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But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. – 2 Chronicles 28:9

The people of God have gone through terrible times where it seems all hope has been lost. Israel and Judah were divided, and Judah was doing very wickedly in forsaking the worship of the living and true God to worship baal, a false pagan deity of that day. They not only set up churches and sacrifices to this god but even sacrificed their children in fire to appease these false gods. God’s hand of discipline was on them and caused a foreign army to conquer them. But also the people of Israel fought against these their very people killing 120,000 of the people of Judah. Not only that but Israel took back 200,000 wife’s, sons and daughters to their land with spoils from the war. What a tragic time of hurt for the very people of God, civil war, division, confusion, idol worship and great devastation. In the midst of this situation God raises up the prophet Oded to speak to the people of Israel. His message was simple, yes God was angry with Judah over their evil practices and is judging them, but your killing them and your making them slaves is wrong also. Be careful he was warning or God will become angry with you also. And he speaks this phrase that hits home: “But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God?” (2 Chronicles 28:10). It is very easy to see the sins of others, to judge them and even take action against them. We can treat people who are our very brothers and sisters in the Lord badly, accusing them and causing them great hurt. God was speaking through his very prophet who heard his words that this action they made was not condoned by him, God’s people should not be the method of God’s judgment in most cases on others of God’s people. We see the pattern that God himself raises up circumstances, and pagan armies to bring discipline to his people.

Paul the Apostle in his letter to the believers in Rome says the same thing to us: “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” (Romans 14:10). We are never called of God to treat other brothers and sisters with contempt, having disgust and disapproval over one’s failing and weakness. Such thinking is never right because God will measure the same contempt back to us ...

In Every Sin We See Self at Work

In every sin we can see self at work. Although people today classify sins into an untold number of categories, yet inductively speaking there is but one basic sin: all the thoughts and deeds which are sins are related to “self” In other words, though the number of sins in the world is indeed astronomical, the principle behind every sin is simply one—whatever is for self. All sins are committed for the sake of the self. If the element of self is missing, there will be no sin. Let us examine this point a little more closely.

What is pride? Is it not an exalting of self? What is jealousy? Is not jealousy a fear of being supplanted? What is emulation? Nothing less than a striving to excel others. What is anger? Anger is reacting against the loss the self suffers. What is adultery? It is following self’s passions and lusts. What is cowardice? Is it not a caring for self’s weakness? Now it is impossible to mention every sin, but if we were to examine all of them one by one, we would discover that the principle within each one is always the same: it is something that in some way is related to self. Wherever sin is, there is the activity of the self. And wherever self is active, there will be sin before God.

On the other hand, in examining the fruit of the Holy Spirit—which expresses Christian witness—we shall readily see the opposite: that they are none other than selfless acts. What is love? Love is loving others without thinking of self. What is joy? It is looking at God in spite of self. Patience is despising one’s own hardship. Peace is disregarding one’s loss. Gentleness is overlooking one’s rights. Humility is forgetting one’s merits. Temperance is the self under control. And faithfulness is self-restraint. As we examine every Christian virtue, we will discern that other than being delivered from self or being forgetful of self, a believer has no other virtue. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is determined by one principle alone: the losing of self totally. . . .

The Lord looks not at the good or evil of a thing. He looks instead to its source. He takes note by what power the thing is done. Apart from His own will, God is not satisfied with anything else. Apart from His own power, He is not interested in any other. Were it possible for a believer to do something better than the will of God, the latter would still condemn the action and consider the believer ...

[Rev 21:1-8 KJV] 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21.5-8 The Difference between the Saved and Those Who Perish

Even though this subdivision is closely related to the preceding one (vv.2-4), the people in verse 6b are nonetheless quite different from those in verse 3.

21.5 The one who sits on the throne is most likely God.

The word “write” means to have it written in this book. Such a command reveals the great significance of this subdivision.

21.6 “They are come to pass” [ASV]—Whatever is recorded in this book must come to pass. God will bring heaven and earth to His original design. He is the Alpha and the Omega, therefore all shall be fulfilled.

21.7 The “overcometh” here is not the same as that of chapters 2 and 3, for in chapters 2 and 3 it is an overcoming by works, that is, an overcoming that involves a comparing of believers with believers; whereas here it is an overcoming that involves a comparison of believers with the unbelieving world (cf. 1 John 5.4 which mentions overcoming the world through faith).

In what respects are the people spoken of in 21.6-8 different from the people who appear in ...