Describe how the people reacted as the Northern Kingdom moved toward the worship of Pagan gods.

The Nation of Israel, which is the Northern Kingdom, did move with their feet because those who wanted to follow God of their fathers moved to Jerusalem.  Jeroboam did not want Israel to go back to Jerusalem, so he did some things.  He made his own priests and drove out the Levites, set up goat and calf idols, and change the Feast of Tabernacles to a month later.  He changed the Sabbaths of the Lord so individuals would not go the Jerusalem anymore.  Blessing

Stephen

(2 Chr 11:13-15 NIV)  The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. {14} The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. {15} And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made.

(2 Chr 11:16 NIV)  Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

(2 Chr 13:9 NIV)  But didn't you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.

(1 Ki 12:26-30 NIV)  Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. {27} If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam." {28} After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." {29} One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. {30} And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.

(1 Ki 12:31-33 NIV)  Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. {32} He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. {33} On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

What blessings has obedience brought to my life?

The Holy Spirit is living and directing in our lives, there are many blessings that we will receive.  The first and foremost is the blessings of the Spirit or another word, Fruit of the Spirit.  By being obedience to Jesus Our Lord, it shows that we love Him by following His Way of Life, both in following what He says and following His example and teachings and obeying His commands.  With the Holy Spirit in my life, the Apostle Paul told us from Gal 5 that we would have love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  If we do not have the righteousness and truth in our lives, Paul in Eph 5 calls us foolish.  We are to understand what the Lord’s will is by studying the scriptures, and then we will understand what the Lord’s will it.  Blessing

Stephen

(Gal 5:22-23 NIV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

(Eph 5:9 KJV)  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

(Eph 5:17 NIV)  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

In what ways do we grieve the Holy Spirit?

When I look at how do we grieve the Holy Spirit, Eph 4 comes to mind.  It says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle Paul tells us that we can grieve the Holy Spirit by having certain things in our lives, for example, bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, conceited, provoking and envying each other, and every form of malice in our lives.  The Greek word for grieve is lupeo and Strong’s says it means to distress; reflex. or pass. to be sad:--cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry.  Paul then tells us in 1 Thes 5 to not quench the Spirit meaning we can quench the Spirit?  Do that mean then if we rejoice evermore, continue praying without ceasing, always give thanks to God for all things and learn to like prophesying.  Then if we do these things, by proving all things, holding fast that which is good and always again, abstain from all appearance of evil.  Yes, this can only be done with the Holy Spirit living in us and it is not us, Jesus directing our lives.  Blessing

Stephen

(Eph 4:30-31 NIV)  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. {31} Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

3076. lupeo, loo-peh'-o; from G3077; to distress; reflex. or pass. to be sad:--cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry.

(1 Th 5:16-22 KJV)  Rejoice evermore. {17} Pray without ceasing. {18} In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. {19} Quench not the Spirit. {20} Despise not prophesyings. {21} Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. {22} Abstain from all appearance of evil.

(Gal 5:26 NIV)  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
 

What does it mean to me to “come God’s way with boldness?”

What it means to me is what the scriptures say about to go to God’s way with boldness.  Paul tells us in Heb 10 to have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.  Boldness here means assurance or confidence to do it, not my confidence, but Jesus confidence through me by the Holy Spirit.  Living with the Holy Spirit living in and through us, we are to speak the Word of God with Boldness and with boldness we can enter into the present of our Father through our Elder Brother and High Priest, Jesus.    Paul tells us that “we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” from Eph 3.  Yes, as the Apostle Paul tells us in heb 10, to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus with boldness.  Yes, the blood of Jesus and what He did for each of us.  Blessing

Stephen

(Heb 10:19 KJV)  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Boldness:  3954. parrhesia, par-rhay-see'-ah; from G3956 and a der. of G4483; all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity; by impl. assurance:--bold (X -ly, -ness, -ness of speech), confidence, X freely, X openly, X plainly (-ness).

(Eph 3:12 KJV)  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

(Acts 4:31 KJV)  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Ephraim vs Laodicea

Ephraim vs Laodicea

I found this comparison very interesting that about the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) and the seventh church, Laodicea.  I had not thought about this and it sure does bring some thought.  According to God’s Word in Hosea, Ephraim says, I am very rich; have become wealthy, and will find no sin in me.  I think of the United States and that is the attitude of the leadership.  Then right behind that is God saying through the Apostle John in Rev 3, the Laodicea church say they are rich and do not need a thing but do not realize they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  This statement is very scary for our Nation.  Blessing

Stephen

(Hosea 12:8 NIV)  Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin."

(Rev 3:17 NIV)  You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Why was incense used in sacrificial offerings?

The scriptures point out that incense is like prayers in sacrificial offerings.  We know from Psa 141 that our prayers are like incense, which our hands are like the evening sacrifice.  Paul makes a startling statement from 1 Cor 19 that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore we are to honor God with our bodies.  John tells us that much incense to offer before the altar with the prayers of all the saints (all who have the Holy Spirit living in them).  I think Paul then sums it all up from Rom 12, that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God because this is our spiritual act of worship before the Father through our High Priest and Lord, Jesus. We really need to learn the Way of Life that Jesus commands us to live and to learn from His teaching.  This is the only way we can show we love the Lord, by obeying, Jesus according to the Apostle John in 1 John 5.  Jesus said in John 14 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  Let’s live our life as a living sacrifice.  Blessing

Stephen

(Rom 12:1 NIV)  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

(Psa 141:2 NIV)  May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

(Rev 8:3-4 NIV)  Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. {4} The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.

(1 Cor 6:19-20 NIV)  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; {20} you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

(1 John 5:3 NIV)  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

(John 14:15 NIV)  "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

What are vows today?

When we discuss the sanctity of vows, it could also mean oaths.  I believe Matthew explains it best when Jesus compares vows, oaths as to do not swear in chapter 5.  Jesus said,  'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.  Very strong words as a command from our Lord, Jesus concerning oaths and swearing.  The oath / vow is very similar to when we sin, we sin against God and not against individuals.  When we make a oath / vow, it is with God and not against individuals.  There are a lot of variables in making an oath / vow according to the scriptures.  The bottom line is, if we make a vow / oath, we are required to keep the vow / oath since it is with God.  Jesus said not to swear, so what do we do in our normal lives, is when we are called to jury duty or court or legal papers, we are ask, do we swear to tell to whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Courts and legal papers gives a believer an out because they can affirm.  Just one small command, but it is an oath or vow that is equal to swearing.  Interesting.  Blessing

Stephen

(Mat 5:33-37 NIV)  "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' {34} But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; {35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. {36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. {37} Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

What is double-mindedness? What do I go back and forth on?

What does it mean to be double-minded person to me, someone who vacillating between good and evil, living the Way of Life that our Lord, Jesus taught and lived and the way of death that Satan teaches.  In Psa 119, it tells us that God hates a double-minded person.  John tells us from Rev 3, tells us that because we are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  I think that James covers it best.  James tells us that a double-minded person is unstable in all of their ways, which way of lifestyle do they live.  James then tells us to purify our hearts, we who are double-minded.

One of the hardest decision I have to make when I am driving somewhere, is going through a signal light at an intersection.  Oh, I know the rules, about the green, yellow, and red light.  We have the photo-picture taking red light runners at intersections now in Texas.  The decision is when do we stop and when do we go through the intersection.  As we approach the intersection, the yellow light comes on, when do we go through or stop at the crosswalk.  We do have short yellow lights timing at many interestions.  Do we stop, when the yellow light comes on, when we are, what, 30 feet from the crosswalk, 10 feet from the crosswalk, at the crosswalk, or in the intersection then slow down?  If we are 10 – 30 feet from the crosswalk, the red light probably comes on before we are through the intersection.  I might not be the only one who is not sure what to do, because of the new law for the photo-picture taking, rear-ended accidents jumped up big time.  So, who really knows.  You ask and get different answers from the powers to be.  So, let’s us not be double minded in our Way of Life.  Blessing

Stephen

(James 1:8 KJV)  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Double:  1374. dipsuchos, dip'-soo-khos; from G1364 and G5590; two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):--double minded.

(James 4:8 NIV)  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

(Psa 119:113 NIV)  I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

(Psa 119:112 NIV)  My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

(Rev 3:16 NIV)  So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Why do you think judgment must begin in the “Household of God?”

We are told by Paul from scriptures that the household of God are those who have the Holy Spirit living in them (Saints) and are the pillars and foundation of the truth which “is” the church of the Living God. 

Peter in my opinion explains best what this means.  Peter tells us that those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 

To commit ourselves to our Creator, Jesus, is to follow His example and life and teachings and commands.  We are to live the Way of Life that Jesus taught us from His words from John 14:6.  Jesus gives us some very detail concerns about out Christian Walk of Life in Rev 2 and Rev 3, to the seven churches.

We are given the very personal words from our Savior and Lord, Jesus about commendations, concerns, exhortation and a promise to the overcomer (the Saints) from Rev 2 & 3.  Then Peter tells us, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner.”  Yes, we are being judge now for our rewards.  The others will be judge later.  Will we not then  judge angels?  Blessings

Stephen

(Eph 2:19-20 KJV)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

(1 Tim 3:15 NIV)  if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

 (1 Pet 4:14-19 NIV)  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. {15} If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. {16} However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. {17} For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? {18} And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" {19} So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

(John 14:6 NIV)  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(1 Cor 6:3 NIV)  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

What are some of the so-called, “political correctness” issues of our day?

Political correctness is in everything we have in society from what we say, do, eat, believe in everything.  Political correctness is in church, state, and society.  We cannot use certain words anymore because it might offend someone.  Who is behind this political correctness, but Satan and his demons, are like lions out to destroy the Believer or Christian who believes what the Bible says and teach and to live by the very words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, showing that we love him by obeying His teachings and command. 

Satan with his ministers will be in charge of this world until Jesus returns to set up His kingdom and rule with an iron fist to restore all things to the way that the Father wants. 

Blessing 

Stephen 

(Isa 5:20 NIV)  Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

(Exo 23:2 NIV)  "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,

(1 Pet 5:8-9 NIV)  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. {9} Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

(John 14:15 NIV)  "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

(John 14:23 NIV)  Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

(John 14:24 NIV)  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

(John 15:10 NIV)  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

(1 John 5:3 NIV)  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

(Mal 2:17 NIV)  You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

(Rev 12:9 NIV)  The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

(2 Cor 4:4 NIV)  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Hi Berean

You ask an interesting question. “Certainly, we would not be judging good angels, do you think?”  This is my personal opinion; the word for angel is “messenger” as used with talking about angels of God, not demons.  Because of space, I left out vs 2, where you and I are Saints, we will judge the world in the future from what Paul tells us.  This is one of the reason we are to learn from the Teaching, commands and example of our Lord, Jesus so we will know how to have the proper judgment for the angels and the world.  This is one of the responsibilities of a Saint in the future.  Exciting and hesitating at the same time.  Blessing

Stephen

Angels:  32. aggelos, ang'-el-os; from  aggello [prob. der. from G71; comp. G34] (to bring tidings); a messenger; esp. an "angel"; by impl. a pastor:--angel, messenger.

(1 Cor 6:2-3 NIV)  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? {3} Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

World:  2889. kosmos, kos'-mos; prob. from the base of G2865; orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by impl. the world (in a wide or narrow sense, includ. its inhab., lit. or fig. [mor.]):--adorning, world.