The greatest maladies of man today is the issue surrounding his conscience. In short the conscience asleep is that which permits all kinds of sin in the life of a person, but the conscience awoken brings peace and joy.

Sin is the true destructive force, but it is a sleeping conscience that permits its destruction to continue unhindered by the conscience awoken. Our conscience is that which gives to us ready information, warnings that stem directly from the soul to inform a person as to his error, but a conscience asleep fails to sound the alarm and the error goes on unabated until it eventually destroys its subject.

By far the greatest solution to a wounded conscience is Christ, he came to seek and to save that which is lost, he came to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and to free man from the due penalty of his sins. The Bible teaches plainly that the wages of sin is death and Jesus came to save man from it, but the suppression of the conscience is the greatest enemy of this work, why? Because it prevents the heart from knowing it’s guilt.

The modern self-esteem movement is one of the great enablers of a suppressed conscience, it tries to hide guilt, lock it into a box and place it into the deep reassesses of the mind in the hope it will never manifest itself, but the conscience simply won’t stop working to wake the weary soul.

Yet a conscience awoken to its sin, becomes the way through which liberty can be found in Christ. He and he alone can save us; his death paid the penalty, his blood washed away our sins, our faith procures all the benefits of his work that was finished on the cross.

The post A Conscience Awoken appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

The Love That Fulfils The Law

Its love that fulfils the Law, it is love that is a debt we are always obligated to pay and shall never be discharged from. It is the love of Christ that it emulates, who’s death upon the cross of Christ fulfilled the very law of God.

LOVE IS WHAT WE WILL ALWAYS OWE ANOTHER.

This is the INDISCHARGEABLE COVENANT we are obligated to keep.

Owe no man anything, but what we are to always owe is to love one another

Love is the ONLY DEBT that should ALWAYS be paying, yet ought to ALWAYS be looked upon as OWING. 

This is Christ! His is the Love that keeps on loving and we are his disciples. 

We are the beneficiaries of a love that can NEVER BE REPAID, and so we OWE HIS LOVE TO ALL MEN, for ALL time under ALL circumstances.

When all other things of the world are passed, we know that Love itself remains; that famous passage in 1 Corinthinans declares this;

1 Cor 13:1-10

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away

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God is Still On The Throne Pt 3

The Ministers of God

Pr Edi Giudetti

The Minister for Good

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

God has laid out before us in this passage that which continues, expands and explains what began the chapter in verse one, simply: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers”.

Every soul, every person to whom he addresses this letter, every Christian.

There are none exempt from the command and there are none occasion short of a direct disobedience to Gods other orders, in which this command is to be neglected. And now Paul goes on after making it clear to us in verse 2 that “there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God”, that it is God who is in control and has placed these governors in power, now without any contradiction, he begins verse 4 stating “For he is the minister of God to thee for good”.

I want to remind you first and foremost that we are dealing with the word of God here. This is not some “self help guide” to which you have the luxury to either accept it or to deny it. This is not some optional, arbitrary notion that gives you the right to reject. Paul is emphatic on this and is without any contradiction in the entire passage, nor is this anything but affirmed elsewhere in scripture;

there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God (v2)

For he is the minister of God to thee for good (v4)

The ministry of “the powers that be” that rule and govern us, as much as in this day as well as in the days of the tyrannical rulers to which Paul was in subjection, have the same calling upon their lives and the same purpose to which they were “ordained of God”.  Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, their work was partially as “ministers of God to thee for good”.

How often it is that we think ministers are given to us for an evil work when God has made it abundantly clear in the word of God that the thoughts he has toward us are, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you and expected end” (Jer 29:11).  Jesus spoke of God having more care for us than of the birds of the air that he feeds. That he has himself numbered the very hairs of our head, that not even a sparrow shall fall to the earth without his knowing it, and he says with all sincerity; 

“Fear not ye therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt 10:31)

But somehow WE THINK the rulers that govern our day-to-day lives, God seems to have placed to work an evil work, for an EVIL END against us..??? We ignore verse 3 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil” and claim to suit ourselves thinking the opposite must be true rather than believe God at his word. Somehow we think that our INTERPRETATION OF present, personal experiences are justifiable to deny the truth of Gods words in this passage, we come up with a multiplicity of “yeh but’s” and so we justify responding against our rulers the same way those to whom the rulers are ORDAINED TO BE A TERROR!

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil

Our confessed hatred of them betrays to us that we do not think Gods word in this passage is fully true. Each time we see their faces on the TV or hear their voices, we are sickened and filled with loathing, rather than saddened and filled with longing.

Yes, longing for the Lords coming, but more so, longing for their salvation, for the time is drawing near.

You see, it is generally a lack of patience and understanding how God works that believes the difficulties we temporarily endure are to work an evil end.  I know we know this cannot be true, and I also am fully aware that many Christians have sorrowed of late for many diverse experiences ordained by “the powers that be”, but don’t make the mistake

God is Still on the Throne Pt 2Resisting GodPr Edi Giudetti

20/6/2021

INTRODUCTION

We don’t often think that we are Resisting God when resisting the authority of Government, but in the first few verses of the passage read this morning that seems to be exactly what we are doing.

Its natural for people to resist government because its natural for man to resist all forms of authority, look at the world around you today and its not difficult to see it.

From the beginning we see the rejection of God and his Commandment, God had only one “thou shalt not” but even that was too hard for man. Man does not like authority, everything from Government down to the Bible itself is either denied or resisted, but in doing so we Resist God who put these in authority because for life to be blessed selfish lawless tendencies of man must be curtailed.

Even in the Christian.

The last days sees Christians Not enduring sound doctrine because of the authority spoken of within those doctrines, “but after their own hearts lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim 4:3-4), in this they are willfully resisting God.

God is the God of truth, and just like God truth will persist even if we choose to believe lies.

Government is given us by God, the text tells us “ordained by God” and so when we resist Government we resist the ordinance of God!

The problem however seems to arise in us like it does in all children, that we only like government when it gives us chocolates and ice-cream, not broccoli and sprouts. That’s the challenge that has today given us the governments we have.

Governments that only come to power when they give, give, give, not realizing that in order to give, give, give they must take, take, take and so a great exchange is made. We take from those who have to give to those who have not earned. We take from our children and grandchildren their future so we can live like kings in the present.

The governments we get, become the governments we have asked for.

In Paul’s day the emperors of Rome were to be worshipped as Gods. These men who attained the throne of the empire glorified themselves and were themselves much greater tyrants than those we are charged to be subjected to today.

The people wanted bread and circuses and they got it, but it came with a caveat.

We know that many of the Jews at Rome didn’t like that, many would not put themselves in subjection to the Roman rulers feigning to obey God alone, so much so that we see in Acts 18:2, Emperor “Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome”. Because some of the Jews Resisted Government the Government banished them all.

Christians themselves were seen as a Jewish sect, so they were naturally suspected also of being revolutionaries. As early as Acts 17:6 they are referred to by the Thessalonians as having “turned the world upside down”.

Not long after, none other than emperor Nero set his sights against them as his scapegoats for the burning of Rome.

In not bowing the knee of worship to the emperor as did all the heathen about them, Christians were seen to be rebellious. They were right not to worship the Emperor, but this had the effect of drawing attention, and Paul’s desire was that in all other elements of government lay, Christians would be seen as model citizens

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are dordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Resisting God When Resisting Government

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained o

God Is Still On The Throne Pt 1

Romans 13:1

Pr Edi Giudetti

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Rom 13:1-7)

The night Jesus was betrayed and the soldiers, together with Judas, came for him to take him, Peter drew his sword and struct at one of the soldiers, injuring him.

Jesus healed the man and turned to Peter saying;

“…Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”

Jesus Christ, our Lord, the God of heaven and earth, who could command the whole army of heaven, submitted himself to the ruling authorities and was faithful to God unto death, even the death of the cross.

Today, I witness the behavior of many of Jesus’s disciples, children who are called by his name and saved through his blood, that if they had the charge of a legion of angles they would not hesitate to employ them in rebellion against our Government.

This is the heart of many of those who’s daily claim is that they follow Christ.This was indeed even my heart and I have had the most terrible time in sorrow, in anguish and in tears dreading to come to this sermon and to do so faithfully.

I spent the week listening and seeing many senate hearings, news conferences, chambers question times and reading news articles to help me understand this passage of the Bible and trust it completely.

(They say that the pastor must first be changed by his own sermon before he hopes to change others).

What this week’s grievous effort did was to help gather to myself a complete and total despondency of trusting Government to better my life.

As difficult as that was, the unmooring of any confidence I ever had in Government, has found me casting my anchor completely on the rock that is my Lord, to trust God rather than hope in man.

Never have I come to see the value of the words in Psalm 118:8-9 as I do today;

“8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes”

Jesus, my Lord, in his willingness to submit himself as he did, though having the power of heaven at his disposal, leaves me without argument and I pray prepared me to preach this sermon in sincerity.

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Its times like we are living in today that we might often run the risk of thinking that God has somehow “left the building”, that he is no longer in control of that which is before us and so it is now up to us to ‘retake the kingdom for Gods sake’, but nothing is further from the truth.

What we will see as we study this passage is that all the powers that be in the world are in subjection to the throne of God.

Contrary to how we might often feel, God is Still On The Throne

As we consider this passage we will recognize several elements that we are to trust

The Mind That Knows The Lord is At Hand

There are many characteristics that seem to go hand in hand with the bible’s frequent employment of the imminent return of Jesus, that time when he will come again to receive us to himself, that, where he is there shall we be also.

One of the most evident descriptions in the bible respecting this event, is related to the state of the mind of those that know the Lord is at hand.

The frequency of joy related to that event as well as the natural accompaniment of comfort that comes from this joy seems to be the greatest unattested distinction between what we see as the Rapture of the Church and the time of Gods wrath. 

Its still incredible to me how on earth anyone can make the claim that sees the Church go through a time so terrible that no time before or after can compare to it, and willfully ignore the context of joy, hope and comfort that accompanies even the subtle hints of the Lords coming FOR his Church.

Rejoice and Be Self Controlled; The Lord is at Hand.

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 

Two verses not accidently interlinked. 

We indeed have Joy in the Lord, we rejoice for our common salvation, but knowing the Lord is at hand, in this passage, has not the slightest hint of fear or trepidation, quite on the contrary, it tells us what our state of mind ought to be like as we wait his return.

Think for one moment of our lives today compare to what it was;

How different our lives are today to what they once were. How wonderful it is to have total confidence in the Lord who died that we might not only have life, but “have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). What change has God wrought in our lives that can turn us “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to unto God” (Acts 26:18). 

From the chasing of life and peace in this world, to already having it presently abiding in us through the Lord.

Never had I thought that by having peace with God I would also have peace even in this life. Not a peace that is without trouble or difficulties, but a peace in SPITE of the trouble and difficulties, a peace that passes understanding, a peace that rejoices in the hope that is before me, and ONLY because of the peace being made between myself personally and God.

Turn to Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

In this we rejoice in the Lord, and it is first and foremost because we have now peace with God. 

But Paul speaks more to this, he speaks of rejoicing always; 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Is it possible to rejoice in the Lord always?

What if we are in troubles in this life? Jesus did say that in the world we will have tribulation (Jn 16:33) didn’t he? Can we then possibly “be of good cheer” if in this world we are going to have tribulation?

Is this the same tribulations spoken of respecting that day of wrath? Clearly not. These troubles are the standard fair of life we all endure from time to time.

Yet our Romans 5 passage makes it clear that, unlike the world that is confounded by all that is going on in the world,  we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

The end purpose of these tribulations are growth and maturity, the end goal of THE DAY OF WRATH is Judgement.

Now I am to Rejoice in the Lord Alway

The shortest verse in the Bible in English is ….. “Jesus wept” (Jn 11:35), would y

Far too many Pastors and Theologians spend far too much of their time analysing arguments and passing on the contributions of others rather than studying the scriptures for themselves to both reconcile and understand the scriptures. When it comes to matter concerning Eschatology, this is multiplied fourfold. Our study today gives consideration to The Day of Christ Vs The Day of the Lord, is there are difference or are they the same event?

What are the distinctions between the two phrases, the day of Christ and the day of the Lord in the Bible? We have already seen a multitude of distinctions between the Church and the World or Israel;

One we saw is a virgin bride the other an adulterous fornicator.One to be presented white and pure, the other to be returned to God.One is not appointed to wrath, the other will suffer the loss of two thirds of its population.One is a mystery in the Old testament and revealed in the New, the other begins in Genesis and is seen throughout the Bible.One comes into history and then leaves it, the other has a continuous line throughout.One inherits heaven, the other inherits all the promises made to her on earth.One returns with her groom, the other is a remnant saved for her husband.

We will see that, respecting the Day of Christ, there is a great expectation for the day, it is not nothing like what we see respecting the Day of the Lord, great fear and foreboding for that day.

We see that the Day of Christ is a day when all our works are revealed for what they are, an appraisal is made on that day as to being blameless or blameworthy.

We see that it is the culminating day, the time when there is no more we can do respecting that which we are to give an account.

Lastly we will see how we are to live prior to that day.

When we compare the day of Christ Vs the day of the Lord, we see distinctions respecting who are to be presented, the time frame it covers, the nature of the day and the purpose in the day.

These are still only some elements we consider respecting the day of Chris vs the day of the Lord.

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The Bride Of The Son is Not Appointed To The Wrath of The Father

I believe that before I enter into this sermon this morning I help bring some context to this sermon regarding Gods Wrath. The sermons title is a summary of what is presented both in the sermon and in the Bible, The bride of the Son is NOT appointed to the wrath of the father. But what is the wrath of God? What specifically is that referring to?

Multitude of places in the Old and New Testament we see that there is to come an expected time when God will pour out his wrath upon the world for its evil. It’s a time when the Lord says, “Enough”.

In the Old Testament it is perfectly evident that the time of this event was to coincide with the appearing of Christ. When the Messiah comes, he would come for Israel and judge the world in vengeance. Your Newsletter this morning has an illustration demonstrating all that the prophets could see, but the Church is not seen in the Old Testament, Messiah (the christ comes), then Judgement. 

Isaiah 61 is the most evident and simple account of this. 

Isaiah 61:1–2

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that arebound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Those of you that recall Jesus testifying that he is the fulfillment of this passage in Luke 4:18-19, also recall that Jesus stopped abruptly in the middle of verse 2, “closed the book, ….sat down…and began to say….this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21)

What was fulfilled was the coming of Christ and not yet “the day of vengeance of our God”.

The New Testament shows a full stop where Jesus ended his quote, but the Old Testament has a comma. It is that comma that has lasted the better part of two thousand years.

That “day of Vengeance” is the day of wrath, it is a day of darkness and not light,

Amos say that that day will be “As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him” (Amos 5:18-20)

There will be no escaping it. 

Men will go into the mountains and say “…Rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev 6:16, see also Isaiah 2:19, Hosea 10:8, Luke 23:30).

This is a day of great evil that is yet to come upon the earth. It is a day, a time and an hour that has NEVER BEEN before and will NEVER BE AGAIN. 

It will be a day when men will seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (Rev 9:6)

Fire will burn up both field, man and beast. (Rev 8)

“The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood” (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20), it is described as becoming “black as sackcloth of hair” when the sixth seal is opened in Rev 6:12.

 There will be a quaking in the entire earth when God arises “to shall shake terribly the earth” Isaiah 2:19, 21. So severe will be the movement of the Earth it is described from Gods perspective by the Prophet saying that it “Shall reel to and from like a drunkard” (Isa 24:20).

Peace will be taken from the earth, and men will “kill one another” (Rev 6:4).

all the grass on the earth will be burnt up and a third part of ALL vegetation will be burnt up (Rev 8:7).

There will be extreme famine, extreme monetary inflation and runaway pestilence and plagues. The passage speaks of the one who sat on the pale horse of the apocalypse who’s name was “Death, and Hell followed with him” (Rev 6:8)

A third of all the drinkable water on the earth, both rivers and fountains, would be made bitter, and undrinkable (Rev 8:8). A third of all sea dwelling creatures will die (Rev 8:9).

The passage yet tells of an angel flying throu

“Where I Am There Ye May Be”

The imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ is the single most expected event in all of history. It was expected by the disciples, it was expected by the early church, it was expected during the reformation and it was especially expected when the doctrines related to eschatology had come to the fore in the late 19th and early 20 centuries.

“Where I am there ye may be” are the words Jesus employed when he desired to encourage his disciples, not ‘where you are there I may be’, but “Where I AM there ye may be”, the difference is vastly important as we turn to the third istallment of the MAYDAY Series where address prophecy particularly.

These are days of needless confusion confusion regarding prophecy, so many strange views that are almost all based on preconceived ideas where both context and the literalness of the scriptures are so impossibly distorted. This is the reason once each year we undertake a study in that which one in four verses of the Bible speak of, Prophecy.

Jesus is expected Imminently, this is clear from the sampling of passages below. If he is expected IMMINENTLY you simply cannot hold to a position that teaches he can only come AFTER certain events or “signs” are accomplished, that is NOT Imminency!

The Pre-millennial and Pre-tribulations stand the Bible teaches is the ONLY position one can take that reads the Bible is a literal, historical and grammatical manner. No other notion fits the standard reading of the Bible other than that eschatological position.

“Where I am, there ye may be”, see’s Jesus return to take his people to himself, there are no “end times” readings anywhere near the context of this passage and to speak of this event as that which transpires at death is reading something into the text that is simply not there. Jesus simply makes plain that he is returning to receive his brethren to himself, that “Where I am, there ye may be”.

An exciting study that only partly reveals the imminent return of Christ for his Church.

Pr Edi Giudetti

#imminent

John 14:2–3 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  Isaiah 26:20–21 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, And shut thy doors about thee: Hide thyself as it were for a little moment, Until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: The earth also shall disclose her blood, And shall no more cover her slain.  Romans 13:11–12 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  1 Corinthians 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:  1 Corinthians 15:51–55 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. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  1 Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha.  Philippians 3:20–21 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto hi

Overcome Evil With Good

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Overcome Vengeance With Faith

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

It was peak hour traffic and trains are running every twenty minutes.

One morning there was a gentleman driving to work who was stuck in a line waiting for the train to move from a railway station. There didn’t seem to be anything holding up the train nor anything that might prevent the boom gate from opening to let the traffic through (we have all experienced this at some time).

Well after fifteen minutes, the gentleman was already late for work, the train finally took off and the boom gate opened up. As he neared the railway line, he diverted his car into the line and out of the way of the traffic so the cars could still get through. He parked his car, got out the door, locked it and walked the rest of the way to work, leaving his car across the track.

The traffic finally had a good run through this notorious early morning crossing while the next train was stuck due to this abandoned car. It took thirty minutes for the police to find the owner and ask him to please move his car. They did not give him any fine.

Vengeance seems sweet to those who have been wronged, they feel as if justice is accomplished and it is not an unjust sentiment. Vengeance or recompence of evil is exactly what the Law and justice system has been set up to undertake. 

When the crime is unjust, when it is evil and there seems to be no possible way of getting justice for that evil, it seems natural for people to take it upon themselves to “take vengeance”. Laws within a society are supposed to be swift, judgment is good when it is acted upon in good time for those in civilised community. When it is not done quickly, people feel cheated, the cost of crime is born by the bearer of the burden, they do not feel that recompense for the evil they have suffered is paid in full, they are not at all lightened by the load and bear the full cost of the crime and This is not good.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Eccl 8:11)

God is a God of justice and we, being made in the image of God, have that same sense of justice within us and we desire justice in all matters dealt with….but it is considered an evil if that justice meted out by ourselves?

The Bible itself has within it a legal framework to deal with all kinds of evil, it is what binds the citizens of any nation and shows how things are to be dealt with lawfully and with oversight. 

Turn to Exodus 21:23-27

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. 27 And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

We see the context of that passage but also see that God has taken care for just justice and this is found in the portion of the Bible known as The Law, that is, The First Five Books of Moses. Man is not to take vengeance upon himself outside of this law, that is what Solomon refers to when “sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, …the heart of the sons of men… set in them to do evil”, they take vengeance and do so outside the law.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather