Blessed Curses

Based on Psalm 83

I was talking with my sister yesterday about the difference between Hades and Gehenna and this psalm is relevant to that discussion.
Hades is the Greek equivalent of Sheol - the grave, the state of nothingness, the state of being dead.
Gehenna is not used as a word in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it is used as a concept.
The Psalmist lists the enemies that are persecuting God's people and pleads with God to judge them.


Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (Psalm 83:17)

The context shows that this passage is talking about bring temporal suffering on the wicked to bring them to repentance. But it should also be remembered that being confounded and troubled "for ever" has an equivalence to being put to shame and made to "perish". Death is the punishment for sin (Rom 6:23) and what a terrible punishment it is, but just.


Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: (Psalm 83:9)


What place does this kind of cursing have for the Christian? Why is this in the Bible, if we are supposed to bless those that curse us? Let me know if you have a good answer.

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)

My thought is that we are being told to boldly pray to God that our enemies will be saved, if necessary through suffering. We have a tendency to complain about our enemies or criticise them, it practice we curse them. But to honestly admit they are our enemies and appeal to God to bring suffering on them for their own salvation, that seems a bit extreme. I think I can take from this that I have no business gossiping about someone if I am not willing to honestly ask God to curse them. If I did have an enemy I wanted God to curse I ought to want this for the sake of their own salvation.

That will be something to go on with.

Heroes

Based on Psalm 82

Justice should come from the leaders of this world, but they do not regard the powerless. Only the return of Jesus will bring justice back to this world. We who wish to be like him should behave like him; bringing justice to the powerless within the sphere of our power.
This reminds me of another verse:
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

A Song of Comfort

Psalm 37

A Psalm of David.

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers,

neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

and wither as the green herb.


3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord;

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.


5 Commit thy way unto the Lord;

trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,

and thy judgment as the noonday.


7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:

fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,

because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.


8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:

fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off:

but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.


10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:

yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth;

and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.


12 The wicked plotteth against the just,

and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him:

for he seeth that his day is coming.


14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,

to cast down the poor and needy,

and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.


16 A little that a righteous man hath

is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken:

but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.


18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright:

and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:

and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.


20 But the wicked shall perish,

and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs:

they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.


21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again:

but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth;

and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.


23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:

and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.


25 I have been young, and now am old;

yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,

nor his seed begging bread.

26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth;

and his seed is blessed.


27 Depart from evil, and do good;

and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth judgment,

and forsaketh not his saints;

they are preserved for ever:

but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.


29 The righteous shall inherit the land,

and dwell therein for ever.


30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom,

and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;

none of his steps shall slide.


32 The wicked watcheth the righteous,

and seeketh to slay him.

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand,

nor condemn him when he is judged.


34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way,

and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land:

when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.


35 I have seen the wicked in great power,

and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not:

yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.


37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright:

for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together:

the end of the wicked shall be cut off.


39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord:

he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them,

and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked,

and save them, because they trust in him.

Come

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:2,4)


What is Babylon the great? From these passages it is at least clear that God has people in Babylon the great. Babylon means confusion. If you are confused about God and the Bible that doesn't mean you do not belong to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is calling you out of confusion into the light of clear truth.
We who have the light of clear truth should share it loudly and boldly like the angel in this vision. We have a work to do, to save people from the plagues that are coming and from the consequences of their sins.
Please Father give me boldness.

Home

It is good to be home.
Home with my family.
Home with my church.

Homesickness has not been a big problem for me, but it is so nice to be back. Prayer meeting this morning we studied presumptuous prayer, it is nice to be back at the best church in the world.


Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psa 133:1

Disappointed

It has been seven weeks leading this canvassing program and tomorrow it finishes. It has become almost a way of life and time has flown by so quickly. I have been inspired by the students to try to take up canvassing again myself. In the last few days I did a little canvassing myself when things were quiet. I was bitterly disappointed with myself. So clumsy, and so cowardly. I know I just need practice, but I am overwhelmed by the people and it is a struggle to get that practice.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

I have a long way to go.

Striving

I am taking the first real opportunity in months to write here. I have been busy leading a canvassing program and I am striving to do it well. I wonder if it is a good or bad thing that I feel inept. I believe that God will see me through and bring success.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20)

Father please help me.