In Genesis 3:17, we read that Adam listened to the voice of his wife.
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
The entire human race fell into sin with Adam’s disobedience- having listened to the voice of his wife.
In Genesis 16:2 we read that Abraham listened to the voice of his wife.
So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Genesis 16:2).
The entire Arab world is forever fighting because of Ishmael, the result of Sarah’s scheme to get a boy child, who ended up being a wild donkey of a man who raised up his fist against everyone. (Genesis 16:12)
In Genesis 12:7 God told Abraham he would have offspring. In Genesis 15:5 God told Abraham he would have numerous descendants, and specifically that Eliezar would not be the heir. And yet Abraham disobeyed and listened to Sarah who connived a better plan, or so she thought.
The results of both men whom God Himself charged with listening to the voice of his wife, reverberates throughout history.
Now let’s get one thing clear. Women/wives are created to be a helpmeet. (Genesis 2:18). One of the ways they help husbands is that they give wise advice and have good opinions. Proverbs 31:26-27 is a verse admiring the wife precisely because “She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
The difference between Eve/Adam and Sarah/Abraham is that their counsel directly contradicted God’s. It was unwise and unkind, the opposite of the Proverbs wife. And the men listened.
I mean, in Genesis 15:5 Abraham heard that he’d have offspring, and in Genesis 15:6, the next verse it was counted to him as righteousness that he believed and trusted God. But Abraham succumbed to…something. Impatience? Sarah’s beauty? Masculine weakness? Who knows. But Abraham was charged by God as having listened to the voice of his wife, and not in a good way. Adam too.
Wives, please make sure you are not pressuring your husband to do things that arise from your own carnal desire, as Eve’s was. Nor should we create schemes and machinations to further our own personal agenda, as Sarah did. Be a Hannah, who loved her husband and waited on God and appealed to God (not her husband as Rebekah did) to open her womb. A Lois or Eunice, teaching the young Timothy as they raised the boy to a man. Most importantly, be a Mary, who soaked up Jesus’ teaching every chance she got.
This is what makes a wise wife. A wife whose voice will help her husband and please God. When you open your mouth, is it in wisdom or folly?
It is a day off from school and for that I am grateful, because I can watch the Inauguration and celebratory proceedings.
President Trump is about to take the oath of office shortly, for the second time.
It has been a long 4 years since his first inauguration. As one who is so active on social media, Biden’s term has caused me no small amount of anguish. I have had to avert my eyes often, guard my heart, and work at reducing the bitterness, outrage, and unhappiness of all that I have witnessed. At times I’ve felt that my beloved nation was imploding, reminding me of the verse where God had said, Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim, And like rottenness to the house of Judah. (Hosea 5:12). A moth silently eats away at the fabric, rot causes foundational collapse.
It seems that He has granted us a reprieve from the Alarics of the world from sacking Rome.
I’ve grown up as a political animal. My father ran for office and also helped in campaigns of others seeking office. From my earliest days I remember grange halls, bunting, that echo shoes make on the wooden floors, Sousa marching music, and more.
I love my country and participated in Project Close-Up as a freshman. We were taken to the Nation’s capitol and given a close up look at how our nation runs, and time with our senator and representative. Even a tour of the Supreme Court. I loved it.
I’ve always been happy and proud of our country. My grandparents immigrated from Europe, coming thru Ellis Island, made new lives, prospered. I’ve been able to speak freely, assemble, and practice my religion with no hindrances.
I’ve been able to vote. What a privilege. I’ve almost always voted third party. I have felt strongly that we need to be governed by someone with real world experience in business (and ‘community organizing’ doesn’t count). Someone who understands at the minutest level about the economy. Someone from outside the two parties, which increasingly to me looked like one party. My first election I voted for John Anderson, and then Perot, Forbes, and so on. (Not Nader though).
I stood on the shore of Newport beach in 1976 and was wowed by the Tall Ships passing, our national bicentennial was a superlative party and a great lesson in civics.
It has been a long slog just since July when Candidate president Trump was shot, his life spared by the One who governs all life, but by a hair’s breadth to our eyes.
As someone who loves my country and is proud of it (and I never forgot THAT comment, yes I’m looking at you, Michelle Obama) and someone who loves justice, truth, and beauty, the last 4 years have been difficult if not depressing. Perhaps it was to give us a minute glimpse into what it was like for 1st century Christians under Nero. Or 1st century Jews under Herod. And yes I am deliberately likening our immediate past president to Herod and Nero.
“It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to people of understanding.” (Daniel 2:21).
It is HE. I do not know why God in His sovereign will decided to give us this reprieve or what He has in mind for the near future. But for the first time in a while I have optimism, even while completely understanding that my hope is in Jesus.
I’ve been praying for President Trump’s salvation, first and foremost. Then, that he survives the swearing in, and the next 4 years. I’ve been praying for justice to be done. Oh what a balm to my soul that justice in all her glory would be served. What a grace if I don’t have to wait until Jesus returns to see leaders right some of these recent wrongs.
I also pray that Mr Biden will receive the elder CARE HE DESERVES. He is obviously suffering from dementia, and it is a grief to watch in real time a man used as a puppet, a prop, inhumanely manipulated for evil ends. I can’t wait for THAT injustice to be addressed by Jesus.
But still, my hope is in Jesus. However, I am excited for today. I pray our nation returns to its earlier vigor and founding values. My life is advanced but I do hope that this sojourn by President Trump in our Hall of History will establish something good and strong for the next generation.
I wrote two days ago about the celebrity grandmother ‘Bible teachers’ who were adept at crafting a conservative persona on social media contrary to the lives they were actually living.
They had to craft their outward picture (in hypocrisy) because firstly, when they started out the faith was much more conservative than it is now. They could not openly say they were preaching or having a career at the office. They had to say they were ‘speaking’ and only occasionally because they were stay at home moms. They had a ‘ministry’ not an all-consuming, busy career.
Secondly 40 years ago there was not as much social media as there is now. Back in the day there was only TV, newspapers, and radio.
I wrote an essay in 2018 saying this push of preaching to men was going to be a problem:
I also said so two days ago that the evil example of these grandmothers in the faith (Moore, Shirer, Meyer, Caine…) during the last generation is a problem:
So, a couple of days ago a woman whose handle is Cia Cloud, put up an Instagram story and a TikTok talking about the “romantic heart of Jesus”. The short video is below and here is the transcript:
After you’ve experienced the romantic heart of Jesus, you cannot go back to casual dating. I got out of a relationship a while ago, and when I did I asked the Lord can you teach me what it’s like for You to be my husband? And before you get weirded out, it’s because the church is known as the Bride of Christ, and He’s the groom. I wanted to know what it felt like to truly be pursued so that I knew what to look for in a future relationship. Let me explain what God does so you don’t settle. I wish more people understood that God wants to romanticize your heart. He wants to win you over. He created you to delight in pursuing you. He is the ultimate pursuer. We just get distracted. The other day for example, the Lord told me he was going to take me out to lunch…”
She went on with two more examples of how Jesus spoke to her and shortly afterward the minor things he allegedly said came true.
No. But what can we expect when young women of this generation have had such an evil example for decades, with no rebukes coming from the grandmother preachers’ denominations?
It was sad to see the comments asking how to hear God like she does, one woman saying “because for me he has been so quiet”.
Let’s spot the falsities in her speech:
Falsity #1. “Jesus is my romantic boyfriend”. No. John Gacinski on Twitter replied to the person who had posted Cia’s video-
John Gacinski, @johngacinski: “God wants to romanticize your heart” No. Jesus wants us to surrender to Him and serve Him. He wants us to be born again so we can be worthy vessels in His house. He’s not wooing us like some twenty something who’s desperate for a girlfriend. I’m so tired of this “Jesus is my boyfriend/homeboy” trash.
Notice Cia said “I wanted to know what it felt like” not ‘what does the Bible say?’
Falsity #2. “He speaks to me directly.” No. The canon is closed. He spoke through His word as Hebrews 1:1-2 says. Justin Peters has a rebuttal to the ‘still small voice that speaks to me’ error.
Falsity #3. “Prophetic words given directly to me are coming ‘true’. No. Stop looking for signs and omens and back dating what you thought you heard in the ‘voice.’ Just live your daily life according to the word.
Falsity #4. Needing an experience rather than what His word says. The people followed Jesus when He spoke good things, and they clamored for the signs and miracles. But when he spoke hard things, they drifted away. Turns out they were only following Him for a show. The walk of faith begins and ends in the word of God, which will never pass away.
Falsity #5. He pursues with uncertain outcome rather than sovereignly electing (He “wants to win you”). Jesus is not wishing and hoping and wringing His hands hoping you come to faith as He chases you. He elected His people from before the foundation of the world and at the fullness of each elected person’s time, they are given the grace to repent and come to Him. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
This problem of prophetic words, still small voice, romantic boyfriend Jesus issues are not all the wicked grandmothers’ fault. Seminaries are doing their best to pump out women preachers rife with false doctrine. Witness Cia Cloud:
I am sad for her future because she is standing on sand building a house of sand
These nextgen women don’t even hide it anymore, not like the other false female preachers did in the 90s and early 2000s. They are ‘out’ as preachers. Immodest ones, at that. Apparently Cia attended Liberty University.
But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet, says 1 Timothy 2:12. See also 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Ephesians 5:22-24 among other verses that clearly state what the woman and wife should do and not do.
If you have a teen or young adult daughter, I feel for you. Keeping the false doctrines at bay is difficult. Just as you put one doctrinal fire out, another pops up. I want to encourage you moms, grandmoms, young ladies, that if you stay in the word, Jesus will keep you on the center line of his doctrine. Guard your heart, keep your eyes on Jesus, stay in the Word.
Pastor Owen Strachan has some wise advice for women (men too, but I’ll post the women’s here) on what to do and what not to do.
You notice none of those pieces of advice say chase after signs, listen for a small voice, ascend the pulpit to preach, or treat the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE like a wooing, weak boyfriend.
Stay strong, ladies. Jesus will come back and He will raise us up. He will address the false doctrine and the people who promoted it. Meanwhile, be a pillar, upholding His precious true word.
When our sons in their youth are like growing plants, And our daughters like corner pillars fashioned for a palace,Psalm 144:12
Reading this by Michael Reeves from his book “What does it mean to fear the Lord?”
That large-heartedness is actually the overflow of a tender-heartedness toward God. It means that those who fear God have to use another much-misunderstood word—a jealousy for God. Such righteous jealousy should not be confused with selfish envy: it is a love that will not let go of the beloved or make do with substitutes. As God the Father is jealous for his beloved Son, and as Christ is jealous for his bride, the church, so too those who fear God find in themselves a loving jealousy for God. Adoring him, they cannot abide his glory being diminished or stolen. False teaching will distress them, not because it contradicts their views but because it impugns him. Self-righteousness becomes loathsome to them because of how it steals from the glory of his grace.
Actress and TV personality Oprah Winfrey was raised in church and knew the Gospel (presumably) but one little word set her off on a trajectory downhill to perdition. She was put off by the verse in Exodus 34:14,
—for you shall not worship any other god, because the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—”
She didn’t want to follow any God who was jealous of her. She said such a statement didn’t “feel right in my spirit”. She wanted “more than doctrine.”
Isn’t that where it all starts, ‘wanting more’ than the eternal word God already gave? Going on feelings rather than digging in to His word?
Of course Oprah’s is a total misunderstanding of the verse. If only she’d asked the question, ‘what does it MEAN to be a jealous God’ maybe she wouldn’t have made a false god for herself.
But people who are not saved look for reasons NOT to submit to God. They are unwilling to take up their cross. They do not count the cost. They want to retain their pride, or come to God on their own terms. They are stiff-necked with a bias confirmation- they use their weak excuses to confirm that ‘I knew all along God was a fraud.’
But deep down they know the opposite. Romans 1:18-20 says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
God is not jealous OF us, He is jealous FOR us. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him not for His benefit, but for ours.
Are you in fellowship with Jesus today? He who put on the flesh of man, came from glory to live the sinless, righteous life we could not? Then die for our sins so as to absorb God’s wrath for the sinful ones like us? This is an incredible thing, the most incredible plan, event, and doctrine in all the universe. Believe it today and repent, casting your sins upon Jesus and asking for forgiveness of them. He will forgive and you will be blessed by the protection of a God who is jealous for you.
That day, I was trying photography from different angles. I give myself challenges. After I downloaded the pics from my experiment I chose this one. It was a big leaf.
The more I looked at it the more I thought about Jonah. How at the end he sat sulkily on the hill in Jonah 4:5-7,
“Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So the Lord God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant. 7 But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.”
And the hole reminded me of the worm God sent eating the plant so it withered.
I was pleased with this thought, because aside from the self-set challenge of photography, I had also challenged myself to think biblically. Seeing and contemplating God in His creation and thinking of biblical scenes as I go about my daily life. I had been too busy and rushed lately, and I realized I’d ended too many days with nary a thought about Jesus.
We are told in Philippians 4:8 that “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
But how? What? Training my mind to align with the Spirit’s desire to think on the true, the noble, and the good took a while. I’m literal and don’t make connections easily. I mean, that when I see a leaf, it’s a leaf.
Resolve to think of Christ during the day. Pray and ask the Spirit to lead you in this. Don’t let the day get away from you without meditating on scripture and applying its righteous net to your mind to screen out the sinful thoughts and capture the good.
Then go a step farther. I was thinking about Jonah and the selfish self was laughing, ‘O that silly Jonah, he wanted bad for God’s people and God was displeased ha ha.’ So now it was time to think of ME, my selfish self. AM I like Jonah? Am I wanting something God would be displeased with? Am I praying errantly like Jonah did? Ask the Spirit to reveal sin in you that you may not have spotted.
Seek the good and the noble and meditate upon those things, and then actively seek to instill Godly desires and repent for the ungodly desires. Think…then act.
Our school system gives us 2 weeks off at Christmas. it is a just-in-time break. We are exhausted, and the Christmas ramp-up makes the kids extremely excited, which is more exhausting. The 2 weeks gives us a refreshment to enter into the second half of the year with vigor and eagerness.
Two weeks is a long break from work and I’m grateful for it. So what did I do with the time?
Firstly, I am not only grateful for the time off work for personal reasons, but I am grateful for the Lord giving me this job. It is a 190/day a year job. I get to be with children and educate them and I get to have time off. I’ve got 161 days at home throughout the year.
What does the Lord say about managing our time? Ephesians 5:15-16, So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
What does it mean in the verse ‘because the days are evil’? It means that sin abounds. As a result, we are temped with lots of things that divert our attention from God, from serving others in the name of God, and from our own Bible reading and study.
Barnes’ Notes says about redeeming the time:
They redeem their time who employ it: (1) in gaining useful knowledge; (2) in doing good to others; (3) in employing it for the purpose of an honest livelihood for themselves and families; (4) in prayer and self-examination to make the heart better; (5) in seeking salvation, and in endeavoring to do the will of God.
What does the Bible say about single people?
The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (1 Corinthians 7:34).
I take that admonition quite seriously. If the Lord graciously gave me work that fulfills me and that I like – and He didn’t have to – then I should use the time when I’m not working to single-mindedly dedicate to Him. Not that I’m not dedicating ALL the time to Him, but you know what I mean. If I am sitting around here in my home, my flesh can easily watch endless reels and videos of kittens, sovereign citizens, design tips and so on. But no. I must resist the fleshly longing to be slothful or wasteful and dedicate the time to using it in ways that employ the spiritual gifts He gave me for His honor and glory.
My goal during this school break was to read 4 books. I accomplished that and read the 4 above. I watched movies such as The Princess Swap, Garage Sale Mysteries, Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and the series The Marlow Murder Club (a cosy English mystery). These were all on Hallmark. I cooked, blogged, answered women’s messages and emails of theological questions an encouragement. I went to church, prayed, read the Bible.
I am working to maintain a shepherding mentality- shepherding the time God has given me to use for His glory. Because one day, there will be no more time.
It’s the day most of us get to go to church. For some who can’t, they listen or watch the livestream. It’s a day when we worship together, considering who our God is and why He is worthy of worship.
I saw this 3 minute video posted on Twitter by Amy Spreeman, and I watched it. I connected with God initially by his attribute of Creator. Paul appealed to God as Creator when witnessing topagans-
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; (Acts 17:24 NASB).
Please enjoy watching this video, and ponder the fact that He made all this. And didn’t make only her but all 8 billion people on the planet, each with unique DNA, and all the people before her, and after.
Cain talked to his brother Abel; and it happened that when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Genesis 4:8
Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another child in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” Genesis 4:25.
I’ve often wondered about that first death of a human. How Eve and Adam must have gone looking for Abel their son, finding him dead and bloody on the ground. I wonder how they felt when they learned their other son killed him, and was exiled to live far from them. Adam and Eve lost two sons that day. But that moment when death confronted them in the form of their son Abel, knowing that their disobedience has caused it, added a layer of grief we will never understand.
This painting is called The First Mourning, 1888, By William Bouguereau (1825-1905). As was stated on an art site, “The mourners in the painting don’t make eye contact with the viewer, and the composition is self-contained and intimate. In a barren landscape, Adam and Eve – the first humans – weep for their son Abel. He was slain by his own brother Cain. His body is already pale and bloodless and lies limp in the bosom of his father. The latter is young and strong, has dark hair and a full beard and devotes himself to his wife, who buries her face in her hands in deepest grief. There is no trace of the perpetrator. Only the two sacrificial altars in the background refer to the previous episode.” Source
We are at the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.
The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.
We are coming toward the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.
The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.
We proceeded into looking at Jesus as the Son’s preeminence, His works, and His ministry. Under ministry & works, I chose verses showing His attributes and aspects of being servant, teacher, shepherd, intercessor, and compassionate healer; and His attributes of omniscience, having all authority and power, and sinlessness.
the-end-time.org 