From my reading in Job 36:7-38:19:
"He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous…" – Job 36:7
"If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge ." – Job 36:11-12
"He does great things which we cannot comprehend." – Job 37:5
From my reading in Matthew 13:24-52
These are the parable of the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the dragnet.
At the end of the age, the true and total separation will take place between the saints and the aints, the sheep and the goats, true believers and false believers. In the current age there are tares among the wheat, there are bad birds in the branches, there is leaven in the loaf, there are even wolves among the sheep.
I can't read too much into it, but I often wonder if the reason for the tares being planted among the wheat is due to the sleeping of men (25).
Scholars are divided, but I'm inclined to believe that the man and the merchant (44-46), is none other than Jesus who bought the world with His life (all that He had), in order to obtain the treasure and the pearl (that's the church). Wow!
From my reading in Acts 2:38-3:21
As the church continued stedfastly in it's priorities (2:42), it thrived and grew.
"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." – Acts 2:47
As Peter and John went to the temple with a heart to pray. God opened the door to minister and preach. They didn't have gold but they had God, they didn't have money, but they had the Messiah.
I love what they say in 3:12, "…why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made the man walk." "And faith in His name (Jesus), through faith in His name, has made this man strong…"
I have jury duty today, please pray for my family, God's flock, and this fellow…for God's will and wisdom as I serve (if I serve) in jury duty.
YbiC,
Manny
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