SAVED BY WORKS - NYOBS 87.02

SAVED BY WORKS

We are save by Works, but not ours; it is the finished Work of Jesus Christ.

Covenant of Works

·         Adam was in a covenant relationship with God when in the Garden of Eden, it was a COVENANT OF WORKS of what he must do in order to obtain eternal life; live forever and what would happen if he chose by FREE WILL to reject it. – This is commonly called the Adamic Covenant or the Covenant of Nature, but described best as a COVENANT OF WORKS. (There is no mediator in a covenant of Works.)

·         There are three parts to a covenant; 1) A clear stipulation of the relationship of the parties involved - 2) The covenant promise of blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience. - 3) The definitions of the legal binding conditions, stipulations and provisions to obtain the blessing.  There was also usually a Sign of the Covenant which was an outward guarantee of an inward reality.  For Noah the sign was the Rainbow and for Abraham, the sign was Circumcision.   

·          Adams’s Covenant of Works; 1) The Parties of the Covenant was God and Adam. - 2) The Promise implied was the blessing that mortal Adam would live forever. - 3) The Condition was that he must not eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil or he would die; it was simple, Keep the Law or Break the Law. -  The Sign of the Adamic Covenant if there was one, would be the “Tree of Life”.  NYOBS 17.02 – TREE OF LIFE

·         Moses’ Covenant of Works; 1) The Parties to the Covenant was God and the Nation of Israel. - 2) The Promise of blessings was that His chosen people would have a way back to God, coming into His full fellowship and have ETERNAL LIFE.  - 3) The Condition was that they must keep EVERY ONE of the 613 Laws that God gave the Nation of Israel through Moses, THEN they would have everlasting life with God in heaven. -  “Circumcision” became the Sign of the Mosiac Covenant.

·         Jesus’s Covenant of Grace; 1) The Parties of the Covenant are the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and the people He would redeem. – 2) The Promise; man by the Grace of God will have a way back to God, to come into full fellowship with Him and have ETERNAL LIFE.  3) The Conditions was that the Son would become a man born of a woman and FOR US obey ALL the Laws of the COVENANT OF WORKS and become THE MEDIATOR between God and Man. He must remain sinless, but still pay the sinner’s penalty of death that we all deserve. However the people MUST place their FAITH in God’s Son, Jesus the Christ and become OBEDIENT to His decrees and commands. – The Sign of the Grace Covenant is the Cross and the empty tomb along with the sacraments of Baptism and Communion; all an outward guarantee of an inward reality. –  NYOBS 08.34 -  BLOOD COVENANT

Hosea 6:7 – Adam was in a covenant with God
⁷ But like ADAM, you broke my COVENANT and betrayed my trust. (NLT)

Genesis 2:15-17 – Not eat of the tree of knowledge Good & Evil
¹⁵ The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.
¹⁶ But the LORD God warned him, “You may FREELY EAT the fruit of every tree in the garden—
¹⁷ except the TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. If you eat its fruit, YOU ARE SURE TO DIE.” (NLT)

Romans 5:12-21 – Jesus became the Second Adam
¹² When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.
¹⁴ Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as ADAM did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
¹⁵ But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through THIS OTHER MAN, Jesus Christ.
¹⁶ And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.
¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
²⁰ God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
²¹ So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(NLT)

Genesis 17:7 - Covenant of Grace; generation to generation
⁷ I will confirm MY COVENANT with you and your descendants after you, from GENERATION TO GENERATION.

This is the EVERLASTING COVENANT: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (NLT)

The Fall

·         When Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he broke his covenant with God and therefore God removed him from the Garden of Eden lest he eat from the tree of life and live forever in the fallen condition of sinful man SEPARATED from God forever.

·         Death is best described in its broadest sense as Physical as well as Spiritual along with separation from God for eternity. – Adam and Eve were innocent, they were without sin and walked and talked with God in the Garden and although they were MORTAL, they could have lived forever in the presence of God. – Eternal life was based on their Works or Obedience.

Genesis 3:22 – Live forever in a fallen condition
²² Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out,

TAKE FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE, and eat it?

THEN THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER!” (NLT)

Genesis 3:23 – God banished Adam & Eve from the Garden
²³  So the LORD GOD BANISHED THEM from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. (NLT)

Works

·         In the very beginning, Man could NOT keep the Covenant of Works, and as time moved on, God though Moses made ANOTHER Covenant of Works with Man.

·         Moses wrote that keeping the Laws was the way to make a person right with God, Paul writing to the Romans said Moses Laws of Works was intended to bring Eternal Life but instead brought DEATH. -  It is just IMPOSSIBLE for Man to keep all the Laws of Moses, because breaking just one of them makes you guilty of breaking them all.

·         This Covenant of Works is still in effect; if you do not keep the Mosaic Laws you will die and be separated from God forever.

Romans 6:23 – The punishment for SIN is DEATH
²³ For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)

Romans 10:5 – Keep ALL the LAWS – made right with God
⁵ For Moses writes that THE LAW’S way of

MAKING A PERSON RIGHT WITH GOD requires

OBEDIENCE TO ALL OF ITS COMMANDS.

(NLT)

Galatians 3:12 – Obeying the Law brings eternal LIFE

¹² This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “IT IS THROUGH OBEYING THE LAW

THAT A PERSON HAS LIFE.” (NLT)

Leviticus 18:5 – Keep the LAW and have eternal life
⁵ If you obey my decrees and my regulations,

YOU WILL FIND LIFE through them. I am the LORD.

(NLT)

Romans 4:1-15 – Counted righteous because of FAITH
¹ Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about BEING MADE RIGHT WITH GOD?
² If his GOOD DEEDS had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way.
³ For the Scriptures tell us,

“ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND

GOD COUNTED HIM AS RIGHTEOUS

BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.”
⁴ When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.
⁵ But PEOPLE ARE COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS, not because of their work, but BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH IN GOD who forgives sinners.
⁶ David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
⁷ Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
⁸ Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”
⁹ Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that

ABRAHAM WAS COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS BY GOD

BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.
¹⁰ But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
¹¹ Circumcision was a SIGN that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised.

They are counted as righteous because of their faith.
¹² And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
¹³ Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was

BASED NOT ON HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW, but

ON A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

that comes by FAITH.
¹⁴ If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.
¹⁵ For THE LAW ALWAYS BRINGS PUNISHMENT

ON THOSE WHO TRY TO OBEY IT.  (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)  (NLT)

New Covenant of Grace

·          Neither Adam’s Covenant of Works nor Moses Covenant of Works was able to save mankind from death and separation from God. -  THE LAW’S COMMANDS, WHICH WERE SUPPOSED TO BRING LIFE, BROUGHT SPIRITUAL DEATH INSTEAD. – That’s why God sent his Own Son, to be born of a woman, born under the law to fulfill all the provisions of the Law once and for all.  - Jesus did not sin yet was murdered by Satan; crucifying him on a tree that was reserved for sinners. – We have been freed from this same Law of Works by virtue of Christ’s work at the cross.

·         It was His death, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God the Father that gave man this new Covenant of Grace. - We are saved by His GRACE through our FAITH in the WORK of Jesus Christ on the cross and not based on any of our WORKS.  We can do nothing to earn our salvation, it is a FREE Grace Gift from God.

·         LISTEN; whether you like it or not; if you reject the New Covenant of Grace offered by Jesus Christ, then you are still under the Old Covenant Laws, which cannot save. - Man just cannot keep the laws.  The Jewish nation has rejected Jesus as the Messiah and remain only a nation of Works; ALL are under the Laws of Moses.  The laws of Moses pointed out that man was indeed in need of a Messiah; a Savior.

1 Peter 2:22 – Jesus never sinned
²² HE NEVER SINNED, nor ever deceived anyone. (NLT)

Romans 5:18-19 – Jesus obeyed the Covenant of Works
¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings CONDEMNATION FOR EVERYONE, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and NEW LIFE FOR EVERYONE.
¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Romans 7:9-11 – The LAW was intended to lead to LIFE
⁹ At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,
¹⁰ and I died. So I discovered that THE LAW’S COMMANDS, WHICH WERE SUPPOSED TO BRING LIFE,

BROUGHT SPIRITUAL DEATH INSTEAD.
¹¹ Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. (NLT)

The Take Away

·         In the beginning having EVERLASTING LIFE in the presence of God was based on WORKS; what man did or didn’t do, but Adam the ONE and only SINLESS man could not keep the Covenant of Works, nor could just ONE man out of the millions in the Nation of Israel keep ALL the laws of Moses’ Covenant of Works.

·         The Book says Works COULD save you if you could only just keep the Mosaic laws of God, BUT SINFUL MAN CANNOT. - What the Law did was show that man in his fallen sinful condition could not keep God’s laws and was desperately in need of a Savior; a Messiah.

·         God in His mercy and grace, sent a second Adam; His only Son to be the sinless MEDIATOR between God and Man, to become THE WAY for man to be united with God once again like he was with the first Adam before he rebelled and sinned.

·         God has placed these examples in the Book to show us we CANNOT be saved by WORKS. It requires Regeneration which is the outward evidence of the hidden, inward work of God.

·         LISTEN; the knowledge of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not equal regeneration; neither Jesus, John nor Paul pointed to miracles or even our Church Activity as evidence of regeneration. - The only evidence of regeneration or being born again is what is observed over TIME as a person demonstrates “in his own life” his genuine love for God and obedience to His commands and the acts of love that he freely extends to his fellow man.

·         The regenerated man will exhibit the Christ like traits of THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT which radiates - LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL. – Not one or two of these, but ALL of them. – The NINE traits are all ONE FRUIT. - Satan’s influence or man working in his own strength and abilities cannot duplicate this. – This can only come through regeneration; the working of the Holy Spirit within us. – We cannot keep God’s laws without the Holy Spirit within us.

·         Being Born Again or Regenerated is totally a Grace Work of God; we can do nothing to earn it or deserve it.  The WORK of Jesus Christ on the Cross did it all and through the Holy Spirit, we are now predestined to be adopted as Sons of God, being continuously conformed to the Image of His son and re-molded to fit everything else in His Purpose and Will until the day He returns; IT’S A LIFE LONG PROCESS.  – IT’S IN THE BOOK –

Matthew 7:22-23 – I NEVER KNEW YOU
²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We PROPHESIED in your name and CAST OUT DEMONS in your name and PERFORMED MANY MIRACLES in your name.’
²³ But I will reply, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

(NLT)

Galatians 3:10-11- No one is made right by keeping the Law
¹⁰ But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “CURSED is everyone who does not observe and obey ALL the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
¹¹ So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.”

(NLT)

Galatians 5:22-23 – Fruit of the REGENERATED Spirit
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL.

²³There is no law against these things!

(NLT)

Romans 8:29- We are conformed to be in the IMAGE of Jesus
²⁹ For those God foreknew he also

PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED

TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

(NIV2011)

Ephesians 1:11 – The Holy Spirit conforms us to God’s PURPOSE
¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been

PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF HIM

who works out everything in conformity with the

PURPOSE OF HIS WILL.

(NIV2011)

Ephesians 1:5 – We are adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ
⁵ HE PREDESTINED US FOR ADOPTION

TO SONSHIP THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, in accordance with HIS PLEASURE AND WILL—

(NIV2011)

John 14:6 – Jesus is THE WAY
⁶ Jesus told him,

“I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE.

No one can come to the Father except through me. (NLT)

Acts 24:14 – The sect of Christ is known as THE WAY
¹⁴ However, I ADMIT THAT I WORSHIP THE GOD of our ancestors as a follower of THE WAY, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, (NIV2011)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

                         and see further that I otherwise ever could have.              

                                                                                                                                     

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Gospels Interwoven; The – Karmit Zarley

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament – Baker

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

New Living Translation Bible - NLT

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

MIGRANT CARAVAN, TRUMP & GOD - NYOBS 86.34

Migrant Caravan, Trump & God

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, the wretched refuse and the homeless.

First Thoughts

·         The statue of liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor stands for what has made our country great for over 200 years. - A BROKEN CHAIN lies at her feet half-hidden by her robes as she walks forward; symbolizing LIBERTY and FREEDOM, HOPE and DEMOCRACY and is a welcoming sight to the arriving immigrants.

·         The torch of Hope is held in her right hand and in her left hand, the inscription on the tablet says JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776); the day the United States adopted the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

·         The statue was originally conceived as an emblem of friendship between the people of France and the U.S. and a sign of their MUTUAL DESIRE FOR LIBERTY, but over the years the Statue has become to mean so much more. ... It represents the United States itself and what we stand for.

·         The Halo has seven rays; SEVEN in the Bible is the number for completeness. – The lady extends DIVINE hope across the Seven seas and the Seven continents as the Seven rays evokes a Christian Nation with the brilliance of the SUN extending light to a dark world. 

·         The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. plaque reads;

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Leviticus 19:33-34 – Treat the foreigner like a neighbor
³³ DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FOREIGNERS who live among you in your land.
³⁴ TREAT THEM LIKE NATIVE-BORN Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE ONCE FOREIGNERS living in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. (NLT)

Leviticus 19:16 – Don’t stand idly by when you help is needed
¹⁶ Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.

“DO NOT STAND IDLY BY when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the LORD.

(NLT)

Leviticus 19:15 – Do not twist the laws to oppress the poor
¹⁵ DO NOT TWIST JUSTICE IN LEGAL MATTERS BY FAVORING THE POOR or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly. (NLT)

Leviticus 19:18 – Don’t bear a grudge against a foreigner
¹⁸  “DO NOT seek revenge or BEAR A GRUDGE against a fellow Israelite, but LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself. I am the LORD. (NLT)

Leviticus 19:9-10 – Consider the needs of the poor among us
⁹ When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop.
¹⁰ It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. LEAVE THEM FOR THE POOR AND THE FOREIGNERS living among you. I am the LORD your God. (NLT)

Migrants

·         The countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are plagued by endemic levels of gangs, crime and violence that have made many communities extremely dangerous, especially for children.  Migrants make easy targets and are regularly extorted by criminals, militias and corrupt immigration officials who know migrants carry cash and not weapons.

·         A migrant caravan of Central Americans is fleeing violence and poverty in their homelands traveling through southern Mexico with the destination of the US border. - It started out with some 1,500 and swelled to around 7,000 people at its peak in response to the dangers faced with smaller caravans on the same perilous trek, but its numbers have diminished as it pushes further into Mexico and is about some 4,500 people at this writing.

·         The four main reasons cited for leaving their homeland is;  Political Repression, Bleak Economic Prospects, Gang Violence and Taxes imposed by gangs: “PAY, OR BE KILLED.”

·         Caravan conditions are particularly tough for women and children, but they have had little choice to escape poverty, crime and political repression in their homeland.  The migrants believe there is safety in numbers and travelling in large caravans allows migrants to look out for each other and feel safe from dangers of the road.

·         The news agencies report that nearly 2,700 temporary visas have been issued to individuals and families to allow them to STAY IN MEXICO while they wait for their applications for more permanent status to be processed; which could take up to 45 days

·         Mexico is a country where criminal cartels hold significant power and migrants are highly vulnerable. - Kidnapping is a big business in Mexico, and untold numbers have disappeared and been killed over the years as they try to immigrate.

·         Mexican law enforcement has some corrupt elements that are in league with the cartels which control the routes used by smaller groups of migrants making them more vulnerable. The News Media reports that as the Caravan passed through Veracruz, 100 migrants had gone missing and feared kidnapped by the notorious Los Zetas gang.

·         The Book instructs us to show hospitality and welcome the stranger, to love those in need and make provisions for the most vulnerable who are among us.

·         Throughout their journey in Cordoba, dozens of volunteers provided the new arrivals with clothing donations, basic supplies, hot meals and drinks and local health workers gave out medicines for free.

·         BUT somewhere among all the love and caring for these foreigners and sojourners, we must consider the security of our own nation. – How did these caravan’s get so organized? – Who is funding their food, supplies, trucks and buses? – Is it a coincidence it is coming during the mid-term elections?  Some are asking if the Democratic billionaire philanthropist George Soros is behind this Caravan just to mess with the mid-term Republican elections.

Matthew 25:35 – Give food, drink and housing to the stranger
³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. (NLT)

George Soros

·         George Soros is known as "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England" because of his short sale of US$10 billion worth of pounds sterling, which made him a profit of $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crisis.  He topples governments & political parties.

·         Numerous American CONSERVATIVES have characterized Soros as a singularly dangerous "PUPPETMASTER" behind a variety of alleged global plots. -  Soros influenced the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

·         During the 2003–2004 election cycle, Soros donated $23,581,000 to 527 tax-exempt groups. - The group’s goal was to DEFEAT President George W. Bush.

·         He backed a new political fundraising group called “DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE”, which supports PROGRESSIVE causes and the formation of a stronger PROGRESSIVE infrastructure in America.

·         Soros donated $1 million to the super PAC backing President Barack Obama's re-election. 

·         He donated $25,000 to “READY FOR HILLARY”, becoming a co-chairman of the super PAC's national finance committee. - He also donated $1 million to the Super PAC Priorities USA Action, which supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

·         Soros money usually finds its way into organized LIBERAL and POLITICAL PROTEST against the CONSERVATIVE Republicans to upset their elections.  – Who is transporting, suppling and feeding this migration? - Could Soros money be behind the migrant caravan headed to the US just to upset the elections? – Is the Migrant Caravan a Trojan Horse?

Trojan Horse

·         What is the actual motivation for a Gift? – Is everything as it appears?

·         The Trojan Horse is a story that comes from the War between Troy and a fruitless 10-year siege by the Greeks trying to enter the independent city of Troy and win the war.  So the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside.

·         The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and DESTROYED the city of Troy, ending the war.  (Wikipedia)

·         God had told Joshua to NOT make any Covenants or Treaty’s with the people in the Land that they were to occupy, but a Migrant Caravan came to their borders and volunteered to be their slaves. – Joshua said he could not make Treaties with neighboring cities, so the migrants LIED as they had already loaded their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old patched wineskins.  They CAMOUFLAGED themselves by putting on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes and the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.  

·         They lied saying; your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all He did in Egypt.  - They implored him by saying “WE ARE YOUR SERVANTS; PLEASE MAKE A TREATY WITH US. Let us be your slaves.  They got their citizenship as slaves and the people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of this TREATY.  – Joshua did not seek God before he made the treaty.

Joshua 9:3-21 – The migrant Caravan TROJAN HORSE
³ But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
⁴ THEY RESORTED TO DECEPTION to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins.
⁵ They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.
⁶ When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”
⁷ The Israelites replied to these Hivites,

“How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do,

WE CANNOT MAKE A TREATY WITH YOU.”
⁸ They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?”
⁹ They answered, “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt.
¹⁰ We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth).
¹¹ So our elders and all our people instructed us, ‘Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them,

WE ARE YOUR SERVANTS; PLEASE MAKE A TREATY WITH US
¹² This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy.
¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”
¹⁴ So the Israelites examined their food, but

THEY DID NOT CONSULT THE LORD.
¹⁵ Then JOSHUA MADE A PEACE TREATY WITH THEM and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.
¹⁶ Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!
¹⁷ The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
¹⁸ But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for

THE ISRAELITE LEADERS HAD MADE A VOW TO THEM

in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the TREATY.
¹⁹ But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.
²⁰ This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath.
²¹ Let them live.” So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.

(NLT)

Luke 6:45 – What’s in a man’s heart overflows his mouth
⁴⁵ A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and AN EVIL PERSON PRODUCES EVIL things from the treasury of an evil heart.

WHAT YOU SAY FLOWS FROM WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART.

(NLT)

MS-13

·         Obama said “it is baseless to be afraid of a bunch of impoverished, malnourished refugees,"

·         Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. The gang later spread to many parts of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and CENTRAL AMERICA, and is active in urban and suburban areas. - Most members are now from Central America; the gangs that are the strongest are in what is known as the "Northern Triangle"; El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

·         They are notorious for their violence and a subcultural moral code based on merciless retribution, murder, drug trafficking, extortion, assault, theft, robbery, fraud, rape, human trafficking and arms trafficking.

·         According to a 2004 Washington Times report, MS-13 was "thought to have established a MAJOR SMUGGLING CENTER" in Mexico.

·         MINORS make up the majority of suspects arrested for killings attributed to MS-13. Many school districts were reluctant to admit unaccompanied teenagers when they arrived from Central America, which left them home alone and vulnerable to gang recruitment.

·         I once lived near a Retirement Trailer Park where no children under the age of 21 were allowed to live there, citing that it’s the MINORS that cause the communities problems.

·         Is it any wonder that there is concern that these MS-13 MINORS, these children are coming across our borders in a Trojan Horse?

News Media

·         The Department of Homeland Security CONFIRMED that there are “individuals within the migrant caravan who are gang members OR have significant criminal histories. - The agency also reported that people from CENTRAL AMERICA and the MIDDLE EAST are also trying to walk into the United States, which is particularly troubling in light of the fact that we now know that there is currently a TERRORIST PRESENCE in CENTRAL AMERICA.

·         In early October, just days before the caravan crossed from Honduras into Guatemala, the Guatemalan government announced that it had arrested 100 people “highly linked to terrorist groups” and specifically to ISIS. - That information means that there is a risk that terrorists, from the Middle East or elsewhere, will try to use the caravan as CAMOUFLAGE to improve their odds of crossing our border undetected.

·         The migrants frequently use religious terminology, referring to themselves as “WARRIORS” and vowing that nothing will stop them from entering the United States. - They frequently profess that they are hoping for a better life in the United States, yet for many of them their very first action upon reaching American soil will be illegal; criminal in nature.

·         One migrant preaches; only “GOD” will stop this caravan, while another declares that “Donald Trump is the Antichrist.”

·         White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a mother and evangelical Christian, said it’s "very Biblical to enforce the Law".  - She defended immigration authorities who were separating parents from their children when they were caught illegally entering the country; explaining to reporters that the Bible clearly instructs ALL people to NOT TO BREAK THE LAW. – No one wants to separate families, but when someone breaks the law and goes to jail, by LAW they are separated from the rest of their family.

·         The Book says everyone must submit to governing authorities. - For all authority comes from God, and THOSE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY HAVE BEEN PLACED THERE BY GOD.  So anyone who rebels against this authority is REBELLING AGAINST WHAT GOD HAS INSTITUTED, and they will be punished. – It’s in the Book -

Romans 13:1-7 – Everyone must submit to the authorities
¹ EVERYONE MUST SUBMIT TO GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. FOR ALL AUTHORITY COMES FROM GOD, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  
² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling

against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
³ For THE AUTHORITIES DO NOT STRIKE FEAR IN PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING RIGHT, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities?

Do what is right, and they will honor you.
⁴ THE AUTHORITIES ARE GOD’S SERVANTS, SENT FOR YOUR GOOD. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
⁵ So you must SUBMIT TO THEM, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
⁶ PAY YOUR TAXES, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. THEY ARE SERVING GOD in what they do.
⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and GIVE RESPECT AND HONOR TO THOSE WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY. (NLT)

The Law

·         The Supreme Court confirmed that the president can turn away those who are deemed "detrimental to the interests of the United States." - The U.S. Constitution and federal law gives the president the authority to block the entry of migrants and aliens.  Constitutional rights do not extend to People who are trying to ILLEGALLY enter our country even to seek asylum, whether by boat or caravan.

·         The Prophet Ezekiel says the USA is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages.  Terrorist and gangs will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence.  - They will go to those cities and capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with stock and other possessions. THEY THINK THE WHOLE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND THEM!  - It’s in the Book -  NYOBS 86.34 - WALLS, TRUMP & GOD

·         "Make yourself at Home" program was launched by Mexico, offering migrant’s shelter, food, work and schools for their kids. Most turned it down. They're heading to the U.S. for an even better lifestyle, and are coached that uttering to a U.S. border agent, the words "Asylum" and "Credible Fear" is their “GET-IN-FREE” card.

·         When apprehended by a border agent then plead “Asylum” and taken briefly into custody and then released and required to appear at an immigration hearing; SURPRISE, They almost never show up. Trump has announced an end to this "Catch and Release" fiasco.

Ezekiel 38:11-12 – Un-walled nations will be plundered
¹¹ You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!
¹² I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now. They think the whole world revolves around them!’ (NLT)

The Take Away

·         Our government threatening these countries by taking away funding is short sighted and will only perpetuate their instability; we should not penalize the home countries of the migrants, but focus on the “root causes” of their despair and find a way to improve the lives of these families so that they can safely remain in their own home country.

·         Christian Media reported that the migrant caravan is made up primarily of people with deep Christian convictions and traditions, and are praying for God’s protection, guidance and freedom for their families; but on the flip side of the coin there are families in the USA who are fearful that this caravan could threaten the safety and future of their children and are prayerfully pleading with God to protect them from gangs like MS-13.

·         Whose prayers will God hear? One group of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are praying for liberation while the other group is praying for the safety of their US families. Jesus’ message was GOOD NEWS for the captives, oppressed, the hurting and sick, but it wasn’t so good news for the systems that oppressed them.

·         Knowledge is power; The Bible tells us to take care of the less fortunate, but also tells us to provide and protect our families.  Trump is in a precarious position that he is required to do what the Law requires, yet it must be tempered with reason.  There is a difference between DOING THE RIGHT THING and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

·         God has made it clear that the part we play is to PRAY for those in Power in our government.  Pray for Trump to be surrounded with Godly advice and that God will grant him THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT of a “WORD OF KNOWLEDGE” and a “WORD OF WISDOM”.

·         NOTE: The NIV Bible scripture says “MESSAGE of Knowledge and Wisdom”, but I like the way the KJV Bible says “WORD of Knowledge and Wisdom”; it implies, this gift is not a book, nor a chapter, nor a page, nor even a paragraph, but is just a Word from God.

• Cessationists generally believe that the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT were given only for the foundation of the church during the time between the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the fulfillment of God’s purposes in history, usually identified as at the death of the last Apostle.
• Continuationism believes that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit have been available for use by the church ever since Pentecost. -  NYOBS 08.12 - GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

·         The gifts of the Spirit are not all encompassing, but are specific in nature and for a specific period of time.  Many denomination teach that the Gifts of the Spirit ended with the death of the twelve Disciples of Christ; but the Book says the Gifts and Calling of God are irrevocable.   - It’s in the Book –

·         The Bottom Line - PRAY FOR OUR GOVERNMENT LEADERS to have the Knowledge to DO THE RIGHT THING and the Wisdom to know THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

1 Timothy 2:2-3 – Pray for your PRESIDENT
² PRAY this way FOR KINGS and

ALL WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY so that we can live

peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
³ THIS IS GOOD AND PLEASES GOD OUR SAVIOR, (NLT)

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 – Gifts of the Spirit

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God

works all of them in all men.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit

IS GIVEN FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

8 To one there is given through the Spirit the

MESSAGE OF WISDOM, to another the

MESSAGE OF KNOWLEDGE by means of the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

NIV

Romans 11:29 – The gifts are irrevocable

29 For THE GIFTS and the calling of God

ARE IRREVOCABLE.

NKJV

Hebrews 13:17 – Have confidence in your leaders
¹⁷ HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR LEADERS

AND SUBMIT TO THEIR AUTHORITY, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

(NIV2011)

Romans 9:17 – God appoints Presidents to display His power
¹⁷ For the Scriptures say that God told PHARAOH,

“I HAVE APPOINTED YOU for the very purpose of

displaying MY POWER in you and to spread MY FAME

throughout the earth.”

(NLT)

Romans 13:1-5 – God puts all Presidents in Power
¹ Everyone must submit to governing authorities.

FOR ALL AUTHORITY COMES FROM GOD, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
⁴ The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
⁵ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

(NLT)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

                         and see further that I otherwise ever could have.              

                                                                                                                                     

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Block-Chain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EeFeaHb2vs

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Gospels Interwoven; The – Karmit Zarley

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament – Baker

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

New Living Translation Bible - NLT

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Systematic Theology – Berkhof / Erdmans

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney