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4-15-2018 Weekly Message
The contemplation of the week: Psalm 94: 1-23
Text: Romans 11: 25-36
Theme of the Word: God’s thoughts and human thoughts

Through the texts of today and the words of God in the Bible, we hope that we shall realize deeply how God’s thoughts and human thoughts are as different as heaven and earth, and how deep God’s thoughts are.

Why  God came as the king of Israel two thousand years ago and kept all of them in the unbelief in him? Even today, two thousand years later, have he kept most of them in the spiritual prison?

And why he has given  mercy on the Gentiles like us by keeping them in unbelief? Were they to be miserable for the past four thousand years by using the Gentiles and killing them so many times? Could he save the Gentiles if he put the chosen nation in a miserable tragedy? Yet, can he say that God’s gifts and calling have no regrets?

Man without the Spirit of God hears  the invisible God’s thoughts in the Word of God just in vain. A psalmist lamented how frustrated he was:
“
Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?” (Psalm 89:47) But God says that the thoughts of men are in vain:
” The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.“ (Psalm 94:11)

God spoke to Adam, who was made  by his own hands:
” In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return..” (Gen 3: 19)

From then on how many people have been born in the world for six thousand years, and returned to the dust in vain? Why so many people  still are born to be Adam’s descendants even though they do not know that they shall return to the dust sooner or later? How much vain  is the thought of man?  Even then can God say, his gift and his calling without repentance?

God spoke about the difference between his thoughts and thoughts of men through the prophet Isaiah:
” For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. ” 55: 8-13)

Apostle Paul, who realized how deep the thought of God is, testified:
” O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom beglory for ever. Amen.. “(Romans 11: 33-36)

When he wrote to the Corinthians, he testified of how he  had come to know God’s thoughts:
” They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. “(1 Corinthians 2: 9). -11)

           Apostle Paul testified how his thoughts was changed since he received the Spirit of God:

” But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.“(1 Corinthians 2: 14-16).

              Jesus said to the Jews without the Spirit of God, ” It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)    As Jesus said, no one can understand the words of God that are spiritual and invisible through the reason of man.

            We hope to understand the spiritual meaning why Apostle Paul testified saying ” For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29). The thought of man is that man is born  in vain and return to the dust in vain.

          But God wants everyone to know him. The natural man born as Adam’s descendants are bound to follow the lust of the flesh that contains the nature of sin. Therefore, the wages of sin are inevitable to live in curses and deaths according to the law of justice, which is death. Therefore, we experience the judgment of God in various ways, whether  they are Jews or Gentiles living  in the world. Also, God uses His servants for people to realize the judgment of God, so that they are  repent and return to Him. Also, when they return to the Lord Jesus Christ,  he gives the Spirit of God to make them Him know God.

             That’s right! God sent Jesus Christ into the world to give His Spirit to all. He wants to give His Spirit to those who believe in Him and become a family of God. God had prophesied beforehand through the prophet Isaiah that the spirit in Christ who came as the son of David, son of Jesse, had a spirit:

” And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;” Isaiah 11: 1-2)

            God has made a plan for men and all things to return to him through Jesus Christ.   There has been   temporary interruption for six days (six thousand years) in God’s timetable in heaven and earth because of rebellious Lucifer in heaven, but as   he created Adam and said to him, “  Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth., (Gen 1: 28), God will fill the heaven and earth in the kingdom of God with renewed men through receiving the Spirit of God

           Apostle Paul, who realized the deep things of God, witnessed what the plan of God was:

” Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: “(Ephesians 1: 9-10)

           Man and all things that came from His Lord Jesus Christ will eventually return to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, even our bodies are His possessions: ”  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

            Therefore, the man who receives the Holy Spirit through the blood of Christ is to submit  to God the things of the body and mind while living on this earth. Apostle Paul testified that such a  life is a reasonable worship service that God is pleased with:

” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12: 1) Amen! Hallelujah!