Posts

Showing posts from February, 2011

Obadiah: Pride of the Heart Deceives

Image
Pride in the heart is worse than pride in the mind. Heart pride may even appear meek and lowly but the superiority complex is there deep within. Pride in the mind may be noisy and talkative, but it's often shallow and reversible.  Heart pride is deadly. It is deep seated. It's a stubborn stumbling block. It's something like a pastor who is all-out for his church denomination, vowing to die for it. Does this sound familiar?  "I will die a ________ (name of denomination). These are hopeless conservative and dogmatic ideologues. No different or better from rabid communists or capitalists. They're intellectually unhealthy to be with. Well, it's different if you're unwaveringly proud of Jesus Christ, His Kingdom, and His Word. In this case, you should be rabid to the extreme, though people of man's mind will fear and avoid you. And they are among people most deceived. "Your heart pride has deceived you, you who live in caves on high mountain

Obadiah: God's Sovereignty Over Current Events

Image
If you have any concerns or complaints about life, you have no one else to address it to except God. He alone is . Besides Him, there is none. It says somewhere that Satan is the god of this world. True, but only as far as God allows him. Satan is just among millions of tiny particles beneath God's footstool, squirming and clamoring for His audience. Satan cannot make anything happen anywhere on earth as God can. In fact, He alone makes things happen on this planet. God alone. He said to Edom: "See, I will decimate you among the nations; you will be despised to the max," [Obadiah]. Whatever happens in current events, whatever happened in all history, it was all out of God's sovereignty. God's deciding hands. Satan could only ask permission for every little act he is allowed. Without God's go signal, he cannot do anything.  God can act directly or indirectly any time He wants. In Edom's case, God sent an envoy carrying His message t

Vineyard Tenants: Mark 12

Image
Yesterday, we had a terrific time watching Mark 12 unfold before us in an awesome vision. The discipleship church God gave me to handle (for a while) saw how God's vineyard is presently doing and how His household operates in it.  Tenants Tenants are renting the vineyard. and tenants are bible-believing people (like the Pharisees and law teachers in Jesus' time) who are tasked with collecting fruit. They need not plant because the vineyard Owner, before leaving, put up everything needed in it--the hedges, tower, wine press, and the plants themselves. In fact, it says the Owner "planted" a vineyard. And His design is for one single vineyard, not subdivisions. The tenants or farmers are not household servants--they're there supposedly to gather  fruits so that when household servants are sent to collect them they'd be ready. But tenants are not servants--they're there for two selfish ulterior motives--to keep the fruits for themselves and gr