Testing my faith

I have said that I've learned to trust the Lord in all things. In my post "Salvation" I talked about how the Lord has saved me from great harm from a number of things throughout my life. That building of trust in the Lord has come from looking back at the many things that happened in my past. God had to have had a hand in them. Well, lately I have had thoughts of questioning the very existence of God. Maybe I've just talked myself into believing. (Satan working again)

Why am I starting to question things you might ask. Back in August of 2015 I posted "Funny Dream". In this dream, it was like God saying to me that the problems with my back will not be as bad as I envision, and we shook hands on it. I was telling God at the time that I will trust Him in whatever happens, but I said it in such a way as to try and build up my trust; "I WILL TRUST YOU LORD."

There was no time frame when or how much better my back would get. At that time, I was envisioning me becoming an invalid, not being able to do anything.  I still have back pain and sciatica. It is better some days and worse other days and even though this has put limits on things I can do, it has not shut me down completely. I now have some stenosis in my upper spine, shoulder and neck areas, and I am starting to have prostate problems, my PSA number is going up. I long for a body like I used to have were pain was from over working or exercising.

I know that our timing is not God's timing. I believe that the bodies we will have in the next life will be amazingly so much better than these we have in this life so maybe I will just have to wait until then. I think about the many stories in the Bible where the imposable became possible. Maybe there is still something in store for me in this life. I will just have to wait and see.

Nebuchadnezzar

Study This 

Daniel 4 Common English Bible (CEB) Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony 4 [a] King Nebuchadnezzar’s message to all the peoples, nations, and languages inhabiting the entire earth: “I wish you much peace. 2 I’m delighted to share the signs and miracles that the Most High God has worked in my life. 3 His signs are superb!     His miracles so powerful! His kingdom is everlasting.     His rule is for all time. 4 [b] “While I, Nebuchadnezzar, was safe in my house, content in my palace, 5 I had a terrifying dream. My thoughts while I was lying in bed and the vision in my mind overwhelmed me. 6 I ordered all Babylon’s sages to come before me, so they might tell me the dream’s meaning. 7 So the dream interpreters, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners came. I told them the dream, but they couldn’t interpret it for me. 8 Daniel, who is called Belteshazzar after the name of my god, was the last to come before me. In him is the breath[c] of the holy gods! I told Daniel the dream: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream 9 “Belteshazzar, chief of the dream interpreters, I know the breath of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Tell me the meaning of the visions I had in my dream. 10 In my mind, as I lay in bed, I saw a vision: At the center of the earth was a towering tree. 11     The tree grew in size and strength;         it was as high as the sky;         it could be seen from every corner of the earth. 12         Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant;         it had enough food for everyone.     Wild animals took shade under it;         birds nested in its branches.     All living things lived off that tree. 13 “In my mind, as I lay in bed, I saw another vision: A holy watcher came down from heaven. 14 He proclaimed loudly: ‘Cut down the tree and shear off its branches!     Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit! The creatures should flee from its shelter;     the birds should take flight from its branches. 15 But leave its deepest root in the earth,     bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Dew from heaven is to wash it,     and it must live with the animals in the earth’s vegetation. 16 Its[d] human mind is to be changed:     it will be given the mind of an animal.     Seven periods of time will pass over it. 17 This sentence is by the watchers’ decree;     this decision is the holy ones’ word         so that all who live might know         that the Most High dominates human kingship. The Most High gives kingship to anyone he wants     and sets over it the lowest of people.’ 18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. So now Belteshazzar, tell me the meaning because all the sages in my kingdom were unable to interpret it for me. But you are able to do it because the breath of the holy gods is in you.” Daniel interprets the visions 19 Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was shocked for a bit. What he thought about frightened him. The king declared, “Don’t let the dream and its meaning scare you, Belteshazzar.” Then Belteshazzar answered, “Sir, I wish the dream to be for those who hate you and its meaning to be for your enemies! 20 The tree you saw that grew in size and strength, that was as high as the sky, that could be seen from every corner of the earth, 21 with its beautiful leaves and its abundant fruit, and that had enough food for everyone, with wild animals living under it and birds nesting in its branches— 22 Your Majesty, that tree is you! You have grown large and become powerful. Your greatness is as high as the sky; your rule extends to the edge of the earth! 23 “Your Majesty, the holy watcher you saw coming down from heaven, who said, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its deepest root in the earth, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass, dew from heaven is to wash it, and it must live with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass over it’— 24 Your Majesty, this is the dream’s meaning: It is the sentence of the Most High, delivered to my master the king. 25 You will be driven away from other humans and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle and will be washed by dew from heaven. Seven periods of time will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High dominates human kingship, giving it to anyone he wants. 26 And when he said to leave the deepest root of the tree—that means your kingship will again be yours, once you acknowledge that heaven rules all. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, please accept my advice: remove your sins by doing what is right; remove your wrongdoing by showing mercy to the poor. Then your safety will be long lasting.” Visions come true 28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30 The king declared, “Isn’t this Babylon, the magnificent city that I built as the royal house by my own mighty strength and for my own majestic glory?” 31 These words hadn’t even left the king’s mouth when a voice came from heaven: “You, King Nebuchadnezzar, are now informed: Kingship is taken away from you. 32 You will be driven away from other humans and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you acknowledge that the Most High dominates human kingship, giving it to anyone he wants.” 33 Nebuchadnezzar’s sentence was immediately carried out. He was driven away from other humans and ate grass like cattle. Dew from heaven washed his body until he grew hair like eagles’ feathers and claws like a bird. Nebuchadnezzar is restored 34 “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes to heaven. My reason returned to me, and I praised the Most High. I worshipped and glorified the one who lives forever because his rule is everlasting; his kingdom is for all time. 35 All of earth’s inhabitants are nothing in comparison. The Most High does whatever he wants with heaven’s forces and with earth’s inhabitants. No one can contain his power or say to him, ‘What do you think you are doing?’ 36 So at that moment my reason returned to me. My honor and splendor came back to me for the glory of my kingdom. My associates and my princes wanted to be with me again. Not only was I reinstated over my kingdom, I received more power than ever before. 37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, worship, magnify, and glorify the king of heaven. All his works are truth, all his paths are justice, and he is able to humble all who walk in pride.”

Salvation

In my last post "Jesus" I talked about how I've learned to trust the Lord in all things and about receiving salvation when I accepted Yeshua Jesus into my life. I've told you that I live in the Houston, Texas area and if you've been following the news, you've seen all the destructive flooding going on here from hurricane Harvey.

Again, the Lord has protected us. We did not get water into our house but so many in our neighborhood did. Why we were spared, I don't know. We have lived here now for almost 30 years and thus far we have not flooded, and we received only very minor destruction from the previous major hurricane, hurricane Ike.

Added 10/19/17 -- I want to say more about how the Lord has protected us. We are fortunate enough to have two properties. Our other property is a little over an hour away, closer to the coast. That area was also hit hard by flooding from hurricane Harvey. For about a week we didn't know if we got water in that house or not because the roads were impassable. When we were finally able to go down and check it out, we found that it too did not get water in it. I said that our Houston house only received very minor damage during hurricane Ike. Well, our other property too only received very minor damage. Had hurricane Ike came in the way they first predicted it would, both homes would most likely have been gone because both would have been on the dirty side but it kept moving more to the East, so we ended up just on the clean side. Because both homes were spared during both storms, we were able to let people stay in the house down by the coast. The Lord has worked that all out as well, getting just the right families in who needed it at just the right time.

I've thought about when Jesus was here on earth, He had such great compassion for the people. He healed them, He fed them, He cast out evil spirits, and He even brought back some from the dead. Jesus calmed the sea with just a word. When we become one with Christ Jesus, Jesus accomplishes the same things through us today. I have seen some pretty amazing compassionate things happen from many people through this storm and God is getting the glory.

There is something else going on that is frightening to a great many people, the possibility of nuclear war. I don't know what will happen with North Korea. I'll be honest, it is a bit troubling for me when I think about it, but I am not stressed out about it. I trust that the Lord will accomplish His will in this too.  God has a plan and that is to bring all things into Himself (God being all in all). He will accomplish it.

Jesus

Yeshua Jesus is the Son of the living God. Another name given Him is the Word of God. It is from Him we get knowledge and understanding of God. At the right time, a little over 2000 years ago, Yeshua Jesus came to earth in the form of a human, a baby born of a human mother but not of a human father. This was God's plan to save us, we humans. Jesus lived a life without sin so that He could take our place. He became that unblemished lamb that was sacrificed for our sins.

All us humans have sinned, disobeyed God's laws. The Bible says that we are slaves to sin. Jesus fulfilled all prophesies proving Him to be the messiah, giving us a way to break free from the bondage of sin. He was beaten, spit on, scourged, cursed, mocked, and nailed to a cross to die. But He did not stay in the grave, that tomb. On the third day He arose from the dead. He appeared to many people for a period of 40 days until He went into heaven to be with the Father.

I look at this this way. God's laws deals with how we treat God and how we treat each other. So, what Jesus did was like this; He steps between me/you and those I've/you've sinned against. He took upon Himself everything that should have been dished out to us.

John 15:13 Common English Bible (CEB) 13 No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.

Jesus' love hasn't stopped at giving up His life for us. He teaches us all about God the Father, Himself, and the Holy Spirit.

You can think of Jesus like the food that you eat and the Holy Spirit like the water you drink but in a spiritual sense. What does the water that you drink do? It helps break down the food and then it caries all that good stuff to all the parts of your body by way of blood. The blood also takes out the bad stuff and gets rid of it. Taking in Jesus is as simple as asking Him or allowing Him into you and your life. When you do this, you are in Jesus and Jesus is in you. You and I become members of His body. He becomes our head.

Revelation 3:20 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

^{20  (Jesus talking)} Behold, I stand at the door and knock! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, indeed I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.

If you have just invited Jesus into your life, I encourage you to start a journal. Write down what you experienced at that moment. How would you characterize yourself up until that point and how do others view you. The reason why I say this is because change in your life will happen but it takes time and I think this is good to help you remember from where you came.

I want to also give you a warning. Satan will be busy sowing seeds of doubt in your mind. Don't let him. He will try and make you miss out of something wonderful called salvation. I like this definition of salvation that I found in The Bible Encyclopedia – “”salvation” denotes the whole process by which man is delivered from all that would prevent his attaining to the highest good that God has prepared for him.”

Let me tell you some things about my life. Believing that Yeshua Jesus is the Son of the Living God, our Messiah, our Savior, our teacher, I have learned that I can trust God in all things through Jesus.

I asked Jesus into my life to be lord and savior when I was about 17 years old. I'm not so sure that I understood at the time what that meant.

I am a Vietnam vet. Not once did I fire my weapon at another human being the year that I was there in Nam. I came back unharmed. I went through what I think was probably the lowest part of my life when I returned home from the service but in a way, it was because of that low point that I re-found Jesus. I started going to a great church and met really great friends who accepted me as I was, one of them became my wonderful wife who I am still married to today, 43 years in August. We live in the Houston Texas area and have gone through several bad hurricanes, some tornadoes close by, floods, a small plane crashed, killing the pilot, on the street just behind us at our first home while my wife and children were there, and so many other things. God has saved us from great harm in all of it.

Sometimes it is hard to believe in something you can't see with your eyes but you will find joy and peace if you will.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 New International Version (NIV) 23 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

I don't want to leave you with the impression that nothing bad will ever happen. If you look throughout history from the early church until now, there have been pretty bad things happen to those who follow Jesus. Jesus said He will never leave us of forsake us. He helps us endure those times.

John 12:24-26 New International Version (NIV)²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

To all the world leaders.

To all the world leaders, those who rule over people; where is your heart? What is it you think about most? Is it towards the people you rule over and their well being or is it to gain more riches and power? Take a minute to think about how it might be if you had not been born into the family you were born into but instead you were born into a poor family and someone else was in power and doing to you the same as what you are doing.

Jesus told a parable once about a rich man and a poor beggar who was at the gates of the rich man just wishing for a few scraps of food from the rich man's table.

Luke 16:19-25 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Now a certain man was rich, and dressed in purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And a certain poor man named^[a] Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate, ²¹ and was longing to be filled with what fell from the table of the rich man. But even the dogs came and^[b] licked his sores. ²² Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side.^[c] And the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he^[d] was in torment and^[e] saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus at his side.^{[f] 24} And he called out and^[g] said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.

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Many of our world leaders spend massive amounts of money to build weapons that kill people. Each country trying to outdo the other countries. If you just take into account the number of nuclear weapons in the world today I can imagine that it would not take all of them to destroy earth. Why do we want to build more of them? It makes no sense. We should be getting rid of them, convert that energy into something useful and not destructive. Can you imagine what we could do if all that money was spent for constructive things instead of destructive?

There will always be a danger of some world leader starting a war that will end earth as long as we keep weapons of mass destruction. It just takes one unstable leader to do this.

I want to tell you a story about when I was about 5 years of age. I was playing in our front yard with some other neighbor kids. A boy who lived across the street came over with two pair of boxing gloves. He was looking for someone to box with him. I already knew his reputation of beating up kids older than he so I sure did not want to fight him but the other kids chided me into box with him. I tried the best I could but could not land one punch and he easily landed several to me. I started crying, pulled off my gloves, and yelled I told you I didn't want to fight. Of course this made the other kids laugh at me. My crying turned to anger and I saw a brick there in our flower bed. I picked it up and I was about to hurl it at him. The others, my sister included, saw I was serious about what I was about to do and they were able to calm me down before I threw the brick. Do you see where I am going with this? People react to things without thinking about what the consequences will be. Think about a world leader with access to nuclear weapons. You get the picture.

Can you imagine how it would be if all our world leaders worked together for world peace?

Every last one of us both dead and alive will some day be judged by the things we've done in this age. God, who knows all things, judges both fairly and righteously.

Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Matthew 5:9 King James Version (KJV)
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Lent - A Time For Penance and Reflection

Lent and The Sign of Jonah

Luke 11:29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds were increasing, He (Yeshua Jesus) began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a ^[a]sign, and yet no ^[b]sign will be given to it but the ^[c]sign of Jonah.

The original Greek word translated "generation" is genea {ghen-eh-ah'}. This Greek word can be translated to age so we could read it this way, "This age is a wicked age........"

Also, the Greek word translated "sign" also means a supernatural miracle, a token, or a wonder {a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration}.

In our Old Testament story of Jonah, God sent Jonah to the wicked city of Nineveh and when he got there, the Lord would give him the words to say to the Ninevites. Most of us know the story about Jonah and the whale but I want to concentrate on what happened when Jonah finally obeyed and got to Nineveh. 

Jonah 3:1-4 Common English Bible (CEB)

Nineveh hears God’s word

3 The Lord’s word came to Jonah a second time: ² “Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and declare against it the proclamation that I am commanding you.” ³ And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s word. (Now Nineveh was indeed an enormous city, a three days’ walk across.)

⁴ Jonah started into the city, walking one day, and he cried out, “Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!”

Is this the Lord Jesus' message to all of us today? The Hebrew word translated here as "overthrown" is haphak {haw-fak'}. This word has multiple meanings but basically it means to turn about or over, implying to change, be converted, to return. 

Lent is a sacred Christian period of penance and reflection. It is a yearly event and lasts for 40 days.

Back to the story in the book of Jonah.

Jonah 3:5-10 Common English Bible (CEB)

⁵ And the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on mourning clothes, from the greatest of them to the least significant.
⁶ When word of it reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, stripped himself of his robe, covered himself with mourning clothes, and sat in ashes. ⁷ Then he announced, “In Nineveh, by decree of the king and his officials: Neither human nor animal, cattle nor flock, will taste anything! No grazing and no drinking water! ⁸ Let humans and animals alike put on mourning clothes, and let them call upon God forcefully! And let all persons stop their evil behavior and the violence that’s under their control!” ⁹ He thought, Who knows? God may see this and turn from his wrath, so that we might not perish.^[a]
10 God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.

The people of Nineveh believed God and repented. Will we?


Yeshua Jesus said that He is coming soon.

Revelation 22:6-7 Common English Bible (CEB)

Jesus is coming soon

⁶ Then he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.
⁷ “Look! I’m coming soon. Favored is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 Common English Bible (CEB)

The Lord’s coming

5 We don’t need to write to you about the timing and dates, brothers and sisters. ² You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. ³ When they are saying, “There is peace and security,” at that time sudden destruction will attack them, like labor pains start with a pregnant woman, and they definitely won’t escape.

Which path will mankind go?

I have had two pictures of our future in my mind for some time now and those pictures are becoming clearer to me. Two separate paths will lead us to two separate results. One path will lead to destruction and the other will lead to peace and serenity. I believe God is giving us, as a whole and individually, the decision of choosing which path we will take.

The Bible talks about a new heaven and new earth. I see that could happen in two different ways. If all of us humans decided to receive the Living Water and we all become One with God in Christ Jesus, then Satan will be defeated. He would have no more control or influence over us. In essence, there would be a new heaven and new earth. If we continue down our present path, then I think God has no choice but to destroy everything and create a new heaven and new earth. The choice is up to us.

Isaiah 65:17 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

I have discovered several things in this scripture verse in my studies. We can not tell if the new heavens and new earth are being created as we speak or if they will be created in the future. Some translations have translated from the original text that it is a future creation, “I will create” and some translate the original text to the present tense, “I am creating”. Also, the original Hebrew word that has been translated to our English word “new” is “chadash” {pronounced khaw-dawsh'}. The meaning has a primitive root; to be new but in a causative way; to rebuild, renew, repair. So, we really can not tell if God is repairing this world and this heavens or will He do away with these and create new.

Other things I have discovered in my studies which I believe go along with these thoughts are found at the ends of both the Old Testament and New Testament of our Bible. The last book of the Old Testament is the book of Malachi.

Malachi 4:4-6 Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

⁴ Bethink ye on the law of my servant Moses, which I commanded to him in Horeb, to all Israel commandments and dooms. (Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses, which I commanded to him at Mount Sinai, yea, my ordinances and judgements, or laws, for all the people of Israel.)

⁵ Lo! I shall send to you Elijah, the prophet, before that the great day and horrible of the Lord come. (Lo! I shall send you the prophet Elijah, before that the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come.)

⁶ And he shall turn again the heart of fathers to sons, and the heart of sons to the fathers of them, lest peradventure I come, and smite the earth with (a) curse. Amen. (And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers toward their sons, and the hearts of the sons toward their fathers, lest perhaps I come, and strike the land with a curse (KJV says "...smite the earth with a curse."), and destroy it. Amen.)

(If you are a believer, then you have been adopted into the people of Israel.)

Here it says in a nutshell that if peace is not restored, then God will destroy it (earth) as He did when He sent the flood upon the earth and destroyed every living creature including man, except for those He saved that were in the ark. This time it will be destruction by fire. I feel that the Lord is still giving us a chance to change our heart with His help of the Holy Spirit, the Living Water.

This is what it says at the end of the New Testament.

Revelation 22:14-17 Common English Bible (CEB)

¹⁴ Favored are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right of access to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, the drug users and spell-casters, those who commit sexual immorality, the murderers, the idolaters, and all who love and practice deception.
¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star. ¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come! Let the one who wishes receive life-giving water^[a] as a gift.”

Ezekiel 11:19-21 Common English Bible (CEB)

¹⁹ I will give them a single heart, and I will put a new spirit in them. I will remove the stony hearts from their bodies and give them hearts of flesh ²⁰ so that they may follow my regulations and carefully observe my case laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. ²¹ As for those whose hearts continue to go after their disgusting and detestable things, I will hold them accountable for their ways. This is what the Lord God says!

Yeshua, King Jesus

EVIL SPIRIT.............................. IN THE NAME OF YESHUA, KING JESUS, COME OUT OF MY FRIEND AND GO...................... LEAVE..............................

Friend, Jesus offers us Living Water. This water cleans out the bad in us and brings in the good. All we have to do is ask Jesus for it. You can't see Jesus but He is everywhere in Spirit. He knows each one of us better then we know ourselves. He knows the condition of our hearts and He knows what we think.

Jesus said that unless you eat of His body and drink of His blood you cannot enter God's kingdom, His kingdom. There is an old saying, “You are what you eat.” This was just one of the ways Jesus helps us to understand the act of taking Him in and His blood is that Life Giving Water that flows, courses through us.

You can't get to know the ruler of a kingdom until you become a member, a subject of it.

John 6:54 King James Version (KJV) 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 17:3 tells us what eternal life is. It is to intimately know Father God and Yeshua Jesus) John 17:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Another verse says that if you want to boast in anything, boast that you really know and understand God. Jeremiah 9:24 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

John 6:56 King James Version (KJV) 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (That becoming One with Christ Jesus)

Slave - Servant - Bond Servant - Sin - Satan

My recent studies have been about slave versus servant and if our sin is something we are in control of; can I choose to sin or not to sin? Is our sinning because we are slaves to Satan or does Satan just take advantage of us because we are slaves to sin?

The Bible is clear in that we are all by nature slaves of sin, we have lost our self-control. We are slaves to sin, does this mean we are slaves to Satan? When I look at who Satan is; the ruler of the world (John 12:31), the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). We all begin life being part of the world so could I not say that if Christ is not my master, then Satan is my master.

First let me talk about the difference between slave and servant. You probable believe, like I do, that it is better to be a servant than to be a slave but, in a way they seem to be kind of the same. Even as I was studying the New Testament passages in my Ultimate Bible Study Suite that had slave or servant in them, the original Greek word was most often the same word, "doulos". However, that same Greek word is sometimes translated to the English word "slave" and sometimes "servant" depending on which Bible translation you read. I saw some translations that pretty mush always translate that word as slave. I personally prefer the translations that translate to both.

From the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: ¹slave
Pronunciation: slv
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English sclave "slave," from early French esclave (same meaning), derived from Latin Sclavus "Slav"
1 : a person who is owned by another person and can be sold at the owner's will
2 : a person who has lost self-control and is controlled by something or someone else <a slave to bad habits>
3 : a person who performs difficult or boring work : DRUDGE

Main Entry: ser·vant
Pronunciation: sr-vnt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English servant "servant," from early French servant (same meaning), from a form of servir "to serve," from Latin servire "to be a slave, serve," from servus "slave, servant" --related to SERF --see Word History at SLAVE
: one that serves others; especially : a person hired to perform household or personal services

Definition of bond servant

1. :  one bound to service without wages; also :  slave

Definition of sin

1. 1a :  an offense against religious or moral law b :  an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it's a sin to waste food>c :  an often serious shortcoming :  fault
2. 2a :  transgression of the law of God b :  a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

I have had a hard time understanding this but as so often happens, I woke up very early with the picture of my understanding clearer this morning.

These two English words, slave and servant, are really the same. It is just a way to show different degrees of harshness or kindness between a person and their master. A master lays out what a slave's responsibilities are and the punishments for disobedience. When we call someone a slave, the degree of harshness on that slave by their master is at it's worst. The ownership of that slave is verbally expressed to that slave and to others. Punishments are carried out to the letter and at times even when they are undeserved. The master does whatever he wants to that slave and the slave is forced to obey. This is Satan's way.

I look at someone who is a servant in a better place or condition than a slave, but the more I think about it, it all boils down to the relationship between a slave and his or her master.

God is the creator of everything and everyone including the heavenly creatures. He is the master of all and by rights, we are His servants, His slaves. God has given us His laws and the punishment for disobedience which is death. What master has ever paid the punishment himself for his servant. God has done this through His son, Jesus. We all are disobedient, worthy of death and Jesus has died in our place. On the third day He arose from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of the Father.

Jesus is not just sitting there. Father God has made Jesus master and He is the best master anyone could ever dream of having. He works with us, the work He gives us to do; that is if you will accept Him as master.

Matthew 11:28-30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
²⁸ “Come to Me, all ^[a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is ^[b]easy and My burden is light.”    

John 8:34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

John 15:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Matthew 25:23 Common English Bible (CEB)
²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’ (This translation translated the same Greek word, "doulos", to the English word "servant". Other translations have translated it to "slave".)  

Romans 8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Deliverance from Bondage

8 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life ^[a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do, ^[b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of ^[c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is ^[d]alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^[e]through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[f]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, ^[i]in hope ²¹ that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ²³ And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Our Victory in Christ

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the ^[j]saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that ^[k]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was ^[l]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of ^[m]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.