8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
***
Humans want to be "as gods", knowing good and evil:
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
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II Thessalonians 2
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
***
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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II Peter 2
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
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Paul tells us in the last days, the wickedness will increase on this earth.
II Timothy 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
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God judges the world. We are to judge the church:
I Corinthians 5
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? (We do not judge the world.) do not ye judge them that are within? (We are to judge the evil in the church.)
13 But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
(We have to judge that "brother" in the church when he is doing evil.)
***
Also we have to walk away from the evil done in this world when we see that evil.
We have often made the mistake of thinking we can change the evil. (I've done this in past in the church.)
But as we grow closer to the end and the return of Jesus, we must be aware of keeping ourselves that we not allow ourselves to be swept away by the evil that men do.
Before the Coronavirus, I rarely looked at any TV newscast. I sometimes checked the written headlines of news on internet without taking into my own heart the evil being done by men in this world.
During Coronavirus, I began watching TV newscasts to see what was happening in this very unusual event.
But I became aware that I was living more in disturbance than I was living in peace.
I am also very aware that I do not have to judge this world. (I Corinthians 5 tells us that.)
Therefore I do not have to take sides, as the newscasters would try to get us to do. I can refuse to judge the matter and change the TV to another channel, preferably one showing animals, dogs and cats! (When I view animals on TV I have peace and joy.)
So I have begun "watching myself" and keeping myself from being pulled into worldly conflicts for these things bring destructions to both sides in the issue, neither side being godly.
For example: In May, 2020, in Minneapolis a policeman contributed to the death of a black man by putting his knee on the neck of the black man's neck while the black man said he was in pain and couldn't breath.
Then the protesters arose to seek vengeance for the death of the black man. I was aware of the evil being done also by the protesters, for I know the scriptures:
Hebrews 10
30 For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord.
We can simply refuse to judge the world, walking away, knowing God will judge everyone involved on both sides and God knows the hearts of all in the issue at hand which we do not know. And we are told not to judge the world, but we are to judge the church. I Corinthians 5.
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
But if there is evil in the church, we must judge that evil, refusing to keep company with that evil doer when he is called a brother and is doing evil, as Paul told us.
I Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
***
In the end time, what is important for us?
II Peter 3
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
So keeping ourselves is that which is important. To do that we must judge the "wicked brother" in the church ... but we must not put ourselves in a position where we are "taking sides" in the world.
And we must walk away after we see church people doing evil.
Titus 3:10-11 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
(If they don't turn at your first and second admonition, just walk away from them, knowing they will not turn.)
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
Don't keep trying to correct that church person. After the first and second admonition to him, reject him. Just stay away from him.
***
In the Bible, we are told to pray for "the king" and those in authority ... but we are not told that we have to vote for him.
I Timothy 2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
I had a Baptist friend who was the most political person I've ever met.
She rejoiced that she could register her granddaughter to vote for the worldly elections at her Baptist church.
(I was horrified that a church would do such a thing.)
Later I shared I Timothy 2:1 with her. I told her I thought this would help her concerning her political angers.
She said it did help.
A few years later, she told me she had come to realize there is no solution in politics.
We, who are born again, are as strangers and pilgrims as we pass through this world.
Hebrews 11
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for HE hath prepared for them a city.
Work constantly to "live in peace", without spot and blameless in the sight of God.
***
Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here: Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog
