Welcome, wishing you the best in care as we seek to safeguard ourselves and others in this worldwide emergency. Today's new "COME TO CONSENSUS CORNER" is ready. Proverbs 11:9 says, in part, "By knowledge the righteous are rescued." FIRST, Let me address an issue contributing to immune deficiency that may increase susceptibility to coronavirus: This is just one aspect of immunity, but one worth some attention: FUNGAL INFECTIONS, particularly from Aspergillus species. These are being used in the processing of cheeses, the making of citric acid, and possibly soybean products. It is your choice, but such "enzyme" processed cheeses may be acceptable after thorough cooking or baking. A good encyclopedia may reveal that Aspergillus niger, often used in these processes, may cause bread mold, a serious toxin disrupting liver function. These "enzymes" may be feeding fungus more than humans, allowing a fungal infection to thrive within someone, and weakening immunity. Citrus fruits and juices, with vitamin C, may be helpful. And once again, in treatment, hydration and electrolytes may be proving helpful to recovery--worth considering. All this may not as yet be well known, but more than just a "worthy curiosity." The time for innocent loss of life is soon to be history with GOD's loving intervention for mankind's benefit. Let's now consider the opening verses of Proverbs 9, verses 1-6, then continue in Psalm 119 Stanza 19B, prior to Review 5 of stanzas 16-19 in the next blog post.

_______

PSALM 119 STANZA 19B

Stanza 19 Theme: CALL UPON JEHOVAH WITH FAITH, HOPE, AND INTEGRITY.

We’re reminded that when we wholeheartedly call upon Jehovah He will hear and answer us. We must do so in faith, seeking integrity, and be persistent in our requests. How is knowledge of God to last forever?

Stanza 19B:
149 Do listen to my voice because of your loyal love. O Jehovah, preserve me alive according to your justice.
150 Those who engage in shameful conduct come near; They are far away from your law.
151 You are near, O Jehovah, And all your commandments are truth.
152 Long ago I learned about your reminders, That you have established them to last forever.

149 Do listen to my voice because of your loyal love. O Jehovah, preserve me alive according to your justice.

JEHOVAH HEARS PEOPLE OF ALL SORTS. God’s “loyal love” does move Him to be the exclusive “Hearer of prayer.” Psalm 65:2 says in full: “ 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.” People from all walks of life can respond to Jehovah’s word, and turn to Him, learning to “draw close to” Him. He in turn, will draw close to us (James 4:8). Still, God loved us first, by creating us with many abilities to derive much happiness in life, and by sending His son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says “8 But God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In doing so, God has demonstrated great kindness, even “undeserved kindness” or grace, for which we should be duly grateful. The psalmist once again pleads to be preserved alive, in harmony with God’s just and fair ways. He had great faith that Jehovah is able to rescue him from distress or hardship. May we do our best to please God, having faith while seeking obedience fully, as we grow in discernment and understanding.

150 Those who engage in shameful conduct come near; They are far away from your law.

GUARD COMPANIONSHIP. While some may “come near” to us in some way, we should be careful to guard our closest associations. God’s word warns us, at 1Corinthians 15:33, “Don’t let anyone fool you. ‘Bad companions make a good person bad.’ (NIRV). Those engaging in “shameful conduct” are described in NIV as “those who devise evil schemes.” In doing so, they reveal themselves to be “far away from [God’s] law.” We need to help people to appreciate God’s law through Christ as life-sustaining and vital to good inner peace and friendships. Still, we can easily be corrupted by seeking to please those who are not inclined to view God’s law in that way. May we treasure good companions, who are humbly willing to submit to God’s ways, desiring to please God along with us.

151 You are near, O Jehovah, And all your commandments are truth.

"REALLY FIND HIM" We may rejoice at the nearness of Jehovah—the One we can access by prayer at any time, anywhere. The apostle Paul told the men of Athens, concerning God, “26 And he made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth...27 so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” Thus Jehovah is not far away even from those somewhat unfamiliar with His word, the Bible. He cares deeply for all mankind, as Paul continues: “28 For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’” Also, all of God’s commandments “are truth.” As Psalm 19:8 says, “the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.” (AMP). Thus keeping God’s commands enable us to serve God fully, living in harmony with divine truth, and helping us avoid spiritual blindness or darkness. We may thus see divine truth more clearly.

152 Long ago I learned about your reminders, That you have established them to last forever.

CONFIDENCE IN THE CREATOR AND HIS INSPIRED WORD VITAL FOR TRUE HAPPINESS.

LIFT UP YOUR EYES ...As we began to consider previously, man’s Creator, GOD, has demonstrated great love, power, wisdom, and even a sense of justice in the way He made the Universe, this planet, and all that is on and within it. This includes such an incredible variety of creatures, and food supporting man, who according to GOD’s inspired Word, the Bible, is the only physical, or physiological, creature made “in GOD’s image,” or after HIS likeness, having capacity for the same qualities and full character such as HE has (Genesis 1:26). The Bible opens with these inspiring words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). Who has raised their eyes to a clear night sky, away from city lights, and not been impressed by the vastness and the sheer number and presumed order of the stars reaching our planet’s view. Notice what the Bible says regarding this: “26 “Lift up your eyes to heaven and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who brings out their army by number; He calls them all by name. Because of his vast dynamic energy and his awe-inspiring power, Not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26).

DEEPLY IMPRESSED? If you had all the names of these stars in front of you, how many of them could you recall? How long would it take you to learn a thousand, a million, a billion, a trillion? As GOD created them, He reasonably named them, over aeons of time, and Has the capacity to remain familiar with each one. Can we not be deeply impressed, and inspired, as we contemplate and ponder GOD’s great power? Previous to that verse in the Bible book of Isaiah, comes this question from GOD Himself: “25 “To whom can you liken me to make me his equal?” says the Holy One.” Thus, no creation of GOD deserves the same respect, devotion, even worship that only GOD deserves. And by GOD’s own word, another of His inspiring qualities comes to the fore: He is “the Holy One.” Contrary to some opinion, this quality should be quite attractive—it means GOD is pure, clean, uncorrupt, never abusive of His power. That quality does not make Him arrogant, rather it is as He says at Isaiah 57:15: “15 For this is what the High and Lofty One says, Who lives forever and whose name is holy: “I reside in the high and holy place, But also with those crushed and lowly in spirit, To revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of those being crushed.” Thus this quality is in agreement with His primary quality, LOVE.

THE GOD WHO “IS LOVE”

LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOR. Not only has GOD revealed tremendous love in the way He made mankind and this earth, but His Word, the Bible, actually goes into greater detail on how this quality is cultivated and demonstrated. Other qualities come together to make up this crowning quality of LOVE, which is not only shown by GOD, but should be shown by humans for GOD and for other humans. GOD’s Son Jesus, revealed the greatest commandments of GOD’s law to descendants of HIS servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, renamed Israel, whose lives are depicted in the first Bible book of Genesis. That law is detailed in the Bible books of Exodus and Leviticus. The fifth book of Deuteronomy explains some of that law, in encouraging GOD’s people at that time to love and obey Him implicitly, en route to the Promised Land of their inheritance. GOD had loyally promised Abraham that his descendants would acquire a land of Promise, a land “flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:8). The commandments Jesus said were greatest had to do with LOVE—we are to love GOD with all we have, and then our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39). We show our love for GOD by obeying Him (1John 5:3). IT IS GOD WHO KNOWS BEST HOW HUMANS CAN DWELL TOGETHER IN TRUE PEACE AND HAPPINESS—BY OBEYING GOD FIRST WE THUS MAKE HIM HAPPY AND SHOW MORE COMPLETE LOVE TO OTHERS AND PROMOTE GENUINE UNITY.

BLESSED FOR OBEDIENCE. Abraham’s descendants eventually ended up in Egypt, as slaves, but at GOD’s appointed time, HE loyally saved them from their plight, and keeping His promise to His faithful servant Abraham, eventually brought them into the Land Promised to them. When they obeyed GOD, they were blessed, and under the rule of David’s son Solomon, there was extraordinary peace and prosperity, as a foregleam of earthwide promises GOD has made for the near future in our day, under the promised rule of “a son of man,” born in the line of David, with even greater blessings by GOD. (1Kings 4:25; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 72:7-8; Psalm 132:10-11; Luke 18:7-8). The Bible book of Revelation, among other Bible books, foretells blessings of a government on earth having HIS approval.

GOD’S PURPOSES LOVING, BENEFICIAL, ENLIGHTENING AND TRUSTWORTHY

HE WILL WIPE OUT EVERY TEAR. Revelation makes this promise: “3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4). Must all people ascend to heaven for true happiness and peace, or is it possible that such conditions could, with GOD’s blessing, come about right here on planet Earth, “with mankind?”!! The Creator, GOD Himself, has an incredible record of reliability regarding His purposes, just as HE was able to rescue His people Israel out of slavery in Egypt, out of the hands of Pharaoh’s army, parting the Red Sea for their escape, where to this day is evidence of Pharaoh’s chariots and chariot wheels, which God’s word stated HE was removing from the chariots as HE fought against them to protect Israel. (Exodus 14:25, KJV).

TRUST GOD AND HIS WORD FOR SALVATION. What of Pharaoh’s army, who perished in the Red Sea? This story makes it clear that people need FAITH, or CONFIDENCE IN GOD AND HIS WORD for salvation and happiness. How so? You may recall that this occurred only after the Tenth Plague on Egypt, the striking of the firstborn. JEHOVAH is a GOD of freedom—so HE allows people to choose their own course, although there are often consequences to bad decisions. God allowed Pharaoh to become so stubborn, despite all the proof of GOD’s great power over the other gods of Egypt. Still, all that was necessary was the placing of the blood of a lamb or a goat on the doorposts of a home, likely using the animal as for a life-saving meal, for the angel to “pass over” the house and not strike the firstborn. Those showing no faith in GOD or HIS WORD, and didn’t heed the warning, did suffer loss. Still, the seriousness of the matter of letting GOD’S PEOPLE GO and worship Him was also made clear—it had become a life or death matter to GOD. It was the Hebrew Joseph that GOD used to save countless lives in Egypt and elsewhere during the great famine. (Genesis 41:54-57). For hundreds of years Egypt had benefitted from Hebrew labor and toil. Yet, that time was up—rather, it was time for GOD to keep His promise to His Hebrew servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus, chasing after GOD’s people, showing no faith in GOD’s power, was risky business. Israel, however, left with a vast mixed crowd of EGYPTIANS—WHO DID PUT FAITH IN GOD, and wanted to worship HIM among GOD’s people. (Exodus 12:38). Thus it was an individual choice to love and obey GOD or not. It is ultimately ENDLESS LIFE IN TRUE HAPPINESS that GOD PURPOSES for obedient mankind. (Psalm 37:29).

CONCLUSION:

JESUS’ SIMILAR PLEA. Did Jesus support this recommendation? Absolutely! Among the important statements He made when being tempted by God’s enemy Satan was this: “It is written: “ MAN MUST LIVE, NOT ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD COMING FROM JEHOVAH’S MOUTH. ” (Matthew 4:4). Thus, all should aim to become keenly aware of GOD’s instruction and guidance, benefitting from it regularly, just as we benefit from life-promoting food on a daily basis. Another Scripture stating the value of GOD’s written word, is found at 2Timothy 3:16-17.

Here it is from a simplified translation: “16 God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. 17 By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 | NIRV)

UNDER THE RULE OF GOD’S GOVERNMENT, THE STANDARDS SET FORTH IN HIS WORD WILL MAKE POSSIBLE PUBLIC POLICIES THAT PROMOTE HONESTY, FAIRNESS, REASONABLENESS AND HAPPINESS.

It may be that even now adherence to GOD's word is allowing some success in policy-making and follow-through. Many of GOD’s policies are clearly set forth in His Word. Still, some questions remain: Is GOD’s word meant to be understood accurately? How so, and how might misunderstandings have hindered confidence in GOD? Also, how is GOD’s purpose Universal in scope, but what should come first? And, HOW IS IT THAT GOD’S STANDARDS ARE REALISTIC, REASONABLE, RELIABLE AND REWARDING?