Scripture for the Day Oct 24th 2020: An Upside-Down God, Or An Upside-Down World?
Devotional
Mark 8:35
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
One reason God says that the unsaved find His Word foolish is that they do not understand Him, because He is not in them. Makes sense?
1 Corinthians 1:18
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Besides, even the Christian will not understand God's actions all the time. We can't.
Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
Although we may not understand all His thoughts toward us, we ought to understand His Word and doctrine, because it is consistent throughout the Bible.
If I save my life I shall lose it, and if I lose my life for His sake, I shall save it? In simple terms, dying to our sins will save our life. Why? What are the wages of sin?
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Here is another upside-down example:
Exodus 20:12
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
BUT
Matthew 10:34 - 10:37
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household.
What? Honor your parents, but if you love them, you're not worthy of me? What is that all about?
Simple. Verse 37 explains
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
So, it's God first: always. If you're asked to do something ungodly even by those you love, obey God, not man.
The secret to unraveling these 'contradictions' is
(1) to know the entire bible. Read it through, front to back. Take 60 days, or 90. It may save your life, and
(2) read every verse in context. Ideally, read the preceding seven and following seven verses of quoted Scripture to understand its meaning. Investigate cross-references. Understand the setting in its political and cultural context.
Satan, when he tempted Jesus, quoted Scripture out of context to trap Jesus. But the Lord knew the context of His own word (? ) and rejected Satan's deceptive application by countering with related verses. The democrats and other enemies of God will often quote a bible verse out of context to deceive us. No thanks. I can easily refute their false doctrine because I have read the Whole.
Don't be deceived by single Scripture quotes. The Bible is an integrated message system with no contradiction whatsoever.
The truth is, it is not God who is upside-down. It's our world that is.
Now that makes sense. Doesn't it? So, l look to Jesus for answers, not to the world.
May Jesus bless you and your loved ones this day and always.
Amen.
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Two terms of an obama presidential administration had me increasingly feeling this "upside down world." It is why I embraced and fell in love with a TRUMP presidency in 2016! It is why I EMBRACED hillary calling me a "deplorable."
But, I also had spent at least three of those obama years in higher education...and began to research the border situation among other things. And why in my PhD program wrote a research paper on hillary's corruption for an ethics course.
Yes, I have accrued a ton of debt...but my "academic" skills are in use today.
And with God's help[, the debt will be overcome. The main point is to stay my ground and continue to battle the evil that reveals itself through corrupt actions.
I pray that there are over 66 thousand people on this platform who ALSO will become so BOLD!
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· yack26828
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Inspirational! ? Thanks LP!
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· yack26828
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· yack50286
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Very well said Raven , Thank you LP for teaching us AMEN ?????
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