A Better Devil. [Part [1] 03/13/2024 (Evening thought)

1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

For the purposes of this Bible study, a better devil is representative of the best choice you can make in a situation where you only have bad options on the table. The provocation of David, the leader of the nation is now going to extend to those under his jurisdiction. In every nation there is a chain of command and the underlings that do the kings bidding are to be wary, lest they obey dictates that they know would violate the word and the will of God.

Whenever a person violates conscience, in order to please the head of a nation, they put themselves on the fast track to compromise themselves in greater and weightier matters, and if the downward spiral is not arrested, that person will inevitably become the slave of circumstance. After Joab previously yielded to David’s demand for him to kill Uriah, Joab did violence to his conscience, and by so doing he set himself up to become a slave to leadership, whether the dear leader did wrong or right.

The very worst thing that underlings can do is to repeat or promulgate evils they know of, when it comes from the dear leader. The satanic thought was first infused into the mind of David, the one with the highest authority in the nation, and then from there it flowed downstream to any and every one who would not be guided by principle, truth, and duty. This is a very sorry state for any nation to be in.

1st Chronicles 21:2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people Go number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!

The Strait Gate Versus Broadway. Part [17] 03/12/2024 (Morning thought)

Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

This leads us to our third and final observation: He was sorry that such conditions existed. Question: Which conditions are being referred to? Answer: The conditions Christ laid down. All of the terms and conditions laid down by God in the Bible, for the Christian to adopt and follow, will ultimately lead a person to the pinnacle of success in this life, and in the life to come.

It all has to do with having the priorities in the right order, and one’s heart in the right place, for when this is the case, God will develop and bless the man or woman to the maximum, since doing so would not prove an existential threat to your salvation. The restrictions and self-denial you encounter in the strait gate are there for our development, character building, and success. Self-denial opens the door to liberty, and putting God, and others first, paves the way for you to reach the highest round on Jacob’s ladder.

Therefore, let none who have chosen the strait gate complain or murmur nor should we become sad like Asaph and the rich young ruler, for the ways of God are ways of success and triumph, in every aspect of the Christian’s life, if all the stipulations written are diligently followed by His grace, and in cooperation with the presence and power of the Holy Ghost. We’ll therefore end with a passage of scripture which should permanently debunk any other theory or perspective to the contrary.

2nd Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!