The Lord Jesus is ruling now. He is "Sovereignly" in control of everything. Nothing is happening in the world without God permission. God in the Old Testament warned sinners in Israel over and over again to turn from their sins in repentance. What we are all called to do as children of God is to (by His grace) serve Him with fear and trembling.

Just as our birth was appointed by God, so it is also appointed the day of our death. As the writer of Hebrews as strongly argued that Christ died but once for the sins of fallen humanity, as our Great High Priest, so now, he calls our attention to the fact that each of us shall die but once, and after this, the judgment. Since there are no do-overs, none of us, after we have passed through the gates of death, we cannot return to make anything right or to change anything that was left undone. We cannot return to believe in Christ, now that we realize (in death) that we neglected the business of our souls.

As fathers love to hear and answer the pleas and heart-cries of their children, so our heavenly Father loves to hear and answer the pleas, prayers, and heart-cries of their believing children! The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much! Our prayers to our God ought to be such as to move God on our behalf! How much more than when many of us prayer fervently to God! Even though Jehoshaphat's army was formidable, he would not depend upon his army, but rather upon God!

Job was a good father. He was a great man, a devoted man with a good and godly reputation, he was no dishonest, but well respected, and that is because he was a man who was continually turning from sin and wickedness. Furthermore, he was a rich man, and he was also a man who was the father of 10 children, for whom he continually prayed. And then, Job followed God in both the good and difficult times.

Christ saves to the uttermost - Christians are the possession of the Lord Jesus Christ! You, child of God are bought with a prices. What a glorious thing to be the inheritance of Christ! Those at Babel sought to break the bands of God from them, to seek by their own self-will to reach heaven, but God scattered them to become all nations. But, in Christ, all nations are gathered together. Revelation 7:9-10: After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."

The wonderful doctrine of the intercession of Christ should be a constant comfort to our souls! Jesus ever lives to make intercession "FOR US" His beloved saints. And since His intercession is continual, since the Risen and Ascended living Christ is always appearing before the face of God for us, we should always be full of comfort and rejoicing that we are saved to the uttermost!

Jehu obeyed God's command when he carried out God's command to wipe out the house of Ahab and Jezebel. But not only did he eliminate sin in Israel, sadly, he perpetuated it. He obeyed God, but then he did not obey God or walk in his ways. Jehu was concerned about getting the glory for himself rather than for God. Ref. "Come and see my zeal for the LORD." He was too busy blowing his own trumpet, rather than glorifying God.

If the people of Old Testament Israel knew anything, they knew that blood must be shed if their sins would be forgiven. Hebrews 9:22, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins." And then in Hebrews 9:23, the writer teaches us that the types and shadows of heavenly things (the tabernacle, the ark, and the vessels of ministry) were purified (sanctified) with the blood of animals. They must be if God would descend upon the tabernacle and ark. And then he writes, that heavenly things themselves (the heavenly sanctuary) was purified or sanctified with better sacrifices than those animal sacrifices. Let me just say that heaven is not impure or defiled in any way. Ref. Revelation 22:17. But when Christ entered into heaven by His own blood, heaven was then made ready to receive us. Heaven could not receive us until it first received the Risen Christ! If heaven would be prepared for us and us for heaven, Christ must first enter therein with His blood and prepare it for us! John 14:1-6.

Jesus' Words on marriage and divorce were controversial in the 1st century, and they are still controversial today. What He taught them was that marriage is not a contract, it is a covenant between and man and woman before God. The Pharisees came to Jesus tempting Him, asking Jesus if it was lawful for a man to put away his wife. And that Moses allowed it. So the were trying to trap Jesus, and pit Him against the law of Moses. Jesus answer their question with a question, pointing them back to the law of Moses, and told them, Moses allowed this because of the hardness of your hearts.

Hosea, the prophet of God, who's name means savior or deliverer was sent to Israel, (to the northern kingdom, the 10 tribes) to call them to repentance for their sins of idolatry. It was a time of prosperity and faithlessness in Israel. God would shock the people of Israel in Hosea's marriage to a woman who was a harlot. His marriage to Gomer was to show the people of Israel what they were doing to Him! But in all of Hosea's prophecy, we see God's unwavering love for His covenant people! He would not leave nor forsake them.