Saturday, December 5, 2015

Paul says, "I have kept the faith"

Joan Boney ... apostle, prophet

Paul said to Timothy:  7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. II Tim. 4

Keeping the faith  is something we work at throughout our lives.  Things come from people to turn us another way.  Thoughts come based upon circumstances to steal our faith.

It is up to us to "keep the faith", holding fast to the truth from God regardless.

In 2010, I fell over a box and broke a bone in my hip.

In Psalm 34 we read:  19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones:
not one of them is broken.


Yet one of my bones was broken ... how can this be?

A few days ago, I was reading in John and saw the following: 

John 19 ...  28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar:and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true:and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 

I believe the information in Psalm 34 saying not one of "his" bones will be broken was speaking of the bones of Jesus ...  It was a word of prophecy picked up by the psalmist and inserted inside the verses of Psalm 34.

Certainly I believe we will be delivered from our afflictions as it says in the previous verse.

Looking at Psalm 34...

 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth,
and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones:
not one of them is broken
.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked:
and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:
and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.


I believe verse 20 pertains to Jesus ... this would explain how my bone could be broken...

Jesus' flesh did not see "corruption" (decay after death) ... God did not "suffer" Jesus flesh to see corruption.

But with most of us our flesh decays when we die ... Paul explains in I Cor. 15 ... 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

So we keep the faith when circumstances seem to show scripture wrong ... We take that controversy to God and in time God will sort it out for us that we can keep the faith and "understand" what is going on.

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Mt. 4 ... 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Romans 3 ...  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

We cling to the scripture and purpose to believe the scripture even in those times when we do not understand ... Let God be true!