN THE CHURCH BY FAITH *And the scripture, foreseeing that :God justifies the nations by faith,* pro-iDOUsa [4275] de h*e* graPH*E* HOti ek PISte-*o*s di-kaiOI [1344] ta ETHn*e* [1484] ho TheOS, *preached the gospel afore to Abraham, saying, [that] In you shall all the nations be blessed.* pro-eu-*e*g-geLIsa-to t*o* A-braAM, [HOti] E-neu-lo-g*e*TH*E*son-tai [1757]en soi PANta ta ETHn *e*. c. 3:9* So then who are from faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.* H*O*Ste hoi ek PISte-*o*s eu-loGOUNtai [2127] sun t*o* pisT*O* A-braAM.* * 2. 3:10-14 FAITH IN CHRIST: THE ONLY WAY OF DELIVERANCE FROM THE LAW a. 3:10 SCRIPTURES PRONOUNCE A CURSE UPON LAW-KEEPERS *For as many as are of works of law are under a curse: for it is written [that],* HOsoi gar ex ERg*o*n NOmou eiSIN huPO kaTAran [2671] EIsin: GEgrap-tai gar [HOti], *Cursed every one who continues not in all the things* Epi-kaTAra-tos [1944] pas hos ouk emMEnei [1696] PAsin tois *written in the book of the law, to do them.* ge-gramMEnois en t*o* bibLI*o* [975] tou NOmou, tou poi*E*sai [4160] auTA. b. 3:11-12 CONTRAST BETWEEN FAITH WAY AND LAW WAY OF JUSTIFICATION *Now that no one is justified by law before :God, is evident:* HOti de en NOm*o* ouDEIS di-kaiOUtai [1344] paRA t*o* The*O*, D*E*lon [1212] : *because, The righteous shall live by faith;* HOti, Ho DIkai-os [1342] ek PIste-*o*s [4102] Z*E*se-tai [2198]; 12* and the law is not of faith: but, Who does them shall live in them.* ho de NOmos ouk EStin ek PIste-*o*s: all', Ho poi*E*sas auTA Z*E*se-tai en auTOIS. c. 3:13-14 CHRIST'S REDEMPTION PROVIDES THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT *Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law,* ChrisTOS h*e*MAS e-x*e*GOra-sen [1805] ek t*e*s kaTAras [2671] tou NOmou, *having become a curse for us; because it is written,* geNOme-nos [1096] huPER h*e*M*O*N kaTAra; HOti GEgrap-tai, *Accursed every one hanging on a tree:* 14* that unto the nations might come * E-pi-kaTAra-tos [1944] pas ho kreMAme-nos [2910] ePI XUlou [3586]: HIna eis ta ETHn*e* *the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus;* h*e* eu-loGIa [2129] tou A-braAM GEn*e*-tai en ChrisT*O* I*e*SOU; *that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through :faith.* HIna t*e*n e-pag-geLIan [1860] tou PNEUma-tos LAb*o*-men diA t*e*s PIste-*o* s. 3. 3:15-18 BASIS OF PROMISE: ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, NOT LAW a. 3:15a * Brethren, I speak after man's **manner. *A-delPHOI, kaTA ANthr*o*-pon LEg*o*. b. 3:15b A COVENANT PROPERLY ENACTED CANNOT BE VOIDED *Though but man's covenant, no one makes it void,* HOm*o*s anTHR*O*pou ke-ku-r*o*MEn*e*n [2964] di-aTH*E*k*e*n [1242], ouDEIS a-theTEI [114], *or adds to **it** when confirmed. **e* e-pi-di-aTASse-tai [1928]. c. 3:16a * Now to :Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his :seed.* t*o* de A-braAM erR*E*th*e*-san [4483] hai e-pag-geLIai [1860], kai t*o*SPERma-ti [4690] auTOU. d. 3:16b THE PROMISE TO BE VALIDATED THROUGH THE DEATH OF ONE SEED: CHRIST *He says not, And to seeds, as of many;* ou LEgei, Kai tois SPERma-sin, h*o*s ePI polL*O*N; *but as of one, And to your :seed, which is Christ.* all' h*o*s eph' heNOS, Kai t*o* SPERmaTI sou, HOS es-tin ChrisTOS. e. 3:17 THE LAW, FOLLOWING ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, DID NOT VOID IT *Now this I say: A covenant confirmed before by :God, the law,* TOUto de LEg*o*: di-aTH*E*k*e*n [1242] pro-ke-ku-r*o*MEn*e*n [4300] huPO tou TheOU, *which came to be four hundred and thirty years after,* ho meTA te-traKOsi-a kai triAkon-ta Et*e* ge-goN*O*S, *does not disannul, to make the promise void.* NOmos [3551]*,* ouk a-kuROI [208], eis to ka-tarG*E*sai [2673] t*e*n e-pag-geLIan. f. 3:18 THEREFORE INHERITANCE DEPENDENT ON PROMISE, NOT LAW *For if the inheritance is of law, it is no more of promise:* ei gar ek NOmou h*e* kl*e*-ro-noMIa [2817], ouKEti ex e-pag-geLIas: *but :God has granted it to :Abraham by promise.* t*o* de A-braAM di' e-pag-geLIas keCHAris-tai [5483] ho TheOS. 4. 3:19-22 PURPOSE OF LAW: TO SHUT UP TO FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE a. 3:19a* What therefore is the law? ** *Ti oun ho NOmos? b. 3:19b TO HOLD TRANSGRESSORS DOWN TILL THE PROMISE FULFILLED *It was added because of transgressions,* t*o*n pa-raBAse-*o*n [3847] CHArin pro-seTEth*e* [4369], *till the seed come to whom the promise has been made:* Achris an ELth*e* to SPERma h*o* eP*E*Ggel-tai[1861]: *ordained through angels by a mediator's hand.* di-a-taGEIS [1299] di' agGEl*o*n [32] en cheiRI meSItou [3316]. c. 3:20 LAW, NOT THE COVENANT, HAD A MEDIATOR *Now not of one is the mediator; but :God is one.* ho de meSIt*e*s heNOS ouk EStin; ho de TheOS HEIS es-tin. d. 3:21a* Is the law then against the promises of God?* ho ouv NOmos kaTA t*o*n e-pag-ge-li*O*N tou TheOU? e. 3:21b LAW A TEMPORARY NECESSITY THAT CANNOT MAKE PERFECT *Be it not so: *m*e* GEnoi-to: *for if a law had been given which could make alive,* ei gar eDOth*e* NOmos ho duNAme-nos [1410] z*o*-o-poi*E*sai [2227], *truly :righteousness would have been by law.* ONt*o*s en NOm*o* an *e*n h*e* di-kai-oSUn*e*n. f. 3:22 LAW SHUTS UP HOPELESS MAN TO CHRIST ALONE *But the scripture shut up :all things under sin,* alLA suNEklei-sen [4788] h*e* graPH*E* [1124] ta PANta huPO ha-marTIan [266], *that the promise from faith in Jesus Christ might be given to the believing.* HIna h*e* e-pag-geLIa [1860] ek PIste-*o*s I*e*SOU ChrisTOU doTH*E* tois piSTEUou-sin [4102]. *NOTE*: Do you have friends who have strayed from the straight and narrow way, and ended up in a cult, etc.? We all have. What do you then do? Pray? More? Paul did. When the Galatians were bewitched with the Judaizers, and forsook ?grace? and returned to ?law? - he was heart-broken. He prayed. But he also wrote. Galatians is one of the finest letters written in an attempt to reclaim wandering souls. Note what he says to them first, *?O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified? (3:1)?* The ?cults? do not know Jesus Christ *crucified*! They are bloodless cults. With them there is no atonement - no redemption. Their leaders are dedicated to the self-life, self-pleasure, self-enrichment - without seeking to please God the Father, Christ His Son, or Their teachings in the Bible, God's Word. Sure - they quote verses here and there, taken out of context, and in line with their life lacking self-denial, taking up their cross in identification with Christ crucified - and failing to follow Him (Mark 8:34). The day will come, that with a bitter cry, they will confess that they were ?deceived - bewitched,? by false teachers of ?another Gospel.? Look at Todd Bentley - who received his revelations from a ?lady angel?! Angels in the Bible are neither feminine nor cherubs (baby angels). Such are traditions of men. In the ?Unity Cult,? and many others of like ilk - the teachers number in women up to 80% - hardly the proportion we find in either the *Old* or NT. Then see what Paul repeats twice concerning such false teachers - Galatians 1:6-9 - *?I marvel that you are so quickly removing from him that called you in Christ's grace unto a different gospel. 7 which is not another: only there are some that trouble you, and wish to pervert the gospel of the Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any preaches to you a gospel other than what you received, let him be anathema.? *This must be our attitude also towards all false teachers who depart from Paul's Gospel, as he so clearly set forth in his 14 letters. God made Paul the apostle to the Gentiles, the nations - all non Jews. Indeed, he saw God's *mystery* of Jew and Gentile together as the *One New Man*, and the relationship of both in Romans 11. He is adamant in protecting us non-Jews from the Judaizers. We should be equally protective in defending all believers from the false cults, who all teach ?another? Gospel, and bring down upon themselves the ?curse? of God. Does this sound too strong? *Not* if you consider the value of souls in God's sight! For is it worth it to play fast and loose with your soul under false teachers, when the end is to end up under a curse with them? Hardly! The heart of Paul and the heart of God clearly shines through in this letter to the Galatians. Here Paul clearly sets forth the stark division between law and grace, and the danger and penalty of following teachers who have departed from the latter. It is good to remember that in the Greek and English NT texts I have chosen above, they form God's Bible Numeric Outlined Greek Interlinear NT. God's signature is *numbers*. He chose the only 2 languages in the world (Greek and Hebrew) with no numerical equivalents - to write His Bible in - 66 books through 33 spelled-out writers. It can be mathematically proven that this Greek Text set forth by God through Ivan Panin, is the ?original? Greek text, and the English translation of it is based on a 10-year production of a Numeric Greek Lexicon, before Panin ever started producing the Greek text. Those who hate God and His Bible standards, don't have a leg to stand upon in the light of this extraordinary text. Those who hate what the Bible says about them - again - haven't a leg to stand upon. This should give courage - encourage all believers, to stand boldly but lovingly with God in His Word. Speak the truth in love. Persecuted for this? Of course! But with ?Eternity's Values in View? - who could then hesitate? I am committed to proclaim God's Word like Paul. Read 2 Corinthians 6 to see what it caused him. But from his lips - *?These light afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed!?* I join Paul in glorifying the Father through Jesus and His Word! Will you join me? Brother Yun, ?The Heavenly Man? of China, certainly has! - J.A.Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jun 15 09:42:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:42:21 -0700 Subject: Philippians 1:12-30 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 15, 2012 *(From: PHILIPPIANS #2 - 1:12-30)* C. 1:12-30 NEW LIGHT ON SUFFERINGS OF IMPRISONMENT 1. 1:12-14 PAUL'S IMPRISONMENT: CAN EMBOLDEN SAINTS *Now I would have you know, brethren, that the happenings unto me* GiN*O*skein [1097] de huMAS BOUlo-mai [1014], a-delPHOI, HOti ta kat' eME *have come out rather unto progress of the gospel;* MALlon eis pro-koP*E*N [4297] tou eu-ag-geLIou [2098] eL*E*lu-then [2064]; 13* so that my bonds became manifest in Christ* H*O*Ste tous desMOUS [1199] mou pha-neROUS [5318] en ChrisT*O* geNESthai *in the whole praetorium, and to all the rest;* en HOl*o* t*o* prai-t*o*RI*o*, kai tois loiPOIS PAsin; 14* and that the more part of the brethren in the Lord, confident through my bonds, * kai tous PLEIo-nas t*o*n a-delPH*O*N en KuRI*o*, pe-poiTHOtas [3982] tois desMOIS mou, *are more abundantly bold to speak the word of :God without fear.* pe-ris-soTEr*o*s [4056] tolMAN [5111] aPHOb*o*s ton LOgon tou TheOU laLEIN. 2. 1:15-20 IMPRISONMENT IN THIS LIFE: CAN FURTHER THE GOSPEL a. 1:15-17 PAUL'S BONDS: VARIOUSLY REACTED TO *Some indeed preach the Christ even of envy and strife;* TiNES men kai diA PHTHOnon [5355] kai Erin [2054]; *and some also of good will; *16* the ones do it of love,* tiNES de kai di' eu-doKIan [2509] ton ChrisTON k*e*RUSsou-sin [2784]; hoi men ex aGAp*e*s, *knowing that I am set for the gospel's defense;* eiDOtes HOti eis a-po-loGIan [627] tou eu-ag-geLIou KEImai [2249]; 17* but the others proclaim the Christ of faction, not sincerely,* hoi de ex e-riTHIas [2052] ton ChristTON ka-tagGELlou-sin [2605], ouch hagN* O*S [56], *thinking to raise up affliction for me in my :bonds.* oiOme-noi [3363] THLIpsin [2347] e-geiREIN tois desMOIS mou. b. 1:18-20 PAUL'S GOAL: THAT HIS CIRCUMSTANCES RELEASE CHRIST TO BE PREACHED *What then? only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed;* ti gar? pl*e*n HOti panTI TROp*o*, EIte proPHAsei [4392] EIte a-l*e*THEIa, ChrisTOS ka-tagGELle-tai; *and therein I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice;* kai en TOUt*o* CHAIr*o* [5463], alLA, kai chaR*E*so-mai; 19* for I know that this shall turn out to my salvation * OIda gar HOti TOU-TO moi a-poB*E*se-tai [576] eis s*o*-t*e*RIan *through your supplication and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,* diA t*e*s huM*O*N de*E*se-*o*s [1162] kai e-pi-cho-r*e*GIas [2024] tou PNEUma-tos I*e*SOU ChrisTOU, 20* according to my earnest :expectation and hope,* kaTA t*e*n a-po-ka-ra-doKIan [603] kai elPIda mou, *that in nothing shall I be shamed, but with all boldness, as always, * HOti en ou-deNI ais-chunTH*E*so-mai [153], all' en PAs*e* par-r*e*SIa [3054], h*o*s PANto-te, *now also Christ shall be magnified in my :body, whether by life, or by death.* kai nun me-ga-lunTH*E*se-tai ChrisTOS en t*o* S*O*maTI mou, EIte diA z*o*-*E *S, EIte diA thaNAtou. 3. 1:21-26 CHOICES IN THIS LIFE a. 1:21* For to me :to live is Christ, and to :die gain.* E-MOI gar to z*e*n ChrisTOS, kai to a-po-thaNEIN [599] KERdos [2771]. b. 1:22 PAUL AT A LOSS TO CHOOSE *But if :to live in the flesh, - if this bring fruit from my work, * ei de to z*e*n en sarKI, - TOU-TO moi karPOS [2590] ERgou [2041], *- and what I shall choose I know not. ** *- kai ti haiR*E*so-mai [138] ou gnoRIz*o*. c. 1:23-24 TWO WORTHY CHOICES *But I am in a strait between the two, ** *suNEcho-mai [4912] de ek t*o*n DUo, *having the desire :to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better: * t*e*n a-pi-thuMIan Ech*o*n eis to a-naLUsai kai sun ChrisT*O* EInai; polL*O*gar MALlon KREISson: 24 *yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.* to de e-piMEnein [1961] t*e* sarKI a-nag-kaiOte-ron [316] di huMAS. d. 1:25-26 PAUL'S CHOICE: THE GOOD OF THE SAINTS *And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, * kai TOUto pe-poiTH*O*S [3982], OIda HOti meN*O*, *yes, and abide with you all, for your :progress and joy of the faith; * kai, pa-ra-meN*O* [4893] PAsin huMIN, eis t*e*n huM*O*N pro-koP*E*N [4297]kai chaRAN t *e*s PIste-*o*s; 26* that your :glorying abound in Christ Jesus in me* HIna to KAUch*e*-ma [2745] huM*O*N pe-risSEU*e* [4052] en ChrisTOU I*e*SOU en eMOI *through my :presence with you again.* diA t*e*s eM*E*S pa-rouSIas [3952] PAlin pros huMAS. 4. 1:27-30 SUFFERING FOR CHRIST IN THIS LIFE: A PRIVILEGE *Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of the Christ:* MOnon aXI*o*s [516] tou eu-ag-geLIou tou ChrisTOU po-liTEUes-the [4176]: *that, whether I come and see you or be absent,* HIna, EIta elTH*O*N kai iD*O*N huMAS EIte aP*O*N [548], *I may hear of your state, that you stand fast in one spirit,* aKOUs*o* ta peRI huM*O*N, HOti ST*E*ke-te [4739 en heNI PNEUma-ti, *with one soul striving together for the faith of the gospel;* miA psuCH*E* su-naTHLOUNtes [4816] t*e* PIstei tou eu-ag-geLIou; 28* and in nothing frightened by the adversaries:* kai m*e* ptuROme-noi [4426] en m*e*-deNI huPO t*o*n an-ti-keiMEn*o*n [480]: *(which is for them evidence of destruction,* (H*E*tis esTIN auTOIS ENdei-xis [1232] a-p*o*LEIas [684], *but of your salvation, and that from God;* huM*O*N de s*o*-t*e*RIas [4991], kai TOUto aPO TheOU;* * 29* because to you it has been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only :to believe unto him* HOti huMIN e-chaRISth*e* [5483] to huPER ChrisTOU, ou MOnon to eis auTON piSTEUein, *but also :to suffer in his behalf): *30* having the same conflict,* alLA kai to huPER auTOU PASchein) [3958]: ton auTON aG*O*na [73] Echon-tes, *such as you saw in me, and now hear in me.* HOIon EIde-te en eMOI, kai nun aKOUe-te en eMOI. *?LET US KEEP TO THE POINT?** - Oswald Chambers - MUFHH* *Philippians 1:20 (1:12-30) ? . . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death?.* *My Utmost for His Highest. ? . . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . .?* We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It's as if Paul were saying, *?My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest - my best for His glory.? *To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn't know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point - He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only - my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone. *My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness.* ?Whether it means life or death - it makes no difference!? (see 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God's will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God's gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide - for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably. *NOTE**: * It is not given to each one of us to stand in the position of the apostle Paul - and be able to choose to go - or stay. Look at his reasoning behind his choice. His thoughts lay with his fellow-saints down here - and by staying somewhat longer with them when he could go - would be for their welfare. I think many of us would choose like Paul - should the choice be given. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jun 18 11:52:37 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 11:52:37 -0700 Subject: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 18, 2012 *(From: 2 THESSALONIANS #1 - 1:1-12)* *2 THESSALONIANS SUMMARY: * *A PRACTICAL REVELATION: PREPARATION FOR THE LORD'S DAY* A. 1:1-2 A GREETING OF GRACE AND PEACE *Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, ** *PAUlos, kai Si-lou-aNOS, kai TiMOthe-os, *to the church of Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; * t*e* ek-kl*e*SIa Thes-sa-lo-niKE*o*n en The*O* paTRI h*e*M*O*N kai KuRI*o* I *e*SOU ChrisT*O*; 2* Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. * CHAris huMIN kai eiR*E*n*e* aPO TheOU paTROS kai KuRIou I*e*SOU ChrisTOU.* * B. 1:3-12 THE PURPOSE AND RESULTS OF TRIBULATION a. 1:3-10 TRIBULATION: GLORY FOR SAINTS - WRATH FOR THE WICKED *We ought to thank :God alway for you, brethren,* Eu-cha-riSTEIN [2168] oPHEIlo-men [3784] t*o* The*O* PANto-te peRI huM*O*N, a-delPHOI, *even as it is meet, because your :faith grows exceedingly,* kaTH*O*S AxiON [514] es-tin, HOti hu-pe-rouXAnei [5232] h*e* PIstis huM*O*N, *and the love of each of you all toward one another abounds;* kai ple-oNAzei [4121] h*e* aGAp*e* heNOS heKAstou PANt*o*n huM*O*N eis alL*E *lous; 4* so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of :God* H*O*ste auTOUS h*e*MAS en huMIN en-kauCHASthai [2744] en tais ek-kl*e*SIais tou TheOU *for your :patience and faith in all your :persecutions* huPER t*e*s hu-po-moN*E*S [5281] huM*O*N kai PIste-*o*s en PAsin tois di-*o*gMOIS [1375] huM*O*N *and the afflictions which you endure: * kai tais THLIpse-sin [2347] hais aNEches-the [430]: 5* a manifestation of the righteous judgment of :God;* ENdeig-ma [1370] t*e*s diKAIas KRIse-*o*s [2920] tou TheOU; *that you be counted worthy of the kingdom of :God, for which you also suffer:* eis to ka-ta-xi-*o*TH*E*nai [2661] huMAS t*e*s ba-siLEIas tou TheOU, huPER h *e*s kai PAske-te [3958]: 6* if so that it is righteous with God to recompense affliction to those afflicting you,* EIper DIkai-on paRA The*O* an-ta-poDOUnai [467] tois THLIbou-sin huMAS THLIpsin [2347], 7* and to you that are afflicted rest with us,* kai huMIN tois thli-boMEnois [2346] Ane-sin [425] meth' huM*O*N, *at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with angels of his power* en t*e* a-po-kaLUpsei [602] tou KuRIou I*e*SOU ap' ou-raNOU met' anGEl*o*n duNAme-*o*s auTOU 8* in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God,* en puRI [4442] phloGOS [5395], diDONtos ekDIk*e*-sin [1557] tois m*e*eiDOsi TheON, *and to them that obey not the gospel of our :Lord Jesus:* kai tois m*e* hu-paKOUou-sin [5219] t*o* eu-ag-geLI*o* tou KuRIou h*e*M*O*N I*e*SOU: 9* who shall suffer punishment, eternal destruction* HOIti-nes DIk*e*n [1349] TIsou-sin [5099], Ole-thron [3639] ai*O*ni-on [166] *from the Lord's face and from the glory of his :might,* aPO proS*O*pou tou KuRIou kai aPO t*e*s DOx*e*s isCHUos [2479] auTOU, 10* when he shall come to be glorified in his :saints,* HOtan ELth*e* en-do-xasTH*E*nai [1740] en tois haGIois [40] auTOU, *and to be marveled at in all that believed* kai thau-masTH*E*nai [2296] en PAsin tois piSTEUsa-sin *(because our :testimony unto you was believed) in that :day.* (HOti e-piSTEUth*e* to marTUri-on [3142] h*e*M*O*N eph' huMAS) en t*e* h*e*MEra eKEIn*e*. b. 1:11-12 PRAYER ENABLES TRIBULATION TO HAVE ITS PERFECT WORK *To which end also we pray alway for you,* Eis ho kai pro-seuCHOme-tha [4336] PANto-te peRI huM*O*N, *that our :God count you worthy of the calling,* HIna huMAS a-xi*O*s*e* [515] t*e*s KL*E*se-*o*s [2821] ho TheOS h*e*M*O*N, *and fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and work of faith, with power;* kai pl*e*R*O*s*e* [4137] PAsan eu-doKIan [2107] a-ga-th*o*SUn*e*s [19] kai ERgon PIste-*o*s, en duNAmei; 12* that the name of our :Lord Jesus be glorified in you,* HOp*o*s en-do-xasTH*E* [1740] to Ono-ma [3686] tou KuRIou h*e*M*O*N I*e*SOU en huMIN, *and you in him, according to the grace of our :God and the Lord Jesus Christ.* kai huMEIS en auT*O*, kaTA t*e*n CHArin tou TheOU heM*O*N kai KuRIou I*e*SOU ChrisTOU. *NOTE**: *Tribulation; Persecution; Suffering; Trials; Affliction: these and others are all synonyms of blessing from God to perfect us the saints. None of these are blessings at the time, but *afterwards* they bring forth in us the fruit of righteousness, and enable us to pass God's test for His Kingdom! We are *not* appointed to God's wrath; for that is reserved for those who don't know God, and have rejected or ignored His way of salvation in Jesus; of Whom He said - *?This is My beloved Son in Whom I am wellpleased! Hear and Obey Him!? * The context here is between sheep and goats. Jesus patiently waits for the Father's timing to make His enemies His footstool. Then - suddenly - His revelation from heaven will take place. What the Holy Spirit through Paul commenced in setting forth an understanding and timing of Christ's Second coming in 1 Thessalonians, *now*in 2 Thessalonians He intensifies these truths. And let us remember - with the Lord 1000 years is as a day - and a day as 1000 years. So from the time of Jesus on earth as our atoning and redeeming Savior - until He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords - is but two days - two blinks of the eye. How foolish for man to live apart from God in our very brief time down here - when all eternity stretches before us. There is an old chorus with the phrase, *?With eternity's values in view!? *- *this* is the way we all should live - for soon is coming upon earth the wrap-up of all past prophecies. Think of all the prophecies exactly fulfilled at Christ's First Coming. It will be equally amazing to see all the prophecies about to be fulfilled for His return! The majority of the human race rejects God, His Son and His Bible. The Bible is *God's Word* to us through man. *No other* religious book comes close to its authenticity! Ivan Panin with his discoveries in Bible Numerics attests to this authenticity. Here God spells out *His* outlook on sexual perversion and sin. It matters not what man does in setting His truth apart today. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. And take hold of 1:7-9 above - *?in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our :Lord Jesus; 9 who shall suffer punishment, eternal destruction from the Lord's face and from the glory of his :might, 10 when he shall come to be glorified in his :saints, and to be marveled at in all that believed in that :day.?* Is this not a parallel to Sodom and Gomorrah? Be *not* deceived - God is * not* mocked. What is recorded in His Word, inspired by God's Holy Spirit through apostles and prophets, will *all* come to pass with the same exactitude as the fulfilled prophecies at Christ's first coming. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jun 19 07:48:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:48:21 -0700 Subject: Hebrews 8:1-13 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 19, 2012 *(From: HEBREWS #7 - 8:1-13)* G. 8:1-13 JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST: HAS BROUGHT US A BETTER COVENANT a. 8:1-2 SPHERE OF JESUS' PRIESTLY MINISTRY: THE HEAVENLIES *Now in the things we are saying the chief point is:* KePHAlai-on [2774] de ePI tois le-goMEnois: *We have such a high priest, who sat down* toiOUton Echo-men ar-chi-eREa [749], hos eKAthi-sen [2523] *on the right of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,* en de-xiA tou THROnou [2362] t*e*s me-ga-l*o*SUn*e*s [3172] en tois ou-raNOIS, 2* a minister of the holies, and of the true :tabernacle,* t*o*n haGI*o*n [39] lei-tourGOS [3011], kai t*e*s sk*e*N*E*S [4633] t*e*s a-l*e*-thiN*E*S [228], *which the Lord pitched, not man.* h*e*n Ep*e*-xen [4078] ho KUri-os, ouk ANthr*o*-pos. b. 8:3 SACRIFICES: PART OF ALL PRIESTLY SERVICES *For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices:* pas gar ar-chi-eREUS eis to prosPHErein [4374] D*O*-RA te kai thuSIas [2378]kaTHISta-tai [2525]: *whence it is is necessary that this one also have something to offer.* HOthen a-nagKAIon [316] Echein ti kai TOUton ho pro-seNEGke [4374]. c. 8:4-5 THE LAW: EXCLUDED JESUS FROM EARTHLY PRIESTHOOD *Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all,* ei men oun *e*n ePI g*e*s, oud' an *e*n hi-eREUS, *seeing there are those who offer the gifts according to law* ONt*o*n t*o*n pros-pheRONt*o*n [4374] kaTA NOmon ta D*O*ra 5* (the which serve a copy and shadow of the heavenlies,* (HOti-nes hu-poDEIGma-ti [5262] kai skiA [4639] laTREUou-sin [3000] t*o*n e-pou-raNI*o*n [2032], *even as Moses when about to complete the tabernacle is warned:* kaTH*O*S ke-chr*e*MAtis-tai [5537] M*o*-uS*E*S MELl*o*n e-pi-teLEIN [2005] t *e*n sk*e*N*E*N: *for, See, says he, you make all things according to the pattern :shown you in the mount).* HOra, GAR, ph*e*-sin, poi*E*seis PANta kaTA ton TUpon [5179] ton deichTHENta [1166] soi en t*o* Orei). d. 8:6 SUPERIOR COVENANT PRODUCES A SUPERIOR MINISTRY *But now has he obtained a ministry the more superior,* nun de di-a-pho-r*o*TEras [1313] TEtu-chen [5177] lei-tourGIas [3009], *by so much as he is also mediator of a better covenant,* HOs*o* kai KREITtoNOS [2909] es-tin di-aTH*E*k*e*s [1242] meSIt*e*s [3316], *which has been enacted upon better promises.* H*E*tis ePI KREITto-sin e-pag-geLIais [1860] ne-no-moTHEt*e*-tai [3549]. e. 8:7 * For if that :first had been faultless, * *then would no place have been sought for a second.* ei gar h*e* PR*O*t*e* eKEIn*e* *e*n Amemp-tos [273], ouk an deuTEras e-z*e*TEIto [2212] TOpos [5117]. f. 8:8-9 GOD: PROMISED ISRAEL A BETTER COVENANT *For blaming them he says, Lo, days come, says the Lord,* memPHOme-nos [3201] gar auTOUS LEgei, I-DOU, h*e*MErai ERchon-tai, LEgei KUri-os, *That I will accomplish a new covenant* kai sun-teLEs*o* [4931] ePI ton OIkon Is-ra*E*L *over the house of Israel and over the house of Judah;* kai ePI ton OIkon IOUda di-aTH*E*k*e*n [1242] kaiN*E*N [2537]; 9* Not according to the covenant that I made for their :fathers* ou kaTA t*e*n di-aTH*E*k*e*n h*e*n ePOI*e*-sa tois paTRAsin [3962] auT*O*N *In the day that I took them by their :hands* en h*e*MEra e-pi-la-boMEnou [1949] mou t*e*s cheiROS auT*O*N *to lead them forth out of Egypt land:* e-xa-gaGEIN [1806] auTOUS ek g*e*s AiGUPtou: *For they continued not in my :covenant, * HOti auTOI ouk eNEmei-nan [1696] en t*e* di-aTH*E*k*e* mou, *And I regarded them not, says the Lord.* ka' 'G*O* *e*MEl*e*-sa [272] auT*O*N, LEgei KUri-os. g. 8:10-12 NATURE OF NEW AND SUPERIOR COVENANT *For this is the covenant that I will covenant for the house of Israel* HOte HAUt*e* h*e* di-aTH*E*k*e* h*e*n di-aTH*E*so-mai [1303] t*o* OIk*o*Is-ra *E*L *After those :days, says the Lord;* meTA tas h*e*MEras eKEInas, LEgei KUri-os; *I will put my laws into their :mind,* diDOUS NOmous [3551] mou eis t*e*n diAnoi-an [1271] auT*O*N, *And on their heart also will I write them:* kai ePI karDIas [2588] auT*O*N e-piGRAps*o* [1924] auTOUS: *And I will be God to them, And they shall be a people to me:* kai Eso-mai auTOIS eis TheON, kai auTOI EsonTAI moi eis laON: 11* And they shall each in no wise teach his :fellow-citizen,* kai ou m*e* diDAx*o*-sin [1321] HEka-stos ton poLIt*e*n [4139] auTOU, *And each his :brother, saying, Know the Lord:* kai HEka-stos ton a-delPHON auTOU, LEg*o*n, GN*O*thi [1097] ton KUri-on: *For all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them,* HOti PANtes eiD*E*souSIN [1492] me, aPO miKROU [3398] HE*o*s meGAlou [3173]auT *O*N, 12* Because I will be merciful to their :iniquities,* HOti HIle-*o*s [2436] Eso-mai tais a-diKIai auT*O*N, *And their :sins will I remember no more.* kai t*o*n ha-mar-ti*O*N auT*O*N ou m*e* mn*e*sTH*O* [3415] Eti. h. 8:13a* In that he says, A new, he has made old the first.* en t*o* LEgein, KaiN*E*N, pe-paLAI*o*-ken [3822] t*e*n PR*O*t*e*n. i. 8:13b* But what becomes old, yes aged, is nigh vanishing away.* to de pa-laiOUme-non [3822] , kai g*e*RAskon [1095], egGUS a-pha-nisMOU [854]. *NOTE**: *There are certain insights from this passage that are unique, not appearing anywhere else in the NT. Because of the unusual three years of revelation that Paul received directly from the Lord following his conversion, it is difficult to find another NT writer who could unfold the clear revelation as appears in this book. His three years in the desert at this time are unique also. This is all apart from the confirmation that Bible Numerics through Ivan Panin gives to his authorship. It is especially in the realm of the unfolding insights to the OT ?mysteries? that Paul received from the Lord to make known to the church. We learn in this passage concerning the contrast of Moses' earthly tabernacle over which Aaron initially ruled with his successors, and the heavenly one - over which Jesus alone now eternally rules. 8:5 brings out a truth that again and again is repeated in the book of Exodus to Moses from God: ?*See, said He, that you make all thingsconcerning the earthly tabernacle - according to the heavenly pattern shown to you on the Mount.?* Moses so carefully obeyed this admonition, that when the finished Tabernacle was presented to God for His approval, He then in approval sealed it by placing His Shekinah glory upon it! Solomon later built the Temple exactly according to the pattern God gave to his father David. After 7 ? years of Construction, on the Feast of Tabernacles - God signified His approval by so filling the Temple with His glory - that 120 priests were unable to enter to stand and minister. Elijah on Mount Carmel, rebuilt the broken down altar of Jehovah, with the 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel, and exactly at the time of the evening sacrifice, he prayed his 63-word prayer. God signified His approval by sending fire from heaven, consuming not only the sacrifice, but the stones, and licking up the water also. Jesus said - *?I will build My church, and the counsels in the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!?* Not one word - not one miracle Jesus performed - but *all* came from the Father Himself. As Son of man - He originated *nothing* from Himself. God was *so pleased* with the work of His Beloved Son - that following Jesus earthly ministry of 3 years in founding the church, God filled 120 of the members with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, in the upper room. They represented the corporate living Temple of God. The Old Covenant of Moses for Israel was *not* faultless. So God prepared a *New Covenant* in preparation when Israel at the Lord's Second Coming will be a nation born in a day. And - because of the revelation of the ?mystery? of the ?One New Man? - Jew and Gentile together in the church, even in those beginning days, functioned dynamically from the Day of Pentecost in the New Covenant truth. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover at Calvary. The Holy Spirit fulfilled ?The Feast of Pentecost? 50 days after Christ's Resurrection and 10 days after His Ascension. Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) at His Second Coming, and usher in His Millennial reign from Jerusalem. 8:10-12 again outlines the great contrast between the Mosaic Covenant from Mount Sinai, and the New Covenant, inaugurated by Jesus in His Atoning Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Sending the Holy Spirit as His own Heredity for us. But for me, perhaps the outstanding insight from this passage is 8:6 - Jesus - as the Mediator of a *better* covenant (than that of Moses), which has been enacted - or better - ?*constituted as Torah*? upon better promises. Dr. David Stern in both the Introduction to the ?Complete Jewish Bible? as well as to his ?Jewish New Testament Commentary? - points out this unusual Greek construction. The word ?ne-no-moTHEt*e*-tai? - is the key here. ?NOmos? (law) in Greek is T*O*rah in Hebrew, meaning ?teaching?. What this verse is proclaiming is that the New Testament is on the same level as the OT Torah, for both Jew and Gentile, ?The One New Man?. Still we need to remember - The NT is in the Old contained: the OT is by the New explained! And when we see ?both? as Torah in God's sight - then the 66 books of our Bible are *indeed* unique. And the fact that Bible Numerics even established God's *signature*through the 33 known Bible writers - then *it* becomes indeed the Plumbline to establish God's thinking and insight as infallible. This established the sexual sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and all successors to it. We all one day will appear either before the Judgment Seat (BEma) of Christ as believers - to answer for what we have believed and done in the body - and all unbelievers - unrepentant sinners - will appear before the Great White Throne to hear the final verdict for rebellion, deliberate unbelief and rejection of God's Christ, the only way of salvation and justification in this life down here. J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jun 20 14:14:33 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:14:33 -0700 Subject: Bible Outlines Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 20, 2012 *OUTLINES - INTRODUCTION - 2009-09-07* *A. GUIDE* ?*Through the Bible in a Year? is a Reading Guide prepared in 1963, because of an encounter with a lady in Cashmere, Washington. At the close of a message there in mid-Winter, I opened the meeting for comments, questions and answers. One lady challenged me: ?I pray in the Spirit for an hour a day, and am as dry when I finish as when I started. What do you say about that??* *I asked her, ?Do you pray over the Bible as you pray in the Spirit?? Her reply - ?I don't read the Bible!? ?That,? I said, ?is your problem and answer to your challenge. Take the book of Psalms, and read a Psalm a day from January to May, and the book of Proverbs for June. Repeat this from July to December. Read aloud one or two verses of the Psalm for the day, and then pray in the Spirit over them. Next pray with your understanding. You will often find that the latter becomes an interpretation to the first, and may even be prophetic or a revelation. Then take the rest of the Bible, and read it through in a year, alternating between an OT and a NT book: Genesis-Matthew; Exodus-Mark; Leviticus-Luke, etc.?* *She said, ?Would you repeat that again?? So I did. Then she asked, ?Could you write that out for me?? I was about to say, ?Lady, do you have any idea what would be involved in that?? - when I heard the Lord say, ?Uh, uh, uh! This is of Me. Do it for Me on her behalf!?* *It took me a month to work out the Reading guide that my friend Ed Densmore has prepared for posting here. Note that the order of the OT books is the Hebrew order: Law, Prophets and Writings, which Jesus referred to, and the Jews still use. The NT order is that of God's Bible Numerics through Ivan Panin: The Gospels and Acts; James through Jude; Paul's Epistles to 1 & 2 Thessalonians - then Hebrews; next 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus & Philemon and Revelation.* *Psalms and Proverbs are taken out of order in the OT ?Writings?, and read through a day at a time twice a year. Countless number of churches have used this Bible Reading Guide through the years. My wife Marie and I have found copies throughout Canada and the US, and even in Cairo, Egypt. Marie has faithfully followed this guide ever since 1963, and has had women of ?Aglow? following it with her throughout the land.* *We invite you to join us in this easy and challenging guide. The ?Interlinear? Greek NT on this Website and the Greek Word Studies (UGWS) will give added light for those interested in their use.* *B. OVERVIEW: In 1984 on the way to Cranbrook BC, I sensed the Spirit leading me to prepare the 66 books of the Bible in a 52 week ?OVERVIEW?. Genesis, Exodus, Luke, John, Acts, Isaiah, Jeremiah - 7 books - are given 2 weeks each.* *1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2, 3 John & Jude; Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah; Philippians, Colossians; Jonah, Micah, Nahum Habakkuk; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi; Song of Solomon, Ruth; Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther; 1 & 2 Timothy; Ezra, Nehemiah; Titus, Philemon - are linked together in one week's reading.* *The order here parallels that of the ?Through the Bible in a Year? Reading Guide. Each week is arranged under 7 Scripture verses from the reading of the week. The NT readings closely parallel those of the Reading Guide. They are arranged in a prayer format, with the 7 sections of the Lord's Prayer attached.* *C. BREAKDOWN. I have taken each of the 7 sections of the ?Overviews?, and in turn broken them down into 7 sections under 7 verses selected from the Reading of that day. They also are arranged in a prayer format linked with the Lord's Prayer. I put these 364 ?breakdown? readings in MS form in 1987-88. I have only prepared a few for posting as yet, and will not attempt to complete and post these ?breakdown? readings until God's Bible Numeric Interlinear Greek NT is completed and posted. As of today (Labor Day,* *2009), I have 84 of the 260 NT chapters completed for posting. I should have, God willing, 190 completed by next year. This will leave the 4 Gospels to do, which in space, equals the 190 chapters. I do need your prayer support.* *My grandson Keelan Long, has revamped and updated this Website, and is looking into a simplified method to allow me to post and correct these articles. This also is a heavy prayer project, but with the prayers of those of you who are interested, we are sure God will undertake. J.A.Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jun 21 12:58:41 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:58:41 -0700 Subject: Week 4 - JAN 22-28 - Matthew Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 21, 2012 *WEEK 4 - JAN 22-28 - MATTHEW - JESUS: THE MESSIAH KING* *JAN 22. 3:11 (1:1-4:16) PREPARATION FOR JESUS. ?I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but who comes after me is mightier that I: whose :shoes I am not fit to bear: HE shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire? (NNT). *What a Kingdom! We praise You that You have made *Jesus* the Way, and that none comes to You except through Him, our Mediator. *Hallowed be Your** **:name. * *JAN 23. 7:28-29 (4:17-7:29) TEACHING OF JESUS. ?And it came to pass, when :Jesus ended these :words, the crowds were astonished at his :teaching: *29 *for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes.? *Father, we choose the Narrow Gate and the *straitened* way into Your Kingdom. *Your :kingdom come.* *JAN 24. 10:34-36 (8:1-11:1) MIRACLES OF JESUS. ?Think not that I came to bring peace on the earth: I came not to bring peace, but a sword. *35* For I came to set a man at variance against his :father, and a daughter against her :mother, and a bride against her :mother in law:* 36 *and the man's foes are they of his household.? *How many of us have not experienced this - upon our individual conversion? *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *JAN 25. 18:19-20 (11:2-18:35) CONTROVERSY OVER JESUS. ?Again, Amen, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on :earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my :Father who is in the heavens. *20 *For where two or three are gathered unto my :name, there am I in their midst.? *Father, in Messiah You are present to help us handle all interpersonal problems according to Matthew 18:15-17. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *JAN 26. 23:37 (19-23) CHALLENGE OF JESUS IN JUDEA. ?Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those sent unto her! how oft would I have gathered your :children together, even as a hen gathers her :chicks under the wings, and you would not!? *Father, we receive and act upon the invitation of *Jesus*. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *JAN 27. 24:30 (24-25) COMING AGAIN OF JESUS. ?And then shall appear the sign of the Son of :man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and shall see the Son of :man coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory.? *The Second Coming of Jesus has a two-fold effect: For believers - it is a time of great joy! For unbelievers - it is a time of great distress! *And bring us not into temptation.* *JAN 28. 27:51-53 (26-28) CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. ?And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the rocks were rent; *52* and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; *53* and coming forth from the tombs after his :resurrection entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.? *This is one of the many portions of he Bible which we can easily slip over. But the Holy Spirit causes no Bible writer to record * anything* from the mind of God, except He desires us to search out and understand its significance from *His* point of view! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE:* There are two portions in this Gospel that link together related Greek words: the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. I link the Beatitudes with the tribe of ?Asher,? and the Lord's Prayer with the tribe of Ephraim. Asher means ?Blessed?, or ?Happy;? so the linkage is clear. Ephraim means ?double fruitfulness?, according to the prophecy over him by his grandfather Jacob. When one understands the prayer Jesus gave His disciples at their request, that one becomes *indeed** *a fruitful person. Rees Howells epitomizes such a one. Joshua, the servant of Moses, the man of God, was of this tribe. Consider his life as recounted in the book of Joshua. The Gospel of Matthew sets forth Jesus as *King*. He is the King of the Jews, Himself a Jew through his mother after the flesh, Mary. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah! This Gospel quotes portions from the Old Testament in such a manner that all open-hearted Jews can easily discern Him as the promised Messiah! Anna and Simeon were two who so recognized Him at the time of His birth, when Joseph and Mary presented Him at the Temple. The Holy Spirit alerted both of them to this significant time. Matthew, Mark and Luke are listed as synoptic gospels, as distinct from John, the Gospel setting Jesus forth in a special way as the Son of God. Some think God has not a Son! They are wrong! Jesus is God's only-begotten Son! Three times God voiced from heaven His approval of Jesus, the Son of God! He exhorted us to *hear* His Son, obey Him, and become exceedingly intimate with Him. Jesus is the God-man from God on our behalf. Redemption and Reconciliation come only through Him! There are mysteries here - but God has promised insight on our behalf as we meditate, *obey*, and walk in loving and joyous discipleship on His behalf. This is *all* voluntary on our part. We don't *have* to - but we have the privilege of doing so if we wish to! *P.S. With not too much extra work - these 52 weekly lessons can be updated for printing. They will enable readers world-wide - to have a very brief daily devotional for the year, which will link perhaps millions throughout the earth to move unitedly in spirit. To meditate together on the same verse each day, will open the door to use the ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? in a coordinated manner. This too will then open up to effective meditation, worship and intercession. It will become like a magnifying glass to take the rays of the Son of God, and allow Him to focus on His target. Then with His ?Organic Laser-Telescope? - of an Eldership in the Gate of each * *City Church - He can target and remove Satanic hindrances over cities, regions and nations at His will! Revival will follow.* *Pray for the City Church of Gig Harbor, Washington, and the functioning Eldership in its Gate. God could use it as His break-through for countless other cities in Washington, Cascadia, Canada, the United States, and the nations of the world. * * J.A.Watt* T*O SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jun 23 13:10:13 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2012 13:10:13 -0700 Subject: 2 John - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 23, 2012 *2 JOHN SUMMARY: OBEDIENCE TO TRUTH BRINGS REWARDS* 1. 1:1-3 LOVE'S LOYALTY TO TRUTH *The elder to elect Kyria and her :children,* *whom I love in truth;* Ho presBUte-ros e-klekT*E* [1588] KuRIa kai tois TEKnois auT*E*S, hous eG*O*a-gaP *O* en a-l*e*THEIa; *and not I only, but also all that know the truth;* kai ouk eG*O* MOnos, alLA kai PANtes hoi eg-n*o*KOtes t*e*n aL*E*thei-an; 2* for the truth's sake which abides in us, and shall be with us unto the age:* diA t*e*n aL*E*thei-an t*e*n MEnou-san en h*e*MIN*, *kai meth' h*e*M*O*N EStai eis ton ai*O*na [165]: 3* Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father,* EStai meth' h*e*M*O*N CHAris [5485], Ele-os [1656], eiR*E*n*e* [1515], paRA TheOU paTROS, *and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.* kai paRA I*e*SOU ChrisTOU tou huiOU tou paTROS, en a-l*e*THEIa kai aGAp*e*. 2. 1:4-11 NATURE AND DEFENSE OF TRUTH a. 1:4 SOURCE OF APOSTOLIC JOY: DISCIPLES WALKING IN TRUTH *I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of your :children walking in the truth,* E-CHAr*e*n LIan [3029] HOti HEUr*e*-ka ek t*o*n TEKn*o*n sou pe-ri-paTOUNtas en a-l*e*THEIa, *even as we received commandment from the Father.* kaTH*O*S en-toL*E*N [1785] eLAbo-men paRA tou paTROS. b. 1:5 COMMANDMENT OF CHRIST: LOVE ALL SINCERE DISCIPLES *And now I request you, Kyria, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment,* kai nun e-r*o*T*O* se, KuRIa, ouch h*o*s en-toL*E*N GRAph*o*n soi kaiN*E*N [2537], *but which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.* alLA h*e*n EIcha-men ap' arCH*E*S [746], HIna a-gaP*O*men alL*E*lous. c. 1:6a * And this is :love, that we should walk after his :commandments.* kai HAUt*e* esTIN h*e* aGAp*e*, Hina pe-ri-paT*O*men kaTA tas en-toLAS auTOU. d. 1:6b A COMMANDMENT TO WALK IN *This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, * HAUt*e* h*e* en-toL*E* es-tin, kaTH*O*S *e*KOUsa-te ap' arCH*E*S, *that you should walk in it.* HIna en auT*E* pe-ri-paT*E*te. e. 1:7a JOY FROM DISCIPLES: WHEN THEY TURN FROM ERROR *For many deceivers are gone forth into the world:* HOti polLOI PLAnoi [4108] eX*E*Lthan eis ton KOSmon: *they that confess not Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.* hoi m*e* ho-mo-loGOUNtes [3670] I*e*SOUN ChrisTON erCHOme-non en sarKI [4561]. f. 1:7b * This is the deceiver and the antichrist.* HOU-TOS es-tin ho PLAnos kai ho anTIchris-tos [500]. g. 1:8 REWARD OF THE SOUL-WINNER: WHEN CONVERTS PERSEVERE *Look to yourselves, that you lose not what things we have wrought,* BLEpe-te he-auTOUS, HIna m*e* a-poLEs*e*-te [622] ha *e*r-gaSAme-tha [2038], *but that you receive a full reward.* alLA misTHON [3408] PL*E*r*e* a-poLAb*e*-te. h. 1:9 TO REJECT GOD'S WORD - IS TO REJECT GOD *Whoever goes onward and abides not in the teaching of the Christ, has not :God:* pas ho proAg*o*n kai m*e* MEn*o*n en t*e* di-daCH*E* [1322] tou ChrisTOU, TheON ouk Echei: *who abides in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son.* ho MEn*o*n en t*e* di-daCH*E*, HOUtos kai ton paTEra kai ton huiON Echei. i. 1:10-11 RULE OF HOSPITALITY: NOT TO BE SHARED WITH THE FALSE *If any comes unto you, and brings not this :teaching,* ei tis ERche-tai pros huMAS, kai TAUt*e*n t*e*n di-daCH*E*N ou PHErei, *receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:* m*e* lamBAne-te auTON eis oiKIan, kai CHAIrein [5463] auT*O* m*e* LEge-te: 11* for who gives him greeting partakes in his :evil :works.* ho LEg*o*n gar auT*O* CHAIrein koi-n*o*NEI [2841] tois ERgois tois po-n*e* ROIS. 3. 1:12-13 FELLOWSHIP OF TRUTH a. 1:12 JOY: THE FRUIT OF DETECTING DECEIVERS *Having many things to write to you,* PolLA Ech*o*n huMIN GRAphein, *I would not with paper and ink: but hope to come unto you,* ouk *e*-bouL*E*th*e*n diA CHARtou kai MEla-nos: alLA elPIz*o* geNESthai pros HUmas, *and speak face to face, that your :joy be made full.* kai STOma [4750] pros STOma laL*E*sai, HIna h*e* chaRA huM*O*N pe-pl*e*-r*o* MEn*e* [4137] *e*. b. 1:13 * The children of your :elect :sister salute you.* AsPAzeTAI [782] se ta TEKna t*e*s a-delPH*E*S sou t*e*s e-klekT*E*S [1588] . *NOTE:* It appears that John is pretty strict about having fellowship with those who depart from truth. We know that this has happened often in the past 2000 years. In 1951 at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago, we had a guest speaker, Dr. Nels Ferre. He had a position with the American Baptist Convention, and had departed into a very liberal, modernistic position. Our Seminary under Dr. Charles W. Koller of Waco Texas, was at the time the most conservative of all our denominational seminaries. One of our doctoral students, Dr. William Niger Kerr, shared with a number of us his view-point on our speaker of the morning. ?That man would never put his knees under our meal time table in our home,? he clearly stated. Some of the listeners took exception to his strong position, and sought to argue with him. ?No,? he replied, ?If we are disciples of Jesus and stand with Him as seeing Him and His Word as one -- then according to 2 John, we have no choice -- we must refuse hospitality to those who have by an act of self-will departed from the Truth, and Jesus as the Truth.? I have been unable to forget the above clear and forthright statement of conviction. Later one of my best friends departed from the clear mandate of Scripture, and took up with the extreme liberal and modernistic view held by the the majority of the United Church of Canada, my former denomination. As I out of conviction resigned 4 positions with this denomination and departed from it -- I felt I had to clearly confront my former friend who departed from the Plumbline of the Word of God -- and reason with him concerning his decision of compromise toward God and His Word. I have not heard from him since. Jesus did not seek to reason with people who couldn't meet His standards of discipleship. He sorrowfully let them go! Remember the rich young ruler! So let us remember 2 John 10 & 11. John was called the Beloved disciple, and the apostle of love. Yet he was the one, who led by the Holy Spirit wrote these words. And let us also remember that according to Bible Numerics as discovered by Dr. Ivan Panin, all 66 books of our Bible are signally set forth as *God's word to man*, *not* merely man's word to man! See 1 Corinthians 14:37 for Paul's confirmation to this, and Peter's double confirmation in 2 Peter 1:21. *P.S. - ** My a**ss**ociate Jim Ray and I received a week ago Friday the final ?Outlined Interlinear NT? **Draft o**f 4 volumes. We are presently proof-reading these, and as soon as returned and corrected, it will then come out in printed form, plus E-Book. * *The ?email address? for ordering will then be available for you. I will immediately send this to each of you.* *Following this, I will edit and update an abbreviated Daily Devotional of ?Through the Bible in a Year?, which will then be followed by an expanded full-page daily devotional of the same. I then hope to provide you with 18 natural Greek Word Studies series to **meditate** upon in the light of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT.? The Beatitudes and the Lord?s Prayer of Matthew are the first of this series of 18.* *Much labor is involved in these three that will follow the ?Outlined Interlinear NT.? Your prayers will be much appreciated. - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jun 28 08:10:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:10:31 -0700 Subject: Reward - Word Study Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 28, 2012 *2009-01-23 - REWARD - misTHOS - Strong #3408, 29x* *1. Matthew 5:11-12 (5:1-12) THE REWARD FOR REPROACH AND PERSECUTION. ?Blessed are you when men shall reproach you and persecute, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your :reward in the heavens: for so persecuted they the prophets :before you.? *God in no wise desires us to miss the significance of this passage. It is the last and eighth of the Beatitudes given by Jesus close to the beginning of His ministry. Again, the law of first reference causes this passage to stand forth! The 7th Beatitude commends those persecuted because of righteousness sake. But the *eighth*commends us for being persecuted because we have openly and clearly identified ourselves with Jesus Himself. *Great* reward in the heavens is God's evaluation of such identification on our part. *2. Matthew 10:40-42 REWARD FOR RECEIVING JESUS' DISCIPLES. ?Who receives you receives me, and who receives me receives him that sent me. 41 Who receives a prophet unto a prophet's name shall receive a prophet's reward; and who receives a righteous man unto a righteous man's name shall receive a righteous man's reward. 40 And whoso shall give to drink to one of these :little ones a cup of cold water only, unto a disciple's name, Amen I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his :reward.? *See how carefully Jesus regards what we do for fellow believers, for His ministers - even for new converts and very young child converts. He who notices the falling of sparrows - notices what we do for fellow members of the body of Christ, and *rewards* us accordingly. *3. Luke 6:34-35 (6:24-38) GREAT REWARD FOR LOVING ENEMIES. ?And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? even the sinners do the same, to receive the like again. 35 But love your :enemies, and do good, and lend, never despairing; and your :reward shall be great, and you shall be sons of the Most High: for HE is kind toward the unthankful and evil.? *But here is a greater test! Would we be like our Heavenly Father who sends His rain on the just and unjust alike, and *also*show this attitude to *our* enemies? And what to those of other color and race and culture? Brown and yellow, black and white - *all* are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world. May they be in ours also. *4. 2 John 8-9 (4-11) REWARD BASED ON CONTINUING FAITHFULNESS. ?Look to yourselves, that you lose not what things we have wrought, but that you receive a full reward. 9 Whoever goes onward and abides not in the teaching of the Christ, has not God: who abides in the teaching, that same has both the Father and the Son.? *All of us have received from others. Some have led us to Christ. Some have discipled us. These all are pulling for us that we endure to the end. There is reward for us in our faithful continuance. See the parable of the 4 soils - Jesus' *Key* Parable. Three quarters of all who start out fall away. And - those who make it are on three levels. *5. 1 Corinthians 3:8 (3:3-9) PARTICULAR REWARD FOR PARTICULAR SERVICE. ?Now who plants and who waters are one: but each shall receive his own : reward according to his own :toil.? *Here is a thought for Ministers. * Faithfulness* in our separate and distinctive callings is the key. *6. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 (5:17-25) REWARD OR HIRE: BASED ON FAITHFUL AND COMPETENT SERVICE. ?Let the elders ruling well be counted worthy of double honor, specially those who toil in the word and teaching. 18 For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox when treading out corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his :hire.? *Double Honor has the sense of remunerative reward. See God's rule for the tribe of Levi. He was the smallest of the tribes of Israel, but the 12 tribes each gave a tithe to Levi! Twelve-tenths from 12 larger tribes! And then Levi tithed to the ?* Priests*,? again, a far smaller portion of the smallest tribe. See the analogy Paul uses here, drawing from the Old Testament, concerning the ox. *7. Revelation 22:11-12 (22:10-15) REWARD: ALSO BASED ON RIGHTEOUS LIVING. ?Who is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and who is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and who is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and who is holy, let him be made holy still. 12 Lo, I come speedily; and my :reward is with me, to render to each according as his :work is.? *And here is the closing thought on *reward* from the above seven selections. Jesus is speaking directly, not through His apostles. He clearly spells out the distinction as He sees it between the righteous and the unrighteous. And He clearly states what He will soon do at His Second Coming in regard to reward - based accurately on our deeds done down here in the flesh. See what this revelation did to William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once he saw the above truths. ?Is This Your Life? is a pamphlet written by Ray Johnson of ?Life Messengers? on Booth's vision. *NOTE*: ?The Judgment Seat of Christ? (BEma) is where saints appear following the resurrection of the first-born, and at that time receive rewards. Some will have all of their works burned up at that time (wood, hay and stubble), which they performed for the Lord according to *their own*ideas. They did *their thing* for the Lord, rather than *His thing.* They will be saved, though as by fire. Gold, silver and precious stones are those works inspired by the Holy Spirit for us to do for God, Evangelism and Fellow-saints. We are no longer our own, but *His*. We have truly been discipled, and the Judgment Seat will manifest the difference between these two types of believers. Hear the following words of a chorus birthed back in 1944 - *?You are **not** your own - With a **price** you're bought - And You're **Mine** eternally! *To let the Lord live this out through our lives by His Spirit - will leave us *never* the same again! One might say - ?Just as long as I make heaven, I will be satisfied.? How selfish! Is *this* all we care about Jesus, and what He has done for us in purchasing Redemption and Reconciliation? Our works led by the Holy Spirit is our way of saying ?Thanks? to Him for the incredible Passion of The Christ at Calvary on our behalf! For understanding this, and producing through the Spirit works of gold, silver and precious stones, we receive reward. But - we want this merely to be a reflection of the love and thanksgiving we bear to Him! Saints unfortunately often think too little of the Significance to Jesus concerning our works of love, and how He demonstrates His appreciation by what He does for us at His Judgment Seat. So that you can receive a fuller picture of the New Testament Teaching on * Reward*, here are the rest of the 29 references on it, that are not considered above. - Jim Watt *REWARD - misTHOS - Strong #3408 - 29x* Mat. 5:46. what *reward* have you? 6:1. you have no *reward* of your Father. 6:2. They have their *reward.* 6:5. They have their *reward.* 6:16. They have their *reward.* 20:8 give them (their) *hire,* Mark 9:41. he shall not lose his *reward.* Luke 6:23. your *reward *(is) great in heaven: 10:7. The laborer is worthy of his *hire.* John 4:36. receives *wages, *and gathers Acts 1:18. a field with the *reward* of iniquity; Romans 4:4. that works is the *reward* not 1 Cor. 3:14. he shall receive a *reward*. 9:17. willingly, I have a *reward*: 9:18. What is my *reward* then James 5:4. Behold, the *hire* of the laborers 2 Peter 2:13. receive the *reward* of unrighteousness, 2:15. who loved the *wages* of unrighteousness; Jude 11. after the error of Balaam for *reward,* Rev. 11:18. that you should give *reward* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jun 29 10:10:45 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:10:45 -0700 Subject: Panin's Interlinear NT Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* June 29, 2012 *2012-03-26 - MY PERCEPTION ON GOD'S ?INTERLINEAR COMMISSION?* *Over the years I have found myself in the embarrassing situation of trying to explain how I perceive that I got into this situation.* *It was in July of 1944 that Russian Jew, Dr. Jewell of Calgary, Alberta introduced Ivan Panin to me in Victoria, B.C., and gave me two pamphlets listing the then available books and pamphlets ?by? or ?on? Panin.* *In 1945 upon discharge from the Navy and receiving a departing gift, I ordered all 20 or so publications listed on the back cover of the above pamphlets. When I read the Introduction to Panin's Bible Numeric Greek NT, I read of his second discovery in the field of Bible Numerics: that even the sentence, paragraph subdivisions, paragraph and chapter equivalent structure of each of the 27 NT books - is established by Bible Numerics! I am an ?outliner?, and immediately outlined the book of Ephesians on this basis. I was so intrigued with the clarity that came from this exercise, that I finished outlining the entire 27 books of the NT, with my personal notes. My notes appear on our Website (www.2rbetter.org) under ?Interlinear?.* *To confirm this, in 1946 I sensed God's Spirit speaking to me: ?My servant Ivan Panin died in December 1942 a disappointed man, because his goal and hope of having his 2 Bible Numeric texts: Greek and English - set in an Interlinear format - failed to take place. Now - would you for Me consider taking on this assignment??* *I replied that I would on one condition: that He would undertake the responsibility of seeing it printed, published and distributed. He said He would.* *In 1967, to speed up this project, the Spirit of God strongly impacted my spirit - ?Get My NT done!? It was early in the morning, and I leaped out of bed, and in not too long a time completed a two volume MS of this project. I typed up the complete English text, and by hand copied out underneath each clause, my hand-written Greek text.* *I did this in a ?centered format?, following the example of a Winston Churchill speech, and a Peter Marshall sermon. I sensed this was God's desire. I also transliterated the Greek text according to the ?Berlitz? method of transliteration for tourists, making it easier to use for laymen.* *I summarized each sentence above the English - in an 8 word or less title; I gathered these up into sub-paragraph summaries; these into paragraph summaries; these into section or chapter equivalent summaries; and these into the 27 Book Summaries. I have made excellent use of this MS through the years. * *Then in 1995 a friend had watched me typing up articles on a typewriter. He told me what a computer could do for me in preparing and correcting MSS, and offered to give me an early Windows Version, a Printer, and lessons for me to be able to make use of them.* *In 2000 my oldest son Jim saw how much I needed a Website to spare me from answering individual requests from mailings. His present to me of this was a life-saver!* *In 2007 I resigned leadership of a Messianic Jewish Congregation, and started typing up the NT * *Outlined Interlinear MS for my Website. My grandson Keelan Long helped set up my Website for this in 2008.* *In October 31st of 2009, I formed a Pilot Prayer Team (PPT) of 8, with one of its responsibilities to undergird in prayer the completion of this Interlinear project. In 2010 I turned the leadership of the PPT over to Elvin Gladney, who made contact with Timothy Johnson for the printing, publication and distribution of this Interlinear Project. To activate the Organic Laser-Telescope was the number one goal.* *On December 7, 2010, a Minnesota Prayer Group of some 40 undergirded this project, and had a break-through in ?Remembrance of Pearl Harbor?.* *On February 12, 1967, in answer to a request from my wife Marie (who supplied a lap-top for the above project), I asked God for a revelation from Him concerning His thinking on why He had led in our marriage. Generally speaking, He had in 1948 the year of our marriage, said that when He links two together to count more in His Kingdom than either could do alone - that this is pleasing to Him. ?Two are Better than One!? Now - specifically - He gave two visions in one night. The first was of an ?Organic Laser-Telescope? based on the two texts of Ivan Panin now in Interlinear format. He said this is the first and key component part of the 7. I gathered from this that the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? was not an end it itself - but a means to a far greater end.* *He also identified that the second component part of this instrument was a Pedestal - supporting the first part, and represented the restoration of City Churches with an Eldership in the Gate of each city such as seen in Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15.* *The last 5 component parts He did not identify at that time, for I did not have direct connection with them as I did with the first two.* *But on December 7, 2010, He now revealed the last 5 component parts: Prayer Multiplication, set forth by Pastor Ern Baxter in his triangle diagram, and connected with the Menorah or Candlestick in the Tabernacle, was #3. Deuteronomy 32:30, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Matthew 18:19 had been verses given to aid in realizing this truth for Clan & Household Salvation.* *#4 - the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of February 12, 1948, brought together under the direction of George Hawtin of North Battleford, Saskatchewan. These He linked with the Table of Bread in the Tabernacle, with the 12 loaves representing the 12 tribes of Israel in 2 piles.* *(He had previously linked the Outlined Interlinear NT with the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle. The ?Finished Work? of Christ alone makes the ?Interlinear? effective! The Laver He linked with the City Church and Eldership in the Gate. Roland Allen of England developed this concept in China and Africa to quite an extent.)* *The 5th Component Part of Worship & Intercession, he linked with the Altar of Incense, the last of the 3 pieces of furniture in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb illustrates the tremendous potential in Intercession when we allow the Holy Spirit to possess us in like manner. Andrew Murray had this same vision.* *#6 Component Part is the challenge of ?Focusing on Jesus? as illustrated so strongly by Oswald Chambers in his ?My Utmost for His Highest?. It is linked with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Isaiah twice in his prophetic book calls Jesus our Covenant.* *#7 Component Part is ?Bible Meditation? as exemplified by George Muller and George Whitefield. It is at the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies that we find full intimacy with God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.* *When a Pilot Prayer Team of 8 allows itself to walk in the above 7 principles, the Lord can then use us to point at Satanic principalities and powers over cities and areas - blast them out of existence - and bring revival, restoration, renewal and revolution to such cities and areas! This will speed up the soon-return of our Lord Jesus!* *For December 31st, 2010, Elvin Gladney exhorted me to finish posting the last sections of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? on our Website.* *In January 2011, our Printer Timothy Johnson and his associate Jim Blanchard met in our home with Elvin Gladney, my grandson Keelan Long and myself, to expedite the printing of this project.* *In August of 2011, God Sovereignly brought Elvin Gladney to Himself. He then through Elvin's preparation and divine leadership, placed Jim Ray as his successor for the leadership of the PPT, and as liaison with the Printer and our family. This was to ensure a coordination in all aspects of this project.* *The first 200 copies of the Gospels in this new format were printed for the February 12, 2012 Coeur d'Alene Conference. Progress is taking place to have ready for printing Acts through Revelation. See our PPT as a prayer-undergirding for this, with its leader Jim Ray as the coordinating agent for this project.* *Again - I believe it is important to see: the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is not an end in itself: it is the means to an end, greater than itself. This makes this whole project a ?God thing?. It is not just a project to be accomplished: it is a ?Divine Assignment? with a spiritual-based mandate - undergirded with prayer - not only by the PPT - but by 3 other Intercessory Groups led by Intercessory leaders.* *So - God is fulfilling the promise He gave to me in 1946, that He would assume the responsibility for Printing, Publication and Distribution. J.A.Watt* *2012-06-29 - 3 months ago I sent out the above mailing on ?My perceptions on God?s Interlinear Commission.?* *The last few days I have been in prayer concerning this project. To see the ?Interlinear? as a key component part to the means to an end - not the end in itself - is not an easy insight to achieve.* ?*Bible Meditation? is greatly enhanced by the ?Interlinear?, especially because of its present format. Many already are finding it a means to obtain closer intimacy with God - than any past attempt. I too experience this. For according to John 1:1 - Jesus and the LOgos (word) are one! When we meditate on the written word - by the Holy Spirit it is transformed into a living REma (word). And Jesus said in John 6:63 - ?The words (REma) that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.? Christ Jesus Himself is also released to grow in us in the light of Galatians 2:20, when we engage in this type of meditation.* *When we pray over the written word vocally - rephrasing it back to God in our own words - and as we meditate upon it - and follow this up by doing it - then we make our way prosperous - and then like Joshua (1:8) we have good success.* *But** - as New Covenant believers - and because God has instituted the NT as Torah (Hebrews 8:6) - our chief target for meditation becomes the 27 books of the New Covenant. I have listed 18 NT outlines in the format of natural Word-Study Series - such as the Beatitudes and the Lord?s Prayer. When we meditate on these as keys to the entire NT - using Panin?s Interlinear NT as the basis - we **speed-up this process.* *So with your forbearance - I am resending this mailing from 2012-03-26, with this added note. The ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on the 2 Bible Numeric texts of Russian Ivan Panin - are in the final stage of proof-reading, and will hopefully be released in printed book form in July. Along with the book publication, will come an E-Book release for those who favor making use of books in this format.* *Full information for ordering these will shortly be released to you.* *Thank you for your prayers, patience and faithfulness in undergirding this project through the years.* *Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jul 2 18:48:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2012 18:48:00 -0700 Subject: Revelation 1:1-3 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 2, 2012 *(From: REVELATION #1 - 1:1-3)* *SPECIAL NOTE**: Numbers of you have been asking how to order the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the works of Ivan Panin. The final proof-reading will be sent to the Printer by July 5, the day I turn 89. **It will very soon be available.* *This year is the 70th Anniversary of the death of Panin. He had hoped to see his Interlinear NT available in his day. However - 70 years later is better than not at all.* *Turn to - and you will find the information on how to order.* *This Interlinear is not an end in itself, but a tool for ?Bible Meditation? in the order of George Muller and George Whitefield. See the extraordinary blessing that came to them through ?Bible Meditation?. The God who is no ?respecter of persons? is sure to do it for you also! Jim Watt * *REVELATION OF JOHN:* *THE FUTURE ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST?S REVELATION* I. 1:1-3 JESUS CHRIST?S REVELATION: THE BLESSING a. 1:1-2 JOHN RECEIVES CHRIST?S REVELATION THROUGH AN ANGEL *Jesus Christ?s revelation which :God gave him* ApoKAlu-psis [602] I*e*SOU ChrisTOU h*e*n Ed*o*-ken [1325] auT*O* ho TheOS *to show to his :bondmen things which must come to pass with speed:* DEIxai [1166] tois DOUlois [1401] auTOU ha dei geNESthai [1095] en TAchei [5034]: *and he sent **and** signified **it** through his :angel* kai eS*E*ma-nen [4591] a-posTEIlas [649] diA tou agGElou [32] auTOU *to his :bondman John; *2* who witnessed to the word of :God* t*o* DOUl*o* auTOU I*o*Anei; hos e-marTUr*e*-sen [3140] ton LOgon [3056] tou TheOU *and to the witness of Jesus Christ, all **things** that he saw.* kai t*e*n mar-tuRIan [3141] I*e*SOU ChrisTOU, HOsa EIden. b. 1:3 THREE-FOLD CONDITION FOR RECEIVING THE BLESSING *Blessed who reads, and who hear the words of the prophecy,* maKAri-os ho a-na-giN*O*Sk*o*n, kai hoi aKOUon-tes tous LOgous t*e*s pro-ph* e*TEIas, *and keep the **things** written therein: for the season is nigh.* kai t*e*ROUNtes [5083] ta en auT*E* ge-gramMEna [1125]: ho gar kaiROS [2540] egGUS. *NOTE:* John Wesley despaired of ever understanding the book of Revelation, until he read the works of the great ?Bengel!? Daniel Juster had doubts if he would ever understand the book of Revelation sufficiently to teach it, until God drew near one day as he was having his devotions ? and gave him the Old Testament key to understand the last New Testament book. In five minutes He laid out a seven point outline based on the Old Testament Passover and Crossing the Red Sea. Out of the 66 books of our Bible, this is the only one for which God promises a 3-fold blessing for the reading and the hearing, and the doing. In ?Visions Beyond the Veil? by H.A. Baker, former little orphans and beggars from Kunming, China ? like Paul visited Paradise and the Third Heaven, and angels explained to them the deeper meaning of their questions. In a sense the missionaries sat at the feet of these little teachers and learned from them what they never understood in seminary! God revealed to Ivan Panin through His numerical structure of the Bible ? the five sections of this book, and the very sentence structure, sub-paragraphs, paragraphs and sections on which it is laid out. Even though we do not fully understand it, don?t fail to read and listen to it anyway ? for there is a blessing attached to these three methods of approaching it. The first 3 verses of this book are Section I. Section II ends with the 7 churches of Asia. Section V, the last one, is the last verse! May the Lord then bless us each one as we obey His command and exhortation to read and hear and do the words of this prophecy! General Dwight D. Eisenhower made sure that Hitler's Nazi Extermination Camps were thoroughly documented by photographs, because he knew that there would be untruthful persons who would deny such facts. Herman Wouk in his ?Winds of War? and ?War and Remembrance? effectively records the truth of the Holocaust. These 2 series of DVD's can be obtained through Netflix. Remember - Jesus after the flesh - was a *Jew*! J.A.Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jul 3 10:02:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2012 10:02:51 -0700 Subject: Revelation 1:4-20 - Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *(From: REVELATION #2 - 1:4-20)* II. 1:4 -3:22 COMMENDATION, WARNINGS & PROMISES TO 7 CHURCHES A. 1:4-7 TRIUNE BLESSING AND PROMISE OF JESUS? COMING a. 1:4-5a TRIUNE BLESSING *John to the seven churches :in :Asia: Grace to you and peace,* I*o*An*e*s tais hepTA ek-kl*e*SIais [1577] tais en t*e* A-SIa: CHAris huMIN kai eiR*E*n*e* [1515], *from him who is and who was and who is to come;* aPO ho *o*n kai ho *e*n kai ho erCHOme-nos [2064]; *and from the seven Spirits :before his :throne;* kai aPO t*o*n hepTA pneuMAt*o*n [4151] ha eN*O*pi-on tou THROnou [2362] auTOU; 5a* and from Jesus Christ, the faithful :witness,* kai aPO I*e*SOU ChrisTOU, ho MARtus [3144] ho piSTOS [4103], *the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.* ho pr*o*TOto-kos [4416] t*o*n neKR*O*N [3498], kai ho ARch*o*n [758] t*o*n ba-siLE*o*n [935] t*e*s g*e*s. b. 1:5b-6a ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE TO CHRIST FOR HIS WORKS *To him that loves us, *t*o* a-gaP*O*Nti h*e*MAS, *and loosed us from our :sins in his :blood;-* kai LUsan-ti h*e*MAS ek t*o*n ha-mar-ti*O*N h*e*M*O*N en t*o* HAIma-ti auTOU;- 6a* and he made us a kingdom, priests to :God and his Father;-* kai e-POI*e*-sen h*e*MAS ba-siLEIan, hi-eREIS [2409] t*o* The*O* kai paTRI auTOU;- *to him the glory and the might unto the ages.* auT*O* h*e* DOxa [1391] kai to KRAtos [2904] eis tous ai*O*nas [165]. c. 1:6b * Amen. ** *aM*E*N. d. 1:7a THE OPENESS OF CHRIST?S SECOND COMING *Lo, he comes with the clouds;* I-DOU, ERche-tai meTA t*o*n ne-pheL*O*N [3507]; *and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him;* kai Opse-tai auTON pas oph-thalMOS, kai HOIti-nes auTON e-xeKENt*e*-san [1574]; *and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him.* kai KOpson-tai [2875] ep? auTON PAsai hai phuLAI [5443] t*e*s g*e*s. e. 1:7b * * *Yes, Amen. * nai, aM*E*N. B. 1:8 THE EVERLASTINGNESS OF THE LORD GOD: THE ALMIGHTY *I am the Alpha and the **O**, says **the **Lord :God,* E-G*O* ei-mi to ALpha kai to *O*, LEgei KUri-os ho TheOS, *who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.* ho *o*n kai ho *e*n kai ho erCHOme-nos, ho pan-toKRAt*o*r [3841]. C. 1:9-20 THE COMMANDS AND DESCRIPTION OF GLORIFIED JESUS a. 1:9 PERSECUTION OF JOHN ON ACCOUNT OF HIS WITNESS *I John, your :brother, and partaker with **you* E-G*O* I*o*An*e*s, ho a-delPHOS huM*O*N kai sun-koi-n*o*NOS [4791] *in the tribulation and kingdom and patience in Jesus,* en t*e* THLIpsei [2347] kai ba-siLEIa kai hu-po-moN*E* [5281] en I*e*SOU, *was in the isle :called Patmos,* e-geNO-m*e*n en t*e* N*E*s*o* t*e* ka-louMEn*e* PATm*o*, *for the word of :God and the witness of Jesus.* diA ton LOgon tou TheOU kai t*e*n mar-tuRIan [3141] I*e*SOU. b. 1:10-11 COMMISSION TO JOHN ON BEHALF OF SEVEN CHURCHES *I became in Spirit on the Lord?s day,* e-geNOm*e*n en PNEUma-ti en t*e* ku-ri-aK*E* [2960] h*e*MEra, *and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trump *11* saying, What you see, * kai *E*kou-sa oPIs*o* mou ph*o*N*E*N meGAl*e*n, h*o*s SALpig-gos [4536] leGOUs*e*s, Ho BLEpeis, *write in a booklet and send to the seven churches:* GRApson eis bibLIon kai PEMpson tais hepTA ek-kl*e*SIais [1577]: *unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,* eis Ephe-son, kai eis SMURnan, kai eis PERga-mon, *and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardeis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.* kai eis ThuAtei-ra, kai eis SARdeis, kai eis Phi-la-delPHIan, kai eis La-oDIki-an. c. 1:12a * And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.* Kai ePEstre-psa BLEpein t*e*n ph*o*N*E*N H*E*tis eLAlei met? eMOU. d. 12b-13 A VISION OF CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES *And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;* kai e-pisTREpsas [1994] EIdon hepTA luchNIas [3087] chruSAS [5552]; 13 *and amidst the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed down to the foot,* kai en MEs*o* t*o*n luch-ni*O*N HOmoi-on hui*O* anTHR*O*pou, en-de-duMEnon poD*E*r*e*, *and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.* kai pe-ri-e-z*o*sMEnon [4024] pros tois masTOIS Z*O*n*e*n [2223] chruSAN. e. 1:14-16 A SEVEN-FOLD DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST *And his :head and his :hair white as white wool, * h*e* de ke-phaL*E* [2776] auTOU kai hai TRIches leuCHAI [3022] h*o*s Eri-on [2053] leuKON, *as snow; and his :eyes as a flame of fire;* h*o*s chi*O*N; kai hoi oph-thalMOI auTOU h*o*s phlox [5395] puROS [4442]; 15 *and his :feet like burnished brass, as refined in a furnace;* kai hoi POdes auTOU HOmoi-oi chal-ko-liBAn*o* [5474], h*o*s en kaMIn*o* pe-pu-r*o*MEn*e*s; *and his :voice as **the** voice of many waters;* kai h*e* ph*o*N*E* auTOU h*o*s ph*o*N*E* huDAt*o*n [5204] polL*O*N; 16* and having in his :right **hand** seven stars:* kai Ech*o*n en t*e* de-xiA cheiRI auTOU asTEras [792] hepTA: *and proceeding out of his :mouth a sharp two-edged sword:* kai ek tou STOma-tos auTOU 'romPHAIa [4501] DIsto-mos oXEIa ek-po-reu-oMEn*e *: *and his :countenance as the sun shines in his :strength.* kai h*e* Opsis [3799] auTOU h*o*s ho H*E*li-os [2246] PHAInei [5316] en t*e*duNAmei auTOU. f. 1:17a* And when I saw him, I fell at his :feet as one dead.* Kai HOte EIdon auTON, Epe-sa pros tous POdas auTOU h*o*s neKROS [3498]. 1:17b-18 RE-ASSURING STATEMENT OF JESUS *And he laid his :right **hand **upon me, saying, * kai Eth*e*ken t*e*n de-xiAN auTOU ep? eME, LEg*o*n, *Fear not; ** *M*e* phoBOU; *I am the first and the last, *18* and the Living **one**; and I became dead,* eG*O* ei-mi ho PR*O*tos kai ho EScha-tos, kai ho z*o*n; kai e-geNOm*e*n neKROS, *and lo, I am alive unto the ages of the ages,* kai iDOU, z*o*n ei-mi eis tous ai*O*nas t*o*n ai*O*n*o*n [165], *and have the keys of death and of :Hades.* kai Ech*o* tas kleis [2192] tou thaNAtou kai tou HAdou. h. 1:19-20a JESUS COMMISSIONS JOHN TO WRITE THE VISION OF MYSTERY *Write therefore what **things **you saw, and those which are,* GRApson oun ha EIdes, kai HA ei-sin, *and those which shall come to pass hereafter;* kai ha MELlei GInes-thai meTA TAUta; 20a* the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my :right, * to musT*E*ri-on t*o*n hepTA asTEr*o*n hous EIdes ePI t*e*s de-xiAS mou, *and the seven :golden lampstands.* kai tas hepTA luchNIas tas chruSAS. i. 1:20b INTERPRETATION OF THE SEVEN STARS AND LAMPSTANDS *The seven stars are angels of the seven churches:* hoi hepTA asTEras AGge-loi [32] t*o*n hepTA ek-kl*e*-si*O*N ei-sin: *and the seven :lampstands are seven churches.* kai hai luchNIai hai hepTA hepTA ek-kl*e*SIai eiSIN. *NOTE:* Revelation 1:5b has a significant change in Panin?s Numeric New Testament. Most versions read ?To him who loves us, and *washed* us from our sins in his blood;? ? *not* so our text, which reads, ?To him who loves us and *loosed* us from our sins in his :blood;? The Textus Receptus (Stephanus) and other Greek texts add one letter to this word. Instead of ?LOUsan-ti,? it reads ?LUsan-ti,? one letter less. Much of our Theology and our hymns are based on this variation. ?But is it that important a variation,? you might ask? Well, let?s look at it from the first Torah reading following ?Simcha Torah,? the ?Joy of Torah,? which took place last Thursday, October 4, or Tishri 22, the last day and great celebration of the 3 Fall Feasts of the Bible (Blowing of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles). Genesis 1:1-6:8 was the first Torah reading of the New Year last week.. Now consider Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Abel obeyed God?s desire and offered a blood sacrifice, looking forward to the day when Jesus would fulfill all Old Testament sacrifices by the shedding of His own blood on Calvary, and effectively reversing all the damage* *Adam did when he transgressed God?s first command and ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. His sin gave entrance to the spirit of Satan to enter the human race. This immediately brought death to the spirit of all mankind, and subsequently death to the body too. Mankind immediately moved into a fleshly rather than a spiritual mode, and became self-pleasers rather than *God*-pleasers. Cain clearly demonstrated this drastic shift. Jesus: Son of Man and Son of God ? showed the exact opposite example. Every word He spoke ? every miracle He performed ? were at the *Father's*behest. He sought to please the Father supremely, *not* His own will. He *perfectly* fulfilled Revelation 4:11 ? *?**You** **are worthy, our :Lord and :God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: because you did create :all **things**, and because of your :will they were, and were created.?* So ? though *God* is worthy to be put first in all things, why then do we put ourselves as individuals of the human race ahead of Him in preference? Because of the tragedy that the first Adam allowed to happen to us by siding with Satan and letting *his* nature to permeate the race. Does God hold us as his progeny responsible for this? No ? ten thousand times no! *that* is why God so loved us that He sent His Son ? the *second*Adam, to restore fellowship between us and Him through His blood sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus said to the Father in His pre-incarnate state as quoted in Hebrews ?* ?Sacrifice and offering you would not, But a body did you prepare me, **6 **In whole burnt offerings** **and **sacrifices ** for sins you had no pleasure: **7** Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of **the** book it is written of me) :To do your :will, **O** :God?*(Hebrews 10:5-7). Mel Gibson grasps this in his ?The Passion of the Christ!? There it is! The Father and the Son are agreed in pre-incarnate times! Old Testament sacrifices are but types and shadows. Abel with all others looked forward to Jesus the Son of God as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. And what Jesus our Messiah, the Son of God did, was to *loose* us from the bondage of Satan at the time of the first Adam?s sin. Legally Satan has *no right* now over the human race since Calvary. It wasn?t a ?washing? but a *loosing* that took place. 50 days after Calvary came Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, the very *heredity* of Jesus ? entered first the 120, then the 3000 ? and then to us through their children, and children?s children. And when we receive the Holy Spirit, Jesus fulfills the Father?s desire to bring *many* *sons* (and daughters) into glory! We become like Jesus through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus through the Spirit now lives His victorious life through us in the Sermon on the Mount ? and *all* His commandments. Remember the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 ? *make disciples *from all nations, *baptizing* them, and * teaching* them to keep *all* My commandments! And think *not* that Jesus? commandments are but the ?red? words of Jesus in the Gospels! For Paul by the Spirit said in 1 Corinthians 14:37 ? ?If any think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what *things* I write you, that it *is* the *Lord's commandment*.? And that applies also to all other New Testament writers! Assuredly the above is *not* milk of the Word, but meat. Neither is the book of Revelation milk of the Word! *Be loosed* then from the bondage of sin through the First Adam?s failure, and seize hold of the Blood Sacrifice of the *Last Adam*, and the New Covenant in His blood! *Then* the Holy Spirit within will work to appropriate to us *all* the heredity, nature, victory and beauty of Jesus to live through us *His* overcoming life. *Then* Galatians 2:20 will have reality. *Then* will *loosing* over washing have *great*significance. 2010-04-18 - Friends - My apologies. Like Harry Truman I must say, ?The buck stops here.? I am occasionally asked to send out with these mailing a document that seems to the requester to be relevant and needful. I trust that those first receiving it over the Internet have checked it out with ?Snopes? or others. *But* - that is no excuse. I have no right to accede to such requests without checking it out myself. I recently sent out an addition to a Revelation 1:1-3 mailing entitled - ?In Memoriam? - concerning an action by the University of Kentucky regarding the Holocaust. This is not true. It first started circulating in 2007 and has resurfaced a couple of times. Just an email rumor. Please forgive my negligence. There is a Latin Proverb for this: - *Errare humanum est - ignoscere divinum.* *To err is human - to forgive is divine.* This however is not the original proverb, but an adaptation, which police officers often like to use concerning some criminal cases. The original is: - *Errare humanum est - perseverare autem diabolicum!* *It is human to make mistakes - it is of the devil to continue making them!* Seneca the Younger - 4 BC to AD 45 wrote this to Nero, who he was mentoring. Unfortunately, Nero did not heed this wise maxim. I, however, wish to do so, and invite all others to thoroughly check out emails over the internet before passing them on. - Chastened - J.A.Watt * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jul 7 12:41:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2012 12:41:10 -0700 Subject: The Hobgoblin of Little Minds Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 7, 2012 *2012-07-07 - ?CONSISTENCY: THE HOBGOBLIN OF LITTLE MINDS?* *(An Oswald Chambers Quotation in ?Our Utmost for His Highest?)* *The above Title was an insight that freed me from trying to be perfect like God! Only God Himself in His Triunity is Perfect! When some things show up in our lives that are not consistent, they only show up our humanity - and allow others to see the perfection of our God.* *Jesus is the only man who was perfect in all His Words and all His deeds. Three times the Heavenly Father thundered down from Heaven - ?This is My beloved Son - in whom I am well pleased - Hear Him!?* *Not one Word He spoke - not one deed He performed - but originated through Him as the Son of Man - from His Heavenly Father! He perfectly fulfilled the 4 prophetic Songs in Isaiah looking forward to Him - our Messiah and Christ at His first coming.* *Can any of us emulate such perfection? No - not one. In Revelation chapter 5 John wept because no one in heaven or earth was worthy to open the booklet with the seven seals - but Jesus! Not Paul, not Moses, not Abraham, not Joseph, not Job, not Noah, not Daniel - just Jesus! The glorified Son of Man!* *So if none of us as members of the human or angelic race - either in heaven or on earth - is found perfectly consistent like the Glorified Son of Man - let us not feel badly. Nor let us always down here strive for absolute consistency. It is not in ?the cards? for us!* *So once I ceased striving for absolute sinless perfection - immediately I entered into a place of peace and rest. I still strive to fulfill the maxim of my mother - ?If a thing is worth doing at all - it is worth doing well!? Amen! That I believe and accept. That I have sought to fulfill in my part in the production of God?s ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. I trust all others involved in the same production - walk in the peace of this same insight.* *Long ago God quickened to me Paul?s word in Romans 7:18 - ?For I know that in me, that is, in my :flesh, dwells no good...? I accept and acknowledge this! Only Jesus in me by the power of His indwelling Spirit - is perfect. On the basis of His ?Finished Work? at Calvary, He has provided for us Justification and Reconciliation. He has on this basis imparted to us His own perfect heredity!* *I also acknowledge Philippians 3:3, and receive its 3-fold challenge - ?for we are the circumcision, who worship by God?s Spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh...? If Paul had no confidence in his flesh, with all its past pedigree - how much less have any of us to find in ourselves - apart from Him - any merit! What a relief to see and accept the revelation of God?s Word at this point.* *Early in my Christian walk, God led me to accept the challenge of a book I ran across - ?Let God say want He want to say - and the Bible mean what itwant to mean!? Billy Graham early in his ministry came to the same conclusion - He could not fully understand all of God?s thinking as found in the Bible - but he could take the entire Bible by faith - and say in his preaching - ?The Bible says!? Yes! This is a worthy and wise conclusion!* *And Russian Ivan Panin - was he perfect? Not at all. But the perfect Lordallowed him in 1890 to discover His perfect ?Bible Numerics?, which Panin used to produce a perfect Greek text of the NT - the same as the originals from the hand God through 33 chosen writers. Peter expressed it this way in his second epistle in chapter 2:21 - ?For no prophecy was ever borne by man?s will; but men spoke from God, being borne on by the Holy Spirit.? And Paul confirmed this revelation in 1 Corinthians 14:37 - ?If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what thingsI write you, that it is the Lord?s commandment.?* *But not only did God permit Panin to discover through His ?Bible Numerics? - the original Greek NT text - with no alternate readings - but also the sentence, sub--paragraph, paragraph and section structure of each of the 27 NT books.* *These 2 discoveries of Panin from the hand of God are perfect! His translation of this Greek text, though not perfect - yet because based on the perfect Greek text - is there as a Bible Numeric translation - far superior to any other translation. And because of his sentence and paragraph structure discovery - it has allowed me to put together his 2 Bible Numeric texts into an Interlinear format, and outline each sentence, gather these into sub-paragraph, paragraph, section and book summaries.* *These outlined summaries are like Panin?s English translation - notperfect. For this reason I have left spaces above each title and summary, so that you the reader can cross mine out and replace them with your own. Yours won?t be perfect either - but your exercise in doing so, will give you a deeper grasp on God's Word in a simpler, clearer and more productive manner. Such will lead us together into an intimacy with the Father.* *In the Outer Court of the Tabernacle through the Brazen Altar and Laver - our bodies become Temples of the Holy Spirit. Through the Menorah, Table of Bread and Altar of Incense in the Holy Place, we unite our souls with our Savior. But with the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat - we enter in the Holy of Holies into union and communion with God the Father in our spirits.* *So - we await our resurrection at the Return of our Lord Jesus - when we join Him with resurrection bodies and perfection. Until then - we put up with our imperfect state - yet with the Perfect One living out His perfect life through us as we learn to yield fully to Him. Full consistency on our part down here? Not yet! Full consistency and full perfection await the return of our Savior - the ?Blessed Hope?!* *So - I for one - will not strive for perfect consistency now - the ?Hobgoblin of Little Minds? - according to Oswald Chambers and Emerson - but - I will strive to ?do well? all that God leads me to do.* *So - very soon - receive the close team effort of some 4-5 of us in the production of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? - and acknowledge the fuller team of some 20 of us including the leaders of 3 Intercessor Prayer teams.* *The final proof-reading has gone to the Printer. Here is the Publication Website . Use this for the production date and how to order.* *This is the 70th year fulfillment of the dream of Ivan Panin for this Interlinear NT combining his 2 NT works. He died in December 1942 in Aldershot, Ontario at the age of 87. Shortly before his death - God called me into the Navy where He chose to reveal Himself to me. In July 1944 a Russian Jew put in my hands the information on some 20 books and pamphlets ?on? or ?by? Panin. In 1946 I discovered the joy of outlining the book of Ephesians based on Panin?s discoveries. That year I accepted the assignment to put together in Outlined Interlinear format the entire NT. Now in July 2012, 70 years later - in God?s timing for His purposes - it is about to move into your hands. May it be as great a blessing to you as it has been to me in its preparation. Jim Watt* *.**TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jul 10 13:55:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:55:08 -0700 Subject: Why Another? Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 10, 2012 *2012-07-10 - Why Another Interlinear Greek NT?* *Because of the unique nature of this ?Outlined Interlinear NT?.* *1. It is the only Interlinear Greek NT based on God?s Bible Numerics discovered by Ivan Panin in 1890. To understand this in part, turn to our Website and click on Archives. Scroll down to 2011.01.02 ?Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin.? This article on ?Russia?s Gift to Christianity? based on diligent research - has insights that I believe will satisfy most earnest seekers.* *2. God also led Panin to discover the ?Outline Format? also based on His Bible Numerics. Every sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph, section (chapter equivalent) shows the accurate context for each word and clause of the NT. When I discovered Mr. Panin?s discoveries in 1945, I have since outlined the entire NT by first summarizing each sentence in 8 words or less; gathered these summaries into the sub-paragraphs; these into paragraphs; these into sections; and the sections into each of the 27 NT book Titles.* *I have left a space above each summary so that you the reader can cross out my summary and substitute your own. Whether it is an improvement or not - your effort will bring insights that for you will be most rewarding. My summaries are not inspired like the transliterated Greek text. And even Panin?s English translation is not inspired like the Greek text. However, because it is based on God?s Bible Numeric Greek text, and guided by Panin?s Bible Numeric Lexicon (10 years in the production) - it has merit and insights that will bring great reward.* *I have worked the Outlined Format of his English text back into the Greek text, for Panin did not discover this sentence structure (but set for in the English text) at that time. He sent his Greek text to be printed in England by the Oxford Press.* *To make it easier for Laymen, I have brought the Greek punctuation parallel to the English.* *3. To also make it easier for Laymen to use this product, I have transliterated the Greek text according to the Berlitz method of learning a new language for tourists. Scholars will have no difficulty in changing this back into the original Greek text.* *I have B.A. and M. Div. degrees, plus six hours short of an M.A. in ?Speech? from North Western University of Illinois - with 5 years each of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. I studied Classical Greek under Rhodes Scholar Dr. Leddy, head of the Greek Department of the University of Saskatchewan. I do not count myself a scholar, though I have spent close to 50,000 hours bringing this Manuscript to the point of being printed. A team of 20 have been working with me in the last few years, and a core team of 4 or 5.* *4. This page format for this product has been established by Winston Churchill?s manuscript for his speeches, and Peter Marshall?s format for his sermons. I typed up Panin?s entire English NT in a centered format, and hand copied his text in Greek underneath - clause by clause and sentence by sentence. It is not a word by word product as in other Interlinears, so that laymen can more easily grasp the thought over against a prose context.* *This also has the advantage when praying or meditating over this text, to follow more easily the thinking of the Spirit as He inspired the 8 NT writers.* *5. Joshua meditated upon the 5 books of Moses according to Joshua 1:8. George Muller and George Whitefield meditated upon the NT in a similar manner. This Interlinear NT format will make it yet easier for us today to meditate, and bring us into intimate union and communion with our Triune God.* *6. Our Printers have made valuable suggestions that will make it yet easier to make the utmost use of this product. The English text is in a heavy black 12-point font. The Greek transliteration has been placed beneath this, which is the same order as in my original manuscript completed in 1967. My summaries are above each sentence in 8-point caps. Though this is a departure from the 60 or more other Interlinears - we believe it will be conducive to a more profitable ?devotional? use.* *My original format was 8 ? x 11. Our Printers have reduced this to a 6 x 9format, which will also be much easier to transfer it to an ?E-book? format.* *7. The 6th and last Proof-Reading has been returned to the Printers - who believe that potential readers can order this product this summer - through .* *8. In the Introduction to this 4 volume product (Vol. 1 - Mt & Mk; Vol. 2 - Lk & Jn; Vol. 3 - Acts to 1 Corinthians; Vol. 4 - 2 Corinthians to Revelation) there is a diagram of a Laser-Telescope with 7 Component parts. Part 1 is this ?Outlined Interlinear NT?, the key Component Part of the 7. This makes the Interlinear not an end in itself - but a means to an end - in the hands of our Lord Jesus. He uses a team of 8 to remove Satanic obstacles over cities, regions, states and provinces, and nations - and then bringing revival as a result. Some additional information you will also find in the Introduction that will be helpful in understanding how to make ultimate use of this unique Interlinear - based on the major discoveries of Ivan Panin.* *I am enclosing 1 John 2:7-17 as an example of the above. This is not from the printed text, but from my original 8 ? x 11 manuscript, including Strong?s numbers following significant Greek words, plus my personal notes. These latter are omitted from the printed product. I personally do not believe it is proper to put our human contribution with God?s Word. The Schofield Bible has done this, with great damage I believe to its readers. Mr. Schofield was an attorney with no theological training. Some think he should have stuck with his lawyer calling.* *He borrowed from John Darby of the Plymouth Brethren of England. Mr. Darby borrowed a prophecy from a woman, claiming that Jesus was not returning once, but twice. Once secretly for His saints, and then openly to bring judgment. Such had not been heard of until the 1830?s. The woman?s pastor rejected her prophecy, as did Charles Haddon Spurgeon of the Metropolitan Tabernacle of London, George Muller of the Bristol Orphanage, and Samuel Tregelles, outstanding Greek and Hebrew Scholar of England.* *These did their utmost to prevent this unjudged prophecy to take effect. But it was as in the days of Samuel the prophet at the time Israel wanted to replace God and Samuel with a King. God said to Samuel, ?Let them have their way - they are not rejecting you - but Me.?* *So the Christians of the Western world had not rejected Muller, Spurgeon and Tregelles - but God. They wanted an easy-believism - without testing, persecution and suffering. Such is unscriptural. The Holy Spirit through Paul clearly teaches what is our lot down here - like Job.* *Dr. James R. Graham, Presbyterian missionary to China, was asked to translate the Schofield notes into Chinese for Chinese Bibles. Half way through his assignment, he discovered that these notes did not line up with Scripture, and refused to complete the assignment. Chinese believers said to the Missionaries - ?You told us that Christians would escape tribulation! The Communists have persecuted, tortured and martyred millions of us. We now can?t believe the other teachings you gave us.?* *My maxim is - ?Let God say what He wants to say - and let the Bible mean what it wants to mean.? So I refuse to let my notes be part of this publication. On our Website - if you wish, you can click on ?Interlinear? and see my some 500 notes referring to the 500 Interlinear mailings. But please, put them secondary to God?s Word, and not connected with it. J.A.Watt* C. 1 John - 2:7-17 DIVINE FELLOWSHIP IS VICTORIOUS 1. 2:7-8 GOD?S WORD IN VICTORY a. 2:7 THE WORD: THE OLD COMMANDMENT *Beloved, no new commandment write I to you,* A-ga-p*e*TOI, ouk en-toL*E*N kaiN*E*N [2537] GRAph*o* huMIN, *but an old commandment which you had from the beginning:* all? en-toL*E*N pa-laiAN [3820] *e*n EIche-te ap? arCH*E*S: *the old :commandment is the word which you heard.* h*e* en-toL*E* h*e* pa-laiA es-tin ho LOgos hon *e*KOUsa-te. b. 2:8 A WALK IN LIGHT AND LOVE: A NEW COMMANDMENT *Again, a new commandment write I to you, which **thing **is true in him and in you;* PAlin, en-toL*E*N kaiN*E*N GRAph*o* huMIN, HO es-tin a-l*e*THES [227] en auT *O* kai en huMIN; *because the darkness is passing away, and the true :light already shines.* HOti h*e* skoTIa [4653] paRAge-tai, kai to ph*o*s [5457] to a-l*e*-thiNON *E *d*e* PHAInei [5316]. 2. 2:9-11 GOD?S LOVE IN VICTORY a. 2:9* Who says he is in the light and hates his :brother, is in the darkness even until now.* Ho LEg*o*n en t*o* ph*o*TI EInai kai ton a-delPHON auTOU miS*O*N, en t*e*skoTIa esTIN HE *o*s ARti. b. 2:10 * Who loves his :brother abides in the light, and no stumbling is in him.* ho a-gaP*O*N ton a-delPHON auTOU en t*o* ph*o*TI MEnei, kai SKANda-lon en auT*O* ouk EStin. c. 2:11 A BLIND WALK: RESULT OF HATRED OF BROTHER *But who hates his :brother is in the darkness,* ho de miS*O*N ton a-delPHON auTOU en t*e* skoTIa esTIN, *and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes,* kai en t*e* skoTIa pe-ri-paTEI, kai ouk OIden pou huPAgei, *because the darkness has blinded his :eyes.* HOti h*e* skoTIa eTUPHl*o*-sen [5186] tous oph-thalMOUS auTOU. 3. 2:12-17 GOD?S KNOWLEDGE IN VICTORY a. 2:12* I write to you, little children, because your :sins are forgiven you for his :name?s sake.* GRAph*o* huMIN, tekNIa, HOti aPHE*o*n-tai [863] huMIN hai ha-marTIai diA to Ono-ma auTOU. b. 2:13a* I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from thebeginning. * GRAph*o* huMIN, paTEres, HOti egN*O*ka-te [1097] ton ap? arCH*E*S. c. 2:13b* I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one .* GRAph*o* huMIN, ne-aNISkoi [3495], HOti ne-niK*E*ka-te [3528] ton po-n*e*RON [4190]. d. 2:13c* I wrote to you, little children, because you know the Father.* Egra-psa huMIN, paiDIa [3813], HOti egN*O*ka-te ton paTEra. e. 2:14a* I wrote to you, fathers, because you know him who is from thebeginning. * Egra-psa huMIN, paTEres, HOti egN*O*ka-ton ap? arCH*E*S. f. 2:14b THREE QUALIFICATIONS FOR YOUNG MEN IN CHRIST! *I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong,* Egra-psa huMIN, ne-aNISkoi, HOti is-chuROI [2478] es-te, *and the word of :God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.* kai ho LOgos tou TheOU en huMIN MEnei [3306], kai ne-niK*E*ka-te [3528] ton po-n*e*RON. g. 2:15a* Love not the world, neither the things in the world.* m*e* a-gaPAte ton KOSmon, m*e*DE ta en t*o* KOSm*o*. h. 2:15b * If any loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.* eAN tis a-gaPA ton KOSmon, ouk EStin h*e* aGAp*e* tou paTROS en auT*O*. i. 2:16 OPPOSITES: THE WORLD AND THE FATHER! *Because all that **is** in the world, the lust of the flesh* HOti pan to en t*o* KOSm*o*, h*e* e-pi-thuMIa [1939] t*e*s sarKOS [4561] *and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of :life,* kai h*e* e-pi-thuMIa t*o*n oph-thalM*O*N kai h*e* a-la-zoNIa [212] tou BIou [979], *is not of the Father, but is of the world.* ouk EStin ek tou paTROS, alLA ek tou KOSmou esTIN. j. 2:17 THE TRANSITORY WORLD VERSUS THE ETERNAL GOD *And the world passes away, and the lust thereof:* kai ho KOSmos paRAge-tai [3855], kai h*e* e-pi-thuMIa auTOU: *but who does the will of :God abides unto the age.* Ho de poi*O*N to THEl*e*-ma [2307] tou TheOU MEnei eis ton ai*O*na [165]. *NOTE:* Many Bible students have noted that God loves to set forth truth in ?threes?. The Triunity of the Godhead is ?Father, Son and Holy Spirit?. Man is made in the image of God: ?body, soul and spirit?. Moses? Tabernacle and Solomon?s Temple are ?Outer Court, Holy Place and Holy of Holies?. Now here in 1 John we find two more, out of scores of examples of 3-fold truths. The Holy Spirit through John writes to - ?little children, young men and fathers?. God would have us all reach the third stage, yet we all start out in the Kingdom of God as little children. Natural birth, growth and development are a fitting type of this. Then John takes ?young men?, and reveals the potential of a three-fold victory: ?strong, the word of God abiding, and overcoming the evil one?. The above are less than 10 examples of 3-fold truths. Out of curiosity I have listed over 100 such examples. You who read this might obtain a blessing by seeing how many you can collate from Bible study. - J.A.Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jul 11 16:55:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:55:38 -0700 Subject: Matthew - an Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 11, 2012 *WEEK 4 - JAN 22-28 - MATTHEW - JESUS: THE MESSIAH KING* *JAN 22. 3:11 (1:1-4:16) PREPARATION FOR JESUS. ?I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but who comes after me is mightier that I: whose :shoes I am not fit to bear: HE shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire? (NNT). *What a Kingdom! We praise You Father, that You have made * Jesus* the Way, and that none comes to You except through Him, our Mediator. *Hallowed be Your** **:name. * *JAN 23. 7:28-29 (4:17-7:29) TEACHING OF JESUS. ?And it came to pass, when :Jesus ended these :words, the crowds were astonished at his :teaching: *29 *for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes.? *Father, we choose the Narrow Gate and the *straitened* way into Your Kingdom. *Your :kingdom come.* *JAN 24. 10:34-36 (8:1-11:1) MIRACLES OF JESUS. ?Think not that I came to bring peace on the earth: I came not to bring peace, but a sword. *35* For I came to set a man at variance against his :father, and a daughter against her :mother, and a bride against her :mother in law:* 36 *and the man's foes are they of his household.? *How many of us have not experienced this - upon our individual conversion? *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *JAN 25. 18:19-20 (11:2-18:35) CONTROVERSY OVER JESUS. ?Again, Amen, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on :earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my :Father who is in the heavens. *20 *For where two or three are gathered unto my :name, there am I in their midst.? *Father, in Messiah You are present to help us handle all interpersonal problems according to Matthew 18:15-17. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *JAN 26. 23:37 (19-23) CHALLENGE OF JESUS IN JUDEA. ?Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those sent unto her! how oft would I have gathered your :children together, even as a hen gathers her :chicks under the wings, and you would not!? *Father, we receive and act upon the invitation of *Jesus*. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *JAN 27. 24:30 (24-25) COMING AGAIN OF JESUS. ?And then shall appear the sign of the Son of :man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and shall see the Son of :man coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory.? *The Second Coming of Jesus has a two-fold effect: For believers - it is a time of great joy! For unbelievers - it is a time of great distress! *And bring us not into temptation.* *JAN 28. 27:51-53 (26-28) CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. ?And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the rocks were rent; *52* and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; *53* and coming forth from the tombs after his :resurrection entered into the holy city and appeared unto many.? *This is one of the many portions of the Bible which we can easily slip over. But the Holy Spirit causes no Bible writer to record *anything* from the mind of God, except He desires us to search out and understand its significance from *His* point of view! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE:* This gospel is especially slanted to win Jews to faith in their Messiah. It proves that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the promised Messiah-King. It sets forth Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There are two portions in this Gospel that link together related Greek words: the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. I link the Beatitudes with the tribe of ?Asher,? and the Lord's Prayer with the tribe of Ephraim. Asher means ?Blessed?, or ?Happy;? so the linkage is clear. Ephraim means ?double fruitfulness?, according to the prophecy over him by his grandfather Jacob. When one understands the prayer Jesus gave His disciples at their request, that one becomes *indeed** *a fruitful person. Rees Howells epitomizes such a one. Joshua, the servant of Moses, the man of God, was of this tribe. Consider his life as recounted in the book of Joshua. The Gospel of Matthew sets forth Jesus as *King*. He is the King of the Jews, Himself a Jew through his mother after the flesh, Mary. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah! This Gospel quotes portions from the Old Testament in such a manner that all open-hearted Jews can easily discern Him as the promised Messiah! Anna and Simeon were two who so recognized Him at the time of His birth, when Joseph and Mary presented Him at the Temple. The Holy Spirit alerted both of them to this significant time. Matthew, Mark and Luke are listed as synoptic gospels, as distinct from John, the Gospel setting Jesus forth in a special way as the Son of God. Some think God has not a Son! They are wrong! Jesus is God's only-begotten Son! Three times God voiced from heaven His approval of Jesus, the Son of God! He exhorted us to *hear* His Son, obey Him, and become exceedingly intimate with Him. Jesus is the God-man from God on our behalf. Redemption and Reconciliation come only through Him! There are mysteries here - but God has promised insight on our behalf as we meditate, *obey*, and walk in loving and joyous discipleship on His behalf. This is *all* voluntary on our part. We don't *have* to - but we have the privilege of doing so if we wish to! *P.S. With not too much extra work - these 52 weekly lessons can be updated for printing. They will enable readers world-wide - to have a very brief daily devotional for the year, which will link perhaps millions throughout the earth to move unitedly in spirit. To meditate together on the same verse each day, will open the door to use the ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? in a coordinated manner. This too will then open up to effective meditation, worship and intercession. It will become like a magnifying glass to take the rays of the Son of God, and allow Him to focus on His target. Then with His ?Organic Laser-Telescope? - of an Eldership in the Gate of each * *City Church - He can target and remove Satanic hindrances over cities, regions and nations at His will! Revival will follow.* *Pray for the City Church of Gig Harbor, Washington, and the functioning Eldership in its Gate. God could use it as His break-through for countless other cities in Washington, Cascadia, Canada, the United States, and the nations of the world. * * J.A.Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jul 12 10:47:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:47:15 -0700 Subject: Mark - Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 12, 2012 *WEEK 7 - FEB 12-18 - MARK - THE GOSPEL OF SERVICE AND POWER* *FEB 12. 1:3, 8 (1:1-8) JOHN THE BAPTIZER INTRODUCES JESUS. ?A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make you ready the way of the Lord, Make his :paths straight; ... 8 I baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit? (NNT). *Father, we find here Your Kingdom and rule in Jesus, Jehovah our Savior. You have given Him Your Name and all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Him.* Hallowed be your :name.* *FEB 13. 2:10-11 (1:9-3:35) THE GOSPEL OF POWER AND JESUS. ?And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being rent, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him: 11 and a voice came out of the heavens, You are my :beloved :son, in you I am well pleased.? *Your will Father, is that we might believe and obey Your Son! *Your :kingdom come.* *FEB 14. 4:13 (4:1-6:29) KINGDOM TEACHING OF JESUS. ?And he says to them, Know you not this :parable? and how shall you know all the parables?? *Father, we receive the Kingdom teaching of Jesus through parable. We bless You for Your Holy Spirit and His enlightenment. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *FEB 15. 6:45-46 (6:30-10:31) COST OF THE KINGDOM AND JESUS. ?And straightway he constrained his :disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side unto Bethsaida, while he himself sends the crowd away. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray.? *Thank You Father, for Your Son of *prayer*. It led to His atonement and all forthcoming blessings. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *FEB 16. 12:36-37 (10:32-13:37) TEACHING PRECEDING BETRAYAL OF JESUS. ?David himself said in the Holy :Spirit, The Lord said unto my :Lord, Sit you on my right, Till I put your :enemies underneath your :feet. 37 David himself calls him Lord: and whence is he his son?? *Lord Jesus, David's greater son, and only begotten of the Father, we bless You. Father, we see You in Your Son! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *FEB 17. 15:37-38 (14:1-16:8) CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. ?And :Jesus uttered a loud voice, and expired. 38 And the veil of the sanctuary was rent in two from top to bottom.? *We are in Your presence Father, through the riven veil. You, the Greater One, are also in us! *And bring us not into temptation.* *FEB 18. 16:15-16 (16:9-20) GREAT COMMISSION: GIVEN BY JESUS. ?And he said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Who has believed and is baptized shall be saved; but who has disbelieved shall be condemned.? *Father, the day comes when Your Son will turn all things back to You. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: *Jesus is the theme of Mark. The gospel of the Kingdom is personified in Jesus. Here Jesus is pictured as God?s perfect servant, pictorialized as the ox, one of the four faces of the cherubim seen by Ezekiel. Jesus would live out His servant-spirit through each one of us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mark is the shortest of the 4 Gospels. Issachar is the tribe of Israel represented by the donkey, a faithful and valued animal in the Middle East - wise and sure-footed in the dark. Faithfulness, sensitivity and obedience are attributes of the First Nations People, who relate to Issachar. All 12 tribes and all 12 related peoples are necessary for the fulfillment of God's purposes. Remember Judges 19-21. Jesus divides up His 12 major attributes among the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles, but especially the 4 major heads of Ezekiel and the 4 Gospels: Matthew the lion; Mark the ox; Luke the man; and John the eagle. Matthew is designed to reach the Jews; Mark the Romans; Luke the Greeks; and John all spiritually inclined souls who truly seek, hunger and thirst after God. Like David, they want to be people after God's own heart, and to have intimacy with Him. The word ?immediate? or ?straightway? are key words in Mark's gospel. Mark is often the Gospel chosen in Bible Colleges and seminaries to study intensively, possibly because it is the shortest of the four gospels. Mark 16:9-20 is perhaps the most controversial portion of the New Testament for Textual critics. However, Dr. Ivan Panin through Bible Numerics has proven that if any portion of Scriptures must be retained as part of the Bible, this stands out above all others! It seems that Satan has a special vendetta to have this portion omitted. Mr. Tasker, a missionary from India, brought forth Mark 4:13 in 1946 at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to some 100 members of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. According to this verse, he set forth this parable as the *key* parable. To understand it is to have the *key* to understand all other parables. I believe it. We should each one develop a deliberate, personal passionate devotion to Jesus. Jesus lover of my soul; let me to Thy bosom fly! Memory verse: Mark 10:45 - *?For the Son of :man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his :life a ransom for many.?* PS. Go to our Website ** for other completed Archives, Outlines, Word Studies and Interlinear Greek portions. * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jul 13 16:57:17 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:57:17 -0700 Subject: John 1-12 - Overview Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* Friday July 13, 2012 *WEEK 12 - MAR 18-24 - JOHN 1-12 - JESUS: ETERNAL SON OF GOD* *MAR 18. 1:33b-34 (1:1-2:11) JESUS: ETERNAL WORD AND MESSIAH. ?Upon whoever you shall see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizes in the Holy Spirit. *34* And I have seen, and have witnessed that this is the Son of :God? (NNT). *Father, it was *You* who revealed to John the Baptizer the identity of Your Son, the Son of God, and the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire! *You* orchestrated all of these things according to Your eternal LOgos! *Hallowed be your :name.* *MAR 19. 3:18 (2:12-3:21) JESUS: NEW BIRTH AND ITS NECESSITY. ?Who believes unto him is not judged: who believes not has been judged already, because he has not believed unto the name of the only begotten Son of :God.? *Your Name Father, *Jehovah* the Savior, was given to Your only begotten Son - the meaning of His Name, *Jesus*. You have made Him the *only * mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. *Your :kingdom come.* *MAR 20. 4:25-26 (3:22-4:54) JESUS: REVEALS HOLY SPIRIT, TRUE DRINK. ?The woman says to him, I know that Messiah comes that is called Christ: when HE is come, he will declare to us all things. *26* :Jesus says to her, I that speak to you am he.? *What a revelation:? that Jesus is Your promised Messiah, and that He is the Baptizer in Holy Spirit! You, O *Jehovah*Father, designed it so. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *MAR 21. 5:18 (5:1-47) JESUS: CONTROVERSY THROUGH A HEALING. ?For this therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath, but also said :God was his own Father, making himself equal with :God.? *Jesus was both Son of God and son of man. He is unique above all other men, the only begotten of *You*, Father. May we diligently seek to understand in Your Word exactly what You say concerning Your Son! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *MAR 22. 6:37-38 (6:1-71) JESUS: THE TRUE MANNA. ?Everything that the Father gives me shall come unto me; and him that comes unto me I will in nowise cast out; *38* because I am come down from :heaven, not to do :my :will, but the will of him that sent me.? *Father, we want to be like Jesus: fully submitted and conformed to *Your* will, not ours. We are weak, but *You* are strong. O by Your Spirit within us, be our strength. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *MAR 23. 10:7-8 (7:1-10:21) JESUS: CAUSES BITTER OPPOSITION. ?:Jesus therefore said again, Amen, Amen, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. *8* All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.? *There never was a Mediator or a Savior before Your Son Jesus, Father! He *alone* and You in Him, are the Ones to whom we look for our Salvation. *And bring us not into temptation.* *MAR 24. 12:27-28 (10:22-12:50) JESUS: ENEMIES PLAN HIS DEATH. ?Now is my :soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this :hour? But for this cause came I unto this :hour. *28* Father, glorify your :name. A voice therefore came out of :heaven: I both have glorified, and will glorify it again.? *Father, You *have* glorified Your Name in Jesus, and given Him a Name above *every* Name! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE*: There is a touch of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit throughout this Gospel. In Luke Jesus was set forth as perfect ?man?. Here He is set forth as the ?eagle?, the eternal Son of God. Let your faith grow as you feed on these words. Of all the four gospels - none is more spiritual and none more difficult to understand than John's Gospel. It has the breath of heaven upon it. It proceeds forth by the Spirit from the mind of God. It accords with and fits into the renewed mind of Romans 12:2! Note also that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our one Triune God, has the family name of Jehovah. Jesus in Revelation 1:8 says - *?I am the Alpha and the O, says the Lord :God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.? *The 3 tenses of the verb ?to be?, compose the tetragrammaton- the 4 consonants making up this 3-fold name. We being made in the image of God, are *also* a triunity: body, soul and spirit. For New Testament quotations on this Website, I use Ivan Panin's Bible Numeric English New Testament, translated scientifically from his Bible Numeric Greek New Testament. For Old Testament quotations, I use the ASV '01 (American Standard Version 1901). This latter was the favorite translation of C. T. Studd, famous English cricketer, and missionary to China, India and Africa. Ivan Panin up to the time of his death in 1942, cited the ASV '01 as the closest of all translations to the Numeric Phenomenon of the Bible. I highly recommend that those interested read the ?Preface? to this Version written by the American Revisers. Note especially their remarks on p. iv under ?I?: ?*The change first proposed in the Appendix - * *that which substitutes ?Jehovah? for ?Lord? and ?God? * *(printed in small capitals) - * *is one which will be unwelcome to many, * *because of the frequency and familiarity of the terms displaced.* *But the American Revisers, after a careful consideration,* *brought forth the unanimous conviction that a Jewish superstition,* *which regarded the Divine Name as too sacred to be uttered,* *ought no longer to dominate in the English * *or any other version of the Old Testament,* *as it unfortunately does not in the numerous versions made by the missionaries.* *This Memorial Name, explained in Exodus 3:14-15,* *and emphasized as such over and over in the original text of the Old Testament,* *designates God as the personal God,* *as the covenant God,* *the God of revelation,* *the Deliverer,* *the Friend of his people;-* *not merely the abstractly ?Eternal One? of many French translations,* *but the ever living Helper of those who are in trouble.* *This personal name, with its wealth of sacred associations, * *is now restored to the place in the sacred text* *to which it has an unquestionable claim.?* It seems appropriate that the spiritual gospel of John should have its roots in God's Personal Name that He gave to Moses in Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament. Jesus and His words are one. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and *the Word was God*. To feed on Jesus? words and act upon them is to become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus? words are spirit and life. Memory Verse: John 1:12 - *?But as many as received him, to them gave he authority to become children of God, **even** to them that believe unto his :name.?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jul 14 11:11:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:11:58 -0700 Subject: Deuteronomy - Overview Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 14, 2012 *WEEK 14 - APR 1-7 - DEUTERONOMY - EXPERIENCE & OBEDIENCE* *APR 1. 4:2 (1-4) REHEARSAL OF GOD'S DEALINGS. ?You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you? (ASV ?01). *Here is a secret and a Kingdom principle whereby we may inherit our spiritual land. Father, show us the importance of knowing Your Word and keeping it! This is our wisdom (Matthew 7:21-27). *Hallowed be your :name.* *APR 2. 11:14 (5-11) REPETITION OF DECALOGUE. Jehovah's promise to Israel for keeping His commandments: ?Then I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in the grain, and your new wine, and your oil.? *If we recognize Your* *Kingdom Father, and You as King, we will be blessed in the land. Help us to understand the importance of this concept. *Your :kingdom come.* *APR 3. 18:22 (12-20) REVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONS. ?When a prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah has not spoken: the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him.? *This is a wise word, and frees us from confusion, doubt and condemnation. Thank You, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *APR 4. 23:21-22 (21-26) REVIEW OF LAWS. ?When you shall vow a vow unto Jehovah your God, you shall not be slack to pay it: for Jehovah your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. 22 But if you shall forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in you.? *O forgive us Father, that we are so lax and careless about our promises! This is not Your way. Your promises are backed by *all the honor of Your Name* (Psalm 138:2). You lead us in the paths of righteousness *for Your Name's sake*! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *APR 5. 30:6 (27-30) RENEWAL OF COVENANT. ?And Jehovah your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.? *Father, You knew that Israel could not keep Your Covenant apart from the New Covenant. But You knew Jesus and Pentecost was planned from the beginning. Now we on this side of that, share its blessing through the One New Man! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *APR 6. 32:3-4 (31-33) REFORMS THROUGH SONG. ?For I will proclaim the name of Jehovah: Ascribe greatness unto our God. 4 The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice; A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.? *Father, You are justified in all You say and all You do concerning us; there is no other God like You! Though we fail, yet You remain faithful. *And bring us not into temptation.* *APR 7. 34:1a (34) REQUIEM FOR MOSES. ?And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And Jehovah showed him all the land.? *What graciousness on Your part, O Father! Yes, You loved Your servant Moses for His faithfulness, and even in judgment showed him Your favor. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: *Each of us needs to be reminded regularly of former truths. Our children need to hear again and again these principles, and see their parents living them out. Treasure then this emphasis for Israel for this reason. Three times in the Bible, God gives this warning about adding or taking away from His Word: once in the beginning here; once in the middle, Proverbs 30:6; and once at the end, Revelation 22:18-19. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall every word be confirmed. We must remember that these 66 books written by 33 known writers at the hands of the Holy Spirit, are all the words of God through human writers (1 Cor 14:37; 2 Peter 1:21). And if this is not enough, then God raised up His Russian servant Ivan Panin, to confirm this through Bible Numerics. And of course in Deuteronomy 18:22, we have helpful words of comfort concerning false prophets. Many false prophets and teachers are abroad in the church in these last days, just as in the days of Israel and the early church. They bring great confusion. But the words of God through Moses here, can settle all such confusion. Then this promise in Deuteronomy 30:6 confirming the words of God through Jeremiah in chapter 31, brings great hope in the coming of the New Covenant for the One New Man. The Book of Hebrews lays this out with amazing clarity. We should thank God every day that we are privileged to live and partake of this New Covenant. Israel looked forward for 1400 years for our days. And then most Jews rejected Jesus who came in the Name of Jehovah, and according to Isaiah on 2 occasions, was set forth as *God's Covenant*! Deuteronomy is a special book of the Bible. It closes the Torah for Jews, and the Pentateuch for Gentiles. It seals the first 5 books of the Bible. Not only Genesis, but these 5 books are the Seed-plot of the Bible. By Promise, Prophecy and Type, the New Testament has its roots; and by the New Testament we find God's true thinking for all ages. Blessed be the Name of our Triune God, whose Name is Jehovah. This is a favorite book for many. It can be taken as Moses? closing words to Israel just before his end - but because all happening to Israel has spiritual application for us, we have a vital interest in Moses? words too! Memory Verse: * 6:4-5 **(ESV).** ?**Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. **5 **You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.?* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jul 15 11:58:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:58:28 -0700 Subject: Book of James - Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 15, 2012 *WEEK 19 - MAY 6-12 - JAMES: PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY* *MAY 6**. **1:18 (**1:1-18**)**. WISDOM: PATH TO PERFECTION.** ?With intent he brought us forth by **the** word of truth, that we be a kind of firstfruits of his :creatures? **(NNT)**. *Father, You have made Jesus Your true firstfruits, the beginning of Your New Creation. And You have begotten us in Him, so that as members of His body, we too have a firstfruits ministry. *Hallowed be Your Name!* *MAY 7**. **1:27 (**1:19-27**)**. WISDOM: HIGHWAY TO HOLINESS. ** ?Pure religion and undefiled before **our** God and Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their :affliction, **and** to keep oneself unspotted from the world.? *Wisdom with You, Father, is the practical outworking of one after Your own heart. It is a life of good works flowing out of faith and love: a life with you in Messiah as our holiness shining through! *Your :kingdom come!* *MAY 8**. **2:12-13 (**2**)**. WISDOM IN THE CHURCH. ** ?So speak, and so do, as those to be judged by a law of liberty. **13 **For the judgment **is* * without mercy to him that has shown no mercy: mercy glories against judgment.? *Righteous judgment without respect of persons, flowing forth from a life of faith: THIS is the life that pleases You, Father. We accept Your wisdom in this. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *MAY 9**. **3:6 (**3**)**. WISDOM IN THE TONGUE.** ?And the tongue is a fire: the world of :iniquity among our :members in the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the path of :nature, and is set on fire by :geenna.? *Father, here You clearly show us the terrible seriousness of the uncontrolled tongue. How we so often sin against You and our fellow man by this unbridled tongue. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *MAY 10**. **4:7-8a (**4:1-12**)**. WISDOM IN SPIRITUAL WA**R**FARE**. ?Be subject therefore to :God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. **8a** Draw nigh to :God, and he will draw nigh to you.? * Here Father, by Your Spirit, You have given us three simple principles whereby we can succeed in spiritual warfare: submission to You; resisting the devil; drawing near to You. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *MAY 11**. **4:17 (**4:13-5:6**)**. WISDOM IN PLANNING AND RICHES. **?To him therefore that knows to do good, and does not, to him it is sin.? *Do we believe this? Does the sin of omission come against us, Father? Help us to search our hearts. Convict us by Your Spirit. Make us like Nathaniel, a man without guile; like David, a man after Your own heart. *O bring us not into temptation.* *MAY 12**. **5:10 (**5:7-20**).** WISDOM THROUH PATIENT EXPECTATION.**?Take, brothers, for an example of :suffering and of :patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of** the **Lord.? *This is not the spirit of the world, but it is the spirit of Your true servants, Father! You would work this same spirit in us! You would conform many sons and daughters in the image of Jesus, bringing them into Glory! *But deliver us from the evil **one.* *NOTE**: *Martin Luther felt this to be a ?right-strawy epistle?. Others have seen it to be a careful balance to the gospel of the grace of God, and a guide to the type of life that will flow forth in works from true faith. Read it prayerfully and judge for yourself. 3:17-18 (3) shows us an 8-fold picture of heavenly wisdom. All of us who let the Holy Spirit work out the fruit of the Spirit through us - will have these attributes shining forth from our lives - so that the Lord may be magnified through us - not ourselves. I link this 8-fold picture with the tribe of Dan, and under our Greek Word Study section will later have these 8 set forth in order. - *?But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.* So - here we find a picture of practical Christianity, a New Covenant parallel to Old Covenant ?Proverbs?. One will do well to prayerfully consider and understand this teaching. Let it not depart from our mouths - but let us carefully walk in it. Memory Verse: 1:22 (1:19-27) - *?But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.? * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jul 16 11:28:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 11:28:49 -0700 Subject: Judges - Outlined Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 16, 2012 *WEEK 18 - APR 29-MAY 5 - JUDGES - A PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY* *APR 29. 3:7 (1:1-3:11, ASV '01) PROLOGUE: EXPLANATION AND OTHNIEL. ?And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.? *Here starts the beginning of the sequence of judgment and deliverance, the theme of this entire book. Through it all we see Your Sovereignty, Father, and submit. *Hallowed be your :name.* *APR 30. 3:31 (3:12-31) EHUD AND THE MOABITES. ?And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.? *Your deliverers Father, are raised up from unexpected sources, and often use strange methods. But we accept whatever person and manner You are pleased to work deliverance. *Your :kingdom come.* *MAY 1. 5:9 (4-5) DEBORAH, BARAK AND CANAANITES. ?My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless you Jehovah.? *This is quite a woman you raised up, Father! When Your people cry unto You in time of desperate need, You are *well able* to raise up effective and willing leaders to give victory. Yes, and You do it in * mercy*! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *MAY 2. 7:14 (6-9) GIDEON AND MIDIANITES. ?And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the host.? *What a dream, and how unexpected! You arranged all of this, Father, that Your servant should have added confirmation in his time of need. We should not ever doubt Your ability or willingness to help us fulfill Your Word! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *MAY 3. 11:35 (10-12) JEPHTHAH AND AMMONITES. ?And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you are one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back.?* How sad! Father, teach us the danger of foolish vows. May our words be wise, and according to Your Spirit and Word. May we not speak presumptuously. O keep us back from presumptuous sin. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *MAY 4. 16:28 (13-16) SAMSON AND PHILISTINES. ?And Samson called unto Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.? *And You answered his prayer Father, abundantly: though he lost his life as a result. But through it all Your purposes were accomplished. *And bring us not into temptation.* *MAY 5. 21:25 (17-21) EPILOGUE: ILLUSTRATION. ? In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.? *What a poignant ending and epitaph to this book, Father! We repent, and crown *King Jesus*, Your Son, as our King and Savior. *But deliver us from the evil one. * *NOTE:* Between Joshua and the Kings - a period of about 400 years passed, during which God ruled by judges. It was not a perfect system, yet great deliverances and some effective judging by the Word took place. Samuel was the last of the Judges, and the most outstanding of them all. So God gave a whole book to this last of the Judges! He groomed David and mentored him in a special way. David prepared for the Temple that his son built - in 7 different ways. The Temple worship was prepared for by both Samuel and David, and is perhaps the acme for all that the Temple stood for. Worship is the manifestation of our intimacy with God. True worshipers who worship in Spirit and in Truth - *they* are the ones most pleasing to God. Samson is a Judge that causes us to scratch our heads. How do we explain him? One preacher from Mississippi entitled his Sermon on Samson: ?A Saved Man in the Hands of Sin.? Unfortunately, we have many preachers today who model themselves after Samson rather than Samuel. Gideon is a Judge who intrigues us. The times in which he grew tended to make him a timid man. But through fleeces and dreams, God brought this man up to a conquering spirit. It is good for us to remember this. Our times need not cripple us from achieving God's goals through us! He can take us like a timid Timothy, and use us mightily in our day. Soak yourself in those parts of the Word that clearly assert what God can do through *any*man or woman who will yield themselves fully to Him! *Nothing* is impossible! *All* things are possible! We can learn much through the lives of these Judges. And note - after the death of Joshua and the elders of his day, Israel slipped back into idolatry, sin, self service, and deliberately neglected their God! Then God in mercy allowed enemy nations to arise and severely mistreat His chosen people. Then in their desperation they turned and cried unto the Lord, and He raised up deliverers - Judges - 7 times! Did Israel deserve such deliverance? *No* - but in *mercy*, because of his covenant and for His Name's sake, He moved in. Henry Blackaby has a whole course based on these 7 cycles. It is invaluable. It can instruct us today. We in America have listened to an untrustworthy media and leadership, and have like Israel neglected God. He in His wisdom has let us have a leader who in the next 4 years will purge and cleanse the church. *Then* when we call upon Him, He will again raise up a leader to deliver us. And His Son - our Lord and Savior - the son of David - will triumphantly lead us into the Millennial Kingdom! What can we conclude as a present day application from this book? Certainly God still honors trust in His Word, obedience to His Word, and proclamation of His Word. When God?s Word remains in our mouth; when we * meditate* upon it; when we obey it: then through Jesus Christ we walk in God?s blessing. Memory Verse: * 21:25 - ?In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jul 17 13:46:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:46:47 -0700 Subject: Romans - 7-fold Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 17, 2012 *WEEK 26 - JUN 24-30 - ROMANS - JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH* *JUN 24. 1:16-17 (1:1-17) INTRODUCTION TO JUSTIFICATION. ?For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God's power unto salvation to every :believer: to Jew first, also to Greek. 17 For herein is being revealed God's righteousness from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous man shall live by faith? (NNT). *Father, we glory in the Living Gospel: Jesus! In Him righteousness is *realized*! *Hallowed be your :name.* *JUN 25. 3:28 (1:18-4:25) LAW SHUTS UP TO JUSTIFICATION. ?For we reckon a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.? *Father, You have purposed and ordained that *only* through the faith of Jesus shall any man be justified. There is salvation in *no other name!* We therefore *justify*You, Father, by believing this, and declare faith in Him and His Finished Work, as the *only* way. *Your :kingdom come.* *JUN 26. 5:17 (5:1-21) ATONEMENT AND GRACE: BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION. ?For if, by the trespass of the one, :death reigned through the one; much rather shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of :righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.? *In Messiah You have given us so much, Father! The reign of death, You have *overturned*! *Abundance* of grace, You have *given*. *Reigning in righteousness*, You have made a *reality*!* Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *JUN 27. 8:10 (6-8) HOLY SPIRIT: PROMISE OF JUSTIFICATION. ?And if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.? *Father, we begin dimly to perceive Your great wisdom, plan and purpose in the Gospel. It contains Your promise of the Holy Spirit through Messiah: that is, the empowerment of justification. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *JUN 28. 11:25 (9-11) RELATIONSHIP OF ISRAEL AND GENTILES TO JUSTIFICATION.?For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this :mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen :Israel, till what time the fullness of the nations be come in: 26 and so all Israel shall be saved!? *Father, through this we perceive the *depth* of the riches of Your wisdom and knowledge: temporary excising of Israel, that we Gentiles might come in: then - *One New Man in Messiah*! * And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *JUN 29. 12:18 (12:1-16:23) PRACTICAL OUTWORKING OF JUSTIFICATION. ?If possible, as much as in you is, be at peace with all men.? *Father, we thank You for the wisdom of the Spirit through Paul. We thank You that he understood the frailty of the flesh. We thank You Father, that this truth is one of the practical outworkings of justification. * And bring us not into temptation.* *JUN 30. 16:25, 27 (16:25-27) GLORY TO GOD FOR JUSTIFICATION. ?Now to the one able to establish you according to my :gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to revelation of the mystery kept silent through the times of ages ... 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom the glory unto the ages. Amen.? *Father, we *glorify* You for Your plan of salvation through *justification by grace through faith*! Your wisdom, love and grace humble our hearts. *But deliver us from the evil one. * *NOTE*: Perhaps more books and commentaries have been written on Romans than any other book of the Bible, and rightly so! For it is the basis and foundation for all Christian truth. A right understanding of this book puts us in good stead! Romans is the gospel to the Gentiles, as Hebrews is gospel to the Jews. Both letters contain the ?Foundation Truths? laid in Hebrews 6:1-2. The whole epistle of the Romans is truly an exposition of these 6 truths. Many preachers have made this their chief expository book. Some have even preached through it up to 5 times. Ern Baxter is but one of dozens and scores of these. I served under him as his associate for 3 years from 1973 to 1976, and count it as a high privilege indeed. He was a prince of preachers, a golden-tongued Chrysostom. He had preached through the entire Bible in an expository manner. He had a personal library of 17,000 volumes, and his working library was 1500 volumes. These latter he had mastered. He taught himself Greek, and his various commentaries gave him a working knowledge of Hebrew also. He had over 40 commentaries on the book of Romans alone. I met him in 1944 briefly, but in October 1948 in Edmonton, Alberta at a Latter Rain Conference, we became close friends. As a result of that friendship I led with the help of an associate in providing for him a word study on every major word of the Greek New Testament, some 4000 MS pages. He literally carried a suitcase of these manuscripts around the world with him. Bryn Jones of England carried this suitcase up to his hotel room for him on one occasion and asked, ?What on earth do you have in this suitcase? Gold?? ?I'll show you when we get up to my room,? he replied. We all need to have this love for the Word of God. Anything we can do to gain a more accurate understanding of the Bible - all the better! After all, Jesus and His Word are one (John 1:1)! Ivan Panin mastered both Greek and Hebrew in a 4 year period of time, so earnest was he in obtaining an objective and accurate understanding of God's Word. At one time, every young man preparing for the Presbyterian ministry was required to obtain a working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. Romans was ?the book? of W.J. Ern Baxter. All his studies were like the beam of a magnifying glass - they tended to focus down especially upon this book. Donald Gray Barnhouse was minister for the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, who also majored on Romans. This book is indeed a key that will open a clear understanding to the rest of the Bible. To lack a clear understanding of ?Justification by Faith? is to miss God's key to His Word. Martin Luther was transformed by this truth, and the ?Reformation? starting in 1517 had its roots in this revelation. What a marvelous gospel! What a complete presentation! The book of Romans is unique in the library of holy writ. What a vacuum there would be should this letter be missing from the Sacred Canon! Memory Verse: 1:16-17 - *?For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God?s power unto salvation to every :believer; to Jew first, also to Greek. **17** For herein is being revealed God?s righteousness from faith unto faith: as **it** is written, But the righteous **man** shall live by faith.? * * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jul 18 10:13:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:13:21 -0700 Subject: Proverbs - Overview Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 18, 2012 *WEEK 27 - JUL 1-7 - PROVERBS - WORDS TO RULE LIFE* *JUL 1. 3:5-6 (1-7) A FATHER'S COUNSEL, WARNING AND WISDOM. ?Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, And lean not upon your own understanding: 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, And he will direct your path.? (ASV ?01) *Father, we would have You reign over us in Messiah. We would be Your obedient sons and daughters by faith. ?Reign in me! Sovereign Lord, Reign in me. Captivate my heart; Let Your Kingdom come; Establish *there* Your Throne; Let Your will be done! *Hallowed be your :name.* *JULY 2. 9:10 (8-9) WISDOM'S CALL. ?The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.? *Yes Father, You make us clean through Your fear! You hold us back from sin through Your fear! Lord, Your fear is *clean*, enduring forever. *Your :kingdom come.* *JUL 3. 16:32 (10-20) CONTRASTING PROVERBS. ?He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that rules his spirit, than he that takes a city.? *Father, You reveal that self-control is better than valor! The fruit of the Spirit exceeds in value the gifts of the Spirit. Love is a more excellent way! We choose what You choose. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *JUL 4. 22:6 (21-24) MAXIMS AND COUNSELS. ?Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.? *Father, let us not be naive concerning this truth: it has a condition within it that requires the best from fathers and mothers. Forgive us as parents wherein we have failed our sons and daughters in this regard, and may they be inclined to forgive us our trespasses and shortcomings. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *JULY 5. 25:28 (25-29) SOLOMON: COPIED BY HEZEKIAH. ?He whose spirit is without restraint is like a city that is broken down and without walls.? *Father, let this truth sink down deep into our hearts. An undisciplined person is defenseless against the enemy: - in deception we move without armor! O, help us rectify such deception! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *JUL 6. 30:5-6 (30:1-33) WORDS OF AGUR. ?Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him. 6 Add not unto his words, Lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.? *Father Your Word is complete! It is sufficient for our every need. We cannot add to it, nor take away from it. It is the Sword of the Spirit! *And bring us not into temptation.* *JUL 7. 31:23, 26 (31:1-31) WORDS OF A MOTHER AND THE IDEAL WIFE. ?Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue.? *Father, a prudent wife is from You! She is a gift for husband and children. The fruit of her worth is known through her words. She is a gift from You! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE*: What a fitting close to a great book of wisdom. Job 29 depicts the ideal man. Surely he as an elder in the gate praised his wife, and taught his children to praise their mother! Many mature and strong believers read a chapter of Proverbs every day. This book is then covered twelve times in a year. You will become a person of wise counsel as you immerse yourself in these truths. How God has honored us with this book! It is the highest gift for parents, especially for fathers and their sons. God used Solomon to write 3 of the books of the Bible. He wrote ?Song of Solomon,? in his young years, illustrating ?Bridal Love?, especially the love of Christ for His Church! He wrote Proverbs in his later years, with all the wisdom fathers need in raising their children. He wrote Ecclesiastes in his latest years, after he had ?blown it.? My oldest son at 10 asked me, ?Dad - how can people say that Solomon was the wisest of men, when he married 700 wives and had 300 concubines?? Solomon indeed was foolish in this regard, and most disobedient to God. His wives led him away from God, and he joined them in worshiping their idols - their false gods. He came to his senses in his last years, and ends up with these two wise verses - Ecclesiastes:12:13-14, *?**This is **the end of the matter; all has been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole **duty** of man. **14** For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.?** *This is a serious concluding word - but absolutely true. We shall *all* appear before the judgment seat of Christ at His return, to answer to Him for the deeds done in our body, whether good or evil. When the apostle Paul reasoned of these things before the Roman governor Felix, he trembled, sensing the truth of Paul's words I know many fathers who read the book of Proverbs a chapter a day each month. It is distilled wisdom for child-rearing! He who meditates earnestly like Joshua, David, Jeremiah and Timothy on these words of God through Solomon, will benefit in practical matters beyond belief. - But like Joshua, David and Timothy, may all such meditation lead to *doing* what has been read and meditated upon! Jesus said - *?Blessed is the man who hears and does the words you have heard of Me!? Matthew 7:24 (7:24-27). * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jul 19 10:50:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:50:55 -0700 Subject: Jeremiah 39-52 - Week 32 Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 19, 2012 *WEEK 32 - AUG 5-11 - JEREMIAH 39-52 - FALL OF JERUSALEM: CAPTIVITY* *AUG 5. 39:1-2 (39, ASV 1901) JERUSALEM BESIEGED: RIGHTEOUSNESS VINDICATED.?(in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and he besieged it; 2 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city)? (ASV ?01). *You, O God, call the things that are *not*, as though they *were* (Romans 4:17)! You count Jerusalem as fallen, when as yet she was but besieged! You did the same for Samaria, the capital of Israel over 100 years before. *What a God you are*! No other god can do such things! *Hallowed be your :name.* *AUG 6. 42:40 (40-42) HYPOCRISY IN THE REMNANT. ?For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God; and according unto all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.? *Father; turn us from this evil way of lying in our hearts, especially to You. Take the sin of Ananias and Sapphira out of our hearts! *Your :kingdom come.* *AUG 7. 44:29-30a (43-44) JUDGMENT ON THE REMNANT. ?And this shall be the sign unto you, says Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: 30 Thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies.? *Father, Your ways are just, and for our good, even as a father chastises his son! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *AUG 8. 45:1a (45) WORD TO BARUCH. ?The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah.? *How gracious Your ways, O Father! Just as You saved Lot from Sodom, so You preserved Baruch in the midst of judgment! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *AUG 9. 48:11 (46-48) THREE PROPHECIES UPON GENTILE NATIONS. ?Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remains in him, and his smell is not changed.? *Father, we see the absolute necessity of asking for suffering. Teach us the wisdom of Colossians 1:24. Teach us the wisdom of Job! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *AUG 10. 50:34 (49-51) SIX MORE PROPHECIES AGAINST GENTILE NATIONS. ?Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name: he will thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.? *Father, we trust You in Your judgments. You judge us lightly according to Your mercy, using heathen nations to work Your purposes. Then You judge in justice those who over-judge us! *And bring us not into temptation.* *AUG 11. 52:3b-4 (52) JERUSALEM OVERTHROWN. ?And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.? *Father, You are the God who calls the things that are not as though they were! Jerusalem besieged, was as good as Jerusalem fallen! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: *A fearfulness comes into our heart when we read this sober and sober week. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. May it ever be so in our hearts. What a difficult assignment the LORD gave Jeremiah. No wonder in chapter one he sought to get out of it. He felt like Moses when God called him to deliver Israel from Egypt. But the Lord in both cases was *adamant*! He * knew* His prophet, for as God, His predestinating choices were based on His foreknowledge. Throughout all the Bible prophets, we find our God as the One who knows all things before they come to pass. He is the God of eternity! He and His Son are the *same* yesterday, today and forever. He is the God of the past, the present and the future. His very Name Jehovah is comprised from the three tenses of the verb ?to be.? See Ye-h*o*V*A*H: the ?Ye? stands for He who always will be; ?h*o*? is the present participle, He who always *is**; ?*V*A*H? is the past tense, He who *was*. Yahweh does not express this. See the introduction of ?Newberry's Reference Bible? for a deeper discussion on this. Jesus was born ?Son of Man? by the virgin Mary. Mary is not the mother of God - she is Mary the mother of Jesus as Son of Man after the flesh. It is true, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. And 3 times God the Father audibly proclaimed from heaven His approval of Jesus the Son of Man. And following His successful Atoning Death for our Redemption, and following His Resurrection and Ascension, God proclaimed Jesus the Son of Man as Lord and Christ. ?Lord? in Greek is ?KUri-os,? and is parallel to Jehovah (Ye-h*o*V*A*H) in Hebrew. Before Abraham was, Jesus as Son of God was ?I AM!? Does any man have full understanding of the ?Mystery? of the Godhead, and the ?Mystery? of Christ's Incarnation?? Probably not. I must confess, I await either arrival in heaven or the Resurrection, to fully understand these ?mysteries.? God reserved for the apostle Paul the privilege of unveiling the ?mystery? of the ?One New Man,? and some 20 other ?mysteries? unveiled in the New Testament. Jeremiah in chapter 31 tells the mystery of the New Covenant, and how greatly it supersedes the Old Covenant. Peter acknowledges that Paul's unveiling of these mysteries was difficult to understand, and the unlearned ?wrested? them to their own destruction. And yet - it was not really Paul unveiling these mysteries. It was the ?Lord Jesus? Himself who used Paul as His channel to finish up what He started through the four Gospels! Joshua in the Old Testament is a ?type? of Jesus to come. His name means ?Jehovah is salvation.? Jesus in Hebrew is ?YeSHUa? - ?Jesus the Savior.? What Joshua did in bringing the 12 tribes into Canaan and conquering 7 nations each greater than Israel, in 7 years, is a ?type? of what Jesus, the *greater* Joshua, has done in fulfilling Jeremiah 31, in the New Covenant. By His Atoning Death, the Holy Spirit came 50 days later, and makes *vital* the Atonement, and fulfills Jeremiah 31. *This* is the Kingdom of God realized. The Kingdom of God is not the law of the Old Covenant. It is ?righteousness, peace and joy in the *Holy Spirit*?. Repent, said John the Baptist and Jesus at the beginning of their respective ministries - for ?The Kingdom of God?, the ?New Covenant in the Holy Spirit? - is *at hand*. The ?Mysteries? Jesus unveiled through Paul in the New Covenant, were only mysteries in the Old Testament. God all along intended in the New Testament to reveal these mysteries through His chosen apostle. Soon we will *all*understand these things more clearly. Even Paul confessed that *now*, in these New Testament times, we *still* see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13) - but at the Resurrection, at the Feast of Tabernacles fulfilled, we will see face to face. I look forward to that day. I too with Paul and you now see through a glass darkly. But *then* - at that day - face to face. *Then* will we *know*, even as we are *known*! Then Jeremiah will fully realize the meaning of those prophesies and mysteries God gave him in his day, that would not be revealed until the Kingdom of God came through Jesus in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension - and with the Father pouring out on His church the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. So - this Kingdom Age of the Church - the One New Man - is *itself* not the final answer. It awaits the return of Jesus the Messiah as Lord of lords and King of kings at the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Millennial resurrection of the earth, with *all* nations coming up to Jerusalem annually at the Feast of Tabernacles to honor God in Jesus, the one of the tribe of Judah - a Jew - and yet the Son of God. And - His 12 apostles shall then sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. What a shock to the Hitlers, Stalins, Kings and rulers who have said - ?We will not have *this Man to rule over us!*? In that day *every knee* shall bow and *every tongue* confess Jesus as Lord of lords and King of kings to God the Father's glory! Amen! So let it be! Jeremiah is called by some the weeping prophet. He also wrote the book of Lamentations. God grieved that He had to visit His people with punishment and judgment; but He loved them too much to do otherwise. Memory Verse: 31:33 - *?But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people? (ESV).* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jul 20 10:07:20 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:07:20 -0700 Subject: Galatians - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 20, 2012 *WEEK 35 - AUG 26-SEP 1 - GALATIANS - DEFENSE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH* *AUG 26**. 1:8 (1:1-9, NNT-IP) LIBERTY: THREATENED BY FALSE GOSPELS.**?But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be anathema.?** * We are saved by grace through faith alone apart from works. Yet true grace always produces the true fruit of works! Yet whoever perverts this Gospel of the Kingdom, let him be accursed. Hallowed be your :name. *AUG 27. 1:10 (1:10-2:21) PAUL'S GOSPEL. ?For am I now seeking men's favor, or :God's? or am I seeking to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be Christ's bondman.? *Paul was a living epistle for Your glory, Father. Like Jesus, he spoke the word of the Gospel as it is in truth without fear of man, nor with respect of persons, but in the fear of God! *Your :kingdom come.* *AUG 28. 3:1 (3:1-6) THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FAITH. ?O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?? *Seduction, deception and delusion lead us to listen to another spirit apart from the Holy Spirit. The witch of Endor did this for King Saul. Satan does it today through the spirit of cults. But we, O Lord, cleave to You and Your Word. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth. * *AUG 29. 3:13-14 (3:7-4:7) TWO CONTRASTS. ?Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; because it is written, Accursed every one hanging on a tree: 24 that unto the nations might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through :faith.? *Law bondage, Judaizing and legalism according to man's traditions - we resist and put from us, O Lord. Jesus died to deliver us from such bondage. * Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *AUG 30. 5:1 (4:8-5:12) LOVE-SERVICE ENDS LAW-BONDAGE. ?For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.? *The words and commandments of Jesus and His apostles are not legalism and law-bondage. They are an expression of the outworking of God's grace! Judaizing and man's traditions and such-like are bondage - a Galatian heresy! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors. * *AUG 31. 5:13 (5:13-6:10) A SPIRIT-WALK TRIUMPHS OVER A FLESH-WALK. ?For you, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not the freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be bondmen one to another.? *Does your free grace lead you into licentiousness? God forbid! Else we claim a false grace and pervert the gospel of the grace of God through seduction! *And bring us not into temptation.* *SEP 1. 6:14 (6:11-18) FINAL DOCTRINAL APPEAL. ?But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our :Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.? *O Father, in the cross of Jesus we glory. Here all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ find their basis! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: *Liberty is only through the gospel! This is the recurring them of Galatians. We need to know the Word of God thoroughly! We need to trust the Holy Spirit to supply it and lead us in guidance. In the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, we shall be kept free from legalistic bondage! Lying signs and wonders are predicted by Jesus for the last days. An angelic revelation does *not* prove that God has spoken. *Only* revelation that lines up with the Word of God, whether given by angel or prophet, will pass God?s test! Five times in the New Testament the apostle Paul gives his testimony, and this is the fourth time. Notice how carefully he documents it, so that others may verify it. Though Paul had love, yet he balanced it with truth in word and deed! The Galatian churches started by faith, and the miracles came by the Holy Spirit through faith, not works of law. The Holy Spirit Himself comes by faith, not by merit. Abraham initiated the faith-walk. Paul here carefully shows that the walk of faith was instituted *prior* to the giving of the law. He used the analogy of a schoolmaster to illustrate the function of law. The walk of the Spirit frees one from law-walk, placing us into faith-walk. As Ishmael is to Hagar, so Isaac is to Sarah. Sarah is a picture of the New Jerusalem, our mother. We are born of this free mother, not of Hagar, of the law of bondage of Jerusalem below. Travail in prayer by others frees us from law-bondage. We must maintain this freedom! We are walking in the flesh if we are striving to be justified by works of the law alone. Put the carriage before the horse? By no means! Faith in Christ?s death and resurrection is the horse. The carriage is good works of thanksgiving that follow. Persecution arises for those who put their complete trust in Christ?s finished atoning work. Circumcision adds nothing to Christ: rather, if our trust is here, it detracts from the true gospel. The Holy Spirit is the key to liberty. We should let Jesus be Lord through the Spirit and the Word of God. We should let the faith that brought us the gift of the Holy Spirit - be the faith that maintains our Christian walk. Such is the challenge of Paul to the Galatians. Memory Verse: 3:2 - *?This only would I learn from you. Did you receive the Spirit from works of law, or from hearing of faith??* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Jul 21 10:21:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 10:21:14 -0700 Subject: Job - Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 21, 2012 *WEEK 42 - OCT 14-20 - JOB - THE PURPOSE OF SUFFERING* *OCT 14. 1:1 (1-2) PROLOGUE. ?There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil? (ASV ?01). *Father, like Job we who live godly in Christ Jesus, do suffer persecution. But Kingdom principles are in this realized, for we are then identified with Christ in His suffering (Colossians 1:24). *Hallowed be your :name.* *OCT 15. 3:11, 16 (3) JOB'S OPENING LAMENTATION. ?Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not give up the spirit when my mother bore me? 16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.? *O Father, our hearts go out to Job, for we know the true nature of his testing, and the end from the beginning. In the dumbness and mystery of suffering, may we accept Your will. *Your :kingdom come.* *OCT 16. 13:15; 14:14 (4-14) FIRST TRIAD. ?Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope; Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him. 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.? *Father, we are strengthened immeasurably by the example of Job. He clawed his way to faith and trust! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *OCT 17. 19:25-27 (15-21) SECOND TRIAD. ?But as for me I know that my Redeemer lives, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: 26 And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; 27 Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And my eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger, My heart is consumed within me.? *What a testimony of revelation-faith! Father, we bless You for such revelation to Job and man. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *OCT 18. 23:10, 12 (22-37) THIRD TRIAD. ?But he knows the way that I take; When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 12 I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.? *Yes Father, trial and temptation is the way of man in this life. Always be with us in them, that we may come forth as gold. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *OCT 19. 38:1-2 (38-41) GOD'S CLOSING INTERVENTION. ?Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 2 Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? *O Father, restrain us from foolish words! Hold us back from speaking during the throes of testing! *And bring us not into temptation.* *OCT 20. 42:5-6 (42) EPILOGUE. ?I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees you; 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.?* Yes, this is as it should be. A revelation of You, Jehovah Father, puts us in right understanding and relationship. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE: *Who can ever plumb the depths of the mystery of suffering? Yet in this book God unfolds at least two of His purposes that bring good and glory to His Name out of suffering. *First Quote, p.10: *There are things in our heavenly Father's dealings with us which have no immediate explanation. There are *inexplicable*providences which test us to the limit, and prove that rationalism is a mere mental pose. The Bible and our common sense agree *that the basis of human life is tragic*, not rational, and the whole problem is focused for us in this Book of Job. Chapter 13:15 is the utterance of a man who has lost his explicit hold on God, but not his implicit hold - ?Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him? (R.V., ?wait for Him?). That is the last reach of the faith of a man. Job's creed is gone; all he believed about God has been disproved by his own experiences, and his friends when they come say, in effect, 'You are a hypocrite, Job, we can prove it from your own creed'. But Job sticks to it - 'I am not a hypocrite, I do not know what accounts for all that has happened, but I will hold to it that God is just and that I shall yet see Him vindicated in it all'. *Second Quote, p.103: *Because a man has altered his life it does not necessarily mean that he has repented. A man may have lived a bad life and suddenly stop being bad, not because he has repented, but because he is like an exhausted volcano. The fact that he has become good is no sign of his having become a Christian. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance. The apostle Paul never forgot what he had been; when he speaks of 'forgetting those things which are behind', he is referring to what he has attained to; the Holy Spirit never allowed him to forget what he had been (* see* 1 Corinthians 15:9, Ephesians 3:8, 1 Timothy 1:13-15). Repentance means that I estimate exactly what I am in God's sight and I am sorry for it, and on the basis of the Redemption I become the opposite. The only repentant man is the holy man, i.e., the one who becomes the opposite of what he was because something has entered into him. Any man who knows himself knows that he cannot be holy, therefore if he does become holy, it is because God has 'shipped' something into him; he is now 'presenced with Divinity', and can begin to bring forth 'fruits meet for repentance'. A man may know the plan of salvation, and preach like an archangel, and yet not be a Christian (cf. Matthew 7:21-22.) The test of Christianity is that a man lives better than he preaches. The reality of the heredity of Jesus Christ comes into us through regeneration, and if ever we are to exhibit a family likeness to Him it must be because we have entered into repentance and have received something from God. If the disposition of meanness and lust and spite shows itself through my bodily life, when the disposition of Jesus Christ is there, it will show through my bodily life too, and one need never be afraid that he will be credited with the holiness he exhibits. ?Now my eye sees You,? said Job, ?wherefore *I* abhor myself? (?*I *loathe my words?, R.V. marg.) ?and repent in dust and ashes.? When I enthrone Jesus Christ I say the thing that is violently opposed to the old rule. I deny my old ways as entirely as Peter denied his Lord. Jesus Christ's claim is that He can put a new disposition, His own disposition, Holy Spirit, into any man, and it will be manifested in all that he does. But the disposition of the Son of God can only enter my life by the way of repentance. (The above quotes are taken from ?Baffled to Fight Better,? Oswald Chamber's Commentary on the book of Job. The book is well worth while procuring and reading.) Young and old alike read the book of Job with interest and empathy. Many a time we have felt like Job. Many a time we have wondered at our friends. Let this book work in us the desire that though baffled, yet we will fight the good fight of faith better. Memory Verse: James 5:11 (7-11 - NNT) - *?Lo, we call them blessed that endured: you have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of ** the** Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Jul 22 10:03:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 10:03:39 -0700 Subject: Ezra & Nehemiah - Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 22, 2012 *WEEK 48 - NOV 25-DEC 1 - EZRA-NEHEMIAH - THE BIBLE AND COVENANT RENEWED* *NOV 25. EZRA 2:1-2a (1-2) RESTORATION AND RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL. ?Now these are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and that returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; 2 who came with Zerubbabel? (ASV ?01). *Jeremiah's prophecy; Daniel's prayer; Your response, Father! You worked them altogether for good! *Hallowed be your :name.* *NOV 26. 6:14 (3-6) TEMPLE REBUILT. ?And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.? *We bless You Father, for the ministry of Your prophets. We thank You for restoring them again to the church at the end of this age. O may we hear Your voice through them as You would speak through them! *Your :kingdom come.* *NOV 27. 9:9 (7-10) RETURN UNDER EZRA. ?For we are bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended lovingkindness unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.? *Fresh grace following revival can be so swiftly sinned away! Forgive us in our day as You forgave Israel in the days of Daniel and Ezra! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth. * *NOV 28. NEH 2:17 (1-2) RECONSTRUCTION OF WALL PLANNED. ?Then said I unto them, You see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and the gates of it are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.? *Forgive us Father, that the spirit of Nehemiah is not more often among us! We need to *meditate* upon Your word concerning Your servant, until he rubs off on us; until You put this same spirit and determination in us also! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *NOV 29. 6:15-16 (3-6) RECONSTRUCTION OF WALL COMPLETED. ?So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 16 And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard of it, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was worked of our God.? *Hallelujah! Victory for the forces of Righteousness! Right triumphs over might through our God! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *NOV 30. 9:3 (7-10) RECONSTRUCTION OF PEOPLE THROUGH WORD. ?And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law (Torah or Teaching) of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Jehovah their God.? *Three principles walked in Father, enable You always to deliver Your people from backsliding. We pledge to walk likewise! *And bring us not into temptation.* *DEC 1. 12:30 (11-13) RECONSTRUCTION OF PEOPLE COMPLETED. ?And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.? *O the lessons and principles we learn from this, Father! All things are Yours. All we are and all we do is *for Your pleasure *! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE*: Covenant and the Bible run arm in arm throughout history. Nehemiah 9:38 tells how covenant was used to seal the reading of the Word and public commitment to walk in its truths. Marriage is a covenant. How important it is for us to covenant ourselves to our spiritual bridegroom! Alan Redpath from England came to lead the Moody Memorial Church of Chicago in the '50's. He also introduced English Keswick to Mid-America in 1955. But perhaps most significantly, he wrote books on Ezra and Nehemiah, and pointed out the principles of success used by these two leaders, and how we today can profit wonderfully by them.! I served on the Africa Inland Mission Board of Mid-America under Redpath for two years. I learned *much* from this man of courage, integrity and humility. On one occasion he said, ?I find vital morning devotions the most difficult discipline to maintain in my life.? This encouraged me! He also said, ?A person can be *orthodox* in doctrine - but *heretical* in spirit!? This latter has resonated with me strongly through the years! The Rebuilding of the Temple under Ezra, and the Rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, are most unusual feats of history in the Old Testament. Consider the tremendous opposition of enemies they *both* faced in these two projects. Count on it - any great project assigned by God, will raise up fierce opposition from Satan and his minions! Consider the restoration of Israel to her land in 1948 after 2000 years, and what she has faced *every* year since! It pays to reread these two books again and again - to *meditate* upon them, and to draw on God's grace to walk in the principles they set forth by example before us. From the time the edict of Cyrus went forth, forty nine years elapsed. Within that time the Temple, the Walls and the City were rebuilt and completed. Though Herod improved this Temple, it was essentially here, within these walls and in this City that Jesus of Nazareth ministered, died, rose again and gave the gift of Pentecost. Memory Verse: Ezra 10:3 - *?Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law? (ESV).* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jul 24 12:36:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:36:21 -0700 Subject: Soul Nourishment First - George Muller Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 24, 2012 *WEEK 53 - DEC 30-31 - JOSHUA & MATTHEW* *DEC. 30. Joshua 1:8-9 (1:1-9) GOD?S COMMISSION TO JOSHUA. ** ?This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. **9** Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go? **(*ESV). The whole Bible, especially the New Testament according to Hebrews 8:6, is today involved in this. Man shall not live be bread alone, but by *every* word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). In Acts 20, the Old Testament according to Paul?s revelation of the 27 mysteries of God, was committed to the Ephesian believers. If the Old Testament contains types and shadows, and yet is called the word of God?s grace; how much more is the New Covenant? * Meditation* was one of the 3 key conditions that brought to Joshua God?s two promises. *Hallowed be your :name!* *DEC 31. Matthew 6:33 (6:19-34) ALWAYS KEEP GOD FIRST. ?But seek you first his :kingdom, and :righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.? *?God, I?m going to put you *first* and keep you *first* every hour of every day of my life. I?m going to study and *meditate* constantly in your word, and do exactly what it tells me to do, trusting completely in you to supply every one of my needs.? This is a quotation from ?Trust God for Your Finances?, by Jack Hartman. The principles for success outlined in this book are illustrated by finances, but could easily be illustrated by any other fifty needs. *Your :kingdom come!* *NOTE: *Ivan Panin?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? is about to be published. The Printers have put it into a format that makes * meditation* much easier. These brief ?Through the Bible in a Year? daily devotional readings are also conducive to *meditation*. Let us start our day off with these brief readings, and then pick up from above the New Testament readings. George Muller lived the first 20 years of his life in a most ungodly manner. Then following his conversion for next 10 years he did better, but not too profitably. When he was 30, he ran across a biography on the life of George Whitefield, which majored on ?*Bible Meditation*?. George Muller immediately incorporated this into his daily devotions. It transformed his life. Because God is no respecter of persons, it can do the same for you and me. Following is his testimony when he was 36, which even is an improvement on George Whitefield. *SOUL NOURISHMENT FIRST - George Muller (p. 152, his autobiography)* *It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distresses, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit. Before this time my practice has been, at least for ten years previously, as a habitual thing, to give myself to prayer after having dressed myself in the morning. Now I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, while meditating on it, my heart be brought into experimental communion with the Lord.* *I began therefore to meditate on the New Testament from the beginning early in the morning. The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord?s blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God, searching as it were into every verse to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word, not for the sake of preaching on what I* *meditated upon, but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that, though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less into prayer. When thus I have been for a while making confession or intercession or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all as I go into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it, but still continually keeping before me that food for my own soul is the object of my meditation. The result of this is, that there is always a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or intercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner man almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened, and that by breakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy state of heart. Thus also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me that which, either very soon after or at a later time, I have found to become food for other believers, though it was not for the sake of the public ministry of the word that I gave myself to meditation, but for the profit of my own inner man.* *With this mode I have likewise combined the being out in the open air for an hour, and hour and a half, or two hours, before breakfast, walking about in the fields. In the summer sitting for a little on the stiles, if I find it too much to walk all the time. I find it very beneficial to my health to walk thus for meditation before breakfast, and am now so in the habit of using the time for that purpose, that when I get into the open air, I generally take out a New Testament of good size type, which I carry with me for that purpose, besides my Bible; and I find that I can profitably spend my time in the open air, which formerly was not the case for want of habit. I used to consider the time spent in walking a loss, but now I find it very profitable, not only to my body, but also to my soul. The walking out before breakfast is, of course, not necessarily connected with this matter, and everyone has to judge according to his strength and other circumstances. The difference, then between my former practice and my present one is this: formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer, except when I felt my soul to be more than usually barren, in which case I read the Word of God for food, or for refreshment, or for a revival and renewal of my inner man, before I gave myself to prayer. But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half hour, or even one hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc., and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began really to pray. I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word. It often now astonished me that I did not sooner see this point. In no book did I ever read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before me. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this matter. And, yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as plain to me as anything, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is, to obtain food for his inner man. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time except we take food, and as this is one of the first things we do in the morning, so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for that, as everyone must allow. Now, what is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God; and here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts. When we pray, we speak to God. Now, prayer, in order to be continued for any length of time in any other than a formal manner, requires, generally speaking a measure of strength or godly desire, and the season, therefore, when this exercise of the soul can be most effectively performed is after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God, where we find our Father speaking to us, to encourage us, to comfort us, to instruct us, to humble us, to reprove us. We may therefore profitably meditate, with God?s blessing, though we are ever so weak spiritually; no, the weaker we are, the more we need meditationfor the strengthening of our inner man. Thus there is far less to be feared from wandering of mind than if we give ourselves to prayer without having had time previously for meditation. I dwell so particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit and refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it myself, and I affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow believers to ponder this matter. By the blessing of God, I ascribe to this mode the help and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through deeper trials, in various ways, than I had ever had before; and after having now about fourteen years tried this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it. In addition to this I generally read, after family prayer, larger portions of the Word of God, when I still pursue my practice of reading regularly onward in the Holy Scriptures, sometimes in the New Testament and sometimes in the Old, and for more than twenty-six years I have proved the blessedness of it. I* *take also, either then or at other parts of the day, time more especially for prayer.* *How different, when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day come upon me.* *May 9th, 1841.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Jul 25 12:43:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:43:49 -0700 Subject: Holy Spirit Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* January 25, 2012 ?*SPIRIT? - PNEUma - 385x - Strong #4151 * *(from PNEo* 7x - Strong #4154 + 7 cognates or derivatives = 402x)* *UNDERSTANDING THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM SELECTIVE REFERENCES* *1. Luke 11:13 (14-26) HOLY SPIRIT: MUST BE ASKED FOR. ?If you therefore, being evil, know how to give gifts to your :children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (NNT)? *This was a key verse that Oswald Chambers used in soul-winning. As soon as he established to the mind of the seeker that he was a sinner - not just because he had sinned - but that through Adam he had inherited a ?sin nature? - *then* he led them to pray for the Holy Spirit as He is set forth in the ?Peter Package? - Acts 2:38. *2. John 4:24 (1-26) HOLY SPIRIT: KEY TO TRUE WORSHIP! ?:God is Spirit: and who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.? * In the preceding immediate context, we learn that God seeks those in *spirit* and in truth to worship him. We cannot worship God from our human *spirit*, until *first* we have received the *Holy Spirit* of Christ. And as we go on like Rees Howells to let Him *possess* us, *then* our worship reaches into a dimension truly pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit here is likened to an ?artesian well?! *3. Acts 5:32 (17-42) HOLY SPIRIT: GIVEN ON BASIS OF OBEDIENCE. ?And WE are witnesses of these :sayings; also the Holy :Spirit, whom :God has given to them that obey him.? *This is a key to successful marriage. For those who have this as the basis of receiving the Holy Spirit, have *already*entered into ?The Marriage Covenant?, by Derek Prince. This book, along with ?Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting?, I count as two of his outstanding books. My wife Marie and I married on this basis, and God has kept us for 61 years this month. *This* is the glue that holds a marriage together. Marriage is a Covenant in the sight of God, and *not* to be broken, apart from fornication. We have as many divorces inside the church today as the world does outside. This *ought not to be so*! And it is the Holy Spirit moving in The Marriage Covenant that ensures that it can change! *4. Acts 13:2 (1-3) HOLY SPIRIT: CHIEF AGENT IN MISSIONS. ?And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.? *Consider the work of ?The Presbytery?. Ordination through ?laying on of hands and Prophecy?, as important as this function is, is but one of *many* functions that the Holy Spirit is pleased to perform through ?The Presbytery?. Commissioning missionaries and sending them forth is another. *5. Acts 15:28 (22-29) HOLY SPIRIT: JOINS WITH ELDERSHIP FOR CHURCH SOLUTIONS. ?For it seemed good to the Holy :Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these :necessary things.? **This* is one of the most important functions of the *Holy Spirit* in linking up with the Presbytery or Eldership - to *solve* church problems. The Judaizing controversy in the early church was one of the *chief* of these problems. And the *Holy Spirit* takes precedence over the Presbytery in solving this problem. Gentiles do *not* have to become Jews and be circumcised for full salvation, but just keep the 4 conditions noted here, to have table-fellowship with Jews. What a serious problem, which still continues to this day, in spite of the *Holy Spirit's* letter through Paul to the Galatians. *6. 1 Peter 1:12 (3-12) HOLY SPIRIT: CHIEF AGENT IN OT PREACHERS. ?To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, did they minister thevery things which now have been announced to you through them that preached thegospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.? *In 1952 in Chicago I wrote my M. Div. (Master of Divinity) dissertation on this verse. I stated: ?In Homiletics here at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary we are taught how to preach with notes, by outline, by manuscript, extemporaneously, but not with the *Holy Spirit*sent forth from heaven.? It was on this 5 th point that I wrote my thesis, and for a while, wondered if it would be accepted so I could graduate! It was, and is in the Archive files yet at my Alma Mater. If OT prophets all preached this way, how much more need we as NT preachers - preach with the *Holy Spirit* sent forth from heaven! *7. 2 Peter 1:21 (12-21) HOLY SPIRIT: BEHIND ALL BIBLE PROPHECY. ?For no prophecy was ever borne by man's will: but men spoke from God, being borne on by the Holy Spirit.? *It is important to see that the *Holy Spirit* - not man - is behind all Scripture. We are aware of the 33 known Bible writers of the 66 books, but we often fail to see that shining far above all of them - is the *Holy Spirit!* Our Bible is *not* primarily the work of man - but *the Word of God*! How disconcerting once this dawns on us. One prominent preacher-evangelist of yester-year - an Episcopalian - started out as a Modernist. But when he received the *Holy Spirit* and Jesus as *Lord* - the *Holy Spirit* changed his entire theology, and conformed it to a Bible-based state! *8. Romans 5:5 (1-11) HOLY SPIRIT: THE ONE WHO SHEDS GOD'S LOVE IN OUR HEARTS. ?And hope puts not to shame; because the love of :God has been shed abroad in our :hearts through the Holy Spirit :given us.? *Each of these verses with context, has been established by Bible Numerics through the 50 years of labor of Russian Dr. Ivan Panin. He is called by one, ?Russia's Gift to Christianity!? An English Plumber by the name of Smith Wigglesworth found this verse to be extremely helpful. When he found it impossible to forgive a brother unexpectedly met, he would rush down an alley, and call on God - ?Quick God, give me a heavenly ?love? transfusion!? It worked! *9. Romans 8:26-27 (26-39) HOLY SPIRIT: CHIEF AGENT IN EARTHLY INTERCESSION. ?And in like manner the Spirit also helps our :infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself intercedes mightily for us with groanings unutterable; 27 and who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to God.? *This is one of the chief teaching verses of Rees Howells. He understood thoroughly the help he received this way. *10. 1 Corinthians 12:4 (4-11) HOLY SPIRIT: RESPONSIBLE FOR GIFTS OF ** SPIRIT** THROUGH US.** ?Now **there** are diversities of gifts, but the same **Spirit**.?* The 9 gifts of the Spirit from here, and the 9-fold fruit (one fruit, 9 sections, like an orange) - I link with the 9 Sacral Vertebrae. They control our Walking, Reproduction and Elimination. The Gifts of the Spirit are balanced by the Fruit of the Spirit, and in this way are aided in being for edification for other members of the body of Christ. *11. Galatians 5:22-23 (16-24) HOLY SPIRIT: AGENT OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. ?But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against :such there is no law.? *See notes on the Gifts of the *Spirit*. *12. Ephesians 4:4-6 (1-16) HOLY SPIRIT: A KEY IN THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT. ?There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your :calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.? *If the 9 Sacral vertebrae are important as the Conclusive part of the container for the Spinal Cord - then the 7 Cervical Vertebrae at the top are especially important, for they connect the body with *the Head, Christ*! Notice the order from the bottom to the top. The 7 Unities start out with us at the bottom, and immediately the 6th vertebra is the *Spirit*. All our life as individuals and corporately commence with *Him*. Conversion itself doesn't cut the mustard. By Repentance and Faith, we are just ready to start. In Acts 2:38, the Gift - d*o*-reA of the Holy Spirit follows Repentance and Baptism. He is an Artesian Well, evermore flowing up into eternal life. Follow through in the book of Acts each time this sequence is mentioned, and it is impossible to miss its importance. Neither can the 7 Unities mentioned here in the passage we are considering be underestimated in importance. *13. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (12-24) HOLY SPIRIT: CAN BE QUENCHED. ?Quench not the Spirit.? *As we carefully read the biography of ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb, we find a number of times during his lifetime when he quenched the Spirit. Disobedience is the chief culprit. Unforgiveness is another. Jesus said, *?For if you forgive not men their trespasses - neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses!? *The grieving takes place here. Out of the 7 requests in the Lord's Prayer for us in the Sermon on the Mount, this is the *only* one that is repeated. God knows how easily it is for us to fall short here. *14. Revelation 2:7a (1-7) HOLY SPIRIT: MUST BE LISTENED TO IN THE CHURCH. ?Who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.? *Pastor Bob Birch of Vancouver, Canada, scarcely preached a sermon, without mentioning these 7 verses in Revelation 2 and 3. He knew how important it was for each one of us to have *hearing* ears. *Meditation* in prayer over the Word, helps to tune in our hearing. Obedience is of absolute importance. Jesus said, *?He who hears* *these sayings of mine, and does them - shall be likened unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock.? *One builds on the sand otherwise, and has a terrible disaster looming up ahead. And when we *hear* the *Spirit* speaking to the churches, then we are able to discern between soul and spirit, and choose spiritual words rather than those of the soul or flesh. *CONCLUSION**:* The above selection of 14, represent the 385 total, and give a window in a small way to what the complete Word Study would totally represent. *That* is the definition. Our 14 but give a window. However, I believe it is a true window into the thinking of God. You could in turn pick out your own 14 references, and they likewise would give a valid window, but would *not* be the total definition. To thoroughly know God and His Word, requires a lifetime of praying over and meditating upon the Bible, and *then* acting upon it. This is what God through Moses commanded Joshua to do (1:8). May God bless us all, individually and corporately, as we seriously seek to be well-pleasing to Him, having a ?*personal, passionate devotion to Jesus,? *and a life of *fruitfully* doing His Word! *NOTE*: Numbers have asked to be kept up to date on the progress of the Lord's leading for our Pilot Prayer Team, leading to the fulfillment of manifesting ?Spiritual Star Wars? through an ?Organic Automated Laser-Telescope.? The above Greek Word Study on ?Spirit?, is a window to see what Rees Howells in a measure experienced when he submitted himself during the Welsh Revival at the turn of the last Century - to be ?possessed? by the Holy Spirit. *This*, as reduplicated in a corporate sense in 1937, 31 years later, is a true picture of what God can do through a Team fully yielded to His Spirit. This article for the ?Word Study? section of our Website, will shortly be followed by one on the ?History, Vision and Development? of this concept. We received a request from ?Prayer Canada? and its founder and president to simply and clearly lay out how other Prayer Teams can have God lift them to Higher Ground - and so walk in this concept. The mailing sent out July 24, 2012 by George Muller entitled ?Soul Nourishment First? - is the *very key*to the success of his life! Our Seattle area Team went through the first 3 of the above 14 points on Saturday December 5, and then spent our time in prayer for this Canadian request, and how to write a suitable answer to their request. Later we discovered that a Prayer Team north of Minneapolis prayed that God would do something on Monday December 7th, to offset what happened on that date in 1941, ?A Day of Infamy? according to our President. Hopefully - the article given by the Lord on that day - will answer both the Canadian request, and the prayer from Minnesota. May it answer your prayer and mine also! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Jul 26 11:35:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:35:48 -0700 Subject: 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 - Gifts of the Spirit Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 26, 2012 *2012-07-25 - 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 - Overview of Gifts of the Spirit - UGWS - Survey II* *1. Word of WISDOM - soPHIa, from soPHOS* - 51 (79) refs.* *- linked with SUne-sis (the critical faculty of understanding, intelligence) and* *- PHROne-sis (the right use of the mind, PHREN) are particular applications of soPHIa.* *- through Wisdom, God grants miracle insight to apply knowledge, MAT 21:23-32; 22:15-22.* *- the Word of Wisdom is LOgos from eREo - 329 (4075) references.* *- and Jesus is the LOgos according to John 1:1. The Father from His mind reveals His thoughts; the Son as the Word declares this; the Spirit as the executive, causes it to come to pass. See Genesis 1.* *2. Word of KNOWLEDGE - GNOsis, from giNOsko* - 29 (448) references* *- In the New Testament, it refers especially to the knowledge of spiritualtruth. * *- It also refers to the subjective knowledge of God: which can only be known by a miracle of revelation.* *- By the reference to a Word of knowledge, it indicates that but a fragmentof knowledge is released - Romans 8:14.* *- Here are two examples of the Word of Knowledge: MAT 17:24-27; Acts 5:1-11.* *3. FAITH - PIstis, from PEItho* - 244 (711) references* *- A firm persuasion that God?s revelation will come to pass.* *- A conviction based on hearing the word of the Spirit (REma), ROM 8:14; 10:17.* *- The gift lying behind miracles; casting out of demons, Mark 11:20-25.* *- Distinguish between faith as a gift; a virtue, 2 PET 1:5; a fruit, GAL 5:22; a unity, EPH 4:5; the armor of God, EPH 6:16; a foundation, HEB 6:1.* *4. Gifts of HEALINGS - IAma, from IAo-mai* - 3 (41) references* *- A special Gift - CHAris-ma from CHAIro* - 17 (401) references.* *- Used of physical treatment 25 times; used in Luke 15 times.* *- Used figuratively of spiritual healing also; In James 5:16, perhaps for both.* *- The gift is distinguished from James 5:16 with elders - and in Mark 16:15-20 for all believers.* *5. Workings of POWERS - DUna-mis, from DUna-mai* - 120 (392) references* *- The inherent ability to perform anything.* *- Distinguish this from e-xouSIa, the right to exercise power, John 1:12.* *- ?Signs following? comprise an integral part of the Gospel, Mark 16:15-20. * *6. PROPHECY - pro-pheTEIa, from eREo* - 19 (4076) references* *- Speaks forth the mind and counsel of God.* *- Distinguish between the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet, Ephesians 4:11.* *- Builds up - stirs up - cheers up, 1 Corinthians 14:3.* *- Gives life to dead bones, Christians and churches, + the nation Israel at Christ?s return, Ezekiel 37:1-14.* *- Declares a word of knowledge or revelation with anointing.* *7. DISCERNINGS of spirits - diAkri-sis, from KRIno* - 3 (581) references* *- This is judging on evidence whether spirits are evil or of God.* *- Discerning what is of the Holy Spirit in regard to prophecy, 1 Corinthians 14:29.* *- Human spirits, flesh, natural man - have no sense.* *- Evil spirits, angels of light - have no conscience.* *- This gift comes between prophecy and tongues - an area open to Satan?s deception!* *8. Kinds of TONGUES - GLOSsa* - 50 (53) references* *- Supernatural speaking in another language without its being learned - Acts 2.* *- Consists in recounting ?the mighty works of God,? Acts 2:11, 1 Corinthians 14:2.* *- An exercise in the gathering of local churches, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; 14:5, 13, 15, 26, 27, 29.* *- Equal to prophecy when interpreted - 2 Corinthians 14:5.* *- A method of self-edification - 1 Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20; Isaiah 28:11. * *9. INTERPRETATION of Tongues - her-meNEIa, from HerMES* - 2 (23) references* *- Who speaks in tongues is to pray for this gift also, 1 Corinthians 14:13. * *- An ?interpretation? is not as rigid as a translation.* *NOTE**: Because ?tongues and interpretation? is equal to prophecy - according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 14 - then 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 can be lined with the 7-fold Menorah (Candlestick), the third piece of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses. There are scores and eve**n 100?s of examples of 7?s in the Bible. Many can be linked together, without forcing such linkages.* *The Menorah sheds special light in the darkness of the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. And since the veil was rent at the crucifixion of Jesus between here and the Holiest - the two rooms of the Tabernacle of Moses and Temple of Solomon - are now one! David prayed in Psalm 86:11 - ?Unite my heart to fear Your Name!? Our human spirit is represented by the Holy of Holies where God dwells - and our soul by the Holy Place. Because of the rent veil, you and I like David can receive a united heart, and have the power for ?the flesh? (body and soul) to be broken up. Our spirit becomes like a train engine; our soul like the coal car - and our body like the caboose - that has to merely follow along!* *To walk daily through the 7 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle and Temple, and make association with the 7 component parts of God?s ?Organic Laser-Telescope? (of which we can be a part) - is to have a basis for prayer that can only please our Heavenly Father, who dwells above the Cherubim and Mercy Seat. And our Friend - the Lord Jesus Christ - is at His right hand, and is our ?Covenant? - representing the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.* *Then when we follow the example of George Muller in seeking ?Soul Nourishment First? each morning, and realizing a ?happy and peaceful soul? at the beginning of each day - then truly the 7-fold Menorah is shedding light on the Table of Bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, and the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles from the 1948 Visitation.* *So the Gifts of the Spirit indeed deliver a daily visitation at the Lamp-stand - as part of our daily devotions.* *Early church believers, as soon as they entered the Kingdom of God, immediately began to minister these 9-fold gifts. The ?fruit of the Spirit? of Galatians 5:22-23 takes longer to develop. But again, if we follow through on George Muller?s example, we don?t have to wait as long as he did to enter God?s ?Halls of Highest Human Happiness?. When we recognize that we are part of the Bride of Christ and His spiritual body - all the happiness and peace we could ever desire - begins to flow our way!* *But let us remember - the Holy Spirit gives each of the ?Gifts of the Spirit? individually as He desires. It is a Sovereign act of God. He is the Potter - we are the clay. He makes us and molds us as He will. We must learn to leave all these decisions with Him!* *Like Jeremiah and Paul, before we were conceived, God knew us and predestined us to be members of Christ?s body! We may not know who is the good seed that bares 30, 60 and 100-fold - but our God does! And as we share the good news of the Gospel - the Glad Tidings of Christ?s finished redemptive and reconciling work - those whom God has foreknown, willrespond. ?As many as were ordained unto eternal life - believed. George Muller and Charles Haddon Spurgeon saw this happen again and again. We have too. You can also.* *At first George Muller called this a ?devilish? doctrine. An older lady challenged him: ?Have you ever done a thorough Bible Study on this matter?? When he acknowledged that he hadn?t - then she went on - ?Please then do not henceforth speak on this matter until you have done so!? He took this in the right spirit, and discovered that 80% of all scriptures on this subject dealt with it the way this sister had suggested. And the other 20%, when looked at in the light of the 80%, soon fell into place.* *So - may this brief study on 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 - the Gifts of the Spirit - be an encouragement, a motivation and a fulfillment for each one of us.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Jul 27 09:30:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:30:15 -0700 Subject: Galatians 5:22-23 - Fruit of Spirit Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 27, 2012 *2212-07-26 - GAL 5:22-23 - Fruit of the Spirit Overview - UGWS* *As the visible expressions of hidden lusts are the works of the flesh, so the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those who are brought into living union with Christ (John 15:2-8, 16) produces ?the fruit of the Spirit?, the singular form suggesting the unity of the character of the Lord as produced in them, all in contrast with the confused and often mutually antagonistic ?works of the flesh?. Some notes from John Stegenga, and Vine?s ?Expository Dictionary?.* *1. LOVE - aGApe from a-gaPAo* - 116 (320) references* *- Identifies the believer with God in character.* *- We are to love in this world as Christ loved.* *- Love is the cure to pride, 1 Corinthians 13:4; 8:1.* *- See John 21 for a contrast between ?aGApe?, the Love of God - and PHIle- human love. * *2. JOY - chaRA from CHAIro* - 59 (401) references* *- Joy is associated with life 1 Thessalonians 3:8-9.* *- Sorrow - enlarges capacity for joy, John 16:20.* *- Persecution for Christ?s sake enhances joy, Matthew 5:11-12.* *- God Himself is the ground and object of the believer?s joy, Romans 5:11.* *- Nehemiah told Israel that the joy of the Lord is their strength, 8:10.* *3. PEACE - eiREne from eREo* - 92 (4076) references* *- The word for harmonious relationships.* *- Rest and contentment from peaceful conditions, Matthew 10:13.* *- Like the Hebrew ?shalom? - means wholeness or salvation.* *- The peace of Jesus is entirely different from that of the world!* *4. LONGSUFFERING - ma-kro-thuMIa from THUo* - 14 (264) references* *- Does not hastily retaliate in the face of provocation.* *- Opposite of anger, and associated with God?s mercy.* *- Does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.* *- Opposite of despondency, and associated with hope, 1 Thessalonians 1:3.* *5. KINDNESS - chresTOtes from CHRAo* - 10 (138) references* *- Love is kind, 1 Corinthians 13:4 - and God is love!* *- Goodness of heart.* *- One of the synonyms for Christian, pronounced as ?anointed?.* *6. GOODNESS - a-ga-thoSUne from a-gaTHOS* - 4 (122) references* *- A moral quality of regenerate persons, Romans 15:14.* *- Desire after goodness - to be and do good.* *- When God is in us, we partake of His goodness.* *- Readiness to do good to all as we have opportunity. Barnabas was a ?good? man.* *7. FAITHFULNESS - PIStis from PEItho* - 244 (711) references* *- Comes from a personal surrender to God, John 1:12.* *- Conduct inspired by such surrender, 2 Corinthians 5:7.* *- Dependability: this is the nature of God!* *- Fidelity in engagements, promises and trusts.* *- Solomon in Proverbs asks - ?A faithful man - who can find??* *8. GENTLENESS - praOtes from PRAus* - 9 (16) references* *- Inwrought grace of soul towards God.* *- Acceptance of God?s dealings, not disputing or resisting.* *- Faces evil men with inward strength.* *- Gentleness of Meekness is the fruit of Power.* *9. SELF-CONTROL - egKRAtei-a from KRAtos* - 4 (102) references* *- Temperance is limited to one form of self-control; the latter is better.* *- Exercised by the will under control of God?s Spirit, Galatians 2:20.* *- A working of strength into us - enabling us to overcome.* *NOTE**: **There is a relationship between the Gifts and the Fruit of the Spirit. They both have nine in number. I sometimes link them with the bottom 9 human vertebrae. Some of them fuse, as the child grows older. The nerves that spread out from the spinal cord at this place control human walking ability, reproduction and elimination. It produces a serious problem should nerve signals be disrupted in this area of the human body.* *As noted in connection with the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit can be immediately manifested in a new believer according to the ?Peter-package? of Acts 2:38: repentance; baptism; reception of the gift (do-reA) of the Holy Spirit.* *But it is a lifetime development to see the character of Jesus worked into us through the fruit of the Spirit. And - it is one 9-fold fruit, with 9 segments like an orange. God would have us manifest His Son in us in a balanced 9-fold manner.* *I like to link the fruit of the Spirit with the tribe of Issachar, the wise, patient, faithful ?donkey? tribe. In the Near East, kings rode on donkeys.* *Also, I like to link the fruit of the Spirit with the ?First Nations People? in a cultural sense. In them I see the potential of faithfulness, sensitivity and obedience. See ?Dances with Wolves? as an illustration of this. If you visit our Website and click on ?Embryonics? - you will find all 12 tribes listed, with the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles that came together in 1948 in Northern Canada, as well as the 12 world cultural divisions. I do not say a ?Thus says the Lord? for these linkages - but I believe they are suggestive, and perhaps some of you would want to try your hand at developing your own links.* *I like to use the analogy of the tribe of Benjamin in the last few chapters of the book of Judges. Because of sin this tribe was nearly wiped out by the other 11 tribes. But instead of rejoicing that there were but 600 young men left - they mourned and strategized, and worked out a plan to obtain wives for these 600 to start the tribe up again. Otherwise we would not have had the Apostle Paul - a Benjamite - and 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament!* *Just so - we need the First Nations People receiving and giving their unique contribution to the other major cultural divisions of our earth. Presently, but 3% of the First Nations People have made believer status. That is starting to change - but our prayers, understanding and concern could speed up the process. * *So - Fruit of the Spirit? All of earth?s segments desperately need to avail themselves of this plan of God on our behalf. Availing ourselves of George Muller?s ?Soul Nourishment First? will greatly expedite this possibility. And upon the soon publication of Ivan Panin?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? - all we as believers will find it much simpler and effective for daily meditation upon God?s Word. And when we do so,, because Jesus and this Word (LOgos) are one - then it becomes transformed in us into the living ?REma word! Then indeed we are on the way! * *P.S. Contact for a progress report or order on the Interlinear.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Jul 30 10:13:25 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:13:25 -0700 Subject: Philippians 4:8 - Outline Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 30, 2012 *2012-07-28 - SURVEY VII - PHILIPPIANS 4:8 - OVERVIEW - THE MIND OF CHRIST* *1. TRUE. a-leTHES from LEtho* - 25 (203) references* *- Primarily unconcealed, manifest; hence actual, true to fact.* *- Used of a person, MAT 22:16; MAR 12:14; John 3:33; 7:18; 8:26; ROM 3:4.* *- Things that are true, conforming to reality, John 4:18.* *- God (John 7:28); Christ (John 1:9); and God?s words (John 4:37) are true. * *- LEtho means ?to hide?. ?a? - means to take out of the hidden state.* *2. HONORABLE. semNOS from SEbo-mai* - 4 (64) references* *- A sense of gravity and dignity combined.* *- Seriousness and purpose and self-respect in conduct.* *- Necessary characteristic of the life and conduct of Christians, 1 TIM 2:2.* *- Qualification of an overseer regarding children, 1 TIM 3:4.* *- Necessary characteristic of teaching imparted by an elder, Titus 2:7.* *3. JUST. DIkai-os from DEcho-mai* - 81 (939) references* *- State of being right, or right conduct according to both Divine and human standards.* *- The perfect agreement between God?s nature and His acts, in which He is the standard for all men!* *- Used of God (John 17:25); Christ (Acts 3:14); and men (MAT 1:19).* *- Used of things: blood (metaphorical) MAT 23:35; Christ?s judgment, John 5:30; any circumstance, fact, or deed, MAT 20:4; the commandment, ROM 7:12; works, 1 John 3:12; ways of God, REV 15:3.* *4. PURE. hagNOS* - 8 (20) references* *- Pure from defilement, not contaminated.* *- Pure from every fault, immaculate, 2 COR 7:11; 1 TIM 5:22; JAS 3:17; 1 John 3:3; 1 PET 3:2.* *- Pure from carnality, modest, 2 COR 11:2; TIT 2:5.* *- From the same root as HAgios, HAzo* - to venerate.* *5. LOVELY. pros-phiLES from PHIlos* - 1 (110) references* *- Pleasing, agreeable, lovely.* *- Found in Esther 5:1, third sentence, in the Septuagint.* *6. GOOD REPORT. EUphe-mos from eREo* - 1 (4076) references* *- Uttering words or sounds of good omen; then, avoiding ill-omened words, and hence fair sounding, of good report.* *- Good report, good reputation, 2 Corinthians 6:8.* *- Contrast with 2 Corinthians 6:8, evil speaking defamation.* *7. VIRTUE. a-reTE* - 5 references* *- Whatever procures pre-eminent estimation for a person or thing.* *- Intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue (Daniel, Joseph).* *- Impression made on others: renown, excellence, praise.* *- Any particular moral excellence, Philippians 4:8.* *- An essential quality in the exercise of faith, 2 Peter 1:5.* *8. PRAISE. EPai-nos from AInos* - 11 (32) references* *- Denotes approbation, commendation, praise.* *- God deserves praise because of His character and operations, Ephesians 1:12.* *- Believers receive praise at the Judgment-seat of Christ exactly in accordance with each person?s actions, 1 Corinthians 4:5.* *- Praise should be accorded to whatever is praiseworthy, Philippians 4:8.* *- Faithful Gospel minister deserve praise from the churches.* *NOTE**: TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE ABOVE 8 THINGS - loGIz**o from eREo* - 41 (4076) references* *- Make the above subjects of your thoughtful consideration.* *- Carefully reflect on them; let this mind be in you (Philippians 2:5).* *We are to think upon the above 8 things of Philippians 4:8 - on a daily basis. We can then follow up ?thinking? with speaking! and ?speaking? with doing; and ?doing? with living. Actually - the living takes place when we release Christ Jesus to live out His life through us by the Spirit! In this manner the very heredity of Christ is manifested through us!* *I link Philippians 4:8 with the tribe of Judah, whose name means Praise! He is the lion of the tribe of Judah. I like to sing something in line with a tribe like this. I have adapted the words of an African-American chorus for this:* *We now overcome - * *We now overcome -* *We now overcome today!* *O deep in my heart, I do believe -* *We now overcome today!* *Marie and I had close friends in seminary in Chicago with a Chinese couple, Dr. Hong and Amy Wang Sit. Amy was a concert pianist, and played concertos with the Philadelphia Philharmonic under Stokowski. But her gift became an idol, and God commanded her not to touch the piano for 7 years. Then with His permission, she returned to her piano - but this time she put 100?s of Scripture portions to classical, popular and nursery rhyme tunes. To Philippians 4:8 she added the tune from ?do, re, me? from ?Sound of Music?. Try it!* *Amy was daughter to Dr. Leland Wang, Chinese missionary to S.E. Asia, who founded some 100 churches. One of his favorite aphorisms was: ?No Bible - No breakfast!? He later turned this mission over to his son-in-law Dr. Hong Sit.* *It is great to sing scripture portions to worthy tunes. I have sung an American edition of the Scottish Psalter arranged with modern hymn tunes - for many years.* *May this Philippians 4:8 be a special blessing to each one of us as we meditate over it in the spirit of Joshua and George Muller, and sing it in the spirit of the Sits. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Jul 31 10:23:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:23:32 -0700 Subject: Revelation 2 & 3 - Outline, Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* July 31, 2012 *2012-07-30 - Survey IX - REV 2-3 - OVERCOMERS: CONDITION FOR RESURRECTION* *1. LOVE. aGApe from a-gaPAo* - 116 (320) references* *- EPHESUS, Revelation 2:1-7. A Church threatened with Removal for leaving first love.* *- LOVE: The characteristic word of Christianity.* *- The Lord Jesus is the perfect expression of love among men.* *- Self-will (self-pleasing) is the negation of love to God.* *- Love can be known only from the action it prompts.* *2. TRIBULATION. THLIpsis from THLIbo* - 45 (58) references* *- SMYRNA, Revelation 2:8-11. A church in Tribulation makes overcomers.* *- Sufferings due to pressure of circumstances, antagonism of persons.* *- For believers, invariably that which comes upon them from without.* *- Like Christ, believers share sufferings of body and mind, Colossians 1:24.* *3. TEACHING. di-daCHE from diDASko* - 30 (220) references* *- PERGAMUM, Revelation 2:12-17. Lowered standards through False Teaching.* *- Emphasizes the Authority of teaching: di-da-skaLIa, the Act.* *- Teaching of Fornication by Balaam came with authority.* *- Authority of God?s ministries suffered from teaching of Nicolaitans.* *- False teaching robs one of his overcoming potential.* *4. PROPHETESS. proPHEtis from eREo* - 2 (4076) references* *- THYATIRA, Revelation 2:18-29. Lowered Standards through False Prophetess. * *- The self assumed title ?of the woman Jezebel?.* *- Luke 2:36 - Anna was a good prophetess.* *- Lying prophets like Jezebel, if unchecked, can destroy a church.* *5. DEAD. neKROS* - 132 from 137 references* *- SARDIS, Revelation 3:1-6. A Church rebuked for Dead Orthodoxy.* *- One can be Orthodox (and dead) in letter, but alive in spirit.* *- James 2:26, used most frequently of death of the body.* *- Ephesians 2:1, the actual spiritual condition of unsaved men!* *- Revelation 3:1, a church in declension; a state inactive and barren.* *- Romans 6:11, ideal spiritual condition of believers in regard to sin.* *6. FAITHFUL. piSTOS from PEItho* - 67 (711) references* *- PHILADELPHIA, Revelation 3:7-13. A Church fulfilling the Ideal: Faithful. * *- 1 Peter 1:5, Christ keeps the faithful by His power.* *- Used here in the Passive sense: faithful, trustworthy, reliable.* *- Used of God, 1 Corinthians 1:9; of Christ, 2 Thessalonians 3:3; of the words of God, Acts 13:34; of servants of the Lord, Matthew 24:45; of believers, Ephesians 1:1.* *7. LUKEWARM. chli-aPOS* - 1 reference* *- LAODICEA, Revelation 3:14-22. A Church Lukewarm: abhorred by Christ.* *- Only hot or cold would offer refreshment to the Lord.* *- Wretched. taLAIpo-ros from POros* - 2 (13) references.* *- Wretched - a weight hardening the spirit as blindness dims the eye.* *- Miserable - e-le-eiNOS from Ele-os* - 1 (78) references.* *- Poor - ptoCHOS* - 34 (38) references.* *- Blind - tuphLOS from TUpho* - 53 (61) references.* *- Naked - gumNOS* - 15 (24) references.* *- The above five - produce a lukewarm condition.* *OVERCOME** - niKA**o from NIke* - 28 (34) references* *- Believers are to be pre-eminently victorious, Romans 8:37.* *- Believers overcome the world through faith, 1 John 5:4.* *- We overcome through the blood of Christ and Word of our testimony, Revelation 12:11.* *- All promises of 1 & 2 Thessalonica and the 7 Revelation churches are for overcomers.* *- Thessalonians teach that fornication will rob of Christ?s Parousia.* *NOTE**: I link the above ?teaching? with the tribe of ?Naphtali?. And in turn I link ?Naphtali? with the ?Presbytery? concept which was the first of 12 truths restored to the church in the 1948 Visitation at North Battleford, Saskatchewan. **(My linkages are not ?Thus says the Lord.? Feel free to work out your own linkages. These are like my sentence titles in the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?.)* *The Continent of Africa has been moving in the direction of demonstrating the ?Presbytery? concept. When Elvin Gladney and Felix Anderson visited Kenya recently, a real break-through took place in this direction. Other adjoining nations also took a decided interest.* *Years ago, Rees Howells and his wife spent 6 years in Gazaland, near the border of Portuguese East Africa, and God gave them a promised outpouring of the Spirit that fulfilled this expectation. 10,000 souls came to Christ in the various nations of the South Africa General Mission founded by Andrew Murray. The challenging account of this appears in the biography ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? written by Norman P. Grubb in 1951.* *Only 2 of the 7 churches addressed by Jesus in the Book of Revelation have a clear testimony, and two have very bad testimonies. Yet - each of the 7 have ?Overcomers? in them! How encouraging!* *The Presbytery concept restored in 1948 featured or majored upon the ?Laying on of Hands? and Prophecy to set apart individuals in Christ?s body, with His particular and unique calling on their behalf.* *However - the Bible recounts a number of other functions that God uses the Presbytery for. In the Book of Ruth, Boaz through the witness of Presbytery, solved an ?Inheritance Problem?. In Acts 13:1-3 Presbytery or Eldership in the Gate of a City Church commissioned the first missionaries - Barnabas and Saul. In Acts 15 the serious doctrinal problem of solving the ?Judaizing Controversy? of the early church was solved. In Acts 6, the challenge of meeting the Jerusalem City Church need for 7 deacons was met. In the beginning, 7 deacons served the entire church of Jerusalem composed of scores and hundreds of local churches in the home. Plurality of Eldership in the beginning was on a City Church basis, not on the basis of a local church.* *James 5 indicates that the Eldership or Presbytery of a City Church could be called upon for a ?healing ministry? that was unique.* *It might be appropriate at this point to repeat an abbreviated study on ?church?, ek-kleSIa, 114 references, referring to those called out of a former state - ek, ?from or out of? and kaLEo, to call. I did this back in 1967. ?Church? appears 1x in Acts 7, referring to Israel as the church in the Wilderness; 14x as the church in a home, a local church, such as that of Aquila and Priscilla; 15x as the universal church of all time, composed of Jews and Gentiles; but - 81x as the City Church. 14x of this latter are contained in Revelation 2 & 3. The Holy Spirit invariably has His writers place emphasis by number of references upon that which He deems most important!* *A missionary from Brazil on one occasion told me: ?Jim, your vision for City Churches with an Eldership or Presbytery functioning in their Gates - appears Scriptural and valid. However, until God demonstrates this concept by seeing a functioning City Church and Presbytery restored, it won?t have too much effect. But once one such city church and Presbytery can be demonstrated, I can guarantee bringing leaders to visit it from some 40 countries. They will not only observe what God demonstrates in restoration power, but they will request bringing key leaders back home with them - to help them reduplicate this concept in the major cities of their nations!?* *Some of us in the State of Washington, believe that God is about to make such a restoration demonstration in one of its cities.* *May then we soon see a City Church composed of numbers of local churches - moving in unity with not only overcomers, but also a functioning Eldership or Presbytery in its Gate. As Jesus said, the gates or counsels of hell will not prevail against such a church that He builds! Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Aug 1 10:54:28 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 10:54:28 -0700 Subject: 2012-08-01 - "Church" - Word Study Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 1, 2012 *2012-07-31 - CHURCH - ek-kleSIa - 114x - A 7-FOLD NT PICTURE* *INTRO: There are 114 references to the word ?church? ek-kleSIa - in the NT. The word comes from ?ek? - ?from? or ?out of? + kaLEo, ?to call?. So - members in a true church - are those who have been ?called out of the world by God.? John 15:16 perhaps makes this clear as Jesus tells His 12 disciples that they had not chosen Him, but He had chosen them, and appointed them.* *THEME: Every believer should understand his status as a member of Christ?s church. Following are 7 of the 114 ?church? references. The complete definition requires all 114 references to be considered. Yet 7 typical references tend to reveal a fairly accurate understanding.* *1. MATTHEW 16:18 (16:13-20) JESUS? WORD ON HIS CHURCH. ?And I say unto you, that you are Peter, and upon this :rock I will build my :church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it? (NNT). *Note that the church is *not* ours - it belongs to Jesus! One will sometimes hear a leader refer to ?my church?. Not so! It belongs *only* to Jesus, and it is to be governed according to His Word, not human or denominational tradition. Jesus accused the Jews of His day of making void the Word of God according to their ?tradition?! - Peter is the surname Jesus gave Cephas. It means ?Little rock - PEtros?. But Jesus says *not* upon PEtros will He build His church - but upon ?peTRA? - a huge rock ledge. The Newfoundland Banks of the NE coast of North America is such a rock ledge (peTRA); smaller rocks (PEtros) may be found upon it. Jesus *Himself* is the chief corner stone of His Temple, with we as Living Stones built upon Him. The apostles and prophets are the foundation stones attached to Him, the Chief Corner Stone, tying it all together. In this light, I have difficulty accepting that Peter?s confession is the ?peTRA?. - The keys of the Kingdom Jesus give to Peter to bind and loose - must be understood in the light of the Greek ?Perfect Passive Participle?. In the Williams translation it reads this way: ?Whatever you bind on earth *must already have been bound in the mind of God in heaven*?. God is not our water-boy - we are His water-boy. We must walk sufficiently close to Him like George Muller did - to know His mind. Then we speak *His thoughts* on earth, and they are then bound and loosed down here! Jesus did not as Son of man speak *one word* that did not originate with His Father in heaven; nor did one miracle - but it was first shown to him as His Father?s mind. He was the perfect servant (DOUlos) to His Father. The 4 Servant Songs of Isaiah exactly foretell this spirit in God?s only-begotten Son! - This reference to ?church? in this verse is the *first* of 114 references. Those who teach pedagogy say that in ?the law of first reference? - we find *the definition* of a word. I have labored somewhat more on this reference - because I believe it is important that we sense what God would have us know of *His thinking* concerning this Word Study. *2. MATTHEW 18:15-17 (18:1-20) THE ONLY RULE FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH.* ?*And if your :brother sin, go, reprove him between you and him alone: if he hear you, you have gained your :brother. 16 But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word stand. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be to you as the Gentile and the publican.? *This is the second and third of the 114 references to the NT word *church*, the only times Jesus refers to this Word. - John Wesley calls these 3 verses: ?The Cure to Evil Speaking.? We are *not * to speak a critical word concerning any fellow church believer to anyone else, before we have *first* shared that word with *him*! To break this rule is to be guilty of *evil speaking*! If he does not hear us, then we take one or two more, and repeat our problem with him. *No other* plan than this will keep us free from evil speaking. If he will not hear the 2 or 3, then and then only can it be told to the *church* - the local church. In 1971 in Seattle under the leadership of Dennis Bennett and Derek Prince, 30 visiting Apostolic Teachers signed a pledge to handle *all* interpersonal problems in this way only! It brought tremendous revival. Over 1000 Seattle Metroplex citizens became believers that week, besides many healed, delivered and baptized in the Spirit. 50,000 attended meetings that week in June. It was front page news in both Seattle Dailies. - Is God interested in what we in the church do concerning Matthew 18:15-17, and this *first* rule Jesus gave to the church? Decidedly so! Unfortunately - it is the first rule most often broken. *3. EPHESIANS 5:32 (5:22-22) CHRIST AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO HIS CHURCH. **?This :mystery is great: but I speak **in regard** to Christ and the **church**.? *There are 3 other reference to ?church? in this context. The reference I have selected out of these 4 refer to the *Mystery* of the relationship ofChrist to His church, as illustrated by the relationship of a husband to his wife. Imagine - God has arranged to have the human marriage relationship to portray the divine relationship of Christ to His Heavenly Bride, His Church, the One New Man, His Temple, His Army - and many more analogies! - So - the marriage relationship is a *high* and *holy* calling. It is designed for a man and wife, *not* homosexual relationships! When nations slip to the level of legalizing what God calls an abomination - we are as a nation *not far* from the judgment of God. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember Gibeah and the tribe of Benjamin in the last part of the book of Judges! - The relationship of Christ and His Church is termed by the apostle Paul as *A Mystery*! There are 27 mysteries listed in the NT, and this is one of the high ones. God chose Paul to receive understanding of NT mysteries, and for 3 years following his conversion, Jesus in the desert taught him these - plus much more. What the 12 disciples received in 3 years from Jesus prior to Pentecost - Paul received in 3 years *after* Pentecost, and no other apostle had such understanding in these mysteries for the Gentile part of the Church, the One New Man. *4. EPHESIANS 1:22 (1:15-2:10) JESUS: HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH! ?And he (the Father) put all things in subjection under his :feet, and gave him for a head over all things to the church.? *God the Father has set forth His only-begotten Son in the highest light in this portion of Scripture - and related it all to Jesus? relationship to the *Church*! *He* is the Head. And the *Church* is His spiritual body, of which *we* are members in particular - or individually. What a High and Holy Calling we have in Jesus! *5. EPHESIANS 3:10 (3:1-13) THE CHURCH: GOD?S CHANNEL TO TEACH SATAN WISDOM! God created all things - ?in order that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenlies be made known through the church the manifest wisdom of :God.? *Ephesians is accounted by most as containing the highest portrayal of church truth. I am one of those many. There are 7 pictures in Ephesians that are analyses of our relationship to Jesus Christ! No other NT letter comes up to this level. (The Book of Revelation is not classified with the 21 NT letters). - I like to link the book of Romans with Passover; Ephesians with Pentecost; and the two letters to the Thessalonian church to Tabernacles and the Return of our Lord. To master Ephesians and its unique insight to the church should be a ?must? for each one of us. When I had a choice in 1945 to outline my first NT book in the light of my discovery of Bible Numerics through Ivan Panin - I chose the Book of Ephesians for this purpose. I wondered if I touched ground when I walked for the next week! I was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at the time. *6. 1 CORINTHIANS 16:19 (16:19-24) CITY CHURCHES PLUS A CHURCH IN THE HOME. ?The churches of :Asia salute you. Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, with the church in their house.? *Here we see in one verse a contrast between two types of churches. - Later we will consider the 7 City Churches of Asia, first in an Outlined Overview - and then in the 7th reference to church in this particular study. - But the 14 local churches - or churches in the home are what make up the one church in a city. It is composed of many local churches, which in the beginning had but one elder in each such church. The plurality of Eldership was then ?city?, not local. It is obvious that mega-churches need to adapt such principles - yet in China, intensive persecution has pushed them back to the beginning syndrome! *7. REVELATION 1:4 (1:4-7) THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA. ?John to the seven churches in :Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits :before his :throne.? *There are 7 City Churches referred to in this book, and in chapters 2 and 3 are referred to 14 times by the word ?church?, ek-kl*e*SIa. How many local churches in each of these 7 city churches? We are not told. But insofar as local churches met in homes in that day, they would not number too many members - and a city church like Ephesus that evangelized the entire area of Asia Minor, modern Turkey, - must have had scores if not hundreds of local churches in the home. Paul spent 3 years there, and then placedTimothy as the Apostolic City pastor in his place when he move d on. He did the same with Titus in Crete, and trusted him to appoint elders in each city church, one for each church in the home. *CONCLUSION: * These are difficult concepts for us today, because of the change that human denominational traditions have brought into the church. We tend to interpret the NT in the light of our present situation. That we cannot do! We must let the Bible mean what *it* wants to mean, and God say what *He* wants to say. The two are not the same. Since 1946 I have steeled myself to read the NT in this light. Check out our paper on the Revelation 2 and 3 Outlined-Overview to see a somewhat normal interpretation of these 7 City Churches of Asia Minor. See John Dawson?s ?Taking Your Cities for God? for added insights on this subject. - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Aug 2 12:58:30 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 12:58:30 -0700 Subject: 1 Peter 4:7-11 - Outline/Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 2, 2012 * * *2012-08-01 - 1 Peter 4:7-11 - Survey XI - THE MINISTRY OF END-TIME GIFTS* *These ministries and spiritual gifts are ?imperatives? in the Aoristtense, requiring obedience at a given point of time, and continuance in the same. ?But the end of all things is nigh; be therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayers: 8 above all being fervent in your :love among yourselves; for love covers a multitude of sins; 9 hospitable one to another without murmuring: 10 according as each has received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any speaks - as if oracles of God; if any ministers - as of the strength which :God supplies: that in all things :God be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion unto the ages of the ages. Amen? (NNT).* *1. SOUND MIND - so-phroNEo from SOzo* + PHREN* - 6 (128) references* *- to save + the mind, denotes ?of sound mind?, hence self-controlled.* *- the exercise of that self-restraint that governs all passions and desires, enabling conformity to the mind of Christ, Philippians 4:8.* *- ?Sound judgment?, practically expresses the meaning.* *- Habitual inner self-government, with its constant rein on all the passions and desires, which would hinder the temptation to these from arising, or at all events from arising in such strength as would overbear the checks and barriers which aiDOS (shamefacedness) opposed to it.* *2. PRAYERS - EUcho-mai* - 35 (132 references)* *- See Survey VI.8 for ?prayer definition?; Survey XIV for ?prayer pattern?. * *- SOBER - NEpho* - 6 (11) references.* *- Metaphorically does not in itself imply watchfulness, but is associated with it, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13, 4:7, 5:8.* *- Prayer requires importunity, Luke 1:11, 18:1-8; Daniel 10.* *3. Fervent in LOVE. aGApe from a-gaPAo* - 116 (320) references* *- See Survey III.1, IX.1, XII.8, for definition of love.* *- FERVENT - ek-teNES from TEIno* - 2 (52) references.* *Metaphorically, not relaxing in effort; acting in a right spirit!* *- COVERS - kaLUPto* - 8 (70) references. Sons of Noah.* *- SINS - ha-marTIa, ha-marTAno* - 173 (270) references.* *- The most comprehensive term for moral deviation (or obliquity).* *- An inward principle producing acts; a governing principle of power; concrete wrong-doing; a sinful deed.* *4. HOSPITABLE. phiLOxe-nos from XEnos - 3 (32) references* *- PHIlos, loving; XEnos, a stranger; to show love to; entertain.* *- Qualification for elders, 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:8; others, Hebrews 13:2, Romans 12:13.* *- MURMURING - gog-gusMOS, gogGUzo* - 4 (15) references.* *- Muttering, grumbling: believers are warned against it, 1 Corinthians 10:10.* *- Displeasure or complaining (more privately than in public), Acts 6:1.* *5. Steward of GIFT. CHAris-ma from CHAIro* - 17 (401) references* *- CHAris-ma is the word of ?gifts of the Spirit?. Survey II.4.* *- MINISTER - di-a-koNEo from KOnis* - 37 (109) references.* *- STEWARD - oi-koNOmos from OIkos* + NEmo, 10 (420) references.* *- The management or administration of God?s interests.* *- Used of preachers, teachers, elders or bishops, 1 Corinthians 4:1, Titus 1:7.* *- Obligation of all believers to manifest gifts of Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12, 14.* *- GRACE - CHAris from CHAIro* - 156 (401) references.* *6. ORACLES of God. LOgi-on from eREo* - 4 (4076) references* *- Divine oracles were given by the High Priest through Urim and Thummim, contained in Breastplate of Judgment, Exodus 28:15. Proverbs 6:20-23 is the spiritual counterpart for each believer, Romans 8:14.* *- Each believer through prophesy and the Word of Knowledge, can have a divine response, utterance, or oracle, 1 Corinthians 14:26, 31.* *- SPEAK - laLEo* - 295 (326) references.* *7. Ministry ABILITY. isCHUS from Echo* - 11 (1081) references* *- Strength afforded by power of God upon believers, Ephesians 1:19, 6:10.* *- Full extent of the power wherewith we are to love God, Luke 10:27.* *- Visible expression of the inherent Personal power of Christ, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.* *- MINISTER - See #5 above - Members of Christ?s body to minister to body, Romans 12.* *- SUPPLIES - cho-reGEo from choROS* + Ago - 2 (10) references.* *- For God?s GLORY - doXAzo from DEcho-mai* - 62 (939) references.* *NOTE**: *The above 7 points are words from the Spirit through the apostle Peter to guide believers how to treat one another in the light of the * soon-return* of Jesus. One might ask - ?Soon Return?? Yes - Soon Return!, because with God 1000 years is as a day, and a day as 1000 years. From God?s point of view, since Jesus? Ascension to heaven 2000 years ago, it is but *two days*! And He is to return the third day, which is *right now* - but a blink of the eye! In 1946-48 I was student speaker for the IVCF (Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship) of the University of Saskatchewan, of some 100 students. Near the beginning of this period, I felt led to present to them these 7 points from 1 Peter 4:7-11. They had made a deep impression upon me, and burnt themselves into my soul. According to the testimony of many of the students, they shared with me the strong emphasis of the Holy Spirit. I am sure the Spirit wants for us today as believers, to be likewise impressed, and to walk in them on behalf of one another. I have linked this passage with the tribe of Manasseh, the older son of Joseph as next to Pharaoh in Egypt. Manasseh means ?Forgetfulness?, for his birth caused Joseph to forget the bitterness of what his 10 half-brothers did to him. Forgiveness is the number one ingredient we must exercise - to make use of the counseling that a Manasseh can give us. And when we exercise all the above 7 ingredients on behalf of one another, we can walk a walk of victory, joy and overcoming! And just think - to walk in the light of the Soon Return of Jesus, the Blessed Hope - is to *loose* these 7 points to work in our lives! It is now 66 years later from the time God first quickened this passage to me - and it still returns to me with the impression - ?Yes - it is *Your* will Father - that I and all fellow-believers walk in these truths. Jim Watt *P.S. *These 18 Greek Word Overview-Outlines can be meditated upon in the light of George Muller?s article from his autobiography - ?Soul Nourishment First?. God showed Mr. Muller that his *first* obligation each day is to make his soul happy and peaceful - by first meditating on His Word before spending time in prayer. Let the Word-meditation lead to prayer, intercession, correction etc. The soon publication of God?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will *greatly* help in this direction. Check out * *for information and to order. To check the Interlinear out ahead-of-time, see our Website *< www.2rbetter.org>* and click on ?Interlinear?. There you will find the entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT? in a ?before-proof-reading? format, with my personal notes on the some 500 reading. God allowed Ivan Panin to discover the Bible Numeric Phenomenon in 1890, and I have used the two texts he spent a life-time preparing. J. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Aug 3 10:18:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 10:18:53 -0700 Subject: 2 Peter 1:5-7 - Word Study Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 3, 2012 *2012-08-03 - Survey XII - 2 PETER 1:5-7 - THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES* b. 1:5-7 SEVEN CONDITIONS TO MAINTAIN THE PROMISES *Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence,* kai, auTO TOUto de spouD*E*N [4710] PAsan pa-rei-seNEGkan-tes [3923], *in your :**faith** supply :**virtue**;* e-pi-cho-r*e*G*E*sa-te [2023] en t*e* PIStei [4102] huM*O*N t*e*n a-reT*E*N [703]; *and in :virtue :knowledge; 6 and in :knowledge :self-control;* en de t*e* a-reT*E* t*e*n GN*O*sin [1108]; en de t*e* GN*O*sei t*e*n egKRAtei-an [1466]; *and in :self-control :patience; and in :patience :godliness;* en de t*e* eg-kraTEIa t*e*n hu-po-moN*E*N [5281]; en de t*e* hu-po-moN*E* t* e*n euSEbei-an [2150]; 7* and in :godliness **brotherly :kindness**; and in **your **brotherly :kindness :**love**. * en de t*e* eu-seBEIa t*e*n phi-la-delPHIan [5360]; en de t*e*phi-la-delPHIa t *e*n aGAp*e*n [26]. *Peter outlines the steps that lead to stability, character, and fruitfulness. This survey is based on and intertwined with ?Foundation Truths from Hebrews 6:1-2?.* *1. FAITH. PIStis from PEItho* - 244 (711) references* *- A general disposition to know and to do the will of God.* *- Rests in God Himself, Christ or things spiritual.* *- A reliance upon God, not mere credence. See Abraham, Romans 4:16-22.* *- Contrast this with 1 Corinthians 12:9 (a gift), Galatians 5:22 (fruit), Ephesians 4:5 (unity), Ephesians 6:16 (armor), Hebrews 6:1 (a foundation), Revelation 3:7-13 (Philadelphia: model church)* *2. VIRTUE. a-reTE* - 5 references* *- See 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:3; Philippians 4:8.* *- Whatever procures pre-eminent estimation for a person or thing; hence, intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue.* *- Virtue deals with the impression made on others: Daniel, Joseph.* *3. KNOWLEDGE. GNOsis from giNOsko* - 29 (448) references* *- Primarily a seeking to know, an inquiry, investigation.* *- In the NT, knowledge, especially of spiritual truth.* *- Solomon exhorts us to seek knowledge and wisdom.* *- This is knowledge of perception, following faith.* *4. SELF-CONTROL. eg-KRAtei-a from KRAtos* - 4 (102) references* *- The right use of the powers of God bestowed by God upon man demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God, Galatians 5:17. See Paul (1 Corinthians 9:27).* *- Self-control is man?s response to God?s claim (Acts 24:25).* *- What is learned required to be put into practice (2 Peter 1:6).* *5. PATIENCE. hu-po-moNE from MEno* - 32 (210) references.* *- Literally, an abiding under, or patience. See Job.* *- Grows only in trials (James 1:3); often passive endurance (Luke 21:19).* *- Exercise it when chastened by God for our good.* *- Patience perfects Christian character (James 1:4).* *- A condition for reigning with Christ (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 1:9).* *6. GODLINESS. eu-SEbei-a from SEbo-mai* - 15 (64) references* *- Like Elijah: a Godward attitude, well-pleasing to Him.* *- It is manifested in actions of power: ?If I be a man of God ...?* *- This word appears four times in 2 Peter: 1:3, 6, 7, 3:11.* *7. BROTHERLY KINDNESS. phi-la-delPHIa from PHIlos* - 6 (110) references* *- Like John demonstrated the love of tender affection.* *- It cherishes the object above all else; high veneration, John 21:15-17.* *- BROTHERLY. phi-la-delPHIa, from delPHUS* - 6 (381) references.* *- Found also in 1 Peter 1:22, Romans 12:10, 1Thessalonians 4:9, Hebrews 13:1, an adjective in 1 Peter 3:8* *8. LOVE. aGApe from a-gaPAo* - 116 (320) references* *- Love is to be exercised between believers, as Christ loved!* *- Love is the characteristic word of Christianity. NT meaning is distinctive from Greek literature and the Septuagint.* *- Love can be known only from the actions it prompts. See John 3:16.* *- Not an impulse of feelings, nor natural inclinations (Romans 5:5).* *NOTE**: Success and fruitfulness are sure, if with diligence we will give ourselves to the above. Faith is released by these 7 graces. **Many Bible listings of 7 - are able to be linked. For instance, numbers have seen that the 7 pieces of Tabernacle Furniture can be linked with these 7 graces of 2 Peter that are added to ?Faith?. The 7 Creative Days of Genesis and the 7 gifts of Romans 12:6-8 have likewise been linked by many.* *Those who have made such linkages, have discovered - that for them - these Bible Truths have become more living.* *However - for me - I have discovered that simple meditation upon such natural Bible series - in the light of George Muller?s ?Soul Nourishment First? - have given me the greater blessing. I remember Psalm19:14 which God quickened to me the year of my conversion in 1944; and Psalm 1 which He had me memorize as a boy of 8 - and how these along with Joshua 1:8 have led me to plumb ever deeper the depths of Bible Meditation.* *I find too that to use the ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? as a tool for meditation - likewise increases the blessing that comes from meditation. - Jesus as the Son of Man knew the Bible thoroughly through memorization and meditation. Even at the age of 12 at His Bar Mitzvah, He astonished the Jewish scribes and Pharisees with His answers and questions.* *Out of the 18 or so natural New Testament series, this one here in 2 Peter 1:5-7 - is a key one. We all need to seize upon it, and milk as it were from it - all the goodness that it contains. May God bless us each one as we do so --- Jim Watt.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Aug 4 09:35:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2012 09:35:14 -0700 Subject: Romans 12:6-8 - Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 4, 2012 *2012-08-03 - Romans 12:6-8 - GIFTS FOR ALL BELIEVERS* c. 12:6-8 MINISTER ACCORDING TO PROPORTION OF FAITH *And having gifts differing according to the grace :given us,* Echon-tes de chaRISma-ta [5486] kaTA t*e*n CHArin t*e*n doTHEIsan h*e*MIN diApho-ra [1313], *whether prophecy, prophesy according to the proportion of :faith;* EIte pro-ph*e*TEIan [4394], kaTA t*e*n a-na-loGIan [356] t*e*s PIste-*o*s; 7* or ministry, attend to the ministry; who teaches, to the teaching;* EIte di-a-koNIan, en t*e* di-a-koNIa [1248]; EIte ho diDASk*o*n [1321], en t *e* di-da-skaLIa; *8 or who exhorts, to the exhorting: who gives, be it with liberality;* EIte ho pa-ra-kaL*O*N [3870], en t*e* pa-raKL*E*sei: ho me-ta-diDOUS, en haPLOt*e*-ti; *who rules, with diligence; who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.* ho pro-i-STAme-nos [4291], en spouD*E* [4710]; ho e-le*O*N [1653], en hi-laROt*e*-ti [2432]. *1. PROPHECY. pro-pheTEIa from eREo* - 19 (4076) references* *- proPHEtes - a prophet - 149 NT references.* *- pro-pheTEIa - a prophecy - 19 references.* *- pro-pheTEUo - to prophesy - 28 references.* *- pro-phe-tiKOS - prophetic - 2 references.* *- proPHEtis - prophetess - 2 references.* *- The above 5 parts of speech come from John Stegenga?s ?Greek-English Analytical Concordance of the Greek-English NT.? My copy is dated 1963, and I purchased it in 1967. It gives a scientific break-down of all root words, with the various prepositional prefixes. 1619 root words are listed.* *- Note that those who prophesy, will vary according to their proportion of faith!* *2. MINISTRY. di-a-koNIa from KOnis - 34 (109) references* *- diAko-nos - Servants, ministers, deacons - 31 references.* *- di-a-koNEo - to serve or minister - 37 references.* *- di-a-koNIa - service, ministration, ministry, office - 34 references.* *- This is a worthy gift to follow up on that of Prophecy!* *3. TEACHING. di-da-skaLIa from diDAsko* - 21 (220) references* *- Doctrine, teaching, learning. One verse of ?Onward Christian Soldiers? reads: ?We are not divided - All one body we - One in Faith and Doctrine - one in Charity.?* *- The faith and doctrine or teaching - when in unity in a City Church, give us a basis for real revival. And we note that ?charity? or love (aGApe) gives us our 3-fold context!* *- Paul exhorts church members to doubly honor elders in a church with a ?teaching? ministry.* *4. EXHORTING. pa-raKLEsei from kaLEo* - 29 (520) references* *- This is translated in the following manner in other parallel references: comfort, consolation, exhortation.* *- In John 14:26, 15:26; 16:7 it refers to the Holy Spirit - as the Comforter! But here it appears under the part of speech as ?paRAkle-tos? - yet appearing under the same family of words or cognates.* *- So - he or she who has the gift of exhortation - is moving under the same spirit as the Holy Spirit.* *What a high calling! Jesus was very careful to point out in John 14-16 the High Calling of the Holy Spirit.* *5. GIVING. me-ta-diDOnai from DIdo-mi* - 5 (694) references.* *- It is rendered to give or impart in other NT references.* *- Notice how the Holy Spirit through Paul suggests that we follow through with this ?gift of giving? - it is to be ?with liberality?!* *- LIBERALITY. haPLOte-ta from PLOos - 8 (17) references.* *- It has other NT meanings - as bountifulness, simplicity, liberally.* *- To read 2 Corinthians 8-9 is to see a City Church example of such hilarious giving.* *- In the 60?s and 70?s, the ?Medical Sisters? sang -* *God loves a cheerful giver - Give all you?ve got -* *He loves to hear you laughing - When you?re in an awkward spot!* *When the odds add up against you - It?s time to shout and sing!* *Praise God - To praise Him is a joyful thing!* *6. RULING. pro-i-STAme-nos from HIste-mi* - 8 (647) references* *- One that rules; one who is over; one who maintains.* *- And how is one with this gift to rule? It has parallel meanings of carefulness; care; earnest care; business.* *- In 1 Timothy and Titus, the Holy Spirit through Paul shows that a father who rules his family with diligence, has fulfilled one very strong condition to be chosen as a local church elder!* *7. SHOWS MERCY. e-leEo from Ele-os* - 31 (78) references* *- One who shows mercy; has pity on; has compassion on.* *- And how should such a one manifest this gift?* *- With CHEERFULNESS. hi-laROtes from hi-laROS* 1 (2) references.* *- It is possible to show mercy in a begrudging spirit. This is the wrongway to manifest this 7 th gift!* *NOTE**: Books have been written on these 7 gifts, and seminars have been held reaching 1000?s on this subject. This is **not a series to be neglected.* *One key gift of these seven will be given by the Spirit to each believer. Under it some of the 9 gifts of the Spirit from 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 will serve as an undergirding. Each believer should receive help from his family, cell group or local church to ascertain which of the 7 - is hisleading gift. He has all 7, but the key gift will color the other 6. * *These 7 gifts go along with the 12 temperaments. These in turn are linked with the 12 tribes of Israel. It is helpful for us to ascertain which of these we have been linked with. It most decidedly helped me when I finally made this discovery.* *The Temperaments are made up from the 4 Gospels. Jesus perfectly and in balance manifested all 4. None of us are like that, but we do have all 4 in a percentage. The top two let us know which tribe of Israel we are linked with. A Judah (Matthew/John) is the lion; a Dan (John/Matthew - an eagle); Reuben (Luke/Mark - a man); an Ephraim (Mark/John, an ox) - these are the 4 leading temperaments, and were over the 4 leaders of the other 8 tribes of Israel. See Numbers chapter 2.* *Put these together with the 7 Romans 12:6-8 Gifts, and one can see how the Holy Spirit can use such a member in Christ?s body. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Aug 4 12:33:24 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2012 12:33:24 -0700 Subject: Layman's Interlinear Greek NT Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *August 4, 2012* *2012-08-04 - Transliterated Greek ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament?* *To Readers with formal education in the Greek Text.* *I appreciate your problem, and for all who formally took Greek in Bible College or Seminary as I have done.* *But as we are well aware, over 90% of Bible students have not had this privilege. And through the Greek transliteration - they can pick up painlessly a considerable amount of Greek vocabulary, and learn how to make greater use of Strong?s Concordance, especially his ?Greek Dictionary of the New Testament?. * *I have used the ?Berlitz? method of transliteration for our text. The 3 types of Greek accents are capitalized, with consonants starting each syllable.* *So this Interlinear is designed for Laymen, not Greek students and scholars* *The Lord willing, we will be publishing the normal type of Interlinear for Greek students and scholars, and I am fully in favor for this being done.* *However - a number of Greek students and scholars have informed me, that as they are using the E-book format for this Outlined Interlinear NT, they are now picking up the transliteration with distinct blessing.* *Back in the 60?s I typed up the entire English text of Ivan Panin, and copied by hand in Greek his Bible Numeric text, outlining them both according to his discovery of the Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph structure.* *I had to await the computer age to put this Interlinear on a laptop. There are some 20 divergences for this text and the normal format for a Greek NT interlinear.* *I apologize for this, but a friend and scholar is already preparing for the publication of the normal format for a Greek Interlinear.* *I have become so accustomed to the Berlitz method of transliteration, that I now move freely between this and the regular Greek text. I do not urge others to do the same, but numbers are following my example without being aware of it.* *So bless all those of you who have shared with me your difficulty in handling the above transliteration. All I can say is - hang in there - and hopefully we will provide for scholars the classical type of a Greek Interlinear New Testament.* *Your friend - Jim Watt* *P.S. - The above Interlinear text is about to be published. You can find out the date and ordering information from . I understand it will be coming out in E-book under Kindle or a like publisher. JW* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 08:32:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2012 08:32:49 -0700 Subject: Revelation 5:11-12 - Word Study Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 6, 2012 *REV 5:11-12 - Overview - 2012-08-04 - THE DECLARATION OF MANY ANGELS* e. 5:11-12 THE DECLARATION OF MANY ANGELS *And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels* kai EIdon, kai *E*kou-sa ph*o*N*E*N agGEl*o*n POLl*o*n *round the throne and the living beings and the elders;* KUKl*o* [2943] tou THROnou kai t*o*n Z*O*-*o*n kai t*o*n pres-buTEr*o*n; *and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands,* kai *e*n ho a-rithMOS [706] auT*O*N mu-riAdes [3463] mu-riAd*o*n, *and thousands of thousands; *12* saying with a great voice,* kai chi-liAdes [5507] chi-liAd*o*n; LEgon-tes ph*o*N*E* meGAl*e*, *Worthy is the Lamb :slain to receive the power,* A-xiON [514] es-tin to arNIon [721] to es-phagMEnon [4969] laBEIN t*e*n DUna-min, *and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.* kai PLOUton, kai soPHIan, kai isCHUN, kai tiM*E*N [5092]*,* kai DOxan, kai eu-loGIan. *1. POWER. DUna-mis from DUna-mai* - 120 (392) references* *- Other translations - power, ability, virtue, might work, miracle, meaning, strength, violence.* *- Our English word ?dynamite? comes from this Greek word.* *- After Jesus fasted and prayed 40 days and was tempted 3 times by Satan, He returned in the ?Power? - DUna-mis - of the Spirit. And when the woman with an issue of blood touched Him, He felt ?Power? - DUna-mis - leave Him.* *2. RICHES. PLOUtos* - 22 (69) references* *- A. PLOUtos - riches, 22 times.* *- B. PLOUsi-os - rich, 28 times.* *- C. plouSIos - adverb, richly, abundantly, 4 times.* *- D. plouTEo - waxed rich, were made rich, increased with goods, 12 times.* *- E. plouTIzo - are enriched, being enriched, making - rich, 3 times.* *- Let us meditate on what the Holy Spirit will reveal concerning the richesof Jesus. * *3. WISDOM. soPHIa from soPHOS* - 51 (79) references* *- Our English word ?philosopher? comes from (PHIlos + soPHIa, soPHOS*) - human lover of wisdom. Jesus was not on this level - He was on the level of Divine Love of wisdom, aGApe!* *- And - see what God has made Jesus to be to us! ?But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who bacame to us both wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption? (1 Corinthians 1:30). This is a most powerful verse! How the Holy Spirit will love to teach us as we meditatehere! * *- Proverbs 8-9 major on wisdom - and point to the pre-incarnate Jesus as being Wisdom!* *4. MIGHT. isCHUS from Echo* - 11 (1081) references.* *- Strength, power, might - synonyms.* *- See 2 Thessalonians 1:9 - ?Who shall suffer punishment, eternal destruction from the Lord?s face, and from the glory of his might, 10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints!? Here we learn that the punishment of Christ?s enemies and our resurrection take place at the same time. It is interesting to note that the word ?saints? comes from ?CHEsed? - the covenant love of God. ?Cha-saDIM? is the OT term for us. The above notes can be found in Strong?s ?Greek Dictionary of the NT.?* *5. HONOR. tiME from TIo* - 43 (169) references.* *- Synonyms for Honor: price, precious, sum, honor.* *- From Strong?s ?Greek Dictionary of the NT? - ?the preciousness of Christ unto believers, 1 Peter 2:7, i.e., the honor and inestimable value of Christ as appropriated by believers, who are joined, as living stones, to Him the cornerstone.* *- It is impossible for us to fully understand the inestimable honor of Christ to us!* *6. GLORY. DOxa from DEcho-mai* - 168 (939) references* *- Synonyms: Glory, worship, honor, praise, glorious.* *- It proclaims the character and ways of God as exhibited through Christin and through believers! * *- The brightness or splendor emanating from God (as in the shekinah?glory,? in the pillar of cloud and in the Holy of Holies. In John 17 Christ tells how He shared this glory with His Father in His pre-incarnate state.* *- It is used of Christ?s return, ?the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ? (Titus 2:13).* *- We need to immerse ourselves in this revelation, and regulary meditateupon it. * *7. BLESSING. eu-loGIa from eREo - 16 (4076) references* *- Synonyms - blessing, bountifully, fair speech.* *- It is used of God and Christ; of the invocation of blessings, benediction; of the giving of thanks; of a blessing, a benefit bestowed; of a monetary gift sent to needy believers.* *- We can never bless our Lord Jesus Christ enough. We can always feed on the merits of Calvary - the ?finished work? of Jesus - who gave His all for us! This is our way of blessing Him, who is worthy. And when we bless Jesus, we are blessing the Father.* *NOTE**: **It is just recently that Revelation 5:11-12 - with its 7-fold ascription to praise - came to my attention. I have been meditating upon it quite regularly, and felt impressed to set it up on an ?Outlined? format, for others to make use of it also.* *As I was praying over it, and seeking who to find as a Bible character to link it with, the only one that came clearly to me was ?Joseph?, the 11thson of Jacob. It was not that I find him a perfect man, but there are a number of significant parallels between his life and that of our Lord. Look him up in almost any ?Study Bible?, and you will find dozens of these parallels listed. Casually, any one of us can list up to a dozen: they both started their ministries at the age of 30; they were both rejected for a time by their brethren; they were both sold for silver, etc.* *But perhaps the most blessed aspect of this study, is to realize that we are the spiritual body of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are His ?One New Man? composed of Jew and Gentile alike. All that Jesus is, He pours into us until we are conformed to His image as laid out in Ephesians 5:22-33.* *For those of us who have a Strong?s ?Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible?, we can turn to his ?Greek Dictionary of the New Testament? - and there we can find very helpful insights on any Greek word in the New Testament. I have made excellent use of this over the years.* *But above all else - studies like the above lead themselves to Bible Meditation in the order of George Muller - who found that putting ?Soul Nourishment First? - completely transformed his life. It can do the same for us too - for God is no respecter of persons. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Aug 7 09:28:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2012 09:28:31 -0700 Subject: 2012-08-07 - Sermon on Mount + Word Studies Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 7, 2012 *MATTHEW 4:17-7:29 - TEACHING OF JESUS: SERMON ON MOUNT * *l. 4:23 (4:17-25) KINGDOM PATTERN. ?And he went about in all :Galilee, teaching in their :synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every infirmity among the people? (NNT). *What you started in Your Son Jesus, Father, continue on through His Body, the One New Man, of both Jew and Gentile. Now perfect it in us, Your last day saints!* Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 5:9 (5:1-16) KINGDOM MATURITY. ?Blessed the peace-doers, for THEY shall be called sons of God.? ** Maturity* as in *sons*! Bringing *many sons * into *glory! *This is Your purpose and goal in us, Father!* Your :kingdom come.* *3. 5:19 (5:17-48) KINGDOM HEART. ?Whoso therefore shall break one of these the least :commandments, and shall teach :men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoso shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.? *Provision comes to Your saints, Father, as we walk in the words of Your Son Jesus, and teach them. *Your :will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 6:14-15 (6:1-18) KINGDOM MOTIVATION. ?For if you forgive :men their :trespasses, your :heavenly :Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you forgive not :men their :trespasses, neither will your :Father forgive your :trespasses.? *O Father, we hear Your desire. We would be giving, praying and fasting saints. We would have Your purposes motivate us. We would be forgiving people that You might always be able to forgive us our sins. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 6:33 (6:19-34) KINGDOM PROVISION. ?But seek you first his :kingdom, and :righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.? *Father, we bid anxious thought to flee! We welcome the renewal of our mind according to Your word. We put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and know that we can completely trust You always to do the best for us! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 7:12 (7:1-12) KINGDOM RELATIONSHIPS. ?All things therefore whatever you would that :men should do to you, thus do you also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.? *Father, evermore let this spirit grip our hearts! Write this condition of blessing upon our hearts! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 7:13-14 (7:13-29) KINGDOM PATHWAY. ?Enter you by the narrow gate: for wide and spacious is the way that leads unto the destruction, and many are they that enter thereby. 14 Because narrow the gate, and straitened the way that leads unto the life, and few are they that find it.? *Father, we would not be deceived concerning the way of Your Kingdom. According to men like H. A. Baker, George Muller, Oswald Chambers and Rees Howells -- we are going to be surprised to truly understand Your thinking on the above. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: **1. KINGDOM - ba-siLEIa [Strong?s #932] from ba-siLEUS* - 161 (314) references* *- The Gospel of the Kingdom is God?s Kingdom, and is God?s Good News!* *- And - Jesus and His Finished Work and Resurrection is the Gospel, the Good News!* *- Note that in Acts 8:35, ?And :Philip opened his :mouth, and beginning from this :scripture, preached the gospel to him, :Jesus.? We cannot separate God?s Kingdom, the Good News, Jesus, and the Gospel. They are allof one. And it was Jesus in Matthew 4:23 that begin His Ministry by preaching the Good News of the Kingdom - concerning Himself! According to Isaiah, Jesus is also the New Covenant, for this New Covenant was and is - in His blood. This is the fulfillment of Leviticus 1-7 and the 5 Levitical sacrifices that Hefulfilled. * *- E. Stanley Jones in his ?The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person? brings out Kingdom teaching in a very clear manner. Bob Mumford highly recommended this book, and so do I. It has recently been reprinted by two different sources.* *2. PEACE-DOERS. ei-re-no-poiOI [1518] from poiEo* + eREo* - 2 (4076) references* *- Jesus is the chief peace-maker - Colossians 1:20 (1:1-23) ?and through him to reconcile :all things unto him, having made peace through the blood of his cross.? This is one of the most profound theological statements of the Bible; bringing together reconciliation, making peace, and the blood. Believers graduate from children to sons, when they reach the peace-maker stage of the Beatitudes.* *3. COMMANDMENTS. en-toLE [1785] from TELlo* - 71 (112) references.* *- Our position in the Kingdom of heavens - depends on whether we keep or break God?s commandments. We become least in His Kingdom for consistently breaking them. See Jeremiah and other OT prophets for more insights.* *4. FORGIVE. Aphes [863] from eiMI* - 145 (2723) references.* *- A forgiving spirit is a key to victorious Christian living.* *- In the Lord?s Prayer of Matthew 6:5-15, Forgiveness is the only one of the 7 commands that is repeated. In 6:14-15 this is clearly spelled out the second time by Jesus.* *- I met a woman in Chicago - sick - not receiving healing - who said she would rather go to hell than forgive her husband!* *- Inner Healing as much as outward healing - is dependent upon a forgiving spirit - to receive relief.* *5. RIGHTEOUSNESS. du-kai-oSUne from DEcho-mai* - 92 (939) references.* *- Note how the Spirit here links God's Kingdom and **His righteousness** **as conditions for answered prayer! Some think outer religious duties are sufficient to please God. **Not so**! We must let the **Holy** Spirit** **live out His holy, righteous life through us!* *- George Muller had 2000 orphans a day to meet needs of food, clothing, shelter, education and training for future jobs, plus the needs of their leaders and helpers. He also had some 150 missionaries he supported, mostly from the China Inland Mission; plus schools both local and foreign; plus Bible and tracts etc. And - **not once** did human beings know of the needs t**hat amounted to $7** ? **million** **prior to 1900. 50,000 specific answers to prayer are recorded in a financial manner. Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur, India followed his example, supporting 1000 orphans. Pandita Ramabai of the Mukti Mission in Puna, India also, and Lillian Trasher, the Nile Mother.* *6. DO. **poiE**o*** **[4160]** - 575 (644) references* *- We as believers need to pay close attention to this word - given to us by the Holy Spirit. What we wish men to **do** to us - the condition is - that **we** **do** to them! This is the ?Golden Rule?. This is the very heart of the ?Sermon on the Mount?.* *- I have had the Holy Spirit emphasize to me the third condition God gave to Joshua in 1:8. The Book of the Torah was **not** to depart out of his mouth; he is to **meditate** on it **day and night**; these two conditions became for him the basis of **doing** these two things! Then the two wonderful promises follow.* *- But according to Hebrews 8:6 as illuminated by Dr. David Stern - God has **constituted** the entire New Testament as **Torah** - and we as New Covenant believers are to meditate on **it**, as Joshua meditated on the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of Moses. See our New Testament Outlines, and Greek Word Study Overview-Outlines - as helps in this.* *7. GATE. PUl**e*** **[4439]** - 10 (28) references* *- H.A. Baker in his book ?Visions Beyond the Veil? tells how the little Chinese Orphans used this verse again and again after they had received these extraordinary visions. Most people do **not** choose this narrow gate to ?eternal life?, but follow the ?broad way? unto eternal perdition. Jesus uses a different Greek Word to signify Himself as the Door to the true sheep. False shepherds try to get in another way.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Aug 8 10:36:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 10:36:49 -0700 Subject: Romans 5:3-5 - Greek Word Study Overview Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 8, 2012 *2012-08-06 - ROMANS 5:3-5 - TRIBULATION BLESSING - UGWS* b. 5:3-6 FURTHER BLESSINGS THAT FLOW FROM THE SPIRIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS *And not only so, but let us also rejoice in :tribulations: * ou MOnon de, alLA kai kauCH*O*me-tha en tais THLIpse-sin [2347]: *knowing that :tribulation works patience;* eiDOtes HOti h*e* THLIpsis hu-po-moN*E*N [5281] ka-terGAze-tai [2716]; 4* and patience, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:* h*e* de hu-po-moN*E*, do-kiM*E*N [1382]; h*e* de do-kiM*E*, elPIda [1680]: 5* and :hope puts not to shame; because the love of :God has been shed abroad* h*e* de elPIS ou ka-taisCHUnei [2617]; HOti h*e* aGAp*e* [26] tou TheOU ekKEchu-tai [1632] *in our :hearts through the Holy Spirit :given us:* en tais karDIais h*e*M*O*N diA PNEUma-tos HaGIou tou doTHENtos [1325] h*e* MIN: 6* Seeing that, we being yet weak,* ei ge, ChrisTOS, ONt*o*n h*e*M*O*N as-theN*O*N [772], *in due season Christ died for us ungodly.* Eti kaTA kaiRON huPER a-seB*O*N [765] aPEtha-nen [599]. *1. TRIBULATION. THLIpsis [2347] from THLIbo* - 45 (58) references* *- God in his great wisdom has appointed us to tribulation in this life! (He also created the waster (Satan) to destroy!) Apart from such testing, we would not achieve the state of patience that He has appointed for us. We as human beings continuously try to avoid His appointed tribulation. Paul says we are appointed to such. The godly will suffer persecution. This present life is designed to perfect us for heaven. In the 1830?s a British woman had a vision how the church would escape tribulation. Such is not in the Word, and does not appear in any church writings up to that time. George Muller, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Samuel Tregelles all withstood this teaching at the beginning, but were not able to withstand it successfully, because the people liked it. It was like the people of Israel in Samuel?s day, who wanted a king over them instead of God!* *2. PATIENCE. hu-po-moNE [5281] from MEno* - 32 (210) references* *- To abide under the will of God where He places us, and to bloom where we are planted - is to have endurance or patience! It is sharing the yoke of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30. This is the place of rest! Meno is to ?abide?; HUpo is to do so ?under?. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who enable us to do so, by living the life of Christ out through us.* *3. APPROVEDNESS. do-kiME [1382] from DEcho-mai* - 7 (939) references* *- To be ?disapproved?, is to be apart from Christ?s salvation. Paul speaks of this in his letters to the churches. The secret for this, is learning to walk in patient endurance. This is not natural for the human race, but the Holy Spirit can bring us to this blessed state! Those who are foreordained to this state will surely find it. We do not know who is soil #4 in its 3-fold state - but as we share the word with every human individual - those who God has foreknown - will respond!* *4. HOPE. elPIS* [1680] - 54 (87) references.* *The Holy Spirit through Paul talks of the ?Blessed Hope?, which is the one appearing of Jesus Christ to resurrect His saints, and to judge the wicked. 1 & 2 Thessalonians major on this, which can be linked with the Feast of Tabernacles. Faith is present; hope is future!* *5. SHAME. ka-taiSCHUnai [2617] from AIschos* - 13 (46) references* *- It is possible to have and live a theology that is not true to the Scriptures. Such prophecies are like those coming from the false prophets of Jeremiah?s day, who prophesied falsely concerning the 70 year captivity to Babylon as brought forth by Jeremiah. God severely judged the false prophets of that day. Will He do less today? To walk in true prophecy is to avoid shame!* *6. LOVE. aGApe [26] from a-gaPAo* - 116 (320) references* *- And what has God designed for those who accept from Him the above steps? His very love (aGApe). Our human love (PHIle) - like the love of Peter before the Day of Pentecost - will always sell us short; - but God?s divine love will always see us through. See Peter?s Pentecostal sermon in Acts 2, and the tremendous transformation. Because God is no respecter of persons, we too can share such victory.* *7. SHED ABROAD. ekKEchu-tai [1632] from CHEo* - 10 (47) references* *- Synonyms - pour out, runs out, shed, spilled.* *- This is abundant life! God doesn?t give niggardly! He gives abundantly! Smith Wigglesworth would find his human love insufficient when unexpectedly meeting one for whom he had been unable to fully forgive. But he quickly implored God: ?Quick, please give me a heavenly love transfusion - shed abroad!? That always met the need - and it will for you and me too!* *NOTE**: In 2002 I purchased ?The New American **Roget?s College Thesaurusin Dictionary Form.? It is vastly superior to the original ?Roget?s Thesaurus?. This has been especially true for me because of the ?Quotations and Phrases? that reveal the fascinating history of each word and the ideas it represents.* *Here is a key phrase idea that captivated me: ?There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.? Beside this quote 10 years ago - I put: The 1945 Outlined Interlinear New Testament; the March 18, 1967 natural Greek Word Studies; and the twelve 1948 Embryonic Revival Principles linked with the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 World Cultural Groups. The prodigious discovery and works of Ivan Panin is the foundation for the first two; and the pioneering discovery of George Hawtin at North Battleford, Saskatchewan, for the third. * *James Watt with his invention of the steam condenser - loosed the production of the steam engine for the Industrial Revolution of the 1800?s. In 2000 AD, he was listed among the top 100 of the 1000 for the last 1000 years - to be given honorable mention.* *Many have good ideas. But - it is the idea whose time has come that makes an impact greater than armies for that generation.* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Aug 9 10:43:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2012 10:43:52 -0700 Subject: 1 COR 13:4-7 - LOVE - aGApe Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 9, 2012 *2012-08-08 - 1 COR 13:4-7 - LOVE, aGApe - OVERVIEW* e. 13:4-7 HOW LOVE ACTS *:Love suffers long, is kind;* H*e* aGAp*e* ma-kro-thuMEI [3114], chr*e*sTEUe-tai [5541]; *:love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,* h*e* aGAp*e* ou z*e*LOI [2206], ou per-peREUe-tai [5068], ou phu-siOUtai [5448], 5* is not unseemly, seeks not its :own,* ouk as-ch*e*-moNEI [807], ou z*e*TEI ta he-auT*E*S, *is not provoked, takes not account of :evil;* ou pa-roXUne-tai [3947], ou loGIze-tai [3049] to kaKON; 6* rejoices not in :unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;* ou CHAIrei [5463] ePI t*e* a-diKIa [93], sunCHAIrei de t*e* a-l*e*THEIa [225]; 7* **covers all **things**, **believes all **things**, **hopes all **things* *,** **endures all **things**.* PANta STEgei [4722], PANta pisTEUei [4100], PANta elPIzei [1679], PANta hu-poMEnei [5278] *1. ENVIES NOT. ma-kro-thuMEo from MEkos + THUo* - 10 (264) references* *- God?s Love Envies not! When His love has right-of-way in us, envy begins to be burnt out from our lives. We are not perfected in this life, but we are on the way to our resurrected state upon the Return of our Lord Jesus.* *2. KIND. chresTEUo-mai from CHRAo* - 1 (138) references* *- See the Kindness of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to understand the Father, we need to fully understand and experience His Son. Jesus said that to know Him - is to know His Father - for He and His Father are one! See John 17 for a fuller understanding of this.* *3. ENVIES NOT. zeLOo from ZEo* - 12 (71) references* *- This attribute of God and His Love is Wondrous indeed! So opposite to the spirit of the world! So wonderful to watch its development in fellow-believers as we allow and aid Jesus Christ to be fully formed in us!* *4. VAUNTS NOT ITSELF. per-peREUo-mai* - 1 reference only!* *- This is the only time this Greek word appears in the New Testament. Do we ever see this spirit manifested in Jesus? Never! Is it the norm in our unregenerate state? Yes! Does it still slip out at times in believers? Yes - for we are not perfected until the Return of our Lord Jesus and our Resurrection. Beware of those who teach sinless perfection prior to that event.* *5. IS NOT PUFFED UP. phu-siOo from PHUo* - 7 (88) references* *- Have you seen a toad puffed up? And we also have seen fellow human beings puffed up. But - the love of God is never puffed up! What a deliverance on our behalf - when we allow the Love of God to possess us!* *6. NOT UNSEEMLY. as-che-moNE - from Echo* - 2 (1081) references* *- synonym: uncomely.* *- In the world we so often see unseemliness and uncomeliness. We can remember it in ourselves in our unregenerate state; and when we slip - by failing to walk in the Spirit once saved.* *7. SEEKS NOT ITS OWN. zeTEo* - 119 (167) references* *- But this is a main attribute of the unsaved. It is a distinct mark. And once saved, our former friends note the great change taking place in us - as the love of God begins to replace our former natural affections.* *8. IS NOT PROVOKED. pa-roXUno from oXUS* - 2 (19) references* *- stirred - brought into sharp contention (Acts 15:39)* *- How touchy most of us are in our unsaved state. We must be handled with kid gloves! But see how amazed Pilate was at Jesus when falsely accused. Like a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth ? That too is our goal, and that is the goal of Jesus for each one of us! He and His Father are committed to this on our behalf.* *9. TAKES NOT ACCOUNT OF EVIL. loGIze-tai from eREo* - 41 (4076) references * *-thought, reasoned, reckoned, imputed, think on, counted, supposed, concluded, esteemed, charged* *- How so much of the world loves to hear gossip, and to spread it. John Wesley calls this ?evil speaking?, and emphasizes Matthew 18:15-17 as God?s appointed way for its cure! Political election times seem to bring this outin its worst and lowest form. * *10. REJOICES NOT IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. CHAIro* - 72 (401) references* *- be glad, hail, greet, rejoice, joy* *- God?s love in us is silent at the news of this. It is saddened when it hears of the fall of professing - and sometimes like David - possessing believers.* *11. REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. sunCHAIro from CHAIro* - 1 (401) references* *- Jesus is the Truth in that - like a mystery - that has been hidden, but now the lid is off - and we know who Jesus really is - and what all other truth - really is. Blessed are all those who sense this place where they consistently rejoice with the truth.* *12. COVERS ALL THINGS. STEgo* - 4 (9) references* *- Do you know those who seek to protect the fallen from hurtful gossip? True love does this. Dad Crittenton, from a church we pastored in Chicago, was of this spirit. No one ever heard him speak a evil word against a fellow believer - or even of non-believers. Even of the devil he said, ?Well, we could emulate his zeal!?* *13. BELIEVES ALL THINGS. pisTEUo from PEItho* - 247 (711) references* *- The believer filled with God?s love wills to believe! Billy Graham early in his ministry reached the point where he covenanted with God - ?Lord, even if I don?t understand all I read in the Bible - yet I take it by faith, and boldly proclaim - ?The Bible says!??* *14. HOPES ALL THINGS. elPIzo from elPIS* - 31 (87) references* *- Faith is for the present; hope is for the future. What God promises us for the Return of Christ and all that that contains - the love of Godenables us to apprehend as future hope! Yes, God will keep us to the end! Yes - the love of God possessing us enables us in the Blessed Hope!* *15. ENDURES ALL THINGS. hu-poMEno from MEno* - 17 (210) references* *- endures, takes patiently, tarries behind* *- Have you noticed how the Holy Spirit through Paul has been leading us in a gradation - an ascending climb to a most successful conclusion? Endurance means that we can stride under the earthly role God has placed us in, and come through triumphant? You and I not only can makie it - but by God?s grace and love - we will make it!* *16. LOVE NEVER FAILS. PIPto* - 90 (186) references* *- falls, fails* *- The above 15 points are all in one sentence. This 16th point is the beginning of the succeeding sentence. LOVE never fails. Believe it. Embrace it. Rest in it. It is absolutely true. No believer will be let down by holding on to this final word!* *NOTE**: How do we get the best definition of a word? Often by studying how it **acts! The above passage has 16 different ways how love (aGApe) acts. * *Is this the way the love of God acts on our behalf? Most certainly Yes! Is this true of John 3:16? Yes! Is this the way Jesus comported Himself on our behalf in His 33 years on earth? Again, Yes!* *Take all the instances where this type of love appears in its various occurrences in Scripture - 320 times, and all will appear consistent! Do we as members of the Adamic race naturally have such love? Not at all. Yet thisis what God calls us as believers to manifest. How is such a thing possible? Only when we come to the Cross of Christ, understand the Redemptive power of His blood - and choose to believe on Him as God?s onlyway for Reconciliation between ourselves and God! * *John 14:6 is not a popular word for the world. The world hates this message. It killed Jesus because of this message. Yet His death is the only hope for lost mankind.* *Satan?s greatest mistake occurred when he initiated Judas and the Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus! This laid the basis for his doom, which at the same time opened the door for the Redemption of all mankind. However - a pardon is no pardon unless accepted. So it is - who hear, believe and accept - who are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God?s dear Son. Here we become members of God?s ?One New Man?! Here we experience plenteous Redemption!* *So of all the 1619 Root Greek words of the New Testament - this one - LOVE - a-gaPAo* - 142 times in verbal form, aGApe, 116 times in noun form; and a-ga-peTOS - 62 times in adjectival form - is the defining word of God, and of Christianity. For when we allow Christ by His Spirit to indwell us in the light of Galatians 2:20 - THEN we see the uniqueness of this word - LOVE - and - God IS love! He is also HOLY, in perfect balance!* *In Seminary in Chicago in the early 50?s, I had 2 professors who warred with one another through their students - as to what was the chief essence or attribute of God: love or holiness. Actually, it is not either/or - but - both/and! * *It behooves us to come to a conclusion concerning our God like this. Jesus in the Book of Revelation is both Love - and - Holiness! The God of the Old Testament is just as much the God of the New Testament. In His Tri-unity - God is both - for the whole of the Bible. However - it is only under the New Covenant that God?s ultimate Old Testament purpose finds fulfillment. We need to consider Hebrews 8:6 - and understand that the Father has constituted the New Covenant as Torah, and that our chief meditation as believers should rest in the Finished Work of Christ, and the interpretation of the 27 Old Testament mysteries, that were only given understanding through Christ and His apostle Paul in the New Testament! (See Dr. David Stern at this point in his Jewish New Testament - and his ?Commentary on the Jewish New Testament?.) * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Aug 10 18:19:03 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:19:03 -0700 Subject: Ephesians - 13 Church Pictures Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 10, 2012 *2012-08-10 - EPHESIANS - 13 CHURCH PICTURES* *1. 1:22b (1:15-2:10) CHURCH. ek-kleSIa from kaLEo* - 117 (520) references. ?And God gave him (Jesus) for a head over all things to the church? (NNT). This is the first of 13 synonyms for the church in the book of Ephesians. John Stegenga lists 117 references in his Concordance, whereas God?s Bible Numerics as discovered by Ivan Panin places it at 114 references. Its literal meaning is: - those called out (from the world) into this special company of blood-washed believers. In the New Testament it refers 14 times to a local church in the home; 15 times to God?s Universal Church of all times; and 81 times to the City Church - composed of numerous local churches. God sees His City Church as one.* *2. 1:23 (1:15-2:10) CHRIST?S BODY. SOma* - 146 (150) references. ?Which is his (Christ?s* *:body) the fullness of him that fills all in all.? 1 Corinthians 12 is given by the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul as an analogy. Here he shows that our physical body is a picture of Christ's spiritual body - the Church. We like our body members - are all different, made so by our Sovereign God, - to function in unity and harmony under our Head - Christ - just as our physical members function under our human brain. It is an exact analogy. No doubt whatever, God designed it so. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 describe the 9 gifts of the Spirit, and how they fit together in this picture.* *3. 2:10 (1:15-2:10) HIS WORKMANSHIP. POIe-ma from poiEo* - 2 (575) references. ?For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon good works, which :God before prepared that we should walk in them.? Before the world?s creation - God planned for all of this! We are an integral part of His plan. Before Paul the apostle was born, God had his life planned. Before Jeremiah was conceived, God foresaw him as His prophet unto the nations! We have not chosen Him, but He has chosen us, and appointed us to bring forth fruit unto good works - and that they will remain! This is our God! There is no other like Him!* *4. 2:15 (2:11-22) HIS ONE NEW MAN. ANthro-pos from aNER* - 557 (672) references. hoRAo* ?Having abolished in his :flesh the enmity, the law of the commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, making peace.? For me, this is the key mysteryunfolded - that Jew and Gentile alike be formed into the ?One New Man?, with peace between us both, and no longer the law of Moses being a separation. Think of it! This is a miracle! See Peter in Acts 10 before entering the home of Cornelius, and one can begin to see the enormity of God?s act.* *5. 2:19 (2:11-22) GOD?S HOUSEHOLD. oiKEIos from OIkos* - 3 (420) references. ?So then you are no more strangers and sojourners, but are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of :God?s household.? Every one who has a home, appreciates this gift. Well - for God - we are His household. We are His home! By His Spirit He and His Son live in us. We are God?s temple. What a privilege! What a high calling!* *6. 2:21 (2:11-22) GOD?S BUILDING. oi-ko-doME from OIkos - 18 (420) references + DEmo* - 18* *(76) references. Christ Jesus; ?in whom every building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.? Yes and we as many separate buildings - are like living stones brought together into one Holy Temple, Jesus Christ being the Chief Corner-stone, and the 12 apostles with prophets the foundation stones. And in its consummation, Jesus Christ will return to become the Capstone, finishing it off. He then will indeed be the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning, and the End!* *7. 2:21 (2:11-22) GOD?S HOLY TEMPLE. naOS* - 46 (47) references. ?growing into a holy temple in the Lord.? See how long the temple has been set forth as a holy temple unto the Lord. Individually we are God?s temple, and corporately we are living stones in His complete Temple. See how Jesus as a boy of 12 at his Bar Mitzvah honored God?s house, His temple. All through His earthly life, He sought to honor God and His house, His temple. Twice He cast out money-changers.* *8. 2:22 (2:11-22) A HABITATION OF GOD IN SPIRIT. ka-toi-keTEri-on from OIkos* - 2 (420) references. ?In whom you also are built together into a habitation of God in Spirit.? God takes no chances lest we misunderstand. >From every angle He seeks to point out to us who and what we are in hissight. We - are a habitation in the Spirit unto Him! Any individual who has notthe Holy Spirit as a gift - the d o-reA - is none of His. This gives us the wedding garment, lest we be cast out into outer darkness, where is fire and gnashing of teeth. Jesus spoke more of these things than any of His apostles!* *9. 3:4 (3:1-13) THE MYSTERY OF THE CHRIST. mu-steRIa from MUo* - 27 (32) references. ?When you read, you can perceive my :understanding in the mystery of the Christ.? There is no one God has chosen who knows more of the 27 mysteries of God given in the New Testament than the apostle Paul. Jesus taught His 12 apostles 3 years before Pentecost, but they understood little of what He said. But following Paul?s conversion, Jesus taught him 3 years in the desert concerning these mysteries, and much more! But - the mystery of the One New Man, in Paul?s estimation, was the greatest explained -mystery of all!* *10. 3:7-8a (3:1-13) THE SAINTS (cha-siDIYM). haGIon from HAgi-os - 239 (283) references. ?Of which I became a minister, according to the gift (do-reA) of the grace of :God :given me according to the working of his :power 8 (to me, the least of all saints, was this :grace* *given).? Paul called himself the least of all saints, because prior to his conversion he had persecuted the church. All through the remainder of his life he sought to make up for this! And what was Paul as a saint? In the NT - it means a holy person. In the OT, it comes from the word CHEsed - ?Covenant love.? cha-saDIM - saints - are those who have the glue of God?s covenant love that binds them to Him! - and - to one another! That?s why we called our last church ?Congregation Beth CHEsed? - the House of Covenant Love, composed of saints of covenant love!* *11. 4:13 (4:1-16) A PERFECT MAN. TElei-os from TElos* - 18 (193) references. ?Till we :all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of :God, unto a perfect man, unto a measure of stature of the fullness of the Christ.? This is another remarkable picture of true church members (for there are many so-called church members, who are devoidof God?s Spirit!) God?s goal for saints is perfection - a perfect man - along with perfect unity between one another. Ephesians chapter 4 is the only place the word ?unity?, Eno-chos appears. It is twice used - once in 4:3 where we begin with unity of the Spirit; and then 4:13 where we mature unto the perfection of the unity of the faith!* *12. 5:32 (5:22-33) MYSTERY OF CHRIST?S BRIDE, THE CHURCH. muSTEri-on from MUo* - 27 (32) references. ?This mystery is great; but I speak in regard to Christ and the church.? Here Paul spends time to show how the marriage of man and woman into one flesh is a picture of Christ and His Church, His Bride! What an abomination for homosexuals and lesbians to seek to pervert this holy picture! But Paul says - the mystery is not really man and wife - the mystery is really Christ and His Bride; Christ and His Church!* *13. 6:11 (6:10-20) ARMOR FOR CHRIST?S ARMY. pa-noPLIa from HOPlon* - 3 (11) references. ?Put on the whole armor of :God, that you be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.? An army is many soldiers who individually - and also corporately - have on them the full armor of God! This is the last picture of the church in the book of Ephesians. Each believer needs to daily put on by faith the 7-fold armor - pan-oPLIa - of God! But the pronouns usage is plural. God wants us as the One New Man to corporately be enclosed with this armor! Of course, we individually need it also - but Histhought, God?s thought, is that corporately we are so attired!* *NOTE**: **Ephesians is here setting forth for us a 13-fold picture of the church from God?s point-of-view. As we look at each of these aspects, like a jig-saw-puzzle - we begin to see a fuller picture of what God would have us understand - how He sees us! He wants us to ?think His thoughts? after Him - and it is only as we major on His Word in meditation that this insight comes. It is only by revelation of the Spirit, transforming the LOgos-word into a REma-word, that we begin to apprehend His plan on our behalf, of which we are an integral part! He planned it this way. To see ourselves as an integral part of Christ and His Body! His Bride! His Temple! His Church! and so much more. Then from this Book we are lifted into planes of promise and worship with understanding - that truly glorifies our God!* *It is for this reason that I agree with Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter in his ?Explore the Book.? He sees Romans, Ephesians and 1& 2 Thessalonians as the 3 key churches founded through the apostle Paul. I see Romans as setting forth the Feast of Passover. It portrays ?Justification by Faith? at the Cross, ?the Brazen Altar?, the first piece of the Tabernacle Furniture. But Ephesians sets forth the Feast of Pentecost, which links with the Menorah, the Candlestick, the 3rd piece of Tabernacle furniture in the Holy Place.* *At the Cross and Laver, we receive a conversion experience, the first 2 steps of Acts 2:38. But at the Menorah we are baptized in the Spirit by our Lord Jesus Christ, and immediately enter into the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit. We are still carnal Christians, and need to pass on into the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit. The one baptism of Ephesians 4:3-5, is the gift (do-reA) of the Spirit of Acts 2:38, and readies us to begin our Christian journey. It wasn?t until Jesus was baptized in water by John, then baptized in the Spirit by His Father - then successfully encountered Satan following a 40 day fast - that He returned in the power of the Holy spirit..* *Ephesians then gives us this 13-fold portrait of the many-membered body of Christ composed of Jew and Gentile in the One New Man. Maturity on our part corporately follows as we like George Muller learn to take ?Soul Nourishment First? in our early morning devotions - by meditating over God?s Word. Just as Joshua (1:8) successfully did under the Old Covenant - we as New Covenant believers (Jeremiah 31:31-34) are to meditate over the New Testament. Dr. David Stern points out that in Hebrews 8:6, God has Sovereignly constituted the New Covenant as Torah - and with Psalms and Proverbs we need to meditate on its words and truths. This enables us to spiritually celebrate the Feast of Pentecost!* *But we should press on to the Blessed Hope of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. According to the teaching of George Muller, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Samuel Tregelles, these 2 letters will make this Blessed Hope exceedingly real. And when we look at Ephesians 4:4-6 and the ?one hope? - we realize that Ephesians is pointing us forward to the Thessalonian letters! Jesusreturns. He is our only Hope! And - thank God - He?s returning soon!* *So - how will understanding of the ?church? and all its synonyms help us today? Much - every way. For we remember that Jesus said - ?I will build My Church - us - and the gates (counsels) of hell will not prevail against it. According to Ephesians 3:10-12 God has designed that through the churchSatan will come to fully understand his final demise! Yes! Even today we have much to rejoice in, even before the Blessed Hope takes place!* *Help is on the way. God back in 1890 allowed Russian Ivan Panin to discover Bible Numerics, and how through this we now have the original NT Manuscripts - plus the accurate sentence and paragraph structure! And though he died in 1942 with hope unrealized for an Interlinear text based on his discoveries - yet - 70 years following his death, he is about to see his ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament in print, both in Book and E-book format. God is the God now of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. He is the God of the living, of Ivan Panin too, not the dead!* *So that you and I can more easily meditate over this simplified and accurate text; and by the Holy Spirit transform the written word into a Living Word - and become individually and corporately the Overcomers God designed us to be, see the following. We can then enter into effective spiritual warfare against Satan and his hosts through Spiritual Star Wars - as set forth in the Introduction to this text. Contact to order. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Aug 11 13:23:46 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 13:23:46 -0700 Subject: Romans - 7 Key Word Studies Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 11, 2012 *WEEK 26 - JUN 24-30 - ROMANS - JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH* *JUN 24. 1:16-17 (1:1-17) INTRODUCTION TO JUSTIFICATION. ?For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God's power unto salvation to every :believer: to Jew first, also to Greek. 17 For herein is being revealed God's righteousness from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous man shall live by faith? (NNT). *Father, we glory in the Living Gospel: Jesus! In Him righteousness is *realized*! *Hallowed be your :name.* *JUN 25. 3:28 (1:18-4:25) LAW SHUTS UP TO JUSTIFICATION. ?For we reckon a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.? *Father, You have purposed and ordained that *only* through the faith of Jesus shall any man be justified. There is salvation in *no other name!* We therefore *justify*You, Father, by believing this, and declare faith in Him and His Finished Work, as the *only* way. *Your :kingdom come.* *JUN 26. 5:17 (5:1-21) ATONEMENT AND GRACE: BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION. ?For if, by the trespass of the one, :death reigned through the one; much rather shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of :righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.? *In Messiah You have given us so much, Father! The reign of death, You have *overturned*! *Abundance* of grace, You have *given*. *Reigning in righteousness*, You have made a *reality*!* Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *JUN 27. 8:10 (6-8) HOLY SPIRIT: PROMISE OF JUSTIFICATION. ?And if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.? *Father, we begin dimly to perceive Your great wisdom, plan and purpose in the Gospel. It contains Your promise of the Holy Spirit through Messiah: that is, the empowerment of justification. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *JUN 28. 11:25 (9-11) RELATIONSHIP OF ISRAEL AND GENTILES TO JUSTIFICATION.?For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this :mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has befallen :Israel, till what time the fullness of the nations be come in: 26 and so all Israel shall be saved!? *Father, through this we perceive the *depth* of the riches of Your wisdom and knowledge: temporary excising of Israel, that we Gentiles might come in: then - *One New Man in Messiah*! * And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *JUN 29. 12:18 (12:1-16:23) PRACTICAL OUTWORKING OF JUSTIFICATION. ?If possible, as much as in you is, be at peace with all men.? *Father, we thank You for the wisdom of the Spirit through Paul. We thank You that he understood the frailty of the flesh. We thank You Father, that this truth is one of the practical outworkings of justification. * And bring us not into temptation.* *JUN 30. 16:25, 27 (16:25-27) GLORY TO GOD FOR JUSTIFICATION. ?Now to the one able to establish you according to my :gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to revelation of the mystery kept silent through the times of ages ... 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom the glory unto the ages. Amen.? *Father, we *glorify* You for Your plan of salvation through *justification by grace through faith*! Your wisdom, love and grace humble our hearts. *But deliver us from the evil one. * *NOTE*: Perhaps more books and commentaries have been written on Romans than any other book of the Bible, and rightly so! For it is the basis and foundation for all Christian truth. A right understanding of this book puts us in good stead! Romans is the gospel to the Gentiles, as Hebrews is gospel to the Jews. Both letters contain the ?Foundation Truths? laid in Hebrews 6:1-2. The whole epistle of the Romans is truly an exposition of these 6 truths. Many preachers have made this their chief expository book. Some have even preached through it up to 5 times. Ern Baxter is but one of dozens and scores of these. I served under him as his associate for 3 years from 1973 to 1976, and count it as a high privilege indeed. He was a prince of preachers, a golden-tongued Chrysostom. He had preached through the entire Bible in an expository manner. He had a personal library of 17,000 volumes, and his working library was 1500 volumes. These latter he had mastered. He taught himself Greek, and his various commentaries gave him a working knowledge of Hebrew also. He had over 40 commentaries on the book of Romans alone. I met him in 1944 briefly, but in October 1948 in Edmonton, Alberta at a Latter Rain Conference, we became close friends. As a result of that friendship I led with the help of an associate in providing for him a word study on every major word of the Greek New Testament, some 4000 MS pages. He literally carried a suitcase of these manuscripts around the world with him. Bryn Jones of England carried this suitcase up to his hotel room for him on one occasion and asked, ?What on earth do you have in this suitcase? Gold?? ?I'll show you when we get up to my room,? he replied. We all need to have this love for the Word of God. Anything we can do to gain a more accurate understanding of the Bible - all the better! After all, Jesus and His Word are one (John 1:1)! Ivan Panin mastered both Greek and Hebrew in a 4 year period of time, so earnest was he in obtaining an objective and accurate understanding of God's Word. At one time, every young man preparing for the Presbyterian ministry was required to obtain a working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. Romans was ?the book? of W.J. Ern Baxter. All his studies were like the beam of a magnifying glass - they tended to focus down especially upon this book. Donald Gray Barnhouse was minister for the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, who also majored on Romans. This book is indeed a key that will open a clear understanding to the rest of the Bible. To lack a clear understanding of ?Justification by Faith? is to miss God's key to His Word. Martin Luther was transformed by this truth, and the ?Reformation? starting in 1517 had its roots in this revelation. What a marvelous gospel! What a complete presentation! The book of Romans is unique in the library of holy writ. What a vacuum there would be should this letter be missing from the Sacred Canon! Now see 7 Greek words that bring forth much of the teaching of Romans. *1. GOSPEL, Romans 1:16. eu-agGEli-on from Ago* - 79 (1288) references. I have divided the book of Romans into 7 sections. In the Introduction, I have chosen the word Gospel as the key. It literally means ?Good News?, and this is indeed the theme of the Book of Romans for Gentiles! 79 references to this term shows its importance to the mind of the Spirit.* *2. JUSTIFIED, Romans 3:28. di-kaiOo from DEcho-mai - 40 (939) references. To be justified, or declared righteous, is a legal term. God has designed through the death of His Son as atonement for our sins - that whenever an individual accepts God?s method of becoming right with Him through faith - immediately he is declared righteous with God. He is justified by faith without works of law. This is the very heart of the Book of Romans.* *3. RIGHTEOUSNESS, Romans 5:17. di-kai-oSUne from DEcho-mai - 92 (939) references. Look what justification by faith does as a result for the human spirit: it becomes Life! We are dead in trespasses and sins up to the moment of justification. Then immediately our spirit become alive through faith. Now it is a long process for our mind to become renewed following this - but the process - as we feed on God?s Word through meditation like Joshua - immediately begins!* *4. LIFE, Romans 8:10. zo-E from ZAo* - 134 (326) references. Life in the Spirit - is the immediate process beginning following justification. What a blessing! A ?bright conversion? takes place at this time, making an extremely effective witness for the new convert! We should encourage each new convert to make the most of this time - by sharing this new-found life with relatives, friends and strangers. My mother at this time cautioned me not to try to save the whole world all by myself.* *5. MYSTERY, Romans 11:25. musTEri-on from MUo* - 27 (32) references. Part of the wisdom of God in the whole Justification process - is that He has blinded the minds of Israel to His great plan of the Gospel. This allows Gentiles to come in at this time. The wisdom of God at this point is called a mystery. It is true that a small remnant of Jews have their eyes opened, and like Gentiles, receive the Gospel and become part of the ?One New Man?. But the nation Israel as a whole is blinded until Christ returns!* *6. PEACE, Romans 12:18. ei-reNEUe-te from eREo* - 4 (4076) references. Are we perfected at the time of justification? No. Absolutely not! Those who teach sinless perfection prior to our resurrection at the Return of Christ - are in Word deception - and do not understand the clear teaching of Scripture. That is why we still have difficulty getting along with some of our fellow-believers! So the exhortation at this point is to be at peace with one another - as much as that is possible!* *7. GLORY, Romans 16:27. DOxa from DEcho-mai* - 168 (939) references.* *- glory, worship, honor, praise.* *And the final word from this most basic epistle? - Glory to God through the eyes of the ?Finished Work? of Jesus Christ! He made Reconciliation between God and man possible - by becoming man by the Will of the Father and His agreement in His pre-incarnate state as the LOgos, the Word. See Hebrews 7-10 for very clear insights in this direction.* Memory Verse: 1:16-17 - *?For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God?s power unto salvation to every :believer; to Jew first, also to Greek. **17** For herein is being revealed God?s righteousness from faith unto faith: as **it** is written, But the righteous **man** shall live by faith.? * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Aug 13 09:21:22 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:21:22 -0700 Subject: Ephesians - Outline + Word Study Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 13, 2012 *WEEK 36 - SEP 2-8 - EPHESIANS - THE CHURCH: GOD'S MASTER-PIECE * *SEP 2. 1:3 (1:1-14, I. Panin's NNT) NINE BLESSINGS IN MESSIAH. ?Blessed the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.? *Father, we see Jesus at Your right hand in heaven, full of grace and truth: our Advocate, our Intercessor and our Great High Priest. He is our Head on Your behalf. * Hallowed be your :name.* *SEP 3. 2:8-9 (1:15-2:10) VISION MOTIVATES. ?For by :grace have you been saved through faith; and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, that no one should glory.? *Let us never forget this truth, Father! Let us always remember that we can add nothing to the finished work of Messiah on Calvary. We evermore submit to Your way of salvation! *Your :kingdom come.* *SEP 4. 2:21-22 (2:11-3:21) REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY: THE CHURCH. ?Christ Jesus himself being chief corner stone: in whom every building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together into a habitation of :God in Spirit.? *Father, we would progress from being Your individual buildings and become Your corporate inner temple, a fit habitation for You: for You are worthy, O God. * Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *SEP 5. 4:11-12 (4:1-16) CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTING: EQUIPPING. ?And HE gave some as apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto a work of ministry, unto a building of the body of the Christ.? *We have given lip service to this truth, but have not pressed in to ask for its fulfillment in its maturity. Forgive us Father, for failing to do what Daniel did in Ezekiel 36:37a, ?*Thus says the Lord Jehovah: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.? * *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *SEP 6. 5:11-12 (4:17-5:14) SANCTIFICATION: INEVITABLE COROLLARY. ?And have no fellowship with the unfruitful :works of :darkness, but rather even reprove them; 12 for the things done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.? *Father, give us a pure mind like that of* *Messiah. We put ourselves in the way of mind renewal. We want like Job to love righteousness and hate iniquity. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *SEP 7. 5:28-30 (5:15-6:9) LOVE RELATIONSHIPS. ?Thus ought the husbands also to love their wives as their own bodies. Who loves his own :wife loves himself: 29 for no one ever hated his own :flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Christ also the church; 30 because we are members of his :body.? * O God our Father, forgive us as husbands for giving lip service and mental assent to this principle of Kingdom truth, but failing so often to practice it from our hearts.* And bring us not into temptation.* *SEP 8. 6:12 (6:10-24) MYSTERY OF EVIL. ?For our :wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this :darkness, against the spirituals of the wickedness in the heavenlies.? *Again, open our spiritual eyes to see this principle in reality. Help us not to move carnally against Satan, but according to the principle of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 in a *corporate* sense. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE:* Highest church truth found in the Bible is found in Ephesians. The church is Christ?s body. How do you explain this? We are also the temple. What other pictures of the church are in Ephesians? In the Fall of 1945 I purchased all the works available on Ivan Panin and his Numeric discoveries, some 20 books and pamphlets at that time. When I read the Introduction to his Greek Numeric New Testament, and that he had discovered that even the sentences, sub-paragraphs, paragraphs and sections were established by Bible Numerics, I was fascinated. I love to outline, and it occurred to me that if I summarized the sentences according to this structure, and gathered the summaries up into paragraphs, etc. - that I would be able to visualize the 27 New Testament books from God's perspective. I thought to myself - ?What book should I first experiment with? Ephesians being one of my favorite New Testament books - why not try it?? It took me about a week to come down to normal living again following its completion, and following the revelation that came to me on the accomplished outlining and summarizing of this book! I was hooked. For the last 63 years I have spent well over 40,000 hours outlining, summarizing, working on an Interlinear Outlined NT based on Panin's Numeric Greek and English NT texts, plus the major Greek words of the NT. Notice that the first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal: the last three are practical. Teaching that is not outworked practically, leads to pride and sterility. Notice that Philippians is a correction to practical abuse of Ephesian truth; Colossians is doctrinal correction. Following are 8 Greek Word Studies that give further insight on the above, plus provide a basis for *meditation* over the Word - that will lead to the blessings that George Muller discovered! *1. SPIRITUAL BLESSING. EPH 1:3 - pneu-ma-tiKOS from PNEo* - 26 (422) references. Our blessings originate from the heavenlies, not from the earth. Christ is from heaven, not earth! John the Baptist was not of this category, nor are we. Jesus is unique! No other son of man is like Him! God designated that this pre-incarnate LOgos (Word) should become man through Mary, and as Son of Man take on our guilt through Satan and Adam - die for our sin, Redeem us - and Reconcile all believers who accept Him - to God! God our Father is blessed for initiating all of this!* *2. GRACE. 2:8-9. CHAris from CHAIro* - 156 (401) references. Grace flows out of Joy! (CHAIro). Because of the great joyful heart of our God - His joy flows out to us in the form of grace! The Cross of Christ on the behalf of Adam?s lost race is the evidence of God's Joy. And - He wants nothingfrom us in the form of works to be added to His grace. This is extremely difficult for us as lost human beings to comprehend. Like Satan and Adam, we want to do something on our own behalf to be accepted by God! Nothing we can add to Christ?s Finished Work! Proud, independent son of man has great difficulty accepting such an undignified position. The whole NT backs up this premise. And - there is no other Name by which we can be saved, John 14:6. - This adds insult to injury on the part of man?s lost race.* *3. FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER. 2:21-22. su-nar-mo-lo-gouMEno from Aro* - 2 (296) references + eREo* - 2 (4076) references. Because loGEo*, to speak, is an integral part of this word - God would have us understand that thisis like Genesis 1 - God thought - and the Word, Christ, spoke - and the Spirit sprang into action and brought it to pass for the 6 Creative Days. In like manner, just as God the Father planned, Christ the Word spoke, and the One New Man? - the Church - Christ?s Body and Bride came into being; and became the Temple of the Holy Spirit. And each of us as living stones or pieces, are fitly framed together as God?s holy habitation! I am impressed!* *4. PERFECTING. 4:11-12. ka-tar-tisMON from Aro* - 13 (296) references. For me - ka-tarTIzo - perfecting - is one of the key words of the NT. Each reference of these 13 occurrences - is significant. To look up each one, and meditate over them, is indeed a window into God?s mind concerning this aspect of His Kingdom! I like to liken this particular reference to a chiropractic adjustment of the members of Christ by the 5-fold ministries. Just as a chiropractor adjusts the 33 vertebrae of the human body, so that the spinal cord and the nerves issuing forth between each 2 vertebrae - just so we as living members of Christ?s body need periodic adjustment - so that Christ our Head may find us his many membered body - perfectly compliant to His wishes!* *5. REPROVE. 5:11-12. eLEGcho* - 17 (23) references. See the Holy Spirit?s appraisal of the doings of the world: they are called unfruitful works of darkness - and are to be reproved! See how Lot?s soul was upset by the evil deeds of Sodom and Gomorrah. We can meet with members of the world so as to witness to them - but not to team up with them in business ventures or marriage. We are not to be unequally yoked together, and in their evil actions - they are to be reproved!* *6. MEMBERS. 5:28-30. MEle from MElos - 34 references. The Spirit through Paul is here enlightening us why husbands are to love (a-gaPAo) their wives. It is because all believers are fellow members of Christ?s body! And just as an individual cares for each member of his physical body - so - a husband must care for his wife as a fellow-member of Christ?s spiritual body, the Church! A book has been written - ?Do Yourself a Favor - LoveYour Wife!? * *7. WRESTLING. 6:12. PAle* - 1 (2) references. This is the only form in the entire NT used in the sense as indicated in our text. In the OT, other human beings were our enemies with which to wrestle in warfare. Not so in the NT. NT saints are to find their wrestling against Satan?s archangels: principalities and powers. This makes a vast distinction between the OT and the NT. Jesus demonstrated this in the Gospels by casting out demons - but not warring against the evil Jewish rulers of His day.* Memory Verse: 1:22-23 - *?And he put all **things** in subjection under his :feet, and gave him for a head over all **things** to the church, **25** **which is his :body, the fullness of him that fills :all in all.?* *HEAD. 1:22-23. ke-phaLE* - 76 (89) references. Look at how Jesus? Father treated His only-begotten Son! He subjected everything on earth under His feet following His triumphant death, resurrection and Ascension - and then He made Him to be Head over all things to the church. Jesus is supreme over us members of His body in every detail! Do we see Him in this category? It is our Father?s design. So - this verse is indeed a good verse to memorize, meditate upon, and put into action! * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Aug 14 11:49:20 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:49:20 -0700 Subject: Revelation 2-3 - The 7 Churches Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 14, 2012 *WEEK 52 - DEC 24 - REVELATION 2-3 - JESUS TO THE 7 CHURCHES* *1. 2:7 (2:1-7) EPHESUS: DESIRABLE, A THROWING. ?Who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat of the tree of :life, which is in the Paradise of :God? (NNT). *O let all Your sons and daughters become *overcomers*. Let not * selfishness* drive out our first love. Death to the *Hivite*! *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *2. 2:11 (2:8-11) SMYRNA: MYRRH. ?Who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Who overcomes shall in no wise be hurt of the second death.? *Thank God for Smyrna, a church with no negatives. Let us not *envy* those not in the furnace of affliction. We speak crucifixion to the *Jebusite* spirit. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 2:17 (2:12-17) PERGAMOS: ELEVATION, ACTUAL MARRIAGE. ?Who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden :manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives it.? *O deliver us from *pride*, and the religious spirit, O Father. Let not the *Girgashite* prevail. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:26-28 (2:18-29) THYATIRA: PERFUME-BRUISED. ?And who overcomes, and who keeps my :works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the potter?s vessels are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father: 28 and I will give him the morning :star.? *Father, we rid idolatry and fornication from our lives. We *reject* the *Jezebel* spirit, that moved so strongly with the Amorites. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 3:5 (3:1-6) SARDIS: THINGS REMAINING. ?Who overcomes shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his :name out of the book of :life, and I will confess his :name before my :Father, and before his :angels.? *O Father, put in us a fighting spirit on behalf of Your Kingdom. Down with *apathy* and *passivity*. Let not the *Perizzite* spirit prevail! * And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors. * *6. 3:12 (3:7-13) PHILADELPHIA: BROTHERLY LOVE. ?Who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my :God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my :God, and the name of the city of my :God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of the heaven from my :God, and my :new :name.? *We discern your devices through division, Satan. Father we reject this device. We reject the spirit of *anger*associated with the *Hittites*. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:21 (3:14-22) LAODICEA: RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE. ?Who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me in my :throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my :Father in his :throne.?* We reject the spirit of greed in the nations. We curse this Canaanite spirit. We release the spirit of Theocracy. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: *?The Contemplative Movement? has sought to lead its followers into ?intimacy? with God. It has recognized hindrances in both ?flesh? and ?spirit? - that keeps one from entering into this high calling. St. John of the Cross through his ?Dark Night of the Soul? and ?Ascent to Mount Carmel? traces 7 of these hindrances of ?Capital Sins?, and links them with the 7 nations of Canaan. Just as Israel under Joshua had to drive out these 7 nations before they could possess that land God had given them - so we must drive out these 7 spiritual capital sins that likewise are linked with the 7 Canaanite nations. 2 Corinthians 7:2 says, *?Having therefore these :promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of **flesh** (dark night of soul) and **spirit** (ascent), perfecting holiness in fear of God.? *Paul by the spirit points out that what John of the Cross noted for a 2-fold cleansing - is indeed correct. We are not perfected, body, soul or spirit, until our resurrection upon Jesus? return - according to the above verse. It is true that all do not interpret this verse in this manner - but it does conform with the insights of the past leaders of the Contemplative Movement. In line with their insights - I have linked the 7 churches of Revelation with the 7 Canaanite nations, and their respective capital sins. Although this linkage is not a ?Thus says the Lord? - yet for me, I believe it does justice to 2 Corinthians 7:1. I have selected Greek words for a further study and insight in this direction: *1. 2:1-7. Ephesus - EARTHLY - ePIgei-a from ge* - 7 (252) references* The word ?selfish? does not appear in the NT. Its closest synonym is e-PIgei-a - earthly. Those who are of earthly origin - all of us - but have not had a conversion experience and given ourselves over to the Lordship of Christ through His Spirit - do not have *selfishness* broken in our lives - because we yet live in our earthly origins. Like Ephesus, we can lose our first-love, and slip back into the spirit of our first origins. If such happens, then like Ephesus we need to repent, and move back out of the ?Hivite? spirit - into our *first* love. *2. 2:8-11. Smyrna - ENVY - ZElos from ZEo* - 17 (71) references* *- ENVY - PHTHOnos* - 9(10) references - stronger of these two for evil* It is possible when we are persecuted like the church of Smyrna, that we look at those who are not undergoing the suffering we are experiencing. We can then become like Asaph of Psalm 73, and become envious of the arrogant and the wicked, who seem to escape the troubles of the righteous in this present life. It wasn?t till God showed him the *end* of the wicked - that he recognized his sin of misunderstanding. Smyrna was temporarily gripped by the spirit of Asaph. Let not this *Jebusite* spirit grip us. *3. 2:12-17 - Pergamos - PRIDE - a-la-zoNEIa from a-laZON* - 2 (4) references* *- PRIDE - tuPHOo from TUpho* - 3 (61) references - high minded, lifted up with pride* Of all the prideful Canaanite nations, the *Girgashites* are foremost. They are mentioned least of all these 7 nations, and it is difficult to learn their origin. It is easier for the other six. And - just as we find difficulty to discern what we are dealing with in the natural - so it is extremely difficult to discern the ?religious spirit?, and its underlying spirit of pride. The spirit of Pergamos moves in the same direction. *4. 2:18-29 - Thyatira - FORNICATION - porNEUo from PEra* 57 (not counted) references.* I count this church of Thyatira - the spirit of *Jezebel* - as the most evil of the 7 churches of Asia. Idolatry and fornication went hand in hand with Israel and Judah prior to their captivities. This angered God - for it was such a flagrant ignoring of His grace and benefits on their behalf. And here in the NT - this evil flagrantly lifted its head against the Lord. The *Amorite* nation of the OT most flagrantly exhibited this spirit of fornication. *5. 3:1-6 - Sardis - PASSIVITY - opposite is VIOLENT - biAzo from BIa* - 2 (10) references* This Greek word refers to a *forceful* or violent man. It is exactly opposite to a passive or apathetic person! This is the way we should seek the Kingdom of God (MAT 11:12; LUK 16:16). But the Church of Sardis demonstrated none of this spirit. These were like the Perizzites of the OT. They were passive and apathetic. This word does not even appear in the NT. But when we consider the word ?violent? and how Jesus used it to indicate the spirit we should exhibit in pressing into His Kingdom - then it is possible to understand this opposite spirit. Lord, deliver us from the spirit of Sardis - a passive and apathetic spirit! *6. 3:7-13 - Philadelphia - ANGER - orGE from oREgo* - 36 (54) references* Anger and pride - many feel they will never have trouble with these two sins! But look at David numbering Israel - and Hezekiah showing off his wealth for examples of the overpowering of pride. And look at Judas? *anger*at the woman anointing Jesus for His burial, and how it led him to betray Jesus! Be angry, and *sin not*. It is anger that gets out of control from individuals from which we would never expect such a breach - that shows us the need of being most careful. The church of brotherly-love? A place where anger can break forth? Yes - even here care needs to be exercised. The * Hittite* spirit of anger can secretly slip into such a situation. It is often at the most unexpected spot that Satan captures us. Let us take heed when we stand in the place of strength - lest we fall. *7. 2:14-22 - Laodicea - GREED - Demas is a picture of this - in his love for this present world* *- ai-schro-kerDE from KERdos* - 4 (23) references* *-* Elders to be chosen to lead local churches, must *not* have the spirit of being *greedy* of filthy lucre (See 1 Timothy and Titus). To possess riches is not a sin. Many in the Bible like Job were rich - but it was *not*for them an idol! This distinction is most important. Demas, a fellow-worker with Paul - *loved* the riches of this present world more than he loved the Lord and His Kingdom! How sad! It was his *love* of riches that was the sin. George Muller considered the earthly life of Jesus and Paul, and he and John Wesley both decided they would not make riches down here their goal. The rest of the world sees America - the United States - as being possessed by this spirit. Of all nations of the world - they feel we in America need revival more desperately than any other. See what riches did to Solomon! *Memory Verse: 3:7 (3:7-13) - ?And to the angel :of the church in Philadelphia write: These things says the holy one, the true, that has the key of David, who opens and none shall shut, and who shuts and none opens.? * *- KEY - KLEIS* - 16 (32) references* - Only two churches of the seven received no censure from Jesus: Smyrna and Philadelphia. And this promise of the *key* of David for Philadelphia - is most significant. Some have wondered if it refers to the promise in Amos concerning the Tabernacle of David. Others have seen it as referring to Matthew 16 and 18, where Jesus promised the Key of the Kingdom for binding and loosing. That a church like Philadelphia - just keeping its head above water should receive such a wonderful promise - is significant indeed! Michael Molinos, Fenelon and Madame Guyon join St. John of the Cross in showing us a key into intimacy with God. Out of such intimacy flows anything else God should want to do through such a church! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Aug 16 12:03:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:03:55 -0700 Subject: Beatitudes - Outline + Word Studies Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 16, 2012 *MATTHEW 5:1-16 - KINGDOM MATURITY * *1. 5:3. ?Blessed the poor in :spirit, for THEIRS is the kingdom of the heavens.? *Father, we take this first step of *humility* for ourselves and our fellowman. No good thing dwells in us. Your Christ in us is our only goodness. *2. 5:4. ?Blessed they that mourn, for THEY shall be comforted.? *Father, we take our second step into Your Kingdom. We come, willing to be converted as a little child. We *mourn* our pride, intellectuality, unbelief, fearfulness. We say, Lord we believe; help our unbelief! *3. 5:5. ?Blessed the meek, for THEY shall inherit the earth.? *Father, all our strength, ambition, drive, aggression: we put under *Your* control! *Renew You* our minds! *We* deny *ourselves*, take up *our cross*, and follow *You*! *4. 5:6. ?Blessed they that hunger and thirst after :righteousness, for THEY shall be filled.? *And now Father, we see the way to have all our needs met: body, soul and spirit. We will seek *first* Your *Kingdom* and * Your* righteousness. *Then* our spirits will especially have their needs met from Your Throne. *5. 5:7. ?Blessed are the merciful, for THEY shall obtain mercy.? *Ah, Jehovah God: we cannot expect *forgiveness from You* except we grant *forgiveness to our fellowman*, even to our enemy! So Father, we take this fifth and most difficult step. Only by Matthew 18:15-17 will we handle our interpersonal problems. *6. 5:8. ?Blessed the pure in :heart, for THEY shall see :God.? *O God our Father, we tremble at this sixth step in *Your fear*! This is the last step before You can bring *many sons* into *Glory*! We yield to this step. We thank you for John Wesley, and his gift from You to lead many into this beatitude. *7. 5:9. ?Blessed the peace-doers, for THEY shall be called sons of God.? *But now, O Father, in this *seventh* step we step into *sonship*! Now at last we are *strong*, the *word of God abides in us*, and we *have overcome* the evil one! Yes Lord, through this step, You deliver us from him. *8. 5:10. ?Blessed they that have been persecuted for righteousness sake, for THEIRS is the kingdom of the heavens.? *Now Father, You lead us into even greater maturity, even into fatherhood in Christ. We identify ourselves with Your Righteousness in Christ. We proclaim Your Glory in Him. *9. 5:11-12. ?Blessed are you when men shall reproach you and persecute, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your :reward in the heavens: for so persecuted they the prophets :before you.? *But not just for identification with Your Righteousness, but even with *You Yourself* we identify ourselves, Father. Lord *Jesus*, lift us even into spiritual grand-parenthood in God! *NOTE**: There are key words in each of the above Beatitudes. From them we can glean added help for us as Overcomers. By the grace of God, may it be so.* *1. POOR. ptoCHOS* - 34 (38) references* *- This is the first of the 8 Beatitudes that Jesus gave as His initial teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. And - it is poor in spirit. This is the door we must all enter, to receive the 8-fold promises and blessings. Until we sense that in our inmost man - our spirit - we are nothing - and have nothing - the rest of this series is not open to us. Paul said it in Romans 7:18, ?For I know that in me, that is, in my :flesh, dwells no good.?This wasn?t the spirit of Paul prior to his conversion! And in Philippians 3:3 he pressed this thought home: ?For we are the circumcision, who worship by God?s Spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in flesh.? No confidence in the flesh! Poor in spirit. Now therefore a candidate for the potential blessings to follow!* *2. MOURN. penTHEo from PENthos* - 10 (15) references* *- Once we have attained a true position and realization of our complete poverty in ourselves - then we enter into a state of double mourning: first for ourselves that God will work the comfort of 2 Corinthians into us; and then on behalf of fellow believers - that we might then be enabled to pass God?s comfort unto them. And also for our fellow human beings - that we might so effectively pass on to them the wonders of the Gospel in Jesus - that those foreknown in God and appointed to eternal life - may then respond - and like us enter into the unlimited comfort of God!* *3. MEEK. PRAUS* - 3 (16) references* *- True meekness is a rare attribute. Moses had it above all other men! It has been defined by some as, ?Strength under control!? Only once did it slip out of control with Moses - but that kept him from entering the Promised Land! Walk in the Spirit - and we will not succumb to the lusts of the flesh. Think of the wonders of the recreated earth following the return of Christ - that the meek will inherit the earth!* *4. HUNGER. peiNAo from PEIna - 23 (24) references - + diPSAo from DIpsa - 16 (17) references* *- Hunger and thirst are two of the strongest human desires. Babies start out this way, and it continues to death. But to move up to spiritualhungering and thirsting for our spirit and soul - is a far higher attribute! And for those entering in and experiencing this, the promise of filling is great indeed. Blessed indeed are they who graduate from the natural to the spiritual hungering and thirsting!* *5. MERCIFUL. e-leEmon from Ele-os - 2 (78) references * *- Jesus and His Father are leading exponents for the example of mercy. God prefers mercy to sacrifice. The fact that He desires this as one of the Key Beatitudes to be manifested in our lives - speaks volumes! God?s consistent blessing is upon the Merciful. And this attribute opens the door for us to receive God?s mercy.* *6. PURE. ka-thaROI from AIro* - 28 (239) references* *- Clean is a synonym to pure. A pure heart in the sight of God is a prized possession. David was a man after God?s own heart, because he kept his heart pure. Was he perfect? Not at all. But when he sinned and was confronted, he always immediately repented, confessed his sin, and found his fellowship with God restored! And the promises for such? They shall see God! Moses desired to see the glory of God above all else. The pure in heart can join Moses and David in this extraordinary blessing!* *7. PEACE-DOERS. ei-re-no-poiEo from eREo* - 1 (4076) references* *- Colossians 1:20 describes Jesus as the greatest of all peace-makers. He made peace between us and the Father on the basis of the blood of His Cross! No human being from the earth can emulate such an act! Only the Son of God from heaven becoming man - could do such a thing. But - with His Spirit indwelling and controlling us, He through us as members of His body the Church - can use us as His peace-makers! And - as we allow Him to do so through us - then we rise to the status of being called by God - sons of God! What a privilege!* *8. PERSECUTED. de-di-ogMEnoi from diOko* - 44 (58) references* *- Suffering persecution down here - is one of the clearest signs that we truly belong to God. Count it all joy when we fall into testings and persecutions - for such develops patience in our lives! It did for Job! And because God is no respecter of persons - it will do the same for you and me! And - such persecution is based on righteous living on our part. Satan and the world hates pure and holy lives. But God promises His blessing upon us for such!* *9. REPROACHED. o-neiDIzo from Onei-dos - 10 (16) references* *- REJOICE. CHAIro* - 32 (401) references* *- BE EXCEEDING GLAD. a-gal-liAo* - 11 (16) references* *- For me, this is one of the highest commendations that God can give any of us down here as sons of men! This is beyond being persecuted for righteousness sake. This is being persecuted because we are so linked with God?s Only-begotten Son Jesus - that the world sees us in this close identification! There is a deep reproach rising in the world against us for this identification. So when we are reviled, upbraided and reproached because of our identification with Jesus - this is the highest pleasure that can bring our God! 3 times God audibly commended His Son during His 33 years on earth. He may not audibly commend us for our identification with His Son that leads to reproach - but He takes full knowledge of it, and has pleasure in us for it. Two things He tells us to do when this happens. Rejoice! This kind of rejoicing leads to the full manifestation of the grace of God - both from our Lord Himself - and also from us as He indwells us and lives out His life through us. But for me, the word to greatly rejoice (a-gal-liAo*), portrays something even deeper! It comes from being identified with Jesus to the extent that it leads for us to be persecuted. Be exceedingly glad, leap for joy with gladness - is all part of this verb! Prophets before us were persecuted for their identification with God! And God says great is your reward in the heavens! Jesus Himself when He saw that His Father hid the mysteries of the Gospel from the wise and prudent of His day - and revealed them unto babes - His disciples - He - Jesus - manifested this exceeding joy before His Father! Consider this! Meditate upon it! Let it possess us!* *I personally find that by using Panin?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear NT?, passages such as the above come yet more alive! It is now available through . Numbers are making use of it. Just as God through Daniel used a heathen King Cyrus to restore Israel to her land and rebuild her Temple after 70 years - so 70 years after the death of Panin, God has used Timothy Johnson to print, publish and distribute God?s ?Outlined Interlinear NT?!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Aug 20 09:51:34 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:51:34 -0700 Subject: Psalm 91 Interlinear + 7-fold Shield Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 20, 2012 *PSALM 91 - GOD: THE ALMIGHTY SHIELD FOR ALL HIS SAINTS* 1. 91:1-2 (ASV ?01) THE BLESSING OF ABIDING IN GOD *He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High* yo*shev* [3427] be*se*ther [5643] el*yon* [5945] *will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.* be*tzel* [6738] sha*dai* [7706] yith-lo*nan* [3885]. *2 I will say of Jehovah, -- ?He is my refuge and my fortress,* o*mar* *lai*ho-vah [3068] makh*si* [4268] vu-me-tzu-da*thi* [4488]*,* *my God, in whom I trust.?* e-lo*hai* [430], eb-takh [982] -- *bo*. 2. 91:3-8 THE PROTECTION GOD GIVES HIS SAINTS *Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare* chiy hu ya*tziyl*cha [5337] mip*pakh* [6341] ya*kush *[3353] *and from the deadly pestilence.* mi*de*ber [1698] hav*voth* [1942]. *4 He will cover you with his feathers,* be-e-bra*tho *[84] *ya*sech [5526] lach, *and under his wings you will find refuge;* ve*tak*hath -- che-ma*paiv* [3671] tekh*se* [2620]; *his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.* tzin*nah* [6793] ve-so-khe*rah* [5507] a-mit*to* [571]. *5 You will not fear the terror of the night,* lo -- *tiy*ra [3372] mip*pa*khar [6343] *lai*lah, *nor the arrow that flies by day,* me*khetz* [2071] ya*uph* yo*mam*, *6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness* *mid*de-ber [1698] ba*o*phel ya-ha*loch* *nor the plague that destroys at midday.* mik*ke*teb [6986] ya*shud* tza-ha*raim.* *7 A thousand may fall at your side,* yip*pol* [505] mitz-tze-de*cha*, *and ten thousand at your right hand,* *e*leph vu-re-ba*bah* [7233] miy-miy*ne*cha, *but** it will not come near you.* e*ley*cha lo yig*gash*. *8 You will only observe with your eyes* rak be-ey*ney*cha tab*biyt* *and will see the punishment of the wicked.* vel-shil-lu*math* [8011] re-sha-iym [7563] tir*eh*. 3. 91:9-13 GOD GIVES ANGELIC PROTECTION *If you make the Most High your dwelling --* chiy Ye-ho*vah* makh*siy* [4268] -- *even Jehovah, who is my refuge* -- El*yon* *sam*ta -- me-o*ne*cha [4583] *10 then no harm will befall you,* lo -- te-un*neh* e*ley*cha ra*ah* [7451], *and no disaster will come near your tent.* ve*ne*ga [5061] lo -- yik*rab* be-a-ha*le*cha [168]. *11 For he will command his angels concerning you* chiy *ma*le-a-chai [4397] ye-tzav-veh [6680] --*lach* *to guard you in all your ways;* lish-ma-re*cha* [8104] be-chal--de-ra*chey*cha [1870]; *12 they will lift you up in their hands,* al -- cha*paim* [3709] yis-sa*u*ne-cha [5375], *so that you will not strike your foot against the stone.* pen -- tig*goph* [5061] ba*e*ben [68] rag*le*cha [7272]. *13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;* al -- *sha*khal [7826] va*phe*ten [6620] tid*roch* [1869]; *you will trample the great lion and the serpent.* tir*mos* [7429] che*phiyr* [3715] ve-tan*niyn* [8577]. 4. 91:14-16 THE RESPONSE GOD LOOKS FOR IN HIS SAINTS ?*Because he loves me I will rescue him;* chiy biy *kha*shak [2836] va-a-pal-le*te*hu [6403]; *I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.* a-sag-ge*be*hu [7682] chiy -- ya*da* she*miy* [8034]. *15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;* yik-ra*a*niy [7121], ve-e-e*ne*hu [6030]; *I will be with him in trouble,* im*mo* -- *i*no-chiy be-a*rah* [6864], *I will deliver him and I will honor him.* a-khal-le*tze*hu [2502] *va*-a-chab-be*de*hu [3513]. *16 With length of days (long life) will I satisfy him* *o*rech ya*miym* as-biy*e*hu [7646] *and I will show him my salvation.? (spoken by Jehovah)* ve-ar*e*hu [7200] *biy*shu-athiy [3444]. *NOTE:* Mike Servello has written a book based on Psalm 91. He takes 91:4 -- that tells us that Jehovah is our God, and is a *shield* and rampart to all believers. Then he points out how God is our 7-fold Shield: 1. The Shield of the Blood of Jesus. 2. The Shield of God our Father -- a Relationship. 3. The Shield of the angels of God under the Holy Spirit. 4. The Shield of the Full Armor of God. 5. The Shield of the spirit of Faith. 6. The Shield of Integrity and Righteousness. 7. The Shield of Intercession. It is interesting to note that this 7-fold shield can be grouped around the 7 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses. Jesus is clearly linked with the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court. Our Lord Jesus is also linked with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and our Heavenly Father with the Mercy Seat. The Holy Spirit and the angels under Him are linked with the Menorah -- the 7-fold Lamp stand in the Holy Place. See if you can take the last three and link them with the remaining 4 pieces of furniture. When on a daily basis we set God as our 7-fold Shield, then like Job we will find that He places around us a 7-fold Hedge -- to protect us from the wiles of Satan. 1. *A Mental Hedge *will protect our minds from the arrows of the enemy. See Romans 12:1-2 and Mark 8:34 how to walk in this truth. 2. *An Emotional Hedge*. How important it is to have this hedge in place as a result of God our 7-fold Shield! Many new and carnal believers desperately need to press into the protection of this hedge. 3. *A Physical Hedge*. God desires that our whole body, soul and spirit be preserved blameless till the coming again of our Lord Jesus. Remember again the wonderful promise of 3 John 2 -- *?Beloved, I pray that in all thingsyou prosper and be in health, even as your :soul prospers.?* 4. *A Spiritual Hedge*. Remember, because we are made in the image of God, and because He is *Spirit* -- so we are essentially spirit. God is the God of the *spirits* of all men! We have a soul, and we live in a body -- but as spirit-beings we commune with our Heavenly Father primarily through our spirit! 5. *A Moral Hedge.* Don't think that this is unimportant. ?Be you holy -- for *I* am holy? -- says Jehovah our God. Look at the list of immoral acts that will keep us out of the Kingdom of God, as listed in Galatians 5:19-21: ?*Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are: **fornication ** (all sex sin such as adultery and homosexuality), uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, 21 envyings, drunkennesses, revellings, and the like of these; of which I forewarn you, as also I did forewarn, that they who **practise** such **things** shall **not** inherit God's kingdom.?* There are a number of other such lists in the New Testament stating this same truth. *?Be **not** deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap? (Galatians 6:7).* And remember our Bible of all 66 books is *not* the work of 33 writers, but God is speaking supernaturally through each of these writers. The Bible is *God's word*, not man's! Paul categorically states this from himself in 1 Corinthians 14:37: *?**If **any** thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what **things** I write you (in all 14 of his NT letters) that it is **the** **Lord's** commandment.?* Peter states the same principle for all OT writers, and all the NT writers: *?For **no** prophecy was ever borne by man's will; but men spoke * *from God**, being borne **on** by **the** Holy Spirit? (2 Peter1:21).* Dr. Ivan Panin, a Russian who majored in Philosophy, Mathematics and English -- through his discovery of the Numeric phenomenon in the Bible, completely and conclusively gives proof of the above, which in spite of all his challenges to scholars, has *never* been contradicted or disproven. 6. *A Financial Hedge*. This has to do with the first promise of 3 John 2 -- that we might *prosper*. Old Testament saints learned how faithful God was in this regard when they walked with Him. How much more will He be faithful to His God-honoring NT saints! 7. *A Leadership Hedge*. Righteousness exalts a nation -- but *sin* is a reproach to any people. Blessed is the people and nation who has a Hedge of Godly leaders. Out of some 21 Kings of Judah, 9 were good, and two, Hezekiah and Josiah were *especially good* like David. They were men after God's own heart, and *removed* the high places. They *even* brought their * thought* life under the control of God! They meditated on God's Word day and night, and were like the Psalm One man. How our nation, the United States of America needs a *return* to men like Washington, Lincoln and Reagan -- who honored God and His Word, and like Job, loved righteousness and *hated* evil. May there be this type of leader returned to us this election year. By all means purchase Mike Servello's book ?*The Shield of God's Protection?,* Mt. Zion Ministries. Mike Servello recommends that believers pray through Psalm 91 on a daily basis, paying special attention to God our 7-fold Shield, and the 7-fold Hedge that comes to us as a result of claiming Him daily as our Shield. You can order his book through Lifes *Truth, *8271 Rt 274, PO Box 171, Holland Patent, NY 13354 -- Tel: 315.865.8370 For those of you who are interested, I have made excellent use of John B. Kohlenberger III -- *The Interlinear Hebrew English Old Testament.?* The English part of Psalm 91 is a combination of his literal interlinear translation plus the NIV marginal text. As you no doubt have noticed, the format for Psalm 91 is parallel to that of Panin's ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. Strong's numbers beside Key Hebrew words can be a help for those who want to go a bit deeper into this Psalm. The transliteration of the Hebrew text is not literal, but phonetic, and somewhat based on the ?Berlitz Hebrew phrase book and dictionary? for tourists. Happy Hunting -- Jim & Marie Watt (Revised 2012-08-20) * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Aug 21 08:54:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:54:05 -0700 Subject: Psalm 1 - Hebrew Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 21, 2012 *PSALM 1 (ASV 1901) - HEBREW INTERLINEAR - 2009-03-01* *THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED CONTRASTED* *Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked, * A-she-r*e*y [835] ha*I*YSH aSHER l*o* haLAC [1980] ba-aTZATH [6098] re-sh*a* -*I*YM [7563], *Nor stands in the way of sinners,* vu-beDErec [1870] CHAt*a*-*i*ym [2400] l*o* *a*M*A*D [5975], *Nor sits in the seat of scoffers:* v*u*-be-m*o*SHAB [4186] l*e*TZ*I*YM 3887] l*o* y*a*SH*A*B [3427]: *2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah;* c*i*y im be-t*o*RATH [8451] Ye-h*o*VAH [3068] CHEphe-tz*o* [2656]; *And in his law does he meditate day and night.* V*U*be-t*a*-ra-t*o* ye-heGEH [1897] y*o*M*A*M [3119] v*a*L*A*Ylah [3915]. *3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,* ve-haY*A*H ce*E*TZ [6086] sh*a*T*U*L [8362] AL - pal-gh*e*y [6388] MAYim [4325], *That brings forth its fruit in its season,* aSHER pirY*O* [6529] yitT*E*N [5414] be-itT*O* [6256], *Whose leaf also does not wither;* ve-*a*L*E*h*u* [5929] l*o* - yibB*O*L [5034]; *And whatever he does shall prosper.* veC*O*L aSHER ya-aSEH yatzLIYach [6743]. *4 The wicked are not so* l*o* - C*E*N h*a*r-sh*a*-*I*YM [7563] *But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.* c*i*y im - camM*O*TZ [4671] aSHER - tid-dePENn*u* [5086] r*u*ACH [7307]]. *5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,* al - C*E*N L*O* - y*a*KUm*u* [6966] re-sh*a*-*I*YM [7563] bam-mishP*A*T [4941], *Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.* ve-chit-t*a*-*I*YM [2400] ba-a-DATH [5712] tzad-d*i*yK*I*YM [6662]. *6 For Jehovah knows the way of the righteous;* c*i*y - y*o*D*E*a [3045] Ye-h*o*VAH DErec [1870] tz*a*-d*i*yK*I*YM [6662]; *But the way of the wicked shall perish.* veDErec re-sh*a*-*I*YM [7563] t*o*B*E*D [6]. *JOSHUA 1:8 (1:1-9) - ?JEHOVAH'S CHARGE TO JOSHUA?* (Parallel to Psalm 1:2) *This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,* l*o* - yaM*U*SH [4185] s*e*PHER [5612] ha-t*o*R*A*H [8451] hazZEH mipP*I*Yc* a* [6310], *but you shall meditate on it day and night,* ve-h*a*G*I*Ytha [1847] b*o* y*o*M*A*M veLAYlah, *that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it:* leMAan tishM*O*R [8104] la-aS*O*TH [6213] ce-c*a*l - hac-c*a*TH*U*B [3789] b *o*: *for then you shall make your way prosperous,* c*i*y - *a*z tatzL*I*Yach [6743] eth - de-r*a*CEca [1870], *and then you shall have good success.* veAZ tasC*I*YL [7919]. *JAMES 1:25 BLESSING: TO CONFORM LIFE TO PICTURE SEEN IN WORD* *But who looks into **the **perfect law,* ho de pa-raKUpsas [3979] eis NOmon TEleion [5046], *the **law** of :liberty, and continues,* ton t*e*s e-leu-theRIas [1657], kai pa-raMEInas, *being not a hearer that forgets but a doer of work,* ouk a-kro-aT*E*S e-pi-l*e*s-moN*E*S [1953] geNOme-nos alLA poi-*e*T*E*S ERgou, *this man shall be blessed in his :doing.* HOUtos maKAri-os en t*e* poi*E*sei auTOU EStai. * NOTE**: *A. T. Pierson in his biography ?George Muller of Bristol? p. 94-96 links the above 3 readings - On April 20, 1832 Mr. Muller left for Bristol. On the journey he was dumb, having no liberty in speaking for Christ or even in giving away tracts, and this led him to reflect. He saw that the so-called ?work of the Lord? had tempted him to substitute *action for **meditation** and communion.* He had neglected that ?still hour? with God which supplies to spiritual life alike its breath and its bread. No lesson is more important for us to learn, yet how slow are we to learn it: that for the lack of habitual seasons set apart for devout *meditation* upon the word of God and for prayer, nothing else will compensate. We are prone to think, for example, that converse with Christian brethren, and the general round of Christian activity, especially when we are much busied with preaching the Word and visits to inquiring or needy souls, make up for the loss of aloneness with God in the secret place. We hurry to a public service with but a few minutes of private prayer, allowing precious time to be absorbed in social pleasures, restrained from withdrawing from others by a false delicacy, when to excuse ourselves for needful communion with God and his word would have been perhaps the best witness possible to those whose company was holding us unduly! How often we rush from one public engagement to another without any proper interval for renewing our strength in waiting on the Lord, as though God cared more for the quantity than the quality of our service. Here Mr. Muller had the grace to detect one of the foremost perils of a busy man in this day of insane hurry. He saw that if we are to feed others we must be fed; and that even public and united exercises of praise and prayer can never supply that food which is dealt out to the believer only in the closet - the shut-in place with its closed door and open window, where he meets God alone. In a previous chapter reference has been made to the fact that *three times* in the word of God we find a divine prescription for a true prosperity. God says to Joshua, *?This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written it it: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.? (Joshua 1:8) *Five hundred years later the inspired author of the first Psalm repeats the promise in unmistakable terms. The Spirit there says of him whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who in His law does *meditate* day and night, that *?he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.?* Here the devout *meditative *student of the blessed book of God is likened to an evergreen tree planted beside unfailing supplies of moisture; his fruit is perennial, and so is his verdure - and *whatever he does *prospers! More than a thousand years pass away, and, before the New Testament is sealed up as complete, once more the Spirit bears essentially the same blessed witness. *?Whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty and ** continues**? **(**i.e. continues **looking** - **meditating** on what he there sees, lest he forget the impression received through the mirror of the Word), **?this man shall be blessed in his deed.?** (James 1:25.)* Here then we have a threefold witness to the secret of true prosperity and unmingled blessing: devout *meditation* and reflection upon the Scriptures, which are at once a book of law, a river of life, and a mirror of self-transforming power of God. That believer makes a fatal mistake who *for any cause* neglects the prayerful study of the word of God. To read God's holy book, by it search one's self, and turn it into prayer and so into holy living, is the one great secret of growth in grace and godliness. The worker *for* God must first be a worker *with* God: he must have power with God and must prevail with Him in prayer, if he is to have power with men and prevail with men in preaching or in any form of witnessing and serving. At all costs let us make sure of that highest preparation for our work - the preparation of our souls; and for this we must *take time* to be alone with His word and His Spirit, that we may truly meet God, and understand His will and revelation of Himself. If we seek the secrets of the life George Muller lived and the work he did, this is the very key to the whole mystery, and with that key *any believer* can unlock the doors to a prosperous growth in grace and power in service. God's word is His WORD - the expression of His thought, the revealing of His mind and heart. The supreme end of life is to know God and make Him known; and how is this possible so long as we neglect the very means He has chosen for conveying to us that knowledge! Even Christ, the Living Word, is to be found enshrined in the written word. Our knowledge of Christ is dependent upon our acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures which are the reflection of His character and glory - the firmament across the expanse of which He moves as the Sun of righteousness. A.T.P. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Aug 22 09:23:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:23:14 -0700 Subject: Joshua 9-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 22,, 2012 *APR 27 - JOSHUA 9-12 - LAND OCCUPATION CONTINUED* *1. 9:1a-2 (9:1-2) MOBILIZATION OF KINGS WEST OF JORDAN. ?As soon as the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, 2 gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel? (ESV). *The Canaanites did not give up their squatter possessions without bitter resistance. But God! * Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 9:14-15 (9:3-27) JOSHUA: OUTWITTED BY GIBEONITES. ?So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. 15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.?* You honored this covenant made by guile (2 SAM 21:1-14). We are *held* to our word (PSA 15:4b). Teach us to be careful with our words (PRV 6:2). *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 10:14 (10:1-27) JOSHUA: MIRACULOUS DEFENSE OF THE GIBEONITES. ?**There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.? *This is a red letter day and event! How *mightily* You worked on behalf of Joshua and Israel, Father! How gratifying after Ai and the Gibeonites! * **Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 10:42 (10:28-43) JOSHUA: VICTORIES FROM MAKKEDAH SOUTH. **?And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.? *This is awesome! Your fear comes upon us, O great Jehovah Father, in the light of Your mighty acts! There is *no* other God like You! * Out :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 11:23 (11:1-23) JOSHUA: VICTORIES FROM MEROM NORTH. **?So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.? *What You did for Israel under Joshua Father, You *now* do for us the Church, the One New Man, under Jesus! You are conquering the high places in our thought life (2 COR 10:3-4), and bringing them into captivity to Christ! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 12:6 (12:1-6) CONQUERED KINGS EAST OF JORDAN. **?Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.? *Here is a summary of what happened at the first. You were faithful here Father, concerning Sihon and Og. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 12:7a, 24b (12:7-24) CONQUERED KINGS WEST OF JORDAN. **?And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan. **24b **In all, thirty-one kings.? *This is really an overall summary of everything west of Jordan. *Thirty-one* kings, each representing a particular sin and area of victory we can receive in our lives! *But deliver us from the evil **one!* *NOTE**: 9:19 (9:3-27) THE SERIOUSNESS OF AN OATH! ?**But all the leaders said to all the congregation, ?We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.?? **This* is the man who You honor, Father! *?He who swears to his own hurt, **and does not change**!? (PSA 15:4b). ** * The lessons in this reading are helpful indeed! And the part concerning oaths is of special importance. Our word ofttimes means little in the day in which we live. Several generations ago there was a saying, ?A man?s *word * is as good as his bond!? Business men often sealed contracts involving millions of dollars back then - simply on the basis of their spoken word! * This* is the way *God* is! This is the way He would have us as sons and daughters to be! This is the way every father and mother should want their children to be. I had dealings with a Christian on one occasion, when my wife and I suffered because he failed again and again to keep his word. Finally I confronted him and forced him to explain himself. He said, ?I only hold myself accountable when I have written it down - never by just giving my word.? My response was, ?Then my brother, we can have no further dealings with one another - unless you change this way of doing business. And now - our Psalm for the day - *117:* *THE LORD?S FAITHFULNESS ENDURES FOREVER. **?Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! **2** For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Aug 23 08:45:26 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:45:26 -0700 Subject: Joshua 13-19 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 23, 2012 *APR 28 - JOSHUA 13-19 - LAND DIVISION* *1. 13:14 (13) LAND REMAINING: TRIBES EAST OF JORDAN. ?To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him? (ESV). *Father, *help us not to underestimate the spiritual significance of land division*. *You*plant us in places, borders, ministries and giftings. *You* are the Potter - we are the clay! We submit to *Your* appointment. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 14:14 (14) LAND FOR CALEB: HEBRON. ?Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.? *Your Spirit Father, made a great issue of this passage. What do You want us to learn? What is its spiritual application for us? Make us like Caleb in faithfulness and boldness in old age! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 15:63 (15) LAND FOR JUDAH: CALEB AND OTHNIEL. ?But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Jerusalem to this day.? *Thank God for David, who in his day removed this reproach! Give us a heart like David, Father (2 SAM 5:6). *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 16:10 (16) LAND FOR EPHRAIM: BY LOT. ?However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.? *Did Ephraim do with the Canaanites what David did with the Gibeonites? We find no record that they did. Is this why they went into captivity first? Forgive us Father, where we have failed to show the boldness and a heart like David! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 17:4 (17) LAND: MANASSEH, ZELOPHEHAD AND JOSEPH. ?They (the daughters of Zelophehad) approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, ?The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers.? So according to the mouth of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.? *May we show the same boldness as the daughters of Zelophehad! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 18:6 (18:1-19:48) LAND: SHILOH PLUS SEVEN LAST TRIBES. ?And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.? *It is important to *complete* the description of inheritance for each of the 12 tribes. It is important that *each* local church in a city knows its particular gifting of ministry under its pastor. *Then* we have a defense against the enemy. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 19:51 (19:49-51) LAND: FOR JOSHUA AND ISRAEL. ?These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers? houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.?* You Fatherfr by lot, by Urim and Thummim, by the Holy Spirit, settled each tribe in Your sovereignty! *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: 13:33 (13) LEVI?S INHERITANCE! **?But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance just as he said to them.? *The 5-fold ministry of EPH 4:11 (priests) and the deacons (Levites) are specially chosen by *You* Father! May we support and obey Your appointments, even as David to Saul. The whole of the Old Testament has been designed by God as ?Types and Shadows? - looking forward to the Church, the One New Man, composed of both Jews and Gentiles. Once Jesus came, died for our Redemption and Reconciliation - Rose, Ascended and gave the Gift (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit - from that time on, much - even most of everything - has changed! Calvary and all connected with it is the turning point of God?s universe as well as His earth! Only when we arrive in eternity will we begin to understand the significance of all of this. It is important for Jews to understand that with the destruction of their temple in 70 AD under Roman Emperor Titus, no Jew has been able to be Torah Observant since that date. Over 200 of the 613 Torah Commandments were connected with the Temple - and when that was gone - no longer has Judaism as under the Old Testament been viable. *Now* - we - the One New Man - Jew and Gentile in Christ - are the *Temple of God* with Christ as the Head! * This* is extremely difficult for Jews to process and comprehend. the apostle Paul did! Peter even found some of Paul?s revelations and insights difficult to swallow! So - the Jewish inheritance of Canaan land is but a Type and Shadow! It is designed by God to give insight to the church concerning *our spiritual inheritance*. Does this completely replace God?s plan for Israel as a nation on earth? Not at all! Replacement Theology has missed it. Let those holding this view just read Jeremiah 31 and Romans 11, and their faulty interpretation will immediately come to light! And we must remember - that for the first number of decades of the church - the only Bible they had was the Old Covenant, which the Holy Spirit enabled them to interpret in the light of Types and Shadows. Is the above easy? Not at all! It is *not* milk of the Word for babes - but strong meat for the mature. But as one *meditates* over the NT - especially over the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? made possible by the discoveries in Bible Numerics by Ivan Panin - then God?s thinking on this will begin to become clear. See * *for information on the soon availability of this Interlinear. It is now *70 years* since the death of Panin. He had hoped to see the Interlinear printed in his day. But God! He saw that its release this year will count far more in His Kingdom - than back in 1942. All this is a parallel to the 70 years of Jewish captivity in Babylon - then Daniel?s prayer on the basis of Jeremiah?s prophecy - then Persian (Iran) Cyrus? obedience to fulfill this prophecy! An now our Psalm for the day: *118:27-29 - ?The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 28 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love (CHEsed) endures forever.?* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Aug 24 11:31:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:31:05 -0700 Subject: Joshua 20-22 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 24, 2012 *APR 29 - JOSHUA 20-22 - LAND DECISIONS* *1. 20:1-2 (20) CITIES OF REFUGE. Then the LORD said to Joshua, 2 ?Say to the people of Israel, ?Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses? (ESV). *Your Name Father, is a strong tower, (PRV 18:10), a city of refuge. Jesus, You are our 6-fold city of refuge. We bless You for Your wise Kingdom principles in this provision! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 21:44 (21) LEVI?S INHERITANCE: 44 CITIES. ?And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands.? *What a commentary on Your power and ability, Father! We magnify You for this, and submit. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 22:5 (22:1-10) 2 ? TRIBES DISMISSED: THE ALTAR. ?Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.? *This is a good word of exhortation. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 22:12 (22:11-15) CIVIL WAR PROPOSED. ?And when the people of Israel heard of it the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.? *O forgive us Father, that we often fail to have the zeal for You and Your Name when we suspect that our brothers have transgressed against you! May we always walk softly before you. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 22:16 (22:16-20) THE ALTAR PROTESTED. Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ?What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD?? *Father, help us to walk carefully before You for the sake of our brothers. Let us know that we *do* affect others! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 22:29 (22:21-29) THE ALTAR EXPLAINED. ?Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other that the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!? *Father, You delivered Israel through the wisdom of the 2 ? tribes, and their respectful and restrained answer to their brothers. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 22:31b (22: 30-34) CIVIL WAR AVERTED. ?Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.? *Father, help us always to walk carefully and softly before You and one another, specially in times of suspicion. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 21:45 (21) THE EXTRAORDINARY FAITHFULNESS OF GOD! **?Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.? *In this truth we *mightily* rejoice, Father! * Only* a great God like You could accomplish such things! There are 3 things noteworthy about Israel: their land; their language; and that they are God?s chosen people! In ?Fiddler on the Roof? - Reb Tevye says to God, ?I know, I know, We are Your chosen people. But once in a while, can?t You choose someone else?? To be God?s chosen ones means *persecution*. One becomes as it were a ?speckled bird? once chosen - and in addition becomes pecked upon! Yet no other nation on the face of the earth has been so protected by God who chose them! What other nation has been driven from their land for 1900 years - and then restored to it after such a time - as Israel in 1948? Or what other nation has lost their speaking language, and then had this also restored to them after such a time? These two acts of God alone on behalf of His chosen people should alert the world to the special nature of Israel in God?s sight! But no, even to this day - no other nation on the face of the earth is so attacked as a ?speckled bird? - as is Israel! What a shock to the world it will be when Jesus - a Jew - returns as Son of man in the name of Jehovah - and makes Israel the chief nation of the earth! What chagrin - what amazement - will follow such a change! So when we return to the above lesson, and consider God?s preparation on Israel?s behalf - for the role she is to play in the last days - then our lives and understanding should be enlightened in a new way - as preparation for what is about to be fulfilled! Numbers of my friends and acquaintances cannot now receive the above insights. Some have removed themselves from my mailing list - so that they do not need to read such conclusions. They believe it is just my interpretation, and has nothing to do with truth and their contrary conclusions. We will soon know who truly understands what God is saying in His Word. May then the lesson in this mailing come home to each of us with clarity and understanding. And now our Psalm for the day: *119:162, 165. A PROPER ATTITUDE TO GOD?S WORD! ?I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. 165 Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.? *Strength and Peace come from *meditating* upon Your Word, Father! Your Word is as one who find his treasure; as great spoil; as unbounded riches! You and Your Word are *one*! *Hallowed be your :name!* *SPECIAL** - Last month California friends of ours going back to 1976 visited us here in Federal Way. Larry was head of the Forestry Department at Humboldt State University. We had a most profitable time together. * *When he got home, it occurred to him that he should send us a gift-book - ?THE HARBINGER? - The Ancient Mystery that holds the Secret of America?s Future - by Jonathan Cahn. It links Israels? judgment in the 700 BC?s - with 9/11/2001 for a dramatic wake-up call for America?s danger.* *Here are a few reviews: ?Extraordinary? - Pat Robertson; ?Stunning? - Joseph Farah; * ?*Mind Blowing? - Sid Roth; ?Sober & Challenging? - Jim Watt* *I started reading it this week - and finished it the next day. ?Many people who have read The Harbinger are convinced this book is a must-read for every American. Not only is this a compelling and shocking wake-up call for our nation, but its unique blend of biblical prophecy, historical events, and action-packed fictional narrative distinguishes it as a special gift. It offers one of the most unique revelations of God?s love and desire to see His people return to Him that has ever been written. It will not only inspire people who already know Him with new insight into His nature but also intrigue and engage people who are not yet aware of His involvement in their lives.* ?*The Harbinger?s timely prophetic message for our country has resonated with many internationally known ministry leaders who have gotten behind the promotion of its message. As a result, within days of its release, it made the New York Times best-seller list and is expected to remain in high demand for a long time to come. As great as this type of promotion is, word of mouth is still the most effective way for a book to gain traction in the wider culture.?* *You can also visit the author?s website, get in touch, and get more online at: www.The HarbingerWebsite.com or www.HopeoftheWorld.org or www.TheHarbingerBook.com* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Aug 25 11:00:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2012 11:00:10 -0700 Subject: Acts of Biblical Hostility Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 25, 2012 *2012-08-24 - ACTS OF BIBLICAL HOSTILITY BY PRESIDENT OBAMA* *David Barton of Wallbuilders.com has come out with a list explaining why Barack Obama is the most Biblically hostile President of all time. While most of these stories have been seen before, seeing them all laid out in one list is pretty astonishing.* *1. ACTS OF HOSTILITY TOWARD PEOPLE OF BIBLICAL FAITH:* *a. April 2008 - Obama speaks disrespectfully of Christians, saying they ?cling to guns or religion? and have an ?antipathy to people who aren?t like them.?* *b. February 2009 - Obama announces plans to revoke conscience protection for health workers who refuse to participate in medical activities that go against their beliefs, and fully implements the plan in February 2011.* *c. April 2009 - When speaking at Georgetown University, Obama orders that a monogram symbolizing Jesus? name be covered when he is making his speech.* *d. May 2009 - Obama declines to host services for the National Prayer Day (a day established by federal law) at the White House.* *e. April 2009 - In a deliberate act of disrespect, Obama nominated three pro-abortion ambassadors to the Vatican; of course, the pro-life Vatican rejected all three.* *f. October 19, 2010 - Obama begins deliberately omitting the phrase about ?the Creator? when quoting the Declaration of Independence - an omission he has made on no less then 7 occasions.* *g. November 2010 - Obama misquotes the National Motto, saying it is ?E pluribus Unum? rather than ?In God We Trust? as established by federal law.* *h. January 2011 - After a federal law was passed to transfer a WWI Memorial in the Mojave Desert to private ownership, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the cross in the memorial could continue to stand, but the Obama administration refused to allow the land to be transferred as required by law, and refused to allow the cross to be re-erected as ordered by the Court.* *i. February 2011 - Although he filled posts in the State Department, for more than two years Obama did not fill the post of religious freedom ambassador, an official that works against religious persecution across the world; he filled it only after heavy pressure from the public and from Congress.* *j. April 2011 - For the first time in American history, Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring.* *k. August 2011 - The Obama administration releases its new health care rules that override religious conscience protections for medical workers in the areas of abortion and contraception. * *l. November 2011 - Obama opposes inclusion of President Franklin Roosevelt?s famous D-Day Prayer in the WWII Memorial.* *m. November 2011 - Unlike previous presidents, Obama studiously avoids any religious references in his Thanksgiving speech.* *n. December 2011 - The Obama administration denigrates other countries? religious beliefs as an obstacle to radical homosexual rights.* *o. January 2012 - The Obama administration argues that the First Amendment provides no protection for churches and synagogues in hiring their pastors and rabbis.* *p. February 2012 - The Obama administration forgives student loans in exchange for public service, but announces it will no longer forgive student loans if the public service is related to religion.* *2. ACTS OF HOSTILITY FROM THE OBAMA-LED MILITARY TOWARD PEOPLE OF BIBLICAL FAITH* *a. June 2011 - The Department of Veteran Affairs forbids references to God and Jesus during burial ceremonies at Houston National Cemetery.* *b. August 2011 - The Air Force stops teaching the Just War theory to officers in California because the course is taught by chaplains and is based on a philosophy introduced by St. Augustine in the third century AD - a theory long taught by civilized nations across the world (except America). * *c. September 2011 - Air Force Chief of Staff prohibits commanders from notifying airmen of programs and services available to them from chaplains.* *d. September 2011 -The Army issues guidelines for Walter Reed Medical Center stipulating that ?No religious items (i.e. Bible, reading materials and/or facts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit?* *e. November 2011 - The Air Force Academy rescinds support for Operation Christmas Child, a program to send holiday gifts to impoverished children across the world, because the program is run by a Christian charity.* *f. November 2011 - The Air Force Academy pays $80,000 to add a Stonehenge-like worship center for pagans, druids, witches and Wiccans.* *g. February 2012 - The Air Force removes ?God? from the patch of Rapid Capabilities Office (the word on the patch was in Latin: Dei).* *h. February 2012 - The Army orders Catholic chaplains not to read a letter to parishioners that their archbishop asked them to read.* *3. ACTS OF HOSTILITY TOWARD BIBLICAL VALUES:* *a. January 2009 - Obama lifts restrictions on US government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, forcing taxpayers to fund pro-abortion groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations.* *b. January 2009 - President Obama?s nominee for deputy secretary of state asserts that American taxpayers are required to pay for abortions and that limits on abortion funding are unconstitutional* *c. March 2009 - The Obama administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit.* *d. March 2009 - Obama orders taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research.* *e. March 2009 - Obama gave $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that promotes abortion and works closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations.* *f. May 2009 - The White House budget eliminates all funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with ?comprehensive? sexual education, repeatedly proven to increase teen pregnancies and abortions. He continues the deletion in subsequent budgets.* *g. May 2009 - Obama officials assemble a terrorism dictionary calling pro-life advocates violent and charging that they use racism in their ?criminal? activities.* *h. July 2009 - The Obama administration illegally extends federal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service and Executive Branch employees, in direct violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.* *i. September 16, 2009 - The Obama administration appoints as EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who asserts that society should ?not tolerate? any ?private beliefs,? including religious beliefs, if they negatively affect homosexual ?equality.?* *j. July 2010 - The Obama administration uses federal funds in violation of federal law to get Kenya to change its constitution to include abortion.* *k. August 2010 - The Obama administration Cuts funding for 176 abstinence education programs.* *l. September 2010 - The Obama administration tells researchers to ignore a judge?s decision striking down federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.* *m. February 2011 - Obama directs the Justice Department to stop defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act.* *n. March 2011 - The Obama administration refuses to investigate videos showing Planned Parenthood helping alleged sex traffickers get abortions for victimized underage girls.* *o. July 2011 - Obama allows homosexuals to serve openly in the military, reversing a policy originally instituted by George Washington in March 1778. * *p. September 2011 - The Pentagon directs that military chaplains may perform same-sex marriages at military facilities in violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.* *q. October 2011 - The Obama administration eliminates federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for the extensive programs that aid victims of human trafficking because the Catholic Church is anti-abortion.* *4. ACTS OF PREFERENTIALISM FOR ISLAM:* *a. May 2009 - While Obama does not host any National Day of Prayer event at the White House, he does host White House Iftar dinners in honor of Ramadan.* *b. April 2010 - Christian leader Franklin Graham is dis-invited from the Pentagon?s National Day of Prayer Event because of complaints from the Muslim community.* *c. April 2010 - The Obama administration requires rewriting of government documents and a change in administration vocabulary to remove terms that are deemed offensive to Muslims, including jihad, jihadists, terrorists, radical Islamic, etc.* *d. August 2010 - Obama speaks with great praise of Islam and condescendingly of Christianity.* *e. August 2010 - Obama went to great lengths to speak out on multiple occasions on behalf of building an Islamic mosque at Ground Zero, while at the same time he was silent about a Christian church being denied permission to rebuild at that location.* *f. 2010 - While every White House traditionally issues hundreds of official proclamations and statements on numerous occasions, this White House avoids traditional Biblical holidays and events but regularly recognizes major Muslim holidays, as evidenced by its 2010 statements on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha.* *g. October 2011 - Obama?s Muslim advisers block Middle Eastern Christians? access to the White House.* *h. February 2012 - The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U.S. military, but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do.* *Many of these actions are literally unprecedented - this is the first time they have happened in four centuries of American history. The hostility of President Obama toward Biblical faith and values is without equal from any previous American president.* *See ?The Harbinger? by Jonathan Cahn to understand the seriousness for America being led from its early foundations.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Aug 26 08:48:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2012 08:48:12 -0700 Subject: Judges 1:1-3:11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 26, 2011 *MAY 1 - JUDGES 1:1-3:11 - PROLOGUE: EXPLANATION - PLUS OTHNIEL* *1. 1:7 (1:1-10) JUDAH: AT WAR WITH THE CANAANITES. And Adoni-bezek said, ?Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.? And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there (ESV). *This is poetic justice! So often Father, You return to us what we dispense to others. Help us to walk by the Golden Rule. Help us to submit to Kingdom principles. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:13 (1:11-16) CALEB, OTHNIEL AND ACHSAH. ?And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb?s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.? *How open is a father to the requests of his daughter! Father, this is the way You are to us, the bride of Your Son! We bless You for what You are and say! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 1:20 (1:17-36) FAILURE OF ISRAEL TO EVICT THE INHABITANTS. ?And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said, And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.? *We bless You for Caleb Father, who set such a marvelous example for Judah! Too bad the rest of the tribes couldn?t have following in his train! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:3 (2:1-10) ANGELIC WARNING: CAREFULNESS DURING JOSHUA?S LIFE. ?So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.? *How important for Your people to have strong, godly leaders, Father. How prone we are to wander without them! Please grant us then, strong leaders! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:12 (2:11-19) APOSTASY, JUDGMENT AND JUDGES: A PRINCIPLE. ?And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.? *Why are we Your people like this, Father? After Babylon, Israel learned their lesson; for there You rubbed their noses into idols until they were sickened of them. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 2:21-22 (2:20-3:4) NATIONS LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. ?I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.? *Enemies left in the land: to prove faithfulness and to teach them how to war! How wise on Your part, Father! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:9 (3:5-11) FIRST APOSTASY, SERVITUDE AND JUDGE. ?But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb?s younger brother.? *Here is the first of the Judges, the first oppressor, and the beginning of the sequence of judgment for sin, and deliverance for repentance. Through it all is seen Your Sovereignty, Father. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 2:16 (2:11-19) JUDGES: GOD?S COMPASSION ON ISRAEL. **?Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.? *You remember our frame Father, that we are but dust. You do not deal with us according to our desserts! As soon as Joshua and his elders died - immediately Israel departed from the LORD, and commenced taking up with the remnant of the 7 Canaanite nations - that they had failed to drive out. In Jesus? first parable of the four soils - in soil 3 He lays out what the thorns of the world are to us: ?the *cares* of this age, and *the deceitfulness of riches*, and the *lusts* of these *things* entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful,? Mark 4:19 (4:10-20). Adam?s race, of which we are a part, *still* have this 3-fold temptation facing us! The deceitfulness of riches is a synonym for *covetousness;* and covetousness is a synonym for *spiritual idolatry*. We do not like to face up to this truth, for even Jesus? 12 disciples did not like to hear what He said to the rich young ruler who turned away! Seven times in the Book of Judges - Israel turned aside because of this 3-fold temptation. And seven times she repented - and 7 times God in His mercy raised up a Judge who first delivered them! Henry Blackaby first wrote a course for individual believers entitled ?Experiencing God?. But he followed this up with a second course - looking into the Book of Judges, its 7 Judges - and the 7-fold lessons for you and me. I personally find the Books of Joshua and Judges extremely challenging. It pays to *meditate* over these readings, and like George Muller, allow the Holy Spirit to transform them from mere lessons - to *living words*, - burning in our hearts, and lifting us to the level of our Risen Lord! And now - our Psalm for the day: *121:3-4 MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD. **?He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. **4 **Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.? *Father, You are the safety and security for all travelers. We can go in and out in Your Name, and be perfectly secure. We rest in You in Christ. *Hallowed be your :name.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Aug 27 09:11:30 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:11:30 -0700 Subject: Judges 2:12-31 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 27, 2012 *MAY 2 - JUDGES 2:12-31 - EHUD AND MOAB* *1. 3:12 (3:12-14) EGLON OF MOAB. ?And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD? (ESV). *You become *our* enemy Father, when we choose to become * Your* enemy! It is *not* the devil, but *You* chastising us through man because of our sin! We submit to Your Sovereign right to do this! *Hallowed be Your :name!* *2. 3:15 EHUD: BY PRAYER, RAISED UP BY GOD. ?Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.?* But Your mercy Father, swallows up Your justice when we repent! We bless You for this! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:20 (3:16-23) EHUD?S DEVICE. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, ?I have a message from God for you.? And he arose from his seat. *Wicked Eglon deserved judgment. Eventually, *all* the wicked will be cast into hell. But for Your people Father, You have for *them* - Everlasting Life! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 3:25 (3:24-25) EGLON FOUND DEAD. ?And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.? *We wonder if Babylon will ever fall. We wonder if Your judgment will ever fall upon Your enemies, Father. But the end of the wicked is *sure * (PSA 73). *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 3:26 EHUD ESCAPES. ?Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah.? *Can You protect the righteous when they obey You, Father? Are You willing to do so? Yes! 1000 times yes, to *both* questions! We will *not* doubt you! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 3:27-28a (3:27-30) MOAB SUBDUED. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. 28a And he said to them, ?Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.? *Do You still deliver us from the evil one, Father? *Yes*, for You are *Almighty God*, and there is *nothing* too difficult for You! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:31 SHAMGAR: THIRD JUDGE - OVER APOSTASY AND PHILISTINES. ?After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.? **Faithful* are You O Father, concerning Your people. Following Your judgment and our repentance - comes Your deliverance! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 3:30 (3:27-30) DELIVERANCE - AND THEN **REST! ?So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.? *This was a tremendously long time of rest! Usually Israel started to sin again long before this. Have you been noting the strong divergence between the Judges? They come from different tribes of Israel! Their temperaments are most diverse! They have different amounts of Scripture allotted to them. But - they *all* meet a common need: *Deliverance* in the light of repentance! Then leadership and judging on the part of these Judges - if Israel can be preserved from returning to sin. Revivals in the church age are somewhat parallel to the Judges in the days of Israel. Dr. J. Edwin Orr from Belfast Ireland was a powerful Revivalist in his day. Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley, Finney - were powerful leaders of deliverance in their days. Unfortunately - they each majored on one particular doctrine to restore: such as ?Justification by Faith? by Luther; Sanctification by Wesley. Denominations were formed around these leaders and their specific doctrines - which led to fragmentation of Christ?s Body, the Church. But now we approach the end of the age - the end of 6 ages of 1000 years each; and the time for a 1000-year Sabbath following the Return of our Lord. *This* will change all that has preceded! Our Lord Jesus will lead and work millennial changes! City churches with functioning Elderships in the Gates - will cover the earth! Israel will become the Chief Nation of the earth. Are we prepared for all these changes? Most likely not. Perhaps that is just as well. Yet there are those like the apostle Paul who understood the nature of the times of the early church. He had keen understanding and insight concerning the 27 mysteries of the Kingdom of God, especially of ?The One New Man? composed of Jew and Gentile. So the Types and Shadows of the Judges in the Book of Judges - will help prepare us and ready us for the cataclysmic changes about to take place! 2012 AD is a key year in the annals of God for the changes soon to take place. The publication of God's Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? by Ivan Panin - is a key step in this preparation. Intimate, real, effective ?Bible Meditation? in the spirit of George Muller and George Whitefield - based on this ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? - is a fruitful result flowing from this Publication. God?s blessings on us - as we pursue these ?helps? He has placed on our way! Finally - our Psalm for the day: *122:1-2 LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. ?I was glad when they said to me, ?Let us go to the house of the LORD!? 2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!? *There is a double thrust here, Father: a thrust for Israel according to Romans 9-11; and a thrust for Jerusalem from above! Help us to keep balanced in this, lest we become superstitious on the one hand; or anti-Semitic on the other. We would so walk as to *Hallow Your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Aug 28 10:00:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:00:50 -0700 Subject: Judges 4-5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 28, 2012 *MAY 3 - JUDGES 4-5 - DEBORAH, BARAK AND CANAANITES* *1. 4:1-2a (4:1-3) JABIN OF CANAAN: INSTRUMENT OF FOURTH SERVITUDE. ?And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan? (ESV). *Shamgar must have been a co-judge with Ehud. After 80 years of rest through Ehud, then Israel sinned, was judged and repented. The cycle seems unending. Without You, we?d do the same, Father. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 4:4-5b (4:4-5) DEBORAH: PROPHETESS AND JUDGE. ?Now Deborah (Bee, Eloquent), a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.? *And in Your mercy Father, You had Deborah judge Your people even in the days of their apostasy! Later on, Samuel judged in the same area. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 4:6a, 7 (4:6-9) DEBORAH SENDS FOR BARAK. ?She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, ?Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you? 7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin?s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand.?? *Here is Your provision for Israel Father, in the time of their great need! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 4:10 (4:10-13) MOBILIZATION OF ARMIES. ?And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.? *You Father, would have delivered the Canaanites into Barak?s hand without Deborah; but You honored his request. And what a little army against the mighty Canaanites! But *You* can always give us victory against overwhelming odds! * **Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 4:14 (4:14-16) JEHOVAH DEFEATS CANAANITES THROUGH BARAK! And Deborah said to Barak, ?Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the LORD go out before you?? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.? *Father, You fought against Sisera through Barak! How Awesome! There is *nothing* too difficult for You! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 4:22 (4:17-23) JAEL SLAYS SISERA. And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, ?Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.? So he went in to here tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple. *How accurately Your word through Deborah was fulfilled, Father! You speak it, and it is *done*! You call the things that are not, as though they were! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:1-2 (5) SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARAK. Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: 2 ?That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!? *Your people are willing Father, in the day of Your power! And in their victory over Your enemies, what a song of jubilation! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: **5:31 (5) A FITTING CONCLUSION. ?So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.? And the land had rest for forty years. *What a fitting conclusion to the great exploit you worked through Your people, Father! Deborah has been an encouragement to many a woman. But note - though she was a prophetess and a judge, yet she yielded to the request of Barak to go with him to battle. Mary Slessor of Calabar and Sophie Muller of ?New Tribes Mission,? both took similar positions. Though they ministered apostolically in founding large churches - yet they submitted to the authority of men in ordaining elders over them. This takes great humility and obedience to the Word - but - what man can show by example a similar type of obedience to the Lord and His Word? *Great* shall be their reward in heaven - eclipsing that of many a man! And our Psalm for the day! *123:1 OUR EYES LOOK TO THE LORD OUR GOD! ?To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens.? *In time of trouble and confusion, we give thanks that we can look unto *You*, Father! * You* give assurance; *You* give direction; *You* give strength and grace; * You* are all we need! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Aug 29 09:22:24 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:22:24 -0700 Subject: Judges 6-9 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 29, 2012 *MAY 4 - JUDGES 6-9 - GIDEON AND MIDIANITES* *1. 6:1 (6:1-6) MIDIAN OPPRESSES ISRAEL: THE FIFTH. ?The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years? (ESV). *Judgment and repentance: again the cycle of this book continues. Why do we not profit from history? O hear our cry today Father, and deliver us from oppression. We submit to You. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 6:10 (6:7-10) UNNAMED PROPHET: SCORES ISRAEL?S APOSTASY. And I said to you, ?I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.? But you have not obeyed my voice. *Before deliverance, You clearly cause us to see the enormity of our sin and rebellion! Every *true son* you *chasten*, Father. We thank You for Your faithfulness. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 6:12-13a (6:11-7:25) GIDEON: RAISED BY GOD TO SIGNAL VICTORY. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ?The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.? 13a And Gideon said to him, ?Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us?? *You could have told Gideon the reason for Israel?s calamity Father, though he could have known this for himself. Yet even in oppression - you were with them in hidden state! * Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 8:21a (8:1-31) CIVIL STRIFE, VICTORY AND RUIN. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, ?Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.? And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna.? *As many a successful man in God, Gideon fell into idolatry following his success. Father, forgive us for so often following in the steps of Gideon. Strengthen us by the lessons of history, and may we profit indeed from this example. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 8:34-35a (8:32-35) GIDEON?S DEATH: APOSTASY AND INGRATITUDE OF ISRAEL. ?And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon).? *Ungratefulness and forgetfulness are sins indeed that are still with us as human beings. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 9:20 (9:1-21) ABIMELECH?S CONSPIRACY: PROPHECY OF JOTHAM. ?But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.? *One true son of Gideon left: what cruel carnage Abimelech worked! But Your word Father, came forth from Jotham, and no word from You returns void! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 9:56-57 (9:22-57) ABIMELECH: PROPHETIC JUDGMENT. ?Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.? *You watch over Your Word to perform it, Father! *Faithful* are You, and is Your Name concerning the things of righteousness. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 7:7 (6:11-7:25) GOD?S CHOICE OF ARMY NUMBERS. And the LORD said **to Gideon, ?With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.? *Whether with many or with few You can deliver us, Father; but when with few, we are preserved from pride, and from taking the credit unto ourselves. The story of Gideon has gripped the people of God through many generations. Many parents have named sons ?Gideon?, after this unique Judge - sovereignly chosen of God for a specific and challenging task. And now for us in *our* day! Do we not need our God to raise up for us a Gideon - who will courageously stand in the gap, and lead God?s people to victory? Yes we do! Our day in the United States is critical. We are * already* under the judgment of God - and already He has permitted the ungodly to wreak judgment upon the lukewarm people of God. But many are switching from the Laodicean type of church to one of Philadelphia. This latter had a little strength, and God was offering encouraging promises to her. The Key of David can open doors, where no other possibility exists. Let us arise, and through a God-appointed leader, see our spiritual Mideonites vanquished. It is *prayer* and *faith* that will lead us into victory - not mere wishful hoping. Our Psalm for the day: *124:2-3 OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. ?If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us.? *O Father, we hold on to You in the midst of persecution, trial and trouble! *You* in Christ are our *only* hope. *You alone* will deliver us. *Hallowed be Your :name!* Following is a prayer challenge for our soon approaching election: *Let?s all mark our calendars and commit to join this prayer movement for our nation. Note the 40 days of prayer begin on September 28th!!!!* *Message to ALL Christians in America from Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonia, Texas.* Greetings to all of our Salt Covenant Partners and friends across the nation and around the world. First, I want to express my profound appreciation of President Barak Obama for doing what all of the Republican candidates have not been able to do for months: he unified the Bible-believing church in America in one week over the issue of abortion. When the President ordered the Catholic Church to provide contraceptives to prevent the birth of new life, he hit a nerve in the heart of every true Catholic and Evangelical. Being a politician, he will attempt to compromise his position until after the election and then release the full power of government to force the church to obey the state. Think about this! If he made this bold statement before the election, consider how brutal he will be if he is re-elected! I have said it before and I will say it again: the election on November 6, 2012 for the office of President is the day of decision for America. Four more years of Obama will bring absolute socialism to America. Our children and grandchildren will never know the greatness of America that we have experienced. THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN! FORTY DAYS OF PRAYER - I am asking the Christians of America to join us in 40 days of prayer for this Presidential election. These 40 days of prayer will begin on September 28, 2012. You can do it individually or in groups, but prayer is the most powerful force God has given us to bring our nation back to righteousness. I?ll be saying more about this as the year progresses, but mark it on your calendar and start telling your family, friends, and church members NOW about the 40 days of prayer. Sincerely, Pastor John Hagee - *If my people, which are called by my name,* *shall humble themselves, and pray, seek my face,* *and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear* *from heaven, and will forgive their sin,* *and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14* Could it be that this issue may be a great grace to bring all Christians together? *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Aug 30 08:59:56 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:59:56 -0700 Subject: Judges 10-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 30, 2012 *MAY 5 - JUDGES 10-12 - JEPHTHAH AND AMMONITES* *1. 10:1-3 (10:1-5) TOLA AND JAIR. ?After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola, the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. 3a After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years? (ESV). *Men of Issachar were men of wisdom who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1 CHR 12:32). What a blessing after Abimelech! This is *Your* wisdom, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 10:15-16 (10:6-18) AMMONITE OPPRESSION. ?And the people of Israel said to the LORD, ?We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.? 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.? *Here we are back to repentance following judgment. How slow Israel was to learn. But are we as New Covenant believers that faster? Forgive us, Father! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 11:1 (11:1-3) JEPHTHAH: HIS MISTREATMENT. ?Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah.? *Jephthah, the firstborn of Gilead, was disinherited by his younger brothers, Gilead?s legal sons. No doubt this ?Robin-hood? was bitter over this. David was forced to live a similar life because of Saul. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 11:29 (11:4-29) JEPHTHAH: CHOSEN TO LEAD ISRAEL. ?Then the Spirit of the LORD was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.? *You Father, confirmed Israel?s choice of Jephthah by the anointing (ISA 10:27)! The yoke of the Ammonite was surely broken in this way! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 11:32 (11:30-40) FOOLISH VOW FOR VICTORY. ?So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand.? *Victory: but at what great and unnecessary cost! Here the traditions of the heathen had infiltrated Israel, even as the world has infiltrated the church. O forgive us for our lack of watchfulness and care, Father. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 12:6 (12:1-7) JEPHTHAH: CIVIL STRIFE WITH EPHRAIM. ?They said to him, ?Then say Shibboleth,? and he said, ?Sibboleth,? for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.? *Civil war always leaves great bitterness. Gideon showed a cooler spirit that Jephthah in a parallel situation. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 12:11 (12:8-15) IBZAN, ELON AND ABDON. ?After Ibzan (great fatigue) Elon (Magnificent oak) the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. *What versatility exits among the leaders You choose to lead and judge Your people, Father! We are unable to premeditate Your ways of wisdom and acts of power, Most Sovereign Lord! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 10:3 (10:1-5) JAIR: A GILEADITE. **?After him arose Jair (He will enlighten) the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.?* Elijah and Jephthah along with Jair were all Gileadites, restorers of inheritance through enlightenment. They truly had the spirit of God: lion-hearted, hard as diamonds! You blessed Israel through them, Father! The Bible is very clear concerning promiscuous oaths, such as made by Jephthah. We need to be *very careful* concerning our words, promises and oaths. As a matter of fact - Jesus in the the New Covenant warns believers *not to make oaths* - but rather to let our words be Yes, yes - and No, no! Simplicity in our our words is the key for the New Testament. And - simplicity in our usage of Bible words, for both Old and New Testaments. We can overdo and overuse the use of numbers and letters (numerology and alphabetology). We do not find Jesus or any of his 8 NT apostles making use of these devices in their NT interpretations. Then why is it that today so many tend to make such strong use of these features? I believe it is because we have left the simplicity of the Word of God. To meditate over the simple word of God like George Muller and George Whitefield produces extraordinary fruitfulness. But we become like the Israelites of old concerning ?manna?! Who said - ?Our soul *loathes*this white stuff - this manna. We want meat and garlic like we had in Egypt. Angel food not good enough for Israel? Apparently not! But see how God in anger gave them so much meat that their soul desired - that they died of food poisoning. The spirit of extra-scriptural Bible interpretation abounds in the church today. When I departed from this spirit in 1949, I overhead them saying - ?He has left ?This Revival?. He has reverted to the ?Old Order?! I receive this as a compliment! If one holds to the *simplicity* of the Word - to what the 8 NT apostles wrote and taught - to the angel-food of manna - then I believe we have the blessing of God upon us. To depart from this is ?New Order? - but just as it did not please God when Israel despised His Manna - neither - I believe - is God that pleased with unproven and untested prophecies and interpretations. K.I.S.S. - Keep It *Simple*, Sweetie! *This* is my watchword, as we meditate over God?s ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament,? based on the Bible Numeric discovery of Ivan Panin in 1890. I believe that *here* we will be in the center of what pleases the heart of God. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Aug 31 09:30:01 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:30:01 -0700 Subject: Judges 13-16 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* August 31, 2012 *MAY 6 - JUDGES 13-16 - SAMSON AND PHILISTINES* *1. 13:1 PHILISTINES OPPRESS ISRAEL. ?And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years? (ESV). *Your judgments are *just*Father, and You chasten us as sons for *our good* because You love us. But what a long time of judgment to bring Israel to their senses! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 13:8 (13:2-23) SAMSON: HIS GODLY PARENTS. ?Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, ?O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.?? *You Father, honor the headship of the husband in family relationships. We too honor Your appointments and way of doing things! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 13:24-25 SAMSON: HIS BIRTH. ?And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson (Sun-like). And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.? *How faithful You are Father, in bringing Your Word to pass! We absolutely depend on You. Yes, we honor You! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 14:4 (14:1-20) SAMSON: HIS FIRST LOVE. ?His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.? *Some of your ways are strange Father, and past finding out. You make *all* things work together for good, even things of which You do not fully approve. But we know *You* are righteous and merciful, and we fully trust in You. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 15:15 (15:1-20) SAMSON: OCCASION FOR VENGEANCE. ?And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.? *Here You are surely answering prayer Father, and even in Israel?s back-slidden position starting to deliver them from judgment, because they cried unto You. We marvel at Your grace. You fulfill 2 CHR 7:14! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 16:3 (16:1-3) SAMSON: ANOTHER CAUSE FOR VENGEANCE. ?But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.? *Samson?s life was in jeopardy. But *You* Father, watched over this carnal man, warned him, awoke him in time, and supernaturally delivered him. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 16:21 (16:4-31) SAMSON AND DELILAH: HUMILIATION AND VENGEANCE. ?And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.? *Here is a saved man in the hands of sin. You say, ?That can?t happen to me.? You Father, tell us that it can happen to anyone of us (ROM 1:18-32), if we walk carelessly. We submit to You in Your holiness! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 14:6 (14:1-20) SAMSON: SECRET OF HIS STRENGTH. **?Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.?* What a strange young man! You use what is available in days of evil Father, and none of us Your servants are righteous altogether. We magnify You for Your ability and wisdom. There are significant lessons for us to learn from this passage. One is the spirituality of Samson?s mother. It was to her that God sent His angel first. But then He honored the eldership of Manoah by sending the angel the second time, just as He honored Aquila before Priscilla in eldership. (Note though, that in the 6 times these two are referred to in the New Testament, Priscilla appears 4 times before Aquila - because like the mother of Samson, she had the deeper sensitivity to the things of God.) Consider the ministry of Kathryn Kuhlman. God had called 4 men for this ministry, but for them the cost was too high. Kathryn was his fifth choice, and she paid the heavy price to walk in this strong anointing. And Samson - a worthy man? Not especially so - but rather a carnal man. Yet God used him to deliver Israel from the yoke of the Philistines, and to Judge Israel. Is it easy to understand this passage? Not at all. Nevertheless we do see the variegated choices of God in Israel?s Judges - especially in Samson from the tribe of Dan. It is good for all of us to take a page out of Billy Graham?s book! He too did not understand the meaning of parts of the Bible, nor the wisdom of God behind some of His leadings. But very early in his ministry in the High Sierras - he came to a serious and sober decision. To God he made the following promise: ?Lord, I do not understand many things in Your Word. But from this day forth - by faith I will always declare - ?The Bible says!?? I too by faith take the entire Bible as God?s Word. I find I can meditate over it all - from Genesis to Revelation. Much of it then comes clear. And what does not - I confidently hold in abeyance, knowing that God in His timing will make it clear to me. *Our Psalm for the Day - 126:6 RESTORE OUR FORTUNES, O LORD! ?He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.? *This is a meaningful Psalm, and a meaningful verse. Father, we believe Your faithful promise here. We embrace it. We say, ?It shall be as You have said!? *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Sep 1 09:15:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2012 09:15:31 -0700 Subject: Judges 17-21 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 1, 2012 *MAY 7 - JUDGES 17-21 - EPILOGUE: ILLUSTRATION* *1. 17:6 - (17:1-6) EPHRAIM: LAWLESSNESS PRODUCES IDOLATRY. ?In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did was right in his own eyes? (ESV). *This is a terrible commentary upon a people who depart from You Father, and Your Word! We do culpable things, such as making images for idols. This is a sign of decadence, not of being religious. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 17:12-13 (17:7-13) LEVITE: APOSTASY PERMITS IDOLATRY. ?And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, ?Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.? *How foolish and deceived! Could this Ephraimite and this Levite have known Your way, Father? Certainly - ignorance is no excuse. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 18:1 (18:1-10) DAN: LAWLESSNESS TEMPTS TO IDOLATRY. ?In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.? *The Levite was really working Babylonish witchcraft for Dan! But we too pervert Your right ways Father, and through human tradition make void Your Word! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 18:20 (18:11-26) EPHRAIMITE: GODS STOLEN BY DAN. ?And the priest?s heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.?* Father, like Jonathan the priest, we too have prior idolatrous commitments that we have reneged on, because of better opportunities. * Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 18:30 (18:27-31) DAN: WORKS VIOLENCE AND IDOLATRY. ?And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.? *This is a significant statement. Through Jeroboam?s calf in Dan, and through this previous idolatry that lasted till captivity, Dan?s name does not appear with the 144,000 (REV 12:4-9). But his stone (beryl) *is* in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (REV 21:19-20). *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 19:29 (19) GIBEAH: DEEP IMMORALITY REVEALED BY CONCUBINE. ?And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and taking hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel.? *At last Father, You were able to get hold of the conscience of Israel, even in her backsliding. But what a horrible act it took to awaken her conscience! O may we be more open to righteousness today, lest we too require such an awakening! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 21:6 (20-21) BENJAMIN: JUDGED AND SAVED. ?And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother and said, ?One tribe is cut off from Israel this day.?? *It took *all twelve* tribes for God?s purposes to be accomplished through Israel. It takes *twelve or more* local churches in a city for God?s purposes to be accomplished in the city body of Christ. Hear, O Israel! Hear, O Church! Hear, our Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 21:15, 17 (20-21) BENJAMIN: BROUGHT ISRAEL TO REPENTANCE. ?And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 17 And they said, ?There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel.?? *We honor this principle, Father!* * *Two unusual records appear in this section: concerning the tribe of Dan - and the tribe of Benjamin! - with many valuable lessons from these two Types and Shadows.* *And what has God done on our behalf in the light of the extreme needs of both them and us? Five powerful, Sovereign acts, all through our Lord Jesus Christ! * *When we daily walk through the 7 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses, the first we come to is the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court. It is most helpful when we consider the 5 types of sacrifice recorded in Leviticus 1-7.* *The first is the Whole Burnt Offering, or Holocaust. Jesus fulfilled this according to Hebrews 10:1-18. It was not the whole burnt offering of the Old Testament that pleased the Father - but the voluntary offering of His Only Begotten Son as a Holocaust - that met the full approval of God! What God spared Abraham from performing with Isaac - He spared not Himself with Jesus. Jesus as the Eternal Word (LOgos) took upon Himself a servant?s body, and as Son of Man offered Himself on Calvary as a Whole Burnt Offering, as a perfect servant to God on behalf of all mankind! Then in Romans 12:1-2 - the Eternal Spirit through the apostle Paul encourages usto join our Savior, by offering our bodies as a Holocaust, a Whole Burnt Offering - as Our Utmost for His Highest!* *The second is the Sin Offering, which Jesus also performed on Calvary. I daily sing, ?I feed on the merits of Calvary - through You, Christ Jesus my Lord!? God gave me these words in the Spirit with the tune - very early one morning some decades ago. To these words I add - ?I feed on the LOgos, and the ?REma of Calvary - and I drink of the Spirit of Calvary - through You, Christ Jesus my Lord!? See - Adam?s race of which we are a part, is notresponsible for his sin in Eden, for the sons are not guilty for the sins of the father, nor the father for the sins of the sons! God does not hold us responsible for Adam?s sin, though we bear the penalty for his sin, by being born dead in trespasses and sins. So - Jesus - the Eternal Son of God - at Calvary - died and paid the penalty for Adam?s sin. And whoever understands this - believes it - and receives Jesus as our Substitute and Atonement for Adam?s sin, is immediately free from the consequence of Adam?s sin, and is born from above by the eternal Word of God and the Spirit of God! Romans 5 spells this out in a wonderful way.* *The third is the ?trespass offering?. This covers and atones for the sins and trespasses that you and I commit! At Calvary Jesus provided Atonement for this also! No wonder we feed on the merits of Calvary! Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow! No wonder it pays us early every morning to feed on the merits of Calvary, including Him as an offering for our personal trespasses. See the Lord?s prayer on our behalf in Matthew 6:5-15 - Here He teaches us as disciples to pray: And forgive us our :debts - As we have forgiven our :debtors! The coming ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on God?s Bible Numerics, discovered by Ivan Panin, with his two NT texts - will greatly aid in this!* *The fourth is the ?Peace Offering?. Jesus fulfilled this also at Calvary! It is on our behalf included in the merits of Calvary - upon which we can daily feed! It produces Reconciliation with God based on the Propitiatory Sacrifice in this Peace Offering, 1 John 4:10.* *The fifth is the ?Grain Offering?. Jesus said in John 12:24 (12:20-36), that it was this offering that produced His Multiplication into every member of the ?One New Man?! For the Joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross (Calvary), suffering the shame, knowing the multiplication that awaited Him, Isaiah 53:11 (53:10-12). See also Hebrews 12:2 (12:1-13).* *These 5 offerings of Himself at Calvary, are sufficient for us to meditatedaily upon as we progress from the Brazen Altar of the Tabernacle unto the Mercy Seat, where we again meditate like George Muller and George Whitefield upon the amazing work of Jesus on our behalf (Psalm 19:14). We would have been a lost race individually and corporately had not Jesus fulfilled the desire of His Father to come and lay down His life a ransomon our behalf. My Utmost for His Highest is a proper response on our part for such a 5-fold offering of love! We can add, ?Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of Jehovah!* *I daily take this opportunity to thank God who so loved us that He sentHis only begotten Son to die for us - and to Jesus - who said to His Father in His pre-incarnate state - ?Prepare for me a body Father, and I will go as Son of Man and take the place of Adam for punishment for his sin - and make Reconciliation for all of the human race who will hear and respond! Thank You Father, and thanks Lord Jesus, as we daily feed on the 5-fold merits of Calvary!* *Our Psalm for the day: 127:3 UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE! ?Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.? *And we can have spiritual sons as we receive your ?R*E*ma words, Father. They can be begotten by Your incorruptible seed. You can teach us through night visions in our dreams. We can be fruitful in You. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Sep 1 11:43:54 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2012 11:43:54 -0700 Subject: Is This Hateful? Andrew Strom Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *August 30, 2012* *2012-08-30 - Andrew Strom & Homosexuality (New Zealand)* *(REVIVAL List To: anzac at welovegod.org)* *IS THIS ?HATEFUL???* *I have been very surprised and shocked in the last couple of days at all the Christians who want us to stay ?silent? on the issue of Homosexuality - and make out that it is nothing ?special? - just any old sin. They think it makes us ?look bad? to speak up about it - judgmental and ?unloving?.* *I think what a lot of people don?t realize is that this issue is specifically being used by the devil as the ?leading edge? of his agenda in the earth. He is using Homosexuality to push his religion of ?secularism? massively amongst the youth. More that any single issue, this is the devil?s favorite.* *Think about this for a moment. Today?s Homosexual movement is not just about ?practicing? Homosexuality. They are also about ?preaching? it and ?converting? the youth to embrace it as ?good?. What they push is actually ?spiritual? propaganda - a false gospel of ?sin-celebration? that totally undermines the Bible. We need to start seeing these activists as aggressive ?preachers? of a new religion - a religion designed to totally replace Christianity. These are some of its most zealous ?missionaries?. And they are successfully ?converting? the youth of all the earth.* *The whole idea is to completely rid the planet of any sense of what ?sin? is.* *You will notice that in the last 25 years there has been an enormous push in the media to ?normalize? Homosexuality. It used to be that two men kissing would make everyone want to gag. But these activists knew that if they put sympathetic ?gay? characters again and again into movies and TV shows, eventually they would wear down the scruples of the audience. Comedies are especially helpful for this. And gradually they have ?converted? an entire generation of young people to their cause. In this they have been overwhelmingly successful. It may be the greatest ?propaganda? victory ever. The battle is already theirs. And they are using the media to spread it more and more around the world.* *We need to start seeing gay promotions and gay TV shows, not just as Homosexual? events, but also as ?preaching? events. They are designed to ?convert? people - to make them ?fine? with sin - yet ?not fine? with anyone who opposes the sin. Their ?preachers? have been winning this war. It is devil take the youngest.* *Because of all this ?propaganda?, Christians have become more and more reluctant to call Homosexuality what the Bible clearly calls it - an ?abomination?. (Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:27, * *etc.) Nobody ever wants to use that word any more. We are frightened to be thought of as ?unloving? or judgmental. And so more and more we let the devil define what is sin and what is not. I tell you, if we roll over on this issue, the devil will have us for breakfast - he really will. Entire generations are riding on our response.* *If we let the devil define ?sin? then it is over. The gospel cannot be preached when the devil defines its terms.* *There are actually very few sins that earn the title ?abomination? in God?s sight - especially when it is ?paraded? in the open. Homosexuality is seen by Him as being so bad that it is often associated with ?Judgment? in Scripture. We also find throughout history that when a culture embraces Homosexuality, it is almost always very close to the end of that civilization. History shows this again and again.* *One of the biggest lies, of course, is that there is some kind of ?gay gene? - that people are ?born with?. This is completely false, and if you do a search on the Internet you will find that there has been study after study done in academic circles, with no evidence of a ?gay gene? whatsoever. Not that it truly matters any more. The ?propaganda? war is mostly won anyhow.* *But let me be clear on this: It is not OK to treat ?gay? individuals with anything less that Christian love and kindness. It is very important to go about this with the right spirit. We must always act out of love and godly wisdom. But we must also speak the TRUTH. We are not at ?war? with individual ?gay? people. Quite the opposite. But the movement and its message - that is a different story. There is a war going on in the hearts and minds of today?s youth. We are not to fight this in the ?flesh? - with politics or campaigning, etc. But we certainly are to raise our voices and to loudly ?speak the truth in love?. Otherwise the upcoming generation will be lost to the most powerful and clever ?false gospel? of them all.* *In closing, let me say that is is not ?loving? to be silent. True love warns and pleads with people not to follow the way of sin and death. We cannot compromise on this. It is compromise that is ?hateful? and leaves people stuck where they are. Love warns, because it knows the consequences if it stays silent. This is true mercy. So please - do not stop ?speaking the truth in love?, my friends. It is truly a MUST in this hour. An entire generation is at stake.* *NOTE**: **I am in the midst of praying and counseling with a friend whose husband has departed from their marriage relationship, and into one with a homosexual lover. 6 children are at stake! How would you counsel in such a situation? Do you find Andrew Strom?s ?Exhortation? to be relevant? Scriptural? Timely? God-honoring? Bible-honoring?* *I am absolutely committed to God and His Word - no matter what the cost. It cost Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man - His life! It has cost a martyr?s death for many a believer throughout our Christian age. It will continue to do so right to the end of this age and the Return of our Lord Jesus. See Revelation 6:9-11 for confirmation on this. See the multiplied millions in China who have been martyred for their Christian faith. Has this not been for them ?Great Tribulation?? The Chinese believers thought it to be so. They thought the missionaries who taught a ?Secret Rapture? theory to be in false doctrine in the light of this, and many feeling they could no longer trust such misguided teachers - entirely left the Christian faith. What a tragedy!* *And remember - the upcoming ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? - based on God?s Bible Numerics, proves the absolute authenticity and infallibility of His Word - and led Russian Ivan Panin to produce his two New Testament texts based on this discovery. Liberals, humanists, homosexuals - are clearly facing the Judgment Seat of Christ upon His Return - to answer for their lies, perversions and false teaching!* *Will you join Andrew Strom and me in standing clearly for truth in our day of ?Homosexual? preaching and error? Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Sep 3 11:35:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 11:35:31 -0700 Subject: James 1:1-18 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 3, 2012 *MAY 8 - JAMES 1:1-18 - WISDOM: PATH TO PERFECTION* *1. 1:1 TO THE TWELVE TRIBES: NOT LOST. ?James, bondman of God and theLord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes :in the Dispersion, greeting? (NNT). *In Your sight Father, the 12 tribes are not lost. British Israel according to this has no ground of support. We prefer to follow *Your*testimony, and stay in balance. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:2-4 JOY IN TESTINGS. ?Count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into manifold temptations; 3 knowing that the proving of your :faith works patience. 3 But let patience have perfect work, that you be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.? *Father, help us to understand the depth and practicality of this teaching! Take the spiritual whine and wimpiness out of us. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:5 (1:5-8) WISDOM: RECEIVED BY FAITH. ?But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of :God, who gives to all simply and upbraids not: and it shall be given him.? **You* are our source of wisdom Father, and it is all in * Jesus*! Abundance comes from *You*! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 1:9-10 (1:9-11) LOW AND RICH. ?But let the humble :brother glory in his :exaltation: 10 and the rich, in his :humiliation: because as a flower of the grass he shall pass away.? *It is good for us to know Psalm 90, and the transitoriness of life. Write this truth *deep* on our hearts, Father. Circumcise our hearts with it. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 1:12 ENDURANCE: ITS BLESSEDNESS. ?Blessed the man that endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he shall receive the crown of :life, which He promised to them that love him.? *Then we accept Your way Father, which is a life of purging through trials and testing. *None* are exempt, and it is just as much for the righteous as the carnal; yes, even *more so*, because we are sons, not bastards! *And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 1:13-14 (1:13-15) TEMPTATION: ITS PSYCHOLOGY. ?Let no one say when tempted [that], I am tempted from God; for :God is unversed in evils, and he himself tempts no one: 14 but each is tempted, being drawn away by his own :lust, and enticed.? *Write this *too* upon our hearts. Let Your Spirit be our ever present Teacher and Remembrancer! We accept Your analysis, Father! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 1:16-17 (1:16-18). EVERY GOOD GIFT FROM ABOVE. ?Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow cast by turning.? *What a comforting thought! How much like You, Father! Yes, we embrace this truth! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:6-8 (1:5-8) DANGER OF DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS! **?But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for who doubts is like a sea wave, driven by wind and tossed. 7 For let not that :man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a double-minded man, unstable in all his :ways.? *We commit our will to *You* Father, and stop our ambivalence! We are *settled*, and will * not* be moved! *There is unusual wisdom with our God! We need to seek His face for His Wisdom in the Restoration of the City Church - with an Eldership in the Gate. This has not been operative in full effectiveness since the days of the apostle Paul. Then it was said of apostolic teams - ?They that have turned the world upside down - have come here also!? * *Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses - in Exodus 18 shared God?s wisdom with him. That we may know this wise counsel was not of Jethro, but through him from God, he said ?If God confirms this, then follow through on it.? Moses did so, and though it was at that time but ?Types and Shadows? - yet it was the applied basis for the New Testament Church!* *We are believing God today for the restoration of the NT church in the cities of Canada and the United States of America. It may well start out as a remnant of the local churches of cities - but it will be restored. Significant prophecies in confirmation have come to Canada and the Pacific NW (Cascadia) concerning this. In 1944 I asked God why He had revealed Himself to me from amongst my many friends. Here is His reply: ?I am going to restore My church in these last days with apostles and prophets - and if you are faithful - you may have part in this.?* *I didn?t understand the meaning or significance of this at the time, but added insights and revelation have come to this word through the years - and we are about to see its fulfillment.* *Out of a city of 800 local churches - perhaps 30 might respond to this challenge. It was so in 1967 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It will be so in the Seattle Metroplex in the very near future. Jethro exhorted on this truth of God to appoint leaders of 1000?s, 100?s, 50?s and 10?s over Israel for meeting the needs of the people. Similar needs requiring judgment still exist for the church of today.* *Each local church of the remnant of City churches that hears and responds - can have its pastor as a leader of 100 - of 100 typical families in 10 cell groups or ?churches in the home?. Pastor David Yonggi Cho of Korea saw this principle in the mid 1900?s, and acted upon it according to what insight he had at the time. Unfortunately, he did not see the ?City Church? concept for Seoul, S. Korea, and reserved this truth but for just one local church in his city. It is remarkable what the limited application of this truth produced in one local church.* *But now we need to see the ?cell group? concept applied to many local churches simultaneously in a city church!* *Early this morning (2012-09-03) I had a night vision - and saw this principle taking place in a Korean church in the S. King County area, and a City Church in the Peninsula north of Tacoma.* *Each local pastor that hears God?s call and responds, can through leaders of 50?s and 10?s - see this become operative in his local congregation. Each para-church leader can do likewise. This will not take too long in time to bring into a real functioning.* *It is my faith starting 68 years ago, to see such take place in Canada and Cascadia in the not too distant future. God?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on the discovery of Ivan Panin - will have a key part in making this viable.* *My wife Marie and I are 89 going on to 90. It is never too late to see God?s promises fulfilled! I have sought to be faithful to His call and commission that He gave me when He brought me into His Kingdom as a Canadian sailor. The 12 Embryonic Revival {Principles of the 1948 N. Canada Visitation, are also a major ingredient in God?s purposes.* *Roland Allen of England in the 1800?s saw this potential and possibility. His ?Missionary Methods: St. Paul?s or Ours? - plus his ?The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church? - laid the foundation of this understanding for me in 1949. Though Watchman Nee did not clearly see the City Church Restored through the concept of a remnant of local churches - yet through ?His Glorious Church? - he partially saw this vision. John Dawson in his ?Taking Our Cities for God? comes closer.* *For one city to break through with a functioning City Church and an Eldership or Presbytery in its Gate - in line with Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15 - will be like a ?key log? of a log jam - releasing the whole tie-up to break loose and move majestically to the sea!* *Join with me in believing for the Word of God to be ?now? fulfilled. - Jim Watt* Our Psalm for the day: *128:5-6 BLESSED IS EVERYONE WHO FEARS THE LORD. ?The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children?s children! Peace be upon Israel? (ESV)! *Family and national blessing You promise to those who fear You, O great Jehovah Father! Israel experienced the faithfulness of the promise whenever they walked with You, and the Church also! *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Sep 4 13:27:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2012 13:27:39 -0700 Subject: James 1:19-27 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 4, 20120 *MAY 9 - JAMES 1:19-27 - WISDOM: HIGHWAY TO HOLINESS* *(Please do not fail to read the NOTE at the end)* *1. 1:19-20 TWICE THE LISTENING: HALF THE SPEAKING. ?You know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to :hear, slow to :speak, slow to wrath: 20 for man?s wrath works not God?s righteousness? (NNT). *The tongue and anger are contrary to the highway of holiness. Your wisdom Father, makes listeners of us, and by this we are counted wise. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:21 WORD IN MEEKNESS: DEFEATS LUSTS OF THE FLESH. ?Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.? *Here Father, You encourage us to have a change of clothing: we put off the clothing of the flesh and put on Christ and His indwelling Word! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:22 WORD-DOERS VERSUS WORD-HEARERS. ?But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.? *What deception is rampant among us - even believers! Profession apart from appropriate and corresponding action - is *deception*. Hearing and *doing* is the way of faith! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 1:23-24 WORD-HEARERS - AND WORD ANALOGY. ?For if any is hearer of theword and not doer, HE is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholds himself, and goes away, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.? *As we are *daily* and hourly in Your Word Father, we are continually confronted with the truth: that in our flesh dwells *no good thing*! We lose *all* confidence in the flesh. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 1:25 SUPERIOR MIRROR: LAW OF LIBERTY. ?But who looks into the perfect law, the law of :liberty, and continues, being not a hearer that forgets but a doer of work, this man shall be blessed in his :doing.? **Blessedness*is the path for the one who is both hearer *and doer*! Write this law upon our hearts, Father. Do it by Your Spirit. Circumcise our hearts. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 1:26 VAIN RELIGION: AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE! ?If any thinks himself to be religious, not bridling his own tongue but deceiving his own heart, the religion of this man is vain.? *Let this truth never be removed from our clear understanding. A wagging, ceaselessly moving tongue, wants not sin! Father, help us to keep our own counsel. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 1:27 PURE RELIGION: MERCY AND PURITY. ?Pure religion and undefiled before our :God and Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their :affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.? *Father, You bless the man whose heart is open to the need of the orphan and widow. Yes, You regard the prayer of the man who guards his life from the world?s contamination. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**:** The following message has been passed along through a ?Harbor Community Services? President - Wednesday August 29, 2012* ?*Sorry to be so adamant about politics this year. But....* ?*I agree **- reading this message from ?Blue Cross Blue Shield? should help you make your voting decisions.?* *August 28 2012 - This message has also been passed along by another with the following note:* ?*Reading this should help you make your voting decisions!?* *November 6, 2012 will be the most important date* *that will affect the rest of your life ?* *The Choice is Yours.* *A Message from ?Blue Cross Blue Shield? to ALL AMERICANS* *Re MEDICARE* *Look clearly at the 2014 rate compared to the 2013 rate.* *For those of you who are on Medicare, read the following:* *It?s short, but important - and you probably haven't heard about in in the Mainstream News:* ?*The per person Medicare Insurance Premium will increase from * *the present Monthly Fee of $96.40, rising to* *$104.20 in 2012* *$120.20 in 2013* *And* *$247.00 in 2014.?* ?*These are Provisions incorporated in the Obamacare Legislation, * *purposely delayed so as not to confuse the 2012 Re-Election Campaigns.* ?*Send this to all Senior**s that you know,* *so they will know who?s throwing them under the bus!?* *Psalm of the day: 129:5-6 THEY HAVE AFFLICTED ME FROM MY YOUTH. ?May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! 6 Let them be like the grass on the house-tops, which withers before it grows up.? *There *is* a time of judgment for the wicked; there is a time of final justice. God is just, and those who have reached the point of no return, for whom the die is cast, shall meet with final retribution. You *are* faithful, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Sep 5 12:21:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2012 12:21:49 -0700 Subject: James 2 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 5, 2012 *MAY 10 - JAMES 2 - WISDOM IN THE CHURCH* *1. 2:1 (2:1-13) FAITH AND RESPECT OF PERSONS: A CONTRADICTION. ?My brethren, are you holding the faith of Jesus Christ our :lord of the glory with respect of persons? (NNT)?* Why is it Father, that we toady to the rich? They are usually rich at the expense of the poor, and do not normally come through with help from the heart. O give us a heart for the poor, the orphan and the widow! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 2:14 (2:14-17) FAITH AND WORKS. **?What profits **it, **my brethren, if one say he has faith, but have not works? can the faith save him?? *Faith and works are two sides of the same coin! True saving faith always issues forth in helpful works. Works that please God always flow out of living faith. Why do we theologize over them Father, splitting the infinite and unscrewing the inscrutable? *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 2:18 FAITH SHOWN BY WORKS. **?But one will say, YOU have faith, and I have works: show me your :faith apart from the works, and I by my :works will show you the faith.? *Now we get down to the practicals! Faith is *not*an assertion: it is a *demonstration*! James saw this clearly. We embrace this definition, Father. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:19-20 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS. **?YOU believe that God is one; you do well: the demons also believe, and shudder. **20 **But will you know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is barren?? *Demons have no works, just faith. They are *not* committed to please You, Father; they under Satan oppose You. They believe in You and Your word more clearly than many believers, but have no *follow-through*. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 2:21-22 (2:21-24) ABRAHAM?S FAITH AND WORKS. **?Was not Abraham our :father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his :son upon the altar? **22 **You see that the faith worked with the works, and by the works was the faith perfected.? *Now here is a further word and clear revelation stating the close relationship between faith and works. James has *not* written a ?right strawy? epistle, as one theologian opined! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 2:25 RAHAB?S FAITH AND WORKS. **?And likewise was not also Raab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent ** them** out another way?? *Justification is based on living faith integrally bound up with works that demonstrate it. Father, write this truth strong on our hearts. *Circumcise* our hearts with it! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 2:26 FAITH IS TO WORKS - AS SPIRIT **IS **TO BODY. **?Just as the body apart from spirit is dead, even so :faith apart from works is dead.? *Here is the conclusion of the matter. Living faith is *always* demonstrated by works that follow. We bless You for this principle Father, and strongly acknowledge its truth. *But deliver us from the evil **one!* *NOTE**: 2:5-6a (2:1-13) THE POOR: GOD?S CHOICE! **?Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not :God choose the poor as to the world **to be** rich in faith, and heir of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? **6a **But YOU have dishonored the poor **man**.? *The majority of Kingdom members are from among the poor! It is far more difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Only God can help the rich! *It is interesting how so many believers have difficulty with the book of James. James wants us all to look at this subject as ?both/and?! Both faith and works! While so many believers want to separate them into ?faith orworks?! Luther had this same problem way back in his day - and saw only ?Justification by Faith!?* *If we accept the book of James as ?canonical? - then we have no problem! And if we see ?God?s Bible Numerics? through Ivan Panin confirming James as canonical - then - we have no choice! We must then, ?Let the Word mean what it wants to mean? - and ?let God say what He wants to say!?* *This** is my position, and I find that it solves so many problems! The upcoming ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on God?s Bible Numerics through the discovery of Ivan Pain - is **such a major break-through in the field of ?Textual Criticism?. It enables us to remove up to 60% of all the material in Bible Commentaries, and their reasoning trying to establish the original text.* *That** is already **solved through ?Bible Numerics?.* *For those of you who would like some extra proof on this, turn to our Website and click on ?Archives?. Then scroll down to 2011.01.02 - ?Cutting Edge Ministries? on Panin. This is one of the better articles giving a clear insight into ?God?s Astounding Bible Numerics? as unfolded by Ivan Panin. It is indeed ?Russia?s Gift to Christianity?!* *Our Psalm for the day: 130:7-8 ?O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love (CHEsed), and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities? (ESV). *Again Father, we bear witness that You deal with us *not* according to our worthiness or works, but according to Your Covenant Love! O, we bless You for Your wisdom and mercy in this! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 6 13:10:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 13:10:49 -0700 Subject: James 3 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 6, 2012 *MAY 11 - JAMES 3 - WISDOM IN THE TONGUE* *1. 3:1-2a TEACHERS: STAND IN GREATER JEOPARDY. ?Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation. 2a For in many things we all stumble?* *(NNT). *Why do so many of us lust after leadership and teaching positions, Father? Don?t we realize the solemn and sober responsibility entailed? Only if we would sin against You by refusing, should we become teachers (spoken by Charles Haddon Spurgeon). *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3:2b (3:2b-6) THE TONGUE: GOVERNOR OF THE BODY. ?If any stumbles not in word the same is a perfect men, able to bridle the whole :body also.? *Help us Father, to see our tongue as *You* see it: controlled under and in You in Christ and so we become *mature*! O may we not miss this significant insight! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:7-8 THE TONGUE: UNTAMEABLE. ?For every kind of beasts and birds, of things creeping, and in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by human nature: 8 but the tongue can no man tame: a restless evil, full of deadly poison.? *Press this *deeper* upon our hearts, Father. *Do not let us off*, nor *let us miss* the seriousness of this truth. Help us fulfill a proper response, with gladness! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 3:10 (3:9-12) THE TONGUE: ITS INCONSISTENCY. ?Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be thus.? *We curse our fellow man who is made in Your Image, Father. We * cannot* love You, our unseen God, if we hate our seen brother (1 John 4:20). *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 3:13 WISDOM: ITS PROOF IN GOOD WORDS. ?Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good :conduct his :works in meekness of wisdom.? *Good words equal good works; for where good words out of a faithful heart flow forth, then will also flow forth good works: it is as certain as morning follows evening. *And forgive us our :debts, as we forgive our :debtors!* *6. 3:14-16 WISDOM FROM BENEATH. ?But if you have bitter jealousy and faction in your :heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 14 For where jealousy is and faction, there is confusion and every vile deed.? *Words and works flow forth from the heart: their nature is determined by the state of the heart. An evil heart consistently produces the above, and the above *always* reflects an evil heart! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 3:17-18 WISDOM FROM ABOVE. ?But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.? *Ah, here is the heart of David reflected! This is the heart, faith and works that we desire, Father! * But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 3:4 (3:2b-6) THE TONGUE: ANALOGY OF SHIP?S RUDDER. **?Lo, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are turned about by a very small rudder, where the impulse of the steersman wills.? *What a marvelous analogy! What *power* this gives to the tongue! Father, *set a watch* before our our mouths; *keep* the door of our lips (Psalm 141:3). This morning (2012-09-06) my devotions included part of the book of Galatians - as a follow-up on the book of James last week. A casual reading of these two books look like a contradiction. Justification by faith apart from works in Galatians, seems to contradict the book of James. But Paul tells us to *rightly divide* the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). If *ever* there was an area requiring this careful division - it is here between the book of James and Galatians. A careful reading of James shows that he is *not* talking of the same type of works that Paul is considering in Galatians. James is talking *not* of the ?law (Torah) of works? - but of the works demonstrating faith such as exemplified in the life of Abraham and of Rahab. Abraham demonstrated his work of offering up Isaac *before* the Giving of the law of works through Moses. And Rahab as a Gentile had no background in the Galatian concept. But Paul in Galatians is speaking of a different type or kind of ?works?. The works of law (Torah) given by Moses, consisted of 613 commandments, which Israel sought to keep right up to the days of Jesus. Their hope was based on their outward keeping of this law. There is *no* true justification possible this way. This law (Torah) was but a schoolmaster keeping Israel in place *until* Jesus and ?the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus? came into being through the Cross, Resurrection, Ascension and Giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost! If we do not discern and distinguish between these 3 types of law - it is almost impossible to become a mature, overcoming believer! Luther did not make this distinction - and perhaps because of this failure - led him to become a rabid Anti-Semitic. I believe that the above distinction is of paramount importance. To clearly discern this distinction is not easy. Peter and Barnabas had difficulty discerning it. The Judaizers never did discern it. Some among the Messianic Jewish believers are missing this distinction. And most of the ?wannabe? Gentiles in Messianic Jewish congregations miss it. The Return of our Lord Jesus is close at hand. His Coming will resolve this confusion. But before He comes - it *is* possible to see the clarity of thinking by James and Paul concerning this problem. Paul had 3 years of direct revelation in Arabia following his conversion - from the Lord Jesus - concerning the 27 NT mysteries - especially that of the ?One New Man?. It was *this* - the greatest mystery of all - that Paul so deftly and clearly made known to the church of the uncircumcision among the Gentiles. Soon - this part of the church of the ?One New Man? superseded numerically the Jewish part. Unfortunately - the Gentile believers forgot to meditate over Romans 11 - and act upon it. They became chief persecutors of the Jewish part of the church! Replacement Theology was an extremely wrong conclusion many of them came to! If ever any part of my comments needs to be meditated over - understood - and acted upon - *this* word of clarification concerning ?works? as described by James and Paul - needs to be! *Our Psalm for the day: 131:1 I HAVE CALMED AND QUIETED MY SOUL. ?O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.? **This* was the heart of David Father, the heart as of a trusting child. We marvel at the simplicity of it! We hallow Your Name for hiding this from the wise and prudent, and for revealing it unto babes (Matthew 11:25). *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 6 20:36:06 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 20:36:06 -0700 Subject: The 2012 Election - Albert Mohler Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 6, 2012 *The Great American Worldview Test - The 2012 Election* *Thursday, September 6, 2012* *In his latest blog article, ?The Great American Worldview Test - The 1012 Election,? R. Albert Mohler Jr. writes about the radical difference between the worldviews represented by the Democratic and Republican platforms, respectively. Mohler suggests that the moral implication of these distinct platforms could not be more serious. He writes:* ?*We are not looking at minor matters of political difference. We are staring into the abyss of comprehensive moral conflict. Christian voters can escape neither the consequences of their vote, nor the fact that our most basic convictions will be revealed in the voting booth come November.?* *Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., serves as president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.* *American presidential elections are the world?s most public display of the democratic process. The global media follow the American elections with a fervor that is easily understood - what happens in an American presidential election matters all over the world. Our presidential campaigns are political pageants and electoral dynamos. But, as any honest thoughtful observer will understand, our elections are also great worldview exercises. We reveal our worldview by our vote.* *This is particularly true of the 2012 election. The presidential nominees of the two major parties represent two very different worldviews and visions. President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney have adopted policy positions that placed them in direct conflict, and the platforms of their respective parties reveal to radically different rendering of reality. * *Year ago, Governor George Wallace of Alabama remarked with disdain that there is not ?a dime?s worth of difference? between the Democrats and the Republicans. In a sense, he was at least partly right. A look back at the platforms of the two parties in the 1950s and 1960s reveals little division over many of the issues that now frame our national debate. Some of today?s issues were simply missing, of course, given the fact that they were not even part of the national conversation. But on issues of the economy, foreign policy, the function of government, and a host of other issues, the parties held positions that were far closer than is the case today. Divisive issues such as then was in Vietnam would be addressed with different policy proposals, but the platforms of the two parties reflected a shared moral and political framework - a truth that would shock many Americans today.* *All that changed with the social and political divisions that came with the 1968 and 1972 elections, when the Democratic Party experienced its great transformation concerning a host of social issues. The 1980 election saw the Republicans experience their own transformation, with social issues such as abortion rising to major attention in the party platform.* *Fast forward to 2012, and the distance between the two parties is breathtaking. The nation's political polarization is clearly evident in the radical distinctions between the Republican and Democratic platforms. But this polarization is not merely political. It is fundamentally moral and ideological. These two platforms present two contradictory understandings of realities as basic as human life, liberty, and the institution of marriage.* *Though the two parties have taken opposing positions on many of these issues for years, the radical nature of this current polarization is new.* *The parties differ about matters such as health care and the environment, the power of public employee unions, Medicare, and foreign policy. But those differences, real and consequential, place in contrast with the positions taken by the parties concerning the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage.* *In 2012, the Democratic Party becomes the first major political party in the United States to call for the legalization of same-sex marriage. ?We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under the law for same-sex couples,? states the platform. This follows President Obama?s announcement earlier this year that his ?evolving? position on same-sex marriage now reached the point that he would openly call for same-sex couples to be given the legal right to marry. * *The velocity of the Democratic Party?s shift concerning same-sex marriage was on full display on the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, when former President Bill Clinton nominated President Obama for re-election. In 1996, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law after a massive bi-partisan majority in Congress approved the legislation. That act established that the United States government would recognize only the union of a man and a woman as marriage, and that no state would be required to recognize a same-sex union performed in any other state.* *Just 16 years later, the Democratic president who signed that act into law nominated a Democratic president who is working for its repeal. President Obama has ordered his Attorney General not to defend DOMA in the Federal courts. He and his party now openly call for what that federal statute - still bearing the full force of law - prohibits.* *The Republican platform stated: ?We affirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.? Thus, the Republican platform calls for nothing less that a Constitutional amendment to prevent what the Democratic platform demands the law to affirm. That Constitutional amendment, Republicans argue, is made necessary by the very fact that the Democratic President will not defend DOMA.* *On the issue of abortion,the Republican platform states, ?we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.? The Democratic platform states: ?The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman?s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.?* *The worldview clash could hardly be more dramatic. The Republicans frame the issue in terms of the unborn child?s ?fundamental individual right to life.? The Democrats frame the issue as ?a woman?s right to make decisions? - including the explicit right to decide to kill the baby in her womb. These are two contradictory moral claims.* *One party claims that no abortions should be legal and the other claims that all abortions should be legal. Each party is driven by their own moral logic. The Republicans are driven by the belief that, at every point of development, every individual human being is sacred and has a fundamental right to life. The Democrats are driven by the belief that the woman?s unfettered right to choose an abortion is paramount, and that a woman can demand an abortion at any time for any reason - or for no reason. As their language states, ?We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.? The most revealing words there are ?any? and ?all.?* *Both parties hold these positions because they are, in truth, the inevitable consequences of basic worldview assumptions. These assumptions include belief that marriage is essential to human flourishing and cannot be redefined without bringing on human disaster, contrasted with the belief that the liberation of humanity from oppression and prejudice requires the redefinition of marriage. In the background are contradictory assumptions about human sexuality, sexual morality, moral authority, individual autonomy, and the ends to which human beings are to aim their lives.* *The assumptions framing the abortion positions of the two parties include the belief that every human life is sacred and to be protected at every point of development contrasted with the belief that a human life takes on greater worth and right to live as the development continues, but is tentative at least unto the moment of live birth. The belief that the baby is itself the most urgent moral unit is contrasted with the belief that the woman and her right to control her own reproductive destiny is paramount. Behind these beliefs stand convictions and assumptions about human dignity, the worth of human life, the responsibility of the society to every human life, the purpose and end of human reproduction, and nothing less than the meaning of both life and death.* *We are not looking at minor matters of political difference. We are staring into the abyss of comprehensive moral conflict. Christian voters can escape neither the consequences of their vote, nor the fact that our most basic convictions will be revealed in the voting booth come November. Christians cannot face these questions without the knowledge that God is the Giver of life, who made every human life in his image. We cannot consider this election without the knowledge that our Creator has given us the covenant of marriage as the union of one man and one woman as the demonstration of his glory and the promise of human flourishing.* *Americans will elect a president in November, but our vote will reveal far more than our political preference. The 2012 election is a worldview exercise of unprecedented contrasts - an unavoidable test of our most basic convictions. The electoral map will reveal more than an election winner. It will reveal who Americans really are and what we believe.* *NOTE**: *My wife Marie and I are 89; so in a sense the upcoming election won?t have that much of an impact on us. But - we are parents of 3; grandparents of 7; great-grandparents of 2. For *them* - our vote is *most important*! After reading the above article by Albert Mohler, Marie wrote: ?This is the *most powerful* I?ve ever read concerning voting - answering to God, especially on moral concepts - and on our Contrasting Parties. I personally came across Dr. Albert Mohler a few months ago by chance while surfing the Net to find confirmation on a ?Pornographic? article. I was impressed with his clear understanding and analysis of the problem. I served as Assistant Pastor in Chicago in 1949 under Dr. D.A. (Scotchie) McCall, Senior Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church. He was uncle to Dr. Duke McCall - then President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Both Marie and I felt this is an article that will help both Christians and thoughtful citizens in their voting obligations this November - Jim & Marie Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Sep 7 13:17:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 13:17:15 -0700 Subject: James 4:1-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 7, 2012 *MAY 12 - JAMES 4:1-12 - WISDOM IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE* *1. 4:2:3 (4:1-3) WARS AND FIGHTINGS. ?You lust, and have not: you kill, and are jealous and cannot obtain: you fight and war; you have not, because you ask not. 3 You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it in your :pleasures? (NNT). *Our warfare is essentially within ourselves, in our own minds, souls, and pleasures in our members. Satan merely makes use of what we are. But *we* choose to submit to *You*, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 4:4 FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD. ?Adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with :God? Whoever therefore intends to be the world?s friend makes himself God?s enemy.? *We are married to Christ Father, whether we be male or female; corporately we are the body of Christ, and His Bride. When we are unfaithful to Christ we commit spiritual adultery, and are adulteresses. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 4:5 ENVY. ?Or think you that the scripture says in vain, Does the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?? *Father, we would not be na?ve. We would understand our basic nature and proneness to sin and envy. We acknowledge that there is *no good thing* that dwells in our flesh. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:6 HUMILITY. ?But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, :God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.? *We humbly submit to Your statements concerning us, Father. Only Christ in us is good. You in Him is our goodness, mediated by your Holy Spirit. O forgive us that we so soon forget this truth and begin to think that we are something. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 4:7-8 SUBMISSION AND PURIFICATION. ?Be subject therefore to :God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to :God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.? *It is in *submission*, *resistance*, and *drawing near*that we experience union and communion with You, Father! Help us not to depart from You! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 4:10 (4:9-10) HUMILIATION. ?Humble yourselves in the Lord?s sight and he shall exalt you.? *Ah, this is our position of safety! not popular with present day carnal Christianity, but valuable in *Your* sight, Father. We scorn the misunderstanding of fellow professing Christians, that we may please *You*! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 4:11 (4:11-12) EVIL SPEAKING. ?Speak not one against another, brethren. Who speaks against a brother, or judges his :brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not doer of the law, but judge.? *Our brother is made in *Your* image, Father: to speak against him, is to speak against *You* and Your law. Write this truth on our hearts, that we may joyfully walk in it. *And deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 4:12 (4:11-12) THE POWER OF GOD OUR JUDGE. **?One is lawgiver and judge, he who can save or destroy: but who are YOU that judges yourneighbor?? *Let Your fear enter our heart and lives, O Great Jehovah Father! Then we will depart from iniquity and love You with *all* our heart, mind and strength! *The Book of James has emphases that are unique in the New Testament. And - he doesn?t pull any punches! He says it exactly as he sees it and hears it from the Spirit. We too need to declare the Word of the Lord with similar plainness and simplicity.* *James saw very clearly that only in Christ can we be right with God - and be on the way to becoming consistent overcomers. Paul too saw this truth both for others - but also for himself. See what he says in Romans 7:18 (7:13-25) - ?For I know that in me, that is, in my :flesh, dwells no good: for to will is present with me, but to work the good, no.? There are nuances in his above statement the we could miss. But as we meditate upon it, even vocally - then the Spirit can release us into Romans 8:1-11, where there is amazing victory!* *Though many times in other places I have given these same verses - yet according to good pedagogy - repetition often enables us to have a break-through. Derek Prince consistently used this principle. See again then Philippians 3:3 (3:2-4) - ?For we are the circumcision, who worship by God?s Spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.? Did Paul practice what he preached? Absolutely! This is the mark of a true and good preacher - and a true and good believer as a witness!* *Then in our Spiritual Warfare - let us take advantage of and make use of the principles laid out by James in the above 12 verses. Early church believers did so. We today can follow their example.* *Our Psalm for the day: 132:3-5 THE LORD HAS CHOSEN ZION! ?I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob? (ESV). *Though You Father, through Nathan, would not allow David to build You a house; yet You were pleased that he had it in his heart to do so! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Sep 8 14:13:36 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2012 14:13:36 -0700 Subject: James 4:13-5:6 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *MAY 13 - JAMES 4:13-5:6 - WISDOM IN PLANNING AND RICHES* *1. 4:13-14a (4:13-14) VAIN CONFIDENCE. ?Come now, you that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this :city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas you know not what is your :life on the morrow.? (NNT). **Here* is a Kingdom principle we all need to remember! *None* of us have * any* guarantee of the future. Father, our trust must *always* be in *You*, and *You alone*! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 4:15 TRUE CONFIDENCE. ?Instead of your saying, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.? *Father, help us *always* to consult You in our planning; as our Senior Partner, supervise *all* our plans and decisions. Then we will be walking in a childlike way, well-pleasing to You. Then we are always deferring to You, doing *Your* thing. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 4:16 VAIN BOASTING. ?But now you glory in your :vauntings: all such glorying is evil.? *This is a picture of both unregenerate and carnal man. We repudiate this standard Father, and would be like *Jesus*: meek and lowly of heart (Matthew 11:28:30). Let us lean harder on You, Jesus, and come closer, day by day. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:17 TRUE ANALYSIS. ?To him therefore that knows to do good, and does not, to him it is sin.? *What a serious word! Father, write this upon our heart, deeply. If we love You, we *will* be keeping Your commandment. O forgive us for our hard hearts: knowing, or being able to know Your perfect will, and then deliberately going our own way. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 5:3 (5:1-3) RICH MEN WARNED. ?Your :gold and your :silver is rusted; and their :rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your :flesh as fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.? *Father, we would be rich unto You by laying up our treasure in *heaven*, not on earth. We would live with eternity?s values in view! We would have *true*perspective. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:4 A CAUSE FOR WARNING. ?Lo, the hire of the laborers who mowed your lands, which is of you kept back, cries out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.? *Rich people who defraud the poor are noticed by You, Father. They who forget the poor consult *not* their own interests. We *repudiate* such selfishness. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:5-6 CARELESS RICH: IN SLIPPERY PLACES. ?You have lived delicately on the earth and taken pleasure; you have nourished your :heart in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, have killed the righteous One; he does not resist you.? *We fear Father, for the rich who carelessly and deliberately oppress the poor. They are as sheep led to the slaughter! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 4:14b (4:13-14) TRANSITOR**INESS: OUR LIFE! ?For you are a vapor that appears for a little, and then disappears.? *This is like Psalm 90. Here is wisdom. Circumcise our hearts with this truth Father, that we might evermore walk in it. In the Old Testament - *Proverbs* is the Book of Wisdom, written by Solomon. He wrote 3 of the Old Testament books: Song of Solomon as a young man: Proverbs as a father for his children; and Ecclesiastes as a sad record of his later sinning days, and how he finally returned to the Lord. Riches, wives and horses ruined him. But James is the New Testament book - and an update on the Book of Proverbs. They *both* major on Wisdom, and Jesus is made unto us *Wisdom*by God - plus Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. Wisdom is especially needed by the Rich - they too often let their riches carry them away from the heart of the Gospel. There *are* rich like Job, who use their riches for the glory of God - but the majority of the rich forget the poor, the widow and the orphan - and consume their riches on their own lusts. It *is* possible for the rich to be like Job. Jesus told His disciples how difficult it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven - but *God* can make what is impossible - possible! These 11 verses *major* on the difficulties of the rich to be God-pleasing. We need to pray for our rich friends, that they might read this passage - and then call on the God of grace to help them to be like Job! *Our Psalm for the Day: 133:1-3 WHEN BROTHERS DWELL IN UNITY. ?Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore? (ESV). *In the place of *unity*, You have * commanded* blessing, Father! *Hallowed be Your :Name! * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Sep 10 12:53:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:53:05 -0700 Subject: James 5:7-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 10, 2012 *MAY 14 - JAMES 5:7-20 - WISDOM THROUGH PATIENT EXPECTATION* *1. 5:7 (5:7-8) PATIENT WAITING. ?Be patient therefore, brethren, until the presence of the Lord. Lo, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain? (NNT). **Patient endurance*: this is a Kingdom principle that we whole-heartedly subscribe to, Father! Write in on our hearts. Help us to make it second nature. Cancel out the ?cave in? spirit. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 5:9 NOT GRUDGING. ?Murmur not, brethren, against one another, that you be not judged: lo, the judge stands before the doors.? *Envy and bitterness are the basis for murmuring. We fail to discern the body of Christ in this, Father. Forgive us for our selfishness and short-sightedness that tends to bring on this sin. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 5:11 (5:10-11) ENDURANCE: EXAMPLE OF JOB. ?Lo, we call them blessed that endured: you have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.? *We thank You Father, for the example of Job and the prophets in the grace of endurance. We want to be like them in this respect. We want to be conformed to the image of *Jesus*! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 5:12 NOT SWEARING. ?But above all, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath: but let your :yes be yes, and the no, no; that you fall not under judgment.? *It is not in word only that we are justified, but in action also. Help us Father, to say and do, without the emotional and valueless oath. O forgive us that we so often fail to live simply and faithfully for You! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 5:14-15 (5:13-16) PRAYER AND CONFESSION. ?Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 and the prayer of :faith shall save the weary one, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.? *Help us to remember Father, that sometimes there is a distinct connection between sickness and confession of sin. May we not overlook this possibility when all else fails. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 5:17 (5:17-18) PRAYER: EXAMPLE OF ELIJAH. ?Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.? *Your servant Elijah inspires our faith Father, especially that he was a man of like passions such as we. *Jesus* also was tempted in all points such as we, yet without sin! In Christ, we too can overcome! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:19-20 RESTORATION. ?My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 know that who converts a sinner from theerror of his way shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.? *In the light of this Father, make us finders of lost sheep; restorers of those who have stumbled and lost the way. Make us like * Jesus*! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: **5:16 (5:13-16) CONFESSION OF SIN: BASIS FOR HEALING. ?Confess therefore your :sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you be healed. The supplication of a righteous man avails much it its working.? *What an encouragement Your Spirit has given us here, Father. We hear it, and will walk in it! We marvel at the nuggets of truth that appear in every Biblical passage! God by His Spirit has arranged this through His chosen Bible writers. Jesus completely held forth the divine inspiration of the entire Old Testament. Humanitarians, liberals and modernists use this to point out in their estimation - the non-divinity of Jesus. They are *entirely wrong* - and their thinking and words concerning this are truly blasphemous! And *what*will then be their response when they appear before the Great White Throne of our Lord Jesus at the end of the coming Millennial age? Silence! Absolute and complete silence! And the Lake of Fire for them with the Beast, False Prophet, Satan and his angels and demons, and all those who bought into their lies and deception. Make no mistake! God is *not* mocked. Whatever a man sows - *that* shall he also reap. The Spirit through Paul * clearly* enunciated this in the latter part of the Book of Galatians. As Paul reasoned of righteousness, self-control and judgment* to come*before Felix (Acts 24:25), he was terrified! Good initial response. Unfortunately, he did not follow-through! The various lessons of this closing passage of the book of James have been used by many believers living the last 2000 years. We today can still profit greatly from meditating upon it, and then - contrary to the example of Felix - acting upon it. James singles out Job and Elijah especially for his closing word. *Patience* - and *earnest prayer*: these are the two lessons they leave for us. How we need like them, to practice *both*. Not too long ago I included at the suggestion of my wife Marie some information on Obama's Medicare. Two of my friends faithfully informed me that this information was not correct. Much of the actions of our President have been hurtful to our country. But it is not necessary to impute incorrect information to him also. I regret that I had not checked out ?Snopes? on this information so that it could have been omitted from sending out. Again - ?To err is human - to forgive is divine!? Please extend forgiveness to me in this lapse. - Jim *Our Psalm for the day: 134. COME, BLESS THE LORD. ?Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! 3 May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth? (ESV). *What a blessing of rest comes upon us through the words of this Psalm, Father! We receive Your blessing out of Zion. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Sep 11 12:10:20 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:10:20 -0700 Subject: 1 Peter 1:1-2 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 11, 2012 *MAY 15 - 1 PETER 1:1-2 - THE APOSTLE?S BLESSING* *1. 1:1a (1:1-2) PETER: HIS TITLE. ?Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ? (NNT). *You set in the church apostles, prophets and teachers, Father (1 Corinthians 12:28). Through *Jesus* You gave the 5-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11. It is all a sovereign act of Yourself. Peter is one of Your chosen, elect ones. We submit to Your right in this (Acts 20:28). *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:1b (1:1-2) SUBJECT: ELECT SOJOURNERS OF THE DISPERSION. ?To the elect sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.? *Peter knew the value of these dispersed people to You, Father. As a true shepherd he writes under Your direction, that they might be encouraged. We bless You for Your faithful servant! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:2a (1:1-2) FOREKNOWLEDGE: BASIS OF ELECTION. ?According to theforeknowledge of God the Father.? *You Father, are the One Who calls the things that are not as though they were! You called Jeremiah before he was born, even before he was conceived! You named 8 men by name even before their birth; one, centuries in advance! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 1:2b (1:1-2) SANCTIFICATION OF SPIRIT: THE WORKING OF ELECTION. ?In sanctification of the Spirit.? *Objectively, You work by foreknowledge, Father; subjectively, You work in sanctification of the Spirit. We are those in Christ because of Calvary; we are conformed unto His image through the Holy Spirit. First the blood - then the oil! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 1:2c (1:1-2) OBEDIENCE AND BLOOD SPRINKLING: GOAL OF ELECTION. ?Unto obedience and sprinkling of Jesus Christ?s blood.? *The obedience to the faith for all nations (ROM 1:5; 16:26), is Your goal for us, Father. In * this* way we are made conformable unto *Jesus*, and are brought into Glory! Then the travail of His soul is *not* in vain (ISA 53:11). *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 1:2d (1:1-2) MULTIPLICATION OF GRACE: DESIRE OF THE APOSTLE. ?Grace to you.? *Grace is very close to the covenant love (CHEsed) of the Old Covenant. It is more than the unmerited favor of God. And Peter?s prayer is that this grace might be *multiplied* so that one drives 1000 to flight, and two drive 10,000 (DEUT 32:30)! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 1:2e (1:1-2) MULTIPLICATION OF PEACE: DESIRE OF THE APOSTLE. ?And peacebe multiplied.? *Old Covenant peace is *Shalom*. It speaks of *wholeness*, well-being, spiritual prosperity, our ideal state in God. It is the desire and greeting of Israelis one to another. We *bless You* for Shalom, Father. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: Psalm 135: 19-21. YOUR NAME, O LORD, ENDURES FOREVER. **?O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! 20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! 21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD? (ESV)! *Israel, priests, Levites and Gentiles: all are to bless You, O great Jehovah Father. We bless You in Your dwelling place! I have divided 1 & 2 Peter into 7 sections for daily Bible readings. These sections have been set forth by Ivan Panin according to God?s Bible Numerics, which He revealed to Panin in 1890. Panin?s discovery included the ?sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph and section structure?, also set forth by Bible Numerics. 1 Peter 1:1-2 is the first significant paragraph of these 2 books. What a wealth of spiritual lessons appear in these 2 verses of this first paragraph! One of these lessons has to do with the Sovereign right of our God to *elect* the Jewish sojourners in the Diaspora (or Dispersion). George Muller started out his Christian life at the age of 20 in Germany. Then he came to England. In one of his early sermons, he referred to the doctrine of ?election? as a ?devilish doctrine?. A lady challenged him: ?Have you ever done a thorough study of the Bible on the doctrine of Election?? He acknowledge that he had not. She then said: ?Then please do not make conclusions on this doctrine, until you have done so.? So instead of taking offense at this challenge, he went verse by verse through the entire Bible, especially in the New Testament. To his amazement he found that fully 80% of the verses relating to this doctrine, were positive in this regard. Then as he matured as a Christian, he found the other 20% started to fit in to the teaching of the 80%. Muller was proficient in 7 languages, including Greek, Hebrew, German, French and English. He often studied the Bible in its original languages. Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Stephen Tregelles held similar views as Muller. Like Muller I started my Christian life at 21 in 1944 as ?Arminian? in doctrine. But also like Muller, I study the Bible in Hebrew and Greek. I have completely outlined the entire Bible in 366 daily readings of 9 verses each, using God?s Bible Numeric pattern as discovered by Ivan Panin. I have also taken Panin?s two Bible Numeric New Testament texts, and put them together in an *Outlined* Interlinear Format. In the process of over 40,000 hours of labor in these areas, I like Muller, have moved from the Arminian position, to that held by him, George Whitefield, Spurgeon and Tregelles. I have no problem fellowshipping fully with friends who still hold the original position of Muller and myself. George Whitefield also held this same openness. There is no doubt that when we all get to heaven - each one of us will still have areas of adjustment to make in our understanding of the Bible, especially the New Testament. So it behooves all of us down here to have an openness to one another in spite of differing opinions and interpretations. I have preached in churches of over 40 different denominations. Among these, we have areas of difference. But - these differing view-points do * not* hinder good fellowship! I invite you to join with me and George Whitefield in being open to one another in differing doctrinal viewpoints, as long as *essentials* are not involved. In essentials: unity. In non-essentials: tolerance. In all things: charity - or love! Our Psalm for the day: *135:12 YOUR NAME, O LORD, ENDURES FOREVER! ?The LORD gave the land of the nations as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel!? *How Sovereign You are, Father! The land You promised Abraham, but withheld until the cup of the iniquity of the Amorite was full: *that land*came to Israel under Joshua. What is a 400 year delay to You? *Hallowed be your :name! *Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Sep 12 13:54:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:54:52 -0700 Subject: 1 Peter 1:3-2:10 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 12, 2012 *MAY 16 - 1 PETER 1:3-2:10 - THE LIVING HOPE* *1. 1:3 (1:3-5) JESUS? RESURRECTION: BASIS OF OUR HOPE. ?Blessed the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great :mercy begot us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? (NNT). *And what is our hope? that just as *You*, Lord Jesus, are the firstfruit of the dead, now in Your Father?s Glory; so we in Your time Father, shall be one with *Him*! It is almost inconceivable - but we accept it by faith! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:8-9 (1:6-9) JESUS OUR JOY: OBTAINED BY FAITH. ?Whom not seeing you love; on whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and glorified: 9 receiving the end of the faith, salvation of souls.? *By Your Spirit Father, we are able to endure in this life, until eternal life is manifested in its fullness! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 1:12 (1:10-12) JESUS? SALVATION: REVEALED BY SPIRIT. ?To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, did they minister the very things, which now have been announced to you through them that preached thegospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.? *How privileged we are to be chosen by Your Father: for this privilege, all of grace. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 1:15-16 (1:13-21, LEV 11:44; 19:2; 20:7) JESUS? REDEMPTION: BASED ON HIS BLOOD. ?But like as he who called you is holy, become YOU also holy in your whole behavior; 16 because it is written [that], You shall be holy, because I am holy.? *And what should our response be unto You Father, in the light of our high calling in Christ? *Holiness* unto You, O great Jehovah Father! O forgive us that we so often fail to apprehend the Glory of our high calling in Your Son, and spontaneously offer our bodies daily as living sacrifices! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 1:23 (1:22-25) GOD?S WORD: INSTRUMENTAL IN SPIRITUAL BIRTH! Begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through God?s word, which lives and abides.? *Love of our brothers: our appropriate response for this supernatural birth through Your incorruptible *Word*, Father! Show us that You and Your Word are *One*! Show us that You and Christ are *One*! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 2:2-3 (2:1-5) JESUS HIMSELF: FOUNDATION FOR GOD?S HOUSE! ?As newborn babes, long for the reasonable guileless milk, that you may grow thereby unto salvation: 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good!? *When we feed on Your Word Father, we feed on *Jesus*! When we feed on Him, we grow in a manner well-pleasing to *You*! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 2:9 (2:6-10) JESUS AS CORNER-STONE: FOR BLESSING OR STUMBLING. ?But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God?spossession, so that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous :light.? *Why are we so highly favored as Your people, Father? because we are built upon *Jesus*, the chief Corner-stone of Your Holy Temple, Whose temple we are. Praise fills our hearts at such a revelation! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:4-5 (**1:1-5) JESUS: HIS INHERITANCE GIFT TO US. ?Unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in theheavens for you, 5 who by God?s power are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last season.? **This* is the *fullness* of our inheritance in Christ that You have reserved for us, Father! Peter recognized that God chose him first - to introduce the Gospel to Gentiles - through Cornelius! He makes this statement in Acts 15. *This*was the official beginning of the ?One New Man? that Paul mentions in Ephesians. Prior to Paul?s time of explanation, the revelation was a * mystery*. But as God chose Peter to officially bring the first Gentiles into His Kingdom - so He used Paul to reveal the *mystery* to the church as a whole. He also made Paul apostle of the Gentiles, just as He made Peter the chief apostle of the Circumcision. Acts 1-12 brings forth Peter?s place in this, and Acts 13-28 , Paul?s! Peter with the 12 received Jesus? 3 years of personal ministry prior to Pentecost. Up to this time Jesus was ?straitened? in His effectiveness of teaching, for prior to the Cross and the Giving of the Holy Spirit, the 12 apostles were unable to perceive the significance of His Kingdom teaching. But after Pentecost, Peter demonstrated the difference the Holy Spirit made. Then after Paul?s conversion recorded in Acts 9, then Jesus in the Arabian desert unfolded to him personally the meaning of the 27 Gospel mysteries. In the OT, prophets and angels did not have clarity of understanding in this area - but God chose Paul to have unusual revelation in this area. In Ephesians 3:4 he confirms that believers would be able to perceive the wisdom and understanding that God gave him in these areas - especially concerning the ?One New Man?. This brought great joy to Gentiles - and some difficulties for Jews. The two epistles of Peter are rich in simple and practical understanding of the Gospel - but don?t delve into this area of unfolding the mysteries. Peter himself had a lapse in the church of Antioch with Barnabas - through fear of the Judaizers. Paul, because of the extraordinary clarity of this mystery among others - was forced to rebuke Peter before those present. Imagine - 14 of the 27 NT books came to us through Paul, God?s choice as apostle to the Gentiles, and the one to clarify the OT prophetic words of mysteries awaiting revelation until Christ?s Atoning death at Calvary, His Resurrection, Ascension and Giving of the Holy Spirit. *Then* with the conversion of Paul and his 3 year desert time with Jesus - these things became the basis of his epistles. Peter mentioned that these things of Paul for some - had difficulty of understanding, and the unsteadfast wrested them to their own destruction. *The Key*! *Meditation* on the epistles of Paul along with the whole NT. The coming ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on God?s Bible Numerics as revealed to Russian Ivan Panin - is *not* an end in itself - but *a means to an end* - namely - the basis for meditation on these revelation mysteries given by the apostle Paul. Aim for an understanding of all 27 NT mysteries! - Jim Watt Our Psalm for the day: *136:1 HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! ?Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love (CHEsed) endures forever? (ESV). *What blessings do we enjoy? Ultimately they all redound back to You, Father! Creation, deliverance, destruction of enemies, redemption and provision: *You* provide them *all*! *All* good things come from *You*! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 13 14:13:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:13:14 -0700 Subject: 1 Peter 2:11-4:11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 13, 2012 *MAY 17 - 1 PETER 2:11-4:11 - THE PILGRIM LIFE* *1. 2:11 (2:11-12) PILGRIMS: SEPARATE FROM WORLDLY LUSTS. ?Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul? (NNT).* Good works springing from our love of Christ: our most effective witness to unbelievers! It?s not what we say that counts: it?s the life that backs up our words, that speaks! Show us Father, that *this* is real Kingdom living! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2:21 (2:13-25) PILGRIMS: OBEY LAWS, MASTERS AND CHRIST?S EXAMPLE. ?For unto this were you called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his :steps.? *Your will Father, is that we put to silence our accusers, by a life following the copy of *Jesus*! Jesus before His accusers, is our example, Father. We bless You for Your Son again, and pledge to walk in these truths. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 3:7 (3:1-7) PILGRIMS: WIVES AND HUSBANDS. You, the husbands, mete out honor to the female vessel as weaker and dwelling with her according to knowledge, as being joint-heirs of the grace of life; that your :prayers be not hindered.? *There is a *mutual* responsibility to one another here. We thank You for Your wisdom in this, Father. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 3:8-9 (3:8-12) PILGRIMS: WALK IN SERMON ON MOUNT. ?:Finally, be all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for unto this were you called, that you should inherit a blessing.? *A good heart, good words and noble actions to one another: * these* glorify Your Name, Father. Only in Christ can this be done. O forgive us that we so often fall short of this standard! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 3:15 (3:13-22) PILGRIMS: SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS? SAKE. ?But sanctify in your :hearts the Christ as Lord: ready always with an answer to every one that asks you a reason concerning the hope in you, yet with meekness and fear.? *In the midst of blessing or persecution, *this* is our high privilege and potential in Christ. *You* make it possible of us in Christ, Father! Yes, and when we are tempted to depart from Your way, You strengthen us, and keep us on the strait and narrow! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 4:1-2 (4:1-6) PILGRIMS: ABSTAIN FROM GENTILE EXCESSES. ?Christ therefore having suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for who has suffered in the flesh has ceased unto sins; 2 to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer to men?s lusts, but to God?s will.? *A walk in the flesh can only be fully broken by suffering in the flesh! In this way we take *ground* from Satan. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 4:11 (4:7-11) PILGRIMS: LIVE IN LIGHT OF JESUS? RETURN! ?If any speaks - as if oracles of God; if any ministers - as of the strength which :God supplies: that in all things :God be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion unto the ages of the ages. Amen.? *We walk Father, in the hope that purifies: the Presence of Your Son in our hearts * now*; and His soon coming to set up His Kingdom! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 2:24 (2:13-25) **PILGRIMS: TRUST IN CHRIST?S FINISHED WORK! ?Who himself carried our :sins in his :body up to the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.? *Father, we love Christ, for *He* first love us! Centuries ago John Bunyan wrote ?Pilgrim?s Progress.? Even to this day it is a Classic! Bunyan received this in a night Vision! When God Himself gives us a word such as this - even when it comes through a human channel - yet the heavenly anointing upon it *grips* us - and we sense we are not only receiving a human word - but a *divine insight* straight from the Throne of God. It is very parallel to this when we hear a sermon from a man of God who waited on the Lord for *His Word* for the people - and for *His anointing*to deliver *His Word*! George Whitefield was such a preacher. Tens of thousands gathered out of doors to hear this man of God preach. Those that came to the Lord through his invitation, for the most part - *stuck*. In the days of Charles Finney, 80% of such converts were still usefully engaged in the work of the Lord two years following their conversion. *Few* evangelists have had such extraordinary results. I would expect that the converts that came from Peter?s preaching - likewise stood in the days that followed. Think of the 3000 who responded and were baptized on the day of Pentecost. And the secret of abiding fruit? None other than Acts 2:38. The early church held out for a *full*repentance from dead works - a *full* faith in God and Christ?s *Finished Work*; a public baptism signifying this inward heart change as set forth in Romans 6; and last but not least - but following baptism through the laying on of hands, they received the *Gift* (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit. Look at Acts 8, when Philip successfully brought the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to Samaria. Seeing the signs and wonders produced through his faith, they repented, believed the Gospel, and were baptized. But Jerusalem knew that these Samaritans needed the same thing as the Jews on the day of Pentecost. So they sent Peter and John to finish in Samaria what Philip started. *This* was the apostolic pattern, which was repeated for Paul in Acts 9, and the Ephesian believers in Acts 19:1-7. In the case of Cornelius with his family and friends in Acts 10 & 11, the order was changed. Baptism here followed the receiving of the *Gift* of the Holy Spirit. Peter and his Jewish friends from Joppa would *not* have baptized Gentiles, except *God*di d something extraordinary. So while Peter was still preaching - the Holy Spirit fell on these Romans. Peter challenged his 6 Joppa friends - as to why they shouldn?t baptize Gentiles, seeing they had received the Holy Spirit just as the 3000 Jews on the Day of Pentecost! So he baptized them in a 1-3-2 order - instead of the normal 1-2-3 order. So Peter?s challenge here on ?The Pilgrim Life? confirmed and encouraged Jewish believers of that day - with perhaps a sprinkling of Gentiles - to continue on in an overcoming Christian life. There is certainly a parallel here with that of John Bunyan! Our Psalm for the day: *137:4-5 HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD?S SONG? ?How shall we sing the LORD?s song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill? (ESV). *As Israel had her land for security, so do we in the Church have *You*, O Christ, as our possession! We drive out our spiritual Canaanites - that we might possess You! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Sep 14 13:52:40 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:52:40 -0700 Subject: 1 Peter 4:12-5:18 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 14, 2012 *May 18 - 1 PETER 4:12-5:18 - THE FIERY TRIAL* *1. 4:12-13 (4:12-19) INSIGHTS ON FIERY SUFFERING. ?Beloved, think not strange the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you to prove you, as though anything strange happened to you: 13 but inasmuch as you are partakers of the sufferings of :Christ, rejoice; that at the revelation of his :glory also you many rejoice with exceeding joy? (NNT). *You sent *Jesus * Father, as a burning, flaming fire to dwell in the hearts of Your people! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 5:1 (5:1-4) A WORD FOR ELDERS. ?The elders therefore among you I exhort, the fellow-elder, and witness of the sufferings of the Christ, who am also partaker of the glory to be revealed.? *Elders suffer and witness to the suffering of Christ. This is Your will for us too, Father. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 5:5 A WORD FOR YOUTH. ?Likewise, you younger, be subject to elders. Yes, all gird yourselves with :humility toward one another: for :God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.? *Is this not the Spirit of Jesus in Isaiah 53? Was this not His Spirit prior to and during His crucifixion? Will He not live out this Spirit in us if we walk in Galatians 2:20? Father, let it be so! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 5:6-7 (5:6-9) OUR PART: HUMILITY AND VIGILANCE. ?Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of :God, that he might exalt you in season; 7 casting all your :anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.? *This is a secret of the obedience of faith. How contrary this is to human nature and flesh! O forgive us Father, for substituting another gospel of ease and self-gratification, and cease to follow the way of Jesus and His apostles! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 5:10 (5:10-11) GOD?S PART: OUR ESTABLISHMENT. ?And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal :glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.? *Joy comes in the morning. Only through the dark night of the soul, the night of suffering, do we learn obedience, and come into union and communion with You, Father. O be with us when we are tempted to depart from these principles! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:12 (5:12-14a) AFFIRMATION OF TRUTH. ?By Silvanus, as I account him, the faithful brother to you I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of :God: stand in it.? *This epistle outlines the true grace of God in which we stand. Beware of the Galatian error of another gospel of the siren call. In the Gospel of the Kingdom of God do You deliver us from the evil one, Father! *And lead us not into temptation.* *7. 5:14b. BENEDICTION OF PEACE. ?Peace to you all those in Christ.? *There is a false peace in the world and church today. Tares and wheat *both* are in the Kingdom unto the end. We would not be deceived nor deluded, but wise in these things, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 4:14 (4:12-19) THE BLESSING OF BEING REPROACHED! **?If you are reproached in Christ?s name, blessed you; because the Spirit of :glory and :of :God rests upon you.? *Suffering in Jesus? Name in meekness and lowliness, is well-pleasing in Your sight, Father! How contrary to the world and carnal Christianity! There are extremely helpful and practical lessons for us in this portion. Under #1, I recount a Word of the Spirit that came to me in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the Fall of 1945. As a new believer, not knowing the Scriptures too well, I felt the the Spirit was quickening a Scripture to me. I had the students and faculty of a Bible College searching with me to find it. Of course, it wasn?t there. It is an entirely Scriptural Word of the Spirit, even though not a direct quotation. It accords with Galatians 2:20. J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, put it this way: ?The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun; the Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing; *the Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent* would be *holiness complete*.... He is most holy who has *most of Christ* within, and *joys most fully* in *the finished work*!? ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret? came into my hands in 1946 while attending St. Andrews College in Saskatoon. It *still* challenges me, plus the word of the Spirit that came to me early that morning in 1945. Oswald Chambers stated the same truth as ?My Utmost for His Highest?; and ?Personal, passionate devotion to Jesus.? However it comes, *do not rest* until the above truth is an integral part of your life. This is truly passing through the Outer Court of the Tabernacle of Moses, into the Holy Place; but then *not resting* till through the *riven veil* you enter the ?Most Holy Place?. *There*, communing with God above the Mercy Seat, and having the Christ of the Ark of the Covenant abiding within as in John 15:1-16 - you will have the goal of God for each one of us - achieved! Perfect holiness? No - *but well on the way*, and awaiting the blessed Hope of the soon return of our Lord Jesus to effect our body Resurrection. Then the Marriage Supper of the Lamb can begin! Another lesson in this passage comes out of Peter referring himself as a * fellow-elder* - not as an apostle. Was he an apostle? Assuredly! But in his humility, he points out that the 5-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11-12 - sets all 5 of these ministries as fellow-elders first! It concerns me when I hear individuals pointing out their office prior to this word from Peter. See also Paul in a number of his epistles: he sets himself *first* as a bond-slave (DOUlos), and *then* as called to be an apostle. Peter and Paul are alike in humility concerning this. Would to God all of us who are elders, would place DOUlos and fellow-elder ahead of office designation. J.A.Watt Our Psalm for the day: *138:8 GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD. ?The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love (CHEsed), O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands? (ESV). *Our confidence is in *You*, Father. Our trust is *not* misplaced. We rest in Your love and care, knowing that You deliver us from all of our enemies. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Sep 15 12:30:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 12:30:21 -0700 Subject: The Exchanged Life - J. Hudson Taylor Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 15, 2012 *2012-09-15 - THE EXCHANGED LIFE, Chapter 14 - J. HUDSON TAYLOR* *(From ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret? - Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor)* *Yes, in me, in me He dwelleth -* *I in Him and He in me!* *And my empty soul He filleth* *Now and through eternity. - H. Bonar* *Six months after the foregoing letter was written, a junk northward bound on the Grand Canal was carrying a passenger whose heart overflowed with a great, new-found joy. Mr. Judd in Yangehow was expecting the return of his friend and leader, but was hardly prepared for the transformation which had taken place in the one he knew so well. Scarcely waiting for greetings, Mr. Taylor plunged into his story. In characteristic fashion - his hands behind his back - he walked up and down the room exclaiming, ?Oh, Mr. Judd, God has made me a new man! God has made me a new man!?* *Wonderful was the experience that had come in answer to prayer, yet so simple as almost to baffle description. It was just as it was long ago, ?Whereas I was blind, now I see!?* *Amid a pile of letters awaiting Mr. Taylor in Chinkiang, had been one from John McCarthy, written in the old home in Hangchow. The glory of a great sunrise was upon him - the inward light whose dawning makes all things new. To tell Mr. Taylor about it was his longing, for he knew something of the exercise of soul through which his friend was passing. But where to begin, how to put it into words he knew not.* *I do wish I could have a talk with you now [he wrote], about the way of holiness. At the time you were speaking to me about it, it was the subject of all others occupying my thoughts, not from anything I had read ? so much as from a consciousness of failure - a constant falling short of that which I felt should be aimed at; an unrest; a perpetual striving to find some way by which one might continually enjoy that communion, that fellowship, at times so real but more often so visionary, so far off! ?* *Do you know, I now think that this striving, longing, hoping for better days to come is not the true way to holiness, happiness or usefulness. It is better, no doubt, far better than being satisfied with poor attainments, but not the best way after all. I have been struck with a passage from a book ? entitled Christ is All. It says,* ?*The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun; the Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing; the Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent would be holiness complete. ?* ?*He is most holy who has most of Christ within, and joys most fully in the finished work. It is defective faith which clogs the feet and causes many a fall.?* *This last sentence, I think I now fully endorse. To let my loving Savior work in me His will, my sanctification, is what I would live for by His grace. Abiding, not striving nor struggling; looking off unto Him; trusting Him for present power; ? resting in the love of an almighty Savior, in the joy of a complete salvation, ?from all sin? - this is not new, and yet ?tis new to me. I feel as though the dawning of a glorious day had risen upon me. I hail it with trembling, yet with trust. I seem to have got to the edge only, but of a boundless sea; to have sipped only, but of that which fully satisfied. Christ literally all seems to me, now, the power, the only power for service, the only ground for unchanging joy. ?* *How then to have our faith increased? Only by thinking of all that Jesus is and all He is for us: His life, His death, His work, He Himself as revealed to us in the Word, to be the subject of our constant thoughts. Not a striving to have faith ? but a looking off to the Faithful One seems all we need; a resting in the Loved One entirely, for time and for eternity.* *We do not know just how the miracle was wrought; but, ?As I read, I saw it all,? Mr. Taylor wrote. ?I looked to Jesus, and when I saw - oh, how joy flowed!?* *He was a joyous man now [Mr. Judd recorded], a bright happy Christian. He had been a toiling, burdened one before, with latterly not much rest of soul. It was resting in Jesus now, and letting Him do the work - which makes all the difference. Whenever he spoke in meetings after that, a new power seemed to flow from him, and in the practical things of life a new peace possessed him. Troubles did not worry him as before. He cast everything on God in a new way, and gave more time to prayer. Instead of working late at night, he began to go to bed earlier, rising at 5 A.M. to give time to Bible study and prayer (often two hours) before the work of the day began.* *It was the exchanged life that had come to him - the life that is indeed ?No longer I.? Six months earlier he had written, ?I have continually to mourn that I follow at such a distance and learn so slowly to imitate my precious Master.? There was no thought of imitation now! It was in blessed reality ?Christ liveth in me.? And how great the difference! - instead of bondage, liberty; instead of failure, quiet victories within; instead of fear and weakness, a restful sense of sufficiency in Another. So great was the deliverance, that from that time onward Mr. Taylor could never do enough to help to make this precious secret plain to hungry hearts wherever he might be. And there are so many hungry hearts that need such help today that we venture to quote at length from one of his first letters on the subject. It was to his sister, Mrs. Broomhall, whose burdens with a family which grew to number ten children were very real and pressing.* *So many thanks for your dear, long letter. ? I do not think you have written me such a letter since our return to China. I know it is with you as with me - you cannot - not you will not. Mind and body will not bear more than a certain amount of strain, or do more than a certain amount of work.* *As to work - mine was never so plentiful, so responsible or so difficult, but the weight and strain are all gone. The last month or more has been, perhaps, the happiest of my life, and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul. I do not know how far I may be able to make myself intelligible about it, for there is nothing new or strange or wonderful - and yet, all is new! ..* *Perhaps I may make myself more clear if I go back a little. Well, dearie, my mind has been greatly exercised for six or eight months past, feeling the need personally and for our Mission of more holiness, life, power in our souls. But personal need stood first and was the greatest. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation - but all without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me.* *I knew that if only I could abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not. I would begin the day with prayer, determined not to take my eye off Him for a moment, but pressure of duties, sometimes very trying, and constant interruptions apt to be so wearing, caused me to forget Him. Then one?s nerves get so fretted in this climate that temptations to irritability, hard thoughts and sometimes unkind words are all the more difficult to control. Each day brought its register of sin and failure, of lack of power. To will was indeed ?present with me,? but how to perform I found not.* *Then came the question, is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end - constant conflict, and too often defeat? How could I preach with sincerity that, to those who receive Jesus, ?to them gave he power to become the sons of God? (i.e., Godlike) when it was not so in my own experience? Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no wonder, for faith and even hope were getting low. I hated myself, I hated my sin, yet gained no strength against it. I felt I was a child of God. His Spirit in my heart would cry, in spite of all, ?Abba, Father.? But to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.* *I thought that holiness, practical holiness, was to be gradually attained by a diligent use of the means of grace. There was nothing I so much desired as holiness, nothing I so much needed; but far from in any measure attaining it, the more I strove after it, the more it eluded my grasp, until hope itself almost died out, and I began to think that - perhaps to make heaven the sweeter - God would not give it down here. I do not think that I was striving to attain it in my own strength. I knew I was powerless. I told the Lord so, and asked Him to give me help and strength. Sometimes I almost believed that He would keep and uphold me; but on looking back in the evening - alas! there was but sin and failure to confess and mourn before God.* *I would not give you the impression that this was the only experience of those long, weary months. It was a too frequent state of soul, and that towards which I was tending, which almost ended in despair. And yet, never did Christ seem more precious; a Savior who could and would save such a sinner! ? And sometimes there were seasons not only of peace but of joy in the Lord; but they were transitory, and at best there was a sad lack of power. Oh, how good the Lord has been in bringing this conflict to an end!* *All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was - how to get it out. He was rich truly, but I was poor; He was strong, but I weak. I knew full well that there was in the root, the stem, abundant fatness, but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question. As gradually light dawned, I saw that faith was the only requisite - was the hand to lay hold on His fullness and make it mine. But I had not this faith.* *I strove for faith, but it would not come; I tried to exercise it, but in vain. Seeing more and more the wondrous supply of grace laid up in Jesus, the fullness of our precious Savior, my guilt and helplessness seemed to increase. Sins committed appeared but as trifles compared with the sin of unbelief which was their cause, which could not or would not take God at His word, but rather made Him a liar! Unbelief was I felt the damning sin of the world; yet I indulged in it. I prayed for faith, but it came not. What was I to do?* *When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure but saw the light before I did, wrote (I quote from memory):* ?*But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.?* *As I read, I saw it all! ?If we believe not, he abideth faithful.? I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed!) that He had said, ?I will never leave thee.?* ?*Ah, there is rest!? I thought, ?I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I?ll strive no more. For has not He promised to abide with me - never to leave me, never to fail me?? And, dearie, He never will.* *Nor was this all He showed me, nor one half. As I thought of the Vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured direct into my soul! How great seemed my mistake in wishing to get the sap, the fulness out of Him! I saw not only that Jesus will never leave me, but that I am a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. The vine is not the root merely, but all - root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit. And Jesus is not that alone - He is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more that we have ever dreamed, wished for or needed. Oh, the joy of seeing this truth! I do pray that the eyes of your understanding too may be enlightened, that you may know and enjoy the riches freely given us in Christ.* *Oh, my dear Sister, it is a wonderful thing to be really one with a risen and exalted Savior, to be a member of Christ! Think what it involves. Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and your left poor? or your head be well fed while your body starves? Again, think of its bearing on prayer. Could a bank clerk say to a customer, ?It was only your hand, not you that wrote that check,? or ?I cannot pay this sum to your hand, but only to yourself?? No more can your prayers or mine be discredited if offered in the name of Jesus (i.e., not for the sake of Jesus merely, but on the ground that we are His, His members) so long as we keep within the limits of Christ?s credit - a tolerably wide limit! If we ask any thing according to his will ? we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.?* *The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings. I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize this; for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest position He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient. It little matters to my servant whether I send him to buy a few cash worth of things, or the most expensive articles. In either case he looks to me for the money and brings me his purchases. So, if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in positions of great difficulty, much grace; in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? No fear that His resources will prove unequal to the emergency! And His resources are mine, for He is mine, and is with me and dwells in me. * *And since Christ has thus dwelt in my heart by faith, how happy have I been! I wish I could tell you about it, instead of writing. I am not better that before. In a sense, I do not wish to be, nor am I striving to be. But I am dead and buried with Christ - aye, and risen too! and now Christ lives in me, and ?the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.? ?* *And now I must close. I have not said half I would, nor as I would, had I more time. May God give you to lay hold on these blessed truths. Do not let us continue to say, in effect, ?Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above).? In other words, do not let us consider Him as far off, when God has made us one with Him, members of His very body. Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for the few. They are the birthright of every child of God, and no one can dispense with them without dishonoring our Lord. The only power for deliverance from sin or for true service is Christ.* *And it was all so simple and practical! - as the busy mother when she too entered into this rest of faith.* ?*But are you always conscious of abiding in Christ?? Mr. Taylor was asked many years later.* ?*While sleeping la**st night,? he replied, ?did I cease to abide in your home because I was unconscious of the fact? We should never be conscious of not abiding in Christ.?* *I change, He changes not;* *The Christ can never die:* *His truth, not mine, the resting place;* *His love, not mine, the tie.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Sep 16 15:38:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2012 15:38:00 -0700 Subject: 2 Peter 1:1-21 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *MAY 19 - **2 PETER 1.1-21 **-** THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE * *1. ** 1:4 (1:1-4) THESE PROMISES: LEAD TO PARTAKING OF DIVINE NATURE. **?Whereby he has granted us the precious and exceeding great promises; that through these you may become partakers of **the** divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that **is** in the world by lust? **(NNT). ** *What a blessedness You have ordained for us Father, through the Promises of Your Word! We marvel at the extent of Your plan. *We* are a new creation in Christ Jesus! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2.** 1:5-7 THESE THINGS: TO BE DILIGENTLY ADDED. **?Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your :faith supply :** virtue**; and in :virtue :**knowledge**; **6** and in :knowledge :** self-control**; and in self-control :**patience**; and in :patience :** godliness**; **7** and in :godliness **brotherly :kindness**; and in **your ** brotherly :kindness :**love**.? **Your :kingdom come.* *3.** 1:8 THESE THINGS ABOUNDING: PRODUCE FRUITFUL KNOWLEDGE.** ?For if **these **things** are yours and abound, they make **you** to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.? *Fruitfulness in Christ Jesus is absolutely dependent upon understanding this truth and walking in it by your grace, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *1.** 1:9 THESE THINGS LACKING: PRODUCE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.** ?For who lacks **these** is blind, short-sighted, having forgotten the cleansing from his old :sins.? *We lose true apprehension of Your Gospel Father, if we fail to walk in *these things*. O forgive us our partial blindness in Your true purposes for us Your Church, because we have been robbed of true understanding concerning *these things*. * **Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *Five. 1:10-11 THESE THINGS DONE: PROVIDE ABUNDANT HEAVENL**Y* *ENTRANCE. ** ?Wherefore, brothers give **the more** diligence to make your calling and election sure: for in doing **these** you shall never stumble: * *11** for **thus** shall be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our :Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.? *No stumbling, but *abundant victory*: this is the fruit of walking in *these things*. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6**. 1:12 (12-18) THESE THINGS REMEMBERED: PETER?S DYING GOAL.**?Wherefore I shall be ready always to remind you of **these **things**, though you know and are stablished in the truth which is with **you**.? *We bless You Father, for the faithfulness of Your servant Peter, who encouraged Your Church to walk in *these things*. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7**. 1:19 (19-21) THESE THINGS: SURER THAN VISIONS AN**D ** INTERPRETATIONS.** ?And we have the word of prophecy more sure; whereto you do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a murky place, until day dawn, and **the** day-star arise in your :hearts.? *Walking in Your Word is a clearer word than dreams and visions, which is not to decry the latter! Father, we bless You for this clear statement. *But deliver us from the evil **one.* *NOTE**: 1:20-21 (1:19-21) HOW ALL PROPHECY FIRST CAME! **?Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of **its** own interpretation. **7 * *For **no prophecy** was ever borne by man?s will; but men spoke from God, being borne **on** by **the** Holy Spirit.? *So Peter says the same thing as Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:37. The Bible is *not* the word of man, but is *Your Word* Father, given through men by Your Spirit! What a shock this will be to unbelievers when they appear before Your Son at the Great White Throne Judgment! This passage is truly one of the significant ones in the whole of Scripture. Many have memorized portions of it, if not the entire chapter. Early in my Christian life it was quickened to me, and now 68 years later, it is just as significant as it was back in 1944. Peter emphasizes its importance by repeating again and again the words - *these things*! The 7 things to add to faith, are *extremely* important. I memorized them in my spiritual beginning, and continually go over them. Some have linked them with the 7 pieces of furniture in Moses? Tabernacle. 1:20-21 should be written on our hearts by the Spirit like 1 Corinthians 14:37, and *never* forgotten. For - the Bible is *not* the work of man and its 33 known writers - but as is clearly stated - the *Book of God*. God?s Bible Numerics as discovered by Ivan Panin in 1890 - clearly attests to this fact. Man world-wide may dismiss this fact - but it *will* come back to haunt them at the Great White Throne Judgment. *All* mankind of *all*time will *then* be judged according to *God?s Book*, not by his preconceived ideas or any other holy book. See John 14:6 (14:5-7) *?Jesus said to Thomas, **I am the way**, **and the truth**, **and the life**: **no one** comes unto the Father, **but through me**.? *How the majority of mankind *hates* this verse - and anything else of God?s Word in the Bible. Such matters not! In the end - *all mankind*will be judged by *this Word*, and no other. I, like Billy Graham, have taken the entire Bible by faith, and declare it *all* to be God?s Word, whether I fully understand it all or not! I invite you to join me in a similar step of faith, and make it your declaration too! Jim Watt Our Psalm for the day: *139:15-16 SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART. **?My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. **16 **Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them? (ESV). *This was one of the favorite Psalms of Dr. J. Edwin Orr. *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Sep 19 12:10:20 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:10:20 -0700 Subject: Jonathan Goforth - Revivalist in China Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 19, 2012 *2012-09-17 - JONATHAN GOFORTH - Revivalist in China* *(Written by David Smithers - forwarded by Andrew Strom)* ?*You must go forward on your knees,? was the advice Hudson Taylor gave to a young Canadian missionary named Jonathan Goforth. Mr. Goforth faithfully and fervently followed this advice throughout all his missionary endeavors in China. Yet, after thirteen years of faithful praying and preaching, and what most would consider a very successful ministry, Goforth became restless and dissatisfied. It was at this time an unknown party from England began sending pamphlets on the Welsh revival of 1904. Goforth was deeply stirred as he read these accounts. ?A new thought, a new conception seemed to come to him of God the Holy Spirit...? He then gave himself to much more prayer and Bible study. Goforth now found himself being driven by a fresh vision, a vision for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.* *Soon he began to meet daily with other missionaries to pray for revival. These men vowed to God and to one another that they would pray unto revival came to China. In 1908 Jonathan Goforth?s prayers and dreams began to be realized. Goforth began going to different missionary stations and simply led his fellow missionaries in prayer. Then suddenly earnest prayer gave way to the open confession of sin.* *It was when the Christians came clean, confessed and forsook their secret sin, that the Holy Spirit rushed in like a mighty wind. Truly it was this open and honest confession of sin that was the most striking feature of the revival. Everywhere Mr. Goforth went revival would spread, and almost always in the same way. First prayer was encouraged among the Christians, which then spontaneously led to heart-breaking confessions of sin. And then like a flood, the lost were brought into the kingdom by the thousands. ?Men were searched as with fire.? One after another broken-hearted believers emptied themselves through the uncovering of all secret sin. Mr. Goforth clearly identified unconfessed sin among Christians as a major hindrance to God-sent revival.* *Walter Phillips describes for us one of Mr. Goforth?s revival meetings; ?At once, on entering the church one was conscious of something unusual. The place was crowded to the door and tense, reverent attention sat on every face. The people knelt for prayer, silent at first, but soon one here and another there began to pray aloud. The voices grew and gathered volume and blended into a great wave of united supplication that swelled until it was almost a roar. Now I understood why the floor was so wet - the very air was electric and strange thrills coursed up and down ones body?* *When Mr. Goforth preached, ?The cross burned like a living fir in the heart of every address.? It was the person of Jesus Christ who was exalted throughout the entire revival as a King and Savior who must be reckoned with. In the midst of this great revival Jonathan Goforth clearly saw that all of his previous sweating and striving had reaped only frustration. He came to the firm conviction that revival is only born through humility, faith, prayer and the power of the Holy Ghost. Goforth writes, ?If revival is being withheld from us it is because some idol remains still enthroned; because we still insist in placing our reliance in human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchangeable truth that ?it is not by might, but by My Spirit.??* *NOTE**: This article **on Jonathan Goforth by David Smithers is very helpful from a ?Revival Standpoint?. Dr. J. Edwin Orr followed much along the same line, with excellent results.* *Mr. Goforth spent 6 weeks in Korea at the beginning of their entrance as a nation into Christianity. Multitudes came to Christ at that time. Unfortunately, Goforth felt he had to return to China, God?s appointed commission for him. The new Korean believers did not have grounding in the essential Foundation Truths of Hebrews 6:1-2. They were perplexed what to do about ?baptism?! The older men among the new believers decided that if all went home and had a bath in Jesus? Name, this should be satisfactory. (Billy Graham?s baptism formula is: ?I baptize you in the Name of Jesus, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily: Father, Son and Holy Spirit!? That seems to cover all bases!) The new Korean believers all did so with great blessing, and the Church of Korea then took off.* *The above article by Goforth was made available by ?Revival List? < prophetic at revivalschool.com> - Moderator Andrew Strom of New Zealand. Mr. Strom is a believer in ?Proving all things - holding fast to that which is good.? One of his areas of proving - took place with the 1948 ?Latter Rain? Visitation at North Battleford, Saskatchewan; and he takes a pretty strong stand against this Visitation. God led me in 1945 to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to the Bible College founded and directed by George R. Hawtin. In 1947 they moved to North Battleford, and in February of 1948 this unusual visitation took place. It majored on the restoration of the City Presbytery with the laying on of hands; the 5-fold ministries of Ephesians 4:11-12; and the Heavenly Choir seen in the meetings of Mrs. Maria Woodworth-Etter. 12 Embryonic Revival Principles came together at that time, and can be reviewed on our Website , and clicking on ?Embryonics?. Under ?Interlinear?, the full ?Outlined Interlinear NT? can be found. It has not been updated and Proof-read, but does have Strong?s numbers attached to the significant Greek words, plus my personal notes. These do not appear in the proof-read and updated printed version, which can be obtained by contacting .* *Like many revivals, this Northern Canada 1948 Visitation, has ?pros and cons?. John Wesley experienced the same in England. Dr. John Roddam came to our home in 2008, the 60th Anniversary of the 1948 Visitation, and under ten 30-minute segments - recorded the Pros and Cons of this Visitation by interviewing Marie and me. The 3 DVD?s can be obtained from contacting ?Norlynn Audio Visual Services under ?The Fire Continues - Sixty Years Later?.* *My personal view-point on this as one who had part in the leadership of the 1948 July Camp Meeting there is - ?We shouldn?t throw the baby out with the bath-water!? God told Jeremiah, ?If you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth? (ASV-01)!* *All** is **not bad! - I believe Andrew Strom could profit from following God?s counsel to Jeremiah. Yes - point out the vile - but first see what is precious! Every revival has both! In the DVD?s on the 60th Anniversary - Marie and I point out first the pros of the 1948 Visitation; we then follow that up with 6 ?Cons?. So we agree with Andrew Strom in part - but only in part.* *There are others in our nation that Andrew Strom has taken to task - but again - as he did with the ?48 Visitation of which I had a part - he deals almost exclusively with the ?Cons? and fails to follow God?s word to Jeremiah - ?Take the precious (Pros) from the Vile (Cons) - and then you shall be as My mouth.?* *When Shimei cursed David - David would not allow his nephew Abishai to kill him. David felt that if he received this cursing - in the end God would vindicate him - and He did! At the time of his death, David instructed his son Solomon how to deal with Shimei and Joab - which he did.* *Dr. Norman Vincent Peale had a word I like: ?Before you shave a man - first lather him!? This makes the shaving much more bearable!* *So for those like me who are under the ?Cons? of Andrew Strom - like David under Shimei - take it! None of us are perfect, and as Marie and I did for the 60th Latter Rain Anniversary with the 3 DVD?s of ?Pros and Cons? - the Andrew Stroms will help us all to look carefully whether all we are associated with is truly ?Word-based.? The summer of 1948 I was doing a Word Study on the Greek Word ?do-reA? at one of the tables. George Hawtin came and looked over my shoulder at what I was doing. He then said to me, ?Jimmy, I wish to God I could do what you are doing.? I thought to myself - ?What will happen to this Revival - if you don?t!? Not too long after, he got off from the Word on a number of points: Ultimate Reconciliation; extreme ?Manifest sons of God? teaching; Replacement Theology of the church taking the place of Israel - because of ?British-Israel? teaching; a tendency to put the prophetic, revelatory word (REma) - above the written (LOgos) Word of the Bible. Revelation that cannot be justified by the Word - needs the attention of the Andrew Stroms - as well as ourselves! And we need like John Wesley to understand areas of our association that do not in all points correspond with the Word! - make adjustments, and like David - use the Shimeis to keep us open and humble; so that in the end - we too merit the full blessing of God! - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 20 08:42:13 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:42:13 -0700 Subject: 2 Peter 2 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 20, 2012 * * *MAY 20 - 2 PETER 2 - THE FALSE TEACHERS* *1. 2:1 (2:1-3) PROPHECY OF FALSE TEACHERS. ?But false prophets arose also among the people, as among you also shall be false teachers, who shall privately bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction? (NNT). *You have warned us Father, that *false teachers* of the Gospel shall be in the Church in the last days. They are here today. But we will embrace the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and say - ?Your Kingdom come! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 2:9-10a (2:4-10a) EXAMPLES OF GOD?S JUDGMENT. ?The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto a day of judgment 10a but chiefly them that go after flesh in lust of defilement, and despise lordship.? *Who would have guessed 50 years ago that there would be ?gay? churches today? What a travesty of the Gospel! What delusion and deception! God and we *love* sinners, but hate their sin. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 2:10b-11. PRESUMPTION BEYOND ANGELS. ?Darers, self-willed, they tremble not at dignities, railing; 11 whereas angels, being greater in might and power, bring not railing judgment against them before the Lord.? *Does this spirit exist in the church among certain ones today? Do we find such ?weeds?? Yes Father, You clearly foretold the last days! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:12 (2:12-16) LICENTIOUS AND LAWLESS LIKE BALAAM. ?But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals for capture and corruption, railing in matters of which they are ignorant, shall in their corruption also be corrupted.? *Judgment is today beginning at the church, the house of God. Exposure of sin in the church in high places is not taking place. We bless You Father, for faithfully giving us warning in these matters. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 2:17 WELLS WITHOUT WATER. ?These are waterless springs, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of the darkness has been reserved.? *What a terrible end for false teachers within the church! These weeds in the Kingdom will be gathered into bundles in the end, and burned. Our God is a consuming fire! It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 2:18-19 FALSE ALLUREMENT. ?For, uttering great swellings of vanity, they entice in lusts of the flesh by lasciviousness those who are just escaping from them that life in error: 19 promising them liberty, while themselves are bondmen of :corruption; for of whom a man is worsted of the same is he also enslaved.? *There is today hypocrisy in some leaders in the church in high places. Glitzy entertainment has often replaced the fear of the Lord. But great conviction of sin is about to return to the church. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 2:20 (2:20-22) RETURNING TO POLLUTION. ?For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and are worsted, theirlast are become worse with them than the first.? *This is a sober word! Your Spirit Father, will *not* always strive with man! Write these words on our heart. Strike Your fear into our souls. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: **2:21 (2:20-22) FOLLOW THROUGH - OR DON?T START! ?Better were for them not to have known the way of :righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.? *What application would you make of this? God does *not* want us to be na?ve in the church. All that glitters - is * not* gold! All who teach in the church - do *not* have God?s approval. The Holy Spirit through Paul exhorts us to ?Despise not prophesyings; but prove *all* things; hold fast what is good? (1 Thessalonians 5:19b-20). Many people in the church are *too gullible* concerning prophecies. Thenthe other extreme is that all prophecy is reject ed. It is difficult to avoid both extremes, and walk in balance - but *this*is what God calls each one of us to do! Too many dreams and prophecies in the church do *not* meet the above test. See 1 Corinthians 14:29. In every service where prophecy is permitted - *this* is the rule. Stop the service after 2-3 prophecies, and give opportunity for them to be *discerned* (di-aKRIn*o*), which means to *thoroughly judge* according to the Word, *and* whether they witness with the *Spirit*of God. It is a *double* test that is asked for. So many prophecies are like some choruses - little or no Word content, and of another spirit that the Holy Spirit: either a *fleshly* spirit - or even a demonic spirit. The first prophecy I heard as a new believer in 1944 was of an evil spirit. There are 3 sources for all prophecies and dreams. We are to reject the latter two - and hold only to the former - of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Ern Baxter at Surrey Christian Centre, B.C. in the 60?s and 70?s - * always* practiced the above. A missionary brother from New Zealand had never witnessed such before - and was greatly blessed and encouraged bythis demonstration. A pastor in a Tacoma church followed the same practice. In the latter part of last century my wife and I brought a Canadian leader to one of their services. A man in the balcony in the same pew in which we were seated gave a prophecy *not* of the Holy Spirit. We watched the pastor to see what he would do. He had 4 or 5 elders on the platform with him. He checked each one for his discernment. When the friend finished his prophecy, the pastor addressed the congregation of some 600 people. ?Church - the elders and I do not receive this prophecy as from the Lord. If the brother would like to meet with us after the service and check our discernment, we would be happy to share with him. Now church - let?s go on with our worship service!? Our Canadian leader friend was greatly edified and encouraged by this demonstration of maturity and Word and Spirit conformity The church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 was commended by Jesus for testing self-proclaimed apostles, and rejecting those that did not meet this double test. *This* is what Peter is recommending in this chapter of his 2ndepistle. Application? If you attend a church that does *not* test for prophecies and false teachers - then by all means *leave*, and find a church which * does*! And definitely - do *not* allow anyone to lay hands on you promiscuously in a home meeting - not under church auspices! Jim Watt *Our Psalm for the Day: 140:6-7 DELIVER ME, O LORD, FROM EVIL MEN. ?I say to the LORD You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD! 7 O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.? *Here is David casting his care upon You, O Great Jehovah Father, knowing that You care for him. You preserve us also from all our enemies. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 20 19:13:42 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:13:42 -0700 Subject: Albert Mohler on Masquerade Scholarship Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 20, 2012 The Gospel of Jesus? Wife? When Sensationalism Masquerades as Scholarship - Thursday, September 20, 2012 The whole world changed on Tuesday. At least, that is what many would have us to believe. * Smithsonian* magazine, published by the Smithsonian Institution, declares that the news released Tuesday was ?apt to send jolts through the world of biblical scholarship ? and beyond.? Really? What was this news? Professor Karen King of the Harvard Divinity School announced at a conference in Rome that she had identified an ancient papyrus fragment that includes the phrase, ?Jesus said to them, ?My wife.?? Within hours, headlines around the world advertised the announcement with headlines like ?Ancient Papyrus Could Be Evidence that Jesus Had a Wife? (*The Telegraph*). The *Smithsonian* article states that ?the announcement at an academic conference in Rome is sure to send shock waves through the Christian world.? The magazine?s breathless enthusiasm for the news about the papyrus probably has more to do with advertising its upcoming television documentary than anything else, but the nation?s most prestigious museum can only injure its reputation with this kind of sensationalism. Related Posts - The Gospel According to Jesus ? 20 Years Later - Reparative Therapy, Homosexuality, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Hip-Hop and the Gospel of Jesus Christ(Audio) - Transracial Adoption and the Gospel of Jesus Christ(Audio) - ?The Gospel of Judas? ? Still a Media Item *A Fragment of a Text, an Even More Fragmentary Argument* What Karen King revealed on Tuesday was a tiny papyrus fragment with Coptic script on both sides. On one side the fragment includes about 30 words on eight fragmentary lines of script. *The New York Times *described the fragment as ?smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass.? The lines are all fragmentary, with the third line reading ?deny. Mary is worthy of it,? and the next reading ?Jesus said to them, ?My wife.?? The fifth states, ?she will be able to be my disciple.? The papyrus fragment, believed to be from the fourth century, was delivered to Professor King by an anonymous source who secured the artifact from a German-American dealer, who had bought it years ago from a source in East Germany. As news reports made clear, the fragment is believed by many to be an authentic text from the fourth century, though two of three authorities originally consulted by the editors of the *Harvard Theological Review*expressed doubts. Such a find would be interesting, to be sure, but hardly worthy of the international headlines. The little piece of ancient papyrus with its fragmentary lines of text is now, in the hands of the media, transformed into proof that Jesus had a wife, and that she was most likely Mary Magdalene. Professor King will bear personal responsibility for most of this over-reaching. She has called the fragment nothing less than ?The Gospel of Jesus? Wife? ? a title *The Boston Globe* rightly deemed ?provocative.? That same paper reported that Professor King decided to publicize her findings before additional tests could verify the fragment?s authenticity because she ?feared word could leak out about its existence in a way that sensationalized its meaning.? Seriously? King was so concerned about avoiding sensationalism that she titled the fragment ?The Gospel of Jesus? Wife?? This is sensationalism masquerading as scholarship. One British newspaper notes that the claims about a married Jesus seem more worthy of fans of Dan Brown?s fictional work, *The Da Vinci Code,* than ?real-life Harvard professors.? If the fragment is authenticated, the existence of this little document will be of interest to historians of the era, but it is insanity to make the claims now running through the media. Professor King claims that these few words and phrases should be understood as presenting a different story of Jesus, a different gospel. She then argues that the words should be read as claiming that Jesus was married, that Mary Magdalene was likely his wife. She argues further that, while this document provides evidence of Jesus? marital status, the phrases do not necessarily mean he was married. More than anything else, she argues against the claim that Christianity is a unified body of commonly-held truths. Those familiar with Karen King?s research and writings will recognize the argument. Her 2003 book,* The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle*, argued that another text from the era presented Mary Magdalene as the very model for apostleship. *A Preference for Heterodoxy* The thread that ties all these texts and arguments together is the 1945 discovery of some 52 ancient texts near the town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt. These texts are known to scholars as Gnostic literature. The texts present heretical narratives and claims about Jesus and his message, and they have been a treasure trove for those seeking to replace orthodox Christianity with something different. Several ambitions drive this effort. Feminists have sought to use the Nag Hammadi texts to argue that women have been sidelined by the orthodox tradition, and that these Gnostic texts prove that women were central to the leadership of the early church, perhaps even superior to the men. Others have used the Nag Hammadi texts to argue that Christianity was diverse movement marked by few doctrinal concerns until it was hijacked by political and ecclesiastical leaders, who constructed theological orthodoxy as a way of establishing churchly power in the Roman Empire and then stifling dissent. Still others argue that Christianity?s moral prohibitions concerning sexuality, and especially homosexuality, were part of this forced orthodoxy which, they argue, was not the essence of true Christianity. More than anything else, many have used the Nag Hammadi texts as leverage for their argument that Christianity was originally a way of spirituality centered in the teachings of a merely human Christ ? not a message of salvation through faith in a divine Jesus who saves sinners through the atonement he accomplished in his death and resurrection. Professor King, along with Princeton?s Elaine Pagels, has argued that the politically powerful leaders who established what became orthodox Christianity silenced other voices, but that these voices now speak through the Nag Hammadi texts and other Gnostic writings. Writing together, King and Pagels argue that ?the traditional history of Christianity is written almost solely from the viewpoint of the side that won, which was remarkably successful in silencing or distorting other voices, destroying their writings, and suppressing any who disagreed with them as dangerous and obstinate ?heretics.?? King and Pagels both reject traditional Christianity, and they clearly prefer the voices of the heretics. They argue for the superiority of heterodoxy over orthodoxy. In the *Smithsonian* article, King?s scholarship is described as ?a kind of sustained critique of what she called the ?master story? of Christianity: a narrative that casts the canonical texts of the New Testament as a divine revelation that passed through Jesus in ?an unbroken chain? to the apostles and their successors ? church fathers, ministers, priests and bishops who carried these truths into the present day.? King actually argues against the use of terms like ?heresy? and even ?Gnostic,? claiming that the very use of these terms gives power to the forces of orthodoxy and normative Christianity. Nevertheless, she cannot avoid using the terms herself (even in the titles of her own books). She told Ariel Sabar of* Smithsonian*, ?You?re talking to someone who?s trying to integrate a whole set of ?heretical? literature into the standard history.? *Orthodoxy and Heresy: The Continual Struggle* Those who use Gnostic texts like those found at Nag Hammadi attempt to redefine Christianity so that classic, biblical, orthodox Christianity is replaced with a very different religion. The Gnostic texts reduce Jesus to the status of a worldly teacher who instructs his followers to look within themselves for the truth. These texts promise salvation through enlightenment, not through faith and repentance. Their Jesus is not the fully human and fully divine Savior and there is no bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead. Were these writings found at Nag Hammadi evidence of the fact that the early church opposed and attempted to eliminate what it understood to be false teachings? Of course. That is what the church said it was doing and what the Apostles called upon the church to do. The believing church did not see heresy as an irritation ? it saw heterodoxy as spiritual death. Those arguing for the superiority of the Gnostic texts deny the divine inspiration of the New Testament and prefer the heterodox teachings of the Gnostic heretics. Hauntingly, the worldview of the ancient Gnostics is very similar, in many respects, to various worldviews and spiritualities around us today. The energy behind all this is directed to the replacement of orthodox Christianity, its truth claims, its doctrines, its moral convictions, and its vision of both history and eternity with a secularized ? indeed, Gnositicized ? new version. Just look at the attention this tiny fragment of papyrus has garnered. Its few words and broken phrases are supposed to cast doubt on the New Testament and the doctrines of orthodox Christianity. A tiny little fragment which, even if authentically from the fourth century, is placed over against the four New Testament Gospels, all written within decades of Jesus? earthy ministry. ?The Gospel of Jesus? Wife?? Not hardly. This is sensationalism masquerading as scholarship. Nevertheless, do not miss what all this really represents ? an effort to replace biblical Christianity with an entirely new faith * * *NOTE**: * Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. serves as President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. See * *for other postings of like value as the above. * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Sep 21 10:14:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2012 10:14:32 -0700 Subject: 2 Peter 3 - Ourtline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 21, 2012 *MAY 21 - 2 PETER 3 - THE SURE PROMISE* *1. 3:1 (3:1-4) SCOFFERS OF THE LAST DAYS. ?This is now, beloved, a second letter that I write to you; in these I stir up your sincere mind by reminder? (NNT). *The words of both Old Covenant prophets and New Covenant apostles: these are not to be forgotten. *Both* are Your words of grace, Father (Acts 20:32). Your Kingdom Father, is in the Gospel of Your grace! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3:5-6 (3:5-7) JUDGMENT BY WATER: PRELUDE TO JUDGMENT BY FIRE. ?For this they willfully forget, that heavens were from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and through water, by the word of :God; 6 by which means the then world, overflowed with water, perished.? *Your wheels of judgment Father, grind slow; but they grind exceedingly small! Your word is *sure*! In our impatience we sometimes doubt You; but in Your appointed times Your Word is *always* fulfilled! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:8 TIME: FROM GOD?S POINT OF VIEW! But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.? *This is *Your* perspective on time, Father! From Adam to Christ, but 4 days! From Christ till now, but 2 days. From the beginning till the day of rest, but 6 days! How different from our perspective! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 3:9 (3:9-10) BEHAVIOR: GODLY IN LIGHT OF DAY OF LORD. ?The Lord is not slack concerning the promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering toward you, not intending that any perish, but that all come to repentance.? *It is good that we see things from eternity?s view, Father. * Then* impatience flees away, and we rest in You! O forgive us for our fleshly impatience, and teach us the ?rest? of John 15:1-16! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 3:11-12a (3:11-13) TIMELY APPLICATION. ?Since these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy living and godliness, 12a looking for and hastening the presence of the day of :God.? *O let our behavior be affected by this revelation, Father! Burn it deep upon our hearts! Keep our lives in perspective with *Yours*! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 3:14 (3:14-16) EXHORTATION: APPLY DILIGENCE TO BE IN GOD! ?Wherefore, beloved, since you look for these, give diligence to be found in peace, spotless and blameless before him.? *Your peace comes before our purity, Father. A fish needs to be caught before it is cleaned! Grace is the beginning of Your work of transformation. Salvation of spirit is instantaneous; renewal of mind is a life-time?s work! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:17 (3:17-18) WARNING: BECAUSE OF COMING JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED. ?YOU therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand, beware lest, carried away with theerror of the wicked, you fall from your own :steadfastness.? *Swirling round about us at all times - is the error of the lawless! But *You* Father, in Christ are our Rock! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 3:15 (3:14-16) GOD?S LONGSUFFERING: FOR **OUR SALVATION! ?And account that the longsuffering of our :Lord is salvation; even as our beloved :brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, wrote you.? *What grace is revealed in Your delays, Father! Our philosophy of life is not complete or perfect - except we have the revelation of 2 Peter 3 as a key part of it. We cannot afford to bypass this word of the Spirit that came to Peter. Note also 3:16 - Peter is aware that the insights that came to the apostle Paul are *not* always easy to understand. *Many* unfortunately - glibly lay hold of his revelations - twist them - manipulate them, and end up in *destruction*! It is a great help to understand the 14 NT letters of Paul by reading them from God?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear NT? as discovered by Ivan Panin in 1890. To see the significance of his discovery allowed him by God, see our Website **, click on ?Archives?, and scroll down to ?2011.01.02 - Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin?. Here you will find an analysis of this ?Finding? - that sets forth from God?s perspective - the importance of this discovery for these last days. Panin died in 1942 in Aldershot, Ontario; and now 70 years later almost to the month - his 100,000 hours of labor in Interlinear format is printed and soon available. Contact ** or Phone * <1-866-260-9563>* for more information, or to order. Thanks for your patience concerning this, but I sense the timing is of God in the light of the 70 years. *Our Psalm for the day: 141:5 GIVE EAR TO MY VOICE. ?Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me - it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds? (ESV). *Only the strongly mature could pray such a prayer. But it is our desire Father, to be of this same heart with David. Let his humility and meekness be in our soul! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Sep 21 19:00:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:12 -0700 Subject: Mathematical Structure behind our Bible? Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 21, 2012 *2012-09-21 - DOES THE BIBLE HAVE A HIDDEN MATHEMATICAL STRUCTURE* *THAT PROVES IT IS OF SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN?* *- The Discoveries of Ivan Panin Strongly Proclaim It!* *There are numerous books on the market today concerning hidden ?Bible Codes? and other mathematical phenomena, which are attracting the attention of Christians. Unfortunately, some of these books are only thinly veiled attempts to make money at the expense of truth. But on the other hand there is apparently a growing body of evidence that suggests there is reason to believe the existence of such things. One of the more popular theories now extant concerns the ELS, or ?equidistant letter spacing,? codes. The premise of this ?code? involves selecting every other letter, or every third letter, etc., in a passage of Scripture - particularly the ?Torah? (the first five Books of the Old Testament) - in the original Hebrew. Because of the extreme complexity of such an undertaking, modern computers have been programmed to search for messages through such letter sequences. As one might expect some pretty wild messages have purportedly been found along with ?prophecies? relating to future events. It is not my intent to try to promote the hidden code aspect, although I do believe that there is ample evidence to show that there is some related fire and it is not all smoke and mirrors!* *Apologetics is the area of theology that deals with a defense of the Christian faith. God and His Word do not need defending, but because of our humanity we are always comforted when we find ?proofs? to substantiate our faith - a faith that probably should not engage in such trivialities, but nevertheless it goes on. In my own experience I have found that most Christians, in the early stages of our walk with God, go through a phase or period of preoccupation with things apologetic. I suppose this is only natural, because it does help us to ?get a handle? on this thing we call faith. All of us would like nothing better than to confront the atheists, agnostics, and skeptics of the world with overwhelming and irrefutable proof that the Bible is God?s Word and it means exactly what it says! Our flesh - our human nature - would really enjoy popping them right between the eyes with the truth, so that they could not possibly have a comeback. Have you ever had thoughts like these? Boy, I sure have! But to date this has not happened and probably will not until the Lord Himself reigns in the hearts of all men everywhere. Unbelief is so ?unbelievably? strong that irrefutable proof is merely a desirable but unachievable goal. However, having said all of this, I will now make another attempt to supply Christians with apologetic ammunition and give unbelievers something else to deny!* *The first time I heard of Ivan Panin was nearly thirty years ago. Someone gave me a tract that outlined his discovery of the ?heptadic? structure of the Scriptures (the recurrent phenomena of the number seven associated with the texts of both the Old and New Testament), which he called ?Bible Numerics.? His finding fascinated me and I began discussing the tract with some friends at church. One of them borrowed my tract and failed to return it - which, as it turned out, deprived me of the basic information because I was not able to find other sources. It was not until after I acquired a computer and searched the Internet that I found what I had been looking for all those years.* *Mr. John W. Irwin of Ontario, Canada, (81 Bayview Ridge, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2L 1E3) has in his possession the actual hand-written notes of Dr. Panin?s work of a lifetime (43,000 pages). When I contacted Mr. Irwin about this information he told me that his dad had been a close friend of Dr. Panin and during WWII accompanied his coffin on the train to Grafton, Massachusetts where he arranged for his burial. He also told me (in response to my question) that even though in recent years Dr. Panin?s work had attracted some criticism and a few attempts to disprove it, no one - to his knowledge - had been able to do so. This just bears out the fact that no matter how strong a case may be, there will always be those who claim they can prove it wrong.* *My sole intent with this article is to acquaint you with the findings of Mr. Panin and not to try to add to the excellent articles already available on other sites. If his findings are correct, and I believe they are, the apologetic ammunition should be made known far and wide because it provesto the regenerate mind the supernatural authorship of the Bible. Of course you will have to make this determination for yourself, but the links that follow (coupled with the link to Panin?s own notes given earlier) should give you plenty of information to work with. Check them out and marvel at God?s signature on His handiwork. May He bless you in the search.* *Ron Riffe, Cutting Edge Ministries.* *1. Following the links given on this site, will allow you to take a very close look at Mr. Panin?s work. Articles by Chuck Missler and Grant Jeffery are also included.* ?*Mathematical Codes Found in the Bible? by Chuck Missler in his book ?**The Creation Beyond Space and Time?, is another.* ?*The Inspiration of the Scriptures Scientifically Demonstrated? by Ivan Panin - included in this - a ?Letter to the New York Sun? * *NOTE: Since Ron Riffe wrote the above article, Mr. John W. Irwin of Ontario, Canada has retired, and passed on the marketing of Books and Pamphlets ?on? or ?by? Mr. Panin to Jim & Lois Thompson, New England Bible Sales, 202 Quaker Road, Sidney, ME 04330 - , Phone 207-215-7986* ** *- Ivan Panin?s Numeric English NT has been updated and is available here, and also on Amazon* *- also ?Mathematics Prove Holy Scriptures? by Karl Sabiers, 158 pp - good synopsis* *- also ?Absolute Mathematical Proofs? by Dr. Keith Brooks - 15 pp - nice introductory summary* *I fully endorse the above transfer, and have had most favorable dealings with Mr. Jim Thompson. He will be also making available our ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on the Bible Numeric Greek and English texts made and printed for Ivan Panin by Oxford Press, England.* *To receive up-to-date information on this ?Interlinear? text, you can contact - It is about to be made available for purchasing, and can be pre-ordered. * ?*Part 2? to the above article on Ivan Panin by Ron Riffe of ?Cutting Edge Ministries? can be obtained by going to our Website - and clicking on ?Archives?. Then scroll down to ?2011.01.02** Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin?. Jim Watt* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Sep 22 09:30:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2012 09:30:53 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 1-3 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 22, 2012 *MAY 22 - 1 SAMUEL 1-3 - SAMUEL: HIS BIRTH AND ESTABLISHMENT* *1. 1:4-5 (1:1-5) SAMUEL?S PARENTS. ?On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb? (ESV). *When You Father, would use one; special preparation, testing and trials are always in order! So it was with Hannah; so it is with us. This is a Kingdom principle, and we submit to its rule. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:19 (1:6-19) SAMUEL?S MOTHER. ?They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.? *A life of prayer for Hannah was born out of adversity and persecution; so it is with us: no trouble - no depth of spirituality. Storms produce strong root systems in trees. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:27-28 (1:20-2:10) SAMUEL?S BIRTH. ?For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.? *What a godly mother You gave to Your servant Samuel, Father - a woman like Mary, the mother of Your Son! You provide all things well! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 2:26 (2:11-26) SAMUEL: STATE OF ELI?S HOUSE. ?Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.? *What a contrast between Samuel and the two sons of Eli! What an evil day existed at the time when You brought forth Samuel, Father! O forgive us for ever doubting You: in the darkest times You are planning for deliverance through chosen vessels! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 2:30b (2:27-36) SAMUEL?S PROPHECY PREPARED FOR. But now the LORD declares: ?Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.? *Eli had warning from God before Samuel?s word. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall every R*E*ma word be confirmed. Yet Father, *?You will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear? (1 Corinthians 10:13). And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 3:1 (3:1-18) SAMUEL?S PROPHECY TO HOUSE OF ELI. ?Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.? *What a terrible word for a young boy to receive; no wonder Samuel feared to share it! And You gave this Word Father, in the midst of a time of great dearth of Your Word. But our confidence is that: in Your judgment when needed, Your Word comes! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 3:19-20 (3:19-21) SAMUEL: ESTABLISHED AS GOD?S PROPHET. ?And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.? *Here is the preparation of Your prophet, Father. It is all in Your Sovereign choice and planning. You are the Potter and we are the clay. You do whatever is right in Your sight! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 3:13-14 (3:1-18) GOD?S WORD THROUGH SAMUEL TO ELI?S HOUSE. **?And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli?s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.? *Samuel knew that he was receiving a confirmed word from You, Father. Joseph is one that has perhaps the greatest number of parallels with Jesus. But Samuel is close behind. The way he grew up under the oversight of God is so much like verses in the gospel of Luke concerning Jesus. The choice of mothers is very parallel. What an important place godly mothers have in raising godly sons! Then Jesus at 12 for His Bar Mitzvah was in His Father?s House, answering questions and questioning the Jewish rulers of His day - to their great astonishment! And God chose Samuel at a very early age to receive and give the Word of the Lord. And throughout his life, just as Jesus did, he remained faithful to God. The people of Israel found no fault in him! Samuel?s influence on David was profound. Together they laid the basis for worship in prophetic song in the Tabernacle of Moses, which was later transferred to the Temple under David?s son Solomon. So - the establishment of Samuel as God?s prophet after a long period of famine from the word of the Lord - is most significant. Samuel stands *high* in the thinking of God. In Jeremiah 15:1, God links Samuel and Moses as extremely high among His OT saints. He states that even if Moses and Samuel stood before Him, He would not defer judgment upon His people! Think soberly on this. God?s people can reach the point of no-return. Judgment for sin promised, can no longer be averted. Even godly King Josiah could not stop judgment on Judah. God spared him by taking him Home before this took place. When the ?die is cast? - then - . I believe American cannot be spared from judgment. Over 50 million murdered babies through abortion! Homosexuality given legitimacy! Governmental mismanagement! Murder, drunkenness and narcotic addiction - God would be unjust if He did not visit us! He already has in warning and in part. But the fullness has not yet come. God - Raise up Samuels in our day - who will boldly and fearlessly declare the clear Word of God! *Our Psalm for the day: 142:7 YOU ARE MY REFUGE. ?Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.?* David?s prayer: one of distress in the midst of persecution and desertion; but hope in God for the future. Father, our hope is never misplaced in You! You *do* hear; You *do* deliver; You *do * restore! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Sep 23 08:42:17 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:42:17 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 4-6 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 23, 2012 *MAY 23 - 1 SAMUEL 4-6 - THE ARK: SYMBOL OF GOD?S PRESENCE* *1. 4:5 (4:1-6) THE ARK: BROUGHT INTO BATTLE. ?As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded? (ESV). *This was a shout of *presumption*, not of faith. Shout louder here; argument weak: this note was found in the margin of a preacher?s sermon! But *faith*, not noise, is the keynote of Your Kingdom, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 4:7 (4:7-11) THE ARK: TAKEN IN BATTLE. ?The Philistines were afraid, for they said, ?A god has come into the camp.? And they said, ?Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.?? *The symbol of Your presence Father, is Your Ark: but it is *not* to be presumed upon. Sin in Israel permitted victory for the Philistines, *in spite of the Ark*! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 4:22 (4:12-22) THE ARK: RESULT WHEN ITS TAKING REPORTED. And she said, ?The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.? *The symbol of Glory has now been substituted for *actual* Glory for Israel. Don?t we do the same thing? O Father, keep us close to You, our *true reality*! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 5:4 (5:1-12) THE ARK: JUDGMENT ON DAGON AND PHILISTINES. ?But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.? *Though Your Ark meant not actual Glory for Israel at this time, yet it *did* mean Judgment for the Philistines! O forgive us Father, that we sell You short in so many of our perceptions and traditions! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 6:3 (6:1-9) THE ARK: PHILISTINE PROPOSAL. They said, ?If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.? *The Philistines were hopeful that the Ark was not the cause of Your Judgment, Father. But they set us a test that would settle the question. We would give You the benefit of the doubt! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 6:12 (6:10-18) THE ARK: ITS MIRACULOUS RETURN! ?And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.? *This is absolutely contrary to nature; therefore *You* must have orchestrated it, Father! Yes, You delivered Israel from the 5 lords of the Philistines in a most embarrassing way. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 6:19 (6:19-21) THE ARK: JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL THROUGH CARELESSNESS. ?And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck 70 men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow.? *Presumptuous sin again on the part of Israel! Father, teach us that You are a *holy* God, and that *Your fear* and *respect* must be in us! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 5:9 (5:1-12) THE ARK: ITS JUDGMENT ON THE PHILISTINES. **?But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.? *Your Judgments Father, are fearful and concrete indeed! It is so important for all of us to realize that ?religion? does *not*give us an ?in? with God! In the lesson above, Israel under the two corrupt priests, sons of the High Priest - with Israel as a nation - had no right to believe that ?the Ark of God? brought into battle would save them. Eli sensed this, and was in fear for its safety. Then later in the history of Israel, this nation believed that because they had ?the Temple of the LORD? - that their holy City of Jerusalem and their land would be safe from the enemy, in spite of their ungodly lives. The prophecies of Hosea and Amos especially make this truth and principle clear. *?But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream? Amos 5:24 (5:18-24). **This* is the clarion call of the Spirit not only for Israel and Judah, but for *all* who claim God. If their lives do not correspond with God?s clear message of *justice* and * righteousness* in our lives - then all our religion and traditions will avail *nothing*! Israel is a type and shadow for ?The One New Man? - the Church composed of both Jew and Gentile. What applied to them in the natural, *now* applies to us in the Spirit. When we as a self-proclaiming people of God fall short of *His* standards for us - then it is a time for prayer, repentance, confession of sin, *turning* from our wicked ways, and holding out for a true heaven-sent revival and Visitation from God. *?If my people, who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land? 2 Chronicles 7:14 (7:11-19).* True *revivalists* are true prophets - who proclaim such truths, and bring enlightenment and correction to false views of mere religionists! Charles G. Finney, Jonathan Goforth and J. Edwin Orr were such men! Spirit-anointed preaching - voices lifted up like a trumpet - boldness and fearlessness before men - *these* are the marks of God?s true heralds of truth. How America and the world needs to hear such preaching today! *Our Psalm for the day: 143:8-9 MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR YOU. ?Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge! *Protection from both *self*and his enemies: *this* was the prayer of David! And *You* are our double protection, Father! *Hallowed be Your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Sep 24 09:22:43 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:22:43 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 7-8 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 24, 2012 *MAY 24 - 1 SAMUEL 7-8 - ISRAEL: DESIRES A KING* *1. 7:3 (7:1-3) ISRAEL: UNDER PHILISTINE SERVITUDE 20 YEARS. ?And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ?If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines?? (ESV). **Purification*: A Kingdom principle if we are to see You, Father! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 7:6 (7:4-14) ISRAEL: DELIVERED FROM PHILISTINES BY GOD. ?So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, ?We have sinned against the LORD.? And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.? *Here is an example of obedience to Your Word, Father. When You speak, may we be quick to follow You. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 7:15-17 ISRAEL: JUDGED BY SAMUEL. ?Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these place. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the LORD.? *Here is Your ideal situation, Father: judging Your people through Your chosen judge and prophet. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 8:4-5 (8:1-5) ISRAEL: DESIRES A KING. ?Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 6 and said to him, ?Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.? *But Your people Father, were dissatisfied with Your ideal arrangement. They desired a king in their carnality. O forgive us that we too tire of Your Manna and spiritual ways, desiring lower levels of satisfaction! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 8:7 (8:6-10) ISRAEL: REJECTED GOD AS KING. ?And the LORD said to Samuel, ?Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.? *What a sad revelation! Father, grant us eyes of perception that we may understand and desire *You**r* perfect will; *strengthen* us in times of temptation that we depart not from Your ways. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 8:17-18 (8:11-18) ISRAEL: WARNED CONCERNING KINGS. ?He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.? *How faithful You are, Father! Through Your servants You warn us concerning the foolishness of our ways. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 8:19-20 (8:19-22) ISRAEL: INSISTS ON A KING! ?But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, ?No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.?? *What a carnal revelation! Father, deliver us from such a desire and decision. Show us that *Yours* is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE*: *7:12 (7:4-14) ISRAEL: RECEIVES A STONE OF WITNESS. ?Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer.? *It is good for us to set up memorials, Father - so we may remember the occasions of Your deliverance in the past! Samuel judged Israel from 4 cities: Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah and Ramah. Between 1967 and 1979 God quickened these 4 cities to me. He said, ?As Samuel judged Israel through these 4 cities, so in these last days I will use the 4 main cities of Cascadia, the Pacific Northwest, to work a work for My people, ?The One New Man?, the Church. When Seattle /Tacoma my Ramah; Vancouver/Victoria, Spokane and Portland/Vancouver WA *interface*with each other, as 4 City Churches with an Eldership in the Gate of each - then I will pour out of My Spirit upon them. It will go like wild-fire across Canada and the USA, jumping the Atlantic, touching Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Islands of the Sea - and *then* My Son shall return.? At the same time He will use the 3 Coastal Cities of Cascadia as His bow, bringing back the string to Spokane - to loose His arrows to the volcanic Pacific Rim nations. Always God uses Israel and the Old Covenant as a Type and Shadow for the blood-bought Church of His Son. Redemption by Blood laid the basis for the Coming of the Holy Spirit as His Gift, the d*o*-reA - the revealed mystery of Christ *in us* by the Holy Spirit, the Hope of Glory. Samuel was used of God to raise up David as King to replace Saul, some 3000 years ago. Then God brought His Son into the world 2000 years ago to change all OT types and shadows into *Reality*. Yet, the church like Israel of old, has failed God the last 2000 years to fulfill His high purposes. But with the Return of God?s Son on the 3rd 1000-year-day of Redemption and the 7th 1000-year-day of Creation - we will begin to see the Glory of God?s purposes. But the fulfillment of Perfection will come at the end of this 7thMillennial day - when the Holy City of God descends from heaven upon earth. What a day that will be! So David, a man after God?s own heart, was His choice, not Saul - as King of Israel. *He* became the type of God?s greater Son, coming 1000 years later - born of a virgin, Son of man and Son of God. 1& 2 Samuel lay the foundation in ?Type? for all of this to follow. *Our Psalm for the Day: 144:1-2 MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS! ?Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.? *Here we look into the secret of David: a man after Your own heart, Father. We would respond to You and life?s circumstance like David! *Hallowed be your :name! * * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Sep 25 11:40:57 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:40:57 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 9-15 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 25, 2012 *MAY 25 - 1 SAMUEL 9-15 - SAUL: CHOSEN AND REJECTED* *1. 9:16 (9) SAUL: CHOSEN AS KING. ?Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me? (ESV). *A seer is a powerful man in Your hands, Father. Grant us such ones today! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 10:1 (10) SAUL: ANOINTED AS KING. ?Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, ?Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.? *Look at what the true anointing of faith does to a man! Father, you bring conversion to a man that is truly startling! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 11:15 (11) SAUL: AUSPICIOUS BEGINNING. ?So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.? *Surely Your hand was upon Saul for good in the beginning, Father! But the *end* of a matter is better than the beginning. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 12:23 (12) SAUL REVEALED BY SAMUEL AS A USURPER. ?Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.? *It was *not*Your perfect will to give a king to Israel at this time, Father. Israel forced Your hand, and You granted them the desires of their heart, but sent leanness into their souls. O forgive us that we too, so often settle for something less than Your perfect will! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 13:14 (13) SAUL: A FOOLISH AND DISOBEDIENT KING. ?But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.? *How unworthy Saul proved himself by this foolish and presumptuous act! Our hearts quake at his presumption. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 14:45 (14) SAUL?S FOOLISH OATH. ?Then the people said to Saul, ?Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.? So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.? *How all wisdom and prudence forsook Saul following his presumptuous sin! Teach us from this, Father. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 15:22 (15) SAUL: FLAGRANTLY DISOBEYS - AND IS REJECTED. ?And Samuel said, ?Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen that the fat of rams.?? *The fear of man was greater in Saul than Your fear, O Great Jehovah Father! May we take deep lessons from this. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 15:23 (15) SAUL: REJECTED! **?For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.? *Judgment is now final. The die is cast. Rebellion and iniquity has brought Saul to the point of no return. This is one of the most sober readings in this survey. And - there are *so many* lessons for us to make use of. Would a local church be like Israel, and insist on a carnal desire contrary to the will of God and the teaching of His Word? My wife Marie and I have pastored such a church! God, as He did with Samuel - told us to go along with their desire. Great church growth came as a result of their granted desire. But the bars had been lowered - and carnality and worldliness crept in at a far greater pace. God said - ?I wanted you to see what results when I am rejected and carnal desires of the people are granted. Now that you have seen it, I will never ask you to yield to such desires again.? Thank God! Probably the two verses in this passage that stand out for me are 9:15:22-23. It will pay us to meditate and pray over these two verses a great deal: both for our own individual lives; and for corporate situations over which God at times may put us. Look at Samuel in all of this. It was *not* easy for him. Godly leaders can be tested in painful ways. The Lord be with us in all - as we seek to milk this passage for all the Lord at the time may let us see! *Our Psalm for the day: 145:12-13 GREAT IS THE LORD. ?To make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.? *Our greatest privilege Father, is to know and understand Your Goodness and Majesty, and to share this knowledge effectively with our fellow man. *Hallowed be your :name!* * **TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Sep 26 10:55:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:55:00 -0700 Subject: The "Go" of Reconciliation Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 26, 2012 *2012-09-26 - The ?Go? of Reconciliation* *(From ?My Utmost for His Highest? by Oswald Chambers)* ?*If you ? remember that your brother has something against you ...? - Matthew 5:23* *This verse says, ?If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you ...? It is not saying, ?If you search and find something because of your unbalanced sensitivity,? but, ?If you ? remember ...? In other words, if something is brought to your conscious mind by the Spirit of God - ?First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift? (5:24). Never object to the intense sensitivity of the Spirit of God in you when He is instructing you down to the smallest detail.* ?*First be reconciled to your brother ?.? Our Lord?s direction is simple - ?First be reconciled ...? He says, in effect, ?Go back the way you came - the way indicated to you by the conviction given to you at the altar; have an attitude in your mind and soul toward the person who has something against you that makes reconciliation as natural as breathing.? Jesus does not mention the other person - He says for you to go. It is not a matter of your rights. The true mark of the saint is that he can waive his own rights and obey the Lord Jesus.* ?*... and then come and offer your gift.? The process of reconciliation is clearly marked. First we have the heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, then the sudden restraint by the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit, and then we are stopped at the point of our conviction. This is followed by obedience to the Word of God, which builds an attitude or state of mind that places no blame on the one with whom you have been in the wrong. And finally there is the glad, simple, unhindered offering of your gift to God.* *NOTE**: *So what is *your* ?take? on this word by Oswald Chambers, quoting Jesus? It is obvious that it is *completely* contrary to human nature! Human nature says - In the area of reconciliation, the *other* fellow is in the wrong - and I am merely pointing that out to him, as well as acknowledging that my part was not done perfectly. But, *No*, that is *not* what Jesus said, nor what Oswald Chamber is pointing out. We are not to initiate reconciliation on *that* basis - we are to *forget completely* where our brother might have been in the wrong - and simply ask forgiveness where the Holy Spirit has shown that *our part*was not perfect or godly. So what is that? Romans 6! Death to self! Death to normal ?human nature? reaction! But does it work? Yes - because it is the godly way of reconciliation. It is the *Jesus* way of handling misunderstandings. Is it the way reconciliation is normally attempted? Absolutely not! For this way is the way of death to normal human reaction. Is it by the example that we have given, that we now hope that the brother will see his flaw and likewise respond? *No*! Not at all. That is *entirely*between him a nd God as the Holy Spirit is pleased to reveal it to him. And if he doesn?t receive this insight - then it is *still* between him and God and the timing of the Holy Spirit. We are to leave it alone. Again - is *this* natural? Not at all. We would like to be God's little helper - and make the reconciliation mutual. But *No*! That is *not* the wisdom of Jesus the Lord. So *now* - what is *your* ?take? on the above? Mine is - I *will* submit to the Lord?s wisdom - do it *His* way - and leave all else in His hands - not mine. Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Sep 26 16:36:31 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:36:31 -0700 Subject: Pilot Prayer Team (PPT) Report Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 26, 2012 *2012-09-26 - ?Pilot Prayer Team? Report - Yom Kippur* *Last night, Erev Yom Kippur - the evening of Yom Kippur - 5 of us met in my study to make final recommendations for the printing of the ?Interlinear?.* *Jim Ray and I represented the PPT, with our Publisher Timothy Johnson and two of his prophetic intercessory friends. It hasn?t been easy for Timothy with their recent move from Moses Lake to Battleground, Washington; but I believe it was a right move.* *We had a time of sharing and prayer together, and it?s all a ?go? for the Printing of the Interlinear. You can order through their Website < www.btjohnsonpublishing.com>. Deliveries will be taking place from now on. It is possible that in the not too distant future you can place orders from the same Website for E-book copies.* *We were reminded of the significance of February 12th. In 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born on that date in Kentucky.* *In 1948 at North Battleford, Saskatchewan, again on February 12th God visited, bringing together the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles that took part in that Visitation.* *Then on February 12, 1967 in answer to prayer, God granted a vision of the 7 Component Parts of His Laser-Telescope. The first Component Part of the Laser-Telescope was God?s Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on the 1890 discovery of Ivan Panin. This first vision was followed by a second - of 70 Canadian cities with an Eldership or Presbytery of 8 in the Gates of each. These 70 were accompanied by 70 cities in the USA. Where possible they can go to nations together. Where only Canadians are given entrance; with hands across the border, the Americans can ?hold the ropes? and undergird the Canadian teams.* *On February 12, 2012, Kari Browning of Coeur d?Alene, Idaho, convened a Conference on God?s TV - and introduced me concerning the ?Interlinear?, plus the 1948 Canadian Visitation. The first 200 copies of the 4 Gospels in this Interlinear Format were prepared at that time, and all went within an hour! Many have been awaiting the completed printing and publication of this product. It is now here!* *The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is not an end in itself - but a means to an end! Namely - a tool to make ?meditation? on God?s New Covenant for all believers - especially those without background in NT Greek - easier! As Joshua (1:8) was commanded by God to have the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) constantly in his mouth, and to meditate upon it day and night - so he could do it - then he would make his way prosperous and have good success; - just so - NT Bible believers are to do the same over the New Covenant. And the format of the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will make this much easier - especially in the E-book edition.* *Jeremiah 1:11-12 - ?And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ?Jeremiah, what do you see?? And I said, ?I see an almond branch.? 12 Then the LORD said to me, ?You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.?? (The Hebrew word for ?almond? means ?the watcher?. This is a Hebrew play on words, and makes God?s word to Jeremiah all the more significant. This verse was shared by one of Timothy?s friends. The application? That God has been watching over His ?Outlined Interlinear NT? ever since Panin?s discovery in 1890. Panin died in 1942, disappointed that his two NT texts had not come out in Interlinear format. But now, 70 years later, it is available!* *When God revealed Himself to me in 1944, I asked Him why out of my 100?s of friends and acquaintances, that as far as I knew, I was the only one He sovereignly came upon to reveal Himself to me at that time, and commission me with the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. He said, ?I am about to restore My Church with apostles and prophets - and if you are faithful, you may have a part in this.* *In June of 1962 He said to me, ?You have been faithful in your assignment over the past 18 years. Resign your church in Illinois as Senior pastor, and move to the Seattle area. This will be the hub of My workings in Cascadia (the Pacific NW) to fulfill the word I gave you in 1944.?* *It is now 2012, 50 years since we left Round Lake, Illinois in obedience to the Lord?s directions. Many have discerned the significance of the year 2012 from God?s perspective. I share faith in this insight.* *Back in the 1960?s - a missionary friend of ours from Brazil shared this: ?Jim, your vision of the City Church composed of many local churches - with an Eldership or Presbytery in the Gate of each City Church - is scriptural and valid. However, it will not take on significance until you can demonstrate this vision with a truly functioning City Church and Eldership in its Gate.? This is about to take place in the State of Washington. As our missionary friend said, ?Once a demonstration of this vision takes place - I can guarantee that representatives from cities throughout the world will come to observe it - and will then request that a few leaders from that city will return with them to help them see this same vision realized in their cities!?* *Again - the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? will be the key tool to help and enable all of this to take place. It will lead into ?Meditation? like Joshua 1:8; and entering into the ?Exchanged Life? as set forth in ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret? - based on Galatians 2:20 and John 15:1-16.* *The Pilot Prayer Team in our area is entering into this realization; a Korean church; also a city near-by. We know we can count on you all to pray for us and believe with us. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Sep 27 08:47:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:47:48 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 16-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 27, 2012 *MAY 26 - 1 SAMUEL 16-20 - DAVID: ANOINTED AND PERSECUTED* *1. 16:13 (16:1-13, ESV) DAVID: CHOSEN AND ANOINTED KING. ?Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.? *Not Samuel?s choice, but *Your* choice prevailed, Father. Samuel accepted a prayer of relinquishment to his choice, not one of resignation. He was like Jesus in ?the Garden?: not *My* will but *Yours*be done! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 16:23 (16:14-23) DAVID: MINISTERS TO SAUL IN MUSIC. ?And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.? *Here is demonstrated the power of good music. Here is also demonstrated the willingness of Jesse to submit to the will of Saul concerning David. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 17:46 (17) DAVID: KILLS GOLIATH. ?This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.? *Your anointing upon a man makes him bold for Your Name, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 18:3-4 (18:1-5) DAVID: LOVE COVENANT WITH JONATHAN. ?Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.? *Boldness in Your Name has its own reward, Father! O forgive us our fear of man because we fail to seek You with all our heart, and become people after Your own heart! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 18:8 (18:6-30) DAVID: PERSECUTION FROM SAUL COMMENCES. ?And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ?They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom??? *The women got David into trouble. A man of the flesh becomes jealous and fears a man of the Spirit. Unreasonable persecution becomes the inevitable result. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 19:18 (19) DAVID: PERSECUTED VIOLENTLY BY SAUL. ?Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.? *We are inclined to play God and take vengeance into our own hands. This is unwise and unnecessary. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 20:14-15 (20) DAVID: LOVE COVENANT CONFIRMED WITH JONATHAN. ?If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die; 15and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.? *Thank You Father, that in the midst of persecution, You raise up a Jonathan to encourage and strengthen us: even by the son of our persecutor! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 20:42a (20) DAVID: JONATHAN?S BLESSING UPON HIM. Then Jonathan said to David, ?Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ?The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.?? *This is much like the priestly blessing upon Israel in Number 6:24-26. Consider the Sovereignty of our God as it concerns the life of David. Nothing was unusual about the life of David until God in His Sovereignty sent Samuel to anoint David as king of Israel. Immediately the Spirit of God came *upon* him! Immediately he received boldness to kill a lion and a bear who threatened his father?s sheep - and later Goliath! Immediately he received the heavenly inspiration to write Psalms unto the Lord. These anointed Psalms captivated the heart of Charles Spurgeon. When he finished writing a commentary on each of the Psalms (though David only wrote but half of them), his heart was saddened - because of the great blessing he had received during this writing. It was also Spurgeon?s conviction - as well as that of many others - that David was the author of Psalm 119. In the ?Treasury of David? by Spurgeon, he gives his reason for this conclusion. Note also, that the anointing of God upon us brings for the enmity and persecution of Satan through human beings. He who lies godly in Christ Jesus - *shall* suffering persecution. It is as sure as night follows day. And this is the permissive blessing of God - for through the pressure of persecution, we find ourselves becoming more Christ-like! Then see the seriousness of ?covenant?. Saul did not so consider it. He * broke* the covenant Joshua made with the Gibeonites - which *God also*honored. It took David to discover this breach, make it right, and lift the famine off of Israel. The covenant between Jonathan and David - David honored following the death of Saul and Jonathan. David as king - inquired concerning Jonathan?s progeny. When he discovered Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, he treated him at the king?s table - just as he would have to Jonathan himself. *This* is covenant. This God would have each of us to understand, and faithfully walk in covenant also. Our *word* is like a covenant. He that swears to his own hurt (Psalm 15:4) *and changes not* - is a covenant keeper! Are we too careful to follow through on our promises? If not, we are promising clouds - that drop no rain! *Our Psalm for the day: 146:7b-9 PUT NOT YOUR TRUST IN PRINCES. ?The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.? *Not in man, but in *You*, O Jehovah Father, do we put our trust. There is none other like *You*!* * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Sep 28 09:01:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:01:38 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 21-26 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 28, 2012 * 1 SAMUEL 21-26 - DAVID: FLEES FROM SAUL TO WILDERNESS* *1. 21:11 (21, ESV) DAVID: FLEES TO GATH. And the servants of Achish said to him, ?Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ?Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands??? *Fear struck David?s heart because of this statement, and he fled again. What evil days You permitted to come upon David, Father! But *this* is Your method of maturing a leader! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 22:2 (22:1-5) DAVID: THE BEGINNING OF HIS ARMY. ?And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.? *This is not a very auspicious beginning: a straggly rag-tag remnant of malcontents! But *You* were leading, Father! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 22:23 (22:6-23) DAVID: OCCASIONS DEATH OF 85 PRIESTS. ?Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.? *Often when we serve You Father, and obey Your leading; we occasion trouble for others. But *still* Romans 8:28 is in the Bible! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 23:4 (23) DAVID: PERSECUTION BY SAUL INTENSIFIED. ?Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, ?Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.?? *Urim and Thummim in the Ephod provided for Your guidance to David, Father! His trust was in *You first*, not like Saul who seldom consulted you! O forgive us that we are too much like Saul and too little like David! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 24:6 (24) DAVID: SPARES SAUL THE FIRST TIME. ?He said to his men, ?The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD?s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD?s anointed.?? *Did David have provocation to take vengeance into his own hand? Yes. But he was a man after Your own heart Father, and restrained himself. O strengthen us also in the day of temptation, that we will yield only to *Your* will! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 25:32-33 (25) DAVID: STORY OF NABAL AND ABIGAIL. And David said to Abigail, ?Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand!? *Why do we have so much trouble in the fleshly heat of taking vengeance into our own hands, Father? And so often we self-righteously justify such carnal action! O deliver us from the evil one who tempts us to take vengeance out of *Your* hands! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 26:10-11a (26) DAVID: SPARES SAUL A SECOND TIME. And David said, ?As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD?s anointed.? *David consistently left vengeance in *Your* hands, Father. He did *not* fight Your battles at his own discretion. What a difficult lesson for the flesh to learn, that Vengeance is *Yours*: *You* will repay, says Jehovah! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 23:6 (23) DAVID: RECEIVES THE EPHOD OF THE HIGH PRIEST. **?When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.? **Here* was Your provision for David, Father: the Urim and Thummim in the ephod for guidance (Proverbs 6:20-22). What lessons and applications can you find here in the life of David that * you* can emulate? I can find a number for myself. David was not so proud that he could not associate with men of problems - to form his first army. I pray daily - Father, set me *where* You will, and *link me with whom You will*! Would I personally link myself with some with whom *He* links me? No, I must confess I would not! But His wisdom is so much greater than mine - that I like David, receive all with whom He would link me! Then looking back - I can see His great wisdom! Note too - that when we obey God - others associated with us often suffer temporarily. This is a great difficulty. David found it so! 85 priests died because he, David, did what was right and necessary in God?s sight! But out of that - one priest who fled to David for safety, brought with him the High Priest?s Ephod, which contained the Urim and Thummim. Read Proverbs 6:20-22 to see the 3-fold blessing David obtained from the Ephod. Note in the future history of David how consistently he called upon Abiathar to receive guidance from the LORD! Then note how David spared the life of Saul his enemy on 2 occasions - because *he* was the LORD?s anointed! So we as children should honor our parents, even when at times they do us harm as Saul did to David! Ponder these and other truths you find in this lesson! ? Jim Watt Our Psalm for the day: *147:19-20 HE HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED. ?He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD!? *Here is a picture of Your nature, Father! We marvel at Your character, Your pleasure in creation and Your people! We marvel at Who and What You are! You are altogether wonderful! *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Sep 30 08:49:29 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2012 08:49:29 -0700 Subject: 1 Samuel 27-31 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* September 30, 2012 *MAY 28 - 1 SAMUEL 27-31 - DAVID: FLEES FROM SAUL TO PHILISTINES* *1. 27:6-7 (27, ESV) DAVID: ZIKLAG HIS FIRST HEADQUARTERS. ?So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.? *What a sad day! Saul had chased David from his inheritance, and from Your place of worship Father, driving him into the enemy camp. In spite of it all, we can pray with David, *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 28:2 (28:1-4) DAVID: AMONG ISRAEL?S ENEMIES. David said to Achish, ?Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.? And Achish said to David, ?Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.? *How dangerous it is for us to resort to our own devices, and fail to wait for Your salvation, Father! The spirit of the enemy affects us when we are in his territory! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 28:5-6 SAUL: THRICE-FOLD FORSAKEN BY GOD. ?When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.? *Sin and rebellion short-circuit Your voice from getting through to us, Father. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, You will *not* hear us (Psalm 66:18). *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 28:17-18 (28:7-25) SAUL: SEEKS DEMON INFORMATION. ?The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.? *Rebellion produces silence from You Father, and this tempts us to resort to unlawful and occult communication. O forgive us and our fathers the sin of such communication, and keep us as You kept David. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 29:9 (29) DAVID: SPARED FROM FIGHTING ISRAEL. And Achish answered David and said, ?I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ?He shall not go up with us to the battle.?? *Thank You Father, for Your Sovereign Providential intervention through the lords of the Philistines: holding David back from sin. We trust You to strengthen us too in face of temptation, and make a way to escape. * And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 30:6 (30) DAVID AVENGES ZIKLAG. ?And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.? *Even when we in weakness leave Your appointed place of security; still in mercy You hear our cry Father, and deliver us as You did for David; and being without respect of persons, You will do it for us! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 31:11-13 (31) SAUL: HIS DEATH OF INDIGNITY. ?But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. 13 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.? *How merciful You are Father, as shown through these men of Jabesh-Gilead. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 30:18 (30) DAVID: GUIDANCE THROUGH URIM AND THUMMIM. **?David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.? *How faithful You are, Father! We too like David, can trust You to deliver us from our own people - as well as from our enemies! The lessons that we can glean from the above passage can be most helpful indeed! So many of us at times in our life find ourselves in situations like David. We are forced into worldly situations, where the pressure of such circumstances tempt us to betray our true convictions and the clear teaching of the Word of God. A number of our friends have become closely associated with the Palestinians. There is a natural enmity of these people as a whole (though there are wonderful exceptions) against God?s chosen people Israel. Because they are better than other people? Not at all. As a matter of fact, God says they are more stiff-necked and stubborn than many other people. But He needed a nation to fulfill His purposes, and to bring forth His Christ! He also through Abraham raised up many other nations, including the Arab nations through Ishmael. The Palestinians come from that source. So our friends in this context say - ?Yes, we know what God has said about Israel in the Bible, - but? - and then they tear down Israel in an anti-Semitic spirit. David in Philistine territory was likewise tempted to join the Philistines and war against his own people! What a tragedy had the Philistine lords not refused him his desire! Another lesson: when because of sin God will not speak to us as He refused His word to Saul - then the occult such as in the New Age teaching and Eastern religions - come to seduce us. It was a terrible thing what Saul did, and Samuel from the dead rightly denounced him! Beware of consulting answers from the occult and the dead. Beware of Ouija boards, horoscopes and tarot cards. Beware of tea-leaf reading. All of these and much more are ?verboten? for the true believer! I have personally received help for other portions of this reading. I am sure many of you can do likewise. *Our Psalm for the day: 148:7-8 PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD. ?Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!? *For every reason we are to glorify and praise You, Father. Uniquely, You are worthy to be praised: as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. All creation is Yours, was first Your idea, and obligates us to praise You. We sense the rightness on our part to comply, and gladly say, *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Oct 1 09:52:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 09:52:52 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 1-2 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 1, 2012 *MAY 29 - 2 SAMUEL 1-2 - DAVID: ANOINTED KING OF JUDAH* *1. 1:4 (1:1-10, ESV) DAVID: RECEIVES DETAILS OF SAUL?S DEATH. And David said to him, ?How did it go? Tell me.? And he answered, ?The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.? *Here is irony: Saul spared an Amalekite king, and now an Amalekite slays him: this David would not have done. O teach us Your ways Father, and your principles. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:12 (1:11-16) DAVID: MOURNS AND AVENGES SAUL?S DEATH. ?And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.? *Are we jealous for Your Name, Righteousness, Ways and Law, Father? David was, as a man after Your own heart! He took vengeance upon these who broke your law. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 1:17, 23 (1:17-27) DAVID: LAMENTS OVER SAUL AND JONATHAN. ?And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son. 23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.? *David magnified the good and the beginning in Saul, not the evil or his ending. What a magnanimous spirit! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:1 (2:1-4) DAVID: ANOINTED KING OVER JUDAH AT HEBRON. ?And after this David inquired of the LORD, ?Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?? And the LORD said to him, ?Go up.? David said, ?To which shall I go up?? And he said, ?To Hebron.?? *It is good to seek You Father, according to Your appointed ways. David did go, and received infallible guidance through Urim. O forgive us that we are not as careful as Your servant David in this respect! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:5 (2:5-7) DAVID: BLESSES MEN OF JABESH-GILEAD FOR SAUL?S BURIAL. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, ?May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.? *Father, You do take notice of kindnesses we do for Your servants, even as this through David. We sometimes forget You are the One Who sees the sparrow fall. O strengthen us that we are not tempted to forget You as the One Who cares! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 2:10-11 (2:8-11) DAVID: FIRST DIVISION IN HIS KINGDOM. ?Ish-bosheth, Saul?s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.? *Even now the house of Saul was decreasing, while the house of David increased. You watch over Your own, Father! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 2:17 (2:12-32) DAVID: CIVIL STRIFE. ?And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.? *When You have given a prophetic Word, Father, as You did over David; then *You watch over **that** Word* to perform it! You are Sovereign! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 2:4**a (2:1-4) DAVID: ANOINTED KING OVER JUDAH. ?And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.? *This was the beginning of the promised blessings of the LORD to come upon David. And what lessons from the above have you *easily* perceived for your own benefit? For remember that Jesus said, ?Man shall not live by bread alone, but by *every* word (R*E*ma) that proceeds out of the mouth of God.? And this He spoke for the *entire* Old Testament, our 39 books! - for the New Testament had not yet been written. And if Jesus gave full credence to the entire Old Testament including Genesis 1 and Creation, as well as the Flood and Jonah in the belly of the whale - *how much more* is the New Testament the inspired Word of God as confirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:37 and Peter in 2 Peter 1:21? It is true that for us in New Testament times, God wants us to see the Old Testament as ?Types and Shadows? for the New Testament Church. The Book of Galatians and Acts 15 *frees* NT believers from falling into the trap of Old Testament ?legalism?. This can also apply to NT Jews if they will hear it! In a sermon we heard today (2012-09-30), we learned again how severely Jesus came down upon the Pharisees of His day, and their ungodly hypocrisy. We need to learn clearly why Jesus came down upon them so severely. For - Jesus has come unto us as a conquering warrior *twice* according to the latter part of Psalm 24. He came as conquering warrior His first time to demolish sin through His 5-fold sacrifice as recorded in Leviticus 1-7: a suffering servant as a holocaust, a whole burnt offering! Our sin offering to undo Adam?s sin; A trespass offering to provide forgiveness for our individual sins; a peace offering to make reconciliation for us with God; and a grain-offering to provide *multiplication* on our behalf because He as a grain of wheat fell into the ground at Calvary and died (John 12). *But* - He will return also as a Conquering Warrior - but this time to work vengeance on sinners - who refused to accept His coming offering of our sins completely dealt with! And for us in the interval between His two successful warlike comings - we can profit from such passages as above. The example of David on behalf of Saul is *most commendable* for you and me! Would we have penned such a Psalm of tribute to Saul under like circumstances? David did *not* throw the baby out with the bath-water! Saul at the beginning of his reign started out commendably. It was for *this* time that David remembered and commended him with Jonathan. And Saul?s later life? Bath-water to be forgotten and thrown out. *This* is one lesson at least that we could glean from the above, and by God?s grace walk successfully in! Jim Watt *Our Psalm for the day: 149:3-4 SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG! ?Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.? *And still Israel praises You in the dance, Father! Not all recognize Your Son Jesus (Yeshua) as Messiah, but the nation will yet be won in a day. The true olive branch will yet be grafted back into the root, with Gentiles, as *one* people! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Oct 2 09:12:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 09:12:14 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 3-5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 2, 2012 *MAY 30 - 2 SAMUEL 3-5 - DAVID: ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL* *1. 3:1 (3:1-5, ESV) DAVID: HIS INCREASE AND SAUL?S DECREASE. ?There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.? *This reminds us of Jesus and John the Baptist, for this is a Kingdom principle. We acknowledge that You Father, have established this principle, to which we submit. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3:9-10 (3:6-39) DAVID: RECEIVES ISRAEL THROUGH ABNER. ?God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.? *Abner was providentially guided to translate the Kingdom of Saul over to David. We too commit ourselves to *Your* purposes, Father! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 4:12 (4) DAVID: AVENGES MURDER OF ISHBOSHETH. ?And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.? *Again Father, we bless You for David Your servant, a man after Your own heart. No wonder You supplied all his needs! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 5:3 (5:1-5) DAVID: KINGDOM UNITED UNDER HIM. **?So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.? *The elders of Israel consummated what Abner had begun, saying the same words. O forgive us Father, that we so often forget Your prophetic word, and fail to expedite it when we have the opportunity. This Israeli Eldership was not a City, but a national Eldership, though they met at Hebron for this purpose. *Our :daily :bread give us this day.* *5. 5:9-10 (5:6-16) DAVID: MAKES JERUSALEM HIS CAPITAL. **?And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. **10** **And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.? *David wisely followed Your leading Father, in making Jerusalem of Benjamin his capital and Your city. O strengthen us when we are tempted, that we do the *right*thing, and yield not to temptation. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:19 (5:17-21) DAVID: SUPERNATURALLY DEFEATS THE PHILISTINES. **And David inquired of the LORD, ?Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?? And the LORD said to David, ?Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.? *How carefully David sought Your face through Urim Father, before action! This is further proof that he was a man after Your own heart! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:22-23 (5:22-25) DAVID: AGAIN SUPERNATURALLY DEFEATS THE PHILISTINES! **And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. **23 **And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, ?You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.? *David took not the previous victory for granted, but sought You afresh for a new need and occasion, Father! How we need to profit from this example of David! *But deliver us from the evil **one!* *NOTE**: 3:17-18 (3:6-39) **And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, ?For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. **18 **Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, ?By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.?? *What a loss to David - losing such a man as Abner through Joab! It is important that we learn not just to *know* the content of Scripture - but that we *do* what we learn! Jesus at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount carefully instructed disciples of all time - that it is he who hears and *does* the Word of God - who is the man who builds his house upon a rock, safe from all storms! A missionary in Africa had the task of translating the Bible into a native language. He could find no equivalent word for ?faith? for 6 months. Finally he felt the Lord leading him to translate faith by ?Hearing and Doing?. The natives agreed. This lines up with Jesus? words in the Sermon on the Mount: It is *not* what we know that counts: it?s what we *do* with what we know that gains merit with God! David was a man *absolutely committed* to knowing the will of God, and then following up by *doing* it. This is one important principle that makes us like David - people after God?s own heart! Joab murdered two righteous men more honorable than himself: Abner and Amasa. David did not during his lifetime have the proper circumstances to discipline his nephew Joab for these murders. But just prior to his death, he commissioned his son Solomon to follow through on this judgment, among several others. God Himself looked on Jerusalem as His city. David caught His mind for the significance of this, and made Jerusalem his capital. However, according to Galatians and Revelation, the earthly Jerusalem did not ?cut the mustard?. It will be the ?Heavenly Jerusalem? descending from heaven above at the end of the Millennium, that will fulfill all the thinking and will of God. And again - notice the faithfulness of David in habitually seeking God through Urim & Thummim to receive His guidance upon all his ventures. See Proverbs 6:20-22 for the spiritual counterpart of Urim for NT saints: three things come to us as we walk in Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret of Romans 6 and John 15:1-16; and follow this up by meditating on the Word! *Then*the Living Word (R *E*ma) in our heart becomes for us the 3-fold Urim - and like David we will not miss the guidance of the Lord! George Muller consistently walked this path. And God, being no respecter of persons - will do *the same* for you and me! To make it easier for us to meditate on NT Scripture as Joshua did on the Torah - we will find the *?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? *by Ivan Panin - will greatly help us in this endeavor - and especially when the E-Book edition is released. We can now have it in Book form through *< www.btjohnsonpublishing.com>. *Jim Watt *Our Psalm for the day: 150:1-2 LET EVERYTHING PRAISE THE LORD! ?Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!? **Universal praise*: *You* are abundantly worthy of this, O Great JEHOVAH Father! We gladly and joyfully join the universal throng in *Hallowing Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Oct 3 10:26:25 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2012 10:26:25 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 6-10 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 3, 2012 *MAY 31 - 2 SAMUEL 6-10 - DAVID: KINGDOM ESTABLISHED UNDER HIM* *1. 6:14-15 (6, ESV) DAVID: BRINGS ARK TO JERUSALEM. ?And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.? *The acme and glory of David?s reign all culminated at this time: from this time onwards it was somewhat down hill. Righteousness exalts a nation. David?s vision for Your Ark Father, implemented Your Kingdom. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 7:2-3 (7:1-3) DAVID: HIS DESIRE CONCERNING THE TEMPLE. The king said to Nathan the prophet, ?See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.? 3 And Nathan said to the king, ?Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.? *Not just for Your Ark Father, but also Your House was on the mind and heart of David. Nathan recognized the natural rightness of this desire. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 7:4-5 (7:4-29) DAVID: HIS TEMPLE TEMPERED BY GOD. But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5 ?Go, and tell my servant David, ?Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in??? *A man of peace must build Your house Father, not a man of war. Yet, You honored David?s desire, by building *him* an eternal house! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 8:6 (8:1-14) DAVID: ESTABLISHMENT THROUGH MILITARY VICTORIES. ?Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.? *David put Your Kingdom and will *first*, Father: and You established his kingdom mightily according to Your purposes for Israel. O forgive us that we so often fail to perceive as David did that all of this is of *You* - for Your purposes and Glory! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 8:15 (8:15-18) DAVID: CHARACTER OF HIS REIGN AND ORGANIZATION. ?So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.? *David did all of this through good appointments over his entire kingdom. You granted him grace and wisdom, Father; and You strengthened him that he seldom fell into temptation. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 9:7 (9) DAVID: SHOWS MERCY TO HOUSE OF SAUL. And David said to him (Mephibosheth), ?Do not fear, for I will show kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.? *And all of this was because of the Covenant between David and Jonathan! How important is *covenant* in Your eyes, and in the eyes of Your mature servants, Father! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 10:12 (10) DAVID: DEFEATS AMMONITE-SYRIAN FORCES. ?Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.? *Though Joab was not a man with high ethics; yet in his own way he rolled his burdens upon You in a wise manner, O Great Jehovah Father! We too would honor You by remembering that * Yours* is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for ever! Amen! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 6:3 (6) DAVID: **MISSES GOD?S ORDER! ?And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart.? *Here David followed the example of the Philistines rather than that of Your Word, Father! Your judgment led him to correction! It is God?s will and purpose that you and I read His Word - not for information primarily - but for insights and examples that we can put into action! Again - it is hearing and *doing* God?s Word that catches God?s attention. This is the word He gave to Joshua (1:8)! David was a man after God?s own heart - because the general tenor or his life was hearing and *doing* the Word of the Lord. And when in his humanity he fell short of this standard, then when confronted with his sin and lapse - he *immediately* repented, confessed his sin, and returned to the path of following the Lord. If we can set ourselves by God?s grace to follow David this way - then *we too* will be marked out as those who are *after God?s own heart*! Does this mean perfection down here? Obviously not. We are not to fall into that trap as some have done. Perfection and entire sanctification takes place at Christ?s return and *our resurrection*! Then look at *Covenant* and its importance in the eyes of David. How seriously he and Jonathan made and confirmed covenant with one another and their respective houses! The Bible is Old Covenant and New Covenant above that of Old Testament and New Testament. God is a *God of Covenant*, and we His people should be set forth as *Covenant people*! What David did for Mephibosheth - Jonathan's son and Saul?s grandson - is clear indication how *Covenant* is to operate. The Sermon on the Mount is a ?Covenant? Sermon. For us to *identify* ourselves with Jesus in His death by receiving Romans 6 - and then in Resurrection through Romans 8 - is to lay the basis of Paul?s testimony in Galatians 2:20! *Then* Christ in us can live out His life through us - and thus fulfill the Covenant conditions of the Sermon on the Mount! Jim Watt *Proverbs 1 for the 6th month: 1:23 THE CALL OF WISDOM. ?If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.? *Wisdom is personified here in God. Wisdom of Proverbs 8-9 is much like LOgos (word) of John 1:1. As we walk in discipleship to Jesus, He baptizes us in the Holy Spirit and fire! And the Spirit of Wisdom first proceeds from *You*, Father. *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Oct 4 09:01:44 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 09:01:44 -0700 Subject: Keeping Bible Meditation Simple Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 4, 2012 *2012-09-26 - KEEPING BIBLE MEDITATION SIMPLE* *If you do a Google-search on this, you will find so much information that it is overwhelming.* *How does one walk in the confines of K.I.S.S. - ?Keep It Simple Sweetie??* *Back in the 50?s while pastoring a Baptist Church in Chicago, we hosted and helped Rochunga Pudaite from Assam, India. He was at Wheaton College, Illinois taking Greek and Hebrew to help him in translating the entire Bible into his tribal language, the ?Hmar?.* *We worked with him closely for 17 years, and I served as his American secretary for the Indo-Burma Pioneer Mission which he inherited from its founder, Watkin Roberts of Wales.* *Rochunga knew his name would be difficult for Americans, so he said, ?Just call me, Ro!?* *Ro shared with us in 1955 the illustration of ?The Hand.? The pointing finger represented ?hearing? the Word of God; the longest finger represents ?Reading; the next, ?studying?; and the little finger, ?memorizing?; but the thumb, because it alone can touch the other 4 fingers, represented ? Meditation?. So when you hear a preacher - meditate on the Bible he uses; Meditate on what you read; and do the same with what you study. When you are awake at night, what you have memorized makes meditation most easy. Follow up on this, like Joshua (1:8) by doing what the Word says. Jesus says, ?He that hears and does the Word, is the man who builds his house upon a Rock. But Ro pointed out that memorizing is only a little finger grip on the word, and Satan can steal it from you. Adding studying to this, a 2-finger grip, and stronger. Reading and hearing, a 3 and 4 finger grip, and now you nearly succeed in retaining the Word in your heart. But when you add the thumb with meditation - your grip becomes so strong - that no way can Satan steal it from you! Since 1955 I have used the illustration of the ?hand? given to us by Ro, with excellent results.* *But for me, Singing what I have memorized helps even more, especially when I find myself awake at night. Psalm 19:14. 23:5-6; Philippians 4:8; Matthew 24:14 are some of the verses put to music that I sing regularly. This is a form of meditation that David used with the Psalms, and made him ?a man after God?s own heart?!* *I also like the illustration of a cow chewing her cud - as a help in meditation. It works!* *In 1944 Lee Ellenwood from California visited us in Victoria and Port Alberni, British Columbia, and shared how to take a daily walk through the Tabernacle of Exodus, taking time to meditate over each of the 7 pieces of furniture. The Brazen Altar in the Outer Court illustrates Jesus? 5-fold ?Finished Work? on Calvary: the whole burnt offering (holocaust) we can share in Romans 12:2; the Sin Offering of Romans 5 shows how He for all of us took the Penalty of Adam?s sin, yours and mine; and potentially set free all who will believe; the Trespass Offering, where He provided for all of us individually forgiveness for our trespasses; the peace offering, where He made reconciliation with God possible! and the Grain Offering, where He laid the foundation for multiplying Himself through you and me.* *And Jesus is the Word - the LOgos, and the REma. When we meditate on His Finished Work on Calvary, and Himself as the Word - He becomes transformed in us into the Living Word, the REma! And the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is the written Word, the LOgos. As we meditate upon it in its simple meditating format - all of this is speeded up and made more effective. The E-book format will speed this up yet more. Each of the 7 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle can add to this for us. The Ark of the Covenant, #6 piece, points to Jesus, our Covenant in Isaiah! Worship and Intercession at the Altar of Incense gives us access to Him through the Riven Veil. And the Mercy Seat brings us into Intimacy with God, with Jesus sitting at the Right Hand of our Heavenly Father. What starts out at the Brazen Altar, comes to the acme of fulfillment at the Mercy Seat! Here holiness is perfected. Here the Overcoming Life is experienced. Here Meditation on Jesus as the Living Word brings us to a place so marvelous that words cannot express it.* *I am looking forward to using the ?Outlined Interlinear E-book NT? to bring me even closer to God?s Word. The above makes Meditation simple, usable, profound and blessed. May it do the same for you also.* *However - effective Bible Meditation depends on a Romans 6 death to self - through what baptism signifies in death if we are not raised! None of us can dodge this! Sorry! * *NOTE**: I have received two inquiries on how to make meditation more simple. The above abbreviated article introduces the answer in part - but what follows may prove yet more helpful. I have discovered like many others - that is is **not easy to achieve a constant state of ?intimacy? with God and with His Son, our Lord Jesus. Alan Redpath, former pastor of Moody Memorial Church of Chicago - said that to maintain a daily vital time with the Lord was his most difficult assignment on earth. I agree. His testimony encouraged me to press on!* *Paul said in Galatians 4:19 ?My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you.?* *We are born again into the Kingdom of God by the travail of others, just like a mother in travail brings forth her child. Prior to 1944 I had a converted Jewish lady for whom I was her paper-boy. She was a missionary to her adopted people, and travailed for my conversion; a couple from my denomination, shocked at my modernism and liberalism as a youth of 16, did likewise; a pastor?s mother-in-law; and a sister to my denominational couple - all prayed me into the Kingdom with travail. They continued interceding for me following my conversion. Their travail to bring me into the Kingdom was so powerful, that the Passover night of the full moon when God gave me the new birth from above, I was so transported in the Spirit, that like the cow in the Nursery Rhyme - I felt I too could jump over the moon! Then when I would slip away from devotional intimacy with the Lord, another set of intercessors would in travail pray me back to where God wanted me to be.* *I have promised one inquirer from Israel to put him on my prayer list, and with the other already there, will travail in intercession until bothof them come into ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret.? * *It is not enough to procure the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? by Ivan Panin - and meditate over it! One requires the intercession and travail of other members of the body of Christ on our behalf - plus the secrets God gave me the year of my spiritual birth, plus some others that followed.* *Let me share them with you: 1) ?Ever Increasing Faith? by Smith Wigglesworth was given to me as a new believer. It had a profound effect upon me. 2) ?Golden Grain? by Dr. Charles S. Price. Also helpful. 3) ?40 Years of Signs and Wonders in the Life of Mrs. Maria Woodworth-Etter.? Especially the part on ?The Heavenly Choir.? As I read this portion, God?s Spirit informed me that in the not too distant future, I would see this restored. 4 years later in Edmonton, Alberta, He faithfully did so! 4) Lee Ellenwood from California came to Victoria and Port Alberni, BC in 1944, and shared how to daily walk through the Tabernacle of Moses with its 7 pieces of furniture. This led me to fulfill Psalm 86:11 - ?Unite my heartto fear your name!? The Holy Place in the Tabernacle represents our soul, and the Holy of Holies our spirit. When God as one with us in our spirit enables us to renew our mind and soul according to Romans 12:2; then our heart becomes united to fulfill God?s Word. This happened for me. 5) ?The Authority of the Believer? by J.A. MacMillan in ?Herald of His Coming?. This had a profound effect on me, by giving me faith to believe for the full salvation of my household. This took place for all 3 of my close family! 6) ?Answers to Prayer? by George Muller, a Moody Colportage book, was also given to me by someone in 1944. How to Infallibly know God?s Will - and How to bring it to pass - were two outlines in the book that I memorized. These tremendously helped me to prevail in prayer as a new believer. 7) Psalm 19:14 - ?Let the words of my mouth, and the meditationof my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.? I found this verse written above the door of a tavern in Victoria. Apparently it was a former chapel or church, and the new owner didn?t want to take it down. God?s Spirit let me know that this verse on meditation was to become part of the warp and woof of my being for the rest of my life. 8) ?God?s Bible Numerics? discovered by Ivan Panin in 1890 was placed in my hands in the summer of 1944 by a Russian Jew from Calgary, Alberta. He offered to teach me NT Greek in return for me to study ?the works of the great Ivan Panin.? (His words). (See our Website < www.2rbetter.org>; click on ?Embryonics?; Scroll down to ?2011.01.02 - Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin? - to learn more about this. 9) ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret? by Mrs. Howard Taylor later came into my hands. We must have a Romans 6 ?Identification Experience? into the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross; plus a John 15:1-16 realization that as a branch in Christ - HE supplies all the sap - all the power to make us fruitful. It is all of Him and none of us, except our faith to believe and receive. 10) In 1962 ?My Utmost for His Highest? by Oswald Chambers came into my hands. It took Oswald 6 years to die to self and let Christ completely take over as Lord of His life. He nearly had a complete nervous breakdown before he broke through his pride and humbled himself to make Jesus ?his Utmost?. He was about 27, lived but 16 more years, wrote 50 books, and died at 43 in Egypt as a chaplain to British forces. Acts 2:38 shows that before we receive the gift (do-reA) of the Holy Spirit, we should first have a complete repentance from dead works, plus a complete faith in God and Christ?s ?Finished Work? as demonstrated in baptism (Romans 6). 11) Then in 1952 ?Rees Howells, Intercessor? by Norman P. Grubb was placed in my hands by Pastor Robert Burrows from Scotland. This had a profound effect and challenge for me - for ?possession by the Holy Spirit.? By all means procure this book of CLC (Christian Literature Crusade). 12) In 1944 ?Visions Beyond the Veil? by H.A. Baker was given to me by someone. It toohad a profound effect on me. Here I learned that Jesus is not returning in two phases according to a woman's vision in the 1830?s - but in one coming or return according to the Scriptures, as confirmed by George Muller, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Samuel Tregelles. 13) In 1948 the February Visitation by God in North Battleford, Saskatchewan came. I was chosen as one of the 7 elders for the Summer Camp Meeting, and later appointed by the Lord to list the 12 Embryonic Revival Principles that came together at that time, and also asked to have a part in bringing them to maturity (now 64 years later). God indicated that they would be parameters of safety for the last visitation just preceding the return of His Son. 14) In 1967 God revealed the 7 Component Parts for His ?Laser-Telescope?; a) Panin?s Interlinear NT as the key part, associated with the Brazen Altar; * *b) Restoration of NT City Church with an Eldership in each Gate, associated with the Laver; c) Prayer Multiplication based on ?Covenant? as revealed to Ern Baxter, and associated with the Menorah or Candlestick; d) The 12 Embryonic Revival Principles of 1948 associated with the 12 loaves on the Table of Bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel; e. Worship and Intercession associated with the Altar of Incense - as revealed to Rees Howells and Andrew Murray; f) Focus on Jesus as revealed to Oswald Chambers, and associated with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies; g) Meditation, associated with the ?Mercy Seat?, as revealed to George Muller and George Whitefield.* *Conclusion: Meditation is not sufficient alone. It requires the above foundations to be activated. Joshua 1:8 shows that we must vocally - audibly - declare the Word. For Joshua it was the Torah, the Pentateuch. For us - it is the entire New Testament, and the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? by Ivan Panin, both book and E-book format, will be a tremendous help. For it is by God?s Bible Numerics discovered by Panin that reveal the original Greek Text of the NT from among some 3000 alternate readings; plus the sentence, paragraph and chapter format that I have used to outline all 27 NT books. This is unique. God has reserved this for these last days! It is being released under God?s guidance on the 70th anniversary of Panin?s death in 1942. He had hoped to have the Interlinear product published prior to his death. But God knew that it would count more for you and me by being released now! There is nothing else like it to meditate upon in these last days! The English translation will soon be ?read? and released by one of America?s outstanding readers. * * will enable you to procure God?s ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? in book form now - and soon in E-book format. Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Oct 5 12:26:57 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 12:26:57 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 11-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 5, 2012 *JUN 1 - 2 SAMUEL 11-12 - DAVID?S LAPSE* *1. 11:1 (11:1-5, ESV) DAVID: SINS BECAUSE OF INACTIVITY. ?In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.? *This was a foolish and unpardonable sin on David?s part, and would not have happened had David been on the battlefield where he belonged. He violated a Kingdom principle. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 11:14-15 (11:6-25) DAVID: SEEKS TO COVER HIS SIN. ?In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, ?Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down and die.? *David now commits a more dastardly sin to cover the first sin. This scarcely reads like the David we know. Father, remind us to pray for grace to walk in Kingdom principles. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 11:27 (11:26-27) DAVID: DISPLEASES THE LORD THROUH HIS SIN. ?And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.? *It looks like David got off scot-free: but *not*with *You*, Father! Your Name was hurt by this. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 12:13-14 (12:1-14) DAVID?S REPENTANCE. ?David said to Nathan, ?I have sinned against the LORD.? And Nathan said to David, ?The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because of this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.?? *What a serious judgment! From now on a cloud was over the life of David. O forgive us Father, that we take sin so lightly! We thank You for Your love that will not let us go, but chastises us as sons! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 12:15-16 (12:15-23) DAVID?S REAPING BECAUSE OF SIN. ?And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah?s wife bore to David, and he became sick. 16 David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.? *It was *You*, O Great Jehovah Father Who struck this child! It had to be done to clear Your Name, upon which Your servant had brought blasphemy from Your enemies. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 12:24 (12:24-25) DAVID: FATHERS SOLOMON THROUGH BATHSHEBA. ?The David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him.? *What a curious statement: You, Jehovah Father, loved Solomon, the fruit of a match that ought not to have been! *This* is Your grace! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 12:29 (12:26-31) DAVID: CONCLUDES AMMONITE WAR IN VICTORY. ?So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.? *This is what David ought to have done from the beginning, and it looks at this point that David has again got off free: but not so! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 12:23 (12:24-25) DAVID: ACCEPTS GOD?S JUDGMENT OF DEATH FOR HIS SON! **?But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.? *In this David submitted to You, Father. We too should always follow this example that flows out of a Romans 6 experience. So what more can we learn from this lesson on David? For me, I see two insights coming from David?s lapse and sin. Number one - it is dangerous to become inactive, when he should have been out with his men on the battle-field. Idle hands find evil deeds to do! But for us - the opposite - if not correctly directed, can also cause us to miss God. An over-active life for God in doing good works - can keep us from *intimacy* with God, where we become one with Him, and develop Christ in us to maturity, where He can *through us* fulfill the Sermon on the Mount, and bring forth *His Heredity* within us, in character that affects individuals in the world with conviction and salvation. The above reveals two ditches - and Satan would have us fall into either one. It?s the *balance* that ensures the pleasure of God in our lives. But the immediate repentance of David over his sin - when confronted - reveals him as a man after God?s own heart. For us - this patter will do *the same* for us, for God is no respecter of persons. We too can become people after God?s own heart! How often should we repent? *Each time* when we sin, like David! There are many more lessons in the above. As we search them out together, and *walk in them*, God?s smile will be upon us! q *Our Chapter of Proverbs for the Day: 1:4-5 THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE. ?To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth - 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance.? **This* is the design of the Book of Proverbs from Your point of view, Father. We receive these words as You intended, that by them we may develop the gift of friendship and the circle of Covenant love with You, and with our fellow man. *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Oct 5 12:43:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 12:43:00 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 11-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 5, 2012 *JUN 1 - 2 SAMUEL 11-12 - DAVID?S LAPSE* *1. 11:1 (11:1-5, ESV) DAVID: SINS BECAUSE OF INACTIVITY. ?In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.? *This was a foolish and unpardonable sin on David?s part, and would not have happened had David been on the battlefield where he belonged. He violated a Kingdom principle. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 11:14-15 (11:6-25) DAVID: SEEKS TO COVER HIS SIN. ?In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, ?Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down and die.? *David now commits a more dastardly sin to cover the first sin. This scarcely reads like the David we know. Father, remind us to pray for grace to walk in Kingdom principles. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 11:27 (11:26-27) DAVID: DISPLEASES THE LORD THROUH HIS SIN. ?And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.? *It looks like David got off scot-free: but *not*with *You*, Father! Your Name was hurt by this. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 12:13-14 (12:1-14) DAVID?S REPENTANCE. ?David said to Nathan, ?I have sinned against the LORD.? And Nathan said to David, ?The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because of this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.?? *What a serious judgment! From now on a cloud was over the life of David. O forgive us Father, that we take sin so lightly! We thank You for Your love that will not let us go, but chastises us as sons! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 12:15-16 (12:15-23) DAVID?S REAPING BECAUSE OF SIN. ?And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah?s wife bore to David, and he became sick. 16 David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.? *It was *You*, O Great Jehovah Father Who struck this child! It had to be done to clear Your Name, upon which Your servant had brought blasphemy from Your enemies. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 12:24 (12:24-25) DAVID: FATHERS SOLOMON THROUGH BATHSHEBA. ?The David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him.? *What a curious statement: You, Jehovah Father, loved Solomon, the fruit of a match that ought not to have been! *This* is Your grace! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 12:29 (12:26-31) DAVID: CONCLUDES AMMONITE WAR IN VICTORY. ?So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.? *This is what David ought to have done from the beginning, and it looks at this point that David has again got off free: but not so! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 12:23 (12:24-25) DAVID: ACCEPTS GOD?S JUDGMENT OF DEATH FOR HIS SON! **?But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.? *In this David submitted to You, Father. We too should always follow this example that flows out of a Romans 6 experience. So what more can we learn from this lesson on David? For me, I see two insights coming from David?s lapse and sin. Number one - it is dangerous to become inactive, when he should have been out with his men on the battle-field. Idle hands find evil deeds to do! But for us - the opposite - if not correctly directed, can also cause us to miss God. An over-active life for God in doing good works - can keep us from *intimacy* with God, where we become one with Him, and develop Christ in us to maturity, where He can *through us* fulfill the Sermon on the Mount, and bring forth *His Heredity* within us, in character that affects individuals in the world with conviction and salvation. The above reveals two ditches - and Satan would have us fall into either one. It?s the *balance* that ensures the pleasure of God in our lives. But the immediate repentance of David over his sin - when confronted - reveals him as a man after God?s own heart. For us - this patter will do *the same* for us, for God is no respecter of persons. We too can become people after God?s own heart! How often should we repent? *Each time* when we sin, like David! There are many more lessons in the above. As we search them out together, and *walk in them*, God?s smile will be upon us! *Our Chapter of Proverbs for the Day: 1:4-5 THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE. ?To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth - 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance.? **This* is the design of the Book of Proverbs from Your point of view, Father. We receive these words as You intended, that by them we may develop the gift of friendship and the circle of Covenant love with You, and with our fellow man. *Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Oct 6 09:21:20 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2012 09:21:20 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 13-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 6, 2012 *JUN 2 - 2 SAMUEL 13-20 - DAVID: HOUSEHOLD JUDGMENT* *1. 13:39 (13, ESV) DAVID: REAPS DEEP FAMILY TROUBLE. ?And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.? *This is a terrible situation, yet it is direct prophetic judgment for David?s own sin. David did *not* heed when he was at the acme of success, and in his carelessness, *fell*! And Absalom was not worthy of his love. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 14:33 (14) DAVID: RECONCILED TO ABSALOM THROUGH JOAB. ?Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.? *Joab?s ?head and shoulders? stratagem of the natural man, did no good to David the spiritual man. It was a further step in the working of Your judgment, Father. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 15:31 (15) DAVID: REAPS THROUGH REBELLION AND CIVIL STRIFE. And it was told David, ?Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.? And David said, ?O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.? *Could Ahithophel?s betrayal be revenge for the defilement of his granddaughter Bathsheba by David? Yet, it is much what Judas did to Jesus! Yet in Your mercy Father, You had given David Hushai as a friend and counselor. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 16:23 (16) DAVID: REAPS THROUGH ZIBA, SHIMEI AND ABSALOM. ?Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.? *Indeed the counsel of Ahithophel against David was strong and powerful. And the judgment on David was just. O forgive us Father, for failing so often to remember that Your judgment is always tempered with mercy. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 17:14 (17) DAVID: HUSHAI SAVES HIM FROM AHITHOPHEL. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ?The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.? For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom. *David?s thought concerning Hushai and You, O great Jehovah Father, was well placed. For *You* do not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, but You make a way to escape! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 18:3 (18:1-19:8) DAVID: SADLY DEFEATS ABSALOM. But the men said, ?You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.? *What sorrow is in all of this! Yet unworthy Joab did have the right word to bring restoration of the king. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 19:10 (19:9-20:26) DAVID: RESTORATION OF HIS KINGDOM. ?But Absalom, whom we anointed over us is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?? *David narrowly averted civil war in the process of bringing back the king. Joab again is his enemy. Yet over all of these testings, You are the Sovereign Ruler, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 20:22 (19:9-20:26) DAVID: SAVED BY THE WISDOM OF A WOMAN. **?Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.? *Here a wise woman saves a city by her wisdom. See Ecclesiastes 9:13-18. May we always be open to *receive* lessons from Your Word, Father; not just an accumulation of knowledge. This passage has many though sad, such lessons. We should well remember Galatians 6:7 (6:7-10) - *?Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.? *This section above in the life of David abundantly makes this clear. Some may say - O, God will overlook this in me - He will not do to me what He allowed to come upon David! Again - *?Be not deceived*!? - This is foolish thinking, and the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments confirm this, as illustrated in the life of David. Even though he was a man after God?s own heart - and he *was* - yet God would have been unrighteous had He not visited upon His servant the judgments listed in this passage. There are many Christian leaders who can testify to the truth of the above emphasis! Then see the great help David?s friend Hushai was to him in a time of great need! His wisdom overturning the counsel of Ahithophel - no doubt saved David?s life! May God give each one of us close and wise friends like Hushai on our behalf. And finally, the wise woman of Abel of Beth-maacah. By her wisdom she delivered a city. And the words of Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 wonderfully confirm the value of wisdom over against ?might?! Here a poor wise man did much for his people, even though he was soon forgotten! But *God* sees, records, and does *not* forget. Rewards for faithfulness are not just for us down here! They will be recognized up there. The whole book of Proverbs, a father?s counsel for his son - is much in line with these two. We need to spend much time in this book, and as fathers, much time sharing it with out children. *For today - Proverbs 2:10-12a (2) THE VALUE OF WISDOM. ?For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, 12a delivering you from the way of evil.? *Here is Your clear condition for deliverance, Father. It is through Wisdom Personified and Understanding! *Hallowed be Your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Oct 8 09:13:35 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2012 09:13:35 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 21-23 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 8, 2012 *JUN 3 - 2 SAMUEL 21-23 - DAVID: MARKS OF A SPIRITUAL MAN* *1. 21:1 (21:1-9, ESV) DAVID: DISCOVERS BROKEN COVENANT CAUSING FAMINE. Now there was famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, ?There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.? *Saul broke the Covenant Joshua made with the Gibeonites more than 400 years previous. And this act grieved *You*, Father! Show us that Your Kingdom is based on Covenant which must *not* be broken. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 21:10 (21:10-11) DAVID: HEARD WHAT RIZPAH DID. ?Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.? *David took note of this righteous act. *You*Lord Jesus, David?s greater Son, are aware of all things in Your Kingdom! Father, Your will be done in us as it was in David here. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 21:14 (21:12-14) DAVID: PROPERLY BURIES SAUL AND JONATHAN. ?David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.? *Three things David did to rectify the wrongs of Saul before You healed the land, Father. May we determine too to walk righteously in Kingdom Covenant principles. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 21:17 (21:15-22) DAVID: BARELY DEFEATS THE PHILISTINE GIANTS. ?But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David?s men swore to him, ?You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.?? *Here is wise counsel. As Jonathan was rescued from Saul by the people, so David is rescued from his own foolhardiness by the people. O forgive us Father, that we often act apart from counsel and common sense! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 22:29-30 (22) DAVID?S LAST SONG: NINE THINGS OF GOD. ?For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.? *This is a passage of light after some dark tunnels. Thank You Father, that You temper chastisement for Your sons with *mercy*. Yes, You do not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 23:2-4 (23:1-7) DAVID?S LAST WORDS. ?The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, 4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.? *It is by Your Covenant Father, that You caused David to triumph. Yes, an understanding of this is the basis of Kingdom Victory, and *our*triumph too! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 23:16 (23:8-39) DAVID?S MIGHTY MEN. ?Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD.? *How You blessed David Father, by giving him such men! How You blessed Your Son Jesus by the first 12 apostles, and by all men and women since! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 21:3 (21:1-9) BROKEN COVEN**ANT: REQUIRES RIGHTEOUS RESTITUTION. And David said to the Gibeonites, ?What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?? *See how David understood the importance of Covenant from the perspective of God! May we too see the importance of keeping our word in the sight of our God! Psalm 15:4 - ?Who swears to his own hurt and does not change? - is one who shall sojourn in God?s tent - and dwell in His holy hill!? Possibly this is one of the most important attributes in the life of David, marking him out as a spiritual man: namely, understanding - and *walking in* Covenant! It used to be in America - that a man was *as good as* his word! Today all too often, our word of promise means very little. It is like a cloud promising rain - but fails to deliver. Again - it used to be - and occasionally still is - that a man?s word involving millions of dollars was sealed by a handshake - until it could be written up legally. To note carefully how David discovered why God had sent famine to his land for 3 years - and how he courteously sought out the Gibeonites to settle with them how they could bless the heritage of the LORD - *this* deserves emulation on the part of each one of us - especially should we desire to be counted by God as a spiritual person. It is better *not* to promise - than to promise and fail to keep it. Our words should *not* require an oath to satisfy the other party that we will follow thought. Jesus said a Yes should always *mean* Yes! and our No, No! These are Kingdom principles that David sought to keep throughout his life, and which his greater Son, Jesus - *always* kept before His Father. I was a Boy Scout in my teen years. If we made a promise to a fellow scout - and he doubted whether we would keep that promise or not - he would then challenge with - ?On your Scout?s honor?? If we replied in the affirmative - then he would believe us. But - a boy scout should keep his word without swearing on his scout?s honor. And *we* as Kingdom citizens like David, should keep our simple promise - a good sign of a spiritual man. My mother ingrained this into my brother and me. Then when becoming a believer at 20 years of age, the Holy Spirit deepened this - as I meditated over the word of God. Joshua 1:8 became one of a number of life texts for me. *Our Proverbs chapter for the day: 3:5-6 (3) TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART. ?Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.? *By the Holy Spirit, David?s son Solomon wrote these wise words for his son. It is a pity that Solomon forsook his own counsel, and his son Rehoboam also forsook his father?s counsel and failed to make a good mark in Your Kingdom, Father. But still - *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Oct 9 09:15:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2012 09:15:58 -0700 Subject: 2 Samuel 24 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 9, 2012 *JUN 4 - 2 SAMUEL 24 - DAVID?S LAST SIN* *1. 24:1 (24:1-3, ESV) DAVID: COMMANDS NUMBERING OF ISRAEL. ?Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, ?Go, number Israel and Judah.?? *There is a danger of the sin of pride in old age after success. None of us are immune from this danger, not even *David*. Even Joab discerned this evil desire in David. Father, may we not be tempted to violate Kingdom principles! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 24:4 (24:4-9) DAVID?S WORD PREVAILS. ?But the king?s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.? *David overrode the counsel of Joab and all his army captains. How foolish to move unilaterally and bypass all our counselors. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 24:10 DAVID?S REPENTANCE. ?But David?s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, ?I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.?? *Thank God for this full and complete confession. But this was insufficient to avoid the penalty for foolishness. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 24:11-12 (24:11-13) DAVID: RECEIVES GOD?S WORD THROUGH GAD. And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet God, David?s seer, saying, 12 ?Go and say to David, ?Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.?? *How tragic that a leader?s sin of stubbornness brings tragedy upon his followers! O forgive us for the temporary blindness that comes upon us during times of pride! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 24:14 (24:14-15) DAVID CHOOSES THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. Then David said to Gad, ?I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.? *This was a wise decision on David?s part, but he was really in a no-win situation. O strengthen us Father, that we fall not by temptation into the sin of pride! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 24:16 (24:16-17) DAVID PRAYS FOR MERCY. ?And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, ?It is enough; now stay your hand.? And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.? *Your mercy Father, triumphed over justice! David was correct in trusting You. Satan meant the temptation for evil, but You cut judgment short and delivered David from the evil one. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 24:24 (24:18-25) DAVID: BUYS TEMPLE SITE AND MAKES ATONEMENT. But the king said to Araunah, ?No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.? So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.? *Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible. The *temple* is the great symbol of Your Kingdom Father, and out of this sin its site was purchased! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 24:25 (24:18-25) DAVID: SEES GOD LIFT JUDGMENT THROUGH SACRIFICE. **?And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.? *This was the second time David moved for the *healing of the land*. We need to understand and practice this also. See the grace of God in using a David in such a way - and yet so human - like many of us. *This* should give encouragement and hope for the many! See how God blessed his kingdom! his home! his seed in Jesus, Son of man! And yet in his own life he was not perfected - even as we! But again - whenever David was confronted by God through His prophet - immediately he *repented*, and sought to make things right. And here even in what followed his sin of numbering Israel in pride - yet the land he purchased to make sacrifice, became the place where God led Solomon to build the Temple! David in 7 different ways prepared for the building of the Temple. The purchase of the Temple site was but one of these seven. In a sense - so extraordinary was David?s 7-fold preparation for the building of the Temple, that it could almost be called ?the Temple of David!? Even the blue-print for its full plan - was given to David - written on his heart by the Spirit of God! David relied on the prophets of God to receive both guidance, confirmation and rebuke. Nathan and Gad were two who *fearlessly* confronted King David on 2 occasions of his sin. Presidents and governors - not just kings - need to hear the Word of the Lord by heaven-sent prophetic messengers! *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 4:7-8 (4) A FATHER?S WISE INSTRUCTION. ?The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.? **Wisdom* is like ballast for a ship: it prevents capsizing. Solomon understood how much his son Rehoboam needed this. And *You* abundantly supply us, Your sons and daughters Father, with * Jesus*, our *Personified Wisdom*! (1 Corinthians 1:30). * Hallowed be your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Oct 10 09:11:06 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:11:06 -0700 Subject: 1 John 1:1-2:17 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 10, 2012 *JUN 5 - 1 JOHN 1:1-2:17 - CONDITIONS OF FELLOWSHIP AND VICTORY* *1. 1:3-4 (1:1-4, NNT) FELLOWSHIP: WITH FATHER AND SON. ?What we have seen and heard declare we to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us: yes, and :OUR :fellowship is with the Father, and with his :Son Jesus Christ: 4 and these things WE write, that our joy be made full.? *Who can plumb the depth of *this* saying and revelation? Father, in Jesus we see You and the Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Him! *This* manifestation of Your Kingdom You would have in the Church, the body of Christ. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:5 FELLOWSHIP: WITH GOD OF LIGHT. ?And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that :God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.? *Jesus said this concerning You Father, ever so clearly; and we believe His word and testimony. If we walk with You, through Christ?s Spirit we must become one with You. *This* is Your will and purpose, and we pray it will be fulfilled in us as it is in heaven. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:6-7 (1:6-10) FELLOWSHIP: BY WALKING IN LIGHT. ?If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his :Son cleanses us from all sin.? *There is perennial cleansing in Jesus as we walk in the light, and this gives us continual fellowship with You Father, and with every fellow believer. We believe and accept this with humility. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 2:1-2 (2:1-6) FELLOWSHIP: BASED ON CHRIST AS PROPITIATION. ?My little children, these things I write you that you may not sin. And if one sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 and HE is the propitiation for our :sins; and not for :ours only, but also for the whole world.? *A consistent holy walk is proof that we have truly availed ourselves of *Jesus* as our *Propitiation*, and of His continual intercession on our behalf. O forgive us Father, that we so often fail to press into full understanding of this, and full obedience of faith to Your commandments. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:7 (2:7-8) FELLOWSHIP: BASED ON NEW COMMANDMENT OF LOVE. ?Beloved, no new commandment write I to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning: the old :commandment is the word which you heard.? *Life in the Son in the New Covenant, is now added to all the types and shadows of the Old Covenant, which prefigured Jesus. The New is in the Old contained: the Old is by the New explained. Strengthen us in temptation?s hour Father, that we lose not this seed-word to the enemy. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 2:9-10 (2:9-11) FELLOWSHIP: IMPOSSIBLE WHEN IN DARKNESS. ?Who says he is in the light and hates his :brother, is in the darkness even until now. 10 Who loves his :brother abides in the light, and no stumbling is in him.? *Let all deception, delusion and seduction flee away. May we not attempt to rationalize or explain away this truth and revelation, but *walk in it* by the power of Christ within. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 2:14 (2:12-17) FELLOWSHIP: ITS GRADATIONS. ?I wrote to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of :God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. *The maturing believer is an *overcomer*! The promises of the *overcomer* in Revelation 2-3 are *his*! Father, we believe Your promises concerning this, and strongly affirm them! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:9-10 (1:6-10) BASIS FOR FELLOWSHIP: A CIRCLE OF COVENANT LOVE! * *?If we confess our :sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our:sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his :word is not in us.? *These two verses are *musts* for memorizing! This epistle by the apostle John is a high-note of the New Testament. Again, as John?s Gospel, so his first letter is spiritual - yet practical. It is one over which we can return again and again. *Fellowship* (koi-n*o*NIa) is a major theme. *Propitiation* is a key doctrinal point. It is connected to the ?Peace Offering? of Leviticus 1-7, and Jesus fulfilled this on Calvary through His ?Finished Work?. It contains within itself many verses that ask to be memorized. These then can be meditated upon when sleep flees us during the night. Notice especially the 3 marks of spiritual young men: they are *strong*! The word of God *abides* in them (See John 15:1-16 for the secrets of abiding and fruitfulness). They *overcome* the evil one! These spiritual young men are *not* babes or children. Through Romans 6; John 15:16; Galatians 2:20 - they have graduated into this 3-fold category listed above by John; they have experienced ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret.? They can soon join Rees Howells and Andrew Murray at the ?Altar of Incense? - in Worship and Intercession. They know the first 4 pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses. *Fathers* in Christ advance into the Holy of Holies, and there know Christ as their *Covenant* - and the Father through *meditation* at the Mercy Seat! Amen! *Our Chapter from Proverbs today: 5:7 (5, ESV) WARNING AGAINST ADULTERY. ?And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.? *Are there conditions that we must observe to maintain *fellowship* with You, Father? Yes, indeed! We do not lose our relationship as sons if we sin, but we certainly lose temporary fellowship with You - until we avail ourselves of 1 John 1:9. O keep back Your servants from presumptuous sin. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Oct 11 11:06:02 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:06:02 -0700 Subject: 1 John 2:18-29 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 11, 2012 *JUN 6 - 1 JOHN 2:18-29 - PURPOSE OF THE ANOINTING* *1. 2:18 (NNT) ANTICHRIST: FALSE ANOINTING. ?Little children, it is thelast hour: and as you heard that antichrist comes, even now have many antichrists arisen: whereby we know that it is the last hour.? *Satan seems invariably to abort what God is about to do, by first bringing forth a counterfeit anointing. All through this church age he has been at work, especially as the age draws to a close. Nevertheless - Your *true* Kingdom *shall come* to full manifestation, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2:19 DEPARTING ONES: BECAUSE OF NO ANOINTING. ?They went out from us, but were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that not all are of us.? *Judas exemplified this, and Ahithophel. Even Joab forsook David?s ways at the end. But Peter remained true to the end. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 2:20-21 KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THINGS: BECAUSE OF ANOINTING. ?And you have an anointing from the Holy One, you all know 21 - I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.? *Thank You Father, because of the Holy Spirit anointing through Christ. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:22-23 ANTICHRIST: DENIAL OF JESUS AS THE ANOINTED ONE. ?Who is the liar but who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, evenwho denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son, has not the Father either; who confesses the Son has the Father also.? *Write these words deep on our hearts, Father! O forgive us, that we are prone to wander! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:24-25 ABIDING IN JESUS: CONDITIONAL UPON ABIDING IN ANOINTING. ?Let what YOU heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from thebeginning abide in you, YOU also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which himself promised us, the life :eternal.? *To abide in the Holy Spirit, is to abide in the Son and the Father. Can we perceive this? Is this crystal clear? Father, strengthen us that we fail now when tempted to fall from this truth. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 2:27 (2:26-28) INNER UNDERSTANDING: COMES THROUGH ANOINTING. ?And the anointing which YOU received of him abides in you, and you have no need that one teach you; but as his :anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, abide in him.? *The Holy Spirit anointing constantly teaches us concerning John 15:1-16: WE are the branches; CHRIST ONLY is the Vine! J. Hudson Taylor was transformed by this truth. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 2 29 DOERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: BORN FROM THE ANOINTING. ?If you know that he is righteous, know that every one that does :righteousness is begotten of him.? **Doing righteousness*: proof of the new birth! This is the *first* fruit of Your Kingdom, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: **2:28 (2:26-28) THE REWARD OF ABIDING! ?And now, little children, abide in him; that, if he be manifested, we may have boldness, and be not shamed from him at his presence.? *Christ abides *in* us today, but shall be *manifested openly* tomorrow! These 12 verses of 1 John are set apart by Bible Numerics - not just as a paragraph - *but* a chapter equivalent. This means, that the Holy Spirit wants us to take note of this section in a *special way*. He has set forth this lesson on the ?anointing?, that we should *not* miss it! God allowed Russian Ivan Panin to discover 2 unique truths about the New Testament through Bible Numerics: first that through it we now have a Greek text *the same as* the original - with *no* alternate readings. That makes the English translation of it absolutely unique. And secondly, the sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph and section format - means that by summarizing and outlining each sentence - and gathering these summaries into sub-paragraphs; these into paragraphs; these into sections; and these into books - *then* we have a birds-eye picture of each of the 27 New Testament books that is absolutely unique. The section before us today is an example of this revelation that points up the value of this second discovery. And why should the Holy Spirit through Peter place such a special emphasis upon the Holy Spirit anointing? Because God wants us as believers to see this truth from a ?heavenly perspective?. Each of the 7 divisions above illuminates a separate aspect of the importance of the Holy Spirit anointing. It is when we kneel and pray over and *meditate upon* this section, that the Holy Spirit will open our spiritual eyes to perceive and understand - and then move upon the desire of our heart to *walk in* these new perceptions. And when we use the ?*Outlined* Interlinear New Testament made possible by Panin?s discoveries, then we find it yet more simple to apprehend that for which by God we are apprehended! Contact ** to learn more about this potential. And see our Website * *to find *NOTES*accompanying the approximate 500 sections of this product - that do not appear with the published text. *Our Chapter of Proverbs for the day: 6:1-2 (6) PRACTICL WARNINGS. ?My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then? - *Verbal agreements with a stranger in business is *not* wise! It *seldom* works out to your advantage. Your *words * cannot be taken back; they ruin you. Father, we *hallow Your Name* for this warning! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Oct 12 09:42:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:42:39 -0700 Subject: 1 John 3:1-24 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 12, 2012 *JUN 7 - 1 JOHN 3:1-24 - PROOF OF TRUE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE* *1. 3:2-3 (3:1-3, NNT) PROOF OF RESURRECTION: PURIFYING HOPE. ?Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet manifested what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that has this :hope on him purifies himself, even as HE is pure.? *What a marvelous promise! We have promise of an overcoming life today in Christ, and at His manifested Coming (pa-rouSIa) we shall *also* be manifested. Because of this, we should not cave in when we are tested! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3:5-6 (3:4-6) PROOF OF OVERCOMING SIN: SIGN OF ABIDING. ?And you know that he was manifested to take away :sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in him sins not: Every one that does sin has not seen him, neither has known him.? *Father, help us *not* to water down and rationalize away this clear statement! Christ in us is our secret of the overcoming life! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:7-8a (3:7-8) PROOF OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: SIGN OF OVERCOMING THE DEVIL. ?Little children, let no one lead you astray: who does :righteousness is righteous, even as HE is righteous: 8a who does :sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning.? *This speaks not of sinless perfection, but of the general tenor of the overcoming life. Help us to deliver deceived professors from delusion.* Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 3:9 (3:9-12) PROOF OF NEW BIRTH: OVERCOMING SIN AND ENVY. ?Every one born of :God does no sin, because his seed abides in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of :God.? *We will habitually approximate His life *more and more*. O forgive us Father, that we fail to see the tremendous potential for the overcoming life *right now*! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 3:14-15a (3:13-15) PROOF OF LIFE: LOVE OF BROTHERS. ?WE know that we have passed out of :death into :life, because we love the brethren. Who loves not abides in :death. 15 Whoever hates his :brother is a murderer.? *Here it is again; we *cannot* escape the revelation of the *normal Christian life *: it is a life of love unto *all* fellow believers! O strengthen us Father, that we fall not into the temptation of excusing ourselves from realizing this tremendous potential *now*! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 3:16 (3:16-18) PROOF OF LOVE: DEEDS OF TRUTH. ?Hereby know we :love, because HE laid down his :life for us: and we ought to lay down our :lives for the brethren.? *Are we willing to die for one another? A mother is for a child, and some male parents of birds and animals. But *we* are in the family of God, and all true believers are family members! Let not the thoughts of the evil one find place in us! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:24 (3:19-24) PROOF OF DELIVERANCE: OBEDIENCE OF LOVE AND SPIRIT. ?And who keeps his :commandments abides in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he gave us.? *What an inborn witness! Father, we bless You for this double proof: ability to keep Your commandments, and the witness of the Holy Spirit. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 3:8b (3:7-8) PROOF OF DELIVERANCE: UNDOING THE WORKS OF SATAN! ?To this end was the Son of ?God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.? *Done through the anointing (Isaiah 11:27). Done through Jesus (Luke 4:18-19). We are to remember that the words of John above - are *really* the words of our Lord by His Spirit *through* John! (1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Peter 1:21). Unfortunately - so *many* modern believers think that the words of the Bible are those of the human writers - *not* those of God *through* human writers! The discovery of Bible Numerics that God allowed Ivan Panin to receive - * conclusively* corroborates and confirms the above! Our Bible is *unique*among every other book in the world. And the ? *Outlined* Interlinear NT? composed of Panin?s Greek and English Bible Numeric NT?s - fits into this. Many may say - ?*You* may believe that - but I don?t receive it.? *But* - what if when we all *must* and *will* stand before the B*E*ma - the Judgment Seat of Christ following His Return - what if *HE* confirms the above as absolutely true? For me - I am committed to unshakable belief in the Bible as the *Book of God* through man - the 33 known writers of the 66 books of the Bible books. Because of my faith in the Bible as God?s word and *not* man?s - I went through 18 months of a liberal, modernistic seminary in Canada - and - *retained* my faith in God. My commitment to God?s Bible Numeric NT held me steady. *Once*- a statement of an unbelieving professor slipped through my guard and gave me devastating doubts for a season. But - as I returned to God?s Bible Numeric NT as set forth under Him by Ivan Panin - I *returned* to my unwavering faith, which has continued since 1946 to this day, 66 years later. The first President of St. Andrews College of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Dr. Oliver, was challenged concerning young men entering the Seminary to train for the ministry. ?Aren?t you aware that the majority of these candidates for the ministry believe the Bible is true - and could graduate with this misplaced belief?? one asked. Reply - ?Our Master was very wise when He gave the parable of the mystery of growth: First the blade; then the ear; then the full corn in the ear. We have these boys for 4 years of College and 3 years of Seminary. In two years we can remove these old fashioned ideas from them, and in the remaining time build into them something better. If one out of 100 slips through our hands unchanged - we can afford to take that chance!? I am one of the 100! In that Seminary I led my best friend to the Lord there, but after I left - he reverted to his former beliefs, and became an out and out modernist, and the President of that very same Seminary. I confronted him, but have never heard from him again. Why do I labor this point? Because God is no respecter of persons. What He has done for me and Ivan Panin - He can do for you too! He can place us upon a Rock so secure - that *no* stormy blast of doubt and unbelieving liberalism - can take us from this security! Because of my faith - through experience by Modernism - I have labored for 68 years in the production of this ?*Outlined* Interlinear NT. I did it * first* for God - then for Ivan Panin - and finally for you and me. It is the basis for more effective *meditation*; and to realize the ?Exchanged Life? experienced by Watchman Nee, Hudson Taylor, Rees Howells, H.A. Baker, Oswald Chambers, George Muller, Andrew Murray, Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur - and *countless* others. Join them with me in the Pursuit of God through this unique tool - namely - God?s ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on His Bible Numerics as revealed to Ivan Panin in 1890. See ** to obtain this product, and soon the E-book also. *Chapter of Proverbs for the day: 7:24 (7, ESV) WARNING AGAINST THE ADULTERESS. ?And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.? *The Christian experience is one of *purity*, because the life of the Pure Christ is worked out and manifested through us! Fornication for singles is verboten: i.e., any form of sexual sin or perversion can and will be changed if we walk in John 15:1-16! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Oct 13 09:21:14 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:21:14 -0700 Subject: 1 John 4-5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 13, 2012 *JUN 8 - 1 JOHN 4-5 - VICTORIES THROUGH THE NEW BIRTH* *1. 4:4 (4:1-6, NNT) OVERCOMING FALSE SPIRITS THROUGH NEW BIRTH. ?YOU are of :God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is the onein you than the one in the world.? *False prophets speak of the world, from the world and to the world. By their *fruits* do we know them. Their?s is the spirit of Antichrist. But the Spirit of *Christ* is *greater*. *This* is the spirit of Your present Kingdom, Father! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 4:7-8 (4:7-10) OVERCOMING THROUGH CHRIST?S PROPITIATORY LOVE. ?Beloved, let us love one another: for :love is of God; and every one that loves is begotten of :God, and knows :God. 8 Who loves not knows not :God; for :God is love.? *Father, Your gift of Christ to us as a propitiation for our sins, is the greatest gift we can ever receive! We magnify You for Him, and as an act of thanksgiving offer ourselves as living sacrifices to You! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 4:11-12 (4:11-16a) OVERCOMING THROUGH CONFESSION OF JESUS? SONSHIP. ?Beloved, if :God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever beheld God: if we love one another, :God abides in us, and his :love is perfected in us.? *Look at the result of loving one another: *Your*abiding, and Your love *perfected* in us! You are so bountiful in Your spiritual gifts! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:20-21 (4:16b-21) OVERCOMING FEAR THROUGH LOVE. ?If one say that I love :God, and hates his :brother, he is a liar: for who loves not his :brother whom he has seen, cannot love :God whom he has not seen. 21 And this :commandment we have from him, that who loves :God love his :brother also.? *As we go in love, You are *always* with us, Father. And proof of our love for You is *always* demonstrated in our love one for another. O forgive us that often we fail in this, and that we walk in fear. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 1, 4 (5:1-12) OVERCOMING THE WORLD THROUGH FAITH. ?Every one that believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of :God: and every one that loves the Begetter loves the one begotten of him. 4 And his :commandments are not grievous, because whatever is begotten of :God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our :faith.? *Overcomes *know* that Jesus is the Christ, and they *overcome* the world. Strengthen us in temptation Father, that we should *never* doubt Jesus? Sonship to You! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:14-15 (5:13-17) OVERCOMING THROUGH BOLDNESS IN PRAYER. ?And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his :will, he hears us; 15 and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.? *Walking in You Father, permits us to walk in the path of declarative prayer! The * righteous* are bold as a lion; they call the things which are not as though they were! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 5:18 (5:18-21) OVERCOMING SIN THROUGH NEW BIRTH. ?We know that every one :begotten of :God sins not; but who was begotten of :God keeps himself, and the evil one touches him not.? *It is Christ *in us* who is our victory and hope of glory. In the Spirit, You have made *Him* our righteousness, Peace and Joy, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 5:11-12 (5:1-12) OUR OVERCOMING WITNESS! **?And the witness is this, that :God gave us eternal life, and this :life is in his :Son. 12 Who has the Son has the life; who has not the Son of :God has not the life.? *All we need is Your Son Father, and You have given Him unstintingly to us! This is the 4th and last section of 1 John. The preceding 3 sections are the basis and foundation for this last section. May we bask in the culmination of the teaching of the Spirit through John - and fully avail ourselves of the ingredients of God?s ?Overcoming Life? for us. And, because He is no respecter of persons - all of these precious promises are available for each one of us. The Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-12 help us into this place of reception - especially Beatitude 4 - ?They who hunger and thirst after righteousness - *shall* be filled!? 1 John 5:11-12 are two verses selected by the Navigators for their 108 verses in their ?Topical Memory System.? Back in the 50?s we memorized them, and in the 60?s our 3 children did also. The 7 verse selection above are so clear that further explanation would be superfluous. May we each one fully enter into the Overcoming Life! *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 8:20-21 (8, ESV) THE BLESSINGS OF WISDOM. ?I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.? *In the gates of the city, through the channel of the city Eldership, Wisdom sounds forth this promise and invitation. You Father, will enable city elders to hear Your Word and proclaim it. *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Oct 14 10:02:40 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 10:02:40 -0700 Subject: 2 John - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 14, 2012 *JUN 9 - 2 JOHN - CONTINUANCE IN THE TRUTH* *1. 1-2 (1-3, NNT) TRUTH: THE WAY TO LOVE. ?The elder to elect Kyria and her :children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all that know the truth; 2 for the truth?s sake which abides in us, and shall be with us unto the age.? *Truth in us, and we in Truth - is the mature way of Your Kingdom, Father! Your Son - is Truth Incarnate! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 4 TRUTH: THE WAY TO WALK. ?I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of your :children walking in the truth even as we received commandment from the Father.? *A true saint reproduces in the Spirit those like herself. This is proof of our genuine relationship with You, Father! You are glorified by *much* fruit on our part. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 5 (5-6) TRUTH: LOVE BY COMMAND. ?And now I request you, Kyria, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but which we had from thebeginning, that we love one another.? *This is the perennial message of John the beloved apostle. Genuine love to saints, believers and unbelievers: in short, to *all* mankind - is Your commandment, Father. We receive it! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 7 TRUTH: THREATENED BY DECEIVERS. ?For many deceivers are gone forth into the world: they that confess not Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.? *This is *so* contrary to truth. Please give us keen discernment in this area, Father. O forgive us that so many of us fail to realize the great importance of this revelation. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 8 TRUTH: CAN BE LOST THROUGH CARELESSNESS. ?Look to yourselves, that you lose not what things we have wrought, but that you receive a full reward.? *He who endures to the *end* shall be saved! The *end* of a matter is better than the beginning. The glory of the Latter House shall be greater than the Former! Teach us the importance of this Father, and strengthen us when we are tempted to grow careless. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 9 (9-11) TRUTH: HOW TO GUARD IT. ?Whoever goes onward and abides not in the teaching of the Christ, has not God: who abides in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son.? *Do we believe this? Yes: but help our unbelief, Father! How important it is that we thoroughly understand the significance of this revelation! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 12 (12-13) TRUTH: BRINGS JOY WHEN ESTABLISHED. ?Having many things to write to you, I would not with paper and ink: but hope to come unto you, and speak face to face, that your :joy be made full.? *How much a personal visit supersedes the value of a letter. John knew this; may we also practice this principle whenever possible. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 6 (5-6) TRUTH AND LOVE: A WALK ACCORDING TO COMMANDMENTS! **?And this is :love, that we should walk after his :commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.? *If we have *love* for You Father, we will walk consistently in love one to another! Yes! I like the derivation of the word ?truth?! It comes from two Greek words - ?a? - meaning ?off of? or ?from? - and ?L*E*th*o*? - ?to hide?. Putting them together - it means ?taking the lid off of that which was hidden.? Solomon in Proverbs 25:2 writes - *?It is the glory of God to concealthings, but the glory of kings is to search them out!? *And *we* are a *kingdom* of priests, so this privilege belongs to each of us! So - as kings we are to take the cover off of what was concealed, so it can *now* be seen and understood! Jesus is ?the Truth?! While on earth as the Son of Man, God concealed His Son. It was only by the Father?s Spirit that Peter understood that Jesus was the Christ - the Messiah promised by Moses and all the OT prophets. Have you searched Him out - so that like Peter by God?s Spirit - you can confidently say - Jesus *is* the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah promised of old, the Savior of the world? We should not rest, till the 27 mysteries of God, of which *Jesus* is the Chief - are uncovered and revealed in clarity and Majesty! John in this short epistle *majors* on *Jesus* as the Truth. In John 14:6 he is equally clear on this revelation. And - except the Spirit of God opens our understanding to this revelation - it remains a hidden mystery. From the age of 10 to 20 I desired to understand this mystery of Jesus as the Hidden Truth. I even thought of going to England to find Him there when I grew up, because of 48 stories I read from 10-14 about individuals who in England found Jesus as the Truth. I hadn?t found any in my church in Canada who knew Jesus this way! So when I was 19 God assuring my heart said, ?Join the Navy, and I?ll reveal Myself to you.? So in July of ?43 I did so - and on Passover of ?44 - *He* did so! And it gets better year by year since then! Yes - Jesus *is* the Truth. He *is* the Son of God! He *is* the Christ, God?s Messiah! He *is* the Savior of the world through His redemptive act on Calvary. He *is* Lord of lords and King of kings! The Spirit of God by revelation makes all of these attributes of Jesus - abundantly clear! And - because God is no respecter of persons - what He has done for me and countless others - if you have not yet received Peter?s revelation - then seek Him with *all* your heart - hunger and thirst after Him as your Righteousness! - and you *shall be filled* - you *shall *by God have your heart?s desire met! I am not an evangelist, yet Marie and I together have seen thousands come into the Kingdom of God through preaching and teaching ?Clan & Household Salvation?. Again - you can share in similar rewards by entering into these together. My 3 close family members all came into the Kingdom of God as I claimed these promises. Marie has seen some 40 of her household members do likewise (French Canadians have larger households than Scottish background families.) So - be sure you know *intimately* Jesus as the Truth - and then continue * ardently* in Him! *Our chapter of Proverbs for today: 9:8-9 (9, ESV) ?Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.? *This is a good word: *wise* men regard wisdom?s correction, exhortation and encouragement. Something in human nature is repelled by this, but *You* in us Father, responds to it! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Oct 15 09:39:34 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:39:34 -0700 Subject: 2 John - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 15, 2012 *JUN 10 - 3 JOHN - TRUTH AND LOVE VERSUS PRIDE AND STRIFE* *1. 1 (NNT) LOVE MUST BE IN TRUTH. ?The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.? *We can love sentimentally; we can love emotionally; but if we love in truth,, we will be our brother?s keeper! *This* is the way you want us, Father: *speaking* the truth in love; *being* true in love. O make us willing to be made willing to be like this! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2 LOVED ONES: THEIR THREE-FOLD PROSPERITY. * *?Beloved, I pray that in all things you prosper and be in health, even as your :soul prospers.? *If our soul is not prosperous; balanced in mind, emotions and will; what is the use of prosperity and health? They make us yet more miserable. But when Your will Father, is done in our soul as it is in heaven, then health and prosperity will *not* ruin us nor draw us from You! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3-4 TRUTH WALKED IN: BRINGS JOY! ?For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and witnessed to your :truth, even as YOU walk in the truth. 4 No greater grace have I than these things, to hear of my :children walking in the truth.? *This is the word of a true spiritual parent: *not* just a believer, but being *sanctified* through the renewal of our mind according to *truth*. *This* causes joy to our leaders, and to You too, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 5, 8 (5-8) LOVE OF HOSPITALITY: A GOOD WORK. ?Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you do toward the brethren and strangers as they are. 8 WE therefore ought to welcome :such, that we may become fellow-workers for the truth.? *Demetrius did this, but not Diotrephes; John desired that Gaius be like Demetrius. O forgive us Father, that we so often fail in the wonderful privilege of hospitality, and in encouraging Your true servants whom You send our way! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 9 (9-10) LOVE OF PRE-EMINENCE: A WARNING AGAINST. ?I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loves pre-eminence among them, receives us not.? *Pride is the basic sin that trapped Lucifer and made him fall. Diotrephes was tempted in like manner, and lost practical love for fellow-believers and visiting leaders. O strengthen us Father, that we fall not into temptation by departing from humility and a servant spirit! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 11 (11-12) LOVE OF GOOD: EXAMPLE OF DEMETRIUS. ?Beloved, imitate not :evil, but :good. The doer of good is of :God; the doer of evil has not seen :God.? *Make no mistake about this: don?t water it down. Saints are those who have *experienced* Covenant love (CHEsed), and who *extend* it to all mankind! Jesus did! Father, make us like Demetrius, not Diotrephes. Make us *peace-makers*, not sowers of discord. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 13-14 PERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND BENEDICTION. ?I had many things to write you, but I am unwilling to write you with ink and pen: 14 but I hope shortly to see you, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. The friends salute you. Salute the friends by name.? *How we love the warm and practical nature of Your beloved apostle, Father! No wonder Jesus loved Him, which means *You* love him too! *And deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 12 **(11-12) A GOOD WITNESS FOR DEMETRIUS. ?Demetrius has the witness of all, and of the truth itself: yes, WE also bear witness; and you know that our :witness is true.? *The good witness from men and a good witness from *Truth*: *this* we desire for ourselves also, Father! 3 John 2 is a much quoted verse by ?Word of Faith? folk concerning healing - yet - not them alone! And inasmuch as it is in the Word of God by the Spirit through John - we ought to look at it carefully in the context of the whole Bible - but especially in the 27 books of the New Covenant. For some insight on this that God has given me, turn to our Website *< www.2rbetter.org>*, and click on Archives; then scroll down to 2008-07-07 ?For Better Health with Long Years?. I mention there that Marie and I at 89 are experiencing better than normal health physically, mentally and spiritually. We do not see any one activity on our part as being responsible for this - but rather ?a package? of activities. Friends asked if I would share the other activities of this passage on ?scientific walking? and ?rebounding?. I have done this in another place on our Website. Click on ?Interlinear?, and then scroll down to 3 John. Under ?NOTE:? - I have listed our other activities for good health and long life. As I mention there - others may have a far better package of activities than we do, but we do have good fruit to point to in our lives. Marie swims 3 days a week for an hour at a time with most of the strokes. Her diet is quite strict. She makes ?smoothies? for both of us - very healthy - every other day. It keeps me driving our car accident free - sometimes several hundred miles at a time. It has enabled me to complete this year my part in the production of God?s Bible Numerics ?*Outlined*Interlinear New Testament? based on the two NT texts prepared by Ivan Panin. I am now well on the way to completing 3 other complementary texts to this. For Marie - it enables her to keep up an intercessory prayer ministry for our family, friends and missionaries, plus regular encouragement by phone calls, emails, and visits. She also has a garden back and front - like a little park. Our daily devotional time with God keeps us happy, fruitful, full of faith and open to ministry. We minister every other Sunday in a new Korean Church, and serve as one of the 3 overseeing elders to it. I am also active in helping and encouraging the formation of a City Church and Eldership in the Gate. So - do Marie and I recommend the above? Yes - but not to the exclusion of any other plans better than ours. Marie and I are both well under 130 pounds in weight. We believe God in His Bible, links drunkenness with surfeiting - or overeating. They are both wrong. America - even Christian Americans - are guilty of the latter, much more than any other nation of the world. We can guarantee with our diet - you can eat all you want - and still lose weight. It is learning how to eat 3 balanced meals a day - majoring on fruit and vegetable, and cutting way down on meat and carbohydrates and ?junk food?. On the above regimen - at 89 we not just keep plugging along - we do so with the help of the Spirit and Presence of God: body, soul and spirit. John Wesley at 5? 6? lived at 120 pounds throughout his life, dying at 87, ministering effectively right up to the end. Bless each one of you, and may you too meet the above conditions - and likewise enjoy the same type of life we enjoy at our age. - Jim & Marie Watt *Our Proverbs chapter for the day: 10:24 (ESV) THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.? *What a contrast! There is *no* final security for the wicked. Show us Father, the terrible end of the wicked, even though in *this* life they seem to prosper (Psalm 73:16-22). *Then* we will praise You with understanding, and *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Oct 16 12:08:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:08:48 -0700 Subject: Jude - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 16, 2012 *JUN 11 - JUDE - DANGERS OF APOSTASY* *1. 1-2 (NNT) STATE OF THOSE NOT IN APOSTASY. ?Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.? *These mentioned are two half-brothers of Jesus after the flesh; but they will not trade in on this relationship, for in the Spirit all believers are on the same level: *doers of Your will*, Father! This is close to the heart of Your Kingdom. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3 (3-4) CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH: UNCOVERS APOSTATES. ?Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write you of our common :salvation, I was constrained to write you exhorting to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.? **Apathy* will not maintain a vital relationship with the faith of Your Kingdom, Father. We receive Jude?s exhortation. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 5 (5-7) THREE EXAMPLES OF APOSTASY. ?Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of Egypt land, the second time destroyed them that believed not.? *The mixed multitude of Egypt; angels who transgressed; and the Sodomites: these 3 perished in Your Judgment, Father. We tremble at Your word, and the reality of this. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 8, 11 (8-13) SCATHING DESCRIPTION OF APOSTATES. ?Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at naught dominion, and rail at dignities. 11 Woe to them! for they went in the way of :Cain, and ran riotously in the error of :Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of :Korah.? *In the church today all these types can be found: they are infiltrators; tares; fifth columnists. In the end they will be gathered and burned. O forgive us Father, for failing to clearly understand these things. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5 14-15a (14-16) ENOCH ACCURATELY FORETELLS APOSTASY. ?And to these also Enoch prophesied, seventh from Adam, saying, Lo, the Lord came with his holy myriads, 15a to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly.? *Enoch?s warning is 5000 years old, yet still true today. Father, strengthen us in the midst of last day temptation and apostasy. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 20-21 (17-23) APOSTLES SPELL OUT WARNING AND PROTECTION FROM APOSTASY. ?But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy :faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God?s love, looking for the mercy of our :Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.? *This is Your provision Father, that we might be strengthened in temptation?s hour. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 24-25 THE ONE ABLE TO KEEP US FROM APOSTASY. ?Now to him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his :glory blameless in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our :Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before every :age, and now unto all the ages. Amen. *A fitting benediction! Yes, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 4 (3-4) WEEDS IN OUR MIDST! **?For certain men have crept in secretly, who were of old written beforehand unto this :condemnation, ungodly, turning the grace of our :God in lasciviousness, and denying the only Master and our Lord, Jesus Christ.? *Here is a warning of tares or weeds in our midst; bereft of vital relationship in the Kingdom; not walking in a gift of friendship or a circle of covenant love. Jude here quotes from the book of Enoch in his letter. I have read this book, and can understand why God did not include it as part of the Canon of the 66 books of His Bible. The verse Jude quoted is there - and much else also, which I did not find as edifying as what God did select. It is sad but true - more and more evangelical believers are departing from the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. For those of us who have been led by the Spirit to discover with Ivan Panin God?s ?Bible Numeric? Phenomenon in both the Hebrew and Greek Testaments - there is *no doubt* in our minds that what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:37 and Peter in 1:21 of his second epistle - is absolutely in accordance with the *undoubted*veracity of each of our 66 Bible Books. Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man quoted from Genesis, Daniel and Jonah in such a way, that we know where *He*stood for the inspiration of the entire Old Testament! Shouldn?t we stand with Him? As I mentioned in a previous mailing - I was enabled to maintain this faith in a Modernistic Seminary in Canada, because of my grounding in God?s Bible Numerics. I am well aware that present day preachers and people are few who hold to this position. I *know* that each one of us will one day answer to Jesus Christ before His B*E*ma - Judgment Seat - upon His Return. What do you expect that He will then require of us? The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on God?s Bible Numerics as discovered by Panin in 1890 - could be a key for us to know what to expect as our desserts - in that day. I live today seeking to receive a *?Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a few things - enter into the Joy of Your Lord!?*I would hate to be the man who buried his talent in the ground, and brought forth the incredibly harsh but correct judgment of the Lord. We should each one daily live - as being aware that soon we will stand to hear His word of evaluation and judgment. For those of you who would like to join those of us committed to this insight in His Word - turn to our Website <*www.2rbetter.org>*; click on ?Archives?; Scroll down to *<2011.01.02 - Cutting Edge Ministries on Panin> *- Russia?s Gift to Christianity! The Fruit of Panin?s 50 years of labor in Interlinear Format - is now available through ** in book form, and soon also in E-Book format. What Jude quotes concerning Enoch is absolutely reliable. Jesus *is* soon coming again. All that Jude recounts will come under the Lordship of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Walking in the above insights will *most certainly* preserve us from the apostasy that Jude forewarns us of. Jesus was correct. *?Enter by the narrowgate: for wide and spacious is the way that leads unto the destruction, and many are they that enter by it. 14 Because straitened the way that leads unto the life, and few are they that find it? (Matthew 7:14-15). *Beware of listening to relatives, friends or acquaintances who would ask you to *water down* the above on *your* behalf! - Jim Watt *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 11:24-25 THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.? *Are we related to the family of fellow believers? to all mankind? Yes, and You have made our interrelation in your family Father, of *prime* importance! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Oct 17 10:29:42 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:42 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 1-4 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 17, 2012 *JUN 12 - 1 KINGS 1-4 - SOLOMON: KINGDOM ESTABLISHED FIRST* *1. 1:5-6a (1:1-9, ESV) DAVID: ADONIJAH PLOTS IN HIS DECLINING YEARS. ?Now Adonijah the son of Haggith (Exultation) exalted himself, saying, ?I will be king.? And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6a His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, ?Why have you done thus and so??? *There is a danger in our declining years. It is good to pass on responsibility while we are yet alert. David waited too long. *Hallowed by your :name.* *2. 1:11 (1:10-27) SOLOMON: PROTECTED BY NATHAN AND BATHSHEBA. ?Then Nathan said to Bathsheba (Daughter of an oath) the mother of Solomon (Peaceable). ?Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it??? *Thank God for the prophet Nathan! Apart from him, all the good of David?s kingdom might have been lost. Father, we thank You for the wisdom You placed in Nathan. By it he preserved the Kingdom! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:34 (1:28-2:11) SOLOMON: ANOINTED AND CHARGED BY DAVID. ?And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ?Long live King Solomon!?? *What wisdom are in the words of David with which he charged Solomon! All of Adonijah?s plans went awry because of Nathan, Bathsheba and David. Father, we bless You that You look over us in our weakness! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 2:24 (2:12-25) SOLOMON: EXECUTES ADONIJAH. ?Now therefore as the LORD lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.? *With what dispatch Solomon acted concerning Adonijah?s request! O forgive us Father, that we so often fail to discern the seriousness of a situation; or, seeing it, we fail to act with dispatch! Grant us too the wisdom of Solomon! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:31 (2:26-35) SOLOMON: REMOVES ABIATHAR AND EXECUTED JOAB. The king replied to him, ?Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and and from my father?s house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause.? *How *necessary* was this action! Forgive us Father, for often being ?bleeding-heart liberals?, who fail to apprehend the importance of Your Kingdom Government and principles! Strengthen us that we fall not into the temptation of becoming wishy-washy, wimpy leaders. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors.* *6. 2:46 (2:36-46) SOLOMON: EXECUTES SHIMEI. ?Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.? *This make 3 executions and one banishment, all in less that a 4 year period of time. This *had* to be done before the building of the Temple. Father, we see and perceive You in all of this. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:5 (3-4) SOLOMON: WISDOM-ENDOWED AND ESTABLISHED. ?At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ?Ask what I shall give you.?? *What a dream! We will not sell You short, O Great Jehovah Father, concerning Your right to speak to us in *dreams*, as You did to Joseph and Daniel (Job 33:14-18). There are 24 dreamers and 34 recorded dreams in Scripture: 22 in the OT, and 12 in the NT. *And deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 3:9 (3-4) SOLOMON?S REQUEST. **?Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?? *We too need Your wisdom, Father! And what are the chief lessons that we can glean and apply from this reading for us today? Perhaps one that stands out is the counsel David gave his son Solomon just before he died. Joab and Shimei required judgment that David was unable to look after during his life-time. These with Adonijah and Abiathar were attended to in the 4 years of his reign prior to beginning the building of the Temple. For us - before beginning God-given assignments - there are oftentimes tasks to be attended to prior to taking care of the assignments. Then - all of us could learn from the humility of Solomon asking for wisdom to rule God?s people wisely - ahead of any other personal request he might have asked for. God was so pleased with this request, that He granted it above any ruler prior or since in the realm of wisdom! As a bonus He added riches in like measure. We too like Solomon should see the priority of wisdom and understanding above any other goal in seeking God. Solomon was author of 3 books of the Bible: Song of Solomon in his early years; Proverbs as a father; and Ecclesiastes as ?a looking back? on his failures, and a closing word on the chief lesson he learned from his lapses in departing from God?s ways. Solomon means ?peaceable? - and God determined that it took a man of ?Peace? to build His Temple, not a man of wars. When Solomon was born (2 Samuel 12:25) God instructed Nathan to also name him ?Jedidiah? - ?Beloved of the LORD.? Certainly in his early and mid-years, Solomon lived up to this added name. It was only later when he multiplied wives and let them lead him into worshiping their gods - that the anger and wrath of the LORD came upon him, leading to the division of the Kingdom under his son Rehoboam. We should remember that in later years - we too can be led astray and depart from the true and pure worship of the LORD. - Jim Watt *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 12:14 (12) THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man?s hand comes back to him.? *You Father, are not ungrateful to pass over unnoticed our labor of love to You, and to our fellow-man. When we walk by Your Spirit, obeying His leadings according to the mandates of Your Word, a *sure* reward comes, and our needs *are* met! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Oct 18 10:33:00 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:33:00 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 5-8 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 18, 2012 *JUN 13 - 1 KINGS 5-8 - SOLOMON?S TEMPLE AND PALACE* *1. 5:17 (5, ESV) SOLOMON: TEMPLE PREPARATION. ?At the king?s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.? *This was a ?pre-fab? house: all the materials were assembled afore-time. Note the overseers of the work crews: one over every 50; and of top leaders, one over every 10. This is very much like Exodus 18. Father, we marvel at the wisdom of Solomon, but *much more* at the wisdom of Jesus! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 6:7 (6) SOLOMON: TEMPLE BUILDING. ?When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.? *We are *Your * house O Father, being built with Your Kingdom *silently* within us today. But tomorrow, at the return of Your Son, we shall be manifested openly (Romans 8:18-21). *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 7:1 (7:1-12) SOLOMON: HIS HOUSE AND QUEEN?S HOUSE. ?Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.? *Though Solomon?s house took 6 years longer than the Temple to build, yet the Temple surpassed it in Glory and importance. You have *Your own* priority, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 7:21 (7:13-51) SOLOMON: BRASS WORK ON THE TEMPLE. ?He (Hiram) set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin (He will establish), and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz (In Him is strength).? *These two pillars symbolized the Abrahamic Covenant: The Promise and the Covenant: Boaz, in Genesis 17: and the Oath, Jachin, in Genesis 22. The Covenant, symbolized in the Temple pillars; the Temple, fulfilled in Christ at Calvary and Pentecost. See Hebrews 6:17-20 for confirmation to this. We should emphasize what is important in *God?s* sight. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 8:10-11 (8:1-11) SOLOMON: GOD?S GLORY BECAUSE OF ARK! ?And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.? *The conclusion of the building of Moses? Tabernacle, and Pentecost for the church, experienced a similar manifestation of Your Glory, Father. What a signal proof of Your pleasure and approval! *And forgive us our :debts, as we also forgive our :debtors.* *6. 8:27 (8:12-53) SOLOMON: DEDICATION SERMON AND PRAYER. ?But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!? *The Temple was a house to honor Your Name Father, and upon it Your Name was called. But *we*are Your Temple today, and *Your Name* is called upon us! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 8:56 (8:54-66) SOLOMON: BLESSES ISRAEL AND MAKES OFFERING. ?Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.? *How Your ability and accomplishment glorifies Your Name, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 8:63 (8:54-66) SOLOMON?S SACRIFICES AND DEDICATION. **?Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.? *The Abrahamic Covenant; The Solomonic Temple: and Calvary, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost: these 3 are the 3 great events of God?s history! Temple: scored by *tremendous* sacrifices! Upon these 3 all Bible history hangs! There are 3 significant dates in the Bible marked out by God?s Bible Numerics, as discovered by Ivan Panin in 1890. The first is the Abrahamic Covenant, 1896 B.C. It brings out the importance of ?Covenant? from God?s p erspective, especially as in Genesis 17. The apostle Paul confirms this in the book of Galatians. History points to it as a key to understanding so much of the Bible. The ?Temple of Solomon?, 986 B.C., 1000 years later, is the third of the significant dates of God?s Bible. It deserves our deep meditation upon it. It points forward to the New Testament Temple of God in the Church, the ?One New Man?. When Herod?s Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman Caesar Titus, causing all Temple sacrifices to cease since that time - God ably through the apostle Paul pointed out that the Atoning death of His Son, our Lord Jesus - laid the foundation for the *true* Temple of God, to which He was leading for the past 4000 years. We learn *much* of God?s thinking on the Church by studying the Types and Shadows contained in the Temple of Solomon. David?s 7-fold preparation for its building is also highly significant. But the 3rd significant date in God?s Bible of 66 books - 30 A.D. - is the Key, and Capstone of the three! It is the Death, burial, Resurrection, Ascension and Giving forth of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost! All previous history looked forward through the prophets to this event! All subsequent history looks back to that event and its significance. In this event - ?We feed on the *Merits* of Calvary, through *You*, Christ Jesus our Lord!? And yet - we are *not* to camp about the Cross, but about the *Throne*! ?We *camp* ?round the Throne of God?s Heav?n above! - through *You*, Christ Jesus our Lord!? Perhaps the following analogy will help us to understand God?s perspective on the Cross and the Throne. Our solar system pursues its course as an * ellipse* with two foci, *not* a circle with one center. The first focus is that of our sun, around which our earth makes circuit each year. But the second focus is in darkness and we move around it in winter, while the former is our summer. In like manner, Jesus is *our* Son - the Son of Righteousness, around whom we travel. But our Father?s Throne is shrouded in darkness. It is *here* we are to camp, following our reception of Christ?s ?Finished Work? at the Cross! By our identification with Him in death and burial in Romans 6 - and then identification with Him in His Resurrection, Ascension and Gift (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8) - then we truly have entered into the ?Exchanged Life? of Galatians 2:20 and John 15:1-16. So - through Identification we receive *all* that the Cross of Christ has made available to us. We then through Identification *ascend* to be seated *with Him* in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:1-6). It is then in our understanding of the above that we - like the earth - rotate around *both* the Cross and the Throne. But it is at the Throne in God?s Heavenly Places, with Jesus Christ now at His right hand - that we *camp*! If we camp around the Cross alone - we miss the Victory and Joy of the Resurrected and Ascended life. Holiness movements camped around the Cross - moved in that dimension. But those like George Muller, Rees Howells & Andrew Murray, and Oswald Chambers, who have died to themselves in Identification with Christ at the Cross - and with Him in identification ascended to the Throne to *there*encamp - we like them - can make Paul?s confession of Galatians 2:20. May God bless us each one so that we make *our* encampment around the Throne, having first received *all* of the merits of Christ at Calvary! Then - we have become fellow-members of the Jew & Gentile Church, the * fulfillment* of the ?Temple of Solomon?. *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 13:13 THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.? *Why is this so obtuse to so many? It is really crystal clear, and Your Son Father, perfectly exemplified it before us. How we thank You for the beautiful characteristics, obedience and balance in Jesus! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Oct 22 11:14:43 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:14:43 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 9-11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 22, 2012 *JUN 14 - 1 KINGS 9-11 - SOLOMON: HIS GLORY AND LAPSES* *1. 9:3 (9:1-9, ESV) SOLOMON: GOD CONFIRMS COVENANT WITH DAVID. And the LORD said to him, ?I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.? *We notice Father, that Your Covenant with Solomon is *conditional*: conditional upon his obedience of faith! This is proper and just. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 9:13 (9:10-28) SOLOMON: ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF FIRST 20 YEARS. Therefore he * *(Hiram) said, ?What kind of cities are these that you have given me, my brother?? So they are called the land of Cabul to this day.? *What David started in the establishment of his kingdom, Solomon consummated by garrisoning the major cities. *This* solidifies a kingdom! Yet his treatment of Hiram and Pharaoh's daughter has in it the seeds of trouble! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 10:7 (10:1-10) SOLOMON: QUEEN OF SHEBA COMMENDS HIM. ?But I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.? *Seldom is a woman?s curiosity *more* than satisfied. Both the inner wisdom and the outer glory of this kingdom must have been staggering! Father, we bless you that You are with us both in times of abasement and times of abounding! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 10:21 (10:11-23) SOLOMON: HIS WEALTH. ?All King Solomon?s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of sliver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.? *Not even the mafia or the billionaires of our day could match the splendor and glory of the days of Solomon. O forgive us Father, that we limit You, the Holy One of Israel, Who has done *much more* than this in the wisdom of *Jesus*, and in the glory of the lilies of the field. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 11:4 (10:24-11:8) SOLOMON: FIVE STEPS IN HIS DOWNFALL. ?For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.? *David is our plumbline, and along side of him, his son Solomon *woefully* failed! O the dangers of old age! O the danger of great wealth! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 11:9-10 (11:9-25) SOLOMON: PROPHETIC JUDGMENT AND ADVERSARIES. ?And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he would not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded.? **This* ought to strike fear in our hearts Father, and cause us to *tremble* at your word (Isaiah 66:2). *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 11:31 (11:26-43) SOLOMON: PROPHETIC JUDGMENT AND JEROBOAM. And Ahijah said to Jeroboam, ?Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ?Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes.?? *This is *righteous* judgment on Your part, O Great Jehovah Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 11:11 (11:9-25) SOLOMON: HEARS GOD?S JUDGMENT. **Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ?Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.? **This* is a word of serious judgment! Solomon started out his reign so well. We need to remember the word: ?Take heed when you stand, lest you fall!? There are few of us that enter into a place of intimacy with God so deep and so rewarding as David. He from this became a man after God?s own heart. Even when he sinned, when confronted - he immediately repented and regained his walk with God. David had great riches - but he made them all available to Solomon for the building of God?s Temple. Riches for him did not become an idol or a snare. He use them for the glory of God, not for his own self-aggrandizement. George Muller observed the life of Jesus during His 33 years upon earth. Riches were *not* the goal of His life. He walked by faith - especially in the last 3 years of His life and ministry. So Muller did *not* have as the goal of His life the amassing of great riches. He died in his 90?s with very little left in his will for others. John Wesley walked a parallel walk. I look upon the Outlined Interlinear, God?s Bible Numeric New Testament as a means for the blessing of leaders, teachers and people; not for the amassing of great wealth. What financial gain comes from it, may ?Missions? - especially to Israel? - be its chief goal. George Muller mightily helped in ?Faith Missions? - especially for the ?China Inland Mission? raised up by Hudson Taylor, a man with parallel goals. So - let *not* Solomon be our example - but men like David and the above. The United States and Canada have all too-often been like the tribe of Dan. So many have made riches their primary goal - and have from this been led into idolatry, the fruit of covetousness. *Our Chapter of Proverbs for the day: 14:26-27 ?In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.? **Your* fear O Great Jehovah Father, is the *secret* of a life hid with You in Christ! We desire *this life*, that the great saints have learned and walked in! Come, Lord Jesus, and take Your place on the Throne of our lives. Come in *Him*, Father, and we *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Oct 23 12:46:33 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:46:33 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 12-14 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 23, 2012 *JUN 15 - 1 KINGS 12-14 - REHOBOAM: KINGDOM DIVIDED WITH JEROBOAM* *1. 12:15 (12:1-15, ESV) REHOBOAM: HIS FOLLY. ?So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.? *What foolish counsel from his young men did Rehoboam settle for! But it was of *You* Father, because of the sins of Solomon! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 12:20 (12:16-20) JEROBOAM: MADE KING OF THE 10 TRIBES. ?And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.? **This* was the consequence of Solomon?s sin! We meditate upon Your judgment Father, and profit from it! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 12:24 (12:21-24) REHOBOAM: OBEYS PROPHECY AND AVOIDS CIVIL WAR. ?Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.? So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD. *This was at least one wise thing Rehoboam did. Father, You judge us when needed, and may we like Rehoboam heed your word of judgment. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 12:28 (12:25-33) JEROBOAM: HIS EVIL REIGN. ?So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, ?You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.?? *All Jeroboam did in this was for fear of man and ?head and shoulders? counsel. O forgive us Father, that we too often fall and resort to human expedience because of fear of man! Just like King Saul! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 13:2 (13) JEROBOAM AND THE PROPHET. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, ?O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ?Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offering on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.?? *What a remarkable prophecy: naming Josiah long before his birth! O strengthen us in temptation's hour Father, that we *doubt not* words which You have spoken! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 14:13 (14:1-20) JEROBOAM: JUDGMENT AND DEATH. ?And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.? *The way of the transgressor is * hard*! Not one good king reigned over divided Israel, though this son might have been an exception. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 14:27 (14:21-31) REHOBOAM: APOSTASY, JUDGMENT AND DEATH. ?And King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king?s house.? *How the glory of the LORD had departed: from gold to brass! This is sin?s reward. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE: 13:18 (13) THE PROPHET?S DISOBEDIENCE. And he said to him, ?I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ?Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.?? But he lied to him. * This was a terrible lie on the part of the old prophet, which cost the young prophet his life. O give us discernment and obedience in these matters, Father.* * A divided Kingdom! Because of the sin of King Solomon! Yet in the midst of all of this, God did *not* forget His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! The *land* is a *perpetual* lease to the united Kingdom of Israel. It is *not* to be divided with Ishmael (the Palestinians etc.). It?s borders have been laid out by the LORD as in the days of Solomon. Ahmadinejad can rant and rave and boast all he wants - and such ravings remain what they are: *foolish*! Read Psalm 2 to see what God thinks of the foolish boast of man! So what follows in this section concerning the divided Kingdom continues. British Israel has made foolish conclusions concerning this (They call DENmark after the tribe of DAN!) The Latter Rain Visitation of 1948 soon fell into this trap through its leader! Levi because of Jeroboam?s 2 calf-tactics - returned to Judah, plus remnants of each of the 10 tribes. They wanted to retain *God?s* pattern for the Feasts of the LORD - not Jeroboam?s heathenish tactics! Anna the prophetess of the tribe of Asher is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. *She*wasn?t lost! James in his NT letter addressed the 12 tribes scattered abroad (the Diaspora), as not lost in his day. It seems that it will take nothing less than the Return of our Lord Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords - to straighten out our present day confusion! We with *hope* and joy await that glad day, which is *soon* upon us! *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 15:33 PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.? *Yes, and You *correct* us, and wash our feet and the dirt out with our fellow servants and leaders before them, Father! We must submit one to another in humility before You exalt us. Jesus set this example, and in and for all of this we *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Oct 24 12:02:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:02:18 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 15-22 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 24, 2012 *JUN 16 - 1 KINGS 15-22 - JUDAH KINGS: ABIJAH TO JEHOSHAPHAT* *1. 15:5 (15:1-8) ABIJAM: SPARED BECAUSE OF DAVID. For David?s sake ?Because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.? *In *Your* estimation Father, David really failed in but one matter throughout his entire life! This is remarkable. Truly he *is* the plumbline for all kings to follow, and a type of the King of kings, *Jesus*! In David we see the manifestation of Your Kingdom in type! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 15:14 (15:9-15) ASA: JUDAH?S FIRST GOOD KING, BUT FOR HIGH PLACES. ?But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.? *Only two kings beside David removed the high places (2 COR 10:3-5; ROM 12:1-2), Hezekiah and Josiah. This is another aspect of David as a plumbline. Father, our desire is that every thought be brought into captivity of Christ. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 15:23 (15:16-24) ASA: HIS REIGN AND DEATH. ?Now the rest of the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.? *We read all this and ponder. And we marvel at Your grace in all of this, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 22:4 (22:1-40) JEHOSHAPHAT: ENDANGERED BY A BAD ALLIANCE. And he said to Jehoshaphat, ?Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?? and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, ?I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.? *This was a very foolish and sinful alliance; Jehoshaphat paid dearly for this. Father, forgive us for alliances that we make with sinful, rebellious and unrepentant people! *Even * in the light of clear prophetic warning! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 22:42 (22:41-42) JEHOSHAPHAT: SECOND GOOD KING IN JUDAH. ?Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother?s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.? *Asa and Jehoshaphat: the first two good kings in Judah following the kingdom disruption, though with neither were the high placed removed! Father, strengthen us that when tempted we leave *not* the high places in our mind! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 22:43 (22:43-47) JEHOSHAPHAT: THE HIGH PLACES. ?And he walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.? *Father help us *not* to forget Your *adamancy* concerning *high places*! We would walk perfectly before You like David, Hezekiah and Josiah. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 22:48 (22:48-50) JEHOSHAPHAT: HIS NAVY AND DEATH. ?Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.? **This* was because of Jehoshaphat?s alliance with wicked Ahaziah, son of Ahab. Jehoshaphat apparently could not overcome his predilection to make these unfortunate alliances! But *we*would have you *completely* Father, like David. *NOTE**: 22:46 (22:43-47) JEHOSHAPHAT AND SODOMITES. **?And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.? **This* is *commendable*! Male prostitutes are called ?dogs?, and are an *abomination* in Your sight, O Great Jehovah Father! *The Proper Perspective** - ?My Utmost for His Highest? - Oswald Chambers - 2012-10-24* ?*Thanks be to God* *who always leads us in triumph in Christ? - 2 Corinthians 2:14* The proper perspective of a servant of God must not simply be as near to the highest as he can get, but it must be *the* highest. Be careful that you vigorously maintain God?s perspective, and remember that it must be done every day, little by little. Don?t think on a finite level. No outside power can touch the proper perspective. The proper perspective to maintain is that we are here for only one purpose - to be captives marching in the procession of Christ?s triumphs. We are not on display in God?s showcase - we are here to exhibit only one thing - the ?captivity [of our lives] to the obedience of Christ? (2 Corinthians 10:5). How small all the other perspectives are! For example, the ones that say, ?I am standing all alone, battling for Jesus,? or, ?I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold down this fort for Him.? But Paul said in essence, ?I am in the procession of a conqueror, and it doesn?t matter what the difficulties are, for I am always led in triumph.? Is this idea being worked out practically in us? Paul?s secret joy was that God took him as a blatant rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive - and that became his purpose. It was Paul?s joy to be a captive of the Lord, and he had no other interest in heaven or on earth. It is a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about getting the victory. We should belong so completely to the Victor that it is always His victory, and ?we are more than conquerors through Him ...? (Romans 8:37). ?We are to God the fragrance of Christ ...? (2 Corinthians 2:15). We are encompassed with the sweet aroma of Jesus, and wherever we go we are a wonderful refreshment to God. *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 16:6-7 THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?By steadfast love (CHEsed) and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. 7 When a man?s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.? **First* Your * fear*, then Your blessing, O great Jehovah Father Teach us so that we not only learn this principle, but that it is *part* of us, written on our hearts, habitual! Then will we naturally and joyfully *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Oct 26 14:04:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:04:08 -0700 Subject: The Word is Jesus! Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 26, 2012 *2012-10-26 - THE WORD (LOgos) is JESUS! - JOHN 1:1 * 1. The *Word* of God - is *Jesus*! - The *True* Order. There is a *false* *New Order* - which puts prophecy, revelation, the Gifts of the Spirit, Man?s traditions - *ahead of* the *Word of God*! All such are false, deceptive, some even demonic instigated. 2. And what is *God?s* Last Day Secret to understand and Destroy such deception? Russia?s Gift to Christianity through ?Bible Numerics? - as God allowed Ivan Panin to discover in 1890; plus the Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph structure of the New Testament; plus ?Bible Chronology? of 245 dates in 8 periods based on Bible Numerics - 21 of these 245 ?significant? - 3 of these 21 - exceptionally significant. The whole Bible hangs on these three. 3. Bible Numerics is a Mathematical Proof of the Divine Inspiration of God?s Bible of 66 Books - 39 in Hebrew - 27 in Greek the only two world languages with no numerical equivalents. 4. The ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on the Greek and English New Testament texts of Panin come out this month, 70 years after Panin?s death in 1942. The *timing* is of God to prepare for the Return of His Son! 5. See John 1:1 - ?*In the beginning the Word (LOgos) was,* En ARch*e* *e*n ho LOgos, *and the Word was with :God,* kai ho LOgos *e*n pros ton THEon, *and the Word was God.* kai THEos *e*n ho LOgos. Jesus and His Word - all 66 Hebrew and Greek books - are *one!* Jesus and His Word are *one*, and *He* is one with the Father, and is God. To *put down* His Word, is to put down Jesus! One very dear friend of mine said - ?I could knock Paul?s head off with a rolling-pin, for saying it isn?t 50/50? (Ephesians 5:22-33). Only one problem! The Paul who wrote these words - he did by revelation of Jesus Christ through the Spirit. The 14 New Testament letters of Paul are *not* his words - but *truly* the words of our Lord Jesus. *All* we think, say, do and live - must therefore be judged by the Plumbline of the Word (LOgos) - which is the Living Jesus! 6. See 2 Corinthians 14:37 - *If any think himself to be a prophet or spiritual,* *let him take knowledge of what things I write you,* *that** **it is the Lord?s commandment!* To reject what Paul writes - is to reject the Lord Himself! 7. See also 2 Peter 1:21 - ?*For no prophecy was ever borne by man?s will;* *but men spoke from God,* *being borne on by the Holy Spirit!* Jesus by the Holy Spirit produced the 66 books of the Bible. No other world religion can claim such, and see it confirmed by Bible Numerics! *Not* the Koran of Islam - nor the holy books of the Hindus or the Buddhists! *Our Bible* is unique - because it truly *is* *God?s Book*, infallibly and mathematically proven by Bible Numerics. 8. Many modern day preachers and teachers have *departed* from God?s ordained Bible Standards! They call their human interpretations and traditions: a ?New Order!? In 1948 in Wisconsin, I preached before a group of Latter Rain leaders. George Hawtin as their leader concluded in my hearing - ?He?s ?Old Order? - that is - he goes by God?s Bible, not *our* New Order interpretations on the basis of *our* prophecies, revelations and traditions! Again in 1972 I was confronted by a group of Latter Rain leaders, one of the 8 daughter movements. A lady pastor after hearing my defense concluded - He?s ?Old Order? - he puts God?s Bible ahead of *our* prophecies, revelations and traditions. 9. In October 1948 in Edmonton, Alberta, I presented the promise of God to restore the ?Heavenly Choir?, which took place at the close of the meeting. At the same conference I presented 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 to a brother who in the meeting refused to obey the word of an apostle, a prophet, or a teacher. He said the Spirit would not allow him to sit down until he delivered the word God had given him. I immediately recognized the contradiction between what he said, and what the word of God here reads: ?*(and the spirits of prophets are **subject to prophets;* *33 for :God is not a God of confusion, but of peace).* *as in all the churches of the saints.?* I politely read this verse to the visiting brother. He thanked me, and immediately sat down. Pastor Ern Baxter was present to evaluate this 1948 Visitation. As we met later on he said, ?I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet - but I prophesy that you have too much of the *Word* in you to remain long with these leaders. Marie and I, after talking with these leaders concerning the beginning of an extreme position on ?The Manifestation of the sons of God? - left the following March of 1949. 10. One can follow up in confirmation on the importance of God?s word over *all* of man?s words, by turning to *;* Click on ?Latter Rain? Directory (12th down from the top); Scroll down to #4 - ?The Manifest sons of God of the Latter Rain Movement.? The tendencies toward this started by December of 1948 - and were one of the causes why Marie and I left the movement. 11. There were actually 6 aberrations that started to take place from that time - this one in particular even before the first year of the Visitation was complete. During that year I was at a desk at the Summer Conference of 1948 at North Battleford, Saskatchewan, at which I had been appointed as one of the 7 elders. As I was working on a Greek Word Study, and outlining and forming the Interlinear from Panin?s 2 NT texts, George Hawtin looked over my shoulder and said, ?I wish to God, Jimmy, that I could do what you are doing.? I said nothing in reply, but thought: ?What will happen to this Move, if you *don?t*?!!? 12. In 2008, 60 years after the 1948 Visitation, Dr. John Roddam challenged me: You are the last of the seven 1948 Summer Camp Meeting Elders of that year. We should document the ?pros and cons? of what you and Marie witnessed atthat time. And there *are* ?pros and cons? from those days! There was a spirit of prayer and fasting that brought a definite sense of the presence of God. There isn?t a revival of the past that hasn?t had both ?pros and cons?. John Wesley tried to put out the ?wild-fire? from the revivals he experienced. The problem: the *fire* went out too! Wesley learned that like God, he had to put up with both. However, when truly unscriptural doctrines are taught and practiced; *these*must be confronted. First is the Word - LOgos - Jesus - at the heart of this. And - dreams, visions, prophecies, revelations, gifts of the Spirit, human traditions - must *all* take a subservient position! Turn to **. There you will find ?*The Fire Continues - Sixty Years Later?. * Ten 30-minute segments on 3 DVD?s: at $25.00 Canadian and US price. It does list 6 departures from the Word, including the ?British Israel? Replacement Theology; and ?Ultimate Reconciliation?. It is listed under ?Biographies/Testimonies? -Norlynn Audio Visual Services. Dr. Roddam as a ?Talk-show host? leads Marie and me through these 10 segments. 13. The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? by Ivan Panin & James Watt is now available in Book Form (and soon in E-book format). At present , can be ordered through *. *It is undergirded by Ivan Panin?s favorite verse from Isaiah 66:2b (ESV) - ?*But this is the one to whom I will look declares the LORD:* *he who is humble and contrite in spirit* *and trembles at my word.?* George Muller, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, Oswald Chambers, Rees Howells, Andrew Murray, Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur - were but a few who were with Panin in this sentiment. How few today understand that the ?fear of God? is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge - and who tremble at God?s Word, are making Him *one* with His Word! 14. The New Testament is in the Old contained; the Old, is *by the New*explained! The Church - is *not* Jews under the legalism of the Old Covenant. *We* are redeemed Jews and Gentiles in the One New Man - the Church - under the New Covenant! Ponder on Hebrews 7-10 especially to see this. The Old Testament for the Church contains ?Types and Shadows? fulfilled in the New Covenant in Jesus! Like the Galatians - beware of again being drawn into the legalism and bondage of the Judaizers of Jesus? day. 15. The Ocean Analogy presented by Panin gripped me to see the importance of the whole Bible in context. He set forward that to analyze one drop of ocean water, is to find within it in *trace form* - all the constituent elements of the ocean. *This* bears out the word of James in 3:1, that ?*we should not seek to be many teachers,* *knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation.?* God has so had His 33 known writers of His 66 Bible Books to write - that there are *no* contradictions - for it is really the Lord through His Spirit directing them all to write *His* revelation for us! Spurgeon challenged that if any man can keep out of the ministry without sinning against God - he should do so! This was my goal until He called me at the age of 19 - before I even knew Him. Up till then I was running from His call. 16. But - it is not enough to know His LOgos-Word with *head-knowledge*. Through the ?Exchanged Life? of Hudson Taylor (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6; John 15:1-16) - we must learn to transform the LOgos into the R*E*ma-Word of Spirit and Life! *This* is what Jesus said His words were - John 6:63 (6:60-65). 17. *Then* we can use the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? to meditate upon it, and fulfill Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 19:14. In other words - the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is *not* an end in itself - it is a *means* to an end - and the ?Exchanged Life? is a condition or key to make Bible Meditation effective and what God intends it to be! *Then* Christ lives in and through us! *Then* Galatians 2:20 becomes a *reality* for us - just as it was for Paul. So in this - we find proof that we are to return to God?s *Old Order* of putting his ?Word? - *both* LOgos and R*E*ma - *above* human tradition, prophecy, revelation, dreams and visions, gifts of the Spirit, and *all* New Age occultism. God raised up Panin in 1890 to make this more practical and effective. Join me in entering into *God?s* purposes - *not* man?s! Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Oct 27 12:35:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:35:12 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 15-22 - Outline - Israel's kings Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 27, 2012 *JUN 17 - 1 KINGS 15-22 - ISRAEL KINGS: NADAB TO AHAZIAH* *1. 15:26 (15:25-26, ESV) NADAB: HIS BRIEF AND EVIL REIGN. ?And Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.? *Like father, like son: the second king of Israel followed in his father?s footsteps. What a responsibility fathers have for both natural *and spiritual* seed! *This*is a Kingdom principle! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 15:29 (15:27-16:7) BAASHA: A REIGN OF JUDGMENT. ?And as soon as he was king, Baasha killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.? *Your judgments Father, are sure! Help us to perceive the lessons of this passage! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 16:12 (16:8-20) ELAH AND ZIMRI. ?Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet.? *Judgment upon judgment: when will mankind learn that the wages of sin is *death*? Father, Your righteous judgments are *just*; they are righteous altogether. Yet in justice You remember mercy! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 16:25-26a (16:21-28) OMRI: HIS WICKED REIGN AND DEATH. ?Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26a For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.? *Iniquity not repented of becomes compounded. O forgive us Father, that we fail to raise up an intercessor to stand in the gap, to build Your Kingdom righteously, and to roll back the tide of iniquity. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 16:31 (16:29-34) AHAB: COMMENCES HIS EVIL REIGN. ?And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.?* This is a terrible* *commentary upon the downward trend of a nation sold to ever increasing iniquity through its kings. The new sin of Jezebel exceeded all else. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors! * *6. 17:1 (17:1-22:40) AHAB: A RUNNING CONFRONTATION WITH PROPHETS. ?Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ?As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.?? *We should read this and weep. Surely by Your prophets Father, You sought to arrest the downward trend of Israel in its wicked ways. *Yet*, You make the wrath of man to praise You! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 22:52-53 (22:51-53) AHAZIAH: HIS EVIL REIGN. ?He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 53 He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.? *And in all Your judgments upon such sin Father, You proved Your righteousness and holiness! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 16:32-33 (16:29-34) AHAB: EXCEEDED THE SIN OF ALL PREDECESSORS! ** ?He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.? **Judgment*: for *all* that Ahab worked! We must remember that God?s dealing with Israel of old under the Old Covenant - is different from His dealings with the Church under the New Covenant. The book of Hebrews clearly point out that the Old Covenant was imperfect - a ?stop-gap? as it were to hold sin down - until God?s Messiah - our Lord Jesus Christ should come - to do away with the penalty of sin and make reconciliation with God through the sacrifice of Himself as Son of Man - and by His Gift (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit, to provide for us a life enabling us to *overcome* as we walk in the Spirit. This is *such* a transformation, that many look back on the Old Testament, and either whole or in part - enable themselves to be held back by the legalism and bondage of the old. Let us remember - that the book of Hebrews continually contrasts the two, always telling us that the New is *better*! We are free! We are *not* as Church members to be bound by the bondage of the Old! The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus - has made us *free*from the bondage of the Old Covenant, which is the law of sin and death. Read prayerfully and meditate over and over the book of Galatians. *This* is God?s word to make us free of the past, and to *maintain* for us this freedom. George Muller saw this - and Charles Spurgeon and Rees Howells and countless others. If you would take a painful but bondage-releasing trip - turn to *< www.letusreason.org*> - and click and scroll through relevant articles on this subject. You will at first find it most unsettling - but soon you will find yourself entering into a freedom from the bondage of the past., Also - avail yourself of God?s ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on God?s Bible Numeric discovery made by Russian Ivan Panin in 1890. God prepared me for this as an unbeliever in 1942 by calling me into the Navy. Here He promised me to reveal Himself. I obeyed, and 9 months following this act of obedience, on Passover of 1944, *He did so*! I have never been the same since. Then in July of that same year, he dropped in my lap the discoveries made by Ivan Panin. By these, I was saved out of Modernism in May of 1948; and later that year I was saved out of the ?New Order? of the Latter Rain. The ?Old Order? which I was able to maintain - is keeping to God?s Word as in Matthew 15:1-14. Here Jesus told the religious Jewish leaders of His day - that - they *made void* the *word of God* by their *traditions*. *All* prophecy, revelation, teachings, dreams and visions, gifts of the Spirit - *must be*judged by the 27 books of the New Covenant! The Types and Shadows of the Old Covenant help us to understand the New - but the Law of the Old - is * not* to be walked in by those of us who have accepted Christ and His New Covenant! Jesus is *one* with the New Covenant, and is Himself *that*Covenant - and He is also the *Word* (LOgos) of the New Covenant. Many teachings and revelations and dreams and prophecies are circulating around throughout the church today - which *do not* correspond with God?s New Covenant. They - like the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus? day - *make void* the Word of God. They are *New Order*, having *departed* from the Old Order of God?s Word, which is clearly set forth in God?s Bible Numeric Greek and English NT provided by Ivan Panin - after 50 years of 100,000 hours of labor. By the commission of God which He gave me in 1944, I have put together and *outlined* these two texts into an ?Outlined Interlinear NT? which can now be obtained at *. *I have spent some 50,000 hours in this commission, which has been completed on the 70th anniversary of Panin?s death, and the 70th anniversary of God?s commission for me to join the Navy, where following my conversion, I was to receive the following commission to complete what Panin started. I stand truly as *free* from the traditions of men that would bind me from walking in the Word of God. I will *not* allow such ?New Order? tradition to *make void* the Word of God for me. This has *not* been an easy walk or assignment for me. Satan *hates* what God has created through Bible Numerics: 4000 years ago in Hebrew; 3000 years ago in Greek; revealed to Panin in 1890; consummated in 2012 through the printing and publishing of this Interlinear text. There are some of you like me - who will *hear* this word - respond like I did in 1942 and 1944, and likewise be freed from the ?New Order? of man?s traditions! When you turn to **, be sure to read the testimony of Mike Oppenheimer, its Founder and Director. As a Jew, he was saved out of the New Age and Eastern religious movements. He like myself has *rejected*the ?New Order? of the traditions of man - not allowing them to make void the ?Old Order? of the Word of God. Many of his articles will help ground you in the purity of the Word of God - and escape the seductive siren calls of false religions. Click on ?About the Director? at the top of the Home Page, and read ?My Testimony? (Mike Oppenheimer). - JAWatt *Our chapter from Proverbs for this day: 17:3 THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.? *See Malachi 3:1-4. We *cannot* be a fit offering to You Father, until Your Messenger of the Covenant purifies us with fire as gold and silver. We accept your revelation and will in this, submit to it and bless You for it! Yes, we *Hallow your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Oct 30 10:59:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:59:39 -0700 Subject: 1 Kings 17-21 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 30, 2012 *JUN 18 - 1 KINGS 17-21 - ELIJAH: GOD?S PROPHET TO ISRAEL* *1. 17:24 (17:1-24, ESV) ELIJAH: MIRACLES DURING FAMINE. ?And the woman said to Elijah, ?Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.?? *Here we find Your true words Father, in the mouth of Your servant, a man of God. Your true words spoken in Your Name bring to pass Kingdom manifestations! * Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 18:17-18 (18:1-20) ELIJAH CONFRONTS AHAB. ?When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ?Is it you, you troubler of Israel?? 18 And he answered, ?I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father?s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals.? *Good for Elijah! We need to be true and faithful confronters of workers of iniquity on Your behalf, Father! Even kings, rulers, leaders and presidents! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 18:30b-32a (18:21-46) ELIJAH CONFRONTS PROPHETS OF BAAL. ?And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, ?Israel shall be your name,? 32a and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD.? *Here is Elijah acting as restorer of Israel?s inheritance! We note Father, his careful restoration first of Your altar: 12 stones, and then 12 barrels of water. And *You* answered with fire! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 19:18. (19) ELIJAH: PREPARATION FOR REPLACEMENT. ?Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.? *Even a man of God can suffer discouragement and despondency! Thank You Father, that Elijah was a man of like passions like us. This treasure is in *earthen* vessels. O forgive us for making more of Your servants that we ought! It is *You* in us that is our Glory! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 20:28b (20) MAN OF GOD: HELPS AHAB. Thus says the LORD, ?Because the Syrians have said, ??The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,? therefore I will give all this multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.? *Here You are working for Your own Name?s sake Father, even through a wicked man. Yes, You *do* make the wrath of man to praise You! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 21:7 (21:1-16) ELIJAH?S WICKED ENEMIES: JEZEBEL AND AHAB. ?And Jezebel his wife said to him, ?Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.? *O what a wicked woman, this Jezebel, who egged her husband on to greater wickedness! But we bless You Father, that You can deliver us from *all* that the evil one raises up against us! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 21:27 (21:17-29) ELIJAH: CONFRONTS AHAB OVER NABOTH. ?And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly.? *This is an amazing reaction, and leads us to note Father, that the most renegade sinner, *You*can bring to repentance! There is *nothing* too difficult for You! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 18:36b-37 (18:21-46) ELIJAH?S EXULTING DECLARATION! ?O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.? *Not many words in the prayer, but how effective! Teach us to pray the prayer of faith Father, as You taught Elijah! King Ahab of Israel is an example of the danger of marrying the wrong kind of wife. Ahab was a wicked man - but his wife caused his wickedness to multiply. Even though later in life he had a remarkable repentance - yet his own wickedness could not be undone. The Northern 10 tribes of Israel went into captivity to Assyria, some 130 years preceding the captivity of Judah. And what of the place God?s prophet Elijah played in all of this? *Much*! Chiefly in his confrontation of Jezebel?s prophets of Baal and the grove. And how did he achieve this outstanding success? *Not* by devising a plan himself - but by following the word of the LORD in every detail. The NT writer James tells us that Elijah was a man of like passions like us. He was tempted with fear and loneliness, and had to receive rebuke and correction from God. But prior to his flight from Jezebel - he followed the plan of God exactly! On the top of Mount Carmel he rebuilt the broken-down altar of the LORD. He took 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel for this. He put the sacrifice upon wood with no fire. As a matter of fact, before he prayed, he had 12 barrels of water poured upon the wood and sacrifice, even filling the ditch surrounding the altar. Then in a prayer of less than 70 words - he called upon Jehovah to vindicate his obedience to the Word of the LORD. And *God* answered by fire - even consuming the wood, the 12 stones and the water in the ditch! (God previously did the same for Moses at the dedication of the Tabernacle; and for Solomon at the dedication of the Temple; and later for Jesus on the day of Pentecost for His sacrifice of Himself at Calvary.) And the result? The people of Israel forsook Baal and his prophets - and for a while returned to the true worship of Jehovah. The final section the Holy Spirit had the writer to record, was the very evil counsel of Jezebel in having righteous Naboth murdered. But - his land did *not* go to Ahab as planned. God sent Elijah to confront him. Soon he died an ignominious death, and dogs lapped up his blood from the chariot. And soon Jezebel was cast out a window by eunuchs, and dogs ate all but the palms of her hand and her skull. (Dogs in Bible times were not like the pet dogs of today.) The wheels of God?s justice to us ofttimes appear to grind slow - but in His time - they grind exceedingly small! The lesson from this section leaps out of the page at us. *Righteousness*exalts a nation - but *sin* is a reproach to any people! *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 18:21 (18) THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.? *David understood this, and asked You Father, to set a watch before his mouth, and to *keep* the door of his lips (Psalm 141:3). We * hallow* Your Name, when You guard us from taking Your Name in vain! * * * TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Oct 31 10:17:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:17:10 -0700 Subject: 2 Kings 1-3 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* October 31, 2012 *JUN 19 - 2 KINGS 1-3 - ELISHA: BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY* *1. 1:15b-16 (1, ESV) ELIJAH: FORETELLS DEATH OF AHAZIAH. So Elijah arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, ?Thus says the LORD, ?Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron - is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? - therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.? *It is dangerous to mess with a prophet, a true man of God. Through him Your true Kingdom O Father, is made manifest. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 2:9 (2:1-12) ELISHA: RECEIVES MANTLE OF ELIJAH. ?When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ?Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.? And Elisha said, ?Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.?? *This is a bold request! Father, make us like Elisha, one who *hungered* and *thirsted* after righteousness. We would let *Your*will be done in us as it is in heaven! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 2:14 (2:13-18) ELISHA: DRAMATICALLY COMMENCES HIS MINISTRY. ?Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, ?Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?? And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.? *Elijah had been noted through signs, wonders and miracles; nowElisha had joined him. *You* confirmed their words in this way, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 2:22 (2:19-22) ELISHA: HEALS WATER AND BARREN LAND. ?So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.? *This is a powerful word! O forgive us Father, that so few of us have the zeal and desire of Elisha to so press in, that it is right for You to honor Your word through us. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2:24 (2:23-25) ELISHA: IRREVERENCE CURSED. ?And Elisha turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.? *When we mock Your servants, we mock *You*, O Great Jehovah Father. When Israel rejected Samuel, they rejected *You*. We take warning from these youths. May we walk softly before You in Your fear. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 3:14-15 (3:1-15) ELISHA: REBUKES ALLIANCE OF JEHOSHAPHAT AND JEHORAM. And Elisha said, ?As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.? And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. *Music restores us to prophetic usefulness, even though we stand in your presence, Father! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 3:16, 18 (3:16-27) ELISHA: PROPHESIES WATER AND VICTORY. And he said, ?Thus says the LORD, ?I will make this dry streambed full of pools.? 18 This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also give the Moabites into your hand.? *What a powerful word! No word from You Father, is void of power. You *watch over* Your word to perform it! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:15 (1) ELIJAH: RECEIVES GOD?S WORD. **Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, ?Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.? So he arose and went down with him to the king. *We should not be afraid of the ministry of angels; yet neither should we go looking for this, nor be tempted to worship Your messengers, Father. Elisha asked from Elijah a double portion of the Spirit. In Israeli history, the first-born son receives a double portion over and above the following sons. So Joseph received in Ephraim and Manasseh 2 parts in the 12 tribe over against his brothers. This is what Elisha was asking of Elijah - a double portion as his spiritual first-born. and - there are those who have checked through the miracles performed by these two - and discovered that Elisha performed twice those of Elijah. However - just as Jacob as the father of Joseph superseded him in honor as a member of the three Israeli patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - so Jesus said that for Elijah - none superseded him among OT prophets - and this included Elisha. *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 19:17 (19) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.? *We lend to You Father, when we give to the poor. Charles H. Spurgeon knew and practiced this *well*. O teach us that when we walk in this truth - we are *Hallowing your :name!* * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 10:41:05 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2012 10:41:05 -0700 Subject: 2 Kings 4 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 1, 2012 *JUN 20 - 2 KINGS 4 - ELISHA: ASSORTED MIRACLES* *1. 4:2 (4:1-7, ESV) ELISHA: WIDOW?S NEEDS MET BY MIRACLE. And Elisha said to her, ?What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?? And she said, ?Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.? *What does Your Kingdom require, Father? Faith in You to release Kingdom Power to multiply loaves and fish, oil and peace! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 4:16 (4:8-17) ELISHA: REWARDS A WOMAN?S HOSPITALITY. And he said, ?At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.? And she said, ?No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.? *You honor hospitality and faithfulness, Father. Your will is done in such hearts on earth, who exercise the care of Your earthly servants. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 4:20 (4:18-21) ELISHA?S BED: RECEIVES THE DEAD BOY. ?And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.? *When we reach the place of extremity, You Father, provide the prophet?s bed to cast our care upon. You provide our need in season. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:27b-28 (4:22-31) ELISHA: PREFERRED ABOVE GEHAZI. But the man of God said to Gehazi, ?Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.? 28 Then she said, ?Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ?Do not deceive me??? *Have I a bitter spirit? Are You aware of it Father, and do You reveal it to Your servant for my ultimate good? Yes, You are this kind of a God! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 4:35 (4:32-37) ELISHA: RESURRECTS THE SHUNAMMITE?S SON. ?Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.? *Is our faith ofttimes tested? Yes indeed, for our good! But always, You test us only as much as we are able to bear! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 4:41 (4:38-41) ELISHA: HEALS DEATH IN THE POT AT GILGAL. He said, ?Then bring flour.? And he threw it into the pot and said, ?Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.? And there was no harm in the pot. *No matter what problem strikes, You O Father, suffer *not* the evil to triumph over us. Love always triumphs over evil. *And lead us not into temptation!* *7. 4:43 (4:42-44) ELISHA: MULTIPLIES FOOD. But the servant said, ?How can I set this before a hundred men?? So he repeated, ?Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ?They shall eat and have some left.?? *Your Kingdom of multiplication operated under the Old Covenant before Jesus demonstrated the same under the New, O Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 8:5b-6a (8:1-6) ELISHA: AFTERMATH OF WIDOW?S SON. **And Gehazi said, ?My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.? 6a And when the king asked the woman, she told him. *How perfect is Your timing and Providence, O Great Jehovah! At testimony time, You bring on the subject of the testimony! Though not to as great an extent as that of Jesus in multiplying food - yet what Elisha did in his day was indeed an outstanding sign. At least to his servant - it must have been a noteworthy miracle! For me, the miracle that took place after his his death, is one of his most remarkable. Enemies had overtaken the land following his death. A man of his land had died, and was about to be buried by friends, when a band of enemy appeared. In desperation, the burial group opened the tomb of Elisha and threw the dead body in. As soon as it hit the bones of Elisha, he came to life, and started to flee after the burial team! Think what *they* must have thought! *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 20:5 (20) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?The purpose in a man?s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.?* Do you deeply desire to hear the wisdom and counsel of one, yet he seemingly withholds it? Pray - and God will grant you wisdom how to draw forth from such a man! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Nov 2 10:33:11 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2012 10:33:11 -0700 Subject: 2 Kings 4-10 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 2, 2012 *JUN 20 - 2 KINGS 4-10 - ELISHA AND KINGS OF ISRAEL* *1. 4:2 (4, ESV) ELISHA: ASSORTED MIRACLES. ?And Elisha said to her, ?What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?? And she said, ?Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.? *You Father, led Elisha to use what was at hand, and from that performed miracles. Can we see the wisdom in this? Can we see the Kingdom in this? *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 5:14 (5) ELISHA: HEALS NAAMAN THE LEPER. ?So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.? *We note Father, that obedience in a little - works itself into a big miracle. *Teach us* this simple lesson. Write it on our hearts! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 6:12 (6) ELISHA: THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE. ?And one of his servants said, ?None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.?? *A true prophet knows who he is, and trusts You Father, for all he needs to know. So it was with Elisha. So it can be with us! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 7:9 (7) ELISHA: PROPHETIC ACCURACY. ?Then the lepers said to one another, ?We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the kings? household.?? *O forgive us Father, that we so often fail to honor You for the accuracy of Your spoken word through Your prophets. A true prophet can be tested and proven, and by their fruits shall we know them. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 8:5b-6a (8:1-15) ELISHA: THE SHUNAMMITE AND HAZAEL. And Gehazi said, ?My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.? 9 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. **More * unusual accuracy of Your word through Your prophet, Father! May we not limit You, the Holy One of Israel, this way today. O strengthen us that we fall not into the temptation of doubting You nor Your true prophets! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 8:19 (8:16-29) JEHORAM AND AHAZIAH OF JUDAH. ?Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.? *The sins of Jehoshaphat through wicked alliances fell upon his son and grandson, and through Athaliah nearly wiped out the seed royal. Thank You Father, that You remembered Your Covenant with David and his house. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 10:10 (9-10) ELISHA: ANOINTS JEHU TO FULFILL PROPHECY. ?Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Elijah.? *Jehu under Elisha was not perfect: but he *did*deal with Baal worship in Israel, which Jezebel had brought in. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 10:15a (9-10) JEHU AND JEHONADAB. **And when Jehu departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, ?Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?? And Jehonadab answered, ?It is.? Jehu said, ?If it is, give me your hand.? *Commitment must follow verbal agreement! *Lessons from Naaman*: See the faithfulness of the little girl from the land of Israel! Though in captivity in the land of Syria, yet she gave faithful witness on behalf of Naaman concerning the miracle life of Elisha through God. Naaman responded, but with mixed expectations. He flew into a rage at Elisha?s word for his healing from leprosy. He had expected some dramatic type of proclamation from God?s prophet Elisha. Instead, a mere servant is sent to tell him to dip 7 times in the river Jordan! In the midst of his rage and rantings - his servants cautiously and quietly suggested he try it. He did - and it worked! His leprosy was completely healed. But then we see the culpability of Gehazi! He felt Elisha was missing a great opportunity. So in his monetary greed, he lied and received from Naaman. Then he again lied to Elisha, who in the Spirit had seen all Gehazi did. The final judgment: the leprosy of Naaman came upon Gehazi! It is easy to glean lessons from the above - but who among us will make the changes and be like Elisha - and avoid the penalty of Gehazi? In the case of Naaman?s rage - we can understand his misunderstanding through coming from a heathen nation without knowledge of the true God. But in Gehazi?s case - there was really no excuse. He had the godly example of his master Elisha - yet he completely failed to perceive his monetary affection for Mammon - and reaped the just penalty for his low and even complete lack of perception in his favored position. Mammon is the besetting sin of the US and Canada. Third world nations - and other nations of the world clearly perceive how this has become idolatry for us, as it was for Gehazi. May we have sense to recognize our corporate sin - and like Ezra (chapter 9) and Daniel (chapter 9) - confess our corporate sin, and see God in His faithfulness forgive us our sin! *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 20:6 (20) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?? *This is good instruction for a son. *Your Name* is *faithfulness* Father, and when we allow Your nature to be formed in us in Christ, *then* You are bringing forth many sons and daughters into glory! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 10:35:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2012 10:35:08 -0700 Subject: 2 Kings 11-17 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 3, 2012 *JUN 21 - 2 KINGS 11-17 - JUDAH?S ALTERNATING KINGS WITH ISRAEL* *1. 11:20-21 (11, ESV) ATHALIAH: FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN RULER. ?So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king?s house. 21 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.? *As Jezebel moved in Israel, so Athaliah with the spirit of Jezebel moved in Judah. Only one of the seed of David escaped Athaliah to fulfill the Messianic promises. But Your Kingdom prevailed, Father! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 12:2-3 (12) JOASH: EIGHTH KING OF JUDAH (THIRD GOOD). ?And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.? *Athaliah was the sister-in-law of Jezebel, and though dead, her spirit corrupted Joash, who murdered the son of Jehoiada; then he himself was assassinated. Yet there had been some good in him. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 14:3-4 (14:1-22) AMAZIAH: NINTH KING OF JUDAH (FOURTH GOOD). ?And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.? **This* was the king who worried about his 100 talents of silver! A *great* mixture in this king! Father, make us like David, who removed the high places! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:3-4 (15:1-7) AZARIAH (UZZIAH): TENTH KING OF JUDAH (FIFTH GOOD). ?And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.? *See 2 Chronicles 26 for a fuller word on Uzziah. O forgive us Father, that we so often fail to seek You fully, as did David, and remove *all* the high places (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (27) JOTHAM: TENTH; CO-REGENT WITH UZZIAH. ?So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.? *This son had his opportunity because of the pride and leprosy of his father. He followed the good of his father Uzziah, but not the *best* of his father David! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 15:35 (15:32-38) JOTHAM: ELEVENTH KING OF JUDAH (SIXTH GOOD). ?Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD.? *No longer is Jotham Co-regent, but now full king. Yet he kept out of the Temple; perhaps out of fear of the judgment that fell upon his father there! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 16:17 (16) AHAZ: TWELFTH KING OF JUDAH. ?And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal.? Jotham* *neglected* Your Temple, Father; Ahaz *desecrated* it! How do we explain his wonderful son Hezekiah? All we can do is commit our ways to You, and acknowledge Your right and Your sometimes inscrutable ways to us! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 15:5 (15:1-7) UZZIAH: GOD?S JUDGMENT UPON HIM! **?And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.? *Uzziah made a breach against the priesthood - even as Uzzah against the Levites. Father, teach us that we *must* conduct all our worship according to *Your pattern*! It is very easy to read about ?High Places? not being removed by various kings of Judah - but not being aware of the significance of this note from God?s point of view. ?High Places? are a term of ?Types and Shadows? in the Old Covenant. They are not literally for us to consider as New Covenant saints. But how would the apostles of the early church deal with this concept? Do they? Yes - and we can profit from the references they make to this. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 is a very clear reference by the apostle Paul that alludes to this concept. *?For though we walk in **the** flesh, we do not war according to **the** flesh **4 **(for the weapons of our :warfare are not of flesh, but mighty before :God unto casting down of strongholds); **5 **casting down **reasoning**s**, and **every high **thing** that is exalted against the knowledge of :God, and bringing **every thought into captivity**to the obedience of the Christ.? *Our ?thought life? that has not been subjected to the obedience of Christ - are ?High Places?. David would not allow these to exist either in Type *or * Reality. Neither would Hezekiah or Josiah. *But* - other good Kings of Judah put up with these places in Old Covenant times - and many New Covenant believers have not followed the pattern of David, Hezekiah and Josiah. We are *only perfect* in our ways when we follow *their* example. See also Romans 12:1-2 - *?**I beseech you **therefore**, brethren, by the mercies of :God, to present your :bodies a living sacrifice (holocaust), holy, well-pleasing to God, your **spiritual service**. **2** And be **not**fashioned according to this :age: but be **transformed** by the **renewing of the mind**, that you may prove what ** is** the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of :God.?* Here again the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is crystal clear concerning this concept. If we like Hudson Taylor are to walk in the God-pleasing way of the ?Exchanged Life? - then we too are to be *transformed* by the *renewing of our mind*. The human mind - *not* transformed - are New Covenant *High Places* - and not pleasing to God. And note the unusual process to bring New Covenant saints into this God-pleasing concept: it is a *transformation* of the mind - a * metamorphosis* of our mind! That is - we are to allow God to put our mind, which here is likened to a ?caterpillar? - to be brought into a ?chrysalis? stage. When that stage is complete - our mind then emerges as a beautiful butterfly in the sight of God! How many believers appear in their mind to God - as a creeping, crawling caterpillar? So - will we profit from an understanding of High Places under the Old Covenant - and *present* our total being: *body*, soul (including mind) and spirit as a living sacrifice - a ?Holocaust? if you please - and let God have us where we think *His* thoughts after Him in our mind - instead of being ruled by our own unsurrendered thought-life? You say - ?God is asking for my death!? You?ve got it! Exactly! Without any doubt! And are you willing? It cost a great deal for Oswald Chambers, Rees Howells and George Muller to come to this ?death? decision! but they did! And many others have followed their example like David, Hezekiah and Josiah. They *all* put the *Word of God* above their own thought-life! Jesus came as Son of Man and servant of His Father as a Holocaust - a whole burnt-offering! Not *one* word He spoke, nor one miracle He performed - but *all* originated from His Father out of His prayer life! Early in 1944, after joining the Navy to find God - when I in my search read the Book of Romans - I said - ?God - if you *are* a God - I joined the Navy to find You - but I think the price may be too high. *You* not only want to rule my outer life - You - even want to rule my *thought-life*!? His reply - ?You are right, son! You have rightly perceived the way! For over 3 hours in a room where I could see my breath, I wrestled before God. Finally I said - ?Alright God - If You?ll reveal Yourself to me, I submit - and I?ll serve you according to Your complete Bible!? I haven?t taken back that decision to this day - 68 years later. I hate ?High Places?, because *God* hates them. I* *hate any thought that comes into my mind that is *not* according to the Bible, the Word of God. Like David, Hezekiah, Josiah and Paul - I refute all ?High Places? in my mind - tear them down - and replace them by ?Thinking *God?s* thoughts? in their place. Billy Graham came to this decision early in his ministry. He was confused about some things in the Bible. But early one morning in the high Sierras - after a sleepless night - he prayed, ?Father, there are things in Your Bible I do not understand - but from this time forward, by faith I will refer to any part of Your Bible and say - ?God says in His Bible? - or - ?The Bible says!?? Will you join me - not by just being a good King of Judah - but not removing the ?High Places? - but by being a King like Hezekiah and Josiah after the heart of their father *David*? - all who refused to allow the High Places of their mind to remain! Jim Watt Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: *21:13 (21) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. **? **Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.? *Is this fair? Of *course* it?s fair! You have set Your Kingdom principles in our heart Father, and *part* of this is the Golden Rule. And, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. We bless You for this; *Hallowed be your :name!* * * * TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Nov 4 10:24:09 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2012 10:24:09 -0800 Subject: 2 Kings 11-17 - Outline - Israel's kings Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 4, 2012 *JUN 22 - 2 KINGS 11-17 - ISRAEL?S FINAL KINGS, AND FALL* *1. 13:2 (13:1-9) JEHOAHAZ: TWELFTH KING OF ISRAEL. ?He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.? *Yet You Father, showed mercy and reprieve unto this king when he called upon You in his trouble. How merciful You are indeed, O Great Jehovah Father! We have * great* confidence in You, and with all of our heart say, *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 13:19 (13:10-25) JEHOASH: THIRTEENTH KING OF ISRAEL. ?Then the man of God was angry with him and said, ?You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.?? *At least this king had respect for Your prophet Father, even though he lacked that sense of violence for the sake of Your Kingdom! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 14:24 (14:23-29) JEROBOAM II: FOURTEENTH KING OF ISRAEL. ?And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.? *Even by a wicked king You showed grace to Israel Father, for the sake of Your covenant with David. Your word through Jonah was fulfilled! *Your :will be done. As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:12 (15:8-15) ZACHARIAH AND SHALLUM: FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH KINGS. ?(This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, ?Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.? And so it came to pass.)? *How *faithful* You are to keep Your promises, Father! Our worthiness or unworthiness has nothing to do with it. What grace! O forgive us the hardness of our hearts that we so dimly perceive the magnitude of Your mercy and grace! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 15:18 (15:16-26) MENAHEM AND PEKAHIAH: SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH KINGS OF ISRAEL. ?And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.? *What a discouraging history to read! Sin, judgment, violence, disobedience, rebellion: all these run like dark threads through the tapestry of Israel?s history. We can reverse this in our lives Father, as we trust Your strengthening to keep us in temptation's hour! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 15:29 (15:27-31) PEKAH: NINETEENTH KING OF ISRAEL. ?In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria.? *Even with the handwriting on the wall, Israel and her kings could not stop her downward rush into judgment and captivity. Their understanding was blinded, and You Father, no longer delivered them from the evil one! *And bring usnot into temptation! * *7. 17:6 (17) HOSHEA: TWENTIETH KING OF ISRAEL, AND CAPTIVITY! ?In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.? *Who was there to mourn the tragedy and sin of Israel? Their little day had come and gone, with scarce a ray of hope. Yet Father, You make the wrath of man to praise You! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 17:15 (17) ISRAEL?S SIN. **?They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.? *May we profit from Your summary, Father! There is not much good to see in examining the history of the separated 10 tribes of Israel. Not *one* good king in the line! So corrupt that God allowed them to be taken into captivity by Assyria 133 years prior to Judah! And it all started with Jeroboam, who forsook the Feasts and priests of the LORD, and with the two idol calves - started Israel on its downward plunge. Read again 2 Kings 17:5 at the beginning of this NOTE. Here God summarizes this sad decline. And yet - for the sake of God?s covenant with David - He promises that in the Millennium, the 12 apostles of the Lamb will have rule over the 12 tribes of united Israel! God is faithful. He and His Word are *one*! What He has declared will with certainty come to pass! Like Billy Graham - let us by an act of the ?obedience of faith? - take this prophetic word *by faith* - and with confidence look forward to its final fulfillment. *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 22:22-23 (22) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.? *This is good counsel for a son or daughter: it touches *close* to Your heart, Father. O may it be worked deep into each of our hearts, that we might *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Nov 5 12:10:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 12:10:15 -0800 Subject: 2 Kings 18-21 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 5, 2012 *JUN 23 - 2 KINGS 18-21 - HEZEKIAH: REVIVAL AND EVIL AFTERMATH* *1. 18:3-4 (18:1-12, ESV) HEZEKIAH: THIRTEENTH KING OF JUDAH (SEVENTH GOOD). ?And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until these days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).? *Father, we dedicate ourselves like Hezekiah, to remove all that offends You! *Hallowed be your :Name!* *2. 18:35 (18:13-37) HEZEKIAH: INSULTED BY ASSYRIA. ?Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?? *What foolish words! This man did not know You, Great Jehovah Elohim of Israel! But we know You, and humbly bow before You in adoration and say, *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 19:3 (19) HEZEKIAH: MIRACULOUSLY DELIVERED. They said to Isaiah, ?Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is not strength to bring them forth.? *But this was spoken before You came on the scene, Father! What victory over Judah?s enemies You worked! And You are the same today! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 20:6 (20:1-11) HEZEKIAH: SICKNESS AND HEALING. ?And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David?s sake.? *What an amazing story and event! And what an amazing *sign* You granted Father, to confirm Your promise to Hezekiah. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 20:16-17 (20:12-21) HEZEKIAH: PRIDE, PROPHECY AND DEATH. Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ?Hear the word of the LORD: 17 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.? *What a sad legacy Hezekiah left to his sons because of his pride! Father, strengthen us in the time of victory, that we fall not in the hour of temptation. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 21:9 (21:1-18) NANASSEH: FOURTEENTH KING OF JUDAH. ?But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil that the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.? *This king was born in the 15 years of Hezekiah?s reprieve. Was he wise in asking for these extra years? Father, help us to walk softly before You, that we only ask that which is wise in Your sight. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 21:20 (21:19-26) AMON: FIFTEENTH KING OF JUDAH. ?And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done.? *What two evil men did Josiah have as his predecessors! How do we explain the sons of Hezekiah? And how do we explain Josiah? Father, we bless You that these questions are *not* our domain, but *Yours*! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 18:11-12 (18:1-12) ISRAEL?S CAPTIVITY AND DEPORTATION. **?The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.? *Did this weigh on Your servant Hezekiah, Father? We are sure it did. Of all the kings of Judah, Hezekiah and Josiah - next to David - grip my attention. These 3 only of the good kings of Judah - *removed* the *High Places*. According to the Law of Types and Shadows - the High Places represent the thoughts of our mind that have *not* been brought into the subjection of Christ! See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and Romans 12:1-2. Our thoughts *must be* *transformed* by the *renewing of our minds*, if we would become perfected in the sight of God. The majority of the good kings of Judah did *not* remove these high places, parallel to human thinking *set above* the *Word of God*. This for me is the high point in the life of Hezekiah, and the two others - who are set above the remaining good kings of Judah. And what other key lessons can we receive from the life of this good king? When in great danger, he did not seek his own wisdom for deliverance - but sought God through His prophet Isaiah. *This* no doubt pleased the LORD, for He miraculously delivered the king and Judah from the vaunting threats of Assyria (now Iraq). But - with all his successes - Hezekiah was drawn away in pride, and showed off his riches to those who were to become Judah?s punishment for their sin of following evil rulers. And - Hezekiah said, ?At least God?s judgment for my pride will not take place in *my* lifetime! But what of his sons and grandsons? *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 23:13-14 (23) PROVERBS FROM SOLOMON. ?Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.? *The rod of instruction applied to the seat of learning, produces wisdom in a child, in spite of what modern pedagogy says! Father, we honor Your Word, and by doing so, *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Nov 6 11:20:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2012 11:20:18 -0800 Subject: 2 Kings 22-23 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 6, 2012 *JUN 24 - 2 KINGS 22-23 - JOSIAH?S REVIVAL* *1. 22:2 (22:1-2, ASV ?01) JOSIAH: EIGHTH AND LAST GOOD KING OF JUDAH. ?And Josiah did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.? *What a bright and shining light! How favorably Josiah compared with his father David, and the plumbline he gave. Father, we too would honor you by seeking to walk in such an honorable way. *Hallowed be Your :name.* *2. 22:8 (22:3-10) JOSIAH: REPAIRS TEMPLE AND DISCOVERS LAW. ?And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.? *What Manasseh buried, Josiah revived. O how he loved Your word, Father! Like Moses, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah: he *honored* Your Word, and so honored You. We too would follow his example. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 22:11 (22:11:14) JOSIAH: DISCOVERS SIN AND REPENTS. ?And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he ripped his clothes.? *Josiah was right in being alarmed at what he had heard. His heart was broken at the enormity of the sin that had been committed. But never during this time did he ever doubt Your goodness, Father. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 22:16 (22:15-20) JOSIAH: HEARS JUDGMENT FROM HULDAH. ?Thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.? *May we too like Josiah perceive the enormity of Your wrath against deliberate sin! The sin of Manasseh as a leader is affecting his progeny. Except for Jesus, and His propitiatory sacrifice to You, where would any of us be? *Our :daily bread Give us this day.* *5. 23:3 (23:1-3) JOSIAH: INFORMS PEOPLE AND MAKES A COVENANT. ?And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.? *May we like Josiah see the importance of *covenant* in both Old and New Covenant times! To fail here is extremely serious. * And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 23:25 (23:4-25) JOSIAH: HIS MANIFOLD REFORMATIONS. ?And like unto Josiah was there no king before him, that turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.? *It would seem that Josiah surpassed even David, in his zeal for You, O great Jehovah Father! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 23:26 (23:26-30a) JOSIAH: REFORMATION CANNOT AVERT JUDGMENT!?Notwithstanding, Jehovah did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations which which Manasseh had provoked him.? *In spite of Josiah, because of Manasseh the die was cast: judgment was inevitable. *Righteous*are You in Your judgments, Father. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**:* Josiah had a very tender heart unto the Lord. See these words that Huldah the prophetess sent unto him - ?*But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall you say to him, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: As touching the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was tender, and you did humble yourself before Jehovah, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have ripped your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you, says Jehovah. 20Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again? 22:18-20 (22:15-20). * There are lessons in this reading however, that we cannot afford to miss! Even though Manasseh repented following God's judgment upon his life - yet sin had progressed too far! But God in mercy removed Josiah before Babylon took him into its 70 year captivity. In a very real sense, it is appropriate to pay special attention to these two exemplary kings: Hezekiah and Josiah. Not only did they remove the high places both in the Kingdom of Judah - but also in some of the tribes of the northern kingdom Israel. In 1960 I came across the Bible teaching series of Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I felt it was a wise decision on his part to teach through one book of the Bible at a time - alternating them between Old and New Testaments. So that it was Genesis - Matthew; Exodus - Mark; Leviticus - Luke, etc. I added an extra innovation, by taking Psalms and Proverbs out of context so that we have a Psalm a day for the first 5 months followed by Proverbs for the sixth; and repeating these two for the second half of the year. I preached and taught through the Bible in a year 3 times a week in Round Lake, Illinois in 1960. I found it an extremely demanding schedule. Then in 1963 outside of Leavenworth Washington, a lady challenged me to write this into a Reading Guide. Our goal is to place this on our Website. We use the Hebrew order for OT books, and God's Bible Numeric Order for the NT. In 1954 we led the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago to read through the Bible in a year, for the first time for well over 90% of the congregation. We added to this Bible reading - up to 13 prayer meetings a week! God heard, and in 1957 we saw l00 souls come to the Lord, and retained each one! Our missionary giving grew to 51% a year, and the average was $150 a year back then, even including the babies. It takes the balance of the Word and the Spirit through prayer to see true revival, and the blessing of the Lord. I have chosen the ASV 1901 (American Standard Version) for the Old Testament quotations, and God's Bible Numeric translation by Ivan Panin for the New Testament. Panin in his day found the ASV to be the closest of all translations to the Bible Numeric Phenomenon. See 2 Timothy 3:16 in the latter: ?*Every scripture** **is** **God breathed **, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for discipline **which is **:in righteousness:? *Note the construction ?*every scripture* *is* *God breathed*.? In many other translations, this particular Greek construction is correctly translated - *except* in oneinstance; where with full understanding of the unscholarliness they exhibit, they deliberately and inconsistently put it - ?every scripture *that is* God breathed? - putting doubt upon parts of the Bible that *may not be*God- breathed! The fact that they correctly translate this construction in *all other* places but *this* - reveals their wickedness in this instance. So - check other translations for 2 Timothy 3:16 - and those that do *not*render it in the light of 2 Peter 1:21 and 1 Corinthians 14:37 - *rightly* have the gravest suspicion of other areas of their translation. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Nov 7 12:59:04 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 12:59:04 -0800 Subject: 2 Kings 23:30b-25:30 Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 7, 2012 *JUN 25 - 2 KINGS 23:30b-25:30 - JUDAH FALLS* *1. 23:32 (23:30b-35) JEHOAHAZ (SEVENTEENTH): SUCCEEDED BY JEHOIAKIM* *(EIGHTEENTH). ?And Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.? *You used the Egyptians Father, to judge Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah. Men are Your instruments to execute Your judgments. In Your Kingdom, its principles can obtain realization through many sources! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 24:3-4 (23:36-24:7) JEHOIAKIM: FIRST DEPORTATION TO BABYLON. ?Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.? *The healing of the land: how important in Your sight, Father! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 24:14 (24:8-16) JEHOIACHIN (NINETEENTH): SECOND DEPORTATION. ?Nebuchadnezzar carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land.? *Daniel could have been one of the prisoners from this deportation. In the midst of Your judgments Father, still - Your mercy! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 24:20 (24:17-20) ZEDEKIAH (TWENTIETH): REBELS AGAINST BABYLON. ?For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.? *How foolish man becomes in his sinful state. O forgive us Father, that we forsake our own mercies in our rebellion and foolishness! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 25:9-10 (25:1-10) ZEDEKIAH: JERUSALEM BESIEGED AND TEMPLE DESTROYED. ?And Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the LORD and the king?s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.? *Judah could not believe You would ever permit this to Your Temple, Father. O lead us not into the temptation of trusting in Your Ark and Temple as objects of magic! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 25:13 (25:11-26) GEDALIAH GOVERNOR: THIRD AND FINAL DEPORTATION. ?And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon.? *Tragedy rolls upon tragedy. Now Jachin and Boaz, the Temple pillars, are gone. From the human vantage point, all is gone. But from Your perspective Father, Your Kingdom purposes are being furthered! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 25:27 (25:27-30) JEHOIACHIN: RELEASED FROM PRISON IN BABYLON. ?And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.? *What extraordinary grace! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *25:24 (25:11-26) GEDALIAH: WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT. And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, ?Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.? *Even these wise words were not heeded! See the above section of 2 Kings 23:30b to 25:30. Here God in His mercy permitted Egypt and Babylon to bring judgment on His people Judah. After 70 years, through the prayers of Daniel, God permitted some 50,000 captives to return to Jerusalem and their land - to rebuild God?s Temple and prepare for the coming of His Son some 4 centuries later. *Remember* - God is *still* on His Throne, and Our Lord Jesus Christ at His right hand! *He* is in control, not Obama! After God used Babylon to judge and purify His people, He *then* judged and removed Babylon! Until the 70 years of God?s judgment on Israel took place - the Jews were to pray for Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Their peace would be Jewish peace! We too - until we *learn* from God?s permitted judgment - are to pray for President Obama, and peace in our land. One day - in the not too distant future, Jesus will return as Lord of lords, King of kings and President of presidents! Believe it! Profit from this time! Daniel did - under *three*empires! May God bless us with Wisdom, Understanding, Patience and Perseverance! In 2008 I wrote that Obama was God?s judgment on America to bring us back to our senses and our foundations. Abortion, gay unions, foolish judicial decisions - these were but three such - 4 years ago - that God through Obama - sought to rectify. He was then as it were a Trojan horse of which we had no real understanding - dropped into Washington D.C., and released upon us for 4 years to awaken us. But did it? Like 9/11 in 2001 - within 6 months we forgot our vows to reform and returned to business as usual. Again in 2012 - after 4 years of incredible damage to our nation, the majority have decided to give our president more time. We no longer hear the challenge of President Kennedy: ?Ask not what your country can do for you; but rather ask, What can I do for my country?? No, the majority from minority groups, single women and young people ask, ?What *more* can Obama do for me?? So - 4 more years in God?s merciful judgment - to bring our nation to its senses! Will eight years be enough? By 2016 we should know. *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 25:9-10 (25) PROVERBS FROM SOLOMON. ?Argue your case with you neighbor himself, and do not reveal another?s secret, 10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.? *Is this not like Matthew 18:15-17? Yes Father, Your wisdom in Solomon for us in our pilgrim way, is the same as Your wisdom in Your Son! We bless You for this, and *Hallow your :name! * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Nov 8 12:16:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 12:16:15 -0800 Subject: Romans 1:1-17 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 8, 2012 *JUN 26 - ROMANS 1:1-17 - INTRODUCTION TO JUSTIFICATION* *1. 1:1 (1:1-7, NNT) PAUL: SERVANT FIRST - THEN APOSTLE. ?Paul, bondman of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto God?s gospel.? *And how will we follow Paul as he followed Christ? By having a servant spirit in the Gospel for our fellow man. *Hallowed by your :name.* *2. 1:9 (1:8-10) PAUL: A WORSHIPER IN HIS SPIRIT. ?For :God is my witness, whom I serve in my :spirit in the gospel of his :Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my :prayers.? *And what is Your will for us, Father? That we might *continually* pray for our fellow saints. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:11 (1:11-12) PAUL: A SERVANT FOR CHARISMATIC CONFIRMATION. ?For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, unto your being established.? *You O Father, meet our needs both spiritually and physically. O may we always have a heart to impart unto our fellow Christian that which will build him up and establish him also! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 1:13 PAUL?S PURPOSE: FRUIT AMONG GENTILE BELIEVERS. ?And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oft I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered :hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the nations.? *Had Paul received Your forgiveness. Father? Indeed he had. And even in the heart of the Roman empire he desired to extend His forgiveness by having fruit in their midst. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 1:14 PAUL: A DEBTOR. ?I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and foolish.? *Lead us not into temptation or testing. You Father, will withhold much of our testing when we have the heart of the apostle unto all men - when we are debtor to them - also! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors* *6. 1:15 PAUL: ONE READY! ?So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also :in Rome.? *Father, grant us readiness of heart to go and serve our fellow man. In such a spirit we will find safety. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 1:16-17. PAUL: NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. ?For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God?s power unto salvation to every :believer; to Jew first, also to Greek. 17 For herein is being revealed God?s righteousness from faith unto faith: as it written, But the righteous man shall live by faith.? *Thank You Father, for the Gospel: Jesus! Thank You that in Him are Glad Tidings, and in Him we find *Your way* of righteousness. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:5 (1:1-7) PAUL: UNDERSTOOD ?THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH?. **?Through whom (Jesus Christ our :Lord) we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his :name?s sake.? *Make us too -obedient to the faith, O Father! Dispel from Your church every vestige of antinomianism. Dispel it from my heart. Dispel it from our hearts. Amen. For me, the Book of Romans is a key book. It was this book God used on Passover 1944 to bring me into His Kingdom, through Romans 10:9-10. Not too much later, He quickened to me Romans 1:16-17, which I immediately memorized and used when I was invited to share my testimony. It was the Book of Romans that God quickened to Martin Luther to show that ?Justification? comes by *faith*, not by *works*. This led him to write his 95 theses, and nail them to the church door at Wittenberg. With *this* - plus the Printing Press - the Protestant Reformation came forth. God used the ?German Princes? to protect the life of Luther at that time, so he was not burnt at the stake like John Hus some 100 years preceding. Hus at that time said, ?You may burn this goose (the meaning of Hus), but from these ashes a ?Phoenix? shall arise 100 years from now - and *him* you shall not burn!? This prophetic word came to pass. Lance Latham of Chicago founded the Awana Clubs, that still function to this day. He based them on the badges and uniform of the ?Boy Scouts?, but added a new dimension. He had the boys memorize chapters and even books of the New Testament. One Chicago club had over 50% of its boys become either pastors or missionaries. They had *all* memorized the *entire book* of Romans! Let us not short-change ourselves in the reading of this book! Look at the Outline for it that I have provided - based on the Bible Numeric ?sentence and paragraph structure? discovered by Ivan Panin. Check out our ?Outlined Interlinear NT? which in greater detail deals with the Book. You can order it from **. Very soon it will also be available in digital E-book format. For my personal notes on this - which are not included in this publication - turn to ** and click on ?Interlinear?. You can then scroll down to Romans. This new format Interlinear Publication - is *not* an end in itself. It is a means to an end - namely a simplified format for *Bible Meditation*, that transformed the life of George Muller and George Whitefield. And still - even these two - needed ?The Exchanged Life? set forth in ?Hudson Taylor?s Spiritual Secret?, based on Romans 6; John 15:1-16 and Galatians 2:20. It is now 70 years since the death of Russian Ivan Panin. He is indeed ?Russia?s Gift to Christianity?! Through his discovery of Bible Numerics in 1890, and his production of a NT Greek text the same as the original - plus its English translation printed by the Oxford Press of England - based on the Bible Numeric sentence, paragraph and section structure - we now have in 2012 what I believe God has held back for this last generation preceding the return of His Son! In 1942, 70 years ago, God directed me to join the Navy - the place He chose to reveal Himself to me 9 months later. At the same time he had a Russian Jew drop into my lap the 100,000 hours of labor by Panin on this Bible Numeric NT. God challenged me at that time: ?Would you put together in Outlined Interlinear format the two NT texts prepared by Ivan Panin?? I agreed to do so, and now - 70 years later, the hope and dream of Panin has been realized. However - it is not Panin?s Bible Numeric NT; nor mine; nor our Pilot Prayer Team?s and associates - It is *God?s* Bible Numeric ?Outlined Interlinear NT? - reserved by Him for these last days. My prayer is that what God has designed for *His* work may be realized in our day. And - may it open to multitudes of us a *living*experience in the Book of Romans - that will carry over to every tribe, nation, tongue and people - prior to the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ! *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 26:20 (26, ESV) MORE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.? *Father, through Your Son You have said, Blessed are the *peacemakers*, for *they* shall be called the sons of God! We would *Hallow your :name*, by no longer being tale-bearers! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Nov 9 15:43:46 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 15:43:46 -0800 Subject: Romans 1:18-4:25 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 9, 2012 *JUN 27 - ROMANS 1:18-4:25 - LAW SHUTS UP TO JUSTIFICATION* *1. 1:20 (1:18-32, NNT) SIN SHUTS US UP. ?For his :invisible things since the world?s creation are clearly seen, being perceived through the things made, both his everlasting :power and divinity; that they be without excuse.? *Father, we will *declare* that all creation, man included, points to unseen and spiritual reality. So is Your Kingdom designed: so do we also declare! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2:4 (2:1-16) UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGING SHUTS US UP. ?Or do you despise the riches of his :goodness and :forbearance and :longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of :God leads you to repentance?? *Yes Father, and we commit ourselves to this truth, and acknowledge that Your patience with us leads us to *repentance*. We take on the attitude of saints and angels in our declaration - *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:3-4 (2:17-3:8) UNRIGHTEOUS HYPOCRISY SHUTS US UP. ?For what if some disbelieved? shall their :unbelief make void the faithfulness of :God? 4 Be it not so: yes, let :God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That you might be justified in your :words, And might prevail at your judging.? *Father, we *justify* You in *all* Your words; and as children, rely on You for *all* our needs! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 3:20 (3:9-20) SIN?S KNOWLEDGE THROUGH LAW SHUTS UP. ?Because by works of law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through law isknowledge of sin.? *We thank You O Father, Great Jehovah, for Your purpose in law on our behalf. We let it bring us to *repentance*! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 3:28 (3:21-31) RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH SHUTS US UP. ?For we reckon a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.? **Our* righteousness O Father, is based upon our faith in what *Jesus* has done for us. Our works are a love gift flowing out from this. No wonder You spare us from testing when we are established in this truth! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 4:13 (4:1-15) ABRAHAM?S EXAMPLE SHUTS US UP. ?For not through law was the promise to :Abraham or to his :seed that he should be heir of theworld, but through righteousness of faith.? *Father, *here* is victory over Satan! Here in this truth, we *rest* in Jesus! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 4:17 (4:16-25) FAITH OF ABRAHAM SHUTS US UP. ?As it is written, [that], I have made you a father of many nations), before him whom he believed, God, who makes alive the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they are.? *Yes Father, *this* is the kind of God You are! We too join with You and use the Keys of the Kingdom in binding and loosing! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 2:28-29 (2:17-3:8) **DEFINITION OF TRUE CIRCUMCISION! ?For the Jew is not one manifestly, neither is circumcision manifestly in the flesh; 29 but the one in :secret is a Jew; and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit not in letter; whose :praise is not of men, but of :God.? *O Father, let this truth evermore be deeply written on our hearts! This is one passage of Scripture that clearly brings out the truth and God?s perspective on the *law*! There is a law under the New Covenant: ?the law of the *Spirit of life* in Christ Jesus? (Romans 8:2) - and *this law*has freed us from the *law of :sin and :death* under the Old Covenant! This is a very difficult concept for New Testament saints to receive. The Old Testament is a covenant of Types and Shadows. In God?s sight it was a * stop-gap* until His Son came to undo the death that came upon the human race by Adam?s sin. By *one man* sin came into the world. But - by *One Man*, God?s only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has the penalty for that sin been paid at *Calvary*. The 5-fold benefit of the Cross, as revealed in the 5 offerings of Leviticus 1-7 - is a *Reality* for you and me! It frees us from the bondage of the Old Testament Law, which was as it were our Schoolmaster - until Jesus ushered in by His death and resurrection ?The law of the Spirit of Life.? Beware of teachers who would bring you back into the legalism of the Galatians! These Judaizing teachers were busy in Jesus? and Paul?s day - and are *still* busy today. See Acts 15, and how the apostles and elders of the church of Jerusalem - freed Gentile believers from he OT Jewish law. Only 4 things were laid upon Gentile non-Jewish believers. And if they can receive it - Jesus through Paul revealed that at the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD, God gave a clear Word that Jews too are freed through Christ into the One New Man - and they too are freed from the legalism of the OT law. Of the 613 commandments they were required to walk in prior to the Cross - 200 became impossible to fulfill at the temple destruction. Sacrifices *ceased* then, because Christ?s sacrifice at Calvary fulfilled *all* OT sacrifices! Very difficult for Jewish believers to perceive - but true nonetheless. Carefully review the seven sections above. Look at the titles; consider the quoted verses; see the context! The Lord Jesus through Paul - is here freeing the Jews as well as Gentile from the OT law, and ushering all of us into the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! No doubt we all need a Paul - who will travail again in birth for us as believers - until *Christ* be *fully formed* within us! *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 27:5-6 (27, ESV) MORE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.? *O Father, we want to glorify Your Name! And when we *Hallow your :name - *then we deal honestly and in truth with one another. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Nov 10 10:47:21 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:47:21 -0800 Subject: Romans 5 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 10, 2012 *JUN 28 - ROMANS 5 - ATONEMENT & GRACE: BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION* *1. 5:1 (5:1-5, NNT) JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. ?Justified therefore out of faith, let us have peace with :God through our :Lord Jesus Christ.? *Father, legally through Christ You have wrought our *Justification*! Now *vitally*through the *life of Jesus* we would exemplify the Power and Reality of Your Kingdom. Yes, Your Kingdom come to us individually: in our home; in our church; in the world. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 5:6 (5:6-8) JUSTIFICATION: BY CHRIST?S DEATH. ?Seeing that, we being yet weak, in due season Christ died for us ungodly.? *What love! What grace! What evidence of Your true nature in Christ O Father, our Great Jehovah! We love You because You first loved us. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 5:11 (5:9-11) JUSTIFICATION: BY HIS BLOOD! ?And not only so, but also rejoicing in :God through our :Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.? *Our glorying Father, is for what You have done in Christ on our behalf. We are *reconciled* to You through Christ and His blood. No wonder we completely trust in You! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 5:14 (5:12-14) JUSTIFICATION: NECESSARY BECAUSE ADAM SINNED. ?But :death reigned from Adam till Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of the oneto come.? *The first Adam is our federal head of sin and death. Christ as the last Adam, is our Federal Head of the New Creation of all things new! Father, out of gratitude on the basis of Christ?s ?Finished Work? we seek *You*! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 5:15 (5:15-16) JUSTIFICATION: MET BY ABOUNDING GRACE. ?But not as the trespass, thus also the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much rather did the grace of :God, and the gift by grace which is of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.? *Lord Jesus, You give us the artesian well of Grace, *abundant* Life from the Father through the Son. Father, burn this truth upon our hearts for all that life holds for us. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:17 (5:17-19) JUSTIFICATION: BY CHRIST?S OBEDIENCE. ?For if, by the trespass of the one, :death reigned through the one; much rather shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of :righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.? *Father, we exult in Jesus, Who causes us to *reign* in Life through the *artesian well of righteousness*! O Hallowed be Your Name again for *such grace*! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 5:21 (5:20-21) JUSTIFICATION: CAUSES GRACE TO REIGN. ?That, just as :sin reigned in :death, thus also might :grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our :Lord.? *Father, You have made * Jesus* to be our All in All! Through Him grace *reigns* through * righteousness*. Through Him Eternal Life is possible. Through Him sin is overturned! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 5:10 (5:9-11) RECONCILIATION: FLOWS OUT OF JUSTICATION. **?For if, being enemies, we were reconciled to :God through the death of His:Son, much rather, reconciled, shall we be saved by his :life.? *Reconciliation is *legal*, Father: it brings us to You. Salvation is *Vital*: Christ?s life in us make us *one* with Your life. Hallelujah! According to God?s Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph structure of the New Testament - Romans 5 actually is a part of the Romans 5-8 section. Howbeit - the importance of chapter 5 for the next 3 chapters is so basic, that I have made it a separate mailing for these daily Bible readings. Look at how it fits into the whole on the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. If you have not purchased a copy, then turn to our Website * *and click on ?Interlinear?. Then scroll down to the book of Romans and consider this Outlined Book according to the discovery God allowed Ivan Panin to make at the turn of last century. The nature of the sentence, sub-paragraph, paragraph and section format for each of the 27 NT books - casts an insight upon them that is absolutely unique. Soon you can order the entire ?Outlined Interlinear NT? in ?E-book? format through **. Then like George Muller, one can meditate upon God?s Covenant for Church saints - both Jew and Greek. I have profited beyond compare in the assigned task of outlining the entire NT according to this format, starting back in 1945. Back to Romans chapter 5. The Holy Spirit here through the apostle Paul - clearly sets forth ?Justification? as the basis for entering into the ?Exchanged Life?. Like Hudson Taylor of the China Inland Mission - we can set apart our right to live our life - and take up through ?Justification by Faith?, the goal of the Father for us - to let His Son by the Spirit live out His life through us! George Muller, Oswald Chambers and Rees Howells - like Hudson Taylor - walked in this *emancipated* life! And God - being no respecter of persons - invites each one of us *also* to walk in this ?Heritage? of Christ! Bible Meditation only becomes viable and blessedly present - when we have first by an act of faith - entered into the ?Exchanged Life? through Romans 6, John 15:1-16 and Galatians 2:20. *Thus* we fully realize that the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is *not* an end in itself - but a *means* to an end - to enable us to walk in ?Bible Meditation? in the fullness that God has designed it for! *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 28:2, 8 (28, ESV) MORE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. 8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.? *O Father, we reach unto You; we *beseech* You: write on our hearts these truths, that from our heart we may *Hallow Your :name *by walking in them! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Nov 11 14:54:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:54:49 -0800 Subject: Romans 6-8 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 11, 2012 *JUN 28 - ROMANS 6-8 - HOLY SPIRIT: PROMISE OF JUSTIFICATION* *1. 6:4-5 (6:1-11, NNT) IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST?S DEATH: MEANS OF LIFE! ?We were buried therefore with him through :baptism into :death: that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, thus we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become like-natured with him in the likeness of his :death, we shall yet be also in the likenessof the resurrection.? *Father, we move in our minds from the federal headship of Adam - to the Federal Headship of Christ! In Christ we *died*, were buried, and are *now alive*! Come now Your Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 6:23 (6:12-23) FREEDOM FROM SIN?S BONDAGE: OUR RIGHT! ?For the wages of :sin is death; but the free gift of :God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our :Lord.? *In Christ You have made us legally free from the power and bondage of sin, O Father! We *know*, *believe*, *reckon* and *yield* - unto our emancipation! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 7:18 (7:1-25) NEWNESS OF SPIRIT: BECAUSE OF DEATH TO LAW! ?For I know that in me, that is, in my :flesh, dwells no good: for to will is present with me, but to work the good, no.? *Father, You have supplied us with an understanding of the true nature of sin, our flesh, Your method of righteousness in Christ, and the victorious solution in Christ! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 8:1-2 (8:1-11) LAW OF SPIRIT: FREES FROM LAW OF SIN. ?There is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of :sin and of :death.? *What a benefit from the Gospel, Father. You have given us in Christ Jesus! We now have an *understanding*! By Spirit-law - we overcome sin-law! The greater overcomes the lesser! Because of Your great Love-gift - we can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 8:16-17 (8:12-17) JOINT-HEIRSHIP WITH CHRIST: THE SPIRIT?S WITNESS! ?The Spirit himself bears witness with our :spirit, that we are God?s children: 17 and if children, also heirs; heirs namely of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we be also glorified with him.? *Father, like Paul we would not only reign with Christ, but also *suffer*with Him. Only in this way can we meet the conditions where You see to bring us into testing! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 8:28 (8:18-30) POWERFUL HELP: THE SPIRIT?S MINISTRY! ?And we know that to them that love :God :God works all things together for good, to those who are called according to his purpose.? **Bringing many sons into glory*! Maturity! Christ-likeness! This is Your goal and purpose for us, O Father! Therefore You *do* work all things, both good and evil, towards this grand design! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 8:37 (8:31-39) IMPOSSIBILITY OF SEPARATION: THROUGH GOD?S LOVE. ?But in all these we more than conquer through him that loved us.? *Yes Father, You cause us to triumph over *every* obstacle. Over principalities and powers! Over persecution and death! Yes, we see clearly that even Satan himself must flee before us as we resist him! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 8:11 (8:1-11) THE HOLY SPIRIT: AGENT FOR OUR BODILY RESURRECTION! **?But if the Spirit of him that raised :Jesus from the dead dwells in you; who raised Christ Jesus from the dead shall make alive also your mortal :bodies through his :Spirit that dwells in you.? *Father, we *choose* to walk in the fullness of the Spirit of Christ, that all the benefits of His * Atonement* might flow through us! Romans 6-7 is the prelude or foundation for chapter 8 - the Promise of the Father - the *Gift* (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit! John 13-17 is a complete Bible section and teaching of Jesus - all on the wonder of the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit! John 14-16 especially majors on this. To see *God?s* perception on the Holy Spirit - and the *importance* of Jesus? Atoning work is to lay the foundation for this - and is something I am sure God wants each of us to understand. I for one *did not* understand the importance of this in 1944 right after God brought me into His Kingdom. A lady in Victoria, BC - formerly of my denomination in Canada said to me, ?Jimmy - now that you are in the Kingdom - *now* you need the Gift of the Holy Spirit - that which makes the ?Exchanged Life? possible?. My reply: ?Mrs. -------, If you need this - you go ahead and get it. I?ve got so much of God now that I can?t handle anymore.? This shocked her. But when I quickly read the entire Bible through in 6 weeks following my salvation, and then started studying it - I soon learned that the early Christians repented, were baptized, and then received the Gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). I discovered that the Samaritan believers in Acts 8 went through a similar process. Normally in the early church, the *Gift* of the Holy Spirit followed water baptism. Three of the sections above *major* on the great benefits that come from the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Revivalist Dr. J. Edwin Orr put it this way: When you are saved, your glass (life), is filled with the Holy Spirit. But when you have the Gift of the Spirit, *He* has you! Your life like a glass full of water - stays in the sink with a stopper - until the sink is full of water - and *you* are now completely submersed in the Spirit. Baptism by immersion signifies this death to the self - and then resurrection into the fullness of Life! May none of us fail to realize the fullness of God?s potential for us! *Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: 29:18 (29, ESV) MORE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. ?Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.? *Father, *vision* comes through Your Word, and for New Testament saints - especially the New Covenant word! Also as we walk in Your Spirit in the Exchanged Life, we are to *meditate* upon Your Word like Joshua, and walk with You in prayer and communion. We *must*transform Your written Word (LOgos) into a Living Word (R*E*ma). *Then* we will not fail to *Hallow your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Nov 12 11:04:03 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:04:03 -0800 Subject: Romans 9-11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 12, 2012 *JUN 30 - ROMANS 9-11 - RELATIONSHIP OF ISRAEL & GENTILES TO JUSTIFICATION* *1. 9:4-5 (9:1-13, NNT) ISRAEL: BY PRINCIPLE OF THE REMNANT. ?Who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the worship, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed unto the ages. Amen.? *We join Paul in praying for a nation to be born in a day. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 9:16 (9:14-29) ISRAEL: PICTURE OF GOD?S SOVEREIGNTY! ?So then it is :not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that has mercy.? *Lord, let us not forget that we were dead in trespasses and sins, and You spoke a word of mercy, ?Let him live!? and then the gift of repentance and faith and life entered into us! Like Israel in Ezekiel 37, we owe *all* to You. Lord: the Father entered into us! We owe all to You. All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me! Lord: the Father gave us, and we have come, and You have received us! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 9:30 (9:30-33) ISRAEL: FAILED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM FAITH. ?What shall we say then? That the nations, who followed not after righteousness, apprehended righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.? *Jesus, You are the Good News of the Kingdom, and we have not stumbled at You. The Father granted us the gift of repentance and faith. O let Israel?s eyes be opened, and be grafted back into the Root! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 10:9 (10:1-15) ISRAEL: SHOWN TRUE WAY OF FAITH. ?Because if you shall confess the word with your :mouth that Jesus is Lord, and shall believe in your :heart that :God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.? *We return thanks unto You Father, and praise Your holy Name; for through this word we entered into Your Kingdom. We submitted unto Your righteousness, the righteousness of God in Messiah by faith. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 11:12 (10:16-11:12) ISRAEL?S REMNANT: HAS FAITH IN REMA-WORD. ?Now if their :trespass is riches of a world, and their :loss riches of nations, how much more their :fullness?? *Lord, we see resurrection life in fullness in the church coming from the fullness of Israel. O may we see anti-Semitism and blinding in the church to these truths - as deception from the enemy, and ungratefulness on our part! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 11:15 (11:13-24) ISRAEL: TEMPORARILY CUT OFF FOR GENTILES. ?For if the casting away of them is a reconciling of a world, what is their receiving but life from the dead?? **Reconciliation* - through Jesus our Peace-Offering! *Reconciliation* - made possible by the temporary cutting off of Israel. Restoration of Israel: life from among the dead for all of us! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 11:28-29 (11:25-36) ISRAEL: TO BE RESTORED WITH GENTILES. ?As to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as to the election, they are beloved for the fathers? sake. 29 For the gifts and the calling of :God are not repented of.? *Israel is *still* beloved for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?s sake. Father, do we share this truth? Do we perceive this revelation? Does the spirit of Nazism still pollute our souls? Lord, we *reject* Satan?s lies. We choose to pray the prayer of the Holy Spirit through Paul. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 10:16-17 (10:16-11:12) THE NATURE OF THE R**EMA-WORD! ?But they did not all listen to the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our :report? 17 The faith therefore is by hearing, and :hearing by Christ?s word.? *We should follow the example of the 4 lepers in Elisha?s day! Some have thought and taught that these 3 chapters to be a parenthesis. *Not so*! These 3 chapters are the very *heart* of the teaching on ?Justification by Faith?! Except God had in His Wisdom and Foreknowledge temporarily taken Israel out of His chosen position for her, we Gentiles would not have been grafted into their Roots! But - He *did* take this drastic action from our point of view, and whether we are aware of it or not - our blessing in the Church is based on the temporary exclusion of Israel from this favored position. And if we as Gentiles see and are aware of God?s great blessing toward us at the temporary expense of Israel, then what can we do to show our thanksgiving both to God and to them? According to the Holy Spirit through Paul in Romans 11, in humility we can pray that the fullness of the Gentiles might soon take place, and that then in mercy God can return to His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For when He grafts Israel back into their roots, and a nation is born in a day - *then* blessings to Gentiles and Jews together in the ?One New Man? will increase beyond all human conception! Derek Prince most clearly saw this whole unfolding panorama in his day! Let us read again these three chapters. We should especially meditate upon Romans chapter 11. In 1991 in Yelm, Washington, I heard an Egyptian newly arrived in Canada for his life?s safety - as a witness to Jesus. He had many relatives lose their lives through the various wars in the past between Israel and the Arab neighbors, especially in Egypt. God asked him, ?Would you be willing to seek to win Jews to Me - and pray for their redemption?? ?Of course not,? he replied, ?in the light of what they have done against me!? But God persisted - ?Yet because you are Mine, and you can see My promises in Romans 11 on their behalf, - would you not reconsider your reply?? This young medical doctor reconsidered. He allowed God to *own* him - rather then *rent* him. God then gave him a *love* for the Jews, and he won many of them into the Kingdom of God. I was deeply moved by the above testimony, and have ever since seen Romans 9-11 in a clearer light. *Our chapters from Proverbs today: 30:5-6 (30-31, ESV) THE WORDS OF AGUR & KING LEMUEL. ?Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.? *Yes Father, we join in declaring Your Word to be *pure*, and not to be added to! We agree and add our Amen to all that you have spoken. You and Your Word are *one*! *Hallowed be your :name!* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Nov 13 11:28:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:28:38 -0800 Subject: Romans 12:1-16:23 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 13, 2012 *JUL 1 - ROMANS 12:1-16:23 - PRACTICAL OUTWORKING OF JUSTIFICATION* *1. 12:1-2 (NNT) PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL SERVICE. ?I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of :God, to present your :bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, your spiritual service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this :age: but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that you may prove what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of :God.? *Completely, once for all, we give ourselves to You, Father. We accept our white funeral of the *self life*. We accept renewal of mind. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 12:3 (12:3-13:14) PRACTICAL USE OF GIFTS. ?For I say through the grace :given me, to every man that is among you, not to think more highly that heought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, as :God has dealt to each a measure of faith.? *We thank You Father, for the differing gifts You give to each of us. Your gifts are all from You of Your grace. We cannot glory in any gift, natural or spiritual. Therefore we humbly acknowledge You as the *Giver*, and You *alone*! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 14:16-17 (14:1-15:6) PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF LOVE. ?Let not then your :good be evil spoken of: 17 for the kingdom of :God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.? *Like the birds of the air we receive our food from Your hand, Father! Because idols are nothing, if it stumble not a brother, we can even eat of this! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:13 (15:7-13) PRACTICAL LIVING THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. ?Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in :believing, that you may abound in :hope, in power of the Holy Spirit.? *Father, You made Jesus the minister to the Jew first, to the circumcision. But You have grafted us into Christ our *hope*, that one day we will all be blessed together in one body! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 15:14 (15:14-21) PRACTICAL MUTUAL ADMONISHMENT. ?And I myself also am persuaded concerning you, my brethren, that yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all :knowledge, able also to admonish one another.? *This is equivalent to *nouthetic counseling*! And how should we admonish one another, Father? To show to one another that as Gentiles, Paul as minister to Gentile strove mightily to protect us. May we perceive and walk humbly in this truth. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 15:29 (15:22-33) PRACTICAL PRAYERS FOR OUTREACH. ?And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in fullness of Christ?s blessing.? *Father, we read the heart of Paul on our behalf, as he spoke to the Romans. What a desire! What faith! What boldness! May we too make known Your grace to both Jew and Gentile! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 16:3-5a (16:1-23) PRACTICAL GREETINGS. ?Salute Prisca and Aquila my :fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who for my :life laid down their own :necks: whom not only I thank, but also all the churches of the nations: 5a and salute the church :in their :house.? *How down to earth is Your Gospel, Father! We rejoice in its simplicity and practicality! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 13:8, 10 (12:3-13:14) PRACTICAL OUTWORKING OF LOVE! **?Owe no one anything, save to love one another: for who loves the other has fulfilled the law. 10 :Love works no ill to the neighbor: :love therefore is fulfillment of law.? **This* is the heart of Your Gospel, Father! In Christ alone can we fulfill it. We glorify You by choosing through Him, to become Your sons and daughters in Glory! This next to the last section of the Book of Romans - is as the title suggests - ?The Practical Outworking of Justification.? It is somewhat self-explanatory. Two verses however deserve extra emphasis: 14:13 concerning the ?God of all Hope? - and 15:14 as it relates to ?nouthetic counseling.? Paul alone is led by the Holy Spirit in using this term - which has the thought of ?*establishing the mind*? through counseling. *This * is what each believer should do with his fellow-believer. We *are*according to God - ?A Kingdom of Priests?. As such then, God sees us each one as having a responsibility to our fellow-believer. Cain wanted to weasel out of this responsibility concerning his murder of his brother Abel. God wouldn?t allow him to ?cop out? of being his brother?s keeper! Nor will God let any of us as spiritual priests in His Kingdom - weasel out of helping to ?establish the mind? in the full Word of God? on behalf of each of our fellow-believers. In Acts 20, Paul witnessed that he had not shunned to declare the *whole counsel of God* to the Ephesian elders. But today, we start over the second time this year in reading through the book of Psalms. Spurgeon in his ?Treasury of David? says that this Psalm may be regarded as THE PREFACE PSALM, having in it a notification of the contents of the entire Book. It is the Psalmist?s desire to teach us the way to blessedness and to warn us of the sure destruction of sinners. This, then, is the matter of the First Psalm, which may be looked upon, in some respects, as the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon. See also his note attached to *Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly*. He takes wiser counsel, and walks in the commandments of the Lord, his God. To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and pleasantness. His footsteps are ordered *by the Word of God* and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal man. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed and when ungodliness is put far from our actions! And lastly under verse 2 - *But his delight is in the law of the Lord.*?The law of the Lord? is the daily bread of the true believer. And yet, in David?s day, how small was the volume of inspiration, for they scarcely had anything save the first five books of Moses! How much more, then, should we prize the whole written Word which it is our privilege to have in all our houses! But, alas, what ill-treatment is given to this angel from heaven! We are not all Berean searchers of the Scriptures. How few among us can lay claim to the benediction of the text! If the above 3 paragraphs by Spurgeon bless you as they do me - then you will be glad to know that Spurgeon?s original 7 volume Treasury of David - has been abridged by David Otis Fuller and published by Zondervan, and is available in 2 volumes! It is an *excellent* bargain, and I have profited much by its purchase. I can heartily recommend it to each one of you reading this. - Jim Watt *Our Psalm for the day: 1:3 (1, ESV) THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED. ?He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.? *Blessed be David Father, who so clearly perceived the basic nature of Your Word behind all other blessings! Give us a heart like him, a man after Your own heart. *Hallowed be your :name! * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Nov 14 10:42:34 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:42:34 -0800 Subject: Romans 16:25-27 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 14, 2012 *JUL 2 - ROMANS 16:25-27 - GLORY TO GOD FOR JUSTIFICATION* *1. 16:25a (NNT) GOSPEL: POWER TO ESTABLISH. ?Now to the one able to establish you according to my :gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,? *Father, we acknowledge that the Good News that Paul preached about Jesus Christ, is the *true* Gospel. We declare without compromise that Jesus *is* the Gospel, and that *He* is mediated by His blood and the Holy Spirit. We release Your Gospel of the Kingdom in us this day! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 16:25b GOSPEL: UNTIL CHRIST - WAS A MYSTERY. ?according to revelation of the mystery kept silent through the times of ages,? *Father, only through a revelation of the mystery of the Gospel, can we understand it. Your Holy Spirit in us in His fullness, teaches us and grants us understanding to comprehend this. By an act of faith we release You blessed Holy Spirit, to show us our inheritance in Christ Jesus (John 16:14). *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 16:26a GOSPEL MYSTERY: NOW REVEALED. ?but now is manifested, and through the prophetic scriptures,? *Father, we are no longer in darkness concerning the *mystery* of Christ in the Gospel of the Kingdom! Your Holy Spirit witnesses this truth in our hearts according to Your Word! Through this revelation, You meet our need daily - both spiritually and naturally. Praise be unto You, O God! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 16:26b GOSPEL: REVEALED BY PROPHETIC COMMAND. ?according to commandment of the eternal God,? *Father, it is according to Your will that we walk in this grace; it is now Your time for us to understand and experience Your grace. Through the Finished Atoning Work of Your Son - You have granted us full forgiveness of sin through Adam, and our individual sins through Christ as our Trespass Offering. Praise be unto You, O God! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 16:26c GOSPEL MYSTERY: NOW OPEN TO NATIONS. ?is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith:? *You end Father, where You begin. You are the Alpha and Omega. When we receive the gift of repentance and faith, it is that we might obey You according to Your word and Spirit. No anti-nomianism here! We praise You Father, for this experience of obedience according to faith. We embrace it. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 16:27a GOSPEL: GLORY TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. ?to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom the glory unto the ages.? *Father, we acknowledge You as the only wise God; we acknowledge that we can only glorify You this way through the all-powerful, redeeming blood of Christ. Only through the gift of the Holy Spirit Who follows the blood, have we insight and strength to praise You. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 16:27b AMEN! TO GOSPEL BLESSING. ?Amen.? *We heartily agree with this epistle. We concur completely that here, Your way of man becoming righteous is laid out. We see clearly that we are not only legally righteous through the blood, but we are *vitally* righteous through the Holy Spirit. We are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: **Psalm 2:6-8 (2, ESV) GOD?S DECREE FOR HIS SON! ?As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.? 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ?You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.? *O the mystery in You Father, and in your Son, and in Your Spirit. Father, You are our Great Jehovah, and have given Your Name to Jesus: *Jehovah* the Savior! What a fitting ending to this epistle. How worthy Christ is to receive this promise. How full of grace that He shares it with us as Heirs of You Father, and Joint-heirs with Himself! Spurgeon says - ?We shall not greatly err in our summary of this sublime Psalm if we call it ?The Psalm of Messiah The Prince,? for it sets forth, as in a wondrous vision, the tumult of the people against the Lord?s anointed, the determinate purpose of God to exalt His own Son, and the ultimate reign of that Son over all His enemies. ?This decree is directly in conflict with the device of man, for its tenor is the establishment of the very dominion against which the nations are raving. ?The dispute concerning the eternal filiation of our Lord betrays more of presumptuous curiosity than of reverent faith. It is an attempt to explain where it is far better to adore. We could give rival expositions of this verse, but we forbear. The controversy is one of the most unprofitable which ever engaged the pens of theologians. ?In the First Psalm, we saw the wicked driven away like chaff; in the Second Psalm, we see them broken in pieces like a potter?s vessel. In the First Psalm, we beheld the righteous like a tree planted by the rivers of water; and here, we contemplate Christ the Covenant Head of the righteous, made better than a tree planted by the rivers of water, for He is made King of all the islands, and all the heathen bow before Him and kiss the dust; while He Himself gives a blessing to all those who put their trust in Him.? *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Nov 16 15:47:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:47:58 -0800 Subject: Psalm 132 - Hebrew Interlinear Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 16, 2012 *2012-11-12 - PSALM 132 - The LORD has chosen Zion!* 1. 132:1-5, (ESV) - ZION: SOUGHT FOR BY DAVID *Remember, O LORD, in David?s favor,* zeC*O*R_ye-h*o*VAH, le-daVID, *all the hardships he endured.* *e*th c*a*l_un-n*o*TH*O*. *2 how he swore to the LORD* aSHER NUSHba lai-h*o*VAH *and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, * n*a*DAR la-aVYR ya-aK*O*V, *3 ?I will not enter my house* im_aV*O* be*O*hel b*e*yTHIY *or get into my bed,* im_e-eLEH al_Eres ye-tsu*A*Y, *4 I will not give sleep to my eyes* im_etT*E*N sheNATH le-*e*yN*A*I *or slumber to my eyelids,* le-aph-apPAI te-n*u*MAH, *5 until I find a place for the LORD,* ad_emTS*A* M*A*kom lay-hoV*A*H, *a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.?* mish-c*a*N*O*TH la-aVIR ya-aKOV. 2. 132:6-7 ZION: ITS ARK FOUND! *Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;* hinN*E*H_sheMAaNUah be-ephR*A*th*a*h; *we found it in the fields of Jaar.* me-tsaN*U*-*a*h bi-she-d*e*y_Y*A*ar; *7 ?Let us go to his dwelling place;* n*a*V*O*-*a*h le-mish-ce-n*o*TH*A*IV; *let us worship at his footstool.?* nish-ta-chaVEH la-chaDOM ragL*A*IV. 3. 132:8-10 ZION: ITS RESTING PLACE SOUGHT *Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,* k*u*M*A*H, ye-h*o*V*A*H lim-n*u*-ch*a*THEca, *you and the ark of your might.* atTAH va-aR*O*N uzZEc*a*. *9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,* co-haNEIc*a* yil-be-sh*u*_TSEdek, *and let your saints shout for joy.* va-cha-siyDEYc*a* ye-ranN*E*n*u*. *10 For the sake of your servant David,* BAaV*U*R d*a*VID avDEc*a*, *do not turn away the face of your anointed one.* al_taSH*E*V peN*E*Y me-shiyCHEc*a*. 4. 132:11-12 ZION: BASIS OF GOD?S PROMISE TO DAVID *The LORD swore to David a sure oath* nishBA_yeH*O*v*a*h eSH*E*V *from which he will not turn back;* lo_yaSH*U*V mimMENn*a*h; ?*One of the sons of your body* mip-peRIY vit-neC*A* *I will set on your throne.* *a*SHIYTH le-ci-s*e*_L*A*C. *12 If your sons keep my covenant* IM_yish-mer*u* b*a*NEYc*a* be-riyTHIY *and my testimonies that I shall teach them,* ve-*e*-doTHIY z*o* aLAMmeD*E*M, *their sons also forever* gam_be-n*e*yHEM a-d*e*y_AD *shall sit on your throne.?* y*e*-sheV*U* le-cis-s*e*_L*A*C. 5. 132:13-18 ZION: *GOD?S CHOSEN RESTING PLACE* *For the LORD has chosen Zion;* CIY_b*a*HAR ye-h*o*V*A*H be-tsiY*O*N; *he has desired it for his dwelling place:* ivVAH le-m*o*SHAV l*o*: *14 ?This is my resting place forever;* z*o*th_me-nu-ch*a*THIY a-d*e*y_AD; *here I will dwell, for I have desired it.* P*O*_*e*SH*E*V ciy iv-viTHIY*a*h. *15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;* TS*E*d*a*h b*a*R*E*C a-v*a*R*E*C; *I will satisfy her poor with bread.* ev-y*o*NEY*a*h as-biyA L*A*chem. *16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,* ve-c*o*-haNEY*a*h alBISH YEsha, *and her saints will shout for joy.* va-cha-siyDEY*a*h ragG*E*N ye-raG*E*n*u*. *17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;* sh*a*m atsMIYach KEren le-d*a*VID; *I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.* *a*RACtiy g*e*r lim-shiyCHI, *18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,* *O*ye-v*a*yv alBIYSH B*O*sheth, *but on him his crown will shine.?* ve-*a*L*A*YV y*a*TSIYTS nizR*O*. *NOTE**: **ZION: GOD?S RESTING PLACE! *God told Israel that when they left Egypt, that He would one day choose a capital city for Israel - where He would dwell in a special house David?s son would build for Him. When David became king of Israel, God indicated to him that Zion - Jerusalem in Benjamin - was His choice for the nations? capital, and His dwelling place. In 7 distinct ways, David prepared for the building of the Temple in Zion! *1. 132:1-5 ZION: SOUGHT FOR BY DAVID. *David was a man after God?s own heart! He understood the heart of God for Zion. He was a *true* prophet, not a self-appointed one. He was like Samuel, of whom *not one prophetic word* he spoke fell to the ground - that is - was unfulfilled! Present day prophets excuse themselves for missing - but God through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-22 warned against such. Elijah and Elisha were just like Moses, Samuel and David - as were John the Baptist and Agabus. These 7 were Word of God men. There teaching and prophecies could *all* be tied into the Bible - God?s Word. Did this make them ?Old Order? because they lined up with God?s Word? Not at all. Those who today ?go beyond? the Word in revelation and teaching are ?suspect? - and one day will answer to God for promiscuous teaching. *2. 132:6-7 ZION: ITS ARK FOUND. *David had to try twice before he was able to bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Zion - to Jerusalem. God loves it here. He gave it as an everlasting trust to Israel. It is *not*for Arafat and the Palestinians. All too soon - false-dreamers will learn that it is *not* Israel they are opposing, but the *God* of Israel, who has chosen Israel, Zion and Jerusalem for Himself! Read the end of Zechariah to see! All 66 books of the Bible are God?s Word - not man?s. The 33 known writers wrote *not* of themselves, but as directed and carried on by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). So David the second time reread the 5 books of Moses, and discovered that the ark must not be carried on a cart - but upon the shoulders of Levites. The second time was successful, and the Ark of God?s presence was now in Zion. *3. 132:8 (132:8-10) ZION: ITS RESTING PLACE SOUGHT. *The Temple is the House to honor God?s Name - and God met there with His people through the High Priest alone. But today - there is a ?Riven Veil? - and we are a ?Kingdom of Priests? - so we all have the privilege of passing through the Riven Veil into the ?Holy of Holies? - and there meeting with God at His Throne. When we come to the Brazen Altar in the Outer Court, we honor Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God. At Calvary - at the Cross - He becomes a 5-fold offering: The Whole Burnt Offering or Holocaust, to present Himself to the Father on our behalf as a perfect servant. As a ?sin-offering? - He atoned for the sin Adam brought upon the human race; as a trespass offering - He atones for our individual sins; as a peace offering - He become a ?propitiation? and accepted the full penalty for God?s wrath for Adam?s sin; as a Grain Offering, He fell as a grain of wheat into the ground and died. Through multiplication we join Him, and in identification with Him died, rose again and live with Him awaiting our resurrection bodies upon His Return. We too can share as a whole burnt offering to the Father (Romans 12:1-2) and a grain offering (John 12). See our Solar System - in the shape of an ellipse. Jesus is as the sun in summer time at the first focus. But the Father?s Throne is in the hidden dark place of winter, the second focus. We are not to camp around the Cross - but around the Throne! ?We camp ?round the Throne of God?s heav?n above - Through You, Christ Jesus our Lord!? But when we come to the Menorah, the 7-fold candlestick of the Holy Place - *there* we learn to live by the life of the Spirit within - through You, Christ Jesus our Lord! The Holy Spirit is also the 7 lamps before God?s Throne, and the path the earth takes in its elliptical track around the 2 foci: the Cross and the Throne! *4. 132:11-12. ZION: BASIS OF GOD?S PROMISE TO DAVID. *This is an amazing prophecy - not like so many prophecies of today that miss - sometimes up to 50% or more. And - *this one* is fulfilled for evermore! For Jesus, Son of God, Son of man, is of the seed of David, and upon His return will take the Throne of David over Israel for evermore! What faithfulness we have in the true Promises of God. All Bible prophecies and promises are of this nature. We need to call attention to those who water down God?s Word to such a low level - that they feel justified in preaching and teaching on such a low level. The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? available now *(< www.btjohnsonpublishing.com)* in book and soon E-book format - should - and could lift the church back to God?s level of his full and pure word. When we learn to join the Father in Zion; and enter the Riven Veil where Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father on High - then we learn indeed of the true blessing of God?s Resting Place! *5. 132:14 (13-18) ZION: GOD?S CHOSEN RESTING PLACE. *Here God clearly sets forth that Zion *is* His Resting Place forever. Here will He dwell,, for He has desired it! However, to be a part of Zion, and a part of His Resting Place is not something just ?hoped for? - we must press in until by faith we can sing - ?Yes! Zion - God?s Resting Place - is now *my* place of rest also. I have seen Hebrews 3-4 - and determined *not* to fall short of *His Rest*! Most in Israel?s day missed it. Many in the church are deceived and in delusion - but let *us* press in - and *not* be denied! *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Nov 18 09:30:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2012 09:30:49 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 1-7 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 18, 2012 *JUL 3 - PROVERBS 1-7 - A FATHER?S COUNSEL: WARNINGS AND WISDOM* *1. 1:23 (1, ESV) PROVERBS: THEIR DESIGN. ?If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you: I will make my words known to you.? *Father, Your Kingdom is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). This day we say, Come Your Kingdom in the Holy Spirit. Let righteousness, peace and joy be our portion in You *all* this day! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 2:6 (2) WISDOM: ITS PRESERVING QUALITY. ?For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.? *Almighty Father, surely this is an expression of Your will for us this day. Be done Your will in us here on earth, as Your angels and saints even now perform it in heaven. Let wisdom preserve us this day. *Jesus* *is* our wisdom! (1 Corinthians 1:30). *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 3:5-6 (3) WISDOM: ITS MULTI-FACETED BLESSING. ?Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.? *Yes Father, and You will direct our paths in the way of this day?s provision. Manna from heaven for our soul, and practical provision for our body. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:18 (4) WISDOM: SET FORTH BY A FATHER. ?But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.? *And how can this take place Father? By walking in love, contrition, repentance and reconciliation. By humbling ourselves, confessing our sins, and walking in forgiveness. Our light now shines forth more and more in righteousness, peace, joy and love! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 5:21 (5) WISDOM: WITHHOLDS YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ADULTERY. ?For a man?s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.? *We consider this; Your eye is upon us. As we recognize this, You will be our armor, and will keep us back from unnecessary testing. Father, we bless You that You are bringing *many* sons into glory! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 6:22 (6) WARNINGS: IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. ?When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.? **This* is Your spiritual Urim and Thummim Father, for believers! It infallibly led David and kings in former days. Your *RE*ma-word in our hearts will do the same for us today, Father. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 7:2 (7) WISDOM: WITHHOLDS SINGLES FROM FORNICATION. ?Keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.? *This is how Father, we will praise You, and return unto You. When we obey Your Word, You hold back Your servants from presumptuous sin. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:33 (1) THE CALL OF WISDOM. **?But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.? *Father, let all our young people, children and adults - perceive the wonder and truthfulness of this promise. May this whole day?s reading fill us with delight! *Our Psalm for the day: 3:3 (3) SAVE ME, O MY GOD! ?But you, O LORD, are a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter of my head.? *O how wonderful to praise You O Jehovah Father, and to recognize and receive You in fact and reality as our Shield, our glory, and the Lifter of our head. Who else is a God like You? *Hallowed be your :name!* Psalm 3 is a Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son. You will remember the sad story of David?s flight from his own palace, when, in the dead of the night, he forded the brook Kedron and went with a few faithful followers to hide himself for a while from the fury of his rebellious son. Remember that David in this was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, too, fled; He, too, passed over the brook Kedron when His own people were in rebellion against Him, and with a feeble band of followers, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane. He, too, drank of the brook by the way, and therefore does He lift up the head. By very many expositors, this is entitled ?The Morning Hymn.? May we ever wake with holy confidence in our hearts and a song upon our lips! C. H. S. 3:8. *Salvation belongs unto the Lord. *This verse contains the sum and substance of Calvinistic doctrine. Search Scripture through, and you must, if you read it with a candid mind, be persuaded that the doctrine of salvation by grace alone *is* the great doctrine of the Word of God. This is a point concerning which we are daily fighting. Our opponents say, ?Salvation belongs to the free will of man; if not to man?s merit, yet at least to man?s will?; but we hold and teach that salvation from first to last, in every iota of it, belongs to the Most high God. It is God that chooses His people. He calls them by His grace; He quickens them by His Spirit, and keeps them by His power. It is not of man, neither by man; ?not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.? May we all learn this truth experimentally, for our proud flesh and blood will never permit us to learn it in any other way. C. H. Spurgeon, from ?The Treasury of David? abridgment by David Otis Fuller. George Muller started out in his 20?s holding forth for free-will uppermost. He called the above ?a devilish doctrine?. A lady asked him, ?Have you ever done a thorough Bible study on this subject?? He acknowledged that he had not. Then please, she said, do not speak any more on this subject until you have done so. This word did not upset him. Rather he went through the entire Bible verse by verse on this subject. He discovered that 80% of references on this subject speak of salvation coming to us by grace. Then afterwards, as he walked in this new insight for him, he discovered that the other 20% made sense in the same direction, once he had started this way. George Whitefield walked this same path, and reasoned Charles Wesley into the same position. John Wesley however retained the other position his entire life. George Whitefield walked with John in full Christian fellowship in spite of their different viewpoints. I feel the same way as George Whitefield. I have dear friends on both sides of this question, and know that we will together have fellowship in heaven. ?In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, tolerance; in all things, charity or love.? * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Nov 19 17:04:07 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:04:07 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 8-9 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 19, 2012 *JUL 4 - PROVERBS 8-9 - WISDOM?S CALL* *1. 8:7 (8:1-11, ESV) WISDOM?S APPEAL. ?For my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.? *Father, You are the God of truth! Jesus, You *are* the Truth. Lawlessness and rebellion have no part in You, nor in Your servants. As King, Lord Jesus, burn out of our hearts by Your baptism of fire, the last root of rebellion. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 8:13 (8:12-21) WISDOM AND ITS EXCELLENCE. ?The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.? *Burn these truths, O Lord, into our heart. Impart unto us Your Divine Nature by Your great and exceeding precious promises. Yes, Lord; we will say ?Yes? to You. We release You completely to take over our lives (Romans 12:1-2; Mark 8:34). *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 8:30 (8:22-31) WISDOM: ITS ETERNITY. ?Then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always.? *Lord Jesus, we see You in Your pre-incarnate state with the Father. ?Before Abraham was, I AM!? O Father, how can we doubt Your daily provision when we are in You, and Christ is in us? With contrite heart, we loose You in completeness to have Your way in us. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 8:35 (8:32-36) WISDOM: AN EXHORTATION TO HEED. ?For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD.? *Life for our spirit in the new birth; life for us now in our souls; life in fullness in our body at the resurrection: past, present and future, for all Your mature sons and daughters. This humbles us - first realizing we must deliberately, voluntarily, sacrificially and *joyfully* grant forgiveness to all. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 9:1-2 (9:1-6) WISDOM?S INVITATION. ?Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. 2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.? *And what O Jehovah, are wisdom?s 7 pillars, her foundations? Surely the foundations, the first principles, the milk of Hebrews 6:1-2: repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on hands, resurrection, judgment - and on to maturity. No house can be built without these 7 foundational pillars. And who builds us upon these? The ministries of Ephesians 4:11-12 adjust (ka-tarTIz*o*) us and mature us unto the functioning of our respective ministries. Now we are equipped, and have on the armor of our Lord Jesus to face testing! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 9:10 (9:7-12) WISDOM?S PROOF AND DEFINITION. ?The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.? * Father, grant to each of Your children wisdom and understanding in abundance. Theyare already in us in Christ! We loose them into fullness and maturity! Come, Lord Jesus, increase while we decrease. By this, a hedge of thorns is about us like Job. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 9:18 (9:13-18) THE FOOLISH WOMAN?S INVITATION: WISDOM?S OPPOSITE! ?But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.? *Adultery and fornication give entrance to Satanic spirits. They are doorways to the spirit of hell. By them we sin against our own body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Father, save us from such presumptuous sin. *But deliver us from the one!* *NOTE**: *How important these two chapters! Let us receive You in Your fullness, Lord Jesus, God?s incarnate Wisdom. We release You within ourselves in fullness as our wisdom, made such unto us by God (1 Corinthians 1:30). How precious is Your Word; and You and Your Word are *one *! (John 1:1). *Our Psalm for the day: 4:8 (4) ANSWER ME WHEN I CALL. ?In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.? *O Jehovah Father, our everlasting Covenant God, we learn continually to lean harder upon You. Let us lean harder on You, Jesus; Yes harder, Lord, each day. Then lost in Your great love, praise wells up unbidden from our hearts. For You instruct us with dreams in the night season. *Hallowed be your :name!* If the Third Psalm may be entitled The Morning Psalm, this from its matter is equally deserving of the title of ?The Evening Hymn.? In the first verse, David pleads with God for help. In the second, he expostulates with his enemies, and continues to address them to the end of verse 5. Then from verse 6 to the close, he delightfully contrasts his own satisfaction and safety with the disquietude of the ungodly in their best estate. C. H. S. 4:3 *The Lord has set apart him that is godly for Himself.* David was king by Divine decree, and we are the Lord?s people in the same manner; let us tell our enemies to their faces that they fight against God and destiny when they strive to overthrow our souls. C. H. S. 4:4 *Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.* ?Tremble and sin not.? How many reverse this counsel and sin but tremble not. Oh that men would take the advice of this verse and *commune with their own hearts. *C. H. S. 4:7 *You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.* ?It is better,? said one, ?to feel God?s favor one hour in our repenting souls than to sit whole ages under the warmest sunshine that this world affords.? Christ in the heart is better than corn in the barn or wine in the vat. Corn and wine are but fruits of the world, but the light of God?s countenance is the ripe fruit of heaven. Let my granary be empty, I am yet full of blessings if Jesus Christ smiles upon me; but if I have all the world, I am poor without him. This verse is the saying of the righteous man in opposition to the saying of the many. How quickly does the tongue betray the character! ?Speak, that I may see you!? said Socrates to a fair boy. The metal of a bell is best known by its sound. Birds reveal their nature by their song. C. H. S. 4:8 *I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for You, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety*. A quiet conscience is a good bedfellow. How many of our sleepless hours might be traced to our untrusting and disordered minds! They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep. No pillow so soft as a promise; no coverlet so warm as an assured interest in Christ. C. H. Spurgeon - from ?The Treasury of David?, abridgment - by David Otis Fuller *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Nov 20 11:26:36 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:26:36 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 10-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* *JUL 5 - PROVERBS 10-20 - CONTRASTING PROVERBS* *1. 10:22 (10, ESV) CONTRASTED PERSONS AND THINGS. ?The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.? *Father, You always desire to bless: but Your blessing is that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus - that You might bring many sons and daughters into glory and maturity. Be King of our lives to shape us through trials and discipline. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 11:13 (11-12) PROVERBS ON RELATIONSHIPS. ?Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.? *Set a watch before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3) Let us not be as Ham and Canaan with Noah; but as Shem and Japheth. Write on our hearts, that love *covers a multitude of sins*. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 13:12 (13) PROVERBS CONTRASTING POVERTY AND PROSPERITY. ?Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.? *This ministers to our spirit, soul and body! You O Father, are more willing to give than we are to receive. But answers to prayer before we grow spiritually could hurt us. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:22 (14-15) PROVERBS CONCERNING VARIOUS CLASSES. ?Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.? *Let us not move unilaterally, Father. Let us find wise confirmation with spouse, friends and the wise. Yet let us have a true word from *You first*! Give us words that lead us to a contrite heart and repentance. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 16:32 (16-17) PROVERBS OF CONFIDENCE, CONTENTMENT AND PEACE. ?Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.? *Father, only You are truly like this! But You live in us (Galatians 2:20; 1:16; 4:19; Colossians 1:27). Father, we release You in us in all Your self-control, meekness and longsuffering. You are our armor both within and without. We voluntarily let You live out Your life through us. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 18:10 (18:1-19:19) PROVERBS ON VIRTUE AND CHARACTER. ?The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.? *Satan cannot touch us as we walk in this truth. You Father, set a hedge about us so that we are protected like Job. Therefore we rejoice and live in Your Name, which is Your Nature. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 19:23 (19:20-20:30) INSTRUCTIONS AND ADMONITIONS TO SONS. ?The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.? *Father, let this truth sink deep into our heart; write it on the table of our heart. As a sapling is bent and takes up that position permanently, so let Your fear tend to keep us perpetually in You and Your blessing! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: *O Father, our heart rejoices in the truths in this passage. Herewe find Your wisdom Personified. Here we find wisdom in building good relationships with our fellow-man! *Our Psalm for the day: 5:3 (5) LEAD ME IN YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. ?O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.? *Father, You are a God Who hears and answers prayer. No good thing will You withhold from him who walks uprightly. Before we ask, You have already provided the answer! No wonder we spontaneously *Hallow your :name!* To the devout mind there is here presented a precious view of the Lord Jesus, of Whom it is said that in the day of His flesh, He offered up prayers and supplication with strong crying and tears. 5:1 *Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. *Words are not the essence but the garments of prayer. C. H. S. Meditation is the best beginning of prayer, and prayer is the best conclusion of meditation. George Swinnock 5:2 *The voice of my cry. *To a loving father, his children?s cries are music, and they have a magic influence which his heart cannot resist. *My King, and my God. *Observe carefully these little pronouns, *my* King, and *my *God. They are the pith and marrow of the plea. Here is a grand argument why God should answer prayer - because He is *our* King and *our* God. We are not aliens to Him: He is the King of our country. Kings are expected to hear the appeals of their own people. We are not strangers to Him; we are His worshipers, and He is our God: ours by covenant, by promise, by oath, by blood. 5:3 *My voice shall You hear. *Observe, this is not so much a prayer as a resolution. We can sooner die than live without prayer. *In the morning. *An hour in the morning is *worth two* in the evening. While the dew is on the grass, let grace drop upon the soul. Let us give God the mornings of our days and the morning of our lives. Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night. *I will direct my prayer unto You, and will look up. * I will put my prayer upon the bow, I will direct it toward heaven, and then when I have shot up my arrow, I will look up to see where it has gone. But the Hebrew has a still fuller meaning this this - ?I will *direct *my prayer.? It is the word that is used for the laying in order of the wood and the pieces of the victim upon the altar, and it is used also for putting of the shew-bread upon the table. It means just this: ?I will arrange my prayer before You?; I will lay it out upon the altar in the morning, just as the priest lays out the morning sacrifice. I will arrange my prayer; or, as old Master Trapp has it, ?I will marshal up my prayers,? I will put them in order, call up all my powers, and bid them stand in their proper places, that I may pray with all my might, and pray acceptably. *And will look up*, or, as the Hebrew might better be translated, ??I will look out,? I will look out for the answer. After I have prayed, I will expect that the blessing shall come.? It is the word that is used in another place where we read of those who watched for the morning. So will I watch for Your answer, O my Lord! I will spread out my prayer like the victim on the altar, and I will look up and expect to receive the answer by fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. Do we not miss very much of the sweetness and efficacy of prayer by a want of *careful meditation* before it and of hopeful expectation after it? Prayer without fervency is like hunting with a dead dog, and prayer without preparation is hawking with a blind falcon. God made man, but He used the dust of the earth as a material: the Holy spirit is the Author of prayer, but He employs the thoughts of a fervent soul as the gold with which to fashion the vessel. Let not our prayers and praises be the flashes of a hot and hasty brain, but the steady burning of a well-kindled fire. We are like the ostrich, which lays her eggs and looks not for her young. We sow the seed and are too idle to seek a harvest. Let holy preparation link hands with patient expectation, and we shall have far larger answers to our prayers! C. H. Spurgeon - from ?The Treasury of David?. Notice that Psalm 5 is attached as the reading for July 5. This is my birthday since 1923. On January 5 and July 5, I read this as my birthday Psalm. Each one of us has a Psalm for our birthday. I encourage you to find your Psalm, and use it as I do mine, as a special time in the Lord! - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Nov 21 11:47:52 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:47:52 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 21-24 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 21, 2012 *JUL 6 - PROVERBS 21-24 - MAXIMS AND COUNSELS* *1. 21:2 (21, ESV) CHARACTER BUILDING PROVERBS FOR A SON. ?Every way of man is right in his own eyes but the LORD weighs the heart.? *Father, You look upon our motives and attitudes as You taught Samuel when choosing David. Let the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, our strength and our Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). Search us O God, and know our heart. Come Your Kingdom, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 22:6 (22:1-16) GOOD COUNSEL FOR A SON. ?Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.? *But this takes time, patience and love. Yet this is what You do with us, Father. Your purpose is to bring many sons into glory - for us to be like Jesus. You love us too much to let us stray unchallenged. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 22:22-23 (22:17-29) WORD FOR A WISE SON. ?Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.? *Let us O Father, always regard the life of a poor and needy man. Let us share of our abundance. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth* *4. 23:13-14 (23:1-21) WISE WORDS FOR A SON. ?Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.? *Forgive us Father, for not taking Your Word seriously. Forgive us for not seeing that *You and Your Word* are *one* (John 1:1; 2 Peter 1:4)! Forgive us for letting the unbelief of the world intimidate us. Forgive us for not being willing to suffer reproach for Your Word?s sake! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 23:23 (23:22-35) A FATHER AND MOTHER?S DESIRE FOR A SON. ?Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.? *O Lord, You are the Truth (John 14:6), and Your Word is truth (John 17:17), and the Paraclete is the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26). We break the spirit of error over our children, and into them we loose the Spirit of Truth, that Christ be within them. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 24:3-4 (24:1-20) WISDOM FOR A SON CONCERNING EVIL. ?By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.? *Any child following this format will be delivered from the evil one. Father, let this truth sink deeply into the heart of our sons and daughters. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 24:27 (24:21-34) WORDS ON RELATIONSHIP FOR A SON. ?Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.? *We seek *first* Your Kingdom and Your righteousness Father, and then all things we need will be added unto us. First complete love to You Father, and then to neighbor as ourselves. Father, we pledge to live You out in this truth. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: *What a prayer for our sons and daughters. How wonderful to pray the Lord?s Prayer on their behalf from these truths of Scripture. O Father, You are worthy of our deepest praise in the light of these Prayer-truths! *Our Psalm for the day: 6:9 (6) O LORD, DELIVER MY LIFE! ?The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.? *In the midst of our troubles Father, You are always there. When we cry unto You in our distress, You always hear. As a mother is sensitive to the cry of her child, so are You aware of the best for Your child. *Hallowed be your :name, *for we can * always* trust You! This Psalm is commonly known as the first of ?The Penitential Psalms,? and certainly its language well becomes the lip of a penitent, for it expresses at once the sorrow (6:3, 6-7), the humiliation (6:2, 4), and the hatred of sin (6:8), which are the unfailing marks of the contrite spirit when it turns to God. 6:2 *For I am weak*. Urge not your goodness or your greatness, but plead your sin and your littleness. A sense of sin had so spoiled the Psalmist?s pride, so taken away his vaunted strength, that he found himself weak to obey the law, weak through the sorrow that was in him, too weak perhaps, to lay hold on the promise. ?I am weak.? The original may be read, ?I am one who droops,? or withered like a blighted plant. 6:4. *For Your mercies sake.* If we turn to justice, what plea can we urge? But if we turn to mercy, we may still cry, notwithstanding the greatness of our guilt, ?Save me for Your mercies? sake.? Observe how frequently David here pleads the Name of Jehovah, which is always intended where the word LORD is given in capitals. Five times in four verses we here meet with it. Is not this a proof that the glorious name is full of consolation to the tempted saint? 6:6 *I am weary with my groaning.** *God?s people may groan but they may not grumble! It may seem a marvelous change in David, being a man of such magnitude of mind, to be thus dejected and cast down. Prevailed he not against Goliath, against the lion and the bear, through fortitude and magnanimity? But now he is sobbing, sighing, and weeping like a child! When men and beasts are his opposites, then he is more than a conqueror; but when he has to do with God against whom he sinned, then he is less than nothing. *All the night I make my bed to swim*; or, ?I caused my bed to swim.? As the woman with the bloody issue that touched the hem of Christ?s garment was no less welcome to Christ than Thomas, who put his fingers in the print of the nails, so God looks not at the quantity, but the sincerity of our repentance. Conviction sometimes has such an effect upon the body that even the outward organs are made to suffer. 6:8. *Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. *Repentance is a practical thing. It is not enough to bemoan the desecration of the temple of the heart; we must scourge out the buyers and sellers and overturn the tables of the money-changers. A pardoned sinner will hate the sins which cost the Savior His blood. - Charles Spurgeon - from ?The Treasury of David?, abridged by David Otis Fuller *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Nov 22 10:13:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2012 10:13:53 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 25-29 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 22, 2012 *JUL 7 - PROVERBS 25-29 - SOLOMON: COPIED BY HEZEKIAH* *1. 25:28 (25, ESV) PROVERBS FOR PILGRIMS. ?A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.? *Father, this is a serious word You have spoken unto us. And how can we rule our spirits except we first deliberately, voluntarily, sacrificially and *joyfully* turn our body over to You as a daily, living sacrifice? Unless we daily deny ourself, take up our cross and follow You? *Then* all Your promises begin to come true, and we can *Hallow your :name!* *2. 26:22 (26) PROVERBS MAJORING ON THE TONGUE. ?The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.? *Father, we know the hurt and harm that comes to us through the sin of a talebearer against us. We choose to forgive him this sin. And Father, we choose with Your help to walk in Psalm 141:3, and not sin against our brother. And where we have sinned in this respect, please forgive us and guide us in making restitution. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 27:17 (27:1-17) PROVERBS OF WISDOM. ?Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.? *We acknowledge O Father, that we cannot be our best for You apart from earnest, honest and friendly discussion. We have blind spots and need this ministry, to be our best for You. By engaging in this, we have no doubt it will increase our joy! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 27:21 (27:18-27) PROVERBS ON DILIGENCE. ?The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.? *The fining-pot refines silver, and the furnace gold; but praise to a man, whether his own or others, refines him according as he receives it. Father, let another man praise us, and not our own mouth, and let it humble and refine us; for it is You in us being praised! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 28:2 (28) PROVERBS OF PRACTICALITIES. ?When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.? *See how king Saul brought blood-guiltiness on the land, but David atoned for his sin (2 Samuel 21:1-14). Father, help us to search out areas where the land has been polluted, and bring 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Daniel 9 to bear. Be also our armor! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 29:7 (29:1-14) PROVERBS OF RELATIONSHIPS. ?A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.? *O Father, let us continually see the needs spiritual and natural - of both believers and unbelievers. Let us consider how You would help them through us. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 29:17 (29:15-27) PROVERBS FOR CHILDREN. ?Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.? *Father, You love us enough to discipline us, that we might mature spiritually, and become sons of glory. We thank You for Your faithful love in discipline. We choose to do the same for our children, both natural and spiritual. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE**: 29:18 (29:15-27) PROVERBS FOR CHILDREN. **?Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.? *O Father, give us a *progressive* vision. For the path of the just lights us increasingly. We choose to let Your Word lead us into praise and prayer daily! *Our Psalm for the day: 7:17 (7) IN YOU DO I TAKE REFUGE! ?I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.? *Father, we are humbled by the revelation of Your Greatness, Your righteousness and Your highness. And yet You have humbled Yourself to become like one of us, that we might become the righteousness of God in You, O Christ. Such love is beyond us! Therefore, we *Hallow your :name!* It appears probable that Cush the Benjamite had accused David to Saul of treasonable conspiracy against his royal authority. This may be called the ?Song of the Slandered Saint.? Even this sorest of evils may furnish occasion for a Psalm. 7:1 *O Lord my God, in You do I put my trust! *The case is here opened with an avowal of confidence in God. Whatever may be the emergency of our condition, we shall never find it amiss to retain our reliance upon our God. *?O Lord, **my** God?* - mine by a special covenant, sealed by Jesus? blood, and ratified in my own soul by a sense of union to You; *in You, *and in You only *do I put my trust, * even now in my sore distress. I shake, but my rock moves not. It is never right to distrust God and never vain to trust Him! 7:2 *Lest he tear my soul like a lion*. There was one among David?s foes mightier than the rest. From this foe, he urgently seeks deliverance. Perhaps this was Saul, his royal enemy; but in our case there is one who goes about like a lion, seeking whom he may devour, concerning whom we should cry, ?Deliver us from the evil one.? *Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. *This is a soul-moving portrait of a saint delivered over to the will of Satan. This will make the bowels of Jehovah yearn. A father cannot be silent when a child is in such peril. It will be well for us here to remember that this is a description of the danger to which the Psalmist was exposed from slanderous tongues. Slander leaves a slur, even if it be wholly disproved. If God was slandered in Eden, we shall surely be maligned in this land of sinners. If we would live without being slandered, we must wait till we get to heaven! 7:11 *God is angry with the wicked every day.* We have no insensible and stolid God to deal with; He can be angry; no, He *is* angry today and every day with you, you ungodly and impenitent sinners. The best day that ever dawns on a sinner brings a curse with it! 7:13 *Instruments of death**. * Remember, God?s arrows never miss the mark, and are every one of them ?instruments of death.? 7:14 *He made a pit, and dug it. *He stooped to the dirty work of digging. He did not fear to soil his own hands; he was willing to work in a ditch if others might fall therein. What mean things men will do to wreak vengeance on the godly! 7:16. *His mischief shall return upon his own head.* Ashes always fly back in the face of him that throws them. - from ?The Treasury of David? by Charles Spurgeon, abridged by David O. Fuller. * * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Nov 26 11:50:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:50:38 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 30 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 26, 2012 *JUL 8 - PROVERBS 30 - WORDS OF AGUR* *1. 30:2-3 (30:1-3) WORDS OF AGUR. ?Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.? *Father, it is good for us to know our limitations. It is good to be chastened and humbled. It is good to have a broken and contrite heart. Let the fruit of the Spirit, the beauty of Christ: gentleness, meekness, longsuffering - come in us. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 30:4 QUESTIONS. ?Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son?s name? Surely you know! *Father, as Agur sought for wisdom and answers - especially to know You better - so we seek You and Your Son Jesus! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 30:5-6 GOD?S WORDS. ?Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.? *Your Word O Father, is *purified* 7 times. Forever, O Jehovah, Your Word is settled in heaven (Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation 22:18-19). We will always trust You through Your Word, and we know *Your* faithfulness! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 30:8 (30:7-9) AGUR?S REQUESTS. ?Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me.? *If we have too much, we tend to forget You; if we have too little, we are tempted to dishonesty. Forgive us Father, for wrong attitudes toward You, carelessness, forgetfulness, lack of love and appreciation. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 30:10 ACCUSATION. ?Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.? *Father, teach us to go first to a brother with a fault, before telling anyone else. Let us deliver ourselves of a grievance in the correct way (Matthew 18:15-17). Let us remember the Golden rule! Then we can count on you Lord Jesus, to be both our inward and outward armor. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 30:18-19 (30:11-31) SIX GROUPS OF FOUR THINGS. ?Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.? *Shy young men as well as strong men, know how to find their mate. You have put in us the wisdom for this, Father! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 30:32 (30:32-33) FORBEARANCE. ?If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.? *We humble ourselves and ask forgiveness from You Father, and from the one we have offended. We thank You for the wisdom and convicting power of Your Word. Ever keep us with a humble and contrite heart. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: *Thank You Father for all the variety and helpfulness in Your Word. It is like a beautiful garden, with all manner of fruit and beauty. All we need we find in it. And best of all, beyond the sacred page, we find *You*, Lord! Our Psalm for the day: 8:6 (8) *HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME! * *?You have given him (man) dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.? *You have made man a little lower than Elohim; yet to rule angels, ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation. What purposes for man You have planned for all Your creation! No wonder Father, we *Hallow your :name!* We may style this Psalm ?the Song of the Astronomer.? 8:1 *O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! Who has set Your glory above the heavens. *Unable to express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation. O Jehovah, our Lord! The solid fabric of the universe leans upon His eternal arm. Universally is He present, and everywhere is His name excellent. Descend, if you will, into the lowest depths of the ocean, where undisturbed the water sleeps, and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet, but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent palace of the sea. Borrow the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, but God is there. Mount to the highest heaven, or dive into the deepest hell, and God is in both hymned in everlasting song or justified in terrible vengeance. Everywhere and in every place, God dwells and is manifestly at work. We can scarcely find more fitting words that those of Nehemiah, ?You, even You, are Lord alone; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and You preserve them all; and the host of heaven worships You.? Returning to the text we are led to observe that this Psalm is addressed to God, because none but the Lord Himself can fully know His own glory! 8:2 *Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have ordained strength because of Your enemies.* How often will children tell us of a God Whom we have forgotten! Did not the children cry, ?Hosannah!? in the Temple, when proud Pharisees were silent and contemptuous?And did not the Savior quote these very words as a justification of their infantile cries? When one of the popish chaplains told Mr. Wishart, the great Scotch martyr, that he had a devil in him, a child that stood by cried out, ?A devil cannot speak such words as yonder man speaks.? One more instance is still nearer to our time. In a postscript to one of his letter, in which he details his persecution when first preaching in Moorfields, Whitefield says, ?I cannot help adding that several little boys and girls were fond of sitting round me on the pulpit while I preached, and handed to me people?s notes - though they were often pelted with eggs, dirt, etc., thrown at me - never one gave way; but on the contrary, every time I was struck, turned up their little weeping eyes, and seemed to wish they could receive the blows for me. God make them, in their growing years, great and living martyrs for Him, who, ?out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, perfects praise!?? 8:4 *What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that You visit him? *Perhaps there are no rational beings throughout the universe among whom pride would appear more unseemly or incompatible than in man, considering the situation in which he is placed. He is exposed to numerous degradations and calamities, to the rage of storms and tempests, the devastations of earthquakes and volcanoes, the fury of whirlwinds, and the tempestuous billows of the ocean, to the ravages of the sword, famine, pestilence, and numerous diseases; and at length he must sink into the grave, and his body must become the companion of worms! The most dignified and haughty of the sons of men are liable to these and similar degradations as well as the meanest of the human family. Yet, in such circumstances, man - that puny worm of the dust, whose knowledge is so limited, and whose follies are so numerous and glaring - has the effrontery to strut in all the haughtiness of pride, and to glory in his shame. Dr. Chalmers, in his *Astronomical Discourses*, very truthfully says, ?We gave you but a feeble image of our comparative insignificance, when we said that the glories of an extended forest would suffer no more from the fall of a single leaf, that the glories of this extended universe would suffer though the globe we tread upon, ?and all that it inherits, should dissolve.?? C. H. S. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Nov 27 11:12:47 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:12:47 -0800 Subject: Proverbs 31 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 27, 2012 *JUL 9 - PROVERBS 31 - MOTHER AND WIFE* *1. 31:1 (31:1-7) LEMUEL: WARNINGS CONCERNING WINE AND WOMEN. ?The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him.? *(Some think this was Bathsheba to Solomon, and that she is the model woman who follows.) Father, may we remember the admonitions and instructions of our mother, and our father also. As David and Bathsheba instructed Solomon, so may we receive Your instruction Father, even through church leadership. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 31:9 (31:8-9) ADMONITIONS FOR JUSTICE. ?Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.? *How often Your Holy Spirit through Bible writers reminds us of the poor and needy! Let us heed the Spirit?s admonitions. Let us plan always to meet these needs. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 31:11-12 (31:10-12) THE MODEL WOMAN. ?The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.? *A prudent wife is from You, O Jehovah, and her husband finds good and favor from You. So have You blessed us Father, through our mutual prayer. Praise be unto Your Name, O Jehovah Father. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 31:14 (31:13-19) HER CEASELESS LABORS. ?She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.? *What a prudent wife is this, O Father: always looking for bargains; always stretching dollars; always making a house a home; always seeking to move in a servant spirit. We thank You for such wives, O Father. Forgive us when we have failed to appreciate Your wonderful gift to us. ?Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 9:9). *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 31:20 (31:20-22) HER WORKS: DESERVING RESPECT. ?She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.? *Bowels of compassion is Your attribute Father, and so often You place this in our wives. So often a man needs this insight that our wives give. Blessed are You O Jehovah, Creator of the Universe, Who has blessed man with faithful wives! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 31:23, 26 (31:23-27) HER CARE FOR HER HUSBAND. ?Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.? *Strength is upon Your man Father, when You en-gift him with such a wife. We thank You O Jehovah, for such a wonderful gift. May we ever be grateful to You and her for such a gift. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 31: 28, 30 (31:28-31) HER PRAISE AND GODLINESS. ?Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.? *What a blessed home do You make Father, when You give such a wife and mother as the glue to hold it together! *But deliver us from the evil one!* This is a remarkable insight You have given us, O Father! May all men, husbands, sons and daughters, walk in thanksgiving and praise for such a wife and mother. Father, we bless you! Father, we praise You for ever and ever. Amen! *Our Psalm for the day: 9:11 (9) I WILL RECOUNT YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS! **?Sing prises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the people his deeds!? *Father, if we want to dwell with You, we must come up higher. Your dwelling place is the Most Holy Place within the veil. You dwell between the cherubim. In Christ our Great High Priest we will press in! We will learn intimately of You in the spirit, and will indeed tell all nations of Your marvelous doings! 9:1 *I will praise You, O Lord. *It sometimes needs all our determination to face the foe and bless the Lord in the teeth of His enemies; vowing that whoever else may be silent we shall bless His name; here however, the overthrow of the foe is viewed as complete and the song flows with sacred fullness of delight. It is our duty to praise the Lord; let us perform it as a privilege. *With my whole heart. *Half heart is no heart! *I will show forth all Your marvelous works. *Gratitude for one mercy refreshes the memory as to thousands of others. One silver link in the chain draws up a long series of tender remembrances. Here is eternal work for us, for there can be no end to the showing forth of all His deeds of love. 9:2 *I will be glad and rejoice in You. *God loves a cheerful giver, whether it be the gold of his purse or the gold of his mouth which he presents upon his altar. *I will sing praise to Your Name, O You most High. *Songs are the fitting expressions of inward thankfulness, and it were well if we indulged ourselves and honored our Lord with more of them. Mr. B. P. Power has well said, ?The sailors give a cheery cry as they weigh anchor, the plowman whistles in the morning as he drives his team; the milkmaid sings her rustic song as she sets about her early task; when the soldiers are leaving friends behind them, they do not march out to the tune of the ?Dead March in Saul,? but to the quick notes of some lively air. A praising spirit would do for us all that their songs and music do for them; and if only we could determine to praise the Lord, we should surmount many a difficulty which our low spirits never would have been equal to, and we should do double the work which can be done if the heart be languid in its beating, if we be crushed and trodden down in soul. As the evil spirit in Saul yielded in the olden time to the influence of the harp of the son of Jesse, so would the melancholy often take flight from us, if only we would take up the song of praise.? 9:4 *For You have maintained my right and my cause.* If we seek to maintain the cause and honor of our Lord we may suffer reproach and misrepresentation, but it is a rich comfort to remember that He Who sits in the throne knows our hearts and will not leave us to the ignorance and ungenerous judgment of erring man. 9:13 *Have mercy upon me, O Lord. *Just as Luther used to call some texts little Bibles, so we may call this sentence a little prayerbook; for it has in it the soul and marrow of prayer. 9:14 *That I may show forth all Your praise.* We must not overlook David?s object in desiring mercy; it is God?s glory. Saints are not so selfish as to look only to self; they desire mercy?s diamond that they may let others see it flash and sparkle, and may admire Him who gives such priceless gems to His beloved. 9:17 *And all the nations that forget God. *There are whole nations of such; the forgetters of God are far more numerous that the profane or profligate and according to the very forceful expression of the Hebrew, the nethermost hell will be the place into which all of them shall be hurled headlong. Forgetfulness seems a small sin, but it brings eternal wrath upon the man who lives and dies in it. 9:20 *That the nations may know themselves to be but men. *One would think that men would not grow so vain as to deny themselves to be but men, but it appears to be a lesson which only a divine Schoolmaster can teach to some proud spirits. Crowns leave the wearers *but men;* degrees of eminent learning make their owners not more than *men;* valor and conquest cannot elevate beyond the dead level of *but men*; and all the wealth of Croesus, the wisdom of Solon, the power of Alexander, the eloquence of Demosthenes, if added together, would leave the possessor but a man. May we ever remember this, lest like those in the text, we should be *put in fear. *C. H. S. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Nov 28 13:32:59 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:32:59 -0800 Subject: JUL 10 - Isaiah 1-6 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 28, 2012 *JUL 10 - ISAIAH 1-6 - THE DAY OF THE LORD, AND JUDAH* *1. 1:18 (1:1-23) JUDAH: GOD?S CASE AGAINST HER. ?Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.? *No matter how far we stray from You in coldness, Father - if we think back upon Your goodness, reason correctly, and make right decisions - You will restore us in fullness! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 1:27 (1:24-31) JUDAH: RESTORATION AND JUDGMENT. ?Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.? *Father, You have a point of no-return with sin - a point where the die is cast! Judgment is then inevitable; but following this purging - is restoration and reconciliation! O let our Zion, our spirit, be purged - and be Your dwelling place (2 Corinthians 7:1)! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 2:3 (2-4) PROPHECIES FOR THE THE LAST DAYS. And many peoples shall come, and say: ?Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.? For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. *What promises! What prophecies - and for the Church also which has been ?gratefully grafted?! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 5:7 (5:1-7) ISAIAH?S SONG TO THE LORD AND HIS VINEYARD. ?For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, and behold, an outcry! *Father, we today are not better than Israel of old. Forgive us for our apathy, our rebellion, our disobedience, our leaving our first love. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 5:16, 21 (5:8-23) JUDAH: SIX WOES. ?But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!? *Father, forgive us for our hardness and deception. Judgment hangs over Your church today - for the sins of Israel are our sins too! If necessary, lead us into the purge of testing, that we may become mature sons and daughters of glory. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 5:24b-25a (5:24-30) JUDAH: REASON FOR COMING JUDGMENT. ?For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25a Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked.? *Father, You are righteous and just in bringing judgment both upon Israel of old and the church today, for we have followed in their footsteps. In wrath remember mercy! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 6:6-7 (6:1-13) ISAIAH: HIS NEW VISION AND CALL. **?Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. **7 **And he touched my mouth and said: ?Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.?? *Father, You need servants who have themselves been cleansed before they speak Your judgments to Your people. Too many of Your ministers today are like Your people. *But deliver us from the evil **one.* *NOTE**: *This passage tears us up Father, and shows us how similar is today?s church to Old Covenant Israel. How can Your New Covenant church escape the judgment of God? Do what is right in Your sight. *Our Psalm for the day: 10:5 (10) WHY DO YOU HIDE YOURSELF? ?His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.? *Father, write on our heart these lessons. Pride keeps us from You. Prayerlessness, little profitable time in Your Word, lack of obedience: all signs of pride and self-realization. O let us *Hallow Your :name* in fact and not in lip service. Let us have you lead in all our thoughts and schemes. 10:1 *Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? *The presence of God is the joy of His people, but any suspicion of His absence is distracting beyond measure. Let us, then, ever remember that the Lord is nigh us. The refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire, and the Son of God is always walking in the midst of the flames when His holy children are cast into them! 10:2 *The wicked in his pride does persecute the poor.* The accusation divides itself into two distinct charges - pride and tyranny; the one the root and cause of the other. Pride is the egg of persecution. *Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.* Even our enemies themselves being judges, it is but right that men should be done by as they wished to do to others. We only weigh you in your own scales, and measure your corn with your own bushel. There are none who will dispute the justice of God when He shall hang every Haman on his own gallows and cast all the enemies of His Daniels into their own den of lions. 10:4 *The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God.* A brazen face and a broken heart never go together. We are not quite sure that the Athenians were wise when they ordained that men should be tried in the dark lest their countenances should weigh with the judges; for there is much more to be learned from the motions of the muscles of the face than from the words of the lips. Honesty shines in the face, but villainy peeps out at the eyes. 4:11 *He has said in his heart, God has forgotten: He hides His face: He will never see it.* As upon the former count, so upon this one; a witness is forthcoming who has been listening at the keyhole of the heart. This cruel man comforts himself with the idea that God is blind, or at least forgetful: a fond and foolish fancy, indeed! 4:13. *Wherefore does the wicked condemn God? * In these verses the description of the wicked is condensed, and the evil of his character is traced to its source, viz., atheistic ideas with regard to the government of the world. *He has said in his heart, You will not require it. *If there were no hell for other men, there ought to be one for those who question the justice of it. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Nov 29 11:43:38 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:43:38 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 7-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 11, 2012 *JUL 11 - ISAIAH 7-12 - THE DAY OF THE LORD AND ISRAEL* *1. 7:14 (7:1-16) JUDAH INVADED BY SYRIA AND ISRAEL. ?Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.? *Father, it is *not* our worthiness that You bless; but because of *Your* Purpose, *Promise* and Grace! Thus did You give this sign to unworthy Ahaz, for *none* of us is worthy! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 7:17 (7:17-25) JUDAH: INVADED BY ASSYRIA. ?The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father?s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah - the king of Assyria.? *In judgment Father, You *always* remember mercy! Thank You for being such a merciful God. Yet you love us too much as sons to shield us from chastisement. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 8:18 (8:1-9:7) SYRIA, ISRAEL, JUDAH INVADED: A REPRIEVE BY THE LORD. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.? *Yes Father, we, our children, the meaning of our names: all are Your provision that we too might be signs and wonders - and portray Your truthfulness. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 10:1 (9:8-10:4) ISRAEL: HER SINS AND JUDGMENT. ?Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression.? *Lawless people plan wickedness, speak it forth and enact it. Woe to us if such is in our hearts. In contrition and repentance, we have a desire to be reconciled with You, Father. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 10:27 (10:5-34) ISRAEL: CHASTENED BY ASSYRIA. ?And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will will be broken because of the fat (anointing).? *Your chastening Father, lasts but a moment; afterward comes the peaceable fruit of righteousness! *Then* Your judgment falls on persecutors! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 11:2 (11:1-16) MESSIAH: HIS DIVINE INTERVENTION. ?And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.? *And how O Father, do You deliver us from the evil one? Through * Jesus*, upon Whom You have put Your seven-fold Spirit, and to Whom You have given Your Name: Jehovah the Savior! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 12:6 (12:1-6) THE LORD: HIS GLORIOUS REIGN! ?Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.? *All the words of prophets and apostles shall *surely* be fulfilled! The time of the restitution of all things is at hand! You O Father, through Your Son * Jesus*, are about to take Your great power and *reign*! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 9:6 (8:1-9:7) **FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN! ?For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.? *Father, what more can we say? Your Grace through *Jesus* has been *magnified* and *multiplied* unto us beyond measure! Praise, worship, honor and glory become You, world without end. Amen *Our Psalm for the day: 11:3 (11) THE LORD IS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE. ?If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?? *There is no hope Father, apart from You. When *foundations* are gone, our only hope is in * You*! But You are restoring foundations through Your chosen ones. You are triumphing over the lawless. *Hallowed be your :name!* David, at the different periods of his life, was placed in almost every situation in which a believer, whether rich or poor, can be placed; in these heavenly compositions, he delineates all the workings of his heart. To assist us to remember this short but sweet Psalm, we shall give it the name of ?the Song of the Steadfast.? 11:1-3. These verses contain an account of a temptation to distrust God, which which David was, upon some unmentioned occasion, greatly exercised. It may be, that in the days when he was in Saul?s court, he was advised to flee at a time when this flight would have been charged against him as a breach of duty to the king or a proof of personal cowardice. His case was like that of Nehemiah, when his enemies, under the garb of friendship, hoped to entrap him by advising him to escape for his life. 11:1. *In the Lord put I my trust: how do you say to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?* When Satan cannot overthrow us by presumption, how craftily will he seek to ruin us by distrust! He will employ our dearest friends to argue us out of our confidence, and he will use such plausible logic that unless we once for all assert our immovable trust in Jehovah, he will makes us like the timid bird which flies to the mountains whenever danger presents itself. 11:2. *The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string. * The bow is bent, the arrow is fitted to the string: ?Flee, flee, you defenseless bird, your safety lies in flight; begone, for your enemies will send their shafts into your heart; haste, haste, for soon will you be destroyed!? David seems to have felt the force of the advice, for it came home to his soul; but yet he would not yield, but would rather dare the danger than exhibit a distrust in the Lord, his God. 11:4. *The Lord is in His holy temple. *The heavens are above our heads in all regions of the earth, and so is the Lord ever near to us in every state and condition. This is a very strong reason why we should not adopt the vile suggestions of distrust. There is One Who pleads His precious blood in our behalf in the temple above, and there is One upon the throne Who is never deaf to the intercession of His Son. Why, then, should we fear? What plots can men devise which Jesus will not discover? *The Lord?s throne is in heaven. *If we trust this King of kings, is not this enough? Cannot He deliver us without our cowardly retreat? Yes, blessed be the Lord our God, we can salute Him as Jehovah-nissi; in His Name we set up our banners, and, instead of flight, we once more raise the shout of war. 11:6. *This shall be the portion of their cup. *A drop of hell is terrible, but what must a full cup of torment be? Think of it - a cup of misery, but not a drop of mercy. O people of God, how foolish is it to fear the faces of men who shall soon be fagots in the fire of hell. Think of their threatenings and pity for their miserable estate. 11:7. *For the righteous Lord loves righteousness. *It is not only His office to defend it but His nature to love it. *His countenance does behold the upright*. Mammon, the flesh, the devil, will all whisper in our ear, ?Flee as a bird to your mountain?; but let us come forth and defy them all. ?Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.? There is no room or reason for retreat. Advance! Let the vanguard push on! To the front! all you powers and passions of our soul. On! on! in God?s Name, on! for ?the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.? (These notes are from ?The Treasury of David? by Charles H. Spurgeon - abridged by David Otis Fuller. Do a ?Google-search? on ?Spurgeon? for much more!) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Nov 30 09:13:29 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:13:29 -0800 Subject: John 15:16 - Sermon Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* November 30, 2012 *2012-11-28 - JOHN 15:16* q. 15:16 THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION EXPLAINED *You did not choose me, but I chose you,* ouch huMEIS me e-xeLExas-the [1585], all? eG*O* e-xe-leXAm*e*n huMAS, *and appointed you, that you go and bear fruit,* kai Eth*e*-ka [5087] huMAS, HIna huMEIS huPAg*e*-te kai karPON PHEr*e*-te, *and that your :fruit abide: * kai ho karPOS huM*O*N MEn*e*: *that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my :name, he give you. * HIna HOti an aiT*E*s*e*-te [154] ton paTEra en t*o* oNOmaTI [3686] mou, d*o*huMIN. *The above was a key verse with Dr. E. Stanley Jones. Each time before he preached, in a preceding prayer time he quoted this verse to God, and asked Him to fulfill it in the light of his upcoming sermon. * *Richard Ellsworth day, author of the biography of Charles H. Spurgeon, ?The Shadow of the Broad Brim? - speaks very highly of Stanley Jones.* *In 1952, the American Baptist Publication Society gave as a gift to the graduating class of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary - a copy of the above biography. I have recently reread it 60 years later, and have been impressed with Spurgeon, as the ?Heir of the Puritans?. He had some 7000 of their volumes in his library, and had mastered them all. He had a photographic memory, and could read 4-5 of these heavy books in a week; and on occasion - in one day!* *In his short lifetime of 57 years, he preached 3500 expository sermons based on key verses of the Bible. These were printed up in 75 volumes, and are available on Websites listed under ?Spurgeon?. He also wrote numbers of books, chief of which is the 7-volume ?Treasury of David?.* *The above verse does not allow us to consider the ?free will? of man as being predominant, but the Sovereignty of God. Spurgeon fought the former concept for 5 years prior to his conversion, but finally submitted to the Word of God. George Muller had a 10 year struggle the same way. I did also. Spurgeon states that we all of Adam?s seed, start out as ?free-will? Arminians - but many of us end up as Calvinists, advocating the Sovereignty of God.* *We firmly admit like the apostle Paul that there is no good in us (Romans 7:18; Philippians 3:3) - but we are born in sin from Adam, with ?Total Depravity.? But through the Grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ - we are offered the full ?Unmerited Favor of God.? This is based on the Atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, and because of God?s Predestinating Power, can be called ?Limited Atonement.? And - those He has chosen and effectively received, He then through his ?Irresistible Grace?, works into them the very image of His Son. All such enjoy the ?Perseverance of the Saints? - and sense God?s gracious work in bringing them through to the ?Celestial City? - as He did for John Bunyan in ?Pilgrim's Progress?.* *Spurgeon soon began to walk the same pathway, and by God?s grace was effectively enabled to preach this message to multiplied thousands for over 30 years; England and other lands were powerfully affected. * *D. L. Moody entered into a transformed experience through him. Friends like George Muller and J. Hudson Taylor teamed up with him for the sake of the ?Expansion of Missions?.* *But though Spurgeon was held captive by the Sovereignty of God - with the balance of the free-will of man - yet those truly born again who did not see the Scriptures his way - he yet received them as full members of Christ?s body, and looked forward to fellowship with them in heaven.* *Spurgeon greatly admired George Whitefield, and his relationship with John Wesley. Some one in America asked Whitefield, a Calvinist - Do you believe that Wesley, an Arminian, will make heaven? ?My dear sir,? he replied, ?When we get to heaven - John Wesley will be so close to the Throne of God - that we?ll scarcely be able to see him!? That was the same sentiment of Charles Spurgeon! And of me! * *But look at Jeremiah. God foreknew him before he was conceived, let alone being born! Paul also acknowledged that God foreknew him before he was separated from his mother?s womb. * *Then there were 8 Bible men who were all named by God prior to their birth - Josiah and Cyrus, 100?s of years ahead of birth!* *But now - let us consider the 5 truths set forth by our text! First of all, let us consider the context. Broadly speaking, John 13-17, 5 chapters, hold this verse in its grip. I have entitled this section, ?Glorifying Jesus: The Goal of the Holy Spirit!? I believe He led John to record here this truth in a wonderful way.* *The immediate paragraph containing our verse is John 15 & 16 - ?Results from the Spirit?s Coming?. But the sub-paragraph of our verse, John 15:1-16 speaks of ?Fruit: the Purpose of the Spirit.? And when we come to our text in 15:16, we see indeed how ?The Doctrine of Election is Explained!?* *A. We did not choose Christ! He said so! There is a basic antipathy in all human beings concerning God, Jesus Christ and His Bible! Look at what America is trying to do with all 3 today! When Adam sinned, he died to God, and we his offspring, have rebelled ever since.* *But God! By His grace sent His Son to die for Adam?s sin - and by the Holy Spirit bring His elect into His Kingdom! I have seen this work. It worked for me! God by the Holy Spirit replaced our,. fallen heredity - with the very Heredity of the Eternal Son of God, through the Gift of the Holy Spirit! I can?t explain the Trinity, but like Billy Graham - I receive all of the Bible by faith. I acknowledge the choice of God on my behalf, and the Sovereign way He led me into His Kingdom, like the Master Chess-player! * *Am I perfected? Not yet - and neither is any other saint! We are in the process of sanctification. At our Resurrection at Jesus? Second Coming, this will be consummated! * *B. Christ Chose Us! No wonder the Gospel is called Good News! If it were left up to us - desolation! But with God?s initiation - Restoration; Redemption; Reconciliation! and much more! * *Salvation has been initiated by God! The Sovereignty of God, not our free-will - is critical here. Predestination is involved here, and freely spoken of in God?s Bible to us!* *We all start out with faith in our free-will. It takes time and consistent Bible meditation and prayer to show us how God and His Sovereignty takes precedence over our puny free-will.* *C. Christ Appointed us to be Fruit-bearers! Our life is now for the Gloryof God. See John Wesley?s prayer for the Methodist Class Meetings here: * *I am no longer my own, but Yours!* *Put me to what You will;* *Link me with whom You will!* *I freely and heartily* *Yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal!* *No wonder George Whitefield spoke so highly of John Wesley!* *There are two kinds of fruit in which God is interested:* *The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and* *The fruit of souls (Proverbs 11:30)!* *The first is the condition that makes us effective for the second!* *D. Christ appointed Our Fruit to Remain! When we are fully His, and His Spirit fully indwells and empowers us - then the fruit that issues forth from this union - abides - or remains!* *This statement was true of the 12 apostles* *to whom Christ originally spoke it -* *but it was also true for the early believers!* *And, because of Acts 2:39 - It is true for you and me - and our kids!* *E. Christ Appointed ?Answers to Prayer? in His Name! But - all these promises are conditional. Full discipleship is the key! In the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus commission us to make disciples, not just converts! Converts are but a first step into the Kingdom. Teaching commands to keep all the Words of Jesus, plus His Words through the apostles (2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 14:37) - these enable us to fulfill the conditions to see our prayers marvelously answered! See 1 John 5:14-15 - * ?*And this is the **boldness which we have toward him,* *that, if we ask anything according to his :will,* *he hears us**;* *15 and if we know that he hears us* *whatsoever we ask**,* *we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.?* *What a grand and marvelous promise. George Muller, J. Hudson Taylor, Rees Howells, Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon, Amy Carmichael - and many more - all saw this promise fulfilled!* *And - God is no respecter of persons! What He did for these who met His conditions - He will do for you and me.* *God in His Wisdom and Sovereignty - has arranged that 70 years after the death of His servant Ivan Panin - his ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? based on God?s Bible Numerics - is now in print. It is designed as an aid for Bible Meditation. It simplifies and aids one in breaking into the heart of God. It enables 20th Century saints to move more deftly into the realm of victory of the saints who have preceded us. * *It will help us to fulfill the truth of our text - John 15:16.* *See for more information.* *Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Dec 1 09:16:29 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 09:16:29 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 13-23 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 1, 2012 *JUL 12 - ISAIAH 13-23 - TEN BURDENS ON THE NATIONS* *1. 14:12 (13-14, ESV) BURDEN OF BABYLON AND PHILISTIA. ?How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! *Some think this refers to Adam, and give interesting proof texts. But Father, if it be indeed the covering cherub who fell by pride, who brought forth the fall of man; who contaminates his spirit; who corrupted the nations of the world; then let his kingdom be brought to nothing - and Your Kingdom in our Lord Jesus come! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 16:5 (15-16) BURDEN OF MOAB. ?Then a throne will be established in steadfast love (CHEsed), and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.? *Father, it is Your will that You through Jesus, David?s Greater Son, should rule over the kingdoms of this earth, including Israel as the chief. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 17:7 (17-18) BURDEN OF DAMASCUS AND ETHIOPIA. ?In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel.? *Father, why is it that it so often requires judgment to bring us to our senses, so that we can look unto You? O forgive us our proneness to wander! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 19:24-25 (19-20) BURDEN OF EGYPT AND ETHIOPIA. ?In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, ?Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.?? *Father, if You can call the things that are not as though they were; and if You can forgive past sins: then You can forgive our sins, and put a forgiving heart with us. Do it for Israel, Egypt and Iraq! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 21:6 (21) BURDEN OF BABYLON, DUMAH AND ARABIA. For thus the Lord said to me: ?Go set a watchman; let him announce what he sees.? *And Lord, You set a watchman over Your church: mature prophets, who know the times, and what is about to happen, and what the church should do. Your true watchmen are not always popular at the time, but the day will come when they are accepted because of fulfillment. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 22:22 (22) BURDEN OF JERUSALEM. ?And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.? *See Revelation 3:7-8. Earthly kings of Judah, of the house of David, are but a type, but a dim prefiguring of Your Glorious Son, O Father. Through *Jesus* the head of the tempter was crushed! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 23:9 (23) BURDEN OF TYRE. ?The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth.? *Your Glory, O Great Jehovah Father, You will not give to man. You * break* the pride of man and Lucifer! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: Psalm 12:6 (12) THE FAITHFUL HAVE VANISHED! **?The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times!? *O Father, let us never forget how precious and valuable is Your Word! Your Word through Your prophets and apostles is an extension of Yourself! You and Your Word are one (John 1:1)! Let us continually tremble at Your word (Isaiah 66:2b). *Our Psalm for the day: 12:5 (12) THE FAITHFUL HAVE VANISHED. ?Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,? says the LORD; ?I will place him in the safety for which he longs.? *Who else is a God like You, Creator of the universe, yet observing the fall of a sparrow and the plight of the need? Make us like Yourself! *Hallowed be your :name!* Title: This Psalm is headed, ?To the Chief Musician upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David,? which title is identical with the Sixth Psalm, except that *Neginoth* is here omitted. The subject will be better before the mind?s eye if we entitle this Psalm: ?Good Thoughts in Bad Times.? It is supposed to have been written while Saul was persecuting David and those who favored his cause.* * 12:1 *Help, Lord. *The Psalmist sees the extreme danger of his position, for a man had better be among lions than among liars; he feels his own inability to deal with such sons of Belial, for ?he who shall touch them must be fenced with iron.? He therefore turns to his all-sufficient Helper, the Lord, Whose help is never denied to His servants and Whose aid is enough for all their needs. As small ships can sail into harbors which larger vessels, drawing more water, cannot enter, so our brief cries and short petitions may trade with heaven when our soul is wind-bound, and business-bound, as to longer exercises of devotion, and when the stream of grace seems at too low an ebb to float more laborious supplication. 12:2 *They speak vanity every one with his neighbor. *Compliments and fawning congratulations are hateful to honest men; they know that if they take they must give them, and they scorn to do either. *With flattering lips and with a double heart to they speak*. He who puffs up another?s heart has nothing better than wind in his own. 12:3 *The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things.* Strange it is that the easy yoke of the Lord should so gall the shoulders of the proud, while the iron bands of Satan they bind about themselves as chains of honor. One generally imagines that flatterers are such mean parasites, so cringing and fawning, that they cannot be proud; but the wise man will tell you that while all pride is truly meanness, there is in the very lowest meanness no small degree of pride. Caesar?s horse is even more proud of carrying Caesar than Caesar is of riding him. None are so detestably domineering as the little creatures who creep into offices by cringing to the great; those were bad times, indeed, in which these obnoxious beings are numerous and powerful. 12:6 *The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.* Man?s words are yea and nay, but the Lord?s promises are yea and amen. In the original there is an allusion to the most severely purifying process known to the ancients, through which silver was passed when the greatest possible purity was desired; the dross was all consumed, and only the bright and precious metal remained; so clear and free from all alloy of error or unfaithfulness is the book of the words of the Lord. The Bible has passed through the furnace of persecution, literary criticism, philosophic doubt, and scientific discovery, and has lost nothing but those human interpretations which clung to it as alloy to precious ore. - Charles H. Spurgeon - ?Treasury of David?. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Dec 2 09:35:18 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 09:35:18 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 24-27 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 2, 2012 *JUL 13 - ISAIAH 24-27 - THE ?DAY? AND THE WHOLE WORLD* *1. 24:5 (24:1-12, ESV) JEHOVAH?S DAY: DESOLATION AND JUDGMENT. ?The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.? *The rules of Your Kingdom Father, are righteous rules, worthy to be obeyed, and a blessing to humble ones. We in contrition repent for our rebellion and hard hearts, and by Your grace, walk in Your ways! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 24:14 (24:13-15) JEHOVAH?S DAY: REJOICING FOR ISRAEL. ?They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.? *When Your judgments are upon the earth Father, *many*shall turn to righteousness. We shall then walk in Your will. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 24:21 (24:16-23) JEHOVAH?S DAY: ARMAGEDDON AND SIGNS. ?On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.? *Satan?s day approaches. He was crippled by Jesus at Calvary, and is now a squatter, and shall be completely routed and dispossessed! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 25:7-8a (25) JEHOVAH?S DAY: BLESSINGS AND JUDGMENT SUITED OUT. ?And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces.? *The end of a matter is *better* than the beginning, Father. Righteousness shall be completely vindicated at the end! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 26:3-4 (26) JEHOVAH?S DAY: RESURRECTION SONG. ?You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trust in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.? *O Father, we would evermore see in You the kind of Elohim You are! Merciful and full of compassion toward us You are! You will not suffer us to be tested above what we can stand! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 27:1 JEHOVAH?S DAY: SATAN?S FINAL DEFEAT. ?In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.? *Yes Father, Satan, pictured by Leviathan, shall finally suffer Your full judgment! Your righteousness shall be vindicated. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 27:13 (27:2-13) JEHOVAH?S DAY: SONG OF TRIUMPH. ?And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.? *O Father, how we praise You for the understanding of Your eventual triumph! And how we thank You that You will cause us to triumph in *Jesus*! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 26:9 (26) YOU KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE! **?My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.? *Vindication! vindication for You, Father, for *You* are worthy and righteous altogether! *Our Psalm for the day: 13:5-6 (13) HOW LONG, O LORD? ?But I have trusted in your steadfast love (CHEsed); my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.? *O Father, unto You belongs praise because of what You are, and what You have done! Our trust in You is never misplaced. Because of Your great promises in Your word and what You are, we *Hallow your :name!* We have been wont to call this the ?How-Long Psalm.? We had almost said the Howling Psalm, from the incessant repetition of the cry, ?How long?? 13:1 *How long? *This question is repeated no less than four times. It betokens very intense desire for deliverance and great anguish of heart. And what if there be some impatience mingled with it; is not this the more true a portrait of our own experience? It is not easy to prevent desires from degenerating into impatience. Long sorrow seems to argue abounding corruption; for the gold which is long in the fire must have had much dross to be consumed; hence the question ?How long?? may suggest deep searching of the heart. *How long will You forget me? *Ah, David! how like a fool you talk! Can God forget? Can Omniscience fail in memory? Above all, can Jehovah?s heart forget His own beloved child? Ah, brethren, let us drive away the thought, and hear the voice of our covenant God by the mouth of the prophet, ?Behold, I have graven you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.? *Forever. *Oh, dark thought! It was surely bad enough to suspect a temporary forgetfulness, but shall we ask the ungracious question and imagine that the Lord will forever cast away His people? No, His anger may endure for a night, but His love shall abide eternally. 13:2 *How long? *Thus the careful reader will remark that the question, ?How long?? is put in four shapes. The writer?s grief is viewed, as it seems to be, as it is, as it affects himself within, and his foes without. We are all prone to play most on the worst string. We set up monumental stones over the graves of our joys, but who thinks of erecting monuments of praise for mercies received? We write four books of Lamentations and only one of Canticles, and are far more at home in wailing out a *Miserere* than in chanting a *Te Deum.* 13:5 *But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.* What a change is here! Lo, the rain is over and gone, and the time of the singing of birds is come. David?s heart was more often out of tune than his harp. He begins many of his Psalms sighing, and ends them singing. The above Notes are from ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon. Here is Today?s ?C.H. Spurgeon Quotes? - which you too can receive daily by doing a ?Google-search.? *What is Free Will? *?There is no greater mockery than to call a sinner a free man. Show me a convict toiling in the chain gang, and call him a free man if you will; point out to me the galley slave chained to the oar, and smarting under the taskmaster?s lash whenever he pauses to draw breath, and call him a free man if you will; but never call a sinner a free man, even in his will, so long as he is the slave of his own corruptions. In our natural state, we wore chains, not upon our limbs, but upon our hearts, fetters that bound us, and kept us from God, from rest, from peace, from holiness, from anything like freedom of heart and conscience and will. The iron entered into our soul; and there is no slavery as terrible as that. As there is no freedom like the freedom of the spirit, so is there no slavery that is at all comparable to the bondage of the heart.? *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Dec 3 12:36:48 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 12:36:48 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 28-33 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 3, 2012 *JUL 14 - ISAIAH 28-33 - SIX ?WOES? UPON JERUSALEM* *1. 28:11-12 (28, ESV) WOE TO EPHRAIM AND JUDAH. ?For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, 12 to who he has said, ?This is my rest to the weary; and this is repose?; yet they would not hear.? *The Babylonian tongue, had it been submitted to, would have brought rest to Judah for 70 years. The Pentecostal tongues brought * rest* to those submitting to God?s Holy Spirit. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 29:14 (29) WOE TO JERUSALEM AND LEBANON. ?Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.? *Father, Your will be done in us according to Your Word: not our humanistic reasonings whereby we deify the human mind as God! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 30:15 (30-31) WOE TO EGYPTIAN PARTY: CAPTIVITY TURNED. ?For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ?In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.? But you were unwilling.? *Our way Father, is to trust in man before You. We repent of our man-trust, and return to You with God-trust! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 30:21 (30-31) WOE TO EGYPTIAN PARTY: REPRIEVE. ?And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ?This is the way, walk in it,? when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.? *Egypt will not help us! The wisdom of the world is a mirage! We repent of our proneness to trust in any but You, Father! We hear Your voice and follow. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 32:17 (32) MESSIANIC JUDGMENT AND MERCY. ?And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.? *Father, how You love to make peace and joy flow from righteousness (Romans 14:17). Yes, in the last days You shall work a work to make our ears tingle. You will open the book and unseal its words! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 33:6 (33:1-12) WOE TO ANTICHRIST. ?And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion?s treasure.?* O teach us this truth, Father! By Your Spirit write it deeply upon our heart. In the midst of chaos and confusion, You will keep us secure in the eye of the storm. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 33:22 (33:13-24) REIGN OF MESSIAH. **?For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us.? *Yes Father, we assent to this word! We embrace it, and by doing so embrace You! In You we *more* than conquer! *But deliver us from the evil **one!* *NOTE**: 28:17-18b (28) A CORNERSTONE IN ZION! **?And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.? **18a **Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.? *Father, you have started to lay the plumb line against the lie and falsehood. What You have commenced, You *will* complete! *Our Psalm for the day: 14:7 (14) THE FOOL SAYS, THERE IS NO GOD! ?Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.? *Weeping may endure for a night, but *joy* comes in the morning. After judgment - You O Father, send *mercy*. You only correct in measure! *Hallowed be your :name!* As no distinguishing title is given to this Psalm, we would suggest as an assistance to the memory, the heading ?Concerning Practical Atheism.? 14:1 *The fool. *The atheist is the fool preeminently and a fool universally. He would not deny God if her were not a fool by nature, and having denied God it is no marvel that he becomes a fool in practice. Sin is aways folly, and as it is the height of sin to attack the very existence of the Most High, so is it also the greatest imaginable folly. One fool makes hundreds, and a noisy blasphemer spreads his horrible doctrines as lepers spread the plague. Ainsworth, in his *Ann**o**tations, *tells us that the word here used is *Nabal*, which has the significance of fading, dying, or falling away, as a withered leaf or flower; it is a title given to the foolish man as have lost the juice and sap of wisdom, reason, honesty, and godliness. Trapp hits the mark when he call him ?that sapless fellow, that carcass of a man, that walking sepulcher of himself, in whom all religion and right reason is withered and wasted, dried up and decayed.? Some translate it the *apostate*, and others *the wretch*. With what earnestness we should shun the appearance of doubt as to the presence, activity, power, and love of God, for all such mistrust is of the nature of folly, and who among us would wish to be ranked with the fool in the texts? Yet let us not forget that *all unregenerate men are more or less such fools *! 14:3 *They are altogether become filthy*. The only reason why we do not more clearly see this foulness is because we are accustomed to it, just as those who work daily among offensive odors at last cease to smell them! *There is none that does good, no, not one.* The Holy Spirit is not content with saying all and altogether, but adds the crushing threefold negative, *none, no, not one*. 14:4 *Who eat up my people as they eat bread.* As pikes in a pond eat up little fish, as eagles prey on smaller birds, as wolves rend the sheep of the pasture, so sinners naturally and as a matter of course, persecute, malign, and mock the followers of the Lord Jesus. 14:7 *Oh that the salvation were come out of Zion! when the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. *Natural enough is this closing prayer, for what would so effectually convince atheists, overthrow persecutors, stay sin, and secure the godly, as the manifest appearance of Israel?s great salvation? The coming of Messiah was the desire of the godly in all ages, and though He has already come with a sin-offering to purge away iniquity, we look for Him to come a second time, to come without a sin-offering unto salvation. - (From ?The Treasuries of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, Abridged by David Otis Fuller.) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Dec 4 10:50:50 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2012 10:50:50 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 34-35 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 4, 2012 *JUL 15 - ISAIAH 34-35 - FINAL WRATH: ZION RESTORED* *1. 34:1 ARMAGEDDON: NATIONS MOBILIZED. ?Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it.? *Your Kingdom Father, comes following judgment! Your Kingdom is like the stone of Daniel 2:34-35! Jesus and Your Church - is that Stone! May it fill the earth. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 34:4 (34:2-8) ARMAGEDDON: NATIONS DESTROYED. ?And all the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.? *Father, shall not the kingdoms of this world become Yours and Your Christ?s? Shall not all principalities and powers and Satan himself fall at that day? Is it not at hand? *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 34:16-17 (34:9-17) ARMAGEDDON: LAND FOREVER DESOLATE. ?Seek and read from the book of the LORD: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the LORD has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them with the line; they shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.? *Just as You mate animals and birds Father, so You *mate Scriptures*! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 35:2 (35:1-2) RESTORATION: DESERT AND GARDEN. ?It shall bloom abundantly and rejoice with singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.? *After judgment Father, You bring restoration to Your people. As in the book of Judges, 7 times You did this! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 35:3-4 (35:3-6) RESTORATION: PEOPLE HEALED. ?Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, ?Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.?? *Yes Father, our hearts are established and heartened by Your Word! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 35:7 RESTORATION: LAND HEALED. ?The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.? *Father, we need healing of *our land*! Show us like Daniel (chapter 9) how to pray for its healing. Fulfill 2 Chronicles 7:14! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 35:8 (35:8-10) RESTORATION: WAY OF HOLINESS. ?And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.? *It comes, O Father, the fulfillment and restoration of all Your faithful prophecies! We join in declaring Your faithful decrees! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 35:10 (35:8-10) RESTORATION OF WORSHIP AND JOY! **?And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. *Yes, what You O Father decree, *that* shall certainly come to pass. Following judgment comes restoration! *Our Psalm for the day: 15:1; 5c (15) WHO SHALL DWELL ON YOUR HOLY HILL? ?O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell in your holy hill (11identifying marks)? 15c He who does these things shall never be moved.? *See 2 Peter 1:5-15. Father, we desire above all else to sojourn in Your *Holy Hill*, in Zion. We desire to be fruitful 100-fold for Your sake. We are debtor to You Father for Calvary, for sending Your Son! This Psalm of David bears no dedicatory title at all indicative of the occasion upon which it was written, but it is exceeding probable that, together with the Twenty-Fourth Psalm, to which it bears a striking resemblance, its composition was in some way connected with removal of the ark to the holy hill of Zion. We shall call the Psalm, ?The Question and Answer.? The first verse asks the question; the rest of the verses answer it. 15:2 *He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. *Observe the accepted man?s *walk, work, *and *word. *Walking is far more important than talking. He only is right who is upright in walk and downright in honesty. His faith shows itself by good works, and therefore is no dead faith. God?s house is a hive for workers, not a nest for drones. 15:3 *He that backbites not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor. *All slanderers are the devil?s bellows to blow up contention, but those are the worst which blow at the back of the fire. Trapp says that ?the tale-bearer carries the devil in his tongue, and the tale-hearer carries the devil in his ear.? ?Show that man out!? we should say of a drunkard, yet it is very questionable if his unmannerly behavior will do us so much mischief as the tale-bearer?s insinuating story. ?Call for a policeman!? we say if we see a thief at his business; ought we to feel no indignation when we hear a gossip at her work? ?Mad dog! Mad dog!? is a terrible hue and cry, but there are few curs whose bite is so dangerous as a busybody?s tongue. ?Fire! fire!? is an alarming note, but the tale-bearer?s tongue is set on fire of hell, and those who indulge it had better mend their manners or they may find that there is a fire in hell for unbridled tongues! 15:4 *In whose eyes a vile person is condemned; but he honors them that fear the Lord.* A sinner in a golden chain and silken robes is not more to be compared with a saint in rags that a rushlight in a silver candlestick with the sun behind a cloud. 15:5 *Who does not put out his money at interest. *The Puritanic divines are almost all of them against the taking of any interest upon money and go the length of saying that one penny per cent per annum will shut a man out of heaven if persisted in. The demanding of excessive and grinding interest is a sin to be detested; the taking of the usual and current interest in a commercial country is not contrary to the law of love. *(The above notes are taken from ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by David Otis Fuller).* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Dec 5 13:32:58 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2012 13:32:58 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 36-39 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 5, 2012 *JUL 16 - ISAIAH 36-39 - HISTORICAL EXPLANATION* *1. 36:7 (36:1-10, ESV) HEZEKIAH: INVADED AND INSULTED BY ASSYRIA. But if you say to me, ?We trust in the LORD our God,? is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, ?You shall worship before this altar??? *Jehovah Father, Your servant *did*remove the high places and altars of heathen gods and spirits, and left only Your altar in Jerusalem! There Rabshakey and all like him shall fall! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 36:21 (36:11-22) HEZEKIAH: INSULTS INTENSIFIED. ?But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king?s command was, ?Do not answer him.?? *Father, You set Hezekiah over Your people Israel as their shepherd. As Israel obeyed him, they were obeying You! We too honor those You have set over us to rule us. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 37:3 (37:1-20) HEZEKIAH: SEEKS GOD IN PRAYER. They said to him, ?Thus says Hezekiah, ?This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.?? *It is good to seek You Father, through Your servants the prophets. For whether directly or indirectly, *You* are the giver of every good and perfect gift! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 37:31-32 (37:21-38) HEZEKIAH: GOD?S ANSWER THROUGH ISAIAH. ?And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.? *How good it is to trust in You, O Father! When we seek You, You answer us, and give us comforting words. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 38:2-3 (38:1-3) HEZEKIAH?S SICKNESS AND PRAYER. ?Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 and said, ?Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.? And Hezekiah wept bitterly.? *Father, it is right to seek Your face in time of trouble. It is right to weep before You. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 38:7-8 (38:4-22) HEZEKIAH: GOD?S ANSWER THROUGH ISAIAH. ?This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.? So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. *Who is a god like our Elohim? Jehovah Father, there is *none* like unto You, a God doing wonders! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 39:6 (39) HEZEKIAH?S FOLLY. ?Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD.? *If we sin in pride, You Father, in love chastise us as sons. Your are our ruler! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 37:35 (37:21-38) **HEZEKIAH: RECEIVES UNDERSTANDING FOR COMING DELIVERANCE. ?For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.? *We bless You Jehovah Father, for You are a *Covenant* God Who remembers Your promises to our fathers. * Faithfulness* and *Covenant Love* becomes Your Name forever! *Our Psalm for the day: 16:6-7 (16) YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL. ?The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.? *Jehovah Father, we will bless You at all times; Your praise shall *continually* be in our mouths. You are bringing us into Glory! Your Spirit speaks to us in dreams of the night. *Hallowed be your :name.* Title: ?Michtam of David.? This is usually understood to mean the Golden Psalm. Ainsworth calls it ?David?s jewel, or notable song,? The Psalm of the Precious Secret. We are not left to human interpreters for the key to this golden mystery, for, speaking by the Holy Spirit, Peter tells us, ?David speaks concerning Him? (Acts 2:25). The Apostle Paul, led by the same infallible inspiration, quotes from this Psalm and testifies that David wrote of the man through whom is preached unto us the forgiveness of sins (Acts 13:35-38). It has been the usual plan of commentators to apply the Psalm both to David, to the saints, and to the Lord Jesus, but we shall venture to believe that in it ?Christ is all?; since in the ninth and tenth verses, like the apostles on the mount, we can see ?no man but Jesus only.? 16:1 *?Preserve me,? *keep, or save me, or as Horseley thinks, ?guard me,? even as body-guards surround their monarch, or as shepherds protect their flocks. One of the great names of God is ?the Preserver of men? (Job 7:20), and this gracious office the Father exercised toward our Mediator and Representative. It has been promised to the Lord Jesus in express words, that He should be preserved (Isaiah 49:7-8). 16:2 *O my soul, you have said unto the Lord, You are my Lord*. In His inmost heart, the Lord Jesus bowed Himself to do service to His heavenly Father, and before the throne of Jehovah His soul vowed allegiance to the Lord for our sakes. *My goodness extends not to You*. Although the life-work and death agony of the Son did reflect unparalleled luster upon every attribute of God, yet the Most Blessed and Infinitely Happy God stood in no need of the obedience and death of His Son; it was for our sakes that the work of redemption was undertaken and not because of any lack or want on the part of the Most High. How modestly does the Savior here estimate His own goodness 16:4 Sin and the Savior have no communion. He came to destroy, not to patronize or be allied with the works of the devil. Hence He refused the testimony of unclean spirits as to His Divinity, for in nothing would He have fellowship with darkness. We should be careful above measure not to connect ourselves in the remotest degree with falsehood in religion. *Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer. *The old proverb says, ?It is not safe to eat at the devil?s mess, though the spoon be ever so long.? The mere mentioning of ill names, it were well to avoid -* **nor take up their names into my lips. ** *If we allow poison upon the lip, it may ere long penetrate to the inwards, and it is well to keep out of the mouth that which we would shut out from the heart. If the church would enjoy union with Christ, she must break all bonds of impiety and keep herself pure from all the pollutions of carnal will-worship, which now pollute the service of God. 16:6 *The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yes, I have a goodly heritage.* Jesus found the way of obedience to lead into ?pleasant places.? Notwithstanding all the sorrows which marred his countenance, He exclaimed, ?Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Your will, O my God: yes, Your law is within My heart.? It may seems strange, but while no other man was ever so thoroughly acquainted with grief, it is our belief that no other man ever experienced so much joy and delight in service, for no other served so faithfully and with such great results in view as His recompense of reward. (Taken from ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by David Otis Fuller) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Dec 6 10:35:51 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 10:35:51 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 40-41 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 6, 2012 *JUL 17 - ISAIAH 40-41 - JEHOVAH: SUPREME IN ATTRIBUTES* *1. 40:1-2 (40:1-8, ESV) MESSIAH: REDEMPTION THROUGH FIRST COMING. ?Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD?s hand double for all her sins.? *Father, You *never*reward our iniquity in measure, but *always* in Grace and Mercy. You remember our make-up. Mercy and judgment kiss each other. *Hallowed by your :name!* *2. 40:9 (40:9-11) MESSIAH: REJOICING THROUGH SECOND COMING. ?Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ?Behold your God!?? *How marvelous is Your Timing, O Father. Not even Your Son knew this day. But He will return in Your Timing, and we will behold the wisdom of our God! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 40:28 (40:12-28) JEHOVAH: HIS OMNISCIENCE. ?Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.? *There is *nothing* You do not know, O Father! Marvelous is Your knowledge! Before we ask, You have already anticipated and provided! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 40:31 (40:29-31) JEHOVAH: HIS OMNIPOTENCE. ?But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.? *All our hidden springs are in You, O Great Jehovah Father. You have provided it all in Christ! Why are we so blind and striving for self-sufficiency? *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 41:4 (41:1-7) JEHOVAH: FOREKNOWLEDGE THROUGH CYRUS. ?Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.? *You Father, provided Cyrus for Israel?s restoration before ever Daniel perceived the timing and interceded! How awesome is Your Fore-knowledge, O Great Jehovah Father. We humble ourselves before You. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 41:10 (41:8-20) JEHOVAH: OMNIPOTENT PURPOSE THROUGH ISRAEL. ?Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.? *None can say, No! to You, Father. Your purposes shall prevail. Your salvation on our behalf and on behalf of Israel *shall be* consummated. Satan?s opposition is puny. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 41:21 (41:21-29) JEHOVAH: ASSERTS HIS INFALLIBLE FOREKNOWLEDGE. ?Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob*.*? *You Father, have no counselor with wisdom to instruct You. There is *none*beside You. In Christ we magnify You! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 40:29-30 (40:29-31) JEHOVAH: HIS OMNIPOTENCE. **?He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.? *O give us a revelation of our transitory and feeble life! Show us that we are but dust, and our span as but a breath! Then we will relate to You as sons and daughters of an all-caring and all-sufficient Father! *Our Psalm for the day: 17:3 (17) IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS. ?You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.? *Jehovah Father, This is the day You have made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. You instruct us in the night seasons through dreams and visions. *Hallowed be your :name!* Title and Subject: ?A Prayer of David.? David would not have been a man after God?s own heart if he had not been a man of prayer. He was a master in the sacred art of supplication. He flew to prayer in all times of need as a pilot speeds to the harbor in the stress of tempest. We have in the present plaintive song ?An Appeal to Heaven? from the persecutions of earth. 17:3 *You have tried me, and shall find nothing.* Surely the Psalmist means nothing hypocritical or wicked in the sense in which his slanderers accused him; for if the Lord should put the best of His people into the crucible, the dross would be a fearful sight and would make penitence open her sluices wide. Assayers very soon detect the presence of alloy, and when the Chief of all assayers shall, at the last, say of us that He has found nothing, it will be a glorious hour indeed - ?They are without fault before the throne of God.? Even here, as viewed in our covenant Head, the Lord sees no sin in Jacob nor perverseness in Israel; even the all-detecting glance of Omniscience can see no flaw where the great Substitute covers all with beauty and perfection. *I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress*. The number of diseases of the tongue is as many as the diseases of all the rest of the man put together, and they are more inveterate. It needs more than a purpose to keep this nimble offender within its proper range. Lion-taming and serpent charming are not to be mentioned in the same day as tongue taming, for the tongue can no man tame. David desired in all respects to tune his lips to the sweet and simple music of truth. Notwithstanding all this, David was slandered, as if to show us that the purest innocence will be bemired by malice. There is not sunshine without a shadow, no ripe fruit unpecked by the birds. 17:8 *Keep me as the apple of the eye. *The all-wise Creator has placed the eye in a well-protected position; it stands surrounded by projecting bones like Jerusalem encircled by mountains. Moreover, its great Author has surrounded it with many tunics of inward covering besides the hedge of the eyebrows, the curtain of the eyelids, and the fence of the eyelashes; and, in addition to this, he has given to every man so high a value for his eyes and so quick an apprehension of danger that no member of the body is more faithfully cared for than the organ of sight. 17:14 *Whose belly You fill with Your hid treasure. **A* generous man does not deny dogs their bones; and our generous God gives even His enemies enough to fill them, if they were not so unreasonable as never to be content. Gold and silver which are locked up in the dark treasuries of the earth are given to the wicked liberally, and they therefore roll in all manner of carnal delights. 17:15 When a Roman conqueror had been at war and won great victories, he would return to Rome with his soldiers, enter privately into his house, and enjoy himself till the next day, when he would go out of the city to re-enter it publicly in triumph. Now, the saints, as it were, enter privately into heaven without their bodies; but on the last day, when their bodies wake up, they will enter into their triumphal chariots. Methinks I see that grand procession, when Jesus Christ first of all, with many crowns on His head, with His bright, glorious, immortal body, shall lead the way. ?I shall be satisfied? in that glorious day when all the angels of God shall come to see the triumphs of Jesus, and when His people shall be victorious with Him. (From ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by David Otis Fuller.) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Dec 7 13:57:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 13:57:10 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 42-45 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 7, 2012 *JUL 18 - ISAIAH 42-45 - JEHOVAH SUPREME IN REDEMPTION* *1. 42:1 (42:1-12, ESV) JEHOVAH: PRESENTS MESSIAH HIS SERVANT AS MAN. ?Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.? *Father, according to Your purpose, Jesus came. He fulfilled *all* You purposed! He * finished* the work You sent Him to do. Three times from heaven, You commended Him! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 42:6-8 (42:13-25) JEHOVAH AT THE END OF THIS AGE. ?I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.? *Father, in the above, *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 43:1-2 (43:1-12) JEHOVAH: THE GOD OF GRACE AND HIS PROMISES. But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ?Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.? *Always Father, You meet our needs, just as those of Israel! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 43:18-21 (43:13-28) JEHOVAH: KING OF ISRAEL WHO SUBDUES THEIR ENEMIES. ?Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.? Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 44:3 (44:1-8) JEHOVAH: GRACIOUS ASSURANCES FROM GOD ALONE. ?For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.? *Our Father, how we see Your care for us in such promises! How we marvel at Your grace and loving kindness (CHEsed), Your Covenant Love! We walk in thanksgiving and praise to You. *And forgive us our :debts, As we have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 44:22 (44:9-23) JEHOVAH: SCORES IDOLATRY BUT REDEEMS ISRAEL. ?I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.? **This* is Your Redemptive Act O Father, in Jesus! It has translated us out of Satan?s kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of Your love! *And bring us not into temptation! * *7. 44:28 (44:24-45:25) JEHOVAH: FORETELLS HIS USE OF CYRUS. Who says of Cyrus, ?He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose;? saying of Jerusalem, ? She shall be built,? and of the temple, ?Your foundation shall be laid.? *What marvelous foreknowledge and power You display in Your decrees, O Father! What other god is El like You? *None*! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 45:22-23; 45:2 (44:24-45:25) JEHOVAH THE OMNIPOTENT! **?Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ?To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.? 2 I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.? **You* are *this God* - the God we serve! *Our Psalm for the day: 18:3 (18) JEHOVAH IS MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS! ?I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.? *O Jehovah Father, You have done marvelously on behalf of Your chosen ones! None other can cause us to triumph in Christ as You are able to do! *Hallowed** be your :name!* We will call it ?The Grateful Retrospect.? 18:2 *The Lord is my rock, and my fortress. *Dwelling among the crags and mountain fastnesses of Judea, David had escaped the malice of Saul, and here he compares his God to such a place of concealment and security. 18:4 *The floods of the ungodly men made me afraid. *On the night of the lamentable accident at the Surrey Music Hall, the floods of Belial were let loose, and the subsequent remarks of a large portion of the press were exceedingly malicious and wicked; our soul was afraid as we stood encompassed with the sorrows of death and the blasphemies of the cruel. But, oh, what mercy was there in it all, and what honey of goodness was extracted by our Lord out of this flood of affliction. 18:5 *The sorrows of hell compassed me about. *A cordon of devils hemmed in the hunted man of God; every way of escape was closed up. Satan knows how to block our coasts with the iron war-ships of sorrow, but blessed be God, the port of all prayer is still open, and grace can run the blockade bearing messages from earth to heaven and blessings in return from heaven to earth. According to the four metaphors which he employs, he was bound like a malefactor for execution; overwhelmed like a shipwrecked mariner; surrounded and standing at bay like a hunted stag; and captured in a net like a trembling bird. What more of terror and distress could meet upon one, defenseless head? 18:18 *They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. *What a blessed ?but? which cuts the Gordian knot and slays the hundred-headed hydra! There is no fear of deliverance when our stay is in Jehovah. 18:19 *He brought me forth also into a large place. *The Lord does not leave His work half done, for having routed the foe, He leads out the captive into liberty. *He delivered me, because He delighted in me. *Why Jehovah should delight in us is an answerless question, a mystery which angels cannot solve. Believer, sit down, and inwardly digest the instructive sentence now before us, and learn to view the uncaused love of God as the cause of all the lovingkindness of which we are partakers. 18:20 *The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness. *Viewing this Psalm as prophetic of the Messiah, these strongly expressed claims to righteousness are readily understood, for His garments were white as snow; but considered as the language of David, they have perplexed many. David?s early trouble arose from the wicked malice of envious Saul, who no doubt prosecuted his persecutions under cover of charges brought against the character of ?the man after God?s own heart.? These charges David declares to have been utterly false and asserts that he possessed a grace-given righteousness which the Lord had graciously rewarded in defiance of all his calumniators. Before God, the man after God?s own heart was a humble sinner, but before his slanderers he could with unblushing face speak of the *cleanness of his hands and* the righteousness of his life. It is not at all an opposition to the doctrine of salvation by grace, and no sort of evidence of a pharisaic spirit, when a gracious man, having been slandered, stoutly maintains his integrity and vigorously defends his character. *(from ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by D. O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Dec 8 11:18:49 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2012 11:18:49 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 46-48 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 8, 2012 *JUL 19 - ISAIAH 46-48 - JEHOVAH SUPREME IN PUNISHMENT* *1. 46:3-4 (46, ESV) JEHOVAH: CONTRASTS HIMSELF WITH IDOLS. ?Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; 4 even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.? *Idols cannot do what You do in Redemption, Father! Therefore it is only unto *You* that we look, and unto You we pray. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 47:6 (47) JEHOVAH: FORETELLS BABYLON?S DOOM. ?I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.? *Pride of man causes him to go beyond Your word, Father. Babylon?s harsh judgment upon Israel reveals the ?why? of Your anger. Whatever is righteous in Your sight, *do it*! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 48:3 (48:1-8) JEHOVAH?S CHARGE AGAINST JACOB. ?The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.? *Jacob let You down, Father. This You foreknew, and vindicated Yourself by stating it ahead of time. For us too, You provide before we sense a need. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *4. 48:9-11 JEHOVAH?S FORBEARANCE. ?For my name?s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. *Forbearance is Your character, O Father! We can depend upon it! Your *are* a merciful and compassionate God. How we love and thank You. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 48:14 (48:12-15) JEHOVAH SPEAKS. ?Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.? *You Father, will *not* suffer us to be tempted above what we can endure. Your are merciful and righteous. Those like Babylon who have overstepped their bounds, You *will judge*. Righteousness and Faithfulness becomes Your Name! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 48:16-17 (48:16-19) JEHOVAH: ENJOINS OBEDIENCE. ?Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.? And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. 17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ?I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.? *Father, You are open with us; in Your Word You clearly reveal Yourself and Your purposes. We trust You, and submit to You. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 48:22 (48:20-22) JEHOVAH: FORETELLS JACOB?S DEPARTURE FROM BABYLON. ?There is no peace,? says the LORD, ?for the wicked.? *The day of recompense for the wicked *always* comes! Though You Father, delay judgment that more repentance might come; yet the day of reckoning finally falls! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 46:9b-10a (46) JEHOVAH: WHO TELLS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING! **?For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.? *Consider! *Our Psalm for the day: 19:14 (19) THE LAW OF THE LORD IS PERFECT! ?Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.? *We marvel at Your creation Father, and how it reflects Your power and godhead. Your Word is yet a * clearer* revelation of Yourself. *Hallowed be your :name!* He is wisest who reads both the world-book and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work and feels concerning them, ?My Father wrote them both.? 19:1 *The h**e**avens declare the glory of God.* The book of nature has three leaves - heaven, earth, and sea - of which heaven is the first and the most glorious, and by its aid we are able to see the beauties of the other two. He who begins to read creation by studying the stars begins the book at the right place. The *heavens* are plural for their variety, comprising the watery heavens with their clouds of countless forms, the aerial heavens with their calms and tempests, and solar heavens with all the glories of the day, and the starry heavens with all the marvels of the night; what the heaven of heavens must be has not entered into the heart of man, but there in chief all things are telling the glory of God. It is not merely glory that the heavens declare, but the *glory of God*. *The firmament shows His handy-work; *not handy, in the vulgar use of that term, but hand-work. The expanse is full of the works of the Lord?s skillful, creating hands. In the expanse above us God flies, as it were, His starry flag to show that the King is at home and hangs out his escutcheon that atheists may see how He despises their denunciations of Him. He who looks up to the firmament and then writes himself down an atheist brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar. 14:7 *The law of the Lord is perfect; *by which he means not merely the law of Moses but the doctrine of God, the whole run and rule of sacred Writ. There are no redundancies and no omissions in the Word of God and in the plan of grace; why then do men try to paint this lily and gild this refined gold? The gospel is perfect in all its parts, and perfect as a whole: it is a crime to add to it, treason to alter it, and felony to take from it. *Converting the soul*. The great means of the conversion of sinners is the Word of God, and the more closely we keep to it in our ministry the more likely are we to be successful. It is God?s Word rather than man?s comment on God?s Word which is made mighty with souls. 14:8 *The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. *Mark the progress; he who was converted was next made wise and is now made happy; that truth which makes the heart right then gives joy to the right heart. 19:10 *More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold. *The metaphor is one which gathers force as it is brought out - gold - fine gold- much fine gold; it is good, better, best, and therefore it is not only to be desired with a miser?s avidity but with more than that. Men speak of solid gold, but what is so solid as solid truth? For love of gold pleasure is forsworn, ease renounced, and life endangered; shall we not be ready to do as much for love of truth? 19:12 *Who can understand his errors? *He best knows himself who best knows the Word, but even such a one will be in a maze of wonder as to what he does not know, rather than on the mount of congratulation as to what he does know. *Cleanse Thou me from secret faults.* Secret sins, like private conspirators, must be hunted out, or they may do deadly mischief; it is well to be much in prayer concerning them. In the Lutheran Council of the Church of Rome, a decree was passed that every true believer must confess his sins, all of them, once in a year to the priest, and they affixed to it this declaration, that there is no hope of pardon but in complying with that decree. What can equal the absurdity of such a decree as that? Do they suppose that they can tell their sins as easily as they can count their fingers? 19:13 *Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. *He shudders at the thought of the unpardonable sin. Secret sin is a stepping-stone to presumptuous sin, and that is the vestibule of ?the sin which is unto death.? He who tempts the devil to tempt him is in a path which will lead him from bad to worse, and from the worse to the worst. 19:14 *Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.* Words of the mouth are *mockery* if the heart does not *meditate*. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Dec 9 14:29:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2012 14:29:08 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 49-53 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 9, 2012 *JUL 20 - ISAIAH 49-53 - ISRAEL THE TYPE: CHRIST THE FULFILLMENT* *1. 49:5-6 (49:1-12, ESV) MESSIAH: HIS CALL AND MINISTRY. And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him - for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength - 6 he says: ?It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.? *Father, *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 49:25 (49:13-26) ISRAEL: RESTORATION AND DELIVERANCE. For thus says the LORD: ?Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.? *O Father, who is like unto You, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Your promises are so great - even the saving of our sons! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 50:4 (50) MESSIAH: ABLE TO REDEEM DIVORCED ISRAEL. ?The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.? *Father, You supplied all needs of Messiah. So shall You do with the members of His body. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 51:11 (51) JEHOVAH: HIS OFFER OF COMFORT. ?And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.? *O our Father, in the light of Your great mercies to Israel and Your Church, our heart is humbled! We come in contrition and repentance to You. Reconcile us! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 52:7 (52:1-12) JEHOVAH: CALLS ZION TO COMFORT AND RESTORATION. ?How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ?Your God reigns.?? *Blessed, O Father, is he who through intercession, the first step of evangelism, announces in the unseen world the Good News of Redemption. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 52:13 (52:13-53:1) MESSIAH: JEHOVAH INTRODUCES HIS SERVANT. ?Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.? *Father, this is Your Word concerning Jesus, Your only begotten Son, our Messiah! Blessed be Your Name for granting us Him Who is Jehovah the Savior! Your Name is written upon Him. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 53:4-5 (53:2-12) MESSIAH: HIS WORK OF PROPITIATION. ?Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.? *Father, Your love for us in Jesus crushes our soul; brings us to deep contrition andrepentance. Your Goodness in Christ leads us to repentance! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 53:6 (53:2-12) **MESSIAH: BORE OUR INIQUITY! ?All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.? *Jesus, the last Adam, You have overturned the work of the first Adam! *Our Psalm for the day: 20:1-4 (20) TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD! ?May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4 May he grant you your heart?s desire and fulfill all your plans! Hallowed be your :name,** *O Jehovah Father! Subject: We have before us a national anthem fitted to be sung at the outbreak of war, when the monarch was girding on his sword for the fight. If David had not been vexed with wars, we might never have been favored with many such Psalms as this. There is a needs-be for the trials of one saint, that he may yield consolation to others. 20:1 *The Lord hear you in the day of trouble. *What a mercy that we may pray in the day of trouble, and what a still more blessed privilege that no trouble can prevent the Lord from hearing us! Troubles roar like thunder, but the believer?s voice will be heard above all the storm. 20:2 *Send you help from the sanctuary. *Men of the world despise sanctuary help, but our hearts have learned to prize it beyond all material aid. They seek help out of the armory, or the treasury, or the battery, but we turn to the sanctuary. 20:3 *Remember all your offerings, and accept you**r** burnt sacrifice. Selah. *Before war kings offered sacrifice, upon the acceptance of which they depended for success; our blessed Lord presented Himself as a victim, and was a sweet savor unto the Most High, and then He met and routed the embattled legions of hell. 20:5 *We will rejoice in Your salvation. *We should fixedly resolve that come what may, we will rejoice in the saving arm of the Lord Jesus. The people in this Psalm, before their king went to battle, felt sure of victory, and therefore began to rejoice beforehand; how much more ought we to do this who have seen the victory completely won! Unbelief begins weeping for the funeral before the man is dead; why should not faith command piping before the dance of victory begins? 20:7 *Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.* Chariots and horses make an imposing show, and with their rattling and dust and fine caparisons make so great a figure that vain man is much taken with them; yet the discerning eye of faith sees more in an invisible God than in all these. The most dread war-engine of David?s day was the war-chariot, armed with scythes, which mowed down men like grass: this was the boast and glory of the neighboring nations; but the saint considered the name of Jehovah to be a far better defense. The name of our God is Jehovah, and this should never be forgotten; the self-existent, independent, immutable, ever-present, all-filling I AM. Let us adore that matchless Name and never dishonor it by distrust or creature confidence. 20:8. *They are brought down and fallen. *The world, death, Satan, and sin, shall be trampled beneath the feet of the champions of faith; while those who rely upon an arm of flesh shall be ashamed and confounded forever. (From ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by D. O. Fuller) *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Dec 10 09:09:55 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:09:55 -0800 Subject: 2 Chronicles 7:14 - Sermon Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 10, 2012 *2012-11-30 - 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 (7:11-22) - IF MY PEOPLE PRAY* *If my people who are called by my name* *humble themselves,* ve-yic-c*a*n*U* aMIY aSHER NIKr*a* _sheMIY a-l*e*yHEM, *and pray* veYITH-PALl*u* *and seek my face* VIYbak-sh*u* paNAY *and turn from their wicked ways,* ve-y*a*SH*U*v*u* mid-darC*E*Yhem h*a*-r*a*-*I*YM, *then I will hear from heaven* va-aN*I*Y eshMA min_hash-sh*a*MAYim *and will forgive their sin* ve-esLACH le-hat-t*a*TH*A*M *and heal their land.* ve-erP*A* eth_arTS*A*M. Notice: it is God?s people - in Covenant with Him - to whom these promises are given! If they fall away from this place of *God?s* choice - then they must return to regain these 3-fold blessings. And note again - there are 4 conditions given by God to effect a proper return! *Then* the 3-fold blessings can be claimed. This verse has been quoted and claimed by NT saints also. And though it was originally written for OT Israel during Temple days of worship - yet according to Romans 9:4-5, we Gentiles have been grafted in with Israel, so that the Church, the ?One New Man? composed of Messianic Jews and Gentiles, can *both* enter into these promises and claim them. It is also proper to note that Gentile believers do *not* need to keep the OT laws of Israel: circumcision etc. is *not* for us - just the 4 condition listed by James at the end of Acts 15. It is so easy to slip into the legalism of the Galatians! Beware of Judaizers who would subtly force Gentile believers into this trap. How ably the apostle Paul labored to free us from this. Watch for the ?wannabe? Jews also. How ably the 8 NT apostolic writers laid out for both Jewish and Gentile believers the freedom that is in the Gospel. All the OT becomes Types and Shadows to throw light on NT teachings. There are 8 great periods recorded in God?s Bible for us. For a copy of these 8 periods, plus 21/245 significant dates established by God?s Bible Numerics through Ivan Panin, turn to our Website *; *click on ?Archives,? and scroll down to ?2011.02.08 Panin?s Bible Chronology.? Click on the bottom of the page to get a pdf copy. You will note that Period 4 - Exodus to Temple, 480 years, 1465-986 B.C. - lists 8 significant dates. Period 5, Temple to Captivity, 429 years, 985-557 B.C. - contains 11 Solomon, Temple finished, 1 Kings 6:38, 979 B.C. At this time Solomon prayed the dedicatory prayer for the Finished Temple, which contains our text for the day, 2 Chronicles 7:14 Though this is called the Temple of Solomon, yet David had 7 preparatory steps to make it easier for Solomon in its building. a. Under Joab David captured Zion, the future site of the Temple in Jerusalem. b. Soon after his reign commenced as the King over total Israel, David made plans to return the ?Ark of the Covenant? to Jerusalem, the key piece of furniture of the Temple. c. He purchased the exact site for the Temple in Zion following the death of Uzzah. d. He received by the Spirit the exact ?Blueprint? for the Temple, which he passed on to Solomon. e. He fathered Solomon, who became God?s choice to succeed David and build the Temple f. He prepared *much* material ahead of time for Solomon. g. He with Samuel established the Temple worship with Levitical priests and singers, as well as Temple order of service. Because of these 7 areas, though Solomon built the Temple in a 7 ? year time-span - yet David made this possible. But with all of the above said - still this verse is most applicable for all NT believers today. A. The 4 Conditions of Return: 1. Humble ourselves. How Jesus exemplified this! How John 13 with the washing of His disciples? feet set forth Divine Humility. And if Jesus - the Son of God and Son of man set forth such a remarkable example - how much *more* should we walk in the same spirit! Moses is the most humble of all OT saints. The Bible says so. He did not at any time push the position God had given him. It is God?s own testimony concerning Moses that is so significant. 2. And *Pray*. A return to vital prayer is absolutely essential to see the blessing of God restored. Andrew Murray and Rees Howells are worthy examples of vital prayer, leading into glorious worship. This takes place in the Temple at the ?Altar of Incense?. The rising of the smell of incense is a type of our prayer rising to God. 3. ?Seek my Face?. It is not enough to have a vital prayer life. We must also learn the importance of ?Focusing on Jesus? and on His Father and our Father. The relation of Jesus to the Father - *He* is the only-begotten of the Father. You and I are but adopted! He is also the ?Pre-incarnate Son? of the Father. He merely took on humanity at the time of His birth from Mary. Jesus is *unique*! - We are *not* of His order - to see this is part of humbling ourselves - to see and accept this Scriptural declaration. 4. Turn from their wicked ways. This is one of the two essential aspects of ?Repentance? - a turning *from* - and then a turning *to*! True repentance always includes these two aspects. *Then* - when the above 4 conditions are satisfactorily met in the eyes of the Father - and only then - does He fulfill for Israel and us the following 3 promises. B. The 3 Promises. 1. God *then* hears from heaven. He hears because we are now asking according to his will. We have satisfactorily fulfilled the above 4 conditions. 1 John 5:14-15 is now a *surety*. For God to *hear* - is for us to receive! Believe it! It truly accords with God?s Word. *?And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his :will, he hears us; 15 and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we **have** the petitions which we have asked of him.?* David first tried to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem on a Philistine cart. God had to kill Uzzah to show David his folly. He then read the Scriptures, and discovered the ark must *always* be carried on the shoulders of Levites! Correction to this, brought safe return the second attempt! 2. God then *forgives* our sin. He did this under the Judges of Israel 7 times! He did it following Daniel?s prayer of chapter 9, and the work of Cyrus His servant in returning a remnant of Judah to Jerusalem. And - forgiveness for us - is dependent upon us forgiving our trespassers! 3. ?And *heal* their land?. This God did for Israel. The ?land? for New Covenant believers is the faithful promises of God in Christ *now* on our behalf - Resurrection of our bodies at Christ?s Return? - and eternal fellowship with Him both in Heaven and upon earth. So - the context for 2 Chronicles 7:14 is indeed immense. It is the 4thand 5 th Period of Bible History! It is the context of God?s entire dealing with His chosen nation Israel! It is also pointing forward to the fulfillment of OT prophecies to the Church, the One New Man in Christ - composed of believing Jews and Gentiles. Easy to understand? No - but as we learn to fully yield ourselves to God and *meditate* upon His Word - *then* - the Holy Spirit, our Inward Teacher - will make these *precious* truth *real* to us. The ?Outlined Interlinear NT? based on God?s Bible Numeric discoveries by Ivan Panin - is now in print and available through *< www.btjohnsonpublishing.com>.* This we believe is one of God?s last- day provisions to speed up our ability to comprehend and walk in these truths. - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Tue Dec 11 10:46:41 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:46:41 -0800 Subject: ESV Study Bible Articles Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 11, 2012 *2012-12-11 - ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV) STUDY BIBLE* *NOTES - A HELP FOR EVERY FAMILY* *The XIX SECTIONS IN THE "NOTE" DIVISION* *I. GOD?S PLAN FOR SALVATION, p. 2501* *II. BIBLICAL DOCTRINE: AN OVERVIEW, p. 2505* *A. True Theology: Knowing and Loving God.* *B. The Bible and Revelation* *C. What It Means to Know God* *D. The Character of God* *E. The Trinity* *F. The Person of Christ* *G. The Holy Spirit* *H. The Work of Christ* *I. Mankind* *J. God?s Relationship with Creation* *K. Sin* *L. Salvation* *M. The Church* *N. Last Things* *III. BIBLICAL ETHICS: AN OVERVIEW, p. 2535* *A. Biblical Ethics: An Introduction* *B. The Beginning of Life and Abortion* *C. Bioethics* *D. The End of Life* *E. Marriage and Sexual Morality* *F. Divorce and Remarriage* *G. Homosexuality* *H. Civil Government* *I. Capital Punishment* *J. War* *K. Lying and Telling the Truth* *L. Racial Discrimination* *M. Stewardship* *IV. INTERPRETING THE BIBLE, p. 2561* *A. Interpreting the Bible: An Introduction* *B. Interpreting the Bible: A Historical Overview* *V. READING THE BIBLE, p. 2567* *A. Reading the Bible Theologically* *B. Reading the Bible as Literature* *C. Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God* *D. Reading the Bible for Personal Application* *E. Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship* *VI. THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE, p. 2577* *A. The Canon of the Old Testament* *B. The Canon of the New Testament* *C. The Apocrypha* *VII. THE RELIABILITY OF BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS, p. 2585* *A. The Reliability of Old Testament Manuscripts* *B. The Reliability of New Testament Manuscripts* *VIII. ARCHEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE, p. 2591* *A. Archeology and the Reliability of the Old Testament* *B. Archeology and the Reliability of the New Testament* *IX. THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES OF THE BIBLE, p. 2595* *A. Hebrew and Aramaic, and How They Work* *B. Greek and How It Works* *X. THE SEPTUAGINT, p. 2601* *XI. HOW THE NEW TESTAMENT QUOTES AND INTERPRETS THE OLD TESTAMENT, p. 2605 * *XII. THE BIBLE IN CHRISTIANITY, p. 2613* *A. Roman Catholicism* *B. Eastern Orthodoxy* *C. Liberal Protestantism* *D. Evangelical Protestantism* *E. Evangelical Protestantism and Global Christianity* *XIII. THE BIBLE AND WORLD RELIGIONS, p. 2623* *A. The Bible and Contemporary Judaism* *B. The Bible and Other World Religions* *C. The Bible and Islam* *XIV. THE BIBLE AND RELIGIOUS CULTS, p. 2631* *A. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism)* *B. Jehovah?s Witnesses* *C. Christian Science* *D. New Age Movement* *XV. HISTORY OF SALVATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: PREPARING THE WAY FOR CHRIST, p. 2635 - (A Listing of All Old Testament Books)* *XVI. CONCORDANCE, p. 2663* *XVII. DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN, p. 2743* *XVIII. Table of WEIGHTS AND MEASURES and Monetary Units, p. 2751* *XIX. Colophon, p. 2752* *NOTE**: I have a good number of ?Study Bibles? with Biblical Articles and Resources. However, these 250 pages at the end of the ?Evangelical Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible?, Published by Crossway - appears to me superior to the others I have read.* *I would like to recommend particularly under - II. BIBLICAL DOCTRINE: AN OVERVIEW, p. 2505, B. ?The Bible and Revelation.? - Excellent. Liberals, and Evangelicals departing from the Word Integrity position, would count it as ?Old Order? - i.e. it puts the Bible as the final court of appeal for allarguments. This is my position also, and I welcome the title of ?Old Order?. This was the position of Charles H. Spurgeon, and many others.* *Also under III. BIBLICAL ETHICS: AN OVERVIEW, p. 2535* *G. Homosexuality. This is a clear, necessary - but gracious presentation.* *This Study Bible was presented to me as a gift by a friend in 2011. It is only recently that I have had opportunity to look into these Notes. I have made a good beginning in this invigorating and pleasant task. * *Evangelicalism is at a Crossroad - and all members would do well to have a copy of this Study Bible in each family. To read these notes, study them, and then discuss them together as a family - or in a small home-meeting context - would do much to place us in safe moorings, well-pleasing to God.* *For those without the advantage of a Bible College or Seminary education - this would do much to restore this lack.* *Your friend - Jim Watt* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Dec 12 14:35:13 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:35:13 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 56-57 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 12, 2012 *JUL 22 - ISAIAH 56-57 - WHERE GOD DWELLS* *1. 56:7 (56:1-8, ESV) RULES FOR GOD?S HOUSE - ?These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.? *Father, it is *Your*Kingdom, and *Your* House! You have the right and authority to do with them and as as * You* please. For *Your* pleasure, we were created! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 56:10 (56:9-12) BLIND WATCHMEN OF GOD?S HOUSE. ?His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.? *Father, it is not right for Your shepherds, Your watchmen, to so abuse Your sheep. All leaders are but stewards of Your possessions, and their wisdom is but to be *faithful*. *Faithfulness* becomes Your house, O Jehovah! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 57:1 (57:1-2) PREMATURE GOING TO GOD?S HOUSE. ?The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no man understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity.? *You work in mysterious ways, O Jehovah Father, Your wonders to perform! Your will and ways are higher than the heavens, and You transcend our thoughts and wisdom in every respect! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth. * *4. 57:3 (57:3-12) THOSE WITH NO PART IN GOD?S HOUSE. ?But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.? *Sometimes Father, the die is cast; sometimes we reach the point of no return with You. Sometimes we find like Esau, no place of repentance, for we have sinned away our day of grace! O Father, in Jesus? Name, we seek Your face in forgiveness. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 57:13b-14 (57:13-14) TRUST: CONDITION FOR DWELLING IN GOD?S HOUSE. ?But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. 14 And it shall be said, ?Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people?s way.? *Father, like David we would dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever! We would remove every hindrance, and every stumbling-block from such a favored position! We know that by so doing, we can be clothed with the full armor of God! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 57:15 LOCATION OF GOD?S HOUSE. ?For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ?I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit.?? * *Holiness* become Your Name, O Father, and *holiness* in us Your saints, adorns Your Name. You lead us in the path of *holiness* for Your Name?s sake. How easy it is for You to deliver us from the evil one, when we walk the path of *humility*! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 57:20-21 (57:16-21) HEALING FOR THOSE OF GOD?S HOUSE. ?But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace? says my God, ?for the wicked.? *You Father, separate the wheat from the chaff. You will not punish the righteous with the wicked. Healing in Your house is for the righteous after a time of chastening, forming and shaping! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 57:16 (57:16-21) MERCY FROM JEHOVAH IN HIS HOUSE. **?For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.? *Father, You remember our frame, that we are but dust. You do *not* deal with us according to our iniquities, but according to Your *grace* do You deal with us! *Our Psalm for the day: 22:22 (22) WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? ?I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.? *O Jesus, we see You in the midst of Your church, praising the Father through Your many-membered body. We see us *hallowing Your Name* Father, through the indwelling inspiration of the Spirit of Christ. ?If you wish to know God you must know his word; if you wish to perceive his power you must see how he works by his word; if you wish to know his purpose before it is actually brought to pass you can only discover it by his word!? C.H. Spurgeon Subject: This is beyond all others :The Psalm of the Cross.? It may have been actually repeated word by word by our Lord when hanging on the tree; it would be too bold to say that it was so, but even a casual reader may see that it might have been. It begins with, ?My God, my God, why have You forsake Me?? and ends, according to some, in the original, with, ?It is finished.? For plaintive expressions uprising from unutterable depths of woe, we may say of this Psalm, ?There is none like it.? It is the photograph of our Lord?s saddest hours, the record of his dying words, the lachrymatory of His last tears, the memorial of His expiring joys. David and his afflictions may be here in a very modified sense, but, as the star is concealed by the light of the sun, he who sees Jesus will probably neither see nor care to see David. Before us we have a description both of the darkness and of glory of the cross, the sufferings of Christ and the glory which shall follow. Oh, for grace to draw near and see this great sight! We should read reverently, putting off our shoes from our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there be holy ground anywhere in Scripture it is in this Psalm. 22:1. *My God, my God.* Let us gaze with holy wonder and mark the flashes of light amid the awful darkness of that midday-midnight. First, our Lord?s faith beams forth and deserves our reverent imitation; He keeps His hold upon His God with both hands and cries twice, *My God, my God!* The spirit of adoption was strong within the suffering Son of man, and He felt no doubt about His interest in His God. Oh, that we could imitate this cleaving to an afflicting God! Nor does the sufferer distrust the power of God to sustain Him, for the title used - *El* - signifies strength and is the Name of the Mighty God. *Why have You forsake Me? * We must lay the emphasis on every word of this saddest of all utterances. *Why? *What is the great cause of such a strange fact as for God to leave His own Son at such a time and in such a plight? There was no cause in Him; why then was He deserted? *Have*. It is done, and the Savior is feeling the dread effect as He asks the question; it is surely true, but how mysterious! It was no threatening of forsaking which made the great Surety cry aloud. He endured that forsaking in very deed. *You. *I can understand why traitorous Judas and timid Peter should be gone, but You, my God, my faithful Friend, how can You leave Me? This is the worst of all, yes, worse than all put together. Hell itself has for its fiercest flame the separation of the soul from God. *Forsaken*. If You had chastened I might bear it, for Your face would shine; but to forsake Me utterly, ah! why is this? *Me*. Your innocent, obedient, suffering Son - why do You leave Me to perish? A sight of self seen by penitence, and of Jesus on the cross seen by faith, will best expound this question. Jesus is forsaken because our sins had separated between us and our God. 22:29. *None can keep alive his own soul. *This is the stern counterpart of the gospel message of ?look and live.? There is no salvation out of Christ. We must hold life and have life as Christ?s gift, or we shall die eternally. This is very solid evangelical doctrine and should be proclaimed in every corner of the earth, that like a great hammer it may break in pieces all self-confidence. *These ?notes? on Psalm 22 are from ?The Treasury of David? by C. H. Spurgeon, abridged by D. O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Dec 13 10:18:04 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:18:04 -0800 Subject: Isaiah 58-66 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 13, 2012 *JUL 23 - ISAIAH 58-66 - THE CHALLENGE OF JEHOVAH* *1. 59:1-2 (58:1-59:15, ESV) ISRAEL: APOSTASY. ?Behold, the LORD?s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.? *Would we know the principles of Your Kingdom, Father? Then must we acknowledge the righteousness of Your ways and pronouncements? You are *not* a God who answers the prayers of the unrighteous. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 59:16 (59:16-60:22) ISRAEL: RESTORATION BY MESSIAH. ?He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was not one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.? *Even when we fail You Father, You still plan our welfare! You send send one like us, * Jesus*, to help us. Through identification of God with man, You *lift* us! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 61:1-2 (61-62) MESSIAH?S FIRST AND SECOND ADVENT. ?The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD?s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;? *Father, You are the God of provision; You are *Jehovah-jireh*. You met our need in Jesus - when there was no other help. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 63:5 (63:1-6) MESSIAH?S SECOND ADVENT. ?I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me.? *Twice You come Father, in Your Son: once in *reconciliation*, and then in *judgment*. Now is the accepted time of salvation. To fail to receive could leave us having sinned away our day of grace. * Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 63:9 (63:7-14) PRAISE FOR PAST BLESSINGS. ?In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.? *Your Covenant love Father, has saved us, preserved us, and now sustains us. In Christ You identified Yourself with us. Now we put You on as our armor. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 64:1 (63:15-64:12) ISRAEL?S PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE. ?Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence -? *Father, We acknowledge You as the *only* One Who can bring full deliverance. Our eyes are *only* upon You for the hope of salvation! * You* form us into the image of Your Son! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 66:2 (65-66) GOD?S PROPHETIC ANSWER. ?All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.? *Yes Father, You will answer, but in accordance with * Your* conditions. Contrition, Humility, Tremblers at Your Word: *these* are the conditions You desire in lives that You meet for good. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 59:19b, 21 (59:16-60:22) **JEHOVAH?S OUTSTANDING PROMISE! ?For he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives. 21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them,? says the LORD: ?My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children?s offspring,? says the LORD, ?from this time forth and forevermore.?* *Our Psalm for the day: 23:6 (23) THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. ?Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.? *Yes Father, *faithfulness* is Your Name; *goodness* and *loving kindness* Your high attributes. Therefore will we praise You! *Hallowed be your :name!* C.H. Spurgeon Quotes, December 13, 2012 - Whether You Are A Child of God. ?Now, mark this: by this shall you know whether you are a child of God, or not; by the respect that you have to Your Father?s Word. If you have small respect for that Word, the evidences of a bastard are upon you.? There is no inspired title to this Psalm, and none is needed, for it records no special event and needs no other key than that which every Christian may find in his own bosom. It is David?s ?Heavenly Pastoral?; a surpassing ode, which none of the daughters of music can excel. The clarion of war here gives place to the pipe of peace, and he who so lately bewailed the woes of the Shepherd tunefully rehearses the joys of the flock. *This*is the pearl of Psalms, whose soft and pure radiance delights every eye; a pearl of which Helicon need not be ashamed, though Jordan claims it. Of this delightful song, it may be affirmed that its piety and poetry are equal, its sweetness and its spirituality are unsurpassed. The position of this Psalm is worthy of notice. It follows the Twenty-Second, which is peculiarly the ?Psalm of the Cross.? There are no green pastures, no still waters on the other side of the Twenty-Second Psalm. It is only after we have read, ?My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?? that we come to ?The Lord is my Shepherd.? We must by experience know the value of the Blood-shedding and see the sword awakened against the Shepherd before we shall be able truly to know the sweetness of the good Shepherd?s care. It has been said that what the nightingale is among birds, that is this Divine ode among the Psalms, for it has sung sweetly in the ear of many a mourner in his night of weeping and has bidden him hope for a morning of joy. I will venture to compare it also to the lark, which sings as it mounts, and mounts as it sings, until it is out of sight, and even then is not out of hearing. 23:1. *The Lord is my shepherd. *It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. There is a noble note of confidence about this sentence. There is not ?if? nor ?but,? nor even ?I hope so?; but he says, ?The Lord is my shepherd.? We must cultivate the spirit of assured dependence upon our heavenly Father. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, *My*. He does not say, ?The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leads forth the multitude as His flock,? but ?The Lord is *my*shepherd?; if He be a shepherd to no one else, He is a shepherd to me. He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer?s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah. 23:2. *He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. * The Christian life has two elements in it, the contemplative and the active, and both of these are richly provided for. First, the contemplative, *He makes me to lie down in green pastures.* What are* green pastures* but the *Scriptures of truth* - always fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? There is no fear of biting the bare ground where the grass is long enough for the flock to lie down in it. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the Gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass as nature nutriment for sheep. The second part of a vigorous Christians? life consists in gracious activity. We not only think, but we act. We are not always lying down to feed but are journeying onward toward perfection; hence we read, *He leads me beside the still waters.* What are these *still waters *but the influences and graces of His blessed Spirit? His Spirit attends us in various operations, like waters - in the plural - to cleanse, to refresh, to fertilize, to cherish. 23:3. *He restores my soul*. When the soul grows sorrowful, He revives it; when it is sinful, He sanctifies it. *He* does it. His ministers could not do it if He did not. His Word would not avail by itself. ?He restores my sou l.? Are any of us low in grace? Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb? He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Pray to Him, then, for the blessing - ?*You* restore me, You Shepherd of my soul!? 23:5. *You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. *The good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he had not. If we were without enemies we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to God. Yet see the quietude of the godly man in spite of, and in the sight of, his enemies. How refreshing is his calm bravery! ?You prepare a table before me.? When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal and away he hastens to the fight. But observe, ?You *prepare* a table,? just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to His people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances. *(From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O. Fuller.)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Dec 14 09:20:09 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:20:09 -0800 Subject: 2012-12-01 - Christmas Letter Message-ID: *CHRISTMAS LETTER - 2012-12-01* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *First of all - some Prayer Points from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem - (Marie suggested we include this.)* *Prayers for Israel: **Pray that the Israeli people and their leaders would have strength, patience and wisdom to endure the spiritual battle raging over their prophetic destiny, which is playing out in the physical realm. Pray for the exposure **and downfall of the demonic sources behind the hatred, incitement, violence and genocidal threats against the Jewish state and people.* *Prayers for the Middle East: **Pray for revival in the Arab and Muslim world, that many more people would come to know the Lord. Pray that Iran?s leaders would utterly fail in their devious plans to destroy Israel by nuclear means. Pray th**at democracy and freedom would finally come to the people of Iran and of Syria.* *There also were praying saints on hand, such as Simeon the Righteous, who had been waiting for the Lord?s ?salvation? promised to Father Abraham so long ago. We also have Anna the prophetess, who ?served God with fastings and prayers night and day? in the hope of seeing the ?redemption? of Israel. * *The Christmas story is thus filled with such glory and wonder and light! And yet there also was an unseen spiritual battle raging in the heavenlies concerning the arrival of this Child. This hidden struggle eventually manifested in the earthly realm in the form of Herod?s slaying of the infants of Bethlehem.* *The intensity of this spiritual battle is more vividly described in Revelation 12, which tells us that Satan was poised before Israel (depicted as a woman) as she was ready to give birth, in order ?to devour her Child as soon as it was born?. The Child is then identified as He who is destined ?to rule all nations with a rod of iron? - a clear reference to the Messsiah (Psalm 2:9). But the Child was caught up into heaven and the woman fled to safety in ?the wilderness? - alluding to the preservation of the Jewish people down through her centuries of exile.* *However, the Devil?s targeting of Israel does not end there, according to Revelation 12. In due time, there is war in the heavens and Satan is cast down to the earth (verses 7-8), where he seeks to persecute the woman as she returns to ?her place? (verse 14). This tells us that Israel?s modern-day restoration is surrounded by a great spiritual battle as well.* *Like the birth of Jesus, the restoration of Israel in our day is portrayed in Scripture as holding tremendous promise of coming peace on earth and glory upon Israel. But it also plays out amid intense spiritual warfare, which we see manifesting in the earthly realm each and every day in various forms of hatred, incitement, violence and even genocidal threats against the Jewish state and people.* *Yet the Book of Revelation is also replete with prophetic references to the presence of praying saints in that day, whose prayers ascend like incense to the God of heaven (for example, Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4).* *We need to see ourselves in that context as we lift up Israel and the region in prayer. She is destined for glory but needs our intercession to make it through the dark days to come. May our prayers rise as a sweet aroma to God, even as our faith declares that Israel will always be preserved and that the angelic hosts will always prevail. In Christ our Lord, David Parsons, ICEJ Media Director* *Blessings on you all: Friends, Relatives and Acquaintances -* *Our prayer on behalf of you all is first: Thanks to God for the wonderful gift of His Son 2000 years ago. To we who believe on Him and His ?Finished Work? on Calvary - He is precious! This was the text of the first sermon that Charles H. Spurgeon preached at the age of 16. One lady asked him how old he was. ?Under 60,? he replied. ?Closer to 16,? she guessed.* *We also claim for all of us - Clan and Household Salvation! This is so important that I hasten to add how you can get more information on this. Turn to our Website , click on ?Archives?, and scroll down to 2010.03.06 - ?Clan & Household Salvation?, and you will find details that you can use like we do, for our family members to be with us in the Better Land.* *Marie and I are approaching 90, and in remarkably good health physically, mentally and spiritually. Marie swims 3 times a week for an hour each session. I have my own exercise routine. Through the kindness of friends - we have special water that we drink. Marie makes sure our diet is right, and serves us up special ?smoothies? several times a week. We have wise supplements, and very few prescriptions.* *The ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? project I have been working on since 1944, and which Ivan Panin hoped to be done in 1942, is now printed 70 years later, and soon to be available in E-book format. I have other projects for printing I am working on, which keeps my mind and memory alert. * *We meet each second week with a Korean group called ?The Resting Place.? What a joy to be with them in their openness - and their wonderful kids!* *Several times we have also ministered in a Russian church.* *Marie especially keeps in touch with our 7 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Not as many as some, but more than others!* *We attend a church close by - ?Christ?s Church of Federal Way?, Jeff Moorehead, pastor. He is an outstanding expository preacher of the Bible, and weekly challenges us.* *Marie?s immediate family in Canada keeps dwindling as members go Home to be with the Lord. Marie and I are the only couple left, and are the oldest.* *We have had wonderful visits through the year in Mount Vernon with our daughter Anna and son-in-law Garl Long. Their youngest son Keelan keeps helping me with my computer challenges. Without him as one of the cogs in our wheel, the Interlinear printing would not be taking place. Several others are equally important in this regard.* *Marie will be filling in details on family members, which numbers of you have been asking about.* *Jim* *2012-12-13 - From Marie for Christmas* *Dear Family and Friends -* *This is such an exciting time of the year as we joyously celebrate Jesus? Birthday. Everywhere we hear sung, ?Oh come all you faithful? and ?Joy to the world, the Lord is come?. What a blessing and privilege to be chosen to walk with the King. We have so much to celebrate - our family, including 6 grandsons, 1 granddaughter and 2 fabulous great grandsons.* *We are so rich! God has showered us with His Love. Though we are going on 90 years old, His strength carries us on. We?re still living in our 2 story house, doing all our own chores, except for a cleaning lady who comes in once or twice a month.* *I?m still a gardener at heart; even though physically I am unable to do what I once did. Though I can?t kneel on the ground, I have a beautiful work area in back, with a table, where I make my hanging baskets, planters, etc. Including 10 hanging baskets made up by Fred Meyer Gardeners, I have over 20! plus about 10 planters, etc.* *God so blessed me through my youngest grandson, William (Peter?s son - now 16 years old and driving). His work in the yard was awesome. My Garden was the best it?s ever been; and my Geraniums are still blooming! and hanging baskets on back deck still great. We have not had a freeze yet. I don?t remember ever having such mild weather before. Usually, early November, everything has been frozen. So I thank the Lord for the Joy William has brought into our lives by his hard labor in our yard. He is such a blessing to us. Thank You, Lord.* *My next big joy is swimming for an hour, 3 mornings a week. We have a beautiful new facility 5 minutes from our house. Jim blesses me by driving, since I quit driving 10 years ago.* *Health-wise I?m doing terrifically! Hard to believe how sick I was (Temporal Arteritis) almost 3 years ago. I?m keeping off the 60 lbs. I lost - Praise God! My doctor says I?m his star patient; making him look good through my amazing recovery; plus I?m better now than before. He doesn?t realize how many people prayerfully blessed me through! - for which I am grateful. It?s an honor to be a member of the family of God, as well as my natural family.* *Another Joy is ministering to a young Korean group starting a new church in Auburn. They are so seeking to honor and bless God; and bring other Korean families into their fellowship. We are so grateful for their love and ministering to us. Thank You, Jesus.* *Anna (our daughter) and husband Garl still live in Mt Vernon where he practices law (Anna helps in his office). Their oldest son, Seth (29 years old) and Jennifer his wife, and 3 year old Luke, are finishing up at Washington State University, in Pullman, Washington. He?ll graduate in 2013 with his Doctorate in Computer Science. He?s been doing teaching and research: developing a Computer Program ?Understanding how the brain works.? He?s presented his work at conferences in Montreal, Vancouver, BC, San Diego, and was a delegate to a Washing, DC, federal program. We all pray God will open His door, for a College teaching job - hopefully closer to the Pacific NW Coast. Seth and family all joyfully walking with Jesus!* *Jim?s son James (26 years old) lives in Portland. He creates Web sites for clients. Unmarried and building up his business.* *Keelan (24) Anna?s youngest, is still in Houston (almost 2 years) working for ?Logic Alert?, a security company protecting their customers from Hackers, etc. He?ll be home for Christmas, praise God. He is in a good church, close to where he lives - and happy.* *Peter?s oldest son Paul, graduates from University of Washington this year, with his B.A. in Business, etc.* *His brother Mark (19) is in 2nd year at Washington State University, working on his ROTC (military) program, hoping to graduate in Sport?s Medicine.* *William (17) is on Running Start at Tacoma Community College, combining Jr. & Sr. yr. High School and* *lst year College. He is living with Peter.* *Granddaughter Chelsea (25 years old on Christmas day) lives in Tacoma with her 1 ? year old son Broderick, and is very successful in her job as a ?Wait Person?.* *Oldest son, Jim (59 years old), lives and works in Tacoma. So does Peter, except he works in Seattle.* *Just a quick run down on family, as numbers have asked.* *Looking forward to Gaudet Family Reunion** in Port Alberni, BC July 19-21 - Hoping to seeing many **at our over 250 family group.* *Thank you, each one, for your beautiful Christmas remembrances; cards, phone calls, gifts, E-mails, etc. May Jesus bless you all richly with His presence and joy in your lives.* ?*Beauty is God?s Handiwork? - Charles Kingsley* ?*Lord, may Your beauty be reflected through me to others. I pray that **Your Love will be what others see when they look at me.?* *My prayer for Christmas 2012. Blessings of good health, joy, peace and success in all God leads you in. Enjoy Him.* *Lovingly, your sister Marie, Auntie, in-law, grandma, great grandma, and friend.* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Dec 15 11:42:53 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:42:53 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 3:2b-4:21 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 15, 2012 *JUL 25 - 1 CORINTHIANS 3:2b-4:21 - NATURE OF MINISTRIES* *1. 3:6 (3:2b-9) MINISTRIES: THEIR UNITY. ?I planted, Apollos watered; but :God gave increase.? *Father, this is a secret of Your Kingdom: we are fellow-laborers, but the spring is from You. We acknowledge You alone as the foundation of Your Kingdom in the Spirit. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 3:16-17 (3:10-17) MINISTRY OF A MASTER-BUILDER: LAYING CHRIST AS FOUNDATION. ?Know you not that you are God?s sanctuary, and the Spirit of :God dwells in you? 17 If any corrupts the sanctuary of :God, him shall :God corrupt; for the sanctuary of God is holy, which you are.? *This is Your will Father, even our sanctification in our bodies! *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 3:19 (3:18-23) MINISTRIES: TO BE RECEIVEDALL. ?For the wisdom of this :world is foolishness with :God. For it is written, Who takes the wise in their :craftiness.? *Yes Father, and You meet the needs of all Your varied types of ministries, all complementing one another. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 4:1-2 (4:1-5) MINISTERS: FAITHFULNESS IN STEWARDSHIP. ?Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of God?s mysteries. 2 Here, moreover, it is required in the stewards, that one be found faithful.? *Part of our faithfulness Father, is walking in *reconciliation*with You and with one another. Through You we love our enemies! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 4:7 (4:6-13) MINISTRY OF PAUL AND APOLLOS: AN ANALOGY. ?For who makes you to differ? And what do you have that you did not receive? but if you did receive, why do you glory as if you had not received?? *Father, evermore keep this insight in our hearts. We would walk in humility before You. We would constantly walk in the security of Your armor! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 4:15-16 (4:14-17) MINISTERS: AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW. ?For though you may have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begot you through the gospel. 16 I beseech you therefore, become imitators of me.? *Father, we thank You for the example of Your servant Paul. In him we see the power of an overcoming life. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 4:20 (4:18-21) MINISTERS: TO DEMONSTRATE KINGDOM IN POWER. ?For the kingdom of :God is not in word, but in power.? *Thank You Father, that You deliver us from a powerless Gospel! Your Gospel is the power of God unto salvation! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 4:17 (4:14-17) MINISTRY OF PAUL: TRANSFERRED THROUGH TIMOTHY. **?For this cause I have sent you Timothy, who is my beloved child and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my :ways which are in Christ Jesus, even as I teach everywhere in every church. *Father, if Paul could lead Timothy to be like himself in You, any one of us can be led likewise! We choose to become like Paul and Timothy. *Our Psalm for the day: 25:14 (25) TEACH ME YOUR PATHS. ?The friendship (or secret counsel) of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes know n to them his covenant.? *Your secrets are Your mysteries Father; and in Jesus You reveal them to us. Your Covenant is *also* in Christ (Isaiah 42:6; 49:8), and Your fear unlocks Him, the Living Covenant. Quote from C.H. Spurgeon, in the light of what happened in Connecticut December 14, 2012. *The Hour is Coming - John 5:25* I have, in my imagination, looked on all whom I know on the earth, and I have said, they are dying creatures. This is always true, but we often forget it. Yet when a precious one is taken, we begin to realize this truth. Thinking about this, I seem to see a passing procession. I remember many who have passed - a long array of my Master?s servants - some carrying His banner high, others marching with swords drawn, and some weak and feeble being helped by sturdy champions. They are gone, and I will never see them here again. Some of you are also passing away. More are coming, but they are also going. I said that I was looking at this procession. But that is incorrect, for I am in the procession. I am passing with the rest. What shadows we are! What fleeting things! What mists! What paintings on a cloud! We can scarcely say that we live; for the moment we begin to live, we begin to die. This earth is not the land of the living. This is a dying world. The living world is beyond death?s cold river. Here graves are innumerable, and death rules all. No! That is not true. For there is One who rules death. Death has no power over the living God. Death is His servant. It is through death that we pass into life. By the death of our redeeming Lord, we have been rescued from destruction. From everything that wears the aspect of death, we can turn to Him, Jesus Christ, who is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). *PSALM 25 - Title: ?A Psalm of David.? *David is pictured in this Psalm as in a faithful miniature. His holy trust, his many conflicts, his great transgression, his bitter repentance, and his deep distresses are all here; so that we see the very heart of ?the man after God?s own heart.? It is evidently a composition of David?s later days, for he mentions the sins of his youth, and from its painful references to the craft and cruelty of his many foes, it will not be too speculative a theory to refer it to the period when Absalom was heading the great rebellion against him. This has been styled the second of the seven Penitential Psalms. It is the mark of a true saint that his sorrows remind him of his sins, and his sorrow for sin drives him to his God. 25:1 *Unto You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.* See how the holy soul flies to its God like a dove to its cote. When the storm-winds are out, the Lord?s vessels put about and make for their well-remembered harbor of refuge. What a mercy that the Lord will condescend to hear our cries in time of trouble, although we may have almost forgotten him in our hours of fancied prosperity! Very often the soul cannot rise; she has lost her wings, and is heavy and earth-bound; more like a burrowing mole than a soaring eagle. At such dull seasons we must not give over prayer, but must, by God?s assistance, exert all our powers to lift up our hearts. Let faith be the lever and grace be the arm, and the dead lump will yet be stirred. But what a lift it has sometimes proved! With all our tugging and straining, we have been utterly defeated, until the heavenly loadstone of our Savior?s love has displayed its omnipotent attractions, and then our hearts have gone up to our Beloved like mounting flames of fire. 25:7. *Remember not the sins of my youth. *The world winks at the sins of young men, and yet they are none so little after all; the bones of our youthful feastings at Satan?s table will stick painfully in our throats when we are old men. He who presumes upon his youth is poisoning his old age. How large a tear may wet this page as some of us reflect upon the past! 25:14. *The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. *Some read it ?the friendship?: it signifies familiar intercourse, confidential intimacy, and select fellowship. This is a great secret. Carnal minds cannot guess what is intended by it, and even believers cannot explain it in words, for it must be felt to be known. The higher spiritual life is necessarily a path which the eagle?s eye has not known, and which the lion?s whelp has not traveled; neither natural wisdom nor strength can force a door into this inner chamber. Saints have the key of heaven?s hieroglyphics; they can unriddle celestial enigmas. They are initiated into the fellowship of the skies; they have heard words which it is not possible for them to repeat to their fellows. 25:20. *O keep my soul out of evil, and deliver me *when I fall into it. This is another version of the prayer, ?Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.? *Let me not be ashamed*. This is the one fear which like a ghost haunted the Psalmist?s mind. He trembled lest his faith should become the subject of ridicule through the extremity of his affliction. Noble hearts can brook anything but shame. David was of such a chivalrous spirit that he could endure any torment rather than to be put to dishonor. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Dec 16 10:06:15 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2012 10:06:15 -0800 Subject: Biblical Ethics Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 16, 2012 *2012-12-12 - BIBLICAL ETHICS: AN OVERVIEW* *G. HOMOSEXUALITY, p. 2547* *(From English Standard Version Study Bible, 2008)* *1. God?s Original Design* *In God?s original design, human sexual conduct was to occur within the context of marriage between one man and one woman. The first chapter of the Bible says, ?God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them? (Gen. 1:27). Differentiation of the human race into two complementary sexes (?male and female?) is the first fact mentioned in connection with being ?in the image of God.? In Genesis 2, which describes in more detail the process summarized in 1:27, God said, ?It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him? (Gen. 2:18). Genesis then applies the example of Adam and Eve to all marriages: ?Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh? (Gen. 2:24). This ?one flesh? sexual union was thus established as the pattern for marriage generally, and Jesus cites Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 as the normative pattern that God expects all marriages to follow (see Matt. 19:4-6). Furthermore Paul, as a good disciple of Jesus, likewise strongly echoes Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 in his two primary texts on homosexual practice, Romans 1:23-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9. Jesus and Paul both assume the logic of sexual intercourse implied in Genesis: a sexual bond between a man and a woman requires two (and only two) different sexual halves (?a man? and ?his wife?) being brought together into a sexual whole (?one flesh?). This is further emphasized in the story of the creation of Eve from Adam?s side: ?And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ?This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.? Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Gen.2:22-24).? The word ?therefore? connects the making of Eve from a part of Adam?s body with the ?one flesh? sexual union between a man and a woman in marriage: it is the reunion of the two constituent parts of a sexual whole. It is not another man who is the missing part or sexual complement of a man, but rather a woman. (Jesus emphasizes this connection between the two different sexes, ?male and female,? in Matt. 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-8).* *2. Prohibited Sexual Relations* *Consistent with the pattern in Genesis 1-2, sexual intercourse outside of the marriage relationship between one man and one woman is prohibited. For example, ?You shall not commit adultery? (Ex. 20:14; reaffirmed by Jesus in Matt. 19:18; cf. Rom 13:9; James 2:11). In addition, other specific kinds of sexual intercourse outside of marriage are also prohibited, such as prostitution (2 Cor. 6:15-18), incest (Lev. 20:11-21; 1 Cor. 5:1-2), and bestiality (Lev. 18:23:20:15-16). Homosexual conduct is also viewed as a sin (something contrary to God?s will) in several passages of the Bible. Leviticus 18:22 says, ?You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination [Hb. to?ebah, actions that are extremely displeasing to God].? Similarly, ?If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination? (Lev. 20:13; cf. Genesis 19; also Jude 7). These absolute Levitical prohibitions are grouped with other relevant sex proscriptions (incest, adultery, bestiality) and are considered first-tier sexual offenses that are grouped together in Leviticus 20:10-16. In the NT, Paul speaks of homosexual conduct: For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (Rom. 1:26-27). The phrase ?contrary to nature? means that homosexual conduct does not represent what God intended when he made men and women with physical bodies that have a ?natural? way of interacting with each other and ?natural? desires for each other. (See note on Rom. 1:26-27; cf. also Rom. 1:19-20, that the truth about God and his moral law is visible and apparent in the material creation.? Homosexual desires are ?dishonorable? both because they are contrary to God?s purpose and because they treat a person?s biological sex as only half of what it is. While the logic of a heterosexual bond is that of bringing together the two (and only two) different and complementary sexual halves into a sexual whole, the logic of a homosexual bond is that another person of the samesex complements, and fills what is lacking in, that same sex, implying that each participant is only half of his or her own sex: two half males making a full male or two half females making a full female. In other words, the logic of sexual intercourse requires a sexual complement, and thus a same-sex bond is a self-devaluing of one?s own gender inasmuch as one sees the need to complement structurally one?s own sex with someone of the same sex. In a long list of sins, Paul also includes ?men who practice homosexuality? (1 Cor. 6:9). This phrase translates two different Greek terms; malakos means ?soft? or ?effeminate? and was commonly used in the Greco-Roman world to refer to the ?passive? partner in homosexual acts, while arsenokoites was apparently coined by Paul from the Septuagint (Greek translation) of Leviticus 20:13, and means (in plural) ?men who have intercourse with men.? In 1 Timothy 1:10 Paul uses the same word arsenokoites in the midst of vices derived from ?the law? (here, the second half of the Ten Commandments), which means that this verse also should be interpreted as an absolute prohibition of male-with-male intercourse, in keeping with Leviticus 18:22; 20:13. Early Jewish interpretation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, and early Christian interpretation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10, also show that these verses were understood as absolute prohibitions against all types of homosexual conduct. Does the Bible address the question of homosexual attitudes and desires? It must be remembered that God ultimately requires moral perfection, not only in human actions but also in attitudes of the heart. Therefore the Bible prohibits not only adultery but also a desire for adultery (Ex. 20:17; cf. Matt. 5:28), not only theft but also coveting (Ex. 20:17). This is because ?the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart? (1 Sam. 16:7). Therefore Scripture teaches that any desire to break God?s commandment is also viewed as wrong in God?s sight. ?Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God? (Matt. 5:8). While an impulse to do what God expressly forbids is (by definition) an impulse contrary to God?s will, the Bible recognizes that Christians will be ?tempted? by their ?own desire? (James 1:14) and encourages Christians in such circumstances to ?remain steadfast? (James 1:13) and to ?be doers of the word? (James 1:22). This implies not actively entertaining the wrongful impulse (cf. Matt. 5:28), and not dwelling on it so that it ?give birth to sin? (James 1:15). It is not surprising, therefore, that not only homosexual conduct but also homosexual desires are viewed as contrary to God?s will. Homosexual desires are viewed as ?dishonorable passions? (Rom. 1:26), and Paul also says that homosexual partners are ?consumed with passion for one another? (Rom. 1:27), giving a strong image of a powerful but destructive inward craving. This is not to say that homosexual desireis as harmful as homosexual conduct. Though all sin is wrong and brings legal guilt before God (cf. James 2:10-11), a distinction between wrongful desires and wrongful actions can be made with regard to many areas of life. Hatred of another person is wrong in God?s sight, but murdering the person is far more harmful. Coveting a neighbor?s farm animals is wrong, but actually stealing them is much more harmful. And lustful desires for adultery are wrong, but actually committing adultery is far more harmful. Similarly, homosexual desires are wrong in God?s sight; but actually committing homosexual acts is far more harmful.* *3. The Bible Solution regarding Homosexuality* *As with every other sin, the Bible?s solution to homosexuality is trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, the imputation of righteousness, and the power to change. After talking about the ?sexually immoral? and ?adulterers? and men who practice homosexuality? and ?thieves? and ?drunkards? (1 Cor. 6:9-10), Paul tells the Corinthian Christians, ?And such were some of you? (1 Cor. 6:11). Then he tells them, ?But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God? (1 Cor. 6:11; cf. Rom. 6:23; Phil. 2:13; 1 John 1:9). This implies that some former homosexuals in the church at Corinth had left their previous homosexual lifestyle and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, were seeking to live lives of sexual purity, whether in celibacy or in faithful, heterosexual marriages. It is important that the Christian community always show love and compassion toward those engaged in homosexual conduct, and also extend friendship toward them where opportunities arise, though not in a way that signals approval of homosexual practice. It is also important to extend hope for change, since many homosexuals will say that they long to establish a different pattern of life. However, a number of studies have concluded that long-term change from a homosexual lifestyle seldom occurs without a program of help and encouragement from others.* *4. Objections* *Numerous objections have been presented against the view that homosexuality is morally wrong. One objection is that some people are ?born gay,? that is, that many homosexuals do not choose their homosexual orientation but it is part of their genetic makeup from birth, and so homosexuals can never change, and for them homosexual behavior cannot be wrong. But, as noted above, Paul, in talking about ?men who practice homosexuality? (1 Cor. 6:9), says to the Corinthian church, ?And such were some of you? (1 Cor. 6:11), indicating that homosexuals can change and become former homosexuals. This does not mean that homosexual desires will automatically or necessarily be eradicated for those who come to Christ. Becoming a Christian does not mean that people will no longer experience intense sinful urges (sexual or otherwise). But genuine faith does produce the fruit of obedience and real, substantive change, and Paul indicates that this is precisely what happened with some who had practiced homosexuality in Corinth. Some argue that science supports the argument that homosexuality is determined by one?s biological makeup from before the time of birth. Studies have in fact shown some indirect, congenital influences on homosexual development that may increase the likelihood of homosexual development. But there are certain hereditary factors that give people a greater likelihood of developing all sorts of different sinful behavior patterns (such as frequent wrongful anger, violence, adultery, alcoholism, and so forth), and it would not be surprising to find that some people, from certain hereditary backgrounds, have a greater likelihood of developing homosexual desires and conduct. But this is far different from proving congenital determination of homosexuality, that is, that some people are genetically incapable of making any other choice than toentertain homosexual desires and engage in homosexual conduct. Especially significant are studies of identical twins, where one has become a homosexual and the other has not, even though they have identical genetic makeup. The moral teachings of God?s Word, not people?s inward desires, must be the final standard of right and wrong. It is important to recognize that (1) virtually all behavior is, at some level, biologically influenced, and that (2) no command of God is predicated for its validity on humans first losing all desire to violate the command in question.* * As for environmental factors that have been shown to increase the likelihood of homosexual behavior, two of the most significant, particularly for male homosexuals, are the physical or emotional absence of a caring father during childhood years, and sexual abuse sometime during childhood or adolescence. Another objection is to say that the biblical passages concerning homosexuality only prohibit certain kinds of homosexual conduct, such as homosexual prostitution or pedophilia, or unfaithful homosexual relationships. (This is sometimes called the ?exploitation argument?: the Bible only prohibits exploitative forms of homosexuality.) But there is no legitimate evidence in the words of any of these verses, or their contexts, or in evidence from the ancient world, to prove that the verses were referring to anything less than all kinds of homosexual conduct by all kinds of people. Two biblical counterarguments against the ?exploitation argument? may be briefly mentioned: (1) In Romans 1:23-27 Paul clearly echoes Genesis 1:27, indicating that Paul viewed any sexual relationship that did not conform to the creation paradigm of ?male and female? to be a violation of God?s will, irrespective of whether the relationship is loving. (2) Paul?s absolute indictment against all forms of homosexuality is underscored by his mention of lesbian intercourse in Romans 1:26, since this form of intercourse in the ancient world was not typically characterized by sex with adolescents, slaves, or prostitutes. Some have suggested that the Sodom and Gomorrah episode does not point to judgment on homosexual practice. But Genesis 19:4-5 indicates that homosexual conduct was characteristic of the entire city and was a primary reason for God?s judgment (cf. the note on Jude 7). Some object that the phrase ?contrary to nature? in Romans 1:26-27 shows that Paul is only talking about people who ?naturally? feel desires toward a person of the opposite sex but who then practice homosexuality. Paul says, ?For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another? (Rom. 1:26-27). According to this view, Paul is not saying anything about people who ?naturally? feel desires for a person of the same sex, for such desires would not be ?contrary to that person?s nature.? However, this is reading into the text a restriction that has no basis in the actual words that Paul wrote. He does not say ?contrary to their nature,? but ?contrary to nature? (Gk. para physin) a phrase that is used several times in literature outside the Bible to speak of all kinds of homosexual conduct as something contrary to the natural order of the world. In other words, Paul is not saying in Romans 1:24-27 that some people switched their innate heterosexual urges for contrived homosexual urges, but rather that people exchanged or left behind sexual relations with a true sexual complement (someone of the other sex) to gratify their inward urges for sex with members of the same sex. Paul sees such people as choosing to follow their desires over God-ordained creation structures.* * Finally, there is an objection from experience: some homosexual ?couples? have faithful, fulfilling relationships, so why should these be thought immoral? But experience should not be used as a higher standard for moral right and wrong than the teaching of the Bible. In addition, many studies indicate that, particularly among male homosexuals, long-term one-partner relationship are uncommon, and the widespread pattern is many sexual partners, often numbering many hundreds over the years. An additional harmful result of homosexual conduct is often immense damage to the family structures of a society and also to physical health (e.g., various studies have shown a significant reduction in life expectancy for homosexual males compared to the general population).* *5. Same-sex Marriage?* *Proposals for governments to recognize ?same-sex marriage? should be evaluated in light of the Bible?s teaching that one role of civil government is to ?praise those who do good? (1 Pet. 2:14). Government recognition of a relationship as a ?marriage? carried with it the endorsement and encouragement of that relationship by a society. Married couples enjoy many protections and benefits (legal, financial, and interpersonal) that society has granted in order to encourage marriage and signal that the institution of marriage brings benefits to society as a whole. So the question is really whether a society, through its laws, should give approval and encouragement to homosexual relationships that both the Bible and most cultures throughout history have considered to be morally wrong rather than ?good,? and that also bring significant harmful consequences. Governmental recognition of ?same-sex marriage? would imply a requirement to allow homosexual couples to adopt and raise children, and this would rob many children of the opportunity to be raised in a home with both a father and a mother, which is by far the best environment for them. In addition, government recognition would likely soon carry with it governmental prohibitions against criticizing homosexual conduct.* *6. Conclusion* *Homosexual conduct of all kinds is consistently viewed as sin in the Bible, and recent reinterpretations of the Bible that have been raised as objections to that view do not give a satisfactory explanation of the words or the context of the relevant verses. Sexual intimacy is to be confined to marriage, and marriage is to be only between one man and one woman, following the pattern established by God in creation. The church should always act with love and compassion toward homosexuals, yet never affirm homosexual conduct as morally right. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers the ?good news? of forgiveness of sins and real hope for a transformed life to homosexuals as well as to all sinners.* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Dec 17 12:45:39 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:45:39 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 5-7 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 17, 2012 *JUL 26 - 1 CORINTHIANS 5-7 - MORAL AND ETHICAL JUDGMENTS* *1. 5:7-8b (5, NNT) FORNICATION: RULES FOR BELIEVER AND UNBELIEVER. ?Purge out the old leaven, that you be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For our :passover also has been sacrificed, Christ: 8a-b wherefore let us keep festival with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.? *No mixture Father, no mixture! This is Your will for us. Body, soul and spirit - holy and blameless before You! This is Your desire! *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 6:7-8 (6:1-11) LAWSUITS: RULES FOR BELIEVERS. ?No, already it is altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather take wrong? why not rather be defrauded? 8 But YOU wrong anddefraud, and that brethren.? *Father, we thank You that *we can **d**o your will in this respect*. We thank Your for agencies to help us in this respect. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 6:18 (6:12-20) FORNICATION: SIN AGAINST THE BODY. ?Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but who commits fornication sins against his :own body. *Father, You have written Your laws into our bodies. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Homosexual perversion is reaping *Aids*. We choose to reject unscriptural seduction, and walk in ways of righteousness. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 7:7 (7:1-7) MARRIAGE: GOD?S PROVISION AGAINST FORNICATION. ?Yet I would all men were even as I myself. But each has his :own gift from God, one this wise, and another thus wise.? *We thank You,* *Father, for those able and willing to be eunuchs for Your Kingdom?s sake. We thank You for the example of Paul. But we thank You that he did not legally shut us all up to the same rule! Required priestly celibacy breaks God?s provision. Forgive us for legally forcing our personal standards on one another! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 7:14 (7:8-16) SEPARATION: RULE WHEN INITIATED BY AN UNBELIEVER. ?For the unbelieving :husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving :wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your :children unclean; but now are they holy.? *What wisdom in words! What comfort! We bless You Father, for Your words of wisdom through the apostle Paul. Help us to be just as wise and loving in applying these truths. *And forgive us our :debts, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 7:17 (7:17-24) PRINCIPLE: ABIDE IN STATE IN WHICH CALLED. ?Only, as the Lord has distributed to each, as :God has called each, thus let him walk. And thus I ordain in all the churches.? *Whether married or unmarried; circumcised or uncircumcised; slave or free: You Father, tell us to remain at the stage into which we come into Your Kingdom. Our state does *not* hinder our walk with You. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 7:25 (7:25-40) GIFT OF SINGLENESS: ITS ADVANTAGE. ?Now concerning the virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.? *What an amazing revelation! Almost everything Paul wrote is *Your* Word to us, Father, through Jesus Christ! And even the advantage of the Gift of Singleness is most likely Your will. *But deliver us from the evil one.* *NOTE: 6:19-20 (6:12-20) OUR BODIES? RELATIONSHIP TO HOLY SPIRIT. ?Or do you not know that your :body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? and you are not your own; 20 for you were bought with a price: glorify :God therefore in your :body.? *We thank You Father, that we have no right over our bodies. They are *Yours* to be lived in holy and righteous fashion. We are *stewards* of our body, *answerable*to You! *Burn* this truth upon our heart! *Our Psalm for the day: 26:8 (26, ESV) I WILL BLESS THE LORD. ?O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.? *Your House, Your Name, Your Honor, Your Spirit, Your Kingdom: for all these and more Father, we *Hallow Your :name!* *How to Choose a Church: Quote by Charles H. Spurgeon - *?I would recommend you to choose the church of which you would be a member and the pastor whom you would hear by this one thing - by how much of Christ there is in that church and how much of the savor of Christ there is in that ministry.* * *Psalm 26 Title: ?A Psalm of David.? *The sweet singer of Israel is before us in this Psalm as one enduring reproach; in this he was the type of the great Son of David and is an encouraging example to us to carry the burden of slander to the throne of grace. It is an ingenious surmise that this appeal to heaven was written by David at the the time of the assassination of Ish-bosheth by Baanah and Rechab to protest his innocence of all participation in the treacherous murder. The tenor of the Psalm certainly agrees with the supposed occasion, but it is not possible with such a slender clue to go beyond conjecture. 26:1 *For I have walked in my integrity. *He held integrity as his principle and walked in it as his practice. David had not used any traitorous or unrighteous means to gain the crown or to keep it; he was conscious of having been guided by the noblest principles of honor in all his actions with regard to Saul and his family. What a comfort it is to have the approbation of one?s own conscience! If there be peace within the soul, the blustering storms of slander which howl around us are of little consideration. When the little bird in my bosom sings a merry song it is no matter to me if a thousand owls hoot at me from without! 26:4. *I have not sat with vain persons. *So far from being himself an open offender against the laws of God, the Psalmist had not even associated with the lovers of evil. He had kept aloof from the men of Belial. A man is known by his company, and if we have kept ourselves apart from the wicked, it will always be evidence in our favor should our character be impugned. He who was never in the parish is not likely to have stolen the corn. He who never went to sea is clearly not the man who scuttled the ship. 24:7. *And tell of all Your wondrous works. *God?s people should not be tongue-tied. The wonders of divine grace are enough to make the tongue of the dumb sing. God?s works of love are wondrous if we consider the unworthiness of their objects, the costliness of their method, and the glory of their result. And as men find great pleasure in discoursing upon things remarkable and astonishing, so the saints rejoice to tell of the great things which the Lord has done for them. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Wed Dec 19 11:08:12 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:08:12 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 8-11 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 19, 2012 *JUL 27 - 1 CORINTHIANS 8-11 - ETHICAL JUDGMENTS* *1. 8:1b-2 (8, NNT) IDOL OFFERINGS. ?:Knowledge puffs up, but :love builds up. 2 If any thinks he knows anything, he knows not yet as he ought to know.? *Love O Father, is the key Kingdom principle. We can love You with all of our heart, mind and strength, and then do what we please! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 9:26-27 (9) APOSTOLIC PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. ?I accordingly so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I as not beating air; 27 but I bruise my :body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be disapproved.? *Holiness as a wave, precedes the wave of Your Kingdom, Father. May we balance the gifts of the Spirit with the the *fruit* of the Spirit. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 10:11 (10:1-13) OLD COVENANT WARNINGS. ?Now these happened to them as a figure; and were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.?* Father, we would profit by the warning-examples of Israel. May we not become high-minded and careless. We would be holy as *You* are holy. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 10:20 (10:14-22) IDOLATRY AND THE EUCHARIST. ?But I say, that the things which the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that you should have communion with demons.? *Thank You Father, that You hate *mixtures*. A pure walk honors You. *You* lead us in the paths of righteousness, for Your Name?s sake! Forgive us for succumbing to satanic, occult, and new age compromise. Make us like Hezekiah and Josiah - to purge demonism out of the land. *Our :daily bread Give us this day.* *5. 10:32-11:1 (10:23-11:1) LIBERTY AND CONSCIENCE. ?Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of :God: 33 even as I also please all in all things, not seeking my own :profit, but that of the many, that they be saved. 11:1 Become imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.? *Father, we would walk in the *law of love* toward all men, and so fulfill the ethical and moral law! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 11:3 (11:2-16) HEADSHIP. ?But I would have you know, that the head of every man is :Christ; and the head of woman is the man; and the head of the Christ is :God. *Father, help us to see Your divinely appointed order. Thank You for godly women who see the breaking of Your order by extreme women-libbers and brazen sexual perversion. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 11:27, 29 (11:17-34) LORD?S SUPPER AND WORTHINESS. ?So that whoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 29 For who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he discern not the body.? *Father, we see the Atoning body of our Lord set forth on the cross; we see also His many-membered spiritual body, of which we are all a part! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 10:13 (10:1-13) GOD?S FAITHFULNESS IN OUR TEMPTATIONS! **?Only human temptation has overtaken you: but :God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation make also the way out, that you be able to endure it.? *Yield not to temptation, For *yielding** *is sin; Each victory will help you, some other to win. Fight manfully onward, Dark passions subdue; Ask the Savior to help you; *He* will carry you through. *Our Psalm for the day: 27:13 (27, ESV) THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION. ?I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! *Jehovah Father, You are our light and salvation; we will not fear, for *You* are the strength of our life! You look after the orphan and the widow. You give strength as we wait patiently on You. *Hallowed be your :name!* *Quotes from C.H. Spurgeon: *?We can never understand how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be three and yet one. For my part, I have long ago given up any desire to understand this great mystery, for I am perfectly satisfied that, if I could understand it, it would not be true, because God, from the very nature of things, must be incomprehensible.? and ?It is an odd product of our unhealthy nature - the fear to believe. Yet have I met with it often: so often that I wish I may never see it again. It looks like humility, and tries to pass itself off as the very soul of modesty, and yet it is an infamously proud thing: in fact, it is presumption playing the hypocrite. If men were afraid to disbelieve, there would be good sense in the fear: but to be afraid to trust their God is at best an absurdity, and in very deed it is a deceitful way of refusing to the Lord the honor that is due to his faithfulness and truth.? This Psalm may with profit be read in a threefold way: as the language of David, of the church, and of the Lord Jesus. The plenitude of Scripture will thus appear the more wonderful. 27:1. *The Lord is my light and my salvation.* Where there is not enough light to see our own darkness and to long for the the Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation. Salvation finds us in the dark, but does not leave us there. It is not said merely that the Lord gives light, but that he ?is? light; not that He gives salvation, but that He ?is? salvation! 27:2. *When the wicked*. It is a hopeful sign for us when the wicked hate us; if our foes were godly men it would be a sore sorrow, but as for the wicked, their hatred is better than their love. 27:4. *To behold the beauty of the Lord.* We must not enter the assemblies of the saints in order to see and be seen or merely to hear the minister. Better far - behold it by faith! What a sight will that be when every faithful follower of Jesus shall behold ?the King in His beauty!? Oh, for the infinitely blessed vision! 27:8. *When You said, Seek you My face; my heart said unto You, Your face, Lord, will I seek*. Oh, for more of this holy readiness! Would to God that we were more plastic to the Divine hand, more sensitive of the touch of God?s Spirit. 27:12. *For false witnesses are risen up against me. *Slander is an old-fashioned weapon out of the armory of hell and is still in plentiful use; and no matter how holy a man may be, there will be some who will defame him. It is their vital breath to hate the good. *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Thu Dec 20 10:27:23 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:27:23 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 12-14 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 20, 2012 *JUL 28 - 1 CORINTHIANS 12-14 - CHARISMATIC RULES* *1. 12:7, 11 (12:1-11, NNT) GIFTS: FOR PROFIT, BY ONE SPIRIT. ?But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit to :profit. 11 But all these works the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each severally even as he wills.? *Father, we acknowledge the *Sovereignty* of Your Spirit in His manifestation. We are not lord of this area. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 12:12 (12:12-31a) GIFTS: TO BALANCE CHRIST?S SPIRITUAL BODY. ?For even as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also the Christ.? *Yes Father, we receive this truth. The spiritual body of Your Son is all of us together! We are *part*of one another in Christ. We accept Your will in this respect. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 13:4-7 (12:31b-13:13) GIFTS: LOVE, THE MOTIVATION. ?:Love suffers long, is kind; :love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, 5 is not unseemly, seeks not its :own, is not provoked, takes not account of :evil: 6 rejoices not in :unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. *Father, this is the true way of rest; and resting in You in love - is the secret of the ?exchanged life?. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 14:15 (14:1-19) GIFTS: RULES FOR TONGUES. ?What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.? *When we speak in a tongue, we speak in the spirit (14:2). This is *not* the way of natural man, and runs contrary to our human reasoning. Forgive us Father, for setting up ourselves as judges over Your Word! We choose to follow Paul as he followed Christ. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 14:22 (14:20-25) GIFTS: PURPOSE FOR TONGUES AND PROPHECY. ?So that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving: but prophecy is not to the unbelieving, but to the believing.? *We thank You Father, for the possibility of a devotional prayer language. We thank You also for tongues as a sign to unbelievers on the day of Pentecost. Manifold are Your ways! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 14:32-33 (14:26-33) GIFTS: EDIFICATION THE KEY. ?(And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for :God is not a God of confusion, but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints.? *He who says, ?I could not help myself; I *had* to do it:? is *deceived*! You Father, force none of us. You are a gentleman. It is Satan who forces us into legalistic, inappropriate and inconsiderate action. Deliver us Father, from the guile, deception and delusion of Satan. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 14:37 (14:34-39) GIFTS: THEIR DECENCY AND ORDER. ?If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what thingsI write you, that it is the Lord?s commandment.? *Do we set ourselves up against You, Father? Do we judge Your Word? Do we fail to see the apostle Paul as Your mouthpiece? We repent of this error. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE: 12:13 (12:12-31a) GIFTS: THEIR BASIS - IN THE SPIRIT. ?For in one Spirit also were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.? *Father, we thank You that Your Spirit baptized us into Christ?s body. We also thank You that Christ baptized us into Your Spirit. We in You - You in us! And all through Christ and Your Spirit! *Our Psalm for the day: 28:9 (28, ESV) THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SHIELD. ?Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.? *Father, in the face of our enemies, what would we do without You? You are our hope, and the saving health of our countenance! Yes, we trust You to shepherd us, and when we call on Your Name, You lift us up on high! *Hallowed be Your :Name!* *C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: Imperfect Church: *The church is not perfect, but woe to the man who finds pleasure in pointing out her imperfections. Christ loved his church, and let us do the same. I have no doubt that the Lord can see more fault in his church than I can; and I have equal confidence that he sees no fault at all. Because he covers her faults with his own love - that love which covers a multitude of sins; and he removes all her defilement with that precious blood which washes away all the transgressions of his people. PSALM 28. The thorn at the breast of the nightingale was said by the old naturalists to make it sing. David?s griefs made him eloquent in holy Psalmody. 28:1. *Unto You will I cry, O Lord my rock. *It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment, but our Rock attends to our cries. 28:2. *Hear the voice of my supplications. *A silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests who sought to awaken Baal with their shouts. *When I lift up my hands toward Your holy oracle. *We stretch out empty hands for we are beggars; we lift them up, for we seek heavenly supplies; we lift them towards the mercy seat of Jesus. 28:3. *Draw me not away with the wicked. *They shall be dragged off to hell like felons of old drawn on a hurdle to Tyburn, like logs drawn to the firs, like fagots to the oven. David fears lest he should be bound up in their bundle, drawn to their doom. *Which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. *Soft words, oily with pretended love. It were better to be shut up in a pit with serpents than to be compelled to live with liars. 28:6. *Blessed be the Lord. *Our Psalm was prayer up to this point, and now it turns to praise. They who pray well will soon praise well: prayer and praise are the two lips of the soul; two altars; two of Solomon?s lilies. 28:7. *Therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise Him. *Observe the adverb *greatly* - we need not be afraid of being too full of rejoicing at the remembrance of grace received. Let us *greatly*rejoice in Him. It were well if we were more like the singing lark and less like the croaking raven. When God blesses us, we should bless Him with all our heart. *(From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, Abridged by D.O. Fuller) * *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Dec 21 12:41:36 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:41:36 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 15 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 29, 2012 *JUL 29 - 1 CORINTHIANS 15 - RESURRECTION UNDERSTANDING* *1. 15:3-5a (15:1-11, NNT) RESURRECTION: A BASIC TO THE GOSPEL. ?For I delivered to you among first things what also I received: that Christ died for our :sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried; and that he has been raised on the third: day according to the scriptures; 5a and that he was seen of Cephas; then of the twelve; thereupon was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. *Father, You were in Christ reconciling the world to Yourself. You planned this whole plan of Redemption. Christ willingly and joyfully fulfilled Your will! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 15:19 (15:12-19) RESURRECTION: IMPORTANCE AS IT RELATES TO FAITH. ?If we have in this :life only hoped in Christ, we are of all men rather pitiable.? *This is *Your* estimate of this life and the next, Father! The next is far better! Paul by the Spirit said so. We declare this as truth, and proclaim it as so. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 15:21-22 (15:20-28) RESURRECTION: IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST RISING FIRST! ?For since by man is death, by man is also resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in :Adam all die, so also in the Christ shall all be made alive.? *We rejoice Father, in *Jesus*! Lord Jesus, we rejoice in You! O Your Majesty, in all You have done for us in Christ, Father! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 15:33-34 (15:29-34) RESURRECTION: SERIOUSNESS OF FALSE TEACHING ON THIS SUBJECT. ?Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals. 34 Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak to shame you.? *Forgive us Father in Jesus? Name, for so often living on such a low, darkened, self-deceived plane! We shake off our lethargy, and rise up as men and women of God! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 15:45 (15:35-49) RESURRECTION: UNDERSTOOD THROUGH NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL ORDER. ?So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam a life-giving spirit.? *Hallelujah! Yes Father, we are quickened by You in Christ by Your Spirit, because of the marvelous new state of Jesus in His Resurrection! Let us fully assimilate the fullness of the revelation of truth. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 15:57 (15:50-57) RESURRECTION: ITS ORDER AND VICTORY. ?But thanks be to :God, who gives us the victory through our :Lord Jesus Christ.? *Death is overcome! Sin is overcome! The old law of commandments through flesh is overcome! You have made us more than conquerors Father, through Christ! Hallelujah! All praise be unto You, Jehovah Father! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 15:58. RESURRECTION: ITS PRACTACAL RESULTS. ?Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your :toil is not vain in the Lord.? *Yes Father, the hope of the resurrection enables us to fulfill this. We were resurrected in the spirit. Our soul is in the process of resurrection renewal. Our body *will be* like Jesus? glorious Resurrection body! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 15:28 (15:20-28). RESURRECTION: ITS ULTIMATE COMPLETION! **?And when all the things have been subjected to him, then also the Son shall himself be subjected to him that did subject all the things to him, that :God be all in all.? *Father, we receive this summation! Jesus has! We do! *Our Psalm for the day: 29:11 (29, ESV) ASCRIBE TO THE LORD GLORY! ?May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!? *Father, This is the day *You* have made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Lord Jesus, we invite You in Your Resurrection life to *reign in us*! Father, we see You in Christ reconciling the world to Yourself. *Hallowed be your name!* *C. H. Spurgeon Quotes: *Whether you are Calvinists, or Arminians, or anything else, dear friends, be first and chiefly Christians - Christians - following Christ, receiving him as the great Expositor to you of God, and of the great truths of revelation. You will tell me you have your ?bodies of divinity;? there never was but one ?body of divinity,? and that was the ?body? of man, Christ Jesus; do you, abating all prejudices and self-formed opinions, receive our Lord as the embodiment of truth! *Psalm 29. *This Psalm is meant to express the glory of God as heard in the pealing thunder. The verses march to the tune of thunderbolts. True ministers are sons of thunder, and the voice of God in Christ Jesus is full of majesty. Thus we have God?s works and God?s Word joined together! 29:1. *Give unto the Lord. *Neither man nor angels can confer anything upon Jehovah, but they should recognize His glory and might. Natural causes, as men call them, are God in action, and we must not ascribe power to them. 29:2. *Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His Name. *A third time the admonition is given, for men are backward in glorifying God, and especially great men. Unbelief and distrust, complaining and murmuring, rob God of His honor. 29:3. *The glory of God thunders. *Thunder is in truth no mere electric phenomenon but is caused by the interposition of God Himself. Electricity of itself can do nothing; it must be called and sent upon its errand: and until the Almighty Lord commissions it, its bolt of fire is inert and powerless. As well might a rock of granite or a bar of iron fly in the midst of heaven as the lightning go without being sent by the Great First Cause. 29:4. *The voice of the Lord is powerful. *As the voice of God in nature is so powerful, so is it in grace; the reader will do well to draw a parallel, and he will find much in the Gospel which may be illustrated by the thunder of the Lord in the tempest. See that you refuse not Him that speaks. If His voice be thus mighty, what must His hand be! 29:9. *The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to calve. *Our first parents sought a refuge among the trees but the voice of the Lord soon found them out and made their hearts to tremble. The gospel has a like revealing power in dark hearts and bids the soul tremble before the Lord. 29:11. *The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. *Power was displayed in the hurricane whose course this Psalm so grandly pictures; in the cool calm after the storm, that power is promised to be the strength of the chosen. (*From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, Abridged by D.O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Dec 22 10:35:08 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 10:35:08 -0800 Subject: 1 Corinthians 16 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 22, 2012 *JUL 30 - 1 CORINTHIANS 16 - ON GIVING, AND CLOSING WORDS* *1. 16:2 (16:1-4, NNT) THE COLLECTION: RULES AND SAFEGUARDS. ?Upon thefirst day of the week let each of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that when I come no collections be made.? *Father, Your ways are wise, orderly and thoughtful. These were Your wise ways for David and Old Covenant saints. They are Your ways for us today. We pledge to observe them. *Hallowed be your :name!* *2. 16:8-9 (16:5-9) PAUL?S FUTURE PLANS. ?But I will tarry at Ephesus until :Pentecost; 9 for a great door and effectual is opened to me, and adversaries are many.? *Father, make us sensitive like Paul to Your Providential open doors. Guide us intuitively through Your providential leadings. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 16:10-11a (16:10-11) TIMOTHY: A WORD ON HELPING HIM. ?Now if Timothy come, see that he be with you without fear; for he works the Lord?s work, as I also: 11a let none therefore despise him.? *Paul safeguarded Your design through these words, Father. Make us sensitive to work cooperatively with You as Paul did through Timothy. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 16:12 APOLLOS: POSSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE. ?But as touching Apollos the brother, I besought him much to come unto you with the brethren: and it was not at all the will to come now; but he will come when he shall have opportunity.? *Father, forgive us for forcing our will on others and playing God. Give us that keen insight of Paul to rely on You through men for the best timing! Help us also to forgive others who try to eclipse You and force their will upon us! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 16:13-14 EXHORTATION TO VIGILANCE AND LOVE. ?Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 14 Let all you do be in love.? *Hallelujah! Father, we bless You for Your words of wisdom through St. Paul. These are words of spiritual armor, permitting You to lead us not into undue purging. Yet, where purging is necessary, be the refiner and purge out the dross (Malachi 3:1-3), and the farmer and prune off the extraneous (John 15:1-8). *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 16:15-16 (16:15-18) A WORD TO HONOR WORTHY MINISTERS. ?Now I beseech you, brethren (you know the house of Stephanas, that it is a first fruit of Achaia, and they have set themselves to minister to the saints, 16 that you also submit to :such, and to every one that helps in the work and toils.? *We too Father, would be *addicted* in serving one another above ourselves! We would submit ourselves to leaders with this beautiful servant spirit. *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 16:19 (16:19-24) CLOSING SALUTATIONS AND BENEDICTION. ?The churches of :Asia salute you. Aquila and Prisca salute you much in the Lord, with the church in their house.? *How simple were Your ways in the beginning of the church. How we have *made void* Your word and way of the city church, and church in the home, by our traditions through the centuries. Forgive us, and return us, Father. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 16:22-24 (16:19-24) PAUL?S STERN, YET BLESSED CLOSING. **?If any man loves not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My :love with you all in Christ Jesus. *Father, we embrace You and Your Word. We embrace You in Christ Jesus. We embrace You in Your Spirit. We move from childhood to bridal love. *Our Psalm for the day: 30:5 (30, ESV) JOY COMES WITH THE MORNING. ?For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.? *Father, we welcome the spiritual night of denial, identification with Jesus in His cross of suffering, and following Him in union with You! For out of temporary deprivation comes bountiful union and communion! *Hallowed be your :name!* *Quotes from C.H. Spurgeon - ?The Doctrine We Preach? - *This is the doctrine that we preach; if a man be saved, all the honor is to be given to Christ; but if a man be lost, all the blame is to be laid upon himself. You will find all true theology summed up in these two short sentences, salvation is all of the grace of God, damnation is all of the will of man. *Psalm 30 - Title: *?A Psalm and Song at the Dedication of the House of David?; or rather, ?A Psalm; a Song of Dedication for the House, by David.? A song of faith since the house of Jehovah, here intended, David never lived to see. A Psalm of praise, since a sore judgment had been stayed and a great sin forgiven. 30:1. *I will extol You.* I will have high and honorable conceptions of You and give them utterance in my best music. Others may forget You, murmur at You, despise You, blaspheme You, but ?I will extol You,? for I have been favored above all others. *For You have lifted me up. *Here is an antithesis, ?I will exalt You, for You have exalted me! Grace has uplifted us from the pit of hell, from the ditch of sin, from the Slough of Despond, from the bed of sickness, from the bondage of doubts and fears: have we no song to offer for all of this? How high has our Lord lifted us? Lifted us up into the children?s place, to be adopted into the family; lifted us up into union with Christ, ?to sit together with Him in heavenly places.? Lift high the Name of our God, for He has lifted us above the stars. 30:4. *Sing unto the Lord, O you saints of His. *David would not fill his choir with reprobates but with sanctified persons who could sing from their hearts. He calls to you, you people of God, because you are saints: and if sinners are wickedly silent, let your holiness constrain you to sing. You are His saints - chosen, blood-bought, called, and set apart for God; sanctified on purpose that you should offer the daily sacrifice of praise. Abound you in this duty. 30:5. *Weeping my endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. *When the Sun of Righteousness comes, we wipe our eyes, and joy chases out intruding sorrow. Who would not be joyful that knows Jesus? The first beams of the morning bring us comfort when Jesus is the day-dawn, and all believers know it to be so. Mourning only lasts till morning: when the night is gone the gloom shall vanish. This is adduced as a reason for saintly singing, and forcible reason it is; short nights and merry days call for psalter and harp. 30:6. *In my prosperity.* When all his foes were quiet, and his rebellious son dead and buried, then was the time of peril. Many a vessel founders in a calm. No temptation is so bad as tranquility. 30:7. *You did hide Your face, and I was troubled.* There was no need to come to blows, a hidden face was enough. This proves, first, that David was a genuine saint, for no hiding of God?s face on earth would trouble a sinner; and, secondly, that the joy of the saint is dependent upon the presence of his Lord. 30:10. *Lord, You be my helper. * Another compact expressive ever-fitting prayer. It is suitable to hundreds of the cases of the Lord?s people; it is well becoming in the minister when he is going to preach, to the sufferer upon the bed of pain, to the toiler in the field of service, to the believer under temptation, to the man of God under adversity; when God helps, difficulties vanish. *(From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sun Dec 23 10:04:45 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:04:45 -0800 Subject: Jeremiah 1 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 23, 2012 *JUL 31 - JEREMIAH 1 - CALL OF THE PROPHET* *1. 1:2-3 (1:1-3, ESV) JEREMIAH: HIS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. ?To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.? *Father, You reign in Your Kingdom by Your word through Your prophets and apostles. You build Your church on this foundation. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 1:4-5 JEREMIAH: GOD?S AMAZING PREPARATION. ?Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 ?Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.?? *We acknowledge Your sovereign predestinating power, Father! You declare the end from the beginning! You call the things that are not as though they were! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 1:6-8 JEREMIAH: GOD OVERRULES HIS FEARFULNESS. Then I said, ?Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.? 7 But the LORD said to me, ?Do not say, ?I am only a youth?; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.? *Provision! Provision! Your callings Father, are Your enablements! All we need we find in You. All our secret springs are in You! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 1:9-10 JEREMIAH: SUPERNATURAL STRENGTHENING AND COMMISSION. ?Then the LORD* *put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, ?Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.? *Father, forgive us, so many of us, for applying this verse to ourselves. There are *few* Jeremiahs! There are few called to the *office* of prophet. Possessing the lesser gift of prophecy does *not* qualify one for the office! The lesser does *not** *include greater. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 1:12 (1:11-12) JEREMIAH: SIGN OF THE ALMOND TREE. ?Then the LORD said to me, ?You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.?? *The almond tree: Your emblem Father, of Your watchful care over Your promises, and Your haste in performing them! You are *not* slack in fulfilling Your promises. Your day is but 1000 years! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 1:14 (1:13-16) JEREMIAH: SIGN OF THE SEETHING POT. ?Then the LORD said to me, ?Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.? *Father, You *must* judge sin, lawlessness and rebellion. Yet You will not punish the righteous with the lawless. You preserved Lot in the midst of righteous judgment! *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 1:17 (1:17-19) JEREMIAH: GOD?S ENCOURAGEMENT. ?But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.? *Though we are *not* all called to be prophets like Jeremiah, yet we must all bear witness to the * truth* according to our calling. We *loose* Your wisdom for this, Father! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 1:19 (1:17-19) JEREMIAH: GOD?S PROMISE OF DELIVERANCE. **?They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.? *Yes Father, You will give us our life as a prey, in all places where You lead us, and in the midst of danger and temptation. *Great* is Your faithfulness, O God our Father! *C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: * Afraid to Save The Non-Elect. ?Some people seem to be afraid lest we should be the means of saving some of the non-elect - but that is a fear which never troubles either my head or my heart, for I know that with all the effort and preaching in the world, we shall never bring more to Christ that Christ has had given to Him by His Father!? *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Dec 24 15:17:10 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2012 15:17:10 -0800 Subject: Jeremiah 2-12 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 24, 2012 *AUG 1 - JEREMIAH 2-12 - FIVE GENERAL UNDATED PROPHECIES* *1. 2:13 (2:1-3:5, ESV) JEREMIAH: CONFRONTS JUDAH?S SIN. ?For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.? *Father, our hearts are pained at the knowledge of our sins, and the sins of our fathers. Like Daniel, we confess *both*. We join our hearts in intercession. *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 6:16 (3:6-6:30) JEREMIAH: WARNS JUDAH OF JUDGMENT FOR SIN. Thus says the LORD: ?Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, where the good is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ?We will not walk in it.?? *Your will Father, is for us to walk in Your ways. We cleanse ourselves of all rebellion, that You might spare us as You did to Nineveh through Jonah. O we turn ourselves to walk fully in Your ways. *Your :kingdom come.* *3. 8:11 (7-10) JEREMIAH: THREATENS JUDAH WITH CAPTIVITY FOR SIN. ?They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ?Peace, peace,? when there is no peace.? *Lies are spoken in Your Name Father, because man in his rebellion cares not to hear the truth. To walk in rebellion is to bring our lot into spiritual captivity. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 11:6 (11:1-7) JEREMIAH: GOD ENLARGES HIS COMMISSION. And the LORD said to me, ?Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them.? *Father, forgive us the sin of rejecting Your covenant. We give lip worship. We say right words. But our heart is often far from You. May we avoid the curse of Judah! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.* *5. 11:14 (11:8-17) JEREMIAH: INTENSIFIES WARNINGS AGAINST JUDAH. ?Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.? *Yes, there is a point of no return. There is a time when the die is cast. O may we not sin beyond our day of grace! May we instead Father, turn to You with all our heart and find You faithful! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 11:19 (11:18-23) JEREMIAH: JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED ON HIS PLOTTERS. ?But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, ?Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.?? *Father, we see Jesus treated in His day, as Jeremiah was by his countrymen. Yet You protected and delivered Jeremiah. But on Jesus You let fall the iniquity of us all. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 12:15 (12) JEREMIAH: CORRECTED FOR WAVERING PRAYER. ?And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land.? *After judgment Father, You bring restoration. We trust ourselves into Your hands. We leave ourselves up to You in Your mercy. You are Sovereign. *But deliver us from the evil one!* *10:23-24 (7-10) JEREMIAH?S INSIGHT. ?I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. 24 Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.? *Father, You do not deal with us according to our desserts. You remember our frame, that we are but dust. In wrath, remember mercy. *Our Psalm for the day: 31:19 (31) INTO YOUR HAND I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. ?Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!? *Jehovah Father, You are worthy of our fear and trust. Your warnings to Your people for sin and rebellion are *not* in vain. Let us not be deceived in this regard! *Hallowed be Your Name!* *Quotes from C.H. Spurgeon: ?Are You God?s Elect?? *Now, you need not ask tonight whether you are God?s elect. I ask another question - Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you do, you are His elect - if you do not, the question is not to be decided by us yet. If you are God?s chosen ones, you will know it by your trusting in Jesus. Simple as that trust is, it is the infallible proof of election! God never sets the brand of faith upon a soul whom Christ had not bought with His blood. And if you believe, all eternity is yours! Your name is in God?s Book, you are a favored one of Heaven, the Divine decrees all point to you - and go your way and rejoice! *Psalm 31 - *Some have thought that the occasion in his troubled life which led to this Psalm was the treachery of the men of Keilah, and we have felt much inclined to this conjecture; but after reflection it seems to us that its very mournful tone and its allusion to his iniqauity demand a later date, and it may be more satisfactory to illustrate it by the period when Absalom had rebelled and his courtiers were fled from him, while lying lips spread a thousand malicious rumors against him. 31:1. *Let me never be ashamed.* How can the Lord permit the man to be ultimately put to shame who depends alone upon Him? This would not be dealing like a God of truth and grace. It would bring dishonor upon God Himself if faith were not in the end rewarded. It will be an ill day indeed for religion when trust in God brings no consolation and no assistance. 31:5. *Into Your hand I commit my spirit. *These living words of David were our Lord?s dying words and have been frequently used by holy men in their hour of departure. Be assured that they are good, choice, wise, and solemn words; we may use them now in the last and tremendous hour. 31:6. *I have hated them that regard lying vanities. *Those who will not lean upon the true arm of strength are sure to make to themselves vain confidences. Many must have a god, and if he will not adore the only living and true God, he makes a fool of himself, and pays superstitious regard to a lie, and wait with anxious hope upon a base delusion. Men who make gods of their riches, their person, their wits, or anything else, are to be shunned by those whose faith rests upon God in Christ Jesus; and so far from being envied, they are to be pitied as depending upon utter vanities. 31:18. *Let their lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. *Proud thoughts of self are generally attended by debasing estimates of others. The more room we take upon ourselves, the less we can afford our neighbors. What wickedness it is that unworthy characters should always be the loudest in railing at good men! They have no power to appreciate moral worth of which they are utterly destitute, and yet they have the effrontery to mount the judgment-seat and judge the men compared with whom they are as so much draff. 31:23. *O love the Lord, all you His saints. *If saints do not love the Lord, who will? Love is the universal debt of all the saved family; who would wish to be exonerated from its payment? Reasons for love are given, for believing love is not blind. *(The above quotations are from C.H. Spurgeon in ?The Treasury of David?, abridged by D.O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Fri Dec 28 14:03:16 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:03:16 -0800 Subject: Joshua 1:8 - Text for Sermon Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 28, 2012 *JOSHUA 1:8 (1:1-9, AV) - ?JEHOVAH'S CHARGE TO JOSHUA?* (Parallel to Psalm 1:2) *This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,* l*o* - yaM*U*SH [4185] s*e*PHER [5612] ha-t*o*R*A*H [8451] hazZEH mipP*I*Yc* a* [6310], *but you shall meditate on it day and night,* ve-h*a*G*I*Ytha [1847] b*o* y*o*M*A*M veLAYlah, *that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it:* leMAan tishM*O*R [8104] la-aS*O*TH [6213] ce-c*a*l - hac-c*a*TH*U*B [3789] b *o*: *for then you shall make your way prosperous,* c*i*y - *a*z tatzL*I*Yach [6743] eth - de-r*a*CEca [1870], *and then you shall have good success.* veAZ tasC*I*YL [7919]. The ?Outlined Interlinear New Testament? is a project initiated by God 4000 years ago in Hebrew and 3000 years ago in Greek. Then in 1890 He allowed Russian Ivan Panin to discover His Bible Numeric phenomenon, incorporated in both Hebrew and Greek in their beginnings. A few years later, when the Bible Numeric Greek text went to Oxford Press, England for printing, he discovered the Bible Numeric sentence and paragraph structure, but too late to incorporate it into the Greek text. However, in the Bible Numeric English translation, he did make this incorporation. Panin died in 1942. At the same time while I was yet an unbeliever - God spoke to me through His word in Psalm 107 to join the Navy, where he promised to reveal Himself to me. I did so in July of 1943, and on Passover of 1944, He indeed did reveal Himself to me, and brought me powerfully into His Kingdom. In July of that year, He had Russian Jew Dr. Jewell reveal the works of Ivan Pan to me. In 1945 I ordered all the books and booklets either by or on Panin. It was then through Panin?s Introduction to his Bible Numeric Greek Text that I understood the significance of the sentence and paragraph structure of this text. I am an ?outliner?. I immediately outlined the book of Ephesians according to this format. It was so different and illuminating from other outlines, that I, with God?s encouragement, commenced the Outlining of the entire work of Panin in an Interlinear arrangement. The very format I chose to prepare this project in: was to put the English text first, in a clausal and sentence format. I then set the Greek text beneath, not word for word, but again clause be clause or sentence by sentence. Above both of these these texts, sentence by sentence I put an 8-word or less summary - gathering these summaries into subparagraph summaries; these intoparagraphs; these into section or chapter equivalents; and these into the 27 NT book summaries. I have use this project in both a Modernistic and Evangelical Seminary - and have found that it surpasses the best of scholarship I came across there. *However* - this ?Outlined Interlinear NT? does *not* automatically open its secrets to the reader. A believer must *first* press into a ?discipleship posture? challenged by Jesus in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. As a disciple, one has identified himself with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection of Romans 6. Then as he initially entered God?s Kingdom ?by *grace* through faith? - he now identifies himself with Jesus as the vine and himself as the branch of John 15:1-16. He recognizes the *he* has not chosen Christ, but *Christ* has chosen him - to allow the sap of the Holy Spirit to flow through him, making him a fruitful branch, pruned by the Father. This is a picture of the ?Exchanged Life? of Galatians 2:20 that Hudson Taylor moved into some 20 years after his conversion, making him the extraordinary, fruitful founder and director of the China Inland Mission. Why do I labor the above? Because this ?Outlined Interlinear NT? is *not*a secret in itself of the ?Overcoming Life? promised in God?s Bible. It only opens its secrets through meditation when *first* one has entered the doors of the ?Exchanged Life.? It is Jesus by His Spirit, by His Heredity, bringing out His life through us - that brings us into the successful conditions to release the blessing of this Introduction. *Then* one in the New Testament can go *beyond* Joshua in the Old Testament in chapter 1:8! And what did God do in preparation to make Joshua so fruitful as a Bible Mediator? First of all, He chose him as the servant of Moses when he was 40, and Moses 80. Under Moses, He trained him as a true servant for 40 years. He and Caleb were the 2 faithful spies out of the 12 who retained with a good report of Canaan-land. Then when Moses would leave the Tent outside the camp - Joshua often remained in the presence of the LORD. Then when God appointed Joshua as Moses? successor, He had Moses lay hands on Joshua; who received *not* just the gift of wisdom - but the *spirit* of wisdom! Once Joshua led Israel across the Jordan for the conquest of Canaan-land, he only missed God twice! Once he failed to consult Urim and Thummim concerning the problem with Achan at Ai; and secondly he failed to consult Urim and Thummim when the Gibeonites deceived him concerning being neighbors slated for destruction. Aside from these 2 lapses, Joshua successfully led Israel in the conquest of the 7 nations of Canaan, plus the successful division of the land for the 9 ? tribes west of Jordan. And *how* did Joshua 1:8 figure into all of this? *One*. Joshua anticipated David and how he kept the Word of God continually in his mouth. *This* makes a man after God?s own heart! Just look at the ?Treasury of David? in the Psalms! David did not depart from God?s Word as a rule. Joshua walked in the same rule. Daniel and Isaiah walked this same walk. Look at Isaiah 66:2b. The LORD says, *?But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is **humble** and ** contrite** in spirit and **trembles at my word**!? *This too is a picture of Joshua. It is *not* what we know that counts; it is *what we do* with what we know - that counts! Jesus said so at the close of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). *Two*. Then upon this word not departing out of his mouth, Joshua * meditated* upon it *day and night*! It is *at this point* that the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? becomes of * inestimable* value to the believer! The ?LOgos word? of John 1:1 - through meditation - is then *transformed* into the ?R*E*ma-word? of Luke 1:37-38 and John 6:63. The written word (LOgos) means little to the unbeliever, and to the undiscipled believer, it is *not* a ?living-word?. But to the believer who has been identified with Jesus in His death, burial *and resurrection* of Romans 6; and has received the Gift (d*o*-reA) of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:28) following baptism - *then* Bible Meditation becomes a delight! George Muller discovered this secret at the approximate age of 37 - and from then on - like Hudson Taylor, his life took a dimension of * exceeding* fruitfulness. They fulfilled John 15:16! *?You di**d** not choose me, but **I chose you, and appointed you**, that you go and bear fruit, and **that** **your :fruit abide**: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my :name, **he give you**.?* Each believer has the potential of this *same* promise! Holy Ann from Ireland entered fully into this. So did Billy Bray of Cornwall, England. In Psalm 19:14 David entreats the LORD - that the *words of his mouth*, and the *meditation* of his heart should prove acceptable to Him - His strength and Redeemer! Joshua no doubt had exactly *the same* heart desire! You and I through the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? can have an even greater access into the NT blessings of God. Look at Matthew 5:3-12 - the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount! Use *them* as you initiate the area of meditation. Follow this up with Matthew 6:5-15 - the Lord?s Prayer. Meditating on these 2 portions of the NT will certainly put you into orbit, transforming the LOgos word into the R*E*ma word! The Holy Spirit may then lead you into other portions of the NT to meditate upon. See 2 Peter 1:5-7 as a third possibility. I have 20 of these natural Bible ?word? series that moves one into fruitfulness! For those interested more in ?digital E-books? over and above written books, this is about to become available in the ?Outlined Interlinear NT?. Check ** for its soon appearance. *Third*. Knowledge puffs up - but love (aGAp*e*) builds up! And how does one effect this transformation? By *acting upon* the Word of God. By hearing and *doing* the words of Jesus both directly and through His apostles. Trust and *obey* - for there?s *no other way* - To be happy in Jesus - but to trust and obey! It is very difficult for our human nature to come to the conclusion that * only* by having a ?White Funeral? for our ?self-life? - and then letting * Jesus* take over and run our life by the Holy Spirit - can one be complete and satisfied in this life. Only then can ?Bible meditation? become viable and fruitful! There?s no other way! All the great saints of the past came to this conclusion - and made this drastic decision. See John Bunyan?s ?Pilgrim Progress?! Do we and they do it perfectly? No - not till the resurrection at Jesus' Second Coming will we be perfected. But - the possibility - the advance - the difference between a disciple and a non-disciple down here - is *enormous*! John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, George Muller, Rees Howells - are but a few who portray the extraordinary success that comes to those who decide to make this transition! And - it isn?t achieved by ?good works?! It is achieved by *grace* through faith - both to initially enter the Kingdom of God, and then to become a full-fledged disciple! As you received Christ Jesus the Lord (by grace through faith) - *so* *walk in Him* (by grace through faith!) It is our Sovereign God who sees us through - *not* we ourselves! *Four*. And what is the result of fulfilling the above 3 conditions in our test? - Two outstanding promises of God! *For **then** you shall make your way prosperous* - and *then** you will have good success.* True prosperity and true success is eternal - and is absolutely dependent upon fulfilling the above 3 conditions! See the prosperity and success of Joshua! Amazing! See the same for David! for Daniel! for Jesus! for Job! *Conclusion*: So this text - Joshua 1:8 - though given to an OT saint - is perfectly adaptable for us as NT saints. And the ?Outlined Interlinear NT? then becomes a fitting tool - designed and brought forth by God - to meet the need of NT saints, in a most practical and fruitful manner! I have over 40 on a special prayer list, including myself - that I pray for daily. I pray that we will each one individually - and together corporately - realize the above truths of our text given by God to Joshua some 3500 years ago. I for one, am absolutely convinced of the truthfulness of this concept in our text. I fully and completely encourage each one of you to join with us - and enter into the above ?halls of highest human happiness?! Your friend - Jim Watt *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Sat Dec 29 11:15:32 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 11:15:32 -0800 Subject: Jeremiah 13-20 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 29, 2012 *AUG 2 - JEREMIAH 13-20 - FIVE MORE GENERAL UNDATED PROPHECIES* *1. 13:8-9 (13, ESV) SIGN OF THE LINEN GIRDLE. Then the word of the LORD came unto me: ?Thus says the LORD; Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.? *Your Kingdom Father, demands *Your*Rulership! O let us not be marred like Judah because we reject Your Kingship! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 15:1a; 16a (14-15) MESSAGE ON THE DROUGHT. Then the LORD said to me, ?Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. 16a Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.? *Those who reject Your Word and yet think themselves righteous are hypocrites! Father, Your will be done in us as we rejoice in Your Word to do and live it! *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 16:1-2 (16) SIGN OF THE UNMARRIED PROPHET. The word of the LORD came to me: 2 ?You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.? *Father, You look after us by Your Word. As You looked after Jeremiah and protected him from coming judgment, so You for us today meet our needs! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth!* *4. 17:5-6 (17) JEREMIAH: HIS PRAYER AND ANSWER. Thus says the LORD: ?Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.? *But see 17:7-8 for a contrast! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day!* *5. 18:1-2 (18) SIGN OF THE POTTER?S HOUSE: FURTHER PERSECUTION. The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 ?Arise, and go down to the potter?s house, and there I will let you hear my words.? *Unnecessary testings will not come our way, if only we will pay heed to Your Words O Jehovah Father, to do them. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors!* *6. 19:15 (19) SIGN OF THE POTTER?S BOTTLE. ?Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.? *A hedge against the evil one is there when we walk in Your Word, O Father; but judgment comes from You when we turn from Your ways. *And bring us not into temptation.* *7. 20:9 (20) JEREMIAH?S COMPLAINT. If I say, ?I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,? there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. *Your Word O Father, prevails above *all* our troubles! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 15:19 (14-15) JEREMIAH: RECEIVES AN INSIGHTFUL WORD! **Therefore thus says the LORD: ?If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.? *This day O Father, You *and* Your Word - are pre-eminent for us! *Our Psalm for the day: 32:5 (32) BLESSED ARE THE FORGIVEN. I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ?I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,? and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah *O Father, we will praise You for the *Atoning Work* of Christ. *This* is the basis and ground for all forgiveness. No wonder we *Hallow Your :name!* *C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: **?*The fact is, brethren, there is a predestination, and the doctrines of election and effectual grace are true, nor may we deny them; but yet the Lord deals with men as responsible beings, and bids them ?strive to enter in at the strait gate,? and to ?lay hold on eternal life.? Such exhortations are evidently intended for free agents, and indicate that our salvation requires energetic action. (One preacher said: ?I just go ahead and believe, as if *all* depended upon the Lord; and I just go ahead and work, as if *all* depended upon me!) *Psalm 32 - Title: ?A Psalm of David, Maschil.? *That David wrote this gloriously evangelic Psalm is proved not only by this heading but by the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:6-8; *?Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man unto God imputes righteousness without works,? etc. *Probably his deep repentance over his great sin was followed by such blissful peace that he was led to pour out his spirit in the soft music of this choice song. In the order of history, it seems to follow the F ifty-First. 32:1. *Blessed. *Like the Sermon on the Mount, this Psalm begins with beatitudes. This is the second Psalm of benediction. The First Psalm describes the result of holy blessedness, the Thirty-Second details the cause of it. The first pictures the tree in full growth: this depicts it in its first planting and watering. *Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.* A full, instantaneous, irreversible pardon of transgression turns the poor sinner?s hell into heaven and makes the heir of wrath a partaker in blessing. The word rendered forgiven is, in the original, ?taken off,? or ?taken away,? as a burden is lifted or a barrier removed. What a lift is here! It cost our Savior a sweat of blood to bear our load, yes, it cost Him His life to bear it quite away. Samson carried the gates of Gaza, but what was that to the weight which Jesus bore on our behalf? *Whose sin is covered. *Covered by God, as the ark was covered by the mercy-seat, as Noah was covered from the flood, as the Egyptians were covered by the depths of the sea. What a cover must that be which hides away forever from the sight of the all-seeing God all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit! He who has once seen sin in its horrible deformity will appreciate the happiness of seeing it no more forever. 32:2. *Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity. *Note the three words so often used to denote our disobedience: transgression, sin, and iniquity, are the three-headed dog at the gates of hell, but our glorious Lord has silenced his barkings forever against His own believing ones. The trinity of sin is overcome by the Trinity of heaven. *And in whose spirit is no guile.* Free from guilt, free from guile. Those who are justified from fault are sanctified from falsehood. A liar is not a forgiven soul. Treachery, double-dealing, chicanery, dissimulation, are lineaments of the devil?s children, but he who is washed from sin is truthful, honest, simple, and childlike. 32:4. *For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. *God?s finger can crush us - what must His hand be, and that pressing heavily and continuously! Under terrors of conscience, men have little rest by night, for the grim thoughts of the day dog them to their chambers and haunt their dreams, or else they lie awake in a cold sweat of dread. God?s hand is very helpful when it uplifts, but it is awful when it presses down: better a world on the shoulder, like Atlas, than God?s hand on the heart, like David. 32:6. *In a time when you may be found.* There is, however, a set time for prayer beyond which it will be unavailing; between the time of sin and the day of punishment mercy rules the hour, and God may be found, but when once the sentence has gone forth, pleading will be useless, for the Lord will not be found by the condemned soul. 32:7. *You shall preserve me from trouble. *Trouble shall do me no real harm when the Lord is with me; rather it shall bring me much benefit, like the file which clears away the rust, but does not destroy the metal. Observe the three tenses; we have noticed the sorrowful past, the last sentence was a joyful present, this is a cheerful future. 32:9. *Whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto you.* Those cutting bits of affliction show how hard-mouthed we are; those bridles of infirmity manifest our headstrong and willful manners. We should not be treated like mules if there was not so much of the ass about us. 32:10. *Many sorrows shall be to the wicked. *He who sows sins will reap sorrow in heavy sheaves. Sorrows of conscience, of disappointment, of terror, are the sinners sure heritage in time, and then forever sorrows of remorse and despair. *But he that trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. *The wicked have a hive of wasps around them, many sorrows; but we have a swarm of bees storing honey for us. 32:11. *Be glad. *Happiness is not only our privilege but our duty. Truly we serve a generous God, since He makes it a part of our obedience to be joyful. How sinful are our rebellious murmurings! How natural does it seem that a man blest with forgiveness should be glad! We read of one who died at the foot of the scaffold of overjoy at the receipt of his monarch?s pardon; and shall we receive the free pardon of the Kong of kings and yet pine in inexcusable sorrow? *And shout for joy, all you that are upright in heart. *It is to be feared that the church of the present day, through a craving for excessive propriety, is growing too artificial; so that enquirers? cries and believers? shouts would be silenced if they were heard in our assemblies. This may be better than boisterous fanaticism, but there is as much danger in the one direction as the other. For our part, we are touched to the heart by a little sacred excess, and when godly men in their joy o?erleap the narrow bounds of decorum, we do not, like Michal, Saul?s daughter, eye them with a sneering heart. *(From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmbetter at gmail.com Mon Dec 31 10:47:56 2012 From: jmbetter at gmail.com (Jim Watt) Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2012 10:47:56 -0800 Subject: Jeremiah 21-24 - Outline Message-ID: ?*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE? MINISTRIES* *Jim & Marie Watt* *Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com* *Web: www.2rbetter.org* December 31, 2012 *AUG 3 - JEREMIAH 21-24 - DENUNCIATION OF SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS* *1. 22:8-9 (21:1-22:9, ESV) JEREMIAH: AGAINST ZEDEKIAH. And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, ?Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?? 9 And they will answer, ?Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.? *O Father, we take warning from Judah, and crown You King of Your Kingdom in our hearts! *Hallowed be your :name.* *2. 22:10 (22:10-12) JEREMIAH: AGAINST SHALLUM. ?Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land.? *Father, You had Jeremiah pray Your will against his countrymen. May Your will, not ours, ever be uppermost in our hearts. *Your :kingdom come!* *3. 22:15 (22:13-19) JEREMIAH: AGAINST JEHOIAKIM. ?Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.? *Teach us Father, this truth from Josiah. Teach us that our daily bread comes automatically when we walk in Your statutes. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.* *4. 22:29-30 (22:20-30) JEREMIAH: AGAINST CONIAH (JEHOIACHIN). O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! 30 Thus says the LORD: ?Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.? *Here is a man who has sinned a sin unto death. Father, let us not sin this sin, but receive from You forgiveness of sin. *Our :daily :bread, Give us this day.* *5. 23:5 (23:1-8) FAITHLESS PASTORS VERSUS FAITHFUL PASTORS. ?Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.? *Father, You bind us together in Jesus to form the completed Christ, stem and branch (1 Corinthians 12:12). Jesus becomes our armor inward and outward in this remarkable relationship! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.* *6. 23:28-29 (23:9-40) JUDGMENT ON PROPHETS: REASON. ?Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?? *Father, Your Word brings us to repentance. It divides between soul and spirit. It leads us to contrition. In reconciliation with You, we find *You* are our hedge! *And bring us not into temptation!* *7. 24:6-7 (24:1-10) SIGN OF THE FIGS. ?I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.? *Father, we bless You that in Christ You are so well able to do this! *But deliver us from the evil one!* *NOTE**: 23:18 (23:9-40) A PLEA TO HEAR GOD?S WORD! **?For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?? *Father, You desire *Your Word * to be shared, *not* the imagination of our own hearts. O the danger of speaking in Your Name *when You have not spoken*! *C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: *We are one in Christ; let us be friends with one another; but let us never be friends with one another?s error. If I be wrong, rebuke me sternly; I can bear it, and bear it cheerfully; and if you be wrong, expect the like measure from me, and neither peace nor parley with your mistakes. *Our Psalm for the day: 33:12 (33) THE STEADFAST LOVE (CHEsed) OF THE LORD. ?Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.? *Father, we can praise You for Your Sovereign choices. Because we know You as *Jehovah*, we *hallow Your :name!* 33:1. *Rejoice in the Lord. *To rejoice in temporal comforts is dangerous, to rejoice in self is foolish, to rejoice in sin is fatal, but to rejoice in God is heavenly. He who would have a double heaven must begin below to rejoice like those above. 33:3. *Pl**a**y skilfully. *It is wretched to hear God praised in a slovenly manner. He deserves the best that we have. Every Christian should endeavor to sing according to the rules of the art, so that he may keep time and tune with the congregation. The sweetest tunes and the sweetest voices, with the sweetest words, are all too little for the Lord, our God; let us not offer Him limping rhymes set to harsh tunes and growled out by discordant voices. *With a loud noise. *Heartiness should be conspicuous in divine worship. Well-bred whispers are disreputable here. It is not that the Lord cannot hear us, but that it is natural for great exultation to express itself in the loudest manner. Men shout at the sight of their kings: shall we offer no loud hosannas to the Son of David? 33:4. *For the Word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth. *God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand which never fails. Bless His Name! 33:5. *The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. *Come hither, astronomers, geologists, naturalists, botanists, chemists, miners, yes, all of you who study the works of God, for all your truthful stories confirm this declaration. From the midge in the sunbeam to leviathan in the ocean, all creatures own the bounty of the Creator. Even the pathless desert blazes with some undiscovered mercy, and the caverns of ocean conceal the treasures of love. Earth might have been as full of terror as of grace, but instead within it teems and overflows with kindness. He who cannot see it and yet lives in it as the fish lives in the water deserves to die. If earth be full of mercy, what must heaven be where goodness concentrates its beams? 33:6. It is interesting to note the mention of the Spirit in the clause: *and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. *The word *breath* is the same as is elsewhere rendered ?Spirit.? Thus the three persons of the Godhead unite in creating all things. How easy for the Lord to make the most ponderous orbs and the most glorious angels! A word, a breath could do it. It is as easy for God to create the universe as for man to breathe, nay, far easier, for man breathes not independently but borrows the breath in his nostrils from his Maker. 33:7. *He lays up the depth in storehouses. *May not the text refer to the clouds, and the magazines of hail and snow, and rain - those treasuries of merciful wealth for the fields of earth? These aqueous masses are not piled away as in lumber rooms, but in storehouses for future beneficial use. Abundant tenderness is seen in the foresight of our heavenly Joseph, whose granaries are already filled against earth?s time of need. These stores might have been, as once they were, the ammunition of vengeance; they are now a part of the commissariat of mercy. 33:16. *There is no king saved by the multitude of an host. *Mortal power is a fiction, and those who trust in it are dupes. Serried ranks of armed men have failed to maintain an empire, or even to save their monarch?s life when a decree from the court of heaven has gone forth for the empire?s overthrow. At the Battle of Arbela, the Persian hosts numbered between five hundred thousand and a million men, but they were utterly put to the rout by Alexander?s band of fifty thousand; and the once mighty Darius was soon vanquished. Napoleon led more than half a million men into Russia, but the terrible winter left the army a mere wreck, and their leader was soon a prisoner on the lone rock of St. Helena. All along the line of history, this verse has been verified. The strongest battalions melt like snowflakes when God is against them. *(From ?The Treasury of David? by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O. Fuller)* *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org* *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org* *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: