“The Righteous are Bold as a Lion”

(Pro 28:1-11)

[Study Aired April 23, 2026]

Pro 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Pro 28:2  For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
Pro 28:3  A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
Pro 28:4  They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
Pro 28:5  Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
Pro 28:6  Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Pro 28:7  Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
Pro 28:8  He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
Pro 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Pro 28:10  Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
Pro 28:11  The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

In this section of (Pro 28:1-11), we’re shown a clear contrast between two ways of living. The righteous are “bold as a lion,” walking in integrity and understanding, while those who pursue wickedness or unjust gain ultimately bring harm—to others and to themselves, taking on a mindset of fearing men and not God, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth”.

Wealth, when pursued without righteousness, is shown to be unstable and even destructive as it draws us away from our Father. Putting our confidence in those things which are temporal is what will destroy our confidence in God, but if we are granted to look to, and believe and work toward attaining those things which are not temporal, and not seen (Heb 11:27), it will be by the grace and faith of Christ that this is accomplished (2Co 4:17-18, Eph 2:8).

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (Mar 10:29-31)
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:(Mat 6:33) for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In (1Ti 6:6-13), where we’re reminded that “godliness with contentment is great gain,” and we are admonished that “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare.” Paul adds that “the love of money is the root of all evil,” and urges us to “flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” This aligns perfectly with what Jesus teaches in (Mat 6:33), “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Together, these passages remind us that the issue is not simply wealth, but what we are pursuing first. Are we chasing gain, or are we seeking God’s righteousness above all? This brings us to a most instructive parable that the world gives no regard to as far as what its spiritual meaning is, found in (Mar 10:17-27).

Mar 10:20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.(Mat 16:25)
Mar 10:22  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Php 3:9)
Mar 10:23  And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mar 10:24  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches (Php 3:9) to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mar 10:25  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,[the narrow way] than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mar 10:26  And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
Mar 10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

This really is where ‘the rubber meets the road’, as we say, and it was written for our admonition to remind us that this narrow way that leads to life can only be found with Christ’s righteousness, which happens as a result of our being miraculously dragged to Him in this age, so we can lose our life (Php 3:9, Joh 6:44, Mat 16:25).

Right after describing this parable to His disciples, Peter then says this, “Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee”. This journey God’s elect are on separates us from the rich young ruler, and brings us to eventually see the need to give our whole lives a living sacrifice to our Creator (Rom 12:1-2), going in a direction that He has ordained for the bride of Christ (Rev 14:4, Rev 19:7, Rom 8:14-16, 2Co 3:17). And what was Christ’s answer to Peter who represents us? (Mar 10:29-31). This answer of Christ is why the redeemed of  the Lord (Psa 107:2) ought to “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”(Php 4:4).

Mar 10:29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
Mar 10:30  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mar 10:31  But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Pro 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

This faintness of heart, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth”, is a curse from God that comes upon us when we are not doing the right thing in His service (Lev 26:36).

Lev 26:36  And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;[the enemy of unbelief within us] and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

It is possible to have Godly fear and boldness at the same time, which comes as a result of the Lion of the tribe of Judah abiding in us (Col 1:27, Rev 5:5), and when we labour for the meat that does not perish (Joh 6:27) our hearts are strengthened by that bread of life (Psa 104:15).

Joh 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Psa 104:15  And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

When we don’t neglect so great a salvation by crying out to God, as Christ did with fear (Heb 2:3, Heb 5:7, Eph 5:30), those prayers will avail much and cause us to not faint and lose heart (Luk 18:1). If we seek God with all our heart he will be found (Jer 29:13, Heb 11:6), and the strength will be given to stand our spiritual ground, which is on His Word (Eph 6:13), not fleeing under any circumstance. “The wicked flee” but the righteousness of Christ makes us “bold as a lion”(Rev 2:10, Rev 5:5)

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Pro 28:2  For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

Our bodies are likened unto the land, and the many princes represents power that yet rules over our bodies causing us to transgress. It is only with spiritual understanding that comes from Christ that we will be able to have lives that will be prolonged, as we’re given dominion over those powers and principalities that are likened unto princes (Eph 6:12). The “man of understanding” represents Christ in us and when we honour our olam Father Christ, and the church Jerusalem above, our days shall be prolonged by being in that blessed and holy first resurrection, which is what this first commandment of promise is all about (Eph 6:1-3, Rev 20:6).

Eph 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Pro 28:3  A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

This statement, “A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food”, is true both physically and spiritually. It’s the gentle consistent rain of God’s word, meat given in due season, that benefits the body of Christ, not a driving or sweeping rain that would make things worse, which is symbolic of the Nicolaitan spirit that wants to rule over the laity with its damaging rain that promises liberty but does not deliver (2Pe 2:18-19).

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

In Babylon there is a Nicolaitan spirit which rules over the laity with false doctrines, and those false doctrines are like “a sweeping rain which leaveth no food”. We were definitely poor in Babylon, with no stay of bread and water (Isa 3:1) and though our intentions were good, because of our blindness at that time we were the poor man who was oppressing the poor with a myriad of false doctrines that as we read is likened unto “a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.”

Pro 28:4  They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

This proverb is showing us that our response to evil reveals where we stand. If we drift from what is right, or leave our first estate as it is described in Jude (Jud 1:6), we would start to tolerate and even approve wrong doing as the blinded church of Corinth did, both physically and spiritually (1Co 5:1-3).

1Co 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
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  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,

It is by standing on the word of God that we can contend with that spirit that was in the Corinthian church of Paul’s day. It was the physical event of fornication that revealed the spiritual fornication that was in the hearts of the Corinthians who were tolerating not just a little leaven, but a lot in their midst (1Co 5:4-7).

1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  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.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Pro 28:5  Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Our labours are not in vain in the Lord, and it is in the seeking of Him that we will “understand all” (Php 3:14-16, 1Jn 1:7-9). We won’t understand judgement if our actions are evil and we are relying on our own righteousness to deliver us in this life (Php 3:8-9).

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Pro 28:6  Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

Being poor in spirit (Mat 5:3), whether your wealthy by the world’s standards or if you don’t have a lot in this life, is infinitely more valuable than a rich person who is perverse in his ways (Php 4:11-12). It is those who have the Kingdom of God within them (Luk 17:20-21) who have the true riches, that is to say the life of Christ within us (Col 1:27, Rom 8:9), which gives us the ability to “walketh in his uprightness”. The rich person who is “perverse in his ways” represents our time when we were the rich young ruler, confident in our Babylonian doctrines and confidence in our own flesh, our own righteousness (Joh 1:17, Luk 16:16, our last proverb Pro 28:11), which is where we all start until were given the power to come out of her my people and live by the faith of Christ (Gal 2:20).

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Php 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Pro 28:7  Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotousH2151 men shameth his father.
Pro 28:8  He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
Pro 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Pro 28:10  Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

Keeping the law of Christ is a blessing (Psa 119:2), and the one who does not keep the law is considered riotous^H2151 in this proverb and is contrasted with the law-abiding “wise son”. The riotous man is described as a prodigal son, someone who is squandering his father’s inheritance in Babylon, which we all do at first. The parable of the prodigal is not about us being on the physical skids as a result of poor money choices, but rather about taking God’s fair jewels of my gold and of my silver [the inheritance from his father Luk 15:12] and wrapping it around the idols of our hearts which is what the prodigal son does, and we do when we are in Babylon (Eze 16:17). Consequently if God is working with us in this age, we are brought to our wits’ end and come to see by God’s grace that we are spiritually starving to death (Luk 15:11-32).

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Riotous H2151 zâlal zaw-lal’
A primitive root (compare H2107); to shake (as in the wind), that is, to quake; figuratively to be loose morally, worthless or prodigal: – blow down, glutton, riotous (eater), vile.
Total KJV occurrences: 9

The “usury and unjust gain [that] increaseth our substance” represents our labour of building our own house that is all done in vain, and “he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor” means that even that which we think we have will be taken and given to those who were blessed to have the Lord build their spiritual house in this age (Psa 127:1, Mat 25:29).

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

The verse, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination”, is telling us that not everyone that says “Lord, Lord…” will be heard of God (Mat 7:21, Luk 6:46). If we turn from hearing the law of God we will reap what we sow, but as Paul said, ‘I am persuaded better things of the body of Christ (Heb 6:9) who God is causing to have a broken and contrite heart so that He looks to us and our prayers are heard, in that we fear Him’ (Isa 66:2, Rom 9:22-23, Heb 5:7, Eph 5:30, 1Jn 4:17).

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

We all caused the righteous to go astray in an evil way when we were in Babylon, and consequently fell into our own pit of self-righteousness, thinking that we were right before God in our spiritually hedged state. It is only when that insidious spirit of self-righteousness is exposed from the pit of our being that we will cry out by the grace of God and be amongst the upright that “shall have good things in possession”, with the “good” being the life of Christ now abiding in us, who said ‘there is none good but one’ (Mar 10:18, Luk 17:10).

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Luk 17:10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Pro 28:11  The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

This last proverb we will look at is an admonition to not let knowledge puff us up and become conceited, as if we had attain anything of our own selves, “The rich man is wise in his own conceit”. This high-mindedness that we must avoid at all costs, is addressed in the book of Romans, (Rom 11:18-21), and “the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out” is symbollic of the poor and contrite spirit of our Lord who became poor for us (2Co 8:9) and with God’s spirit within us searches out all that conceit within us, or any root of bitterness (1Co 2:10, Pro 20:27), and destroys it so that it cannot gain victory over our lives in Him (Rom 8:37).

Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (1Jn 4:17).

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Pro 20:27  The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.(Rom 2:4)

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5), who, if He is dwelling within us, will cleanse this temple that we are (1Co 3:16), driving out everything that does not belong there our whole life (Joh 2:15) so that we can continue to worship our Father in spirit and truth (Joh 4:23), coming boldly before “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16, Eph 1:16).

Conscience – An Emboldened  Conscience, Part 13

For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols –  1Co 8:10.

[Study Aired January 27, 2024]

A new babe dragged with the humility of a little child eagerly listens to a person clearly rich in the knowledge and understanding of the words of Christ; he is sitting in the temple of the man of God. The apparent spiritual person is automatically esteemed in high honor, as genuinely all the prophets and Godly men and women of old were, such as Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Deborah and all the primary apostles, bar one when iniquity was given him. That God-given honor comes not by choice but the God-given exhibition of consistent righteous living for all to see. The babe ravenously sucks up the milk of the word from such virtuous folk and readily chews on strong meat as it matures.

However, one of the most insidiously damaging acts a supposed Elect can inflict upon a babe weak in the faith is to present themselves as virtuous while slothfully preaching and living a double standard.

1Co 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, 
1Co 6:20  for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Speaking of the heavenly city that is Christ and His Christs:

Rev 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 
Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 
Rev 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 
Rev 21:26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

We glorify God in our body, that is, the temple of God in which various people in this day and age flow in and out in the unity of spirit, and we do likewise with them when we, with a pure conscience, immutably know that we speak the truth. However, and regarding 1 Corinthians 8:10, if a noble ‘woman’ with the perception of a ring in her nose speaks perverse things to an unwitting babe, he takes it at face value of truth since he innocently knows no difference, and he innocently becomes “emboldened” to repeat the unconscious lie with passion. The result is the mycelium-like network of leaven among his contemporaries.

(A mycelium is a network of fungal threads or hyphae. Mycelia often grow underground but can also thrive in other places, such as rotting tree trunks [Imagined spiritual people, “twice dead”]. A single spore [a cancerous doctrinal lie] can develop into a mycelium. The fruiting bodies of fungi, such as mushrooms, can sprout from a mycelium). https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&sca_esv=89f48cd6d4598826&sxsrf=ACQVn08DVY5gXrsIjQw07RBfi5zb_GG2Yw:1706305927021&q=mycelium&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjo0aH1hPyDAxW9b2wGHcssBwMQ0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1440&bih=703&dpr=1.33

Following are the scriptures highlighting the theme verse 1 Corinthians 8:10:

1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 
1Co 8:2  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 
1Co 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 
1Co 8:4  As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
1Co 8:5  For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 
1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 
1Co 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 
1Co 8:8  But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 
1Co 8:9  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Co 8:10  For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 
1Co 8:11  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 
1Co 8:12  But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1Co 8:13  Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Let’s now review those verses in detail.

1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 
1Co 8:2  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 
1Co 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 

The Elect of God knows fully well that with practised caution, they can socialise with those who eat spiritual food offered to idols (unclean doctrines), since they are given to know truth from error.  However, an innocent, wide-eyed babe keen to learn of Christ’s doctrines is oblivious to the nuances of error until he understands all the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Luk 8:10, Mat 16:19).

If we genuinely “love God”, we will be keeping by living with our entire hearts all the commandments of Christ. Yet, suppose we are a babe in Christ. In that case, we are still learning and ‘knoweth very little’, and just maybe interacting unwittingly with the synagogue of Satan, his temple, not knowing that our weak conscience is being infected with the mycelium of lies with someone who “knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know“!

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the [mycelium-like] sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his [Christ’s spiritual] commandments.

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 
1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him [Christ’s temple within] ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1Co 8:4  As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

In the Old Covenant, the Lord’s people were forbidden to eat unclean food, represented in the New Covenant as doctrinal falsehoods (Lev 11:1-47). Since Christ’s coming, eating of false doctrines defiles the temple which we are (Lev 11:43). “To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten” – Lev 11:47. If we are aware that we are communicating with the synagogue of Satan, we can eat of his spiritual ‘mushrooms’ and be nourished by discerning truth from error and not be hurt by deadly things (Mar 16:14-20). However, outwardly, as very recently happened in Victoria, Australia, a poor wretched lady was given by the Lord via Satan’s hand to kill several of her in-laws with death cap mushroom stew. She, like Sinéad O’Connor in the Conscious Study number 12, will realise in the Resurrection to Judgment that they, like Job and hundreds of other Biblical examples, were tools to effectively train the Lord’s Elect to come into full spiritual knowledge. Far be it that we denigrate that lady, Sinéad, Judas or ourselves in different humiliating circumstances since “all things are yours”, the Elect of God.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men [despise death cap lady, Sinéad or Judas thus glorifying our unwitting self-righteousness]. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. [Be pleasant without heated disputes]
Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs [or even death caps, and maybe spiritually die].
Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him [he is the Lord’s workmanship in Christ’s timing and order of resurrection].
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
1Co 11:33  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another [Wait patiently for those weak in the faith no doubt having been poisoned by Babylon’s death cap doctrinal lies]. 
1Co 11:34  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.)

Every person is the Lord’s workmanship in His timing and order. We don’t drag them with our wildly passionate hallucinatory psilocybin-like doctrines and our imagined glory. 

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 8:

1Co 8:5  For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 

The Body of Christ always needs to walk circumspectly before the weak and kings of the world in all humility, as did Jesus, since,

Psa 82:6  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are [becoming] children of the most High [the creation of God].

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 

Joh 10:34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Of course, we all start out as the Serpent’s seed, the god, he, and we, being the gods of this world, sitting in the temple of the one and only God, effectively stating that we are (prematurely) God.

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 
1Co 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 

Howbeit that, Babylonian Christians do not have that knowledge of 1 Corinthians 8:6 because they are given as we also painfully were given to believe a multitude of lies. If we, too, eat an unclean doctrine and are weak in understanding, there is hopefully only a temporary chance we are defiled. The Body in constant unity in Christ is a multitude of counsel that will always result in discovering and upholding Christ’s word on any matter.

1Co 8:8  But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

Verse 8 means that knowledge without walking in its spiritual application is utterly useless and will land us in the Lake of Fire.

1Co 8:9  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

Christ’s Bride has deep compassion for her 1,000 sisters, the spiritual wives of Solomon’s court in Babylonian Christianity. She is careful not to awaken the love that they think they have for Solomon, who represents Christ, in case Christ is irksomely obligated to save.

Son 8:4  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my  [“my” is in italics as an imagined illumination by the 1560’s translators for understanding] love, until he please.

If, out of our fervor or impatience, we awaken spiritual truth to our sisters in Babylon, we effectively usurp Christ’s authority to drag whom He pleases to be a joint in His Bride. We become a stumbling block to Christ and the potential babe or one cursed to be in the Resurrection to Judgment. Rather, we honor and respect our Husband and wait until He pleases to provide understanding in one of the two resurrections.

At this point, we should fully understand the meaning of the theme verse of 1 Corinthians 8:10.

1Co 8:10  For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

As such, we now know that through the flesh of Adam, we all are inherently emboldened to eat in error every unclean doctrine. Four thousand years of emboldening firmly landed us in Babylonian Christianity, fearlessly proclaiming the ‘coffee n doughnuts’ doctrine of ‘Joosus luvs us and died for our sins so that we can blithely live in peace and delusional ignorance imagining that we are saved.’ Conversely, the Lord’s Elect are emboldened positively without fanfare to eat all food clean and ceremonially unclean since both are spiritual light to discern truth from error.

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness does not hide from You; but the night shines as the day; as is the darkness, so is the light to You.

Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 
1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 
1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We [God’s Elect] are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

One of the most damnable acts any Christian can do is to ply a brother with wine with the intention to view his nakedness and then, while he is in his liberal and weakened state of mind, feed him a hazily understood spiritual concept masquerading as the truth.

Hab 2:15  Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 
Hab 2:16  Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.

In those circumstances, a weak one has no spiritual defence and utterly, and in spiritual child-like innocence, trusts the more senior one who is supposedly grounded spiritually. That spiritual babe, now intoxicated, becomes innocently ‘emboldened to eat those things that are offered to the idols’ from the slothful counsellor’s heart. He joyously goes his way, believing that he has seen the light of truth, hopefully, sooner than later, to see that Satan himself, disguised as another Jesus, egregiously deceived him (2Co 11:4).

The false Christ deceiving the babe clearly hasn’t died to his self-righteousness, as noted by his uncircumcised heart, filling him with his glory rather than Christ’s truthful word. That counterfeit Christ is drunk on his delusional understanding of the Lord’s word symbolically, likewise, causing him to be semi-consciously naked, or worse, knowingly nude. His uncircumcised heart is aroused and boldly exposing his Serpentine nature as he ‘spews’ his tares of the two-fold child of hell he is denigrating Christ’s glory.

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 18:3  And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name [not another Jesus] receiveth me.
Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

1Co 8:11  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 
1Co 8:12  But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 
1Co 8:13  Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

What a God-given tragedy that, in ‘all things being ours’ both good and evil, we, in our time in coming out of Babylon, wince for the many episodes our emboldened conscience has lewdly exposed our uncircumcised hearts as we spewed the defiled seed of our Lord’s word on the fertile ground of an infant creation of God (Hab 2:16). Both the good and evil of all Biblical horror stories are vitally necessary for the Christs to come into the fullness of Him fulfilling the creation of God in us (Job 2:10).

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans [remembering that all seven churches of Asia represent Christ’s one Church] write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

In the positive sense, it is a case of the Lord’s Body being emboldened to eat any food, regardless of idols, with thanks. In doing so, we are given the opportunity to heal the sick with the hidden manna of Christ.

Luk 10:8  And into whatsoever city [a “city” is a person or group of people] ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 
Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Understanding and walking in Christ’s commandments is the most emboldening act given by God to His “little flock”, His Bride, for her peaceful conscience.

[Study Aired August 13, 2020]

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

In this last section of chapter four we will look at what the scriptures conclude is the way we should all approach our Father through Christ (Eph 2:18-19, Rom 3:22-25) where we can “find grace to help in time of need” so that “To day if you hear his voice” you will through Christ “obtain mercy” given by our loving Abba Father who sheds His love abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5) so that we “harden not your hearts” in this age (Isa 66:2).

Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Through Christ we can “hold fast our profession” and not give the devil any advantage to come in and discourage us (Eph 4:27). We are called in this age for that very reason; to learn to fight a good fight of faith by submitting to God and resisting the devil, which is how we resist “unto blood, striving against sin” (Jas 4:7, Heb 12:4).

Eph 4:27  Neither give place to the devil.

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”]

We are not alone in this struggle against sin and the powers and principalities that Christ is far above (Eph 1:21). We cast all our cares upon Christ (1Pe 5:7) and His body to overcome those powers and principalities against which we wrestle, and this starts when we go boldly before “the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need“. This ongoing process of self-examination and confession of faults is one that each joint of Christ’s body is experiencing so that we can all benefit by the love that He supplies or sheds abroad in our hearts to help us overcome sin or fear within us which must be overcome in order to have love be made perfect within us (1Jn 4:18-19). God is the one who blesses us so we can continue to be a spiritually healthy branch that is being given increase so that we can bear the burden of others and help in that maturing process of fruit in their lives as a healthy branch should be doing on any fruit bearing tree (Jas 5:16, Jas 5:16, Gal 6:2).

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Everyone in the body of Christ is benefited by the overcomer, and so it is written “let us“: let us collectively move forward with the same mind of Christ seeking and looking for the same heavenly country that we have been called unto (Heb 11:14-16) as we move forward together like an army which is operating by the power of God and not by the wisdom of men (1Co 2:5, Jdg 7:2-7). Also let us do that in the measure of faith that God gives each of us (Rom 12:3).

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16  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. [Gal 4:26-27, Jas 4:15, 2Co 6:17-18]

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not (1Co 2:5): for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. [God is sovereign over all our actions the good and the evil (Eph 1:11)]
Jas 4:16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings (Rom 11:18-21): all such rejoicing is evil.
Jas 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2Ti 2:5  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Jdg 7:2  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many (1Co 2:5) for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Jdg 7:3  Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
Jdg 7:4  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many (1Co 2:5); bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. [Jas 4:15]
Jdg 7:5  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
Jdg 7:6  And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
Jdg 7:7  And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you (1Co 2:5), and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

The “three hundred men” represent the elect who are going through a process of judgment (3x10x10) in this age which requires us to keep our eyes on Christ even while we acknowledge that we are still in vessels of clay that can’t inherit the kingdom of God. The other group lap also, but both their knees are to the ground with their face toward the earth typifying that they are not setting their minds on things above (Col 3:2), and although they may be drinking water that represents God’s word, it is not mixed with faith (1Jn 5:4, Heb 4:2) which comes from our looking to the author and finisher of our faith Jesus Christ to whom we are being dragged (Heb 12:2, Joh 6:44).

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (1Co 2:5).

“Let us” collectively move forward with that same mind of Christ as we look at these verses tonight, starting with:

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

What we are to “hold fast”^G2902 to in “our profession”^G3671 of fighting a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) is the “exceeding great and precious promises” (2Pe 1:3-4) which have been “given unto us” so that we can escape the “corruption that is in the world through lust”. Those promises we profess that are given to us in Christ are being held fast and remain in our heavens through coming “boldly unto the throne of grace” of verse 16 so we can overcome in this age.

“hold fast”: G2902 krateō   krat-eh’-o
From G2904; to use strength, that is, seize or retain (literally or figuratively): – hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).

“profession”: G3671 homologia  hom-ol-og-ee’-ah

From the same as G3670; acknowledgment: – con- (pro-) fession, professed.

G3670 homologeō hom-ol-og-eh’-o 
From a compound of the base of G3674 and G3056; to assent, that is, covenant, acknowledge: – con- (pro-) fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise. [Rom 10:9]

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Here are just some of the promises God will bring into our remembrance so we can be armed with the mind of Christ (1Pe 4:1) and overcome in this life through Him who strengthens us (Php 4:13) and through the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our trials (2Co 1:3-5).

We are promised that we will have trials and much tribulation in order to enter into the kingdom (Act 14:22), and that can only be a confirming statement if we know that this much tribulation has been accompanied with the promise that God will make a way for us to escape that tribulation by bearing up under it through Christ (1Co 10:13).

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Such tribulation may come in various forms as God has deemed necessary so we learn to trust in Him and not in our own flesh or the flesh of some other person (2Co 1:9). God is in the process of showing the world the resolve of the elect which is made perfect through Christ and how there is nothing that can separate us from His love, from His hand that holds us as we look to Him (Mat 16:18, Mat 10:19, Rom 8:35-39, Rom 12:1-2, Heb 12:1-2, Act 7:55-60).

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves [1Co 15:31], that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell [this “sentence of death” (Act 9:1, Rom 8:28)] shall not prevail against it. [2Co 4:8, Mat 26:38, 1Jn 4:17-18, Php 4:13]

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Mat 26:38  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities^G769; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

We cannot become a priest without someone guiding us into that role (Act 8:31-33), and what God is guiding us into is the destruction of our old man, as typified by the young child who guided Samson’s hands toward the pillars that would be used to bring about the destruction of many lives including Samson’s. We need to become more and more like that child spiritually so that we can receive God’s children and graft them into the body of Christ (Jdg 16:26-30, Mat 18:2-3).

Act 8:31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? [Mat 24:34, Php 3:3, Joh 5:30] for his life is taken from the earth.

Jdg 16:26  And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. [Pro 3:5-6]
Jdg 16:27  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women [Luk 13:4], that beheld while Samson made sport.
Jdg 16:28  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
Jdg 16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might [1Ti 6:12]; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

[Those whom Samson slew during his life typify those few the Father drags to Christ in this age to be judged, and “the dead which he slew at his death were more” typifies our enduring until the end and saving those who will come up in the great white throne judgment (Gal 4:27, Mat 10:28].

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The same “infirmities”^G769 which are in us were in Christ, being in weak carnal, sinful flesh that he never sinned in “yet without sin“. Christ is able to comfort us now being our high priest who can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities”^G769 and can set us free from all spiritual weakness through which He makes His strength perfect (2Co 12:9-10).

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

•diseases, 1
Act_28:9
•infirmities, 10
Mat_8:17; Luk_5:15; Luk_8:2; Rom_8:26; 2Co_11:30; 2Co_12:5; 2Co_12:9; 2Co_12:10; 1Ti_5:23; Heb_4:15
•infirmity, 6
Luk_13:11; Joh_5:5; Rom_6:19; Gal_4:13; Heb_5:2; Heb_7:28
•weakness, 4
1Co_2:3; 1Co_15:43; 2Co_13:4; Heb_11:34

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

We all need God’s mercy every single second of our life as demonstrated with this comment Christ made to Peter in Luke 22:31, and we are instructed to “come boldly“^G3954 meaning “free and fearless confidence” (according to Thayer) “unto the throne of grace” (Jas 1:6). If you lack faith and boldness, pray for that, and the Lord will give it (Mar 9:24, Eph 6:18-20, Jas 4:2).

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

These verses (Heb 4:14-16) that we’ve gone over tonight have been written to comfort us in our “time of need“. Our time of need is right now, and Christ has prayed for us that our faith fail not “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luk 22:32).

It is those continual and fervent prayers of the saints which will avail much in this life as we petition God for each other and pray for each other as Christ did for Peter (1Jn 4:17). Those prayers avail much as they make it possible for us to “obtain mercy” and “find grace” find favour in our time of need (Jas 5:16, Pro 3:4).

The grace we find to help in our time of need is typified by the prophets of old who searched diligently to obtain that favour, and were our examples by suffering affliction and learning patience through it (1Pe 1:10, Jas 5:10). God’s favour as we know is his grace that chastens us so that we learn to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:12-14).

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Jas 5:10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Psa 124:1  A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 
Psa 124:2  If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 
Psa 124:3  Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

This “Song of degrees of David” reminds us of our vulnerability in the flesh that is a shadow of our vulnerability in the spirit (Rom 1:20) where “men [rise] rose up against us”. There is no doubt we would be destroyed spiritually if the Lord did not protect us, and that is the great lesson in this Psalm. He is our stronghold (Psa 61:3, Pro 18:10-11) and the one who is preventing us from being “swallowed up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us” (Luk 22:31-32). “Our help is in the name of the LORD [His voice, His words], who made heaven and earth” (Jer 51:15-18).

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Psa 61:3  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

Pro 18:10  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Pro 18:11  The rich man’s wealth is his strong city (Rev 3:17), and as an high wall in his own conceit.

[The conceited and arrogant heart within man is “the enemy” of the cross within us (Rom 11:18-21) highminded,^G5309] that is not able to say “Our help is in the name of the LORD [his voice, his words], who made heaven and earth”. The yet carnal heart of the religious man in me wants His name and to be able to eat my own bread and wear my own clothing (Isa 4:1, Php 3:9)]. The solution to this problem is in these verses – Joh 6:44, Joh 21:18).

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jer 51:15  He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding [thinking within].
Jer 51:16  When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures [Job 38:22, Isa 28:17].

Job 38:22  Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Jer 51:17  Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. (Gen 2:7, Rom 8:9)

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Jer 51:18  They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish [Our time of visitation is our time of judgment which wipes away the refuge of lies and sees the old man perish (1Pe 4:17)].

The verses preceding our title “If God be for us, who can be against us?” tell us the degree to which God has gone for all the world to see all men will be saved (Rom 8:31-33), with the emphasis on “God’s elect” who are the first to trust God as the first fruits who are first saved and the first to have this arrogance or high-mindedness burned out of us (Joh 3:16, Eph 1:12, Jas 1:18-19, Mat 23:12, Luk 14:10).

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Jas 1:19  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luk 14:10  But when thou art bidden [Rev 19:9], go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

The word “maybe” is not used in this Psalm, where it says, “Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul”, all to remind us that it is only because of our Lord whom we bless “who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth”, and is the reason “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped”. He is “our help” (Rom 8:31), and “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” who created the light and darkness and the heaven and the earth and uses all things to bring about the new creation that He is forming within us through Christ (Eph 6:12, Isa 45:7, Rom 8:28).

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness (Eph 6:12): I make peace, and create evil (Eph 6:12): I the LORD do all these things.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good (Eph 6:12) to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God’s elect are likened to “two candlesticks” in Revelation 11:4 as well as “two olive trees”, which simply remind us that it is by the power of God’s holy spirit (Col 1:27) we can be those two witnesses or “two candlesticks” that “shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2Pe 1:19).

We recently lit a candle and put it on our balcony. I noticed how vulnerable this little flame was to the wind around us, so I made a little aluminum shield around it to protect it from the wind. It worked for awhile, but because I had wrapped it too close to the candle there was not enough oxygen to keep the flame burning even though it was protected from the wind. It also overheated and the candle burned too quickly and with a lot of smoke. The analogy seems very amazing to me that I worked to protect that flame, and I was actually working against myself. Gale took the foil and made a half shield protecting it against the wind and giving it proper oxygen and the ability to shine back at us more brightly. The Lord showed me in this simple example of how we are to know we can’t understand our errors, and that it takes the Lord to cleanse us from our secret sins (Psa 19:12-14). So, we rejoice because “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations” how to create the proper form and function in our lives so we can glorify our Father in heaven (1Co 10:31). It is the church who is Christ’s body (Gale in my type and shadow story) which is given the manifest knowledge that shapes our experience in Christ [form] and allows us to be a light to the world [function] (Eph 3:10, Mat 5:14).

Psa 19:12  Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places  might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The time is come for us to trim our lamps (Mat 25:3-10, Rom 13:12-14), and to know that judgment is upon the house of God (1Pe 4:17). We must be found with His righteousness and abide in the doctrines of Christ and acknowledge the commandments of the Lord (Joh 8:32, 1Co 14:37) who we come to know after we are shown the error of our ways (Rom 2:4). If we trim our lamps, as I tried to do with this little candle on our balcony, and leave it like that, our righteousness will not exceed that of the Pharisees (Mat 25:7). However, if we are granted the humility to be that entreatable child who is being fashioned “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord”, then we will be that city set on a hill, regardless of how much comes up against that candle, which is also analogous of the house being spoken of in these verses below:

Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Like that little candle and like Noah’s ark, they were both kept upright by the grace and faith of God. I tried to shape the tin foil at first to protect the candle, representing my own works, and it burned very dirty and created a lot of wax. Our many wonderful works are like that, where we fashion those works according to the idol of our own hearts; and then through the church where God provides the manifest knowledge of Christ, we learn of the better form and temple of the Lord, which we are.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The candle is still a candle, still vulnerable and easily blown out (Luk 22:31-32), however, by the faith Christ provides, having done all, we stand (Eph 6:13). The shape that protected the wick and created just the right amount of oxygen and protection (it is the shape of a hand) was the design God gave us through the church, the little flock whose pleasure it is for God to give the kingdom (Luk 12:32); but we did not figure that out by ourselves. Rather the Lord guided us, and through repentance and holding fast to those things that we proved, we begin to see the Lord is truly sovereign over all things and was preparing a way through the body of Christ to demonstrate His mercy and love to all mankind (1Co 15:22-24).

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Like the candle in this analogy which was poorly trimmed, and like the house build first on sand and then on a rock, and like all of God’s elect who are the weak of the world through whom God makes His strength perfect (2Co 12:8-10), we must come to see ourselves as the chief of sinners and extremely vulnerable. At the same time we must know in our hearts that “If God be for us, who can be against us” as He founds us upon the Rock of our salvation (Mat 16:18-19) who allows the hedge to come down in the life of His children so that we cry out and are delivered (Psa 107:19) from “men who rose up against us”, and “their wrath [that] was kindled against us” and the false doctrines that are likened unto “the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul” but “Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth” delivering us through the trial and taking us “out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped” (1Co 10:13).

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Psa 124:1  A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 

Just because Christ, or the LORD, is “on our side” (Rom 8:31) does not mean that we won’t feel vulnerable throughout this life. We are continually in need of crying out to our LORD and praying for His mercy which will deliver us today in our time of need because flesh is vulnerable and likened unto weak wheat that can be sifted (Heb 4:16, Heb 5:7).

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death [spiritual death (Mat 20:23)], and was heard in that he feared;

This is after all another “song of degrees” telling us that there is a step-by-step and little and by little process through which we go that is given to the entire body of Christ to keep us humble in His service (Deu 7:22).

Deu 7:22  And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

With these things in mind, “now may Israel say”, the Israel of God, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side“, we would be swallowed up quickly.

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Psa 124:2  If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
Psa 124:3  Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

If God is “on our side” or if God “is our helper”, we will learn that nothing can separate us from His love “when men rose up against us“, and He will allow “the kings of the earth” to rise up against us to demonstrate his power within us that is able to give us what we need to overcome and drink the cup indeed (Act 4:27-30, 1Jn 4:17, Rev 12:10-12).

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Act 4:29  And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Act 4:30  By stretching forth thine hand to heal [Psa 16:8, Joh 1:1]; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down (2Th 2:4), which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony (Luk 22:32); and they loved not their lives unto the death. [The undefiled blood of the lamb is the word of our testimony with which we are being sanctified in this age (1Pe 1:17-19>, Joh 6:55, Joh 17:17)]
Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Our prayer is that God would “grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” We are that manchild whom God grants to send forth His word to heal (Psa 107:20, Joh 20:21) and do greater works than Christ did (Joh 14:12). Those works of Christ typify the overcomer in this age whose deadly wound was healed, and now through a lifetime of signs and wonders of which Christ spoke to John the baptist (Luk 7:22), we come to understand how the eighth is of the seven, the new man is being born out of the old man, light is coming out of darkness, the old man is decreasing through judgment, and the new man is being formed through Jesus Christ (Rev 17:11, 2Th 2:3-10).

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Luk 7:22  Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

2Th 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;
2Th 2:4  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.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

These verses we just read in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 explain how it is not possible for anything to separate us from the love of God [because of judgment], and that although it is true that Satan continues to try to sift us like wheat and even deceive the very elect if it were possible (Mat 24:24), we are reminded  with this verse that “Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us” is not possible if it has been written in our books in this age to be overcomers through Christ.

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at our second part to this Psalm entitled “If God be for us, who can be against us?” as we look at these confirming verses that once again point to our Father who loves us and commands us to commit our ways unto him as unto a faithful Creator so we can be strengthened settled and established in the Lord “after that ye have suffered a while”.

Psa 37:5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Pro 16:3  Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Here are those verses for next week’s study:

Psa 124:4  Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
Psa 124:5  Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 
Psa 124:6  Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 
Psa 124:7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 
Psa 124:8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psa 12:1 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Psa 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Psa 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Psa 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Psa 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Psa 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

The verses in this study tonight have impressed upon me our need to be grateful for the forgiveness that God grants his people as we grow in being able to hear the word and actively do what we ought to be doing unto our own flesh and bones, the body of Christ.

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

And tonight’s study comes on the heels of the question posed in last week’s study of Psalm 11 – “How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”, where we were reminded that in order to grow in compassion and love for the body of Christ we need to be dragged to our refuge (Christ and His body) where we are judged, and made to see that we are lacking in that living sacrifice of Christ and needing to fill up what is behind of his afflictions (the bird that needs to be washed seven times by the blood of the other dove).

Lev 4:17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

We are blessed beyond any today to know that this verse applies to us and that our sins are many, meaning all the sin of the world, and if we are given to acknowledge that complete forgiveness that we need for being guilty of all (Rom 2:4), we will be able to love much.

Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

It is through the critical stripes, trials and tribulations that God is giving that we are maturing in our Lord and being made able to comfort each other with the comfort that He comforts us with through this life which is preparing us through those events to be saviours who come up on mount Zion. The only way we will ever be able to bring healing to the nations will be through the comfort that God has given us in our own life through Christ, which is the experience we go through for their sakes.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The obstacles that God allows to be in our way in this life are put there to demonstrate His sovereignty over the process of our growth as He gives the increase that manifests as a result of going through the fiery trials. He will not lose any through the fiery experiences that we must go through in order to be purified and become unified through those struggles.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

We are not alone in this experience of evil through this life, and these trials are common to the body of Christ and to all men, however our trials are working together for good in our lives if Christ is in the midst of the fire, and that good as we have mentioned will be to bring healing to the nations.

Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Dan 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

Tonight we will look at how God is maturing us to be as He is in this world, so that when Christ says “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none”, we do come to understand that this is made possible through the relationship of love (obedience to his commands Joh 14:15) that God is building in the body of Christ who will be used to save the rest of world one day and lose none.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Our first verse:

Psa 12:1 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

It is revealing to see that God lets evil men wax worse and worse at the end of the age, in order for the new man to be formed within His people. Sheminith is a symbol of that new man as his names meaning suggest and he crys out, as do we “help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth”.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Christ had many things to say about the faithful failing “from among the children of men”, and in this we learn that it is Christ alone who can bring us through this narrow way that leads to life and few there be that find it.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Two stories that demonstrate who we are except by the grace and faith of Christ and written for our edification, exhortation and comfort today can be found in the new covenant (love not this land, this world, Christ tells us in 1Jn 2:15).

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We must identify with every word written in God’s word and see ourselves as the unfaithful “Ananias and Sapphira who kept back part of the price of the land” and with this mindset do away with the conceit in our flesh that would tell us ‘I would never withhold anything from Christ’. The truth is we are all Demas and Crescens and Titus withholding the land and go back into the world, except God chastens us and receives us through the scourging experience of grace and faith which is going to save few in this age and prevent us from continuing in sin. When we cease from sinning we are living our lives to fulfill the will of God which replaces the natural carnal will of man that wants only to fulfill the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes with hearts that are filled with pride. That is what we do first, to demonstrate that “the faithful fail from among the children of men” and that only Christ can be Christ as our hope of being able to go from glory to glory in this life.

Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Psa 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

That’s what flesh is; it is all vanity, passing away, and not able to inherit the kingdom of God (Ecc 1:14, 1Co 15:50). So we all start off as the preacher says speaking “vanity every one with his neighbour” even with “flattering lips” and “with a double heart” do we speak.

The only way to destroy this unstable double-minded earthly man is to have him judged as we discussed last week, and it is through those fiery trials of judgment that we gain the singleness of mind that is found in Christ that does away with vanity and flattering lips.

Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity^G572 [singleness] that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus (a fleshly gospel, a health and prosperity gospel as opposed to acknowledging that ‘all is vanity’), whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Psa 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Psa 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

Christ’s body acknowledges that we are the false prophets at first who worship God in vain (Mar 7:7) and wrap His words around the idols of our double minded hearts (Eze 14:3), that operate our flattering lips that have not yet been touched by the fiery coals that we need to have Christ minister to us in order to purify and circumcise the “flattering lips”, and the “tongue that speaketh proud things”(Isa 6:7).

These verses speak of the unruly tongue spoken of in James that is deceived into thinking it does not have to bring our thoughts into subjection unto Christ and will not let anyone rule “over us”. The end result of the way that seems right unto a man is a great fire, a great fall, and Babylon crashing to the ground, as we will read here in James.

Jas 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
Jas 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word (2Co 10:5), the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body [symbol for us today of running with horses through Christ (running with men in the court first, then running with Christ in the heavens) Jer 12:5].
Jas 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth [symbol of our ability through Christ to overcome the false doctrines of Babylon by being led into all truth with the comforter which is the governor Eze 27:25, Joh 16:13].
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell [this fire can be both positive and negative, but when it is the coals from the altar of God spoken of in (Isa 6:6) it is going to set “on fire the course of nature” the first man Adam].

God has made us subject to this vain tongue for so long, so that the contrast will be there when we see the results of the new purified tongue that is now subject unto God and able to bring forth living waters as a result of the tree of life abiding within us (Joh 7:38, Jas 3:11).

Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life [the church, the body of Christ] to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Psa 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffethH6315 at him.
Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

These two verses show the mercy that God has upon us by destoying the beast by the breath of life that He puffs at us so that the words which are initially wrapped around the idols of our hearts can become the purified words “The words of the LORD [which] are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”

puffethH6315 [H8686 = Hiphil] pûach
BDB Definition: 1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to exhale or breathe
1b2) to puff, snort
1b3) to excite, inflame
1b4) to puff, pant for it
1b5) to breathe out, utter
1b6) to blow, blast

Strong’s: A primitive root; to puff that is blow with the breath or air; hence to fan (as a breeze) to utter to kindle (a fire) to scoff: – blow (upon) break puff bring into a snare speak utter.

Eze 21:31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
Eze 21:32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.

Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep^H8104 [guard/hedge] them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve^H5341 [guard/hidden] them from this generation for ever.

In order to be kept/preserved, we must be of the generation which is judged in this age, and only by this chastening and scourging and much tribulation and being dragged to Christ do we cease from sinning and start to truly lay up store in heaven and trim our lamps and make our selves ready for the return of Christ; is, was and will be.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Psa 83:3 They [“them from this generation”, within and without] have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

To be of “them” that “Thou shalt keep… [and] preserve from this generation”; “for ever^H5769” is simply telling us that “them” that God keeps^H8104 “keep those things which are written therein” (Rev 1:3) and preserve^H5341 the word or keep as a watchman the word so that we can be of that generation^H1755 who have the gold of God purified in their heavens. Interesting to note the word d’or in French looks very similar to this word for generation^H1755.

Psa 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

As long as we are in this flesh, “wicked walk on every side” (within and without) because God allows “the vilest men” to be exalted in the earth today, again to create contrast and to remind us that our calling is on the backs of their unbelief and that we can only overcome those chief of sinners within us through Christ. Had God not dragged us, being purified in this age, in this generation, we would have continued in our sin and died (Joh 8:24, 1Jn 3:3) and not been preserved from this wicked and adulterous generation that we are in today.

When we all first read the words “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none” (Joh 18:9), we did not understand that we would have to be shown so much about “the vilest men” within us who could only be dethroned by the brightness of his coming.

We had no idea what we would have to suffer as Paul learned (Act 9:16), so that “the wicked” who “walk on every side” within us could be destroyed and through that destruction of the man of sin, a new life would be born that exalts only God and gives God all the glory for every part of this purification process that we are called unto.

Christ will convince His wife that His love is stedfast for her, and that His desire for her is perfect and holy, as is his ability to save her so that she can drink that cup and be matured through this life so that she can go out and do what Christ has done for us, saying, “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none”. Saviours will come up on mount Zion (Oba 1:21).

Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Our prayer is that God will help each and every one of us to not neglect so great a salvation by stirring up His spirit, within this little flock, not only providing for the physical as God provides the means, but through encouragement, comfort and exhortation — which is the true spirit of prophesy that we abundantly need as His children in this ever darkening world.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.

One last question: who is it to whom Christ is giving us to say, “that none shall be lost”?

Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

This is just an introductory letter, to say hi and thanks. At this time, I don’t feel compelled to discuss any teachings or issues.
I want to say “hi” to everyone at IWWB. I also want to thank all of you for making this website available. I’ll give you a little background on myself. I was born and raised as a Catholic. Then, in my mid to late 20’s I got led to read the Bible. I skipped around for a while, then read through the Bible from the beginning to end. After doing this I knew I had to leave the Catholic Church, since what they taught was not the same as what the Bible was saying. Then I got saved with the help of my youngest sister. I started going to one Pentecostal church, then we went to a different one for a while (I never did speak in tongues). Then I started going to other Protestant churches, more in line with the teachings similar to Joel Osteen. I am not going to any church at the present time.
I’ve been reading material from your website for quite a while now, well over a year. I personally don’t know of anyone that believes the Bible and Christianity the way you do. You can see with my background where I might have some trouble accepting what you are saying. What you teach is quite a bit different than what I’ve been taught over the years. While I have had a little trouble accepting everything I’ve read so far, I can’t prove you wrong on anything. In fact, your teachings seem to be more correct than any others I’ve read or heard.
I have two books that teach from Scripture that people will get what they say, whether it’s good or bad. And I believe that is true. You see, as I was growing up, a lot of people told me that I was shy. And I came to believe them. Yes, these words were manifested in my life. To this day I am still somewhat shy, although not as bad as when I was younger.
It’s even affecting my spiritual life. Get this! One day I was thinking about my shyness and about God. I thought if I’m shy with people, how can I pray or talk to God, my Creator. At that moment, I had a chill run down my back. Because of all of this, my prayer life is as limited as my social life. Maybe more. Shyness is a form of fear, and we all know you can’t have fear and faith together. I’m in quite a struggle with all of this. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I feel stressed out spiritually, which is affecting me emotionally and physically. With my shyness, I can’t even bring myself to ask my family for help.
I see a lot of outgoing, bold Christians, and I want to be like them. Not out of envy, but because I know that is the way I’m supposed to be. I’m not much good the way I am now. All this to say I have a prayer request. Will you pray that my shyness be removed? And that I be filled with Godly boldness? Just as many people helped to bring this on (through their words), I’m thinking it may take more than myself to overcome the problem.
Many thanks in advance.

Yours in Christ,
T____

Hi T____,

Thanks for realizing that this is a group effort, and thanks for sharing your story with me. Letters like yours make all we do here at iswasandwillbe. com seem worthwhile.
I am especially thankful that the IWWB web site has in some way helped you to better know God and His son Jesus Christ. As you come to better know Christ, any and all of your problems in this life will be much easier to deal with, and you will become more qualified to be of help to others in the coming kingdom of God:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

You say:

I have two books that teach from Scripture that people will get what they say, whether it’s good or bad. And I believe that is true.

If by the words, “get what they say,” you mean that our lives are a reflection of our faith, then yes, that is a Biblical concept:

Pro 23:7  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

This verse is speaking specifically of an evil man, but it reveals a principle, and principles are what a “two edged sword ” is all about. Principles are true whether they are applied positively or negatively. God’s Word is called “a two edged sword:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God [ is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [ is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [ was] as the sun shineth in his strength.

Here is how Christ makes this same point on the positive side of this “two edged sword” known as “the Word of God.”

Mat 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

So if you are convinced that you are shy, then you will be shy. But if, on the other hand, you are convinced that you, in Christ, are a son of God, you will be bold and confident that your all powerful Father God will give you the strength of character to stand up for Him and for His Truth before any and all men.
You do at least see the problem, and you say:

Shyness is a form of fear, and we all know you can’t have fear and faith together.

That is true, shyness is a form of fear, and you cannot have fear and faith together. But what is the cure for fear? What is the cure for shyness? Here is what we are told is the cure for fear:

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We will come back and define what is “perfect love” in a moment, but we first need to realize that there is another negative facet of shyness which needs to be dealt with and eradicated. Shyness is the result of both fear and vanity.
There is indeed “torment in fear”, and there is torment in vanity. Vanity concerns itself with what others think of us instead of what God thinks of us. But when we come to “know God and Jesus Christ”, we become aware that even our vanity and shyness, are His Work in us, to bring us to see our need for Him in our lives. When we come to “know God and His Son”, we come to understand that it was He who has first made us naked, so that we would be shy, before we can even begin to see that we really do need Him to cover our nakedness. So being shy is really nothing more than a recognition of sin which must be covered and overcome through “Christ in you”.
The cure for that fear is said to be “perfect love.” Here now is a subject which is a mystery to orthodox Christianity whose mantra is “Unity in the essentials of Christian doctrine, and tolerance in the nonessentials of Christian doctrine.” This verse will remain a mystery as long as orthodox Christians cling to that unbiblical doctrine. Here are the verses which defines perfect love.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

There it is. Now you tell me which one of God’s commandments is “nonessential.” When you answer that question, keep this verse in mind:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

You say:

While I have had a little trouble accepting everything I’ve read so far, I can’t prove you wrong on anything. In fact, your teachings seem to be more correct than any others I’ve read or heard.”

Thank you for your kind words, but the truth is that I have been wrong, and have had to confess and adjust what I teach to conform to the image of Christ and His Words. But being willing to admit to making a mistake does not equate to being unable to recognize and to know the Truth. Being able to admit to making a mistake is actually conforming to the Truth which requires that we “die daily.”
So never fail to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God,” and that includes the teaching of IWWB.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

There are no nonessentials in the Words of God. So if you want to love the children of God, and if you want to love God, you must keep all of His commandments, “and His commandments are not grievous.”
That is what is perfect love which casts out fear and shyness. “Love God and keep his commandments”, and speak only what the Bible speaks. When you come to God’s Word with the doctrines of your church coming before the doctrines of Christ, then you will not know what is perfect love. Love is not doing good works for your fellow man. Good works are a result of “the love of God.” But “many good works” must never be confused with the love of God. Nevertheless, that is exactly what has happened to the masses of mankind, and to the masses of those who do all they do “in Jesus name.”

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Good works, done while ignoring the commandments of God, amount to “works of iniquity.” So if you spend your whole life ministering to the needs of the poor in the United States and abroad, and yet you teach that there is nothing wrong with fighting for your God and country, while Christ is commanding those who love Him to “love thine enemies,” all of your ‘good works’ become nothing but “works of iniquity.”
Continue to try the spirits. Come to ‘know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent’. The more you familiarize yourself with the mind of God and Christ, the more you “obey God and keep His commandments”, then the more you will know that you “love the children of God”.
Believe it or not, that is the solution to your shyness. As you come to know Christ better, the bolder you will become, until you become as “bold as a lion:”

Pro 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike