Here are some additional notes and thoughts on the Analogy of Faith.
John 5
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
In John 5, Jesus first heals a certain man who had an infirmity thirty and eight years at the sheep pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Jesus then speaks to the Jews. And verse 39 of this chapter is part of the basis for the Analogy Of Faith. Here is John Calvin's comment:
From Calvin's Commentaries on John 5
We ought to believe that Christ cannot be properly known in any other way than from the Scriptures; and if it be so, it follows that we ought to read the Scriptures with the express design of finding Christ in them.
Stated in another way, we can find Jesus' explicit presence in the Bible, in both the New Testament and the Old Testament. Moreover, each passage of the Old Testament, contains divine Gospel truth, messages to church-age Christians about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
I think we can also add this. Divine Gospel truth is God's one, timeless message to all of mankind, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to the Apostles and to all poor Church-age Christians.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Notes And Thoughts On The Analogy Of Faith 1
Lately, I've been thinking about being a Baptist and about Baptist history. And in this vein, the next few posts are about the Analogy Of Faith, a key Calvinist doctrine. It is also a historically important Baptist doctrine. Following posts include some notes and thoughts:
Romans 12
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
The above, oddly abstract, passage is, in part, the basis of and also the symbol of Calvinist theology. What might this passage mean?
Romans 12
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
The above, oddly abstract, passage is, in part, the basis of and also the symbol of Calvinist theology. What might this passage mean?
o Prophecy is used in its broad New Testament sense, meaning teaching and preaching.And, here is a restatement of this passage: With the gift of grace, all of the teaching and preaching of the New Testament Prophet is analogous to (and reconciles with) the readily known and clearly propounded scheme of divine Gospel truth.
o The Greek text suggests that the word proportion is closely related to the word analogy, hence, Analogy of Faith.
o The word faith could mean the prophet's faith. It probably has, however, a bigger meaning, suggesting the scheme of divine, Gospel truth.
o Divine Gospel truth means "Scripture interprets Scripture," or "Scripture interprets itself." When you consider one passage in the Bible, you should also consider other related passages to understand God's meaning. And the meaning is always "clearly propounded and opened."
Monday, April 25, 2011
God And His Son
Colossians 1
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
When I read Paul's writing about Jesus, the cares, the problems, the issues of the day, the politics, seem to fade away, fade away into the mists of God's glory. It is easy to forget that God is the center of our lives and that good news comes from the Bible and not from Fox and Friends.
More From Colossians 1
13 ...his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
In this day and age, you have really got to work at keeping God at the center of your daily life.
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
When I read Paul's writing about Jesus, the cares, the problems, the issues of the day, the politics, seem to fade away, fade away into the mists of God's glory. It is easy to forget that God is the center of our lives and that good news comes from the Bible and not from Fox and Friends.
More From Colossians 1
13 ...his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
In this day and age, you have really got to work at keeping God at the center of your daily life.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday
Ephesians 1
5 ....having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will....
All I was looking for this morning, this Good Friday morning, getting ready for what I anticipated to be an awful day....all I was looking for was a little Bible comfort.
And I found it in the above passage.
Prayer
Dear Lord, give me the strength to endure my trials and tribulations, such as they are, insignificant though they may be, with the name of Jesus always on my lips....
5 ....having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will....
All I was looking for this morning, this Good Friday morning, getting ready for what I anticipated to be an awful day....all I was looking for was a little Bible comfort.
And I found it in the above passage.
Prayer
Dear Lord, give me the strength to endure my trials and tribulations, such as they are, insignificant though they may be, with the name of Jesus always on my lips....
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Foremothers? And A Woman Having An Alabaster Box
Mark 14
3 And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head.
This is the story of a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious. The passage suggests she could have sold this ointment and given the money to the poor. But she did not. She used this valuable ointment for the anointing of Jesus. And finally, Jesus blesses her with these words:
More From Mark 14
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
There is another woman who is well remembered throughout the whole world, by her hymns if not by her name.
Hymn By Fannie Crosby
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary's mountain.
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
3 And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head.
This is the story of a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious. The passage suggests she could have sold this ointment and given the money to the poor. But she did not. She used this valuable ointment for the anointing of Jesus. And finally, Jesus blesses her with these words:
More From Mark 14
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
There is another woman who is well remembered throughout the whole world, by her hymns if not by her name.
Hymn By Fannie Crosby
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary's mountain.
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Law And Faith
Galatians 5
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
In order to understand a Christian's salvation by faith, it helps to consider the Law of the Hebrews as it is, extensively, discussed in the New Testament.
More From Galatians 5
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
New Testament teachings on the Law provide us with perspective that helps us know God's truth. The Law is the world of human effort and works, no small amount of sin and little edification. God's truth is the world of faith, the spiritual world of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
Galations 5
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
So, where does our understanding of sin come from?
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
In order to understand a Christian's salvation by faith, it helps to consider the Law of the Hebrews as it is, extensively, discussed in the New Testament.
More From Galatians 5
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
New Testament teachings on the Law provide us with perspective that helps us know God's truth. The Law is the world of human effort and works, no small amount of sin and little edification. God's truth is the world of faith, the spiritual world of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
Galations 5
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
So, where does our understanding of sin come from?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Lives Of The Wretched
Psalms 19
12 ....cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
If you are a Christian, at some point in time, you will need to spend some time considering the wretched, sinful human condition. Here is some food for thought:
Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Strong's Reference For Wretched
1) enduring toils and troubles
2) afflicted, wretched
Augustine's Confessions, Book VI, Chap. XVI
Unto Thee be praise, unto Thee be glory, O Fountain of mercies! I became more wretched, and Thou nearer. Thy right hand was ever ready to pluck me out of the mire, and to cleanse me, but I was ignorant of it.
I wonder if, maybe, our understanding of our sinful nature is different now than it was in the time of David, in 39 A.D. or in 405 A.D.?
From Spurgeon's A Treasury Of David
God has made men to be so wretched in their consciences that they have been obliged to stand forth and confess the truth. Secret sinner! If thou wantest the foretaste of damnation upon earth, continue in thy secret sins; for no man is more miserable than he who sinneth secretly, and yet trieth to preserve a character.
12 ....cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
If you are a Christian, at some point in time, you will need to spend some time considering the wretched, sinful human condition. Here is some food for thought:
Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Strong's Reference For Wretched
1) enduring toils and troubles
2) afflicted, wretched
Augustine's Confessions, Book VI, Chap. XVI
Unto Thee be praise, unto Thee be glory, O Fountain of mercies! I became more wretched, and Thou nearer. Thy right hand was ever ready to pluck me out of the mire, and to cleanse me, but I was ignorant of it.
I wonder if, maybe, our understanding of our sinful nature is different now than it was in the time of David, in 39 A.D. or in 405 A.D.?
From Spurgeon's A Treasury Of David
God has made men to be so wretched in their consciences that they have been obliged to stand forth and confess the truth. Secret sinner! If thou wantest the foretaste of damnation upon earth, continue in thy secret sins; for no man is more miserable than he who sinneth secretly, and yet trieth to preserve a character.
Friday, April 15, 2011
There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood
Ephesians 2
13 but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace....
How do we know that a man, one of our forefathers, was indeed filled with the Holy Spirit and is worthy of our consideration? How do we know that we might rely on such a man for spiritual edification?
Hymn By William Cowper
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Those are not necessarily difficult questions....
13 but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace....
How do we know that a man, one of our forefathers, was indeed filled with the Holy Spirit and is worthy of our consideration? How do we know that we might rely on such a man for spiritual edification?
Hymn By William Cowper
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Those are not necessarily difficult questions....
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Bible Prophesy
Luke 21
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
I never tire of the story of the Second Coming Jesus. I like to read about, study it, think about it. I like to hear it preached. I like the passages in Revelations, Daniel, the Gospels. And I appreciate the help I received in understanding this subject from Scofield, Larkin, Ryrie and Chafer, and some thoughtful pastors.
But I think it may be best not to spend too much time trying to find deep truths related to the Second Coming. Because, in the end, it is a profoundly simple, easy-to-understand, Bible truth.
Hymn By William H. Parker
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear;
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here;
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
I never tire of the story of the Second Coming Jesus. I like to read about, study it, think about it. I like to hear it preached. I like the passages in Revelations, Daniel, the Gospels. And I appreciate the help I received in understanding this subject from Scofield, Larkin, Ryrie and Chafer, and some thoughtful pastors.
But I think it may be best not to spend too much time trying to find deep truths related to the Second Coming. Because, in the end, it is a profoundly simple, easy-to-understand, Bible truth.
Hymn By William H. Parker
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear;
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here;
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
Monday, April 11, 2011
God's Word To Israel
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn....
And here at the end of the book of Isaiah, we find the words of God to Israel.
Isaiah 61
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
This is rich food for thought for Christians and Jews during these days of uncertainty for the State of Israel.
Isaiah 60
11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
It is a commonly held belief that God, in these passages, is addressing the Hebrews and those Gentiles called to salvation by Jesus Christ.
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn....
And here at the end of the book of Isaiah, we find the words of God to Israel.
Isaiah 61
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
This is rich food for thought for Christians and Jews during these days of uncertainty for the State of Israel.
Isaiah 60
11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
It is a commonly held belief that God, in these passages, is addressing the Hebrews and those Gentiles called to salvation by Jesus Christ.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Judged By No Man
1 Corinthians 2
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The natural man, the carnal man, the spiritual man, the body, the soul, the spirit, the flesh, Satan, the world, principalities and powers. I have much to think about today.
Ephesians 6
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Yes, I have much to think about today. And it should be a very good day....
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The natural man, the carnal man, the spiritual man, the body, the soul, the spirit, the flesh, Satan, the world, principalities and powers. I have much to think about today.
Ephesians 6
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Yes, I have much to think about today. And it should be a very good day....
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Ultimate Race
Philippians 3
12 ....I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Not apprended means that Paul has not laid hold of perfect knowledge of the sinner's relationship with Jesus, has not laid hold of a perfected relationship with Jesus. Perfect knowledge would be when you lay hold of Jesus and He lays hold of you. (See The KJV Bible With Strong's References).
The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a race, maybe the olympics, and the mark is the spiritual finish line.
Here is a wonderful insight into this passage, from a sermon by Thomas Playfere, 1561-1609, an English churchman and theologian, with a Puritan's heart:
From "The Pathway to Perfection"
He that remembers his virtues hath no virtues to remember, seeing he wants humility, which is the mother virtue of all virtues. For this is the difference between the godly and the wicked: both remember virtues, but the godly remember other men's virtues, the wicked remember their own.
I wonder. Is the life of a Christian a quiet walk with Jesus? Or an olympic marathon with salvation and God's spiritual reward as the prize?
The answer, without a doubt is....
12 ....I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Not apprended means that Paul has not laid hold of perfect knowledge of the sinner's relationship with Jesus, has not laid hold of a perfected relationship with Jesus. Perfect knowledge would be when you lay hold of Jesus and He lays hold of you. (See The KJV Bible With Strong's References).
The Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a race, maybe the olympics, and the mark is the spiritual finish line.
Here is a wonderful insight into this passage, from a sermon by Thomas Playfere, 1561-1609, an English churchman and theologian, with a Puritan's heart:
From "The Pathway to Perfection"
He that remembers his virtues hath no virtues to remember, seeing he wants humility, which is the mother virtue of all virtues. For this is the difference between the godly and the wicked: both remember virtues, but the godly remember other men's virtues, the wicked remember their own.
I wonder. Is the life of a Christian a quiet walk with Jesus? Or an olympic marathon with salvation and God's spiritual reward as the prize?
The answer, without a doubt is....
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
God And Satan
Job 2
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
This passage is about those terrible events of your life, when you are tested by Satan acting under God's authority. These fateful events are sometimes referred to as bad things that happen to good people. During these events, the trials and tribulations of your life, Satan tests your faith in God.
But don't forget, Satan tests us in other ways.
Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
This passage is about those terrible events of your life, when you are tested by Satan acting under God's authority. These fateful events are sometimes referred to as bad things that happen to good people. During these events, the trials and tribulations of your life, Satan tests your faith in God.
But don't forget, Satan tests us in other ways.
Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Favorite Bible Passages
Romans 8
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
One of our pastors said that the above passage was one of his favorites. And indeed, this passage seems to somehow match his personality. Most, if not all, of us, Christians, have a favorite Bible passage, that passage that guides us through the day. A favorite passage defines our beliefs and defines who we profoundly are.
As fate would have it, my favorite Bible passage, with a very different view, is also in Romans 8:
More From Romans 8
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
One of our pastors said that the above passage was one of his favorites. And indeed, this passage seems to somehow match his personality. Most, if not all, of us, Christians, have a favorite Bible passage, that passage that guides us through the day. A favorite passage defines our beliefs and defines who we profoundly are.
As fate would have it, my favorite Bible passage, with a very different view, is also in Romans 8:
More From Romans 8
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Rainbow In The Church
Revelation 4
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
I am tempted to document some of the misery that I, my family, my friends, and some acquaintances have experienced in church. But, what would be the purpose of such a futile exercise? No purpose.
On the other hand, on a good day in church, when the Spirit is in the hymns, in the preaching, among the brothers and sisters....then, we can truly understand God's word, we can see the rainbow that is our covenant with God, we can glimpse heaven and we can finally, truly know our blessed, eternal salvation.
Ezekiel 1
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
I am tempted to document some of the misery that I, my family, my friends, and some acquaintances have experienced in church. But, what would be the purpose of such a futile exercise? No purpose.
On the other hand, on a good day in church, when the Spirit is in the hymns, in the preaching, among the brothers and sisters....then, we can truly understand God's word, we can see the rainbow that is our covenant with God, we can glimpse heaven and we can finally, truly know our blessed, eternal salvation.
Ezekiel 1
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
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