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44. Aloha, Backsliders return to God – Micah – 12-14-05
Dear Laura (and anyone else who might read these words),
Greetings in the name above all names, Christ Jesus. Thank you for your response. Thank you for your reminders. Mostly, thank you for your wonderful prayer. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend and real sister in Christ.
As you shared scriptures from thought the book of Micah, I am being led to share what He seems to be showing me after reading the scriptures. Since the verses were throughout the book, I am looking at the whole book and what God's Word is showing me how they might touch us when dealing with significant life changing experiences and recovery, and anyone who might be interested.
The prophet Micah wrote this about 700 years before Christ's birth. He wrote it to warn God's people of the destructive consequences if disobedience and to offer peace to those willing to obey God's revealed will. Since the greatest gift God has given me, and others who read this, is peace as we follow His will in our own lives. This peace provides us joy and allows us to love others as our brothers and sisters.
The people of Micah's day were not much different from people today. Many of them lived self-centered lives driven by greed and false pride. They spent their nights plotting against the helpless and their days taking advantage of the weak. Their spiritual lives were hypercritical, and they used religion for their personal gain. They lied to make themselves look good and deceived others to cover their corruption. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah had wandered far from God's plan for them, and they would soon suffer the painful consequences.
Centuries before, God had agreed to uniquely bless the people of Israel because of their faithfulness. The people had agreed to follow God's will,but they had never lived up to their promise. So through His prophet Micah, God took is His wayward people to court. God was the prosecutor and plaintiff, Micah was the plaintiff's spokesman, Israel was the defendant, and the witnesses were heaven and earth. God could do nothing but judge them guilty as charged. The consequence would be judgment through exile. The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria soon after this prophecy' the southern kingdom of Judah fell to Babylon a few centuries later.
Micah made it clear that no satisfaction can be found in this life apart from God. Only when we accept our own weakness and submit to His program for healthy living can we hope to escape the destructive consequences of self-centeredness. Through our repentance, God always offers us His forgiveness, compassion, and unfailing love. By admitting that we are trapped by our sins and dependency, and turning to God for help, we can have hope for the future.
As I review the verses you shared, I have used the words of the New Living Translation, though I know you love the KJV.
Micah 2:1 (New Living Translation)
Judgment against Wealthy Oppressors How terrible it will be for you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry out any of the wicked schemes you have power to accomplish.
Micah 2:3
But this is what the LORD says: "I will reward your evil with evil; you won't be able to escape! After I am through with you, none of you will ever again walk proudly in the streets."
Many of Israel's influential people spent their time planning ways to ruin the lives of others. They sought personal wealth and power' they took people's land and homes by fraud and violence. They were blind to much of the pain they caused and unaware of the judgment ahead for them. Our addiction and significant life changing experiences often drives us to make the same mistakes. As we take inventory of our life, we should think clearly about those we have hurt and seek ways to make amends. If we don't, God will defend the helpless from our selfish actions and bring judgment against us.
Micah 2:13
"Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile. He will bring you through the gates of your cities of captivity, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you."
Even though God warned His people of their imminent destruction,He also gave them reason to hope for the future: Someday He would restore the nation He was about to punish. As we face the inescapable consequences of our past actions, we can still have hope for the future. Even though there may be hard times ahead, if we trust God and obey His will for our life, there is always hope for recovery and dealing with significant life changing experiences. No matter how great our sins and sufferings, God can forgive and restore us.
Micah 4:1
The LORDs Future Reign In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship.
If everyone obeyed God,our world would be filled with peace and prosperity. Life would be meaningful and joyful. But we continue to reject God's program and insist on doing things our own way. We live for personal gratification and blind ourselves to the needs of others. As we recognize the destruction and pain we have caused by doing our own things our own way, it may help to reflect on how things could be if we followed God's way. God desires that we live in a world of joy and harmony. If we admit our failures and seek to live according to His will for us, there is still hope that our corner of the world can reflect God's good intentions for wellness and peace.
Micah 4:13
"Rise up and destroy the nations, O Jerusalem!"[a] says the LORD. "For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves, so you can trample many nations to pieces. Then you will give all the wealth they acquired as offerings to me, the Lord of all the earth."
God's people need to accept the consequences of their actions. God had to remove their world of false security and send them into exile in order to help them realize that they needed Him. But God did this only to make them stronger and more righteous. Punishment was only a small part of His much bigger plan to re tore and heal them. God works the same in our life. The pain we face now for our past sins is real, but it is only a small part of God's recovery program. In the end, God's judgments will become a source of great blessing for us if we trust God and obey His will.
Micah 5:1
A Ruler from Bethlehem Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. With a rod they will strike the leader of Israel in the face.
From a place that the world considered insignificant, God would bring greatness. God made the tiny village of Bethlehem internationally famous when He chose it as the birthplace for the Messiah, God uses "insignificant" people and places to achieve great things. He can take our broken and useless life and turn it into a blessing to others if we let Him. This can begin as we share how God delivered us. As others hear how God has blessed us, they will experience hope that God can do the same for them. Out of hopeless situations, God can bring hope. Out of the confusion and chaos we have created, God can rebuild a world of peace. He sure has done a job on me and others who follow His will.
Micah 5:11-13 & 15
(11) I will tear down your walls and demolish the defenses of your cities. (12) I will put an end to all witchcraft; there will be no more fortune-tellers to consult. (13) I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars, so you will never again worship the work of your own hands. ....... (15) I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me."
God promised to destroy all the useless things His people had depended on for security. They relied on weapons and allied cities for protection from their enemies. l They sought spiritual guidance in the occult, astrology, and idol worship. God's people would discover that their so-called strengths were only illusions' these things could never help them. We do the same thing when we turn to our dependency - drugs, alcohol, sex, work, food, gambling, etc. etc - to help us deal with our pain. Sometimes we turn to other "spiritual" remedies for our addiction, which only leads us away from the one true source of help - God. These useless resources will fail when we really need them. Only God can bring us deliverance and true healing.
Micah 6:12
The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
Micah 7:5-7
(5) Don't trust anyone--not your best friend or even your wife! (6) For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother. The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household.
(7) As for me, I look to the LORD for his help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.
When people live for personal gain and turn away from God, the results are always disastrous. Following God's program leads to a society of peace and prosperity. Following personal gratification leads to a world where business becomes unproductive and competition becomes cruel. The leaders of the government become corrupt and no one can be trusted - even members of ones own family! Instead of following our selfish inclinations, we must choose to obey God's will for our life; it will lead to peace.
Micah 7:10
Then my enemies will see that the LORD is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, "Where is the LORD--that God of yours?" With my own eyes I will see them trampled down like mud in the streets.
Micah 7:16-17
(16) All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the LORD will do for you. They will be embarrassed that their power is so insignificant. They will stand in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. (17) They will come to realize what lowly creatures they really are. Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the LORD our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.
What beautiful words of comfort! No matter how terrible our past sins, there is always hope for the future when we turn our life over to God. As we follow God's will for us, we will experience God's full pardon and be the beneficiary of His perfect compassion. He will free us from the clutches of our dependency and make us a blessing to others. We can be assured of God's promises by looking back at how He has kept His promises in the past. As we hear how God has worked in the lives of others in recovery and dealing with significant life changing experiences, we can be encouraged to rely on His promise for our own healing.
These words have shown that His promises have been working in my life. Sometimes it seem difficult while being around others who only know the natural world and cannot see the spiritual world. Sometimes it seems difficult to focus on God when we are not around others who are not professing a love for God. We can become like the people we associate with, but reading the Word of God can and is giving me strength to continue studying His Word. Thank you, Laura, for reminding me of how much I need to study His Words and share what He is doing to me.
God bless you and your family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER BOB today as always, and I was wondering if you received the last word I sent to you or not,,,,,,,,,,, since it has been so long since I've heard from you, and I did not want it to be years,,,,,,, like the OBADIAH ,,,,,,,,,,,,
There has been so many people BLESSED by your comments on that,,,,, and I know that GOD ALMIGHTY led you to say all that you did, because everyone HOLDS THEIR PEACE.
ANYTIME WORDS ARE FROM GOD
EVERYONE HOLDS THEIR PEACE
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR
Just like all the poetry that GOD gives to me,,,,,,,,
EVERYONE HOLDS THEIR PEACE !
Brother Bob,,,, attached is some of GODS latest word I have to share, AMEN
Study it carefully,,,,,,,,,,
Anyways,,,,,,,,,,,
BROTHER BOB ,,,,,,, I want to say a PRAYER for you right now.
FATHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS ,,,,,,,,, LORD GOD ,,,,,, we HUMBLE ourselves before you today, and GIVE YOU PRAISE,,,, GIVE YOU GLORY,,,,, GIVE YOU HONOR
WE THANK YOU FOR everything you do for us, and how you take care of us..
WE THANK YOU FOR OUR DAILY TRIALS to make us MORE LIKE YOU........
WE THANK YOU FOR THE BURDENS YOU GIVE US TO CARRY,,,,,, as we know that whatever we carry, cannot be near what YOU CARRIED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY,
and that YOUR LOVE WILL BE OUR STRENGTH.....
AS OUR JOY IN THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH.....
AND FATHER , BLESS MY BROTHER RIGHT NOW,,,,, in his situation, and this famalies that the enemy keeps trying to use to make BROTHER BOB think that the situation is out of hand,
WE KNOW LORD GOD,, THAT YOU ARE IN CONTROL,, and WE KNOW THAT THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON, and a PURPOSE,,,, and we THANK YOU THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO GET OUR EYES OPEN to not be a natural man, or a carnal Christian,,,, but to LIVE IN THE SPIRIT,,,,,,, and BE MORE LIKE CHRIST,,,,,,,,,, and put ourselves ON THE CROSS , with ALL situations, FOR IT IS NEVER ABOUT US,,,,,, BUT IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU !
WE THANK YOU LORD THAT YOU HAVE OUR LIVES IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND,
and WE SUBMIT OURSELVES TO YOUR WILL,,,,,,,, LORD,,,,, not OURS.......
BLESS BROTHER BOB LORD,,,,,,, enlargen his teriortory,,,,, place your hand upon him,
keep all evil from him ,,,,,,,, so that he may not cause pain,,,,,,,,,
And sometimes LORD we forget that to be IN THE SPIRIT means to not think as we did before,,,, but to keep our mind on YOU & YOUR WORD..........
WE THANK YOU FOR THE LESSONS in our lives, and THANK YOU THAT YOU MADE
YOUR PEOPLE to be a BLESSING to others IN YOUR PRECIOUS NAME,,,,
THE NAME ABOVE ALL OTHERS,
THE NAME THAT KEEPS US IN PERFECT PEACE, when our mind is on YOU !
THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH
IN JESUS NAME
AMEN
God bless you and your family. Merry Christmas and plan on having the best year of your life. Happy New Year. Today is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Your brother in Christ, Bob Erb @ www.boberb.com , www.liferecoveryministry.org and www.waikikibeachoutreach.com xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
43.
Aloha, Baptism – Acts 2:38 & Matthew 3:15-16 -- 10-18-05
Dear Judy (and my brothers and sisters who are interested),
Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for your response. Thank you for sharing the Word of God. Thank you for for your questions.
I am a trained engineer and scientist, so I tend to base all of my actions on evidence and what I experience. I believe I am a pragmatic man and only suggest what I know that works for me, and maybe it will work for someone else. The model I used worked for me. The first part, as Jesus said, is the repenting process. The important baptism is the baptism by the Holy Spirit as Jesus said and we have no control over that. Yes, we can get baptized by water, but that doesn't make us a new person.
I presume I shared a little about my life to you, so you are aware that I was baptized by the Holy Spirit (or received a spiritual awakening, or was born again, or whatever you want to call it) many years before I was immersed with the baptism in water. As the Holy Spirit began leading me to get to know and use the Bible, when God wanted me to be baptized in water was when I wanted to do what Jesus did. Today, I desire to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and desire to do what He would do. As people heard the Good News from Him, they became baptized in water as the Holy Spirit led them. His disciples were there to make it happen. I will be there to make it happen when the Holy Spirit leads me and the other person to be baptized in water.
So, you need to do what God is showing you, and I will do what God is showing me. Your scriptures are accurate. Your action plan is right for you. I do not write these words because I have the wisdom to write them, I believe God is moving His hand by way of my hand because I desire to do His will, not Bob Erb;s. I must give all the recognition to God, not to me.
Now, since you shared these scriptures, maybe God wants me to look at them again and maybe I might see things differently the next time someone asks me how to become religious. Since you included the words in your letter, I won't repeat them here.
Peter's address to the Jews.
From this gift of the Holy Ghost, Peter preaches unto them Jesus: and here is the history of Christ. Here is an account of His death and sufferings, which they witnessed but a few weeks before. His death is considered as God's act; and of wonderful grace and wisdom. Thus Divine justice must be satisfied, God and man brought together again, and Christ himself glorified, according to an eternal counsel, which could not be altered. And as the people's act; in them it was an act of awful sin and folly. Christ's resurrection did away the reproach of his death; Peter speaks largely upon this. Christ was God's Holy One, sanctified and set apart to his service in the work of redemption. His death and sufferings should be, not to him only, but to all his, the entrance to a blessed life for evermore. This event had taken place as foretold, and the apostles were witnesses. Nor did the resurrection rest upon this alone; Christ had poured upon his disciples the miraculous gifts and Divine influences, of which they witnessed the effects. Through the Savior, the ways of life are made known; and we are encouraged to expect God's presence, and his favor for evermore. All this springs from assured belief that Jesus is the Lord, and the anointed Savior.
The baptism of Jesus.
After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit was seen in visible form, and the Father commended His Son. Jesus is thus shown to be in perfect harmony with His Father and the Holy Spirit. While those of us seeking recovery will never have perfect unity in our relationships, we can draw support from those who affirm us. As we study the Bible, God's love letter to the human race, we see numerous evidences of God's unlimited love or us. Knowing how much our heavenly Father loves us can help offset the lack of love and affirmation from our earthly relationships.
Christ's gracious condescension are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep and mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to start objections against the will of Christ. And those of us who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that we need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of Him, yet declares he will now be baptized of John. Christ is now in a state of humiliation. Our Lord Jesus looked upon it as well becoming him to fulfill all righteousness, to own every Divine institution, and to show his readiness to comply with all God's righteous precepts. In and through Christ, the heavens are opened to the children of men. This descent of the Spirit upon Christ, showed that He was endued with his sacred influences without measure. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. At Christ's baptism there was a manifestation of the three Persons in the sacred Trinity. The Father confirming the Son to be Mediator; the Son solemnly entering upon the work; the Holy Spirit descending on Him, to be through His mediation communicated to His people. In Him our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable, for He is the altar that sanctifies every gift. Out of Christ, God is a consuming fire, but in Christ, a reconciled Father. This is the sum of the gospel, which we must by faith cheerfully embrace.
God bless you and your family.
Your brother in Christ,
Bob Erb @ http://www.liferecoveryministry.org/wst_page3.php and check out item 43
Dear Bob...If I may I would like to add to what you |
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