November 2005

Deepest apologies for the long delay since the last sharing,

but Father was preparing a miracle! Last May, the modem on my computer broke, and I had no extra money to have it repaired, nor to replace it. There was no choice but to wait for the Lord to tell me if my internet days were ended, or if He would let me continue. I continually sought HisWill in prayer. but no Word came except to “wait”. Finally, after several months, a brother in Christ heardabout the situation and felt impressed by the Holy Spirit that this web ministry was to carry on, and he was to provide the means. After we both prayed about this for several weeks, he was absolutely convinced, so he purchased for me a new, state-of-the-art, 20” iMac G5 computer as a love offering to this ministry. After several weeks of getting to know some of the basic operations of this instrument of the Lord, He dropped the single word, “Providence”, in my heart. A few days later, He told me this was the name of the first series of sharings He would give me on the new computer. This was so that I would always remember and rejoice that His Providence had supplied this special blessing. Thank you, Jesus!

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“PROVIDENCE”

Part One

[Dict. def. “Divine guidance or care; to be God-conceived with the Power that sustains and guides human destiny!!” Variations include: provident-“To make preparations for the future; to be WISE, and to save!” Also, providential- “To be FORESIGHTED!” These derive from provide, whose two roots are pro- “forward”, and videre- “to see” which together mean, “forward sight; able to see ahead, that is, to peer into the future!” Then this word is defined, “Take precautionary measures to supply what is needed to sustain or support; to procure or prepare in advance, to outfit, equip or supply for use.”]

God recently spoke the word, “providence”, in my heart. Then He said, “Not one thing in My creation is an “accident”, but all is in My Divine Design!” Things do happen “unexpectedly” so far as the natural man is concerned; but everything is predestined by God’s Sovereign Will and is maintained by His Sovereign Wisdom, so nothing is a surprise to Him! The word, accident, is defined in the Dict as: “Something that occurs by chance, or comes from unknown circumstances; a lack of intention or necessity; an un-foreseen event resulting from carelessness, unawareness, ignorance, or unavoidable cause; an unexpected happening not due to any fault or misconduct; it is a nonessential occurrence.” These may apply to the natural man; but cannot be attributed to God when “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist and are held together!” (Co 1:17) God is never taken unawares! We must believe that He is truly OMNIPOTENT (all powerful) and OMNISCIENT (all seeing, and all knowing) and OMNIPRESENT (in all places, at all times), and can never be caught off guard! For, “The earth, and everything in it, belong to the Lord; also the world, and everyone in it, belong to the Lord!” (Ps 24:1) PLEASE READ NOW: Ro 14:7-9, 11;

The Dict. root for surprise means: “to apprehend a *prize, esp. by an unexpected attack!” [*The word “prize” appears twice in Scripture. 1 Co 9:24 says, “Do you not know that in a race (human race), all runners compete, but only One (Christ) can receive the prize? So run your race, that you may lay hold of the prize and make it yours.” Paul adds in Php 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the PRIZE of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!”] This testifies to satan’s purpose in this world! This would-be “usurper” of God’s high calling is the carnal mind, i.e.,“Your devilish adversary that walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour!” (1 Pet 5:8) He is “The thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy! (But the Lord says), I am come (“as a Thief in the night,” 2 Pet 3:10) in order that all may have Eternal Life, and have it more abundantly!”(Jn 10:10) What is it that the carnal mind seeks to steal, kill and destroy? It wants to “steal our faith in God”, to “kill our hope in God; and “destroy our love of God!” The first two temptations that befell Adam in the garden attacked his faith and hope in God’s Word that said not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam failed both tests, but did not die! But when the third temptation attacked his love for God’s Word, he failed, and this time, did DIE!! The first test involved “lust of the flesh.” The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil was “good for food,” but not for man’s flesh! [Paul said, “All things are allowed to me, but all things are not beneficial or profitable for me! All things are lawful for me, but I will not become a slave to anything; nor will I be brought under its power...All things are legal for me, but not all things are helpful or wholesome for me; all things are lawful for me, but are not edifying to my spirit!” (1 Co 6:12; 10:23) The tree God denied Adam was human wisdom, and the Tree he rejected was Divine Wisdom! God knew man’s flesh wanted to consume its fruit on his lust! (See Jas 1:14; 4:3) Adam’s faith that obeying God’s command could bring an ample prize for his self-denial, was not strong enough to overcome his lust.

The second test tested man’s“lust of the eyes” for “The eyes of man are never satisfied!” (Pr 27:20) But Scripture says, “Our eyes must forever stay on the Lord!” (Ps 25:15) However, Adam’s hope that obeying God’s command would bring a reward to justify his deprival, was also too weak to foil his lust!

The deadly, third test appealed to Adam’s pride of life! His serpentine self-will saw that the forbidden tree was “desired to be wise”, but he wanted to be “wise in his own eyes” (Pr 3:7) not rich in Godly Wisdom! But Adam’s love of God’s Glory was not strong enough to quelch his carnal desire for self-glory!

Millenniums later the “Second...and last...Adam-Christ” was confronted by Adam’s same three temptations- albeit, they were presented in a different format- but this time, He overcome, once and for all! Jas 3:13-18 now asks us this question,

“Who among you is a wise man who is endued with knowledge? By his good conversation (behavior), let him show his works with humility of wisdom!! But do not glory if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts; and do not lie against truth! This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly (of which man was made), and sensual (the lustful flesh of man), and of the devil! For where there is envying and strife, there is confusion, and every evil work.

But the Wisdom from above is first of all pure, and then it is peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy. Also, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace in those who make peace.”

Discerning good and evil is intrinsic to Godly Wisdom, but it is an uncertain weapon in the hands of corruptible men! That is why the wisest course for man is to defer to the Wisdom of God.

We just read that Divine Wisdom came down from heaven, and Jesus Christ proclaims in Jn 6:51, “I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven; if any man eats of this Bread, he shall live forever! For the Bread that I will give is My Flesh, which I will give for the Life of the world!” So the Wisdom of God is our Bread of Life; and bread was the first element Jesus offered His apostles at the last supper they shared before He would offer His Life to be sacrifice upon the Cross for the salvation of the world! Therefore, it was Wisdom our Lord was conferring on His apostles, then to wash it down, He poured out wine that symbolized His poured out Blood! He was showing us how,

“The preaching of the Cross (dying to self by crucifying our profitless, soul-life) is foolishness to all who perish; but it is the Power of God to all who are saved! For it is written, I will destroy the ‘wisdom’ of the wise, and bring to nothing the “understanding’ of the prudent...therefore, to them who are the called-out-ones...CHRIST (Himself) is the Power and WISDOM OF GOD!”

“Happy and blessed is the man that finds Wisdom and understanding; whose profit is greater than that of silver or fine gold. She (Wisdom) is more precious than rubies; and all the things you could ever desire can never be compared with her! Length of days is in her right hand; as riches and honor are in her left hand. All of her ways are Beauty; and all her paths are Peace! For WISDOM IS A TREE OF LIFE to them that lay hold on her; and happy are all who keep her!” (Pr 3:13-18)

[TO BE CONTINUED]