“An Evil Time - Part 3”
Blessings Folk!!
In our earlier times together we have seen that we are living in evil times.
The Word of the Lord reveals such.
Now, the question that comes is “what are we to do?”
Are we to live in fear? (No!!)
Are we to sit back and watch it all happen? (No!)
Hear the Word of the Lord…
Ps 37:19
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
KJV
We are not to be ashamed in the evil time...but, we do a tremendous disservice to the Word and ourselves if we do not look at the entire context of this phrase. You would do well to read Psalm 37 today. Here is a portion. I’ve underlined the things that we are to do in evil times…
Ps 37:1-11
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord , and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord , and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord , they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
KJV
Therefore, we are to:
- Fret not
- Be not envious
- Trust in the Lord
- Do good
- Delight ourselves in the Lord
- Commit our ways to the Lord
- Rest in the Lord
- Wait patiently upon the Lord
- Cease from anger
- Forsake wrath
- Remember that it is the Lord who upholds the righteous, that provides our everlasting inheritance
The wicked will receive their reward.
We are to live as the Lord commanded.
Eph 5:15-16
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
KJV
Let us do so!
Blessings!!
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“An Evil Time - Part 3”
Blessings Folk!!
We continue our examination of a phrase that is seen several times in the Scripture - “an evil time”.
In reading the context we have seen that the pattern of sin is that which we see today.
Truly, nothing is new.
Read this passage…
Mic 2:1-5
1 Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord : "Behold, against this family I am devising disaster, From which you cannot remove your necks; Nor shall you walk haughtily, For this is an evil time.
4 In that day one shall take up a proverb against you, And lament with a bitter lamentation, saying: 'We are utterly destroyed! He has changed the heritage of my people; How He has removed it from me! To a turncoat He has divided our fields.'"
5 Therefore you will have no one to determine boundaries* by lot In the assembly of the Lord .
NKJV
We learn some things about evil and those who commit it…
- there are those who devise iniquity, they work out evil on their beds. All during the night their mind is raging as they work through the planning of evil, iniquity and the like. Woe is coming upon them.
- these put into practice in broad daylight that which was planned upon the night bed
- they are able to do this evil because it is within their hands to do so...yet, there day of woe is coming
Look at what they do…
- they covet fields
- they take fields by violence (in our jurisprudence this is done through eminent domain...a much-abused power)
- they oppress a man and his house by taking the land and house..this effects not only the immediately family but the inheritance also...the generations to come
As we have seen previously, we are to fear not. We are to trust in God.
We also see a couple of other things.
- Woe is coming there way
- The Lord is devising a disaster for them!
Evil abounds.
Government and leadership steal under the guise of the law.
But, fear not.
Revenge is the Lord’s.
Ps 94:1-2
1 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
KJV
Blessings!!
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“An Evil Time - Part 2”
Blessings Folk!!
Throughout the Word of God we see descriptions of what the Lord calls “an evil time.”
Hear the Word from the prophet Micah.
Mic 7:1-9
1 Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a first-ripe fig which I crave.
2 The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net.
3 Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together.
4 The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur.
5 Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.
6 For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
God Is the Source of Salvation and Light
7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord ; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the blight, And I will see His righteousness.
NASU
I find this description sadly familiar.
The evil time is a time when…
- the godly person has perished from the land
- there is no upright person among men
- all lie in wait for bloodshed
- they hunt each other...seeking to set traps
- concerning evil...it is overt...there is not even the attempt to “look good” with one hand and do evil with the other. Both hands do evil equally well. The pursuit of evil is without restraint.
- The prince asks, the judge bribes, the great man speaks the desire of his soul...so, they weave it together. The leadership is in cahoots to bring forth evil...sounds like the leadership we are experiencing. The best of the leadership is like a briar...the most upright is a thorn hedge...whoa!!...yet, there punishment will come.
- no neighbor can be trusted
- there is no confidence in a friend
- one must even guard his lips from his wife
- sons treat fathers contemptuously
- daughters rise up against mothers
- daughter-in-law against mother-in-law
- A man’s enemies are the men of his own household!! Jesus told us of such…
Luke 12:51-53
51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
KJV
This was the Lord’s description of evil in the day…
The same is happening today.
Evil men abound.
Corrupt.
Without the Lord.
But!!!
As for me…
I will watch expectantly for the Lord.
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Though I fall I will arise.
Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is with me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I sinned against Him. He forgives, but I may have to bear the fruit of the sin…
God will plead my case.
God will execute justice for me.
God will bring me out to the light.
Do not rejoice over me enemy.
I will see the righteousness of the Lord!!
Blessings!!
“An Evil Time”
Blessings Folk…
If you have been reading with us through the chronological Bible then you have spent some time in hearing the words of the “minor” (not a reference to importance, rather to length of book) prophets…Amos, Micah, etc.
I am certain that the Spirit of the Lord has been showing you truths.
One particular phrase leapt out at me.
I believe that it is a word from the Lord for us and the land in which we live.
“...for it is an evil time.”
Here is the context.
The Lord was speaking through Micah declaring that Israel was to fall - the northern Kingdom. Yet, the Lord, told them what to do.
Read, listen, give heed.
Amos 5:4-15
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live;
5 But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 Seek the Lord and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel —
7 You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!"
8 He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name.
9 He rains ruin upon the strong, So that fury comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
11 Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.
15 Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
NKJV
The Lord gives them/us the Word of encouragement and hope at the beginning… and at the end.
Seek Me and live!
Again, He says...
Seek the Lord and live!
At the end of the passage He says to seek good, not evil, that you may live...to hate evil, to love good, to establish justice.
The Lord God of Hosts will be with you.
Great words of truth and encouragement, yet most choose not to live by them.
The Lord told them not to seek Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba and the like. This simply means that we are not to put our trust in the power of man...great cities and civilization…nor in the power of man-made religion or man-made attempts to reach God.
We are to remember that the Lord created all that is...the Pleiades and Orion… constellations of stars. Sadly, most do not believe this. Many professing to be of the Body of Christ do not believe. They believe the lies of satan over the truths of God.
It is the Lord who created the heavens.
It is the Lord who controls day and night.
It is the Lord who established the hydrological cycle - “waters of the sea and pours them upon the face of the earth.”
The Lord is His name.
We must trust in Him alone.
But, know this.
The world will “hate the one who rebukes in the gate.” This speaks of the one who will declares the truth to the elders, the leadership. The one who will boldly proclaim the distinction between evil and good.
They will abhor the one who speaks uprightly. Don’t believe it? Ask “Miss California”.
They will tread down the poor.
They will take grain taxes from them...we live in a state where this occurs...our food is taxed. Think on that for awhile.
It is so bad that the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time.
Therefore, an evil time is a time when…
- God is not sought
- The Word of the Lord is rejected
- The fact that God created is denied
- Righteousness is rejected
- Those who speak forth uprightly are abhored and hated
- Sin abounds
- The poor are treaded down through grain taxes
- The just are afflicted
- Bribes abound
- Justice is rejected...especially for the poor.
We live in evil times.
They will increase. (Can’t wait to see if the president will accept an invitation to speak from one of the most important Mosque in the word...in Egypt...this could reveal much.
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97694 )
Yet, Who knows.
Seek good.
Hate evil.
Establish justice in the gate (in political leadership and courts).
It may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to us.
Blessings!!
Today’s reading from the “So That’s Why” Bible consists of pp. 730-734.
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Pray for the “Victory Park” recording project…‘bout done...have I said that before?
Hope to send to manufacturer this week. One more tweaking session tomorrow!
You can check out a “beta” version at http://www.myspace.com/victoryparkmusic
Also, let us know if you would like to have the group come for a time of corporate worship with your portion of the Body of Christ...we have several times upcoming soon.