(Isa 43:25 KJV) "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

In today's reading, we come across one of the most powerful promises that God has made in the entire Bible. This verse must be rejected by those who feel they can lose salvation. God takes total responsibility for blotting out the sins of those whom He has redeemed. This happened at Calvary when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross and paid for the sins of all He came to save. (Mat 1:21 KJV) "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Not only does God completely wipe the slate clean of His People, He declares that He will not remember our sins. This means there is nothing that God will hold against His People. If God has completely removed our sins and chosen to forget them, there is not one sin that can keep us out of Heaven.

Those who hold to the idea that you can lose your salvation are doing so without biblical foundation. The essence of salvation is the permanent removal of our sins. This is what sets Christianity apart from world religions. The majority of religions have no salvation plan. If God says that He is going to forget our sins, then what else is there that could possibly keep us out of Heaven? --Nothing! Sin kept us out, but if it is removed, then we are on the Highway of Holiness without spot or wrinkle. Charles Finney believed and wrote in his Systematic Theology that a person could actually fall from Heaven by sinning. Where does it say in the Bible there is sin in Heaven? No wonder George Whitefield opposed the teachings of Finney.

(Jer 31:34 KJV) "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

God reiterates this in Jeremiah that He will not remember our sins. Too many Christians are walking around with false guilt being thrown on them by biblically illiterate teachers. There is not one passage in Scripture where God speaks of His Children as "sinners." Christ did not go to the Cross to make us sinners! He went to make us Redeemed Saints on the glory road to Heaven. It is a shame that some Christians follow foolish theology, like that of Finney, and live in extreme bondage all their lives, never knowing the freedom the true Child of God has. If God has stated to us in straight, non-parabolic language that He will no longer remember our sins --which means that He will no longer hold them against us because of the full cleansing we received at Calvary-- those that hold other Christians in bondage with the works-belief system that God still holds sins against us and therefore we can lose our salvation, are nothing more than teachers of deceit. What else are they, if God says one thing and they say another? Who is right, God or the teacher?

Here are two more verses to confirm God's beautiful promise to His Children:

(Heb 10:17 KJV) "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

We can now easily see that this teaching is both Old and New Testament, which means it applied to the Old Testament Saints, as well as the New Testament Saints. It will cover every sin, past, present, and future. After all, when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross, all your sins were in the future. Rest in Calvary, for this is your inheritance as a Child of God, and pay no attention to the straw man teachings of those who want to keep you in bondage.

(Isa 48:10 KJV) "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."

In today's reading, we come across one of those verses, which teach us a hard lesson. It is the refining of the believer, or making them fit for the service of God. When God saves an individual, He already has works for them to do. When a person comes out of the world, they will normally bring with them the worldly ways into the Kingdom. This is why God must refine His Children, to conform them outwardly to the inward transformation. If a person was a gambler before they became saved, if they were to hit the casinos every week, then that would not conform to the inward transformation.

Some of the people in the Bible who came out of the world had to be refined by the Lord. Moses was a big shot in Egypt and might have possibly been in line to become Pharaoh. Then Moses received his calling and was banished from Egypt. He then went to the land of Midian and had to remain there for forty years, until God exchanged the smell of the palace with the smell of sheep, and the smooth hands of leadership with the roughened hands of the worker. Then when Moses was ready, he was able to take commands easier than to give them. I am sure going from the palace of Egypt to shepherding in Midian was a refining experience for Moses. Jonah was refined through the adversity God sent his way for being disobedient. Jonah didn't want to see Nineveh repent or receive salvation, because they were the enemies of Israel. Jonah thought he could run away from God and be relieved of his responsibilities. God will not allow that to happen. We saw how God pursued Jonah and brought him back. By the time they reached the shore where Jonah was vomited up, he was quite ready to be obedient. Look at Joseph who was refined for 13 years until he was ready to be presented to Pharaoh. Joseph was sold as a slave and then thrown into prison, yet on both occasions, he prospered because God was blessing his works. Yet, he had to go through those ordeals so he could be readied for the position of Governor of Egypt. God works the same in our lives.

(Isa 51:7 KJV) "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which should be an encouragement to believers when they come under fire by unbelievers. In the life of a believer, there are going to be times --in fact, many times-- that we are reviled for holding to our Christian beliefs. God is warning us that this will --not might-- happen. The word "revilings" carries with it the meaning of "abuse." The abuse a Christian faces comes in many forms. The most common form of abuse the Christian faces is "verbal assault." If you witness to someone, and they do not like what they are hearing, they will revile you and they will do it loudly so others can hear. They do this to try and embarrass you, to silence or to intimidate you. God says that we are not to fear their revilings or the reproach of men. The word "reproach" carries with it the meaning of "taunt or disgrace." Taunting is one of the favorite ploys of the unbeliever. Remember when Christ was on the Cross, how many walked by Him and taunted Him? If they did it to Him, they will do it to us.

(1 Pet 4:1 KJV) "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;"

This verse from 1 Peter teaches us that we are to prepare ourselves for the eventual onslaught of the unbelievers who hate Christ and the Gospel. Do you talk to yourself? Well, you should. The best way to defend against the assaults by unbelievers is to have a good defense. That defense should be made up of arguments, which you have previously studied. Now, let us say you are working, and you hear someone speaking of evolution. Eventually, the fact that you are a Christian will reach the evolutionist, and he will attack with his knowledge of evolution. Now, here is where talking to yourself helps. Hold a conversation with yourself and try to engage yourself with questions that would stump you. Then study those questions, and then hold a debate with yourself. This will ready you for your eventual conversation. Talking to yourself is not a sign that you are nuts. Verbal expression helps you develop your apologetic and polemical skills. There are Preachers who receive this Daily Commentary, and I am sure that in sermon preparation, they verbally express themselves to themselves, so they may hear to determine if what they are saying sounds proper enough to deliver to their congregations. If the congregation does not understand, then communication has not taken place. Once you prepare yourself by being a good student of the Scriptures, you will never have to fear the unbeliever and their attacks. They may gain a healthy respect for you. If they ask something you do not know the answer to, then tell them you will respond to them later. During the time you are researching the answer, they may tend to be a little uneasy, because you may stop them on the spot with your answer.

(1 Pet 3:15 KJV) "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

When you give the answer properly, they will go on the defensive, but stick to your answers. The Gospel builds stability in a believer's life, and when we build on that stability and draw from it, then you will be like what the Old Southern Gospel Hymn says, "I shall not be, I shall not be moved."

(Isa 53:10 KJV) "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

In today's reading, we come across probably the most famous Old Testament section. It is the prophesy of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we read the above verse, it almost boggles the mind that God the Father would allow His Son to be crucified for sinful people. Yet, we read that it actually pleased the LORD to bruise Him. That word "bruise" carries with it the meaning of "broken or crushed." The atonement for sins had to be complete, and it had to have an equivalency of the believer spending eternity in Hell, or else the atonement would have been insufficient. The word "pleased" carries with it the meaning of "delight." To gain a better understanding of what this verse means, we need to go to a verse in the New Testament:

(Heb 12:2 KJV) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The word "despising" means "set aside or view as nothing." When the Lord Jesus went to the Cross, He didn't focus on the temporary humiliation of the Crucifixion. He focused on the result of His sacrifice --that God would now have a Redeemed People. Christ came to die for the sins of the Elect. He knew that when His sacrifice was completed, and He was resurrected from the dead on Sunday, then that would begin the great number of people to come into the Kingdom of God. The Old Testament Saints, as well as the New Testament Saints, would now be fit for Heaven. Now, because of the completion of that sacrifice, the moment a true Christian dies, they immediately go into the presence of the Lord. This included the Old Testament Saints, as well. Remember the Mount of Transfiguration? Moses and Elijah were on the mount in glorious splendor. Their bodies were in the grave, but they were in Heaven. Now, today when a Christian crosses the river, they go immediately into the Lord's presence. (2 Cor 5:8 KJV) "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

There is a certain confidence I hold as well, and that is, the believer will not see one moment of darkness, but it will be an instant translation. (John 8:51 KJV) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." After all, what kind of eternal life would we have if there is going to be a breach of darkness? Eternal life is just that, eternal life, which we started living the moment we became Christians. Christ's sacrifice was a horrible thing, but because of the eternal fruit that it bore, it was necessary. God knew that Man did not have the ability, in his sinful state, to please Him. This is why God took the initiative in salvation. Now, His Elect only need receive!

(Isa 55:11 KJV) "So 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."

In today's reading, we come across this very famous verse, which teaches us that the Word of God will always accomplish whatever God desires it to. This means the Word of God will have a two-fold accomplishment: It will either bring a person to salvation, or it will hold them accountable on Judgment Day to whatever they heard. This is why the Word of God must always take precedent in any witnessing effort. I remember some years ago when I went to the street in Perth Amboy, NJ on Friday nights with some other believers for tract passing. A friend of mine, a shy person, did not feel comfortable in doing any sidewalk preaching, because he was afraid he would say the wrong thing. So I suggested to him, just start reading your Bible out loud, which he did. It is the Word of God that convicts, not what we humans say. Whenever someone preaches a sermon and uses other source material than the Bible, there is a deadness in that message, which does not have the same effect as when the Bible is used. Whenever the Bible is used in the preaching of a message, transformations of people take place. It has the ability to convict the unbeliever of sin, and lead the believer in the paths of righteousness.

(Psa 119:9 KJV) "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." The Word of God is so powerful because they are the words of God. This is why they have such authority. Sometimes people --especially spiritually dead church leaders-- fear those who teach from the Bible because of the authority it carries.

Remember when the Synagogue leaders were describing the teaching style of Jesus, and they said that never has one spoken with such authority? (Mark 1:22 KJV) "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." The key to speaking with authority is to base everything that you say upon the Word of God, and to pull copiously from that great resource. No matter what God has called you to do --whether it is to preach, or just to hand out tracts part time-- always keep your Bible with you and quote from it, because it changes the hearts of people. The Bible is the sourcebook for Christianity. Many religions have their books of authority, but these are written by men and may reform the lives of people, but the Bible is the only Divine Book on earth, which has the ability to transform people. This is why false religions fear the Bible, and religious leaders attempt to try and neutralize the strong message of Scripture by writing companion books to explain the Scriptures, or to try and lessen the authority of Scripture by equating these religious books with Scripture. As Christians, we must always keep in mind that no matter what book is placed next to the Bible, it will never supplant it with the things the Bible gives us --such as comfort, joy, peace, assurance, love, chastisement, boldness, and the words of eternal life. What other book can give these and make good on all the thousands of promises therein? --Only the Word of God can accomplish all that God sets for it to do. You can count on it!

(Isa 58:6-7 KJV) "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? {7} Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

In today's reading, we come across these verses, which gives us an insight into what type of fast the Lord really wants His Children to partake in. Many today fast by withholding themselves from eating food. Now, once in a while, it is healthy to give your body a cleansing from food for a while and just drink water, which helps flush out the toxins. This is not the type of fast that God wants His Children to partake in. It is true that the Lord Jesus fasted for forty days, but He did that to prepare Himself to be tempted by Satan. Sometimes people fast today until they receive some kind of answer from God. There is nothing written in Scripture where God answers prayer in response to fasting or any kind of work. God answers prayer according to His Will. When a person is walking in concert with the Lord, then their prayers will also be in concert with the Will of God. To go to the Lord with a prayer request, and then say you are going to fast until God grants it, is the height of arrogance. What if God doesn't grant the prayer request? Do you plan on starving yourself till you die? This type of fasting has sprung out of the 'Name-it-and-claim-it' gospel. Do we think that because we refuse to eat, it will somehow influence God's decision? Do you remember when we were younger and we tried to get our way by holding our breath? Who always won that battle, you or Mom?

The essence of the fast, which God wants His Children to partake in, is one of denial. This is in keeping with the New Testament principle of denying one's self. (Mat 16:24 KJV) "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." This is the type of fast that God has in view. It is the Christian denying their personal life in exchange for the service of the Lord. In the Isaiah passage, it speaks of giving bread to the hungry, loosing bands of wickedness, covering the naked, undoing heavy burdens, and freeing the oppressed. These things speak of salvation, and not the physical. In verse 5, God disdains the physical fast. The physical fast can turn into a thing of pride, as it did with the Pharisees. Even in the church today, there may be those who fast so they can be seen as being more spiritual than others. This is the pride that God speaks of and scorns. The Isaiah fast is designed for every believer to partake in. It basically speaks of every Christian doing some phase of ministry.

(Isa 62:4 KJV) "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married."

In today's reading, we come across this beautiful verse, which was one of my favorites from the earliest time in my Christian Walk. This chapter contains so much splendor concerning the Body of Christ. Whenever we read a passage like this, we must always remember that it is being spoken from God's point of view. He was very well-pleased with what His Son did on Calvary. Remember, we had seen on the ZION'S GATE for July 24th that the Lord Jesus Christ had set aside the shame of the Cross, because He focused on what would happen after the Cross. In these verses, we see lovely symbolic language concerning the Body of Believers. First, we will never be forsaken by God, and neither will we succumb to any desolation. What makes people desolate is the absence of two things: Salvation and True Biblical teachings. Unbelievers are desolate or barren, because there is no salvation in them. Christians can become barren in their Christian Walk if they follow false teachings and teachers.

If a person is walking in concert with the Lord, then they will not fall prey to any of these. God goes on to say that we will be called "Hephzibah." That word means, "my delight is in her." God delights in His Redeemed Children. I don't think at this time we can even begin to fathom how much God loves us, and what He has in store for us as believers when He winds up this sinful world and re-creates the Heaven and Earth. Notice twice in this verse that God speaks of our land. He uses the term "Beulah," which means "married," and He uses the term "married" plainly. Now, in this present world, God cursed the land at the fall of Adam and Eve, but in the New Heaven and New Earth, all will be married unto the Lord because the curse of sin will no longer be there. This is why God uses such intimate terms concerning the future of His Children. We can also see why God hates divorce because it does not represent on this present earth the great spiritual intimacies the Lord has for His Redeemed.

(Isa 65:17 KJV) "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which is a great promise for the believer, and will come into effect in the New Heaven and New Earth. Now, some look at this verse and fear that we will not know each other in Heaven. What must be taken into account is that in Heaven, all the believers will have a different relationship to each other. On earth, we are brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, etc. When we get to Heaven, we will all be the Redeemed Children of God and all on an equal footing. As Jesus said, the family relationships, like marriage, will not exist in Heaven, because the requirement for Heaven is redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. On earth, people came into the world through the birth channel and that was why God instituted marriage.

When God says that the former heavens and earth will not be remembered, nor come to mind, He is telling us that we will have no recollection of this present earth. If we had any type of recollection, then we would have to remember our sins, the fact that some of our loved ones are burning in Hell, the horrors of this life, etc. If we were able to remember any of these things, then how could it be Heaven? If there is memory of sin, then sin has entered Heaven, and that cannot be.

What we are going to have in Heaven is a purified mind, and we really don't know at this point what type of mind we are going to have, and to what extent will we use it. Presently, we are only using a small capacity of our brain, and that has happened because of sin. We do know that we are going to serve God in His Temple. (Rev 7:15 KJV) "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3:13, tells us that we are to forget what is behind us. Too many Christians bask in the misery of their former life, and even find their identification in it. God tells us to look forward in our Christian Walk, and not backwards. I wonder how many of those Christians who continually live in the past, would like to live in that state for eternity? Can you imagine living in a state of continued misery for eternity? Even for those Christians God is being merciful to, He will wipe away the memory of all things which are tied to this earth.

I have encountered Christians who spurn the idea of complete disassociation of the former life. They fear that all their "good works" will have been disintegrated. If a Christian is serving God for rewards, then they have them already. Keep in mind that we are not going to remember the former things, but I do not know how God fits into that scenario. God has completely wiped away our sins, so will He remember our works, which had fruit of salvation attached to them?

(Heb 6:10 KJV) "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

I can't speak for God, nor do I pretend to. All I know is that we are going to have a pure mind with only righteousness, and all the sins and folly of this world will not be remembered for all eternity.

(Micah 4:13 KJV) "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which gives us another symbolic look into the strength the Lord gives to the body of believers. First, the Lord tells the daughters of Zion --which is the body of Christ-- to thresh. That is, we work in the field. What field? (Mat 13:24 KJV) "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:" We are to arise and go into the field of the world and sow the Gospel seed in all the nations.

Then God says He will make our "horn iron." The "horn" in Scripture has been associated with the strength of a person. (Psa 92:10 KJV) "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil." God is going to make the strength of the believer akin to the strength of iron. It is interesting that God chose iron. Iron is a very malleable substance and capable of being molded and re-molded without it losing its strength. God will give us the strength in our Walk to allow us to endure the different testing programs that will come our way.

Then God goes on to say that He will make our "hoofs brass." This is another interesting thought. In Revelation, the feet of the Lord Jesus are referred to as brass. (Rev 1:15 KJV) "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." When we look at this verse, we see a picture of judgment. The Lord Jesus went through the furnace of affliction on Calvary. Since we were crucified with Christ, we share those feet of brass, having come through the furnace of affliction with Christ. Those purified feet will carry the Gospel to the nations of the world. Only Christ's children can claim to have feet of brass.

Then God says that we shall "beat in pieces many people." No, this does not mean we are to smack everyone with a baseball bat who disagrees with the Gospel, but those who refuse to hear the Gospel will be held accountable on Judgment Day. (Mat 21:44 KJV) "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." This is a picture of judgment, being ground to powder. This is why evangelism is such an important thing. Then God says, in contrast to judgment, there will be some who will become saved and then God says that He will "consecrate their gain unto the LORD." When a person is consecrated, they are dedicated or hallowed. When God saves them, they become holy unto the Lord, a sanctified and dedicated people.

Then God goes on to say that He will also consecrate their "substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." The word "substance" carries with it the meaning of "wealth or strength." It is also translated "army" in many places throughout the Old Testament. God is going to consecrate all the goods the people had when they were unbelievers to the work of the Kingdom. This is what Jesus wants His People to do. He said that we are to sell everything we have and give to the poor. He is telling us that what we once used for our own pleasure is now to be used in the Kingdom of God, and to the Glory of God. Everything we have is to be used as a good Soldier of Christ. (2 Tim 2:4 KJV) "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

What a great lesson we learn in these passages in the Old Testament. All we have to do is read them carefully. I feel sorry for those who believe that the Old Testament is not valid for today.

(Micah 7:18 KJV) "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy."

In today's reading, we come across this verse, which teaches us about the forgiving nature of God toward His Redeemed Children. The first thing we learn is that those who are born-again have all their iniquities pardoned. The word "pardoneth" carries with it the meaning of forgiveness. This particular word is a strong verb. That is because for God to pardon our iniquities, it required the death of His Son on Calvary. This is why the pardon could be so full and complete.

The next principle we learn is that God passes over the transgression of the remnant. We saw this mighty principle in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. When God saw the blood on the doorposts and lintels, His judgment passed over that house. When God sees the Blood of the Lord Jesus, He passes over judgment on those whom the Lord Jesus died for. "The remnant" is another term for the Body of Believers. (Rom 11:5 KJV) "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." That remnant encompasses both saved Jews and Gentiles.

Then the verse goes on to tell us that God will not keep or retain His anger forever. When a person becomes saved, the enmity between that person and God is over. The relationship is now one of love between the Father and His Child. God delights in mercy. The term "mercy" carries with it the meaning of steadfast love. God's relationship toward His Children is one of steadfast and everlasting love. (Jer 31:3 KJV) "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." God takes no pleasure in punishing the wicked. He must do this because His holiness must be vindicated, and those who transgress His law must also be punished for their crimes against it. The Lord Jesus Christ was punished on behalf of all the sins of His Children, and this why God's anger toward those who become saved ends at the moment of salvation.

In the next verse, it goes on to tell us that God is going to have compassion on all His Children. This compassion will last throughout all eternity, and it begins the moment a person become saved, since their relationship to God has changed. Verse 19 also tells us that God will cast our sins into the depths of the sea, which is figurative language that God will never hold our sins against us, because they have been purged. It seems we tend to hold our own sins against us, and then we transfer that belief to God, and we somehow believe that God still holds our sins against us. Every Redeemed Child of God is totally clean before Him. That is why Micah asks the question, "Who is a God like unto thee...?" In ancient times, people invented false gods and then invented false systems of worship to appease that god. Normally, the people will never be able to appease that god, because those who invented it would come up with ridiculous requirements. Perpetual sacrifices were offered where people sacrificed their wealth, as well as loved ones, but still it wasn't enough. It is a good thing we don't have this mindset today, or do we? How many churches or religious cults tend to lay upon the backs of their adherents massive works and requirements? Tell people today that your sins have been forgiven by God because of Christ, and they will think you are nuts by believing you can be forgiven without doing many works. 'Religion' always gets in the way of Truth. --Don't let it get in your way!

(Nahum 3:7 KJV) "And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?"

Today's reading gives us the short book of Nahum. Nothing is known of the writer, yet the name means "compassionate." The main theme of the book is the coming destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian empire. This book was written about 120 years after the book of Jonah. If you recall, Jonah had gone to Nineveh and preached the Gospel. The preaching was so convicting that even the King of Assyria humbled himself and was in sackcloth and ashes. Many of the nobles and people also humbled themselves before the Lord. Now, from the time that Jonah went to Nineveh and the time that Nahum was written, I do not know if there was any subsequent preaching or teaching of the Truth in Nineveh. By God bringing a spirit of humility upon the Assyrians, He allowed Nineveh to remain until it was needed, as God's instrument of justice, to bring the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. Nahum was also a reassurance to the people of God in the captivity that God did not forget them, and that He would bring a judgment upon the Ninevites. This happened about 612 BC. Now, I do not want to focus in on the historical part of this, but I want to focus in on the downfall of Nineveh after the preaching of Jonah. We see that Nineveh was once again a pagan nation by the time Nahum was written. This is what happens when there is not a consistent contact with the teachings of God.

Many Christians who stay away from church are actually suffering the same thing. It is a "spiritual degeneration." If we are not continually feeding ourselves on the Word of God and having interaction with others in the body of Christ, we can see the same decline that Nineveh did. This is not to say that those who are un-churched will turn to pagans, but I am stating that they may suffer from a decline in their spirituality. At Nineveh, the picture degenerated from a time of national repentance back to the foolishness of paganism. I know that for a fact, when I was out of church for 23 months, I was subject to quick flesh-like reactions. Instead of approaching a situation properly, I would find myself quick-tempered. I am not saying I would throw a chair across the room, but here is a confession. --Man, did it get quiet! I once became so angry at my printer that I looked at it and threw it right off the desk on to the floor! I should not have done that, and I took it to the Lord. I had been out of a church for about a year at that time, while being heavily involved in the Internet.

Now here is a danger I want to bring up. While I was out of a church for 23 months, I was involved on the Internet. Please do not allow the Internet to be your primary source for Christian growth. It may supplement your knowledge, but it can also hurt you, because there are many different beliefs online --some good and some bad. I say this full well knowing that you are reading this post on the Internet. Now, I am not saying that you will not be able to find any decent teachings online, but you must beware and be astute enough to be able to not accept everything that is written. This is why it is good to belong to a good church, so you can filter what you read through others. It seems Nineveh did not have any follow-up ministry after Jonah, and that is why she regressed. If we do not stay continually in a Bible-based milieu, we too, shall regress.

So let us find a good church and stay well-versed in Scripture. This way, we can avoid spiritual regression. Let us end the month of July with a spiritual commitment to ourselves that we will continually seek the Lord each day and find ourselves in His Word. And for those who cannot find a good church, take heart. The Lord gave me one after 23 months. It is His timing, so have patience in your time of testing.