The Way Of Cain

The Way Of Cain

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:2-7)

From the Scriptures it appears that Cain knew how to bring an acceptable offering to the Lord. This is one of the clues that leads me to believe the Lord introduced a form of what would become the Levitical System right after the fall. There had to be a way for His earliest children to set aside their sins until the Redeemer He had promised to send (Gen. 3:15) came to solve the sin problem permanently. But although he knew what was right, Cain hadn’t done it and the Lord warned him that if he didn’t change there would be serious consequences. He didn’t and there were.


One of the tools used by theologians to help understand the Lord’s Word is called “The Principle Of First Mention”. It holds that the first time an important matter is mentioned in the Bible, the context in which it appears often contains information vital to our understanding of His Word in general, not just to the specific instance. The lesson from Genesis 4 is if we want to accepted by God, we should do the right thing. In the Old Testament doing the right thing was bringing the prescribed offering for sin. In the New, it’s believing in the one He sent (John 6:28-29).


Cain’s experience shows us that the Lord doesn’t condemn us for failing to do what is right without first teaching us what is right. It bears repeating that Cain knew what was right, but didn’t do it. Therefore he was acting with volition, consciously choosing a different way than the Lord had shown him.

I don’t think this is something that’s unique to Cain. There are several specific New Testament references to people who know what is right but don’t do it. I’m not talking about the sins we all commit, where we purposely do something that we know is displeasing to God. I’m talking about major disobedience that carries huge consequences. Jude called this following the Way of Cain. (Jude 1:11) In this study we’ll look at some folks who knew what was right but followed the way of Cain, and show that the consequences of their behavior has affected all of society.

Knowing What’s Right Vs. Doing What’s Right

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. (Romans 1:18-19).
This passage in Romans is not about people who never heard the truth about God and in ignorance came up with some alternate explanation for who we are and how we got here. This is about men who knew the truth and suppressed it. They knew what was right because God made it plain to them. But they not only didn’t do what was right, they tried to hide it so that others wouldn’t discover it. They compounded the Way of Cain and ruined our world.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:20-23)
God has made His presence known to man, and eliminated all our excuses. These men knew God but rejected Him, and when they did four things began to happen, all of them bad.


First, their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. That means they lost the ability to reason where the things of God are concerned. Remember Psalm 14:1, The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” And in 1 Cor. 1:14 Paul wrote, The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. A foolish person lacks the ability to reason and relies on wishful thinking. And second, they stopped worshiping the Creator in favor of the Creation.


These men held themselves out to be wise, learned men, who had come up with a superior alternative to what they call the fables and fiction of the Bible. Some called themselves scientists, although by definition science requires observation, and they’ve never observed their theory in action. What they were able to observe is that left alone, all things proceed from order into chaos, or devolve, and yet their theory requires things to go the opposite direction, evolving from chaos into order, without any outside assistance. Their’s is a natural law that violates natural law.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:24-25)


Third and fourth, many who accepted this alternative to Creation became sexually immoral and materialistic. If this had only happened to a few, we could have seen how different from the rest of us they had become. But since their theory effectively does away with God, it caught on among others who were seeking an alternative to Him, and after a relatively short period of time it worked its way into the educational systems of the world in the guise of science. In order to suppress the truth, scientists and educators made sure it was the only thing taught in our schools, and after a few generations no one even thought to question it. Even many of the leading theologians went along, seeing their theory as being more sophisticated and more intellectually appealing than God’s Word. Soon this theory that’s never been observed or proven became as fact.


Seeking to end their troublesome conflict with God’s Word for good, they got Him kicked out of the educational system altogether. As they did, the standard of morality began to decline, and before long the age of materialism was upon us followed by the sexual revolution. Then pornography went public and became an accepted part of our entertainment. Soon, half of all marriages were ending in divorce. 50 million unborn children were put to death for the sake of convenience. (Anyone can look at an ultrasound and know intuitively that it depicts a human life. It took experts who know what is right but refuse to do it to convince us otherwise.) Children who were brought into the world were abandoned to the very schools that had played a major role in causing the problem.


Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1:26-27)
When these men saw evidence of the cause and effect relationship that Paul had warned them about, they worked to suppress it as well. They called these judgments from God alternative lifestyles, as proper as any other choice, and began teaching our children to accept and even celebrate them. They passed laws against thinking of them in any other way, in some instances making it a crime for us to remind them of God’s word.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)


It’ll All Be Over Soon
As a society we’ve acquired such depraved minds that we don’t even see what’s happening to us. We should know that we’re on the brink of destruction, but we keep getting worse and worse, applauding behavior that we would have condemned in disgust only a few years ago.


Since the first judgments haven’t turned mankind back to God, a final, much more serious one is coming. This one is so bad that the Lord will remove His Church from out of the midst of it to protect us from it’s effect. (1 Thes. 1:9-10) Jesus said that it would be so bad that not one living soul would survive it unless he puts an end to it at the appointed time. (Matt. 24:22)
Already we can see signs of it building among us. But as bad as things are now, this is nothing compared to the way the world will soon be. In Paul’s day the Greek Empire was in the last days of it’s decline, gasping under the weight of the same kind of decay that’s in evidence everywhere in our world today. And Paul already saw it coming upon the Roman Empire, although the worst of it was still several hundred years away at the time. In each of these world Empires people’s hearts had become so hardened and their minds so depraved that they couldn’t even figure out what was happening to them. It’s the same today, except it’s coming upon the world much more quickly this time. Having failed to learn from its mistakes, the world of our time is doomed to repeat them.

And contrary to the prevailing view in the Charismatic and Emerging Church movements, the Bible mentions no great revival at the end of the age to right all our wrongs, heal all our diseases, and clean up our mess in time to hand it over to the Messiah, all bright and shiny. The reason people from those movements don’t want you studying Bible prophecy is that their version of the End Times, called Dominion Theology, can not be found there.


Contrary to what they preach, this is what God’s word tells us to expect. Jesus said that in the last days the believing Church would have little strength but would keep His word and not deny His name. He said He would come for us soon and to hold on until He does. (Rev. 3:8,11) On the other hand, He said, the apostate church would consider itself wealthy and in need of nothing, not realizing that they’re wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. All the while He stands knocking at their door trying to get in. Unable to do so, He will spew them out of His mouth. (Rev. 3:16,17,20).

None of this had to happen, of course. It all started when a few men who knew what was right decided not to do it. And the rest, as they say, is history. It’s hard to believe that all of our society’s sexual immorality, its materialism and greed, the decay of its educational system, its disregard for the value of human life, and its celebration of alternative lifestyles, all stem from its decision to ignore what men know is right but refuse to do. But that’s exactly what’s happened. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, worshiping and serving created things rather than our Creator. It’s the Way of Cain. Selah (08-20-11)

Etude sur les relations humaines selon Actes 27. (Suite)

Etude sur les Relations Humaines selon Actes 27

(Suite) 2ème partie.

Application de Vie “Quand notre propre bateau fait naufrage”

Pour lire la 1ère partie, cliquer ICI  

Pour comprendre le contexte précédent, lire Actes 27: 1-7.
Continuons avec le verset 7: Pendant plusieurs jours, nous avons navigué lentement et c'est avec beaucoup de peine que nous sommes parvenus à la hauteur de Cnide. Mais le vent ne nous permettait plus d'avancer dans cette direction, et nous sommes passés au sud de la Crète, en doublant le cap Salmoné. Nous avons eu du mal à longer la côte et nous sommes arrivés à un endroit appelé «Beaux Ports», près de la ville de Lasée.
Les circonstances hors de tout controle humain étaient telles que la perte de temps était considérable.
Sans vouloir paraître trop insensible à l’injustice de la vie, ce sont les aléas de la réalité vécue. Durant le cours de notre vie, chacun de nous passera par une situation hors de notre contrôle. Notez que dans le récit, la vie de chaque passager suivait un long tracé de pensées, d’intentions, d’actions, de réactions, de désirs, d’habitudes, de modes de comportement, et de vie résultant de choix qu'ils avaient fait, soit bons ou mauvais. Alors, fondamentalement, nous sommes tous dans la même galère!

La question est de savoir: Qui a le contrôle du bateau?

Le bateau lui-même était em bon état. C’est le moment choisi pour le voyage qui était inopportun.
Notez qu’après que son premier avertissement qui restait vain, Paul laisse la situation suivre son cours sans intervention. Il n’avait aucune solution alternative à offrir.
Le refus d’écouter et de ne pas suivre de sages conseils et avertissements engendre des conséquences désastreuses.
Quand finalement, Paul entend la voix de l’ange, au moment propice, il révèle le message, en encourageant et en exhortant tous à être courageux, à avoir foi dans la miséricorde, la grâce et la providence divines. Cela montre le coeur plein de compassion d’un serviteur de Dieu rempli de grâce, de miséricorde et d’amour, prêt à intervenir en faveur des hommes à sa charge spirituelle. La révélation lui a été accordée em réponse à sa prière d’intercession.

Celui qui reçoit le message d’avertissement a la responsabilité d’obéir, de partager la révélation, de conseiller, d’exhorter et d’encourager son audience à croire en toute foi que Dieu accomplira ce qu’il a dit qu’il fera. 

 Et Dieu nous a accordé par grâce des dons différents. Pour l'un, c'est la *prophétie: qu'il exerce cette activité conformément à notre foi commune. 

7 Pour un autre, c'est le service: qu'il se consacre à ce service. Que celui qui a reçu un ministère d'enseignement enseigne.

8 Que celui qui a reçu un ministère d'encouragement encourage. Que celui qui donne le fasse sans arrière-pensée; que celui qui dirige le fasse avec sérieux; que celui qui secourt les malheureux le fasse avec joie. Romains 12:6-8

Cependant, quand il s’agit de recevoir les bénédictions divines, il y a des conditions.
En réponse à la prière de Paul, Dieu aurait pu calmer le vent et la tempête comme il l’avait fait auparavant sur la Mer de Galilée. Paul lui-même aurait pu le faire par la puissance de Dieu en lui. Dans les deux cas, le navire aurait pu atteindre sa destination sans encombres et sans dommages. Au lieu de cela, Dieu a choisi de laisser le bateau dériver dans la tempête jusqu’au naufrage.

Pareillement, lorsqu’on se trouve dans une situation semblable, Dieu veut nous montrer par cette expérience que nous abandonnions nos anciens modes de vivre, de réparer à notre façon les vieilles habitudes de penser et d’agir dans nos rapports avec autrui. Il veut donner um second souffle à nos vies, tout comme ceux qui ont été sauvés du naufrage se sont embarqués sur un nouveau bateau. "Après um séjour de trois mois nous avons fait voile sur un navire d’Alexandre qui avait hiverné dans l’île.” Actes 28:11. Peut-être peut-on supposer que leurs vies et leurs rapports ont bénéficié de l’impact formidable de cette expérience. (j’ai personnellement fait l’expérience de plusieurs tempêtes terribles en mer et je peux testifier de leur effet profond dans ma vie.)  Poème décrivant une de ces tempêtes vécue.

Ce qui est perdu est perdu. Acceptons la réalité. Lachons prise de ce qu’on ne peut changer ou refaire et recommençons de façon différente et nouvelle. Cela peut être aussi simple que de changer d’idée ou de notre façon d’aborder ou de solutionner um problème. Après tout, faut-il s’attendre à des résutats différents si on utilise la même approche qui ne marche pas.
Dans le cas de la tempête, l’approche de Dieu était de changer de bateau, mais cela aurait été impossible sans le naufrage et la destruction du premier navire.
Attention!
Après avoir pris une mauvaise décision dans une relation (mauvais choix, ou mauvais moment choisi basés peut-être sur une logique erronée, intérêt personnel ou données inexactes), un début agréable peut nous tromper en nous amenant à penser que tout ira bien jusqu’au moment où il est trop tard et nous nous rendons compte que nous sommes au milieu d’une tempête. On ne doit pas se leurrer et prendre à la légère la grâce de Dieu et agir contrairement à la volonté divine.

Après avoir pris la décision de partir, “Une légère brise du sud s'était levée et ils voyaient déjà leur projet réalisé. Ils ont donc levé l'ancre et longé la côte de Crète au plus près. Verse 13.

Parfois, Dieu doit détruire le faux sentiment de sécurité en retirant les soutiens fictifs sur lesquels nous construisons nos vies de façon à reconstruire sur um fondement bon et solide.
Sur le navire, il y avait des hommes libres et des hommes enchainés. Il y avait des marins, des soldats et des prisonniers. Chacun d’eux pensait faire ce qui était bon de leur propre point de vue, guidés par leurs désirs et leurs raisons.
Les uns comme le patron du bateau espérait un gain de ce voyage mais il pouvait perdre tout. D’autres, comme les marins se souciaient peu de la cargaison ou du profit de sa vente losrqu’il s’agissait de choisir entre la cargaison et leur propre survie. L’important était de sauver leur vie. Les prisonniers n’avaient rien à gagner et tout à perdre quelque soit le résultat du voyage. Paul était enchainé physiquement, mais spirituellement libre en Christ.

C’est seulement quand rien d’autre ne marchait que tous les autres commencèrent à écouter et à être réceptifs au message de Paul. Paul était le seul possédant les paroles d’autorité spirituelle.

• Il était calme et satisfait de sa condition.
•  Le seul qui avait tout à gagner et rien à perdre.
•  Sa vie ne dépendait de personne ni de rien
• Il s’était placé dans les mains de Dieu.
•  Il avait été appelé pour un but.
•  Il savait et avait déjà accepté la souffrance qui ferait partie de ce but.

En conclusion, on peut voir la grâce de Dieu en action dans la démonstration cette fois-ci, non de la puissance de sa colère, mais dans son amour et sa miséricorde quand il épargne et donne une autre chance aux passagers, qu’ils soient libres ou attachés, criminels ou innocents.
Prions dans la même veine qu’Habacuc l’a prié dans Habaquq 3:1,2 et demandons à Dieu de nous utiliser comme il a utilisé Paul pour partager sa miséricorde et sa grâce avec les autres. O Eternel, j'ai entendu ce que tu as annoncé,
et je suis effrayé devant ton oeuvre, ô Eternel.
Dans le cours des années, accomplis-la[b]!
Dans le cours des années, fais-la connaître!
Dans ton indignation, rappelle-toi d'être clément (ou miséricordieux)!
Jacques 2:12: Parlez et agissez donc comme des personnes appelées à être jugées par la loi qui donne la liberté. ( la loi parfaite de Christ, la loi de l’amour, la loi royale, la loi de l’Esprit), car le jugement est sans miséricorde pour qui n’a pas fait miséricorde.
LA MISÉRICORDE TRIOMPHE DU JUGEMENT.

Jean-Louis.

Étude sur les Relations Humaines selon Actes 27

LE NAUFRAGE DE PAUL SUR L'ÎLE DE MALTE

I. SITUATION ANTÉRIEURE

1.Circonstances hors du contrôle humain. Tempête et naufrage

 Beaucoup de temps s'était écoulé ainsi, et la navigation devenait dangereuse, car l'époque du grand jeûne d'automne était déjà passée. Alors Paul leur a donné cet avertissement: Verset 9.

Avertissement de Paul:

Mes amis, je considère que, si nous continuons notre voyage, non seulement la cargaison et le bateau subiront de grands dommages, mais nous-mêmes nous risquerons notre vie. Verse 10.

2. Les efforts humains pour corriger la situation.

La réponse des responsables:

Mais l'officier romain se fiait plus à l'opinion du pilote et du patron du bateau qu'aux paroles de Paul. Verset 11.

3. Pression pour agir.

Résultat: Mauvaise décision:

De plus, comme le port ne convenait pas à un hivernage, la majorité a décidé d'en repartir pour gagner, si possible, Phénix, un port de Crète orienté vers le sud-ouest et le nord-ouest, et d'y passer l'hiver.Verset 12.

Leçon à apprendre: Parfois la majorité peut se tromper même si la décision est prise à partir d’une base fondée sur un raisonnement logique et des données correctes.

Conséquence: Mais peu de temps après, un vent violent comme un typhon --- connu sous le nom d'euraquilon --- s'est mis à souffler des hauteurs de l'île. Le bateau était entraîné au large: il ne pouvait pas résister au vent et nous avons dû nous laisser emporter à la dérive.Le lendemain, comme la tempête n'arrêtait pas de secouer le bateau avec violence, on l'a délesté d'une partie de sa cargaison. Le troisième jour, les matelots ont jeté, de leurs propres mains, tous les agrès du bateau à la mer. Versets 14-19.

II. SITUATION PRÉSENTE.

1. Aucune aide du ciel. Conditions météorologiques désastreuses.

Pendant plusieurs jours, on ne voyait plus ni le soleil ni les étoiles. La tempête continuait de faire rage  Verset 20 (a).

Résultat: Perte d’espoir. et nous finissions par perdre tout espoir d'en sortir sains et saufs. Verset 20(b).

Une bonne leçon bien méritée: “Je vous l’avais bien dit”. ( Apparemment Paul n’avait suivi aucun enseignement de la psychologique si prévalent aujourd’hui sur la façon de ne pas endommager l’amour propre des gens en leur disant la vérité). Nous n’aimons pas entendre ces paroles parce que nous cachons notre orgueil personnel sous la fine couche de vernis de notre fragile ego. ( Un peu de honte au départ nous épargnerait bien de la peine plus tard). Alors Paul, debout au milieu d'eux, leur a dit: ---Mes amis, vous auriez mieux fait de m'écouter et de ne pas quitter la Crète. Vous auriez évité tous ces dégâts et toutes ces pertes.

Paul s’addressant à l’équipage:

Il y avait longtemps qu'on n'avait plus rien mangé.Verset 21 . 

• Remarquez que Paul ( ou plutôt Dieu qui parlait à travers lui) a attendu que les hommes soient prêts à l’écouter, tout comme le père dans la parabole du fils prodigue a attendu que son fils soit affamé, qu’il arrive au bout du rouleau et revienne à la raison.

Il les exhorta seulement après que “les hommes soient restés longtemps sans nourriture”. Verset 21 (a).

Exhortation avec l’appui de la connaissance:

• Paul: Mais maintenant, je vous invite à reprendre courage, car aucun de vous n'y perdra la vie; seul le bateau sera perdu. Verset 22.2.

2.Aide et intervention divines

Conséquence:

Explication de Paul: Visitation angélique
Résultat: Espoir repris

En effet, cette nuit, un *ange du Dieu à qui j'appartiens et que je sers, s'est présenté devant moi et m'a dit: «Paul, ne crains rien! Il faut que tu comparaisses devant l'empereur, et Dieu t'accorde la vie sauve pour tous tes compagnons de voyage.»
Verset 23-24.

Important principe à ne pas oublier.
• L’Être précède toujours l’action. De même que nous sommes des pécheurs non parce que nous commettons le péché mais à cause de notre nature humaine pécheresse, nous accomplissons des oeuvres justes pas parce que nous sommes justes selon notre propre mérite, mais à cause de la justice de Dieu qui nous est imputée. Dieu a clairement révélé son nom à Moïse quand il lui dit: “Je suis celui qui suis” et non “Je fais ce que je fais”. Si Christ dont nous portons le nom pouvait prononcer ces mots du buisson ardent, qui sommes-nous pour aller de l’avant et procéder à “l’action” avant l’être?

Réponse de Paul à la visitation angélique: • La seule réponse qui plaise à Dieu, à savoir LA FOI.

• Paul aux hommes:   

Courage donc, mes amis! J'ai *confiance en Dieu: tout se passera comme il me l'a dit.

Nous devons échouer quelque part sur une île.!!! Versets 25, 26.

Non seulement l’exhortation de Paul à l’équipage venait de l’assurance de sa connaissance de la révélation divine (Cette foi n’était pas aveugle, tout comme celle d’Abraham, tout comme devrait être la nôtre), mais aussi de la foi qu’elle inspirait et qu’elle motivait.

3. Tentative d'évasion: ( Fuite de devant Dieu et sa volonté).

Comme ils avaient peur de voir le bateau s'écraser sur quelque récif, ils ont jeté quatre ancres à l'arrière en attendant avec impatience la venue du jour. Alors les marins, qui voulaient s'enfuir du bateau, ont commencé à mettre à la mer le canot de sauvetage, sous prétexte d'aller amarrer une ancre à l'avant. Verset 30.

Quels sont quelques canots de sauvetage, les issues de secours faciles, les stratégies de sortie que nous tenons cachées au fond de notre esprit juste au cas où le bateau que Dieu nous a donné dans nos vies actuelles se révêle être moins qu’adéquate selon notre opinion? Après tout, ne savons-nous pas mieux que Lui ce qui est bon pour nous et comment piloter notre propre navire?

• Le divorce fait-il partie de cet inventaire?

• Peut-être c’est le choix des enfants fuyant d’une situation difficile chez eux ou tout simplement léxpression du désir de se libérer prématurément de la tutelle bienveillante de leurs parents, pensant mener une vie libre de contraintes, de limites et d'entraves à leur recherche illusoire du plaisir momentané? 

• Ou bien peut-être la décision de rompre l’engagement dans une église ou de changer de travail à cause de relations difficiles avec un supérieur ou des collègues?

• Est-ce que c’est la solution choisie pour la rupture d’une relation quelque soit le degré d’engagement parce qu’elle exige du désinteressement et du sacrifice de notre part et qu’elle ne répond plus à nos attentes et besoins irréalisables bien que ce soit Dieu qui ait agencé exactement ce qu’il nous fallait pour nous aider à naviguer les eaux agitées de la vie, ceci pour nous aider à murir et devenir la personne conforme à l’image de Jésus?

Notez que dans de tels cas, on perçoit toujours une attitude de faux-semblant, une dénégation de la réalité indiqués par un manque d’honnêteté et une réticence à assumer la responsabilité pour justifier ses propres actions et mauvais choix. (Pour mieux comprendre cette réaction, voir l’histoire de Jonah.)

Dans ce récit, chacun tente de préserver sa vie en utilisant ses propres compétences de survie. Les marins voulaient utiliser les canots de sauvetage. Plus tard, les soldats voulaient utiliser leurs glaives pour empêcher les prisonniers de nager jusqu’au rivage dans une tentative de fuite. Ils avaient besoin d’eux pour sauver leur propres vies qu’ils perdraient s’ils manquaient à remplir leur devoir d’escorter les prisonniers jusqu’ à leur destination finale.

4. L’avertissement de Paul: Les conditions pour le sauvetage divin.

Mais Paul a dit à l'officier romain et aux soldats: ---Attention, si ces hommes ne restent pas à bord, vous ne pourrez plus être sauvés. Verset 32.

Les promesses et bénédictions divines sont sujettes à des conditions. Seuls sa miséricorde et amour tels que nous l’a démontré le sacrifice de son fils Jésus- Christ sur la croix comme paiement suffisant pour nos péchés sont sans conditions et une source dynamique du pacte de sang unilateral. Le résultat en est le pardon de nos péchés, le salut de nos âmes et le don gratuit de la vie éternelle pour tous ceux qui mettent leur confiance dans Le Seigneur et reçoivent l’Esprit de Jésus par la foi qu’il anime en nous et qui se manisfeste par l’obéissance. Bien sûr, cela implique un acte volontaire conscient de soumettre sa propre volonté à celle de Dieu et de choisir ses chemins au lieu des nôtres.

5. Encouragement et rassurance de Paul:

Quelles que soient les raison pour la privation de nourriture pendant 14 jours, soit le suspense constant, soit la lutte interminable pour garder le bateau à flot contre les elements déchainés, ou encore une reaction purement viscerale les empêchant de garder leur nourriture, puisque tous les 276 passagers sont toujours à bord, Paul les encourage par ces paroles:

“Je vous exhorte donc à prendre de la nourriture, car c’est nécessaire pour votre salut et personne de vous ne perdra um cheveu de as tête.” Verset 34.

6. Démonstration de foi et d’autorité dans la direction spirituelle de Paul:

Um bon et fidèle serviteur de Dieu montrera toujours le bom exemple à suivre; ses actions prouveront ses paroles. D’abord, Paul se tourne vers Dieu, celui qui dispense ses bénédictions et ses promesses par l’exemple d’une attitude correcte, la réponse d’um coeur reconnaissant pour la grâce de Dieu qui pourvoit à tous nos besoins.

“Cela dit, Il rendit grâces à Dieu devant tous, (aucune honte d’apparaître super pieux devant les autres), le rompit et se mit à manger. Verset 35.

Résultats: la Foi tourne à l’action:

a) Une réponse croissante de confiance de la  part de l’équipage  dans la providence de Dieu à travers la direction et l’exemple de Paul: “Alors de bon coeur, tous prirent de la nourriture.” Verset 36.

Preuve additionelle de leur confiance dans la provision de Dieu pour le reste du voyage: “Quand ils eurent assez mangé, ils allégèrent le navire em jetant le blé à la mer.”Verset 38.

b) Changement d’attitude et d’agissement chez le centurion qui était responsable de la direction séculière: Alors même que la destine du navire était hors de son pouvoir et dans les mains du Dieu Tout-Puissant, le centurion ne fuit pas sa responsabilité et son autorité déléguée du gouvernement en demandant à Paul qu’il prenne commande du bateau et du cargo humain et matériel. Alors qu’au début, il s’opposait au conseil de Paul, maintenant à cause de son entrainement à reconnaître et à respecter la vraie autorité, à la fin, Il fait preuve de sagesse et d’une bonne attitude correcte face à la miséricorde divine par sa propre réponse de foi et de miséricorde et par les actions décrites par les versets suivants: “les soldats furent d’avis de tuer les prisonniers de peur que l’um d’eux ne s’échappe à la nage. Mais le centurion qui voulait sauver Paul les empêcha d’exécuter ce dessein. Il donna l’ordre à ceux qui pouvaient nager de se jeter dans l’eau pour gagner la terre, et aux autres de le faire soit sur des planches, soit sur des débris de navire.” Versets 42-44. Il fit cela en pleine connaissance de courir le risque qui pourrait lui coûter non seulement sa carrière militaire, mais aussi sa propre vie. Quel grand exemple admirable de courage, de qualité de leader et de sacrifice.

III. CONCLUSION

“Et ainsi tous parvinrent à terre sains et saufs.”  Verset 44.

La foi et la confiance en la volonté révélée de Dieu et l’obéissance à ses commandemants (pas nécessairement les dix, mais à toutes les instructions de l’enseignement du Nouveau Testament sur l’amour et le devoir) produiront les fins désirées de la  vraie parole de Dieu et de ses promesses sûres dans une situation difficile. Parfois, cet aboutissement se passe à travers la direction et le bon exemple d’um leader légitime appelé au service de Dieu dont les actions consistentes avec ses paroles démontrent qu’il a reçu son appel et son autorité déléguée de Dieu lui-même.

A suivre. "Quand notre propre bateau fait naufrage":  L'application de vie de ces leçons bibliques.

Restez à l’écoute. La suíte de cette aventure va nous montrer l'intervention et le  sauvetage puissant de Dieu.

Jean-Louis.

Max Keiser - World is witnessing financial WWIII

Max Keiser : This is a war. This is World War III. This is the new war using financial derivatives. And the objective is to preserve the speculative rates given to the Wall Street bankers of zero percent. You know, Ben Bernanke this week came out and said "we're gonna be keeping this rate of zero percent for over two years or indefinetly". That doesn't help workers, that doesn't help savers, that doesn't help society, that only helps speculators, that only helps the plunderers. And if you look at those riots in London, all those plunderers on the streets would be doing was mimicking the plundering at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. I'm surprised Goldman Sachs is not down on the street trying to recruit these kids to work at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan ! They are excellent plunderers, why don't they work on Wall Street ? They've proven themselves ! Let's give them the job !

Bernanke's job is to be down in the mouth and say that he must keep interest rates low. That's its job ! And to determine where interest rates should be, he looks at a series of statistics that do not include energy or food ! So he does not see inflation ! He only looks at things that are falling in price. And therefore he concludes that there's deflation and that the interest rates must be near zero. And in Switzerland now interest rates have gone negative. They're charging people to keep money at the bank, also the United States are utilizing negative interest rates. That's to be... my prediction would be... that's to be widespread all over the G20 nations, negative interest rates forcing people into those speculative bets, which of course benefit to terrorists, the financial terrorists, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Barclays, the central banks, the Bank of International Settlement, the rating agencies, the hedge funds ! This is a war !

EMOTIONAL AMPUTEES More on pain and forgiveness

Another aspect of hurt and forgiveness.
Note: I am not a doctor and my reflections on the subject of pain come from observations and meditating on the Word of God.

Our physical senses are designed in such a way that the signals they provide help us in gathering information to apprehend the world around us and to function in it.
On a physiological and neurological level, if a limb or a finger is amputated, the amputee can feel physical pain where there is no more limb.

Could the same be said of the emotional level? Sometimes the same thing can happen in the loss a loved one or the dissolution of a marriage relationship through separation or divorce. Or it could be the end of a long friendship in which we have been betrayed. The pain we feel is real because so much of ourselves had been invested in that person at different levels of intimacy. (Psychology Today´s study: Emotional and Physical Pain Activate Similar Brain Regions)

The association between the person, the intimacy and the pain is present because of the chemical/electrical impulses in our brain that stimulates the cerebral cortex every time we think of the person or an event associated with the person. The Lord can heal the physical part if physical harm has taken place through prayer or the intervention of a doctor, we can grieve and time lessens the pain, but if the person has not learnt to dissociate the memory in the past triggering the painful reaction in the present, emotional bondage can occur.

Is it possible to be free of our guilt feelings, of our sense of not being forgiven or unforgiving and of any of the other tricks Satan uses to keep us in emotional and spiritual bondage. This is why it's so important to keep the helmet of salvation on. Salvation in Hebrew or Greek means more than just being born again, it means health, being made whole, being unfragmented, being one in mind, body, spirit and soul. This is the way I felt for the first time in my life when I was 22 and the Holy Spirit came and literally washed me clean of my sin with His Light and His Word.
 

It is my opinion that the invisible parts that have been cut out from us through the breaking off the relationship are similar to the physical amputation. But one must resist the temptation of placing blame on the offending party for our having been cut up and been robbed emotionally once we have forgiven, because if not, we just place ourselves into a jail of our own making.

Jesus commanded us to forgive. Do you remember that He also said to pluck our eye out if it offends us or to cut our hand off if it offends us? I believe He was talking about a spiritual operation performed by the Holy Spirit when we recognize our inability to do God's will without His strength and help. Notice that He said one eye and one hand. We have two eyes and two hands, but one heart which to me means that when our heart is focused on the Lord, our eye (singular) will be full of light. Matthew 6:22. " the light of the body is the eye, if therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light".

Is it possible to exercise faith and live in unbelief at the same time, thus denying the power of the Word and the blood covenant and negating the blessing of freedom that comes as part and parcel of our inheritance? 
Our eyes can focus only on one thing at a time. James illustrates the need to warn us against being divided by the use of our tongue in James 3:10: "Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing.... Can both fresh water and salt water come from the same spring? ...Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

Psalm 18: 28 declares: "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning,my God turns my darkness into light". Same Psalm verse 27: "You save the humble, but bring low those whose eyes are haughty."
If we humble ourselves, stop being proud, (haughty eyes), self-sufficient and independent and focus our eyes on the Lord, by the power of His Holy Spirit, He will answer our humble request and give us a pure, undivided heart, one that will be attentive to His voice. Psalm 43: 3 says: "Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me". The truth of the Word without the Spirit to illuminate it is without effect upon the human hearts and minds. Both go together, just like truth and love.

I love this passage in Isaiah, it describes so well the one who in his ignorant condition seeks the light of God and the other one who seeks his own enlightenment because he is proud and independent.
In Isaiah chapter 50: 10- 11 the LORD says:
"Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant,
Let him who walks in the dark who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.But now all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
Go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze,

this is what you shall receive from my hand; you will lie down in torment".

Following the parallel with emotional pain, I believe that it is possible to remember the person, the memories of the time spent together good and bad, constructive and destructive without feelings of rancor, resentment or bitterness and unforgiveness. It is as if we were observing a situation without being negatively emotionally involved. And at other times, when we find ourselves dwelling on our past and anger and indignation rises in us, it is possible at that time to stop bitterness from growing again by choosing to ask God’s forgiveness and blessing on that person’s life. We have released once again that person and used the key that God provided to keep us out of a jail of our own making.

Jean-Louis. 

 

PS: By the way, after I had already written this reflection, the testimony of a friend of mine, amputee, who lost both his legs from the hips down in a car accident caused by a wreckless driver, confirmed what I surmised in the case of physical loss of a limb. As I talked with him, I was able to get a clearer picture and distinguish between two aspects of the real although invisible presence of the cut off limb. He explained that he is aware of his limb being still attached to his body and of the sensation of pain.
However at other times, the limbs hurt and the pain is real, not imagined as we would think.

G

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PSALM 77

Psalm 77

Commentary by Jack Kelley. Grace trhu Faith.

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Most people seem to have trouble transposing God’s faithfulness in past times to the present. “Sure He’s saved me before,” we think, “But how do I know he will this time? Maybe He’s tired of dragging my sorry self out of the fire. Maybe I’ve finally gone too far and He’s going to sit this one out to teach me a lesson.”


We think this way because we impute our motives to His behavior. Knowing we’re fed up with our behavior, we assume He is too, and that He’ll do to us what we’d do in His place. Not understanding the limitless reaches of His Grace, we think that each transgression of ours could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In Matthew 18:21 Peter asked how many times we should forgive each other. “Up to seven times, Lord?”Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” If that’s the standard for us, what do you suppose God’s standard is?

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) This means that every morning God erases the past and we start with a clean slate. No matter how badly we missed the mark yesterday, today is a new beginning. And not just for a week or month or even a year, but for all our lives.


In ancient times a lamb was placed on the altar every morning to burn all day. This protected the Israelites from being struck down for the unintentional sins they committed during the day. At sundown a new lamb replaced the one that had burned all day. This one burned all night to protect them until morning. And so it went every morning and every evening. As long as there was a Temple and as long as the priests were faithful the people were OK. But since the protection was only retro-active and only covered unintentional sin they still had a tremendous exposure.


But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebr. 10:12-14)

With the death of Jesus our protection extended both ways along the time line and included intentional sin as well. His one sacrifice has made us perfect forever in God’s sight, even as we are still being made Holy. The cross allows God to see us now as we will be after He’s made us immortal and incorruptible. All we have to do when we sin is confess and we are automatically forgiven. And more than that, our sins are immediately forgotten. We are purified from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Our Father loves us so much, He wanted every barrier to the full expression of His love for us torn down. Jesus accomplished that on the cross, except for one. The one remaining is the one we’ve erected. It’s made of pride and guilt and the false belief that His love for us is conditioned upon our performance. Only we can tear that one down. But once we do we can experience the full meaning of Lamentations 3:22-23. His compassions never fail. Not for seven times or even seventy times seven, they are new every morning.
Tags: Faith, Grace, Israel
Related Posts:
◦Psalm 136
◦Psalm 106
◦Psalm 118
◦Psalm 130
◦Psalm 30

Electronic Skin Tatoos

Electronic Skin Tattoos: Daily Update 8/16/11 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.

Gary examines the new technology surrounding electronic skin tattoos. Are they the beginning of the mark of the beast?

TIME TRAVELERS OF THE BIBLE

Time Travelers of the Bible Part 1 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.
Gary and Bob take a look at Gary's book "Time Travelers of the Bible"

The Role Of Iran In End Times Prophecy

The Role Of Iran In End Times Prophecy

http://blogs.christianpost.com/
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The nation of Iran was called Persia, its Biblical name, until 1935. Persia was one of the former great empires of the world, ruling from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C, until they were conquered by Alexander the Great. Kings such as Cyrus the Great, Darius, Ahasuerus (commonly known as Xerxes), and Artaxerxes ruled this once great empire. Persia was also the setting for the book in the Bible entitled Esther. Ironically, the book of Esther tells how a Jewish girl became the queen of Persia and how God used her to save her people from a plot to destroy them. The book also explains how a special festival, called Purim, was established to remember and celebrate the deliverance that the Jews had experienced. Purim is derived from the Persian word pur, meaning 'lot'. It recalls how Haman, the enemy of the Jews, cast lots to determine the best day to carry out his plan to exterminate them.


It would appear not much has changed in 2,500 years. A 'spirit of Haman' still influences the leaders of Iran in the present day. I quote now from The New York Times (October 27, 2005). "Iran's conservative new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Wednesday that Israel must be 'wiped off the map'...Referring to comments by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic revolution, Ahmadinejad said, 'As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map". Don't think it is just Iran's President who believes this. He is only a puppet of the Ayatollahs who actually run the government. Amazingly, Psalm 83:2, 4, is prophetic for our day. It says, "For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you (God) have raised their heads. They say, 'Come, LET US WIPE THEM OUT AS A NATION; let the name of Israel be remembered no more". Iran's leaders, in their hatred of Israel, have become a self-fulfilling prophecy by quoting Psalm 83:4. One day soon, according to the prophet Ezekiel, Iran will experience a 7-fold judgment from God. Its end has been decreed.


Unknown to many, Iran is an important player in the Bible's prophecies of the end of days. It was 2,600 years ago, prior to Persia even becoming a world empire, that the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of the future that most every Biblical scholar agrees is speaking of the time period in which we are currently living. Specifically, in Ezekiel 38, there is a list of nations that will come together at the end of days for the express purpose of destroying the nation of Israel. This battle has been traditionally called the 'Gog and Magog' war. Among those nations listed is Turkey, who is identified by multiple ancient place names/locations that existed within that country's current borders (i.e., Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Togarmah). Also, Libya is identified. Some Bible translations use the word 'Put', which is simply the Hebrew place name for the area currently occupied by present-day Libya. Finally, Iran has been singled out by its ancient name Persia (Ezekiel 38:5).


This coalition of nations, and the Bible implies many more nations with them, will make an all-out assault on Israel at the end of days with the intention of destroying her. God told Ezekiel that this event would occur in the "latter years" (Ezekiel 38:8). At the last moment it will look like Israel will be wiped out, but God will intervene and Iran and the other nations will suffer a 7-fold judgement from God - a great earthquake, pestilence, bloodshed, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:19-22). To be sure, God will not need Israeli airplanes and troops to get this accomplished. In fact, the context of the Scripture implies that this event occurs when Israel is isolated by the nations, as is happening now, and is vulnerable to attack precisely because they are unable to rely on friends and allies. This is also occurring with each passing day.


When God makes Iran and the other nations an example of His divine judgement, He also reveals His divine purpose. Seven times, God's perfect number, He makes similar statements as the one found in Ezekiel 39:7, "my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel...and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel." There you have the reason for God's intervention. God's coming judgement on Iran and the other nations with them will be to reveal Himself, to magnify Himself, to reveal His holiness, to glorify Himself, and to make Himself known in the eyes of many nations - all these phrases found in the Book of Ezekiel. God intervenes on behalf of Israel in order to reveal to the nations that He is God alone, that the prophecies of old that spoke of Him are true, and that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah who came to bring salvation to all of mankind.


Additionally, revival will come to Israel. At the end of Ezekiel 39 it says that God will pour out His Spirit upon the house of Israel. God says, "then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land (prophecy fulfilled May 1948), and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 39:28-29). According to the Apostle Peter in the New Testament, only Jesus Christ has been given this authority to pour out the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33, Peter said, in referring to Jesus upon His resurrection, "...being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear". On that day, Jesus Christ will gloriously reveal Himself to Israel and an unbelieving world as the one true Savior, Lord, Messiah, and God!

As it regards the nation of Iran and the other participating nations, they may want to consider the Bible's graphic description of the aftermath of this judgement captured in Ezekiel 39. It says, "For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land" (v. 12). Then the Lord, speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel says, "Speak to the birds of every sort and to all the beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth..." (Ezekiel 39:17-18). God says that one day He is going to make a feast out of these fallen armies for all kinds of scavengers. Iran's destiny and end has been decreed. The Persian people need Jesus Christ. They need their eyes to be opened, the same way that King Ahasuerus' eyes were opened because of a young Jewish girl named Esther.

Tisha B'Av, the Jewish Day of Mourning

A Day of Mourning: Daily Update 8/9/11 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.
Gary looks at Tisha B'Av, the Jewish day of mourning.

Global Unrest—Economic Uncertainty Leading to Global Unrest - CNBC

Global Unrest—Economic Uncertainty Leading to Global Unrest - CNBC