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Paths to the Spirits of the Dead


Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.


It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.

For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:12-19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Meaningless Life


In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

          It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

Ecclesiastes 7:15-18


Woe To Those

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,

to those who say, “Let God hurry,
let him hasten his work
so we may see it.

Let it approach,
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come,
let it approach, let it come,
so we may know it.”

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,

 

 

who put bitter for sweet

                                                           and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,

      who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.

Isaiah 5:18-23

 


Except A Little Oil

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.

When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

2 Kings 4:1-7


Tears In Your Bottle

You keep track of all my sorrows.
    

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    

 

You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8 (NLT)


Before The Creation of the World

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory,

 

 

the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

John 17:24


Before The World Began

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
John 17: 3-5


The Betrothed

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1,2

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

John 5:24

…Thus, then, is it evident that both sin and the law are utterly powerless to condemn a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

…No legal obedience – no personal merit or worthiness of the sinner whatever – is taken into the account of his discharge from condemnation.

…God will pardon sin, and justify the sinner, but it must be by a process supremely glorifying to himself.

…the case, strange and difficult though it is, is met, fully, adequately met, by the satisfaction of Jesus. The Son of God became the Son of Man. He presents himself to the Father in the character of the church’s substitute.

… It is the simple belief of this fact that brings instant peace to the bosom. A present discharge from condemnation must produce a present joy.

“Christ has made atonement, and with it God is satisfied; and if so, well may you be satisfied – delighting yourselves greatly in the abundance of peace, and going forth even now in the light and liberty of your present enlargement.”…

As all the nations of the world were federally and mystically in Adam when he fell: so the “holy nation,” the Church of God, was federally and mystically in the Second Adam, ” the Lord of heaven,”…

In Christ they were chosen – to Christ they were betrothed – with Christ they were united –

by Christ they are saved , – and, sitting with Christ on his throne, they shall reign with him for ever and ever.

From No Condemnation In Christ by Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) pp 6 -9 First Published 1853 First Banner of Truth Edition 1991


The Christ

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?

Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them,”This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. He told them,”This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Luke 24: 36-48


Two Sons

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons.

He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

” Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.

And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Matthew 21: 28-32