With each passing year, witchcraft has grown more acceptable in the eyes of man, yet God has not wavered concerning His thoughts on these matters.
Truth is a crucial piece in the believer’s armour, girding the loins and, as such, freeing a man from life's entanglements.
Historically, the word jealous is connected to the word zeal rather than to envy. Unfortunately, the world has perverted man’s understanding of jealousy by likening it to a detestable sin. The Bible student recognizes that jealousy cannot always be sinful because God says that He is a jealous God (Nahum 1:2) and God does not sin. A scriptural study proves that jealousy can be righteous, or it can be wicked depending upon the intent of the one in whom this jealousy originates. In a very basic sense, jealousy is the unwillingness to share or allow anything to rival the object of one’s desire. Since man has sinful desires, jealously is often viewed as sinful and can lead to other sinful practices. In the Lord’s case, His righteous desire to be man’s only true and living God drives Him to just judgment and godly jealousy.
God expects loyalty from man. He is not interested in “worship” that involves Him being one of man’s many gods. In fact, He adamantly opposed this position within the Ten Commandments. There the Lord admonished His people to “have no other gods before” Him (Exodus 20:3). He then warned them not to make nor bow in worship to idols (Exodus 20:4-5). The Lord earned Israel’s loyalty in many ways, but the Bible specifically points to His delivering them from Egypt. It is important to note that God does not expect blind loyalty from man, but He certainly deserves this type of loyalty. He earned man’s loyalty by being his Creator. Yet His ultimate claim to loyalty stems from His offering to redeem fallen man though man is completely unworthy.
This life offers only a window of time and opportunity to work for the Lord. Youthfulness and old age both offer their own hindrances to service. In many ways, though not entirely, youth should be spent in learning, middle age in doing, and old age in teaching those who are learning and doing. Many of the greatest servants of the Lord found in scripture began their journey in youth by learning of the Lord and His ways (1 Kings 18:12; Psalm 71:5; 2 Chronicles 34:3; Job 29:4; Ecclesiastes 12:1). As they approached the prime of life, they invested their learning by serving the Lord (Numbers 8:24-25). As they passed their prime, they would pass their knowledge on to the next generation in hopes of the Lord’s work continuing and flourishing (2 Timothy 4:1-8)..
The believer’s life is loaded with benefits (Psalm 68:19), but one of the greatest of these benefits concerns the area of vengeance. According to scripture, vengeance is reserved for the Lord’s enemies (Deuteronomy 32:41; Judges 11:36), or adversaries (Deuteronomy 32:43; Jeremiah 46:10; Nahum 1:2), or the heathen (Psalm 149:7; Micah 5:15) but specifically upon “them that know not God” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). God does not deal with His people in vengeance, it is reserved for those who reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8). When the children of God are disobedient, the Lord chastens, but He never takes vengeance upon His own.
Man always seems to find a way to corrupt that which is good. Prayer was meant to give man a means of communicating with the Creator. It is to originate from the depths of the heart and never to be memorized and repeated. This is why true prayer is speaking to God from the depths of the heart. As such, God never intended for man to script His prayers to the Lord. In fact, the Lord warned His people against using “vain repetitions” while talking to Him (Matthew 6:7). Unfortunately, many people find it easier to simply repeat a prayer commonly called the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) rather than communing with God with heartfelt sincerity. God never intended this example of praying to be repeated. In fact, the Lord clearly made His intentions understood when He said, “After this manner . . . pray ye.” The Lord provided a manner (or an example) for His disciples to follow, not words for them to inattentively repeat. With this example of prayer, the Lord certainly was not instructing His followers to do the very thing that He warned against a few verses earlier.
Believers understand why the world seems completely oblivious to its true need. Yes, the world needs peace but not the peace they suspect – absence of war! Bible students recognize that trusting Jesus Christ is the means whereby individuals can quench their thirst for peace. This knowledge of the truth carries with it a grave responsibility along with a marvellous privilege. The scripture points to the beauty of the feet of those that “bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Why are the feet mentioned as being so beautiful? The feet of the man carry him to publish peace. Similar phraseology appears in Nahum 1:15. Those who know God's peace are blessed with the responsibility and granted the opportunity to take that message of peace to others.
