This is the DNA on the shroud.

Hello folks. Are any of you excited for the new Spider-Man? Yes, Spider-Man 4 has been delayed until 2025.

Spider-Man 4 was canceled in 2010, but a new one may release next year: What’s Going On With Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 4?
Potential 2025 release: 'Spider-Man 4' Production Update May Confirm Daredevil Appearance, 2025 Release - Murphy's Multiverse.

All throughout biblical history we have had people called of God for the specific purpose of the perfecting of God’s people in preparation for them to serve the Lord God with their lives. First we had the prophets of the Old Testament, then Jesus Christ (on the earth), then the New Testament apostles, and then all those gifted of the Holy Spirit who are called of God to be teachers, pastors (shepherds), and evangelists, etc. But all of us within the body of Christ are to help one another to follow Jesus with our lives.

Therefore, you do not have to be in some official capacity within a congregation of followers of Christ to help your brothers and sisters in the Lord to walk with the Lord in obedience to his commands and to serve him in the areas of ministry to which the Lord has called and equipped them. For we all have our specific “body parts,” i.e. our roles (callings of God) within the Body of Christ, and we have all been given specific spiritual gifts (of the Spirit of God) so that we can minister to one another.

And none of us have to have human credentials and titles given to us by other humans in order to serve the Lord and one another in these capacities. If we believe in Jesus Christ to be our Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior, and we have died with him to sin, and we are now living for him and in his righteousness, in obedience to his commands, then we are qualified of God to encourage one another in our walks of faith in Jesus Christ and to help one another to grow to maturity in our relationships with the Lord Jesus.

And this “equipping” of the saints does not come through human marketing schemes and business plans and goals for how to grow people’s “churches” (businesses). For this is about preparing us spiritually to serve the Lord Jesus in the areas of ministry to which the Lord has called us. For you can be a great teacher in the eyes of the world, but if you are not anointed of the Holy Spirit, and if the Spirit of God is not the one guiding you in what to say to the people, then you may sound good, but you are not feeding the flock.

For the whole purpose of this “equipping of the saints” is so that we will help one another to follow Jesus Christ with our lives in pure devotion to him in walks of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. For we are all necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ and to the spiritual maturity of the saints of God. And it is so we will all warn one another, too, against sin’s deceitfulness, and against those who by human cunning and craftiness, in deceitful scheming, are leading people to follow after false doctrines and not the gospel of Christ that He taught.

But this isn’t just the job of the “preacher,” many of whom today are not following Jesus with their lives but who are following after other humans and their marketing schemes and goals for how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” into their gatherings. And so many of them, thus, are not teaching the gospel that Jesus taught, because the message of the cross is an offense to them. And so they alter and dilute and misrepresent the truth of the gospel to make it more appealing to human flesh.

So, we who believe in Jesus Christ are to be, first and foremost, followers of God/Christ who are in the practice of denying self, dying daily to sin, and following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands (Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24). And then we are to be listening to the Lord and following him wherever he leads us, and who are answering to his callings upon our lives, and who are doing what he has called us collectively and individually to do in service to God.

And then we are to be those who are putting into practice, by the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit within us in ministry to the Body of Christ and to the people of the world. And we are to be those who are speaking the truth of the gospel (of God’s Word) to one another, in love, in order that none of us will be led astray by those crafty ones in their deceitful scheming, and so that we all grow to maturity in our walks of faith in Jesus Christ.

And we are to be addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and who are teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom (of God), and who are exhorting one another every day so that none of us will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to be stirring one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet with one another, for we are to be encouraging (exhorting, urging) one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord in faithful service to the Lord, for his glory.

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

In Truth

An Original Work / January 10, 2012

Fellowshipping with my Lord, Savior, King.
He is Lord of all; Lord of ev’rything.
He is with me through ev’ry hour of day,
List’ning to me speak, as I humbly pray.
He cares for my needs,
and He intercedes for me,
‘cause He loves me in ev’ry way.

Obey His commands, and do all He says.
Sitting at His feet, daily in His word,
Let His word speak to me in ev’ry way,
Giving comfort and healing through each day.
Oh, how Jesus loves,
And He cares for you,
Which is why He died for our sins, in truth.

Love our Lord God, Savior, and King of kings.
Worship Him in truth, for He reigns supreme.
He created us with a plan in mind
For us to be His servants, and Him mind.
Follow Him in truth;
Go where’er He leads.
Share His love with others, and their needs meet.
Others: their needs meet.

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Once again, big companies are at it again, defiling our one planet we live on. Seems that the curse in Isaiah 24:4-6 is from greedy corporations wrecking our planet. Article link: Paperwork filed for gold-mine exploration near North Star Nature Preserve as county eyes land exchange - Aspen Journalism

Isaiah 24:4-6: "The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left."


Short summary of the open-access article by Apen Journalism (<20% in length, for fair usage reasons):

In an article published on April 28, 2024, in Aspen Journalism by Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, land near the North Star Nature Preserve is being evaluated as a potential site for a gold mine. The area's management plan is being updated by Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, who are also considering a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service. A local family, the Boyles, have held a mining claim on Forest Service land near the Wildwood Lane put-in for decades and recently filed a notice of intent to conduct mineral exploration for gold. The claim sits on public land used by thousands of paddleboarders and boaters to access the Roaring Fork River and North Star Nature Preserve. If mineral exploration moves forward, a plan of operations and NEPA review would be required. The Boyles family's primary concern is that any land exchange or management changes may not adequately protect the nature preserve, as commercial use has increased and concerns have been raised about the conservation easement's compliance. The county maintains that management plans have been in line with founding documents, but some argue commercial use conflicts with the conservation easement and resource management plan from 2000.

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is gathering data to update the management plan, which will include public input, and is considering a land exchange with the US Forest Service to improve management efficiency. The Forest Service owns the land at the put-in but may not limit access due to resource limitations, while the county is considering limiting commercial operators and all use to reduce congestion. The Boyles family, who own a mining claim near the put-in, want to ensure they are included in discussions on the land exchange and believe the Forest Service is best suited to manage the area due to potential environmental review requirements. The mining claim, which covers sand and gravel containing gold or other minerals, may undergo exploration using sonic drilling and will include plans for revegetation. The potential land exchange and mining claim developments come as North Star Nature Preserve experiences increased use and concerns about impacts on wildlife habitat and a delicate riparian ecosystem.

How do you react?

So I feel for sure I need meds.
My intrusive thoughts make me swing between anxiety and depression..

Trying to muster the strength to be honest with my DR so I cn get them.
Trying to muster strength to endure possible withdrawls..

Just trying to be happy is all. That and pass my TEAS feel I won't bc I can't concentrate long enough to study.

By September 2021, Stern had decided to draft a criminal referral against Trump to the Justice Department after documents were still not returned, according to an FBI interview summary with a NARA employee, identified as “Person 53” in the court documents.

“Stern approached [Per. 53] to formally draft a letter to DOJ raising concerns about PRA materials from the TRUMP administration which remained unaccounted for by NARA,” the FBI memo stated.

In his interview with the FBI, Person 53 noted in his “years of experience,” he “understood NARA never had to make such a referral to DOJ…to accomplish such an ask.”

When he circulated the draft letter internally, Stern told colleagues he had been in contact with “DOJ counsel” about the matter and was continuing to communicate with the White House Counsel’s Office, showing the Biden administration was in the loop about the efforts to repossess Trump’s documents.

The Biden administration concealed this from the American people.

I have always had a problem to understand nothing. According to Science nothing does not exist, there always something. We do not know if anything exists outside or the Universe. Of course there is a theory that there are many universes. Also we are told that nothing is impossible with God. Yet He can not lie, cheat, steal or do anything contrary to His nature. Then there is the question of the laws of science and physics. Where do they come from?

Hi,

My dog was diagnosed with diabetes, I ask that you pray for the health of her, I also pray that I can financially afford her treatments. Thank you

Thankfully in this case the cat lived.

Lots of strange things going on here. In genesis 36:24, the account of anah feeding his fathers mules in the wilderness, and subsequently discovers a “hot spring”, and it’s left at that…. Why would such a mundane thing even be mentioned? That would be like someone writing a book about my life and randomly mentioning something like “on this day, Chris entered into a subway terminal, where at the bottom of the stairs, he found a man playing a guitar.” But if there were more to the story somewhere else, that might shed light on the actual significance of the seemingly mundane and insignificant events. The book of jasher tells a much mor complete and lengthy story. Which I won’t get into, but you can research it for yourself at jasher 36:28-35 key figures in the Bible quote from jasher, as well as 1 Enoch, so to say that these texts have no place in attempting to make sense of things is in my opinion, close minded.

The decision came from a set of cases out of North Carolina and West Virginia, where state officials argued that their policies were based on cost concerns rather than bias. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit rejected that argument, saying the plans were discriminating against trans people in need of treatment.

It’s the second ruling in favor of trans rights this month from the 4th Circuit, a once-conservative court that has become a trailblazer in the realm of transgender rights. The court was the first to say trans students had a right to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity and the first to recognize gender dysphoria as a protected disability. Earlier this month, the court said a federally funded middle school could not ban a trans 13-year-old from playing on the girls’ track and field team.

Other states have banned hormonal treatment and surgery for trans minors; some have restricted care for transgender adults as well. Multiple other states have similar laws against insurance coverage for transition-related treatment.

The ruling could be appealed to the Supreme Court, which recently allowed Idaho to enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. But the conservative-led court has been reluctant to engage on this issue, letting multiple 4th Circuit rulings in favor of transgender rights stand. The court also generally waits until there is disagreement between circuit courts before getting involved.

Very Nice!

Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter bombers, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 bombers from the 1970s and 1980s.

The outlet cited reports from the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA and the Russian news site Reporter saying the US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes.

The Kyiv Post reported that the motive behind the US purchase remained undisclosed but that the aircraft could be used in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service.

Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. But the relationship has shifted since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Kazakhstan aligning itself more with the West, drawing the fury of some in Russia.

One Russian TV commentator, Vladimir Solovyov, said his country "must pay attention to the fact that Kazakhstan is the next problem because the same Nazi processes can start there as in Ukraine."

Who would be best vice president for Trump?

I guess I should mark #9 because I can't make up my mind between 2 through 8, although I am leaning toward Greg Abbott, who basically saved our country by blocking off the illegals!

Yay, Abbott!

Also, I wouldn't want the Congress to be without Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. I've heard the latter can sometimes look kind of RINO-ish but he has a lot of interesting things to say and I can't say I have studied him (voting record) thoroughly. I don't have many doubts about Cruz, though

Pray by saying, "O Heavenly Father, In Jesus Christ's Name, & By The Power & Grace Of The Holy Spirit, we Rebuke & Bind the radical islamic demonic spirit that could lead to terrorism."

“I don’t think it’s all about money. I think it’s about the way people perceive their job and feel they are going to be supported,” Wexler said. “You have West Coast departments that are paying six figures, but still seeing major challenges in hiring.”

Our country has paid a heavy price by giving into wokeness.

If E = mc2 then we can divide and conclude that...

Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2) --- Making this eternal stuff

And there are three varieties...

Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma --- And bang! Back to plasma!
Mental E/c2 - Mentally, A mathematical formula, and a mind to study these things
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)

Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? - Isaiah 40:13

Even if we could... What could I do with basic silica sand save make sand castles? I used to like the feeling that I knew everything... But a living creature consists of trillions of cells! And somehow a spirit is nested in all of that! I like to pray something like...

My Dear Heavenly Father
Hallowed be thy name
By kingdom come thy will be done
As in earth as it is in Heaven
Give me today my daily bread
Forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors
Lead me not into sin but deliver me from evil
For thine is the power... The Glory... The light and the energy!
To associate into mass. To disassociate in plasma!
To create and to make alive! To destroy and to make dead!
However to your will and to your liking!
Remember me in your imaginations
And help me put your light and energy to work
Spiritually... Naturally... Intellectually!
And remember me in times of blessings!
In Jesus name! Amen!

Harris' job approval rating is also upside down with voters. She had a 52% disapproval rating nationally in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll in March. A bare majority of Black voters, 51%, approved in the same poll.

People just couldn't be fooled by the Biden rhetoric because they knew their pay was not keeping up with the high price of groceries and rent. Also remember in the debates when Kamala called Joe out for opposing the busing of black children to white schools?

See Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven

Malachi addressed the nation of Judah in 3:

9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you [plural] and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

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Malachi prophesied to the nation of Judah after the Babylonian exile. He challenged the whole nation collectively to tithe. If they did, God would bless the nation collectively with timely rain. Malachi did not promise a particular individual that if he tithed, God would rain on his plot of farmland as some prosperity gospel pastors suggest.

Jesus addressed the Pharisees and their associates in Matthew 23:

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

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They tithed 10% legalistically. Paul did the 10% when he was a Pharisee. After his conversion, he was less legalistic and more flexible, 2 Corinthians 9:

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

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More generally, Jesus said in Matthew 6:

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

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Should Christians still tithe 10%, or is giving something we should do freely without a specific requirement?

Take good financial care of your family. Pay down your debts. Give to your local church. 10% is a good rule of thumb but don't fixate on the number. Give to others as well. Look to your heart. Do you spend your money on your selfish purchases or on others who have needs?

Saving money in the bank or investing it in the stock market is okay until an opportune time. We are to give everything, our time and money, to Jesus. I have been practicing this since I called myself a Christian decades ago

Is tithing important?

Yes, but in the meantime, don't forget justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

See also

• In Matthew 23:23, was tithing a lighter commandment?

The seventh day Sabbath is God’s gift to humanity. It was blessed and sanctified by God after He had created the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them. It was written into the Ten Commandments by His finger, was kept, and taught by Jesus Christ, and was observed by the apostolic church. A memorial of both creation and redemption, it should be faithfully celebrated by believers now as a day of rest, worship, and well-doing.

The Sabbath, as outlined in Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11, falls on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday. However, it's important to note that according to Genesis 1:5, God declared that a new day begins at sundown, not at midnight. Therefore, the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday.


Here’s where the Sabbath was first instituted by God:
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:1-3 ESV)


Here God defines when a day commences and finishes, from evening to morning:
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:5 ESV)


Here’s the fourth commandment:
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11 ESV)

I don’t even know where to begin…. Childhood perhaps? I was beaten severely during my elementary school days. I was always told to show the other cheek like Jesus so the proper thing to do was accept the beatings without fighting back and so that’s what I did. For years. By the time I was 8 I began to desire death to escape as God never saved me regardless of how much I prayed and begged and cried before bed and on the bus to school. I told my parents who put me in therapy where I was drugged to the point of not feeling anything for years. During that time many things happened to me but we won’t go into detail. Just know life did not ease up. I eventually got off the drugs and regained my senses. This entire time I’ve been attending church with my parents and reading the Bible with them. I’ve also been praying nightly and trying to build a relationship with God. Finished our high school and joined the U.S. Navy. Lost my contract due to a paperwork issue and granted a job as a mechanic. I’m no good with my hands so this was a horrible job choice. But I do my best, get first in my training school and get my dream orders to Japan with a meritorious promotion. Next thing I know NCIS is investigating me for child pornography. Turns out a ex called them and said I was producing child porn in my barracks and distributing it on base when she heard I was doing well. Even though I was cleared of the allegation after several months, I was still stripped of promotion and my orders were rescinded. The news I was investigated for the above crimes made it to duty station even though I was proven innocent… needless to say my 4 years in were a living hell. I get out of the military and here I am nearly a decade later, several failed businesses and meaningless jobs deep into this life and I’m only 30. I’ve lost faith in Gods goodness. I no longer trust him and I’ve never “felt” him or heard him. There has never been peace or joy…. Only pain. I’ve prayed for death for years and obviously it’s never been granted…. I’m just so tired yet when I ask for strength, beg for rest, plead for mercy, it doesn’t come. Even now I’m trying to build a business that will pull my family out of this massive hole of debt. There is no escape for me. I’m too cowardly to kill myself, I can put the gun in my mouth but can never pull the trigger. God has turned his face from me since I was a child despite his “promises” in the Bible… I’m just… tired. I’m hurting. Full of self hatred. No confidence in myself since my first memory. Wishing for death. I’m Mad. Furious. Hopeless. Abandoned… how do you go on? How do you trust God and move past the pain he’s put on you when there’s been no purpose? I’m sorry for the rambling I just have no one to vent to or talk with. I apologize for the length of this post.

Just Are You

An Original Work / August 26, 2013
Based off Revelation 15-16

Great and marvelous are Your deeds, O God.
Just and true Your ways, King of all the earth.
Who will not fear You; glorify Your name?
You are righteousness. Praise Your Name!

Just are You, O Lord, our Eternal ONE,
For You judge the earth in Your righteousness.
They have shed the blood of Your righteous ones.
You give their reward. They’re to blame!

Kings of all the earth gather, one accord;
Make haste to engage in a mighty war.
They oppose the Lord and His holy saints.
They serve wickedness, to their shame!

Jesus comes again, to some unforeseen.
Blessed are those who wait for Him at the gate.
They’ll not be ashamed. “Glad” be their refrain.
When He comes again, He’ll remain!

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Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the plan focuses on four pillars: technology, focused missions, public engagement and accountability.

”We want to be proactive and not just reactive when these crimes occur,” Snelling said.
The superintendent said the department has a focused mission to prevent carjackings and car thefts.
“So we’re starting with stolen vehicles, because we know those stolen vehicles are being used in secondary crimes like robberies,” Snelling said.

Snelling added that police need the full support of the criminal justice system.

More than 2,200 robberies have been reported to Chicago police this year.

Accountability is one of the pillars of the city’s plan to combat robberies, he said. Victims have been forgotten, and Snelling said violent offenders must be held accountable for the trauma they inflict. Police are doing everything in their power to hold offenders accountable, he said.
“Our officers are risking their own safety to apprehend these violent criminals, knowing the violence they are capable of,” Snelling said.
The superintendent said that police sometimes have to arrest kids.
“When these young children are engaging in violent acts, today’s juvenile robbery offender or shooter is tomorrow’s adult murderer,” Snelling said.

Summary Book of Job

Job was a righteous man in the eyes of the Lord, and he was a wealthy man, too, in the eyes of the world, for he had many possessions. But he was a man who was blessed of God, and he worshipped the Lord with all his being. But one day Satan stood before God, and the Lord asked Satan if he had considered the Lord’s servant Job, “that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

But Satan’s response was to say that Job was only righteous because God was protecting him and because the Lord God was blessing him. So Satan said to God, “But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And so the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

At first Satan arranged that all of Job’s servants (except for maybe a few), and all of his animals, and all of his children would be killed. But when Job received the news of all of this, he fell on the ground and he worshiped God. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

After this, Satan had another encounter with the Lord, and this time Satan said to God, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” So Satan “went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”

Then Job’s friends came to console him, and they sat with him on the ground seven days and nights, “and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” And then Job was in much anguish, and so great was his suffering that he wished he had never been born. So he said, “For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.”

Then Job’s friends began to speak, one by one, but not to encourage him, but to accuse him falsely of sinning against the Lord, and of that being the reason for his suffering. And no matter what Job said to them to try to convince them otherwise, they would not relent from accusing him of sin and to advise him that he must repent of his sin to God. And this only added on to Job’s sufferings, for his friends did not believe him. (see Job 1-37)

Then the Lord responded to Job, and the Lord scolded him for questioning the sovereignty of God over his life (Job 38:1-41; Job 39:1-30; Job 40:1-2). And then Job responded to the Lord in all humility (Job 40:3-5), and then God responded to Job (Job 40:6-24; Job 41:1-34). Then Job answered the Lord again where he acknowledged the sovereignty of God over all things, and where he confessed that he had spoken of things he did not understand. And he repented in dust and ashes for his unwise words (Job 42:1-6).

And then God spoke to Job’s friend, Eliphaz, “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” Then he instructed Eliphaz to go to Job and to offer a burnt offering for themselves, and that he would have Job pray for them that the Lord would not deal with them for their folly, “For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (see Job 42:7-9)

And that is the book of Job, in a nutshell, but not including everything that took place, but hitting just the highlights. So that is to give you some understanding of Job’s words in today’s passage from Job 19:23-29, for this was what was going on his life when he spoke these words:


So, what is the essence of Job’s words that he spoke here? Well, first of all he was answering his accusers (his friends) and their charges against him. For they were tormenting him with their false accusations against him and with their refusal to believe the truth coming from his mouth. And they were not ashamed that they were wronging him. And then he went on to describe for them what God was allowing to happen in his life, including, “My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me.” (Job 19:14)

Yet, in all that he suffered – which was not for any wrongdoing that he had committed, but because he had led a righteous life, and because God was putting him to the test – he did not curse God, i.e. he did not reject God as his Lord, but he spoke with confidence that he knew that his redeemer lives, and he knew that, when he died, that he would see God. For he knew, even if no one else did, that he was not suffering because of sin against God.

Then he warned his friends that if they continued to pursue the course they were on with their false accusations – which felt to Job like vicious attacks against himself and against his character – that it would not go well for them with God. And he told them that they should be afraid of the sword, which was the judgment of God, if they continued to pursue Job in that manner, and if they continued to accuse him of sin he did not commit.

And if we follow the Lord Jesus with our lives, in surrender to his will, in truth and in righteousness, we also will have our faith tested, and we will have friends and family and neighbors and fellow professing Christians and pastors and elders turn against us and falsely accuse us of wrong we did not commit. And this will be because they are not seeing things through the eyes of God but through the eyes of the flesh and through worldly thinking.

But in all that we suffer, we are not to lose sight of God and of his sovereignty over our lives. For our Lord does not promise us a life of ease if we follow him, but he promises a life of suffering, rejection, persecution, false accusations against us, and the like. So we must keep our focus on the Lord through all the trials that come our way, and keep pressing forward in obeying the Lord, no matter how others treat us. And we will be blessed.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

What a Savior

By Marvin P. Dalton

Once I was straying in sin’s dark valley
No hope within could I see
God sent from heaven a loving Savior
To save a poor lost soul like me

He left the Father with all His riches
With calmness sweet and serene
Came down from heaven and gave His life blood
To make the vilest sinner clean

Death’s chilly waters I’ll soon be crossing
His hand will lead me safe o’er
I’ll join the chorus in that great city
And sing up there forevermore

O what a Savior, O hallelujah
His heart was broken on Calvary
His hands were nail-scarred
His side was riven
He gave His lifeblood for even me

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