Pam Padgett ... teacher
As we live in this world, we hear things spoken that are not true. These things can affect us. But when we turn to
God, He is able to set us in His truth, cleaning us from the evil we
have heard.
Recently a wildfire broke out near where I live. With the
unusually hot, dry weather, together with high winds, the fire quickly
spread and destroyed more than 500 homes. There were press conferences
on television each day to give the latest status of the fire.
During one of these press conferences the sheriff asked everyone to go
wash their cars so it would rain.It did rain a few days to the point that the rain was causing trouble
for the firefighters. The sheriff then asked everyone to stop washing
their cars. Although the sheriff spoke in a joking way, these things were in his heart (Luke 6:45), and were repeated and followed by others. I also saw a news headline about a
woman who had a "rain stick" she was using to try to cause rain.
It stood out to me there wasn't an understanding that rain, winds, even fire are controlled by God.
Man wants to control these things and can't. Instead of turning to God,
they turn to foolishness. When I turned to God to be re-established in
what is true, I was
reminded of Psalm 148:8 ...
Psalm 148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
Fire, hail, snow, vapour (rain), and winds fulfill the word of the Lord, doing as He directs.
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Another example of a false saying of the world is that the number 13 is "unlucky", something to be avoided. I
hadn't realized I was affected by this, but recently there have been at
least two times when I was counting something and the total was 13, and
the thought would come that this was a problem because of the number. I was shocked at thinking this. The first time, I told myself this is silly,
but didn't turn to God. The second time I stopped and cried out to God,
asking that He help me. After praying, a thought came to look in the
Bible for references to thirteen. As I did this, it re-established that
thirteen is just a number, indicating a quantity. The power attributed by the world to this number is not of God and is not real. Here are a few of
the scriptures I found ...
Just as Abraham was 90 years old when he was circumcised, Ishmael was 13 years old (simply indicates his age) ...
Genesis 17:24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he
was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was
thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his
foreskin.
When God gave commandment to Moses regarding a burnt offering, they
were to offer 13 young bullocks, just as they were to offer 2 rams and
14 lambs ...
Number 29:12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: 13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a
sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young
bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be
without blemish:
The total length of time it took Solomon to build his house was 13 years ...
1 Kings 7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
The number 13 is used just as other numbers in the Bible, having no special significance or power.
For those who are called by God and given His Spirit, our trust is to be in God who leads us by His Spirit in the way we are to go, the best way for us ...
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
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Peter told us about the end of this world, and exhorted us to be
diligent to be found in peace without spot and blameless ...
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing
that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him
in peace, without spot, and blameless.
The world is filled with sayings and ideas not of God, superstitions, even ascribing power to
things that have no power. These things are a form of spots. We are cleaned of them as
we turn to God and conform ourselves and our thinking to what He gives to us.