“And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35, KJV
“But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” Mark 10:31, KJV
“And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” Mark 10:44, KJV
“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” Luke 14:7-10, KJV
Now here is the perfect picture of some of the high and mighty officials of organized religion . . . just like the Scribes and Pharisees of old:
“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.” Mark 12:38-40, KJV
“Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.” Luke 11:43, KJV
“Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.” Luke 20:46-47, KJV
“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:20-24, KJV
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 23:37-24:2, KJV
“And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Mark 13:1-2, KJV
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Luke 13:34-35, KJV
“And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down . . . And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Luke 21:5-6, 20, KJV
“[A Psalm of David.] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE LEADETH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS. He restoreth my soul: HE LEADETH ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3, KJV
“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, AND LEADETH THEM OUT. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, HE GOETH BEFORE THEM, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. John 10:3-4, KJV
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13, KJV
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21, KJV
“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Isaiah 58:11, KJV
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psalm 32:8, KJV
“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14, KJV
“Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23-24, KJV
“Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” Psalm 5:8, KJV
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5, KJV
“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.” Psalm 27:11, KJV
“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Psalm 31:3, KJV
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.” Psalm 43:3, KJV
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2, KJV
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:7-10, 23-24, KJV
“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” Psalm 143:10, KJV
The belief that God cannot look upon evil is apparently a false, modern doctrine which is not based upon the Scriptures. Consider what the Bible really has to say concerning this issue:
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3, KJV
“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” Job 34:21, KJV
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5, KJV
“And he did EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.” 1 Kings 15:26, KJV
“And he wrought EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.” 2 Kings 3:2, KJV
“But he did that which was EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;” 2 Chronicles 33:22, KJV
“Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.” Psalm 90:8, KJV
“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14, KJV
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:24, KJV
“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” Daniel 2:22, KJV
“. . . Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” Mark 4:21b-22, KJV
Not only does God look upon evil, but contrary to what some Christians believe, the Scriptures inform us that He creates evil as well, as we see by these verses:
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Isaiah 45:7, KJV
“Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” Amos 3:6, KJV
“Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?” Lamentations 3:38, KJV
They say we’re the greatest generation,
Which has ever lived on Planet Earth,
Yet I am forced to ponder and question,
And really wonder about our true worth.
We have made great strides in science,
And we are exploring even Outer Space,
But we really must stop now and consider,
What we are all doing to our own place.
We abort unborn babies by the millions,
And we pollute the sea, land and sky,
We war and create nukes by the 1000s,
So that the whole world can easily die.
This two-part article concerns God’s Plan of Salvation, being predestinated and chosen, the fact that everyone is given a chance to be saved, the destruction of the unbelievers and related topics.
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” Isaiah 46:9-10, KJV
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32, KJV
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will . . . Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” Ephesians 1:5, 9, KJV
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13, KJV
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11, KJV
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee . . .” Jeremiah 1:5a, KJV
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16, KJV
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7, KJV
“Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Isaiah 29:16, KJV
“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Isaiah 64:8, KJV
“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:6, KJV
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Romans 9:20, KJV
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21, KJV
