They have abandoned the right road and wandered off to follow the old trail of Balaam, son of Beor, the man who had no objection to wickedness as long as he was paid for it. 2 Peter 2:15, Phillips.
Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was not ignorant of God’s work in behalf of Israel; and when the messengers announced their errand, he well knew that it was his duty to refuse the rewards of Balak and to dismiss the ambassadors. But he ventured to dally with temptation, and urged the messengers to tarry with him that night, declaring that he could give no decided answer till he had asked counsel of the Lord. Balaam knew that his curse could not harm Israel. God was on their side, and so long as they were true to Him no adverse power of earth or hell could prevail against them. But his pride was flattered by the words of the ambassadors, “He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.” The bribe of costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness. He greedily accepted the offered treasures, and then, while professing strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the desires of Balak….
The sin of covetousness, which God declares to be idolatry, had made him a timeserver, and through this one fault Satan gained entire control of him. It was this that caused his ruin. The tempter is ever presenting worldly gain and honor to entice men from the service of God. He tells them it is their overconscientiousness that keeps them from prosperity. Thus many are induced to venture out of the path of strict integrity. One wrong step makes the next easier, and they become more and more presumptuous. They will do and dare most terrible things when once they have given themselves to the control of avarice and a desire of power. Many flatter themselves that they can depart from strict integrity for a time, … and that having gained their object, they can change their course when they please. Such are entangling themselves in the snare of Satan, and it is seldom that they escape.
Conflict and Courage p. 112
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Prayer Requests
—–Please continue to pray for Ron Carlson.
—–Please pray for Ricky who has cancer in his leg and it is spreading. Ronnie Jay
—–Please pray that B will get a good job and that his depression will go away. L
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Dear Friends,
Every time I see a jetski or skidoo, even on TV or in a magazine, it reminds me of the time we went to the lake with Ronnie Jay’s Pathfinder group. It was a very happy and relaxing afternoon. We swam, we sat and talked to the others in the group, I even got to drive the skidoo that one of the families brought. That was exhilarating! I had so much fun! I felt so free! All too soon, I had to come back to shore and let someone else have a turn. During that fun afternoon, I could feel all of the stress and tension disappearing. The problems of life seemed far away. It was wonderful.
The Bible speaks of a time when we will sit beside the river of life in God’s Heavenly kingdom. John was given a glimpse of that glorious river. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Rev 22:1-5
All trials and heartaches will be a thing of the past. Worries and dangers will be no more. We will not be separated from those who are dear to us. We will not have the sorrow of watching those we love suffer pain, disability, or death. All will be unending happiness, joy, and peace. “God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” 21:4,5 Think of it! The Great King of the Universe, the Creator of all things, will personally dry our tears. He will wrap His Great Arms of Love around us and comfort us! All of our pain and heartache will disappear and we will be filled with joy and happiness.
Moreover, we will be able to do the things we’ve always wished we could do here on earth. Isaiah tells us, “Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence, he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness.” “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isa 35:4-8, 11:6, 7, 65:21-24,
Rose