Those who meddle with astrologers and sorcerers (and like practices) put themselves on a collision course with God's judgment.
How would making your motive match the Lord's motive change how you approach the Christian life (from witnessing to praying to Bible reading and so on)?
A martyr is one who is killed for his faith. Only two individuals are specifically named as martyrs in scripture: Stephen and Antipas.
The Bible mentions true riches thus indicating the existence of false riches. Much of what the world considers riches simply serves as a veil for true poverty. While on earth, the Lord appeared to be the poorest of the poor (Matthew 8:20), all the while being the One who owned all things. The believers at Smyrna appeared to be poor, but the Lord unflinchingly stated that they were in fact rich (Revelation 2:8-9). The opposite was said of those in Laodicea. Although they claimed to be rich, the Bible states the reality: they were poor (Revelation 3:14-17). This truth is confirmed in Proverbs 13:7 when the Bible says, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
Basically, a steward is one who oversees someone else’s possessions. The scripture shows stewards overseeing the substance and possession of the king (1 Chronicles 28:1) or administering the oversight of labourers within a vineyard (Matthew 20:8). The life of a steward was devoted to his master’s needs, wants, and demands. The job description was broad and comprehensive. Eliezer, Abraham’s steward (Genesis 15:2), ruled over all that Abraham had (Genesis 24:2) but also went forth to find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 24:9). The master’s needs became the responsibilities of the steward. Simply put, the steward was responsible for what the master had placed under his care and supervision.
True loyalty never wavers without sound justification. The book of Revelation reveals that believers in Smyrna were going to face various difficulties such as imprisonment, trials, and perhaps even martyrdom. In the midst of these calamities, the Lord admonished them to be “faithful unto death.” God’s people have always had their loyalty to the Lord tested. If loyalty occurred naturally, everyone would exhibit loyalty. True loyalty is not something a believer possesses in the absence of adversity. Rather, adversity provides the means for loyalty to excel. In fact, it was in the face of the adversity of crucifixion that the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified His loyalty to both mankind and the Father. In doing so, He set forth an example that every believer ought to willingly follow and exemplify.
God hates! For those enamored by the teachers who strictly emphasize the love of God, this fact may be difficult to appreciate. Yet, it is both true and scriptural. In fact, the truth becomes even more peculiar when considering that God's hatred is founded within His love. According to 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” He never ceases to be love, and if He did, He would cease to be God. Yet, the Bible specifically points out that God also hates! Let the Bible speak for itself and it will clear up any preconceived ideas. God hates because He loves. God loves the righteous; therefore, He hates “all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5). The Bible also points out that He hates the wicked and those who love violence (Psalm 11:5). These truths are frequently contrary to the common teaching by men who fail to consider the whole of scripture and the depth of God. The old saying, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” apparently fails when considering the whole matter. God does, in fact, hate the wicked! Additionally, God hates wicked deeds and wicked doctrines (Revelation 2:6, 15). Each of us must insure that we declare all the counsel of God and not conveniently limit our understanding to only the most positive aspects (Acts 20:27).
Most people are familiar with the phrase forgive and forget, yet likely not that familiar that its origin is the Bible. Jeremiah 31:34 refers to a condition yet to be enjoyed by the Jewish people in the kingdom established on this earth following the second coming. Some of these benefits are already enjoyed by the born-again child of God. In this verse, the Lord says that He “will forgive their iniquity, and . . . will remember their sin no more.” Notice that God said He will not only forgive but also forget. What a day that will be! True forgiveness also forgets the transgression. To claim that someone is forgiven and still remains accountable for a wrongdoing suggests that he was never actually forgiven. It is important to note that God’s forgiveness and forgetfulness is not based upon what a person deserves, but an act of God’s mercy (Hebrews 8:11-12).
God knows everything about everything, yet Christians sometimes act as though He has some debilitating limitations. Once again, the Bible shines the light of truth upon the matter. It reveals that He is great, “and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). In fact, His eyes “are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). In other words, there is nothing that escapes the knowledge and attention of God. This includes the good and the bad! The Son of God proclaimed to the church at Thyatira that He knew their works, charity, service, faith, and patience. He too knows about the level of a man’s faith! He knows the content, strength, and reality of that faith. A man can and will fool others and frequently even deceives himself (Jeremiah 17:9), but he has no capacity to mislead God. The Lord knows those who believe and accept His word as the perfect word of God and He is not unrighteous to forget (Hebrews 6:10).
Joseph went through so many trials and tribulations that at times he must have questioned if he had been forsaken of God. Our passage picks up the story with Joseph unjustly imprisoned. Pharaoh had a dream and called the wise men of the land together for the interpretation. All of Egypt’s wise men could not interpret the dream, but Joseph could. God revealed to Joseph the impending famine with detailed information on how to prepare for it. He instructed Pharaoh on how to gather during the time of plenty to prepare for the famine. These guidelines would allow Egypt to survive and even increase throughout the period of famine. Joseph also counselled Pharaoh to set a man over the land of Egypt who was “discreet and wise.” Pharaoh told his servants that Joseph was the only one who could adequately do the task because he was “a man in whom the Spirit of God” resided. Joseph’s acts of discretion not only led Egypt through the famine but also provided for Joseph’s family when they too would come to Egypt in need of food (see Genesis chapter 42).
