Obadiah: God’s Justice

For those who think God is not on His throne and still at work. This is a Powerful message on the book of Obadiah. Obadiah: God’s Justice

From “Rylisms” by James Ryle

The Pot of Boiling Acid

“For God does speak—now one way, now another— though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.” (Job 33:14-18, NIV).

In a dream I saw an angel standing with a large vat in his hands. The vat was filled with what appeared to be acid. A man came and stood before the angel, who then began to pour the acid upon the man’s head! “What are you doing?!” I exclaimed. The angel continued pouring as he looked at me and solemnly said, “These are the curses with which he has cursed others, now being poured out upon his own head!”

The sight was so riveting that I woke up and lay still in my bed. I wondered first if I was the man, and quickly started blessing everybody I could think of! Next, I questioned if what I had seen in the dream could even be true, for it seemed so sinister. And yet it also had a sobering sense of Divine justice about it. I found the sight to be deeply disturbing. I got up and began searching through the Scripture for an answer. My search was not fruitless.

“He loved to pronounce a curse – may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing – may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil” (Psalm 109:17-18).

I clearly saw the lesson that Lord was illustrating through this dream: The man who curses others will himself be cursed. Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).

As it applies to cursing, so also does it apply to blessing. The man who blesses others will himself be blessed. Whatever measure you mete out will be measured back to you. In yet another text Jesus said “bless those who curse you!” (Matthew 5:44).

Could it be that the blessing we speak to those who are cursing us is for the purpose of keeping us from coming into the place of cursing ourselves? I think so. How solemn to think that cursing another postures you to receive that very curse upon yourself!

But then, how wonderful to believe that by blessing another you inevitably inherit the blessing yourself! Despite the bewildering images of this night vision, one thing is certain: Since having this dream I have been very careful with my words.

As for me and my house — we are going to BLESS others; that we might inherit a blessing.

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It’s About Forgiveness… by Wayne Augden

You know there are a lot of things that speak to who a person is, and where they are on this road we call life.  Sometimes, we think we’ve come a long way, and we can even delude ourselves into thinking we have, but nothing is more telling on us than how we respond when we’re hurt.  Sometimes, depending on the severity of the offense, it’s fairly easy to forgive, and then there are times, when forgiveness is almost impossible.  What we have to realize though is that “forgiveness” isn’t about “forgetting,” but rather laying aside our pain, and our desire to get even, and being willing to do good to those who hurt us.  It’s about trusting God to deal justly with people.  Forgiveness is a supernatural act… it’s takes the love of God to help us do it, but we must allow and desire Him to help us if it is to take place.  If you need some help to get started…. Just imagine a man hanging on a cross, wearing a crown of thorns, spikes driven through His hands and feet…. and then listen as His pain-soaked voice speaks into the night… “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do…”

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 

Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

From “Evening Thoughts” by Winslow

“Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Php_2:6-8

There could have been no restoration and no satisfaction to law and justice, but in the humiliation of the Son of God. The very necessity of the case demanded it. The Divine government had been dishonored-that dishonor could only be removed by the humiliation of one equal in dignity, holiness, and glory-even an infinite Being. The humiliation of every angel in heaven would not have effaced a single stain of its reproach, nor have restored a single beam of its glory. The law of God had been humbled-justice demanded, as a price of its reparation, the humiliation of the Lawgiver Himself. The incarnate God did humble Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Thus it was Jesus “restored that which He took not away.” He restored holiness to the law-satisfaction to justice-dignity to the Divine government-honor to God, and happiness and immortality to man. “Then I restored that which I took not away.” Oh, what stable foundation is thus laid for the full salvation of every believer.

The humiliation of the Redeemer opens a fountain of infinitely great and ever-glorious grace. Nothing could we have known of the glory of His person, nothing of the character of God, and all the things of His hidden love must have remained forever sealed, had He not so humbled Himself. His coming forth, invested not with the dazzling robes of His infinite Majesty, but wearing our degraded nature, descending to our state of deep abasement-yes, sinking infinitely deeper than we-throws open a treasury of grace as rich in its glory, and ample in its supply, as were the dark humiliation and deep poverty which made it ours. Here is glory springing from His abasement-it is the “glory of His grace;” “We beheld His glory, full of grace.” This fullness of grace in Jesus includes all that a poor sinner needs, all that a necessitous believer requires, all that the glory of God demanded. Here is the grace of pardon in all its fullness-the grace of justification in all its fullness-the grace of sanctification in all its fullness-the grace of consolation in all its fullness-the grace of strength in all its fullness. “It pleased the Father, that in Him should all fullness dwell.” Grace is poured into His lips, and gracious words proceed from His lips. Hearken! “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Hearken again! “Him that comes unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Does He not bind up the broken heart? Does He not preach glad tidings to the meek? Does He not “satisfy the hungry soul, and satiate the weary soul with goodness”? Has He ever sent the poor empty away? Was He ever known to turn His back upon one humble comer drawing near, bowed with guilt, disconsolate with sorrow, oppressed with trial? Never! never! Oh, it is with infinite delight-delight, the depth of which we can form no conception-that He welcomes poor sinners. He thinks of His own humiliation for sin-He remembers His own sorrows and tears, agonies and death, and throwing Himself, as it were, into the very center of a bosom storm-tossed with godly grief, He seeks to soothe and hush it to a calm. And how does He allay the tempest? He pours the oil of His own love upon the waves; He sprinkles the conscience with that blood which cleanses from all sin, and bids the soul go in peace. Dear reader, where least we should have expected it, Jesus is set before us the “door of hope,” even in the deep valley of His humiliation. “I will give the valley of Achor for a door of hope.” The gospel of this precious promise is found in the wondrous theme we are now contemplating-the humiliation of the incarnate God. To that humiliation we must sink; into that valley we must descend. Convinced of sin-separated from all self-reliance and creature trust-emptied, humbled, laid low in the dust before God, we shall then find Jesus to be the “door of hope” set open for us in the deep and dark valley of our poverty, hopelessness, vileness, and abasement. Just the Door we need, is Jesus. A door to a Father’s forgiving heart, a door to God’s reconciled love; a door to the sweetest, closest, holiest fellowship and communion; a door into heaven itself; a door so wide, that the greatest sinner may enter-so free, that the penniless may come.

 

My Prayer to the Father, August 21, 2012

Heavenly Father
I come to You, Father
Knowing that You are the Great God;
The Eternal God.
That You are defined
By
Love
Mercy
Compassion
Forgiveness
Justice
Holiness
And Truth,
And that these are all
You;
You are all these things.

Heavenly Father
How little we know of You;
With what arrogance
Do we presume upon You.
To think with our finite
Minds that we
Can understand You
Or think we should ever
Be able to know
All You are.

Heavenly Father
My prayer is a simple one
But one I feel we all need.
Father, I ask You
To help my brothers and sisters
To know:
That Your love is bigger,
Wider, deeper,
Than we can ever imagine;
That Your mercy
Extends beyond
What we are
capable of receiving.
That Your compassion
Knows no bounds;
That Your forgiveness
Is available
To anyone who
Sincerely desires it.

Heavenly Father
Let us never forget
That You are Just.
That Your justice
Is as big, wide, and deep
And Your eternal love.
That without Holiness
We shall never see You.
And most of all,
That without Your truth,
As You have decreed it
We shall never
Know You.

In Jesus name, I pray,
Amen.

My Prayer to the Father, August 16, 2012

Heavenly Father
I come unto You,
And bow down before Your throne
To give praise and worship
Unto You who are ever
Mighty and strong,
Faithful and true,
And always love.
You are the Creator;
The Author,
You are Wonderful, and
You are from
Everlasting to everlasting.

Heavenly Father
Thank You for Your Son,
Jesus Christ,
My lord and Savior.
Thank You for Your great love;
A love that was so strong,
So true
So giving
That through it
A fallen world, and
A fallen people
Could be redeemed
If they so chose
Simply be speaking the name
Of Jesus, and by
Believing and trusting
That He was and is
All He claimed
To be.

Heavenly Father
Tonight, my prayer is
Simply for my
Brothers and sisters
To live in total submission
And obedience
To Your call upon
Their lives.
I pray Father that You
Will help them
To live
In such a way as to bring
You
Great glory and honor.

Heavenly Father
I pray that You will make
Each of
My brothers and sisters
People who will stand for Your
Truth,
Justice,
Mercy,
Compassion,
And
Love
To every single person
They know and meet…

In Jesus name, I pray.
Amen.

My Prayer to the Father, August 10, 2012

Heavenly Father
I come to You, Father,
Knowing that You
Are a God of
Truth
Understanding
Compassion
Mercy
Justice
Holiness
Perfection
And Love.

Heavenly Father
It is because I know this
That I can come before You
And bow down,
And plead with You
To have these things
Toward me.
Father, I am a sinner.
I have things in my
Mind and heart
That I don’t want
To face,
For I lack the courage
To face the answers
I’m afraid will be
There.

You, say, Father, that there is no
Temptation but such as
Is common to man,
And that You will give us
A way out
That we may be able
To bear it.
I pray You give me
That way now.
Temptation is an ugly
Thing, O Lord
And I would wish
That I should never
Have had to face this.
I am ashamed
That it has any appeal
But I will not lie
To You, nor myself.

Heavenly Father
I pray that You give me the
Strength to turn away,
To set my face in the opposite
Direction and run as
Fast as I can.
Give me the feet of a deer
So I may run swiftly
Into the arms of my Lord
who will hold me safely
And give me the security
Only He can provide.

Heavenly Father
I know that You are Perfect;
I know that though
You don’t make evil
You allow it.
You have allowed this
To touch me.
You, in all Your wisdom,
In all Your power,
In all Your truth
And compassion
Have with your
Almighty hand
Not stayed this,
But have allowed me to
Encounter it.
Is this a test, Father?
Is it an opportunity?

Heavenly Father
You have also said
Blessed is the man that
Endures temptation
For when He has been tried
He will receive
The crown of life.
You, Father are so good;
You who love us so
Not only show us love,
But teach us how
To do so.

Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word;
I thank You for
Providing what my soul needs
What I am thirsty for
Righteousness.
You have given me that
Which I long for
Not in a place or thing,
But in a man
Made of flesh and bone
Who was made
As I,
And because He has
Tasted death for me,
Has been tempted
In the same ways
Is able to comfort me,
And who will forever be
My high priest who
Before You, O God,
Stands as my eternal
Mediator before you.

Heavenly Father
Thank You for my Lord and Savior,
Thank you for His blood that
Covers me;
Thank you for
His great love, mercy, and compassion,
And bringing to me once again the light
Of Your truth,
And the knowledge that reminds me
That he who stands beneath the tree
In the shadow of His grace
Blessed is he.

In Jesus name, I pray.
Amen.