And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
The above is the LORD, in Isaiah 1:26, speaking to His people, the USA, about their fallen condition: unfaithful, without righteousness, when judges lacked the courage and fortitude necessary to establish them. He (the LORD) earlier, in verses 21 & 22, (rhetorically) asks how this state occurred, when judgment and righteousness were replaced by murderers (of the fatherless, after silencing those refusing to take on these women without husbands).
The world will say, of this word of God speaking His judgments, these are primitive ideas and irrelevant to the complexity of the day. He says, what is primitive (primeval) is the animal state man has once again degenerated into by following men who, promising them liberty, led into the captivity of confusion, delusion, and insanity (disordering the rational mind God gave us).
As Alexander Hamilton says, in Federalist #1, human history shows the liberties of republics are most often overturned by community agitators claiming some nonexistent right is being withheld by those in power rightly judging. These disrupters of the peace begin as demagogues and, once in power, end as tyrants.
These same men, the cultivators (emphasis on “cult”) of mass insanity, the creators of those unable to distinguish between delusion and reality, will, as is their way, lie and demonize (falsely accuse) this truth now manifested before the eyes of all the world, which they deny and reverse define (gaslighting the world).
A few simple test questions to determine the sane and the insane: How many genders are there? And, Is one human taking the life of another innocent human murder, manslaughter, or a right?
Without me giving the obvious answers, all the sane know them, and those who don’t need psychiatric help (the truth is most psychiatrists, lacking the fortitude needed for good judgment, are themselves, by the classic definition, insane).
The definition of insanity, in law, says the condition: the severely disordered mind (unable to distinguish between reality and delusion), lacking the ability to understand, releases the person (the insane) from legal or civil responsibility. On the other hand, those who know the answers to the questions posed above and are sane, and knowing (understanding), for some other underlying self-interest, without care for the impact on others and society (classic sociopaths) reject them, are criminally and civilly responsible.
In Biblical law, this latter group, knowing the law and rejecting it, the antisocial who are hostile and harmful to normal society, are those who, by their own incorrigible (evil) choices: habitual disturbers of the peace, must be separated from the law-abiding and the peaceful. This is the principle of eternal separation, by choice, into hell. We can help the ignorant and heal the insane, bringing light into their darkened minds, giving understanding to what the world, under the control of wicked men, has confused and deluded.
John 3
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believes on him [believes that God is speaking salvation, understanding through him, the light that is the life of the world] is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name [Jesus – Jehovah’s Salvation manifested in the flesh] of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation [krisis – the decision that self-condemns], that light [understanding] is come into the world, and men loved darkness [the ignorance that brings confusion, delusion, and insanity] rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that does evil hates the light [understand that is the life of the world], neither comes to the light [understanding], lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that does truth comes to the light [understanding], that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Isaiah 1
9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom [flame], and we should have been like unto Gomorrah [ruin].
10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom [rulers who inflame]; give ear unto the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah [who are the ruin].
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? says the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs [when I desire judgment, mercy, and the knowledge of God], or of he-goats [as devils misleading].
12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot bear them; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless [that they are innocent, not worthy of death], plead for the widow [plead with the women who are without husbands].
18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [His word is understanding, light, life, to those who receive it, and a sword to those who reject] it.
21 How is the faithful city become a harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers [in the pattern of Herod and Pharaoh, killing millions of innocent human children].
22 Your silver is become dross, your wine mixed with water:
23 Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loves gifts, and follows after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come unto them.
24 Therefore says the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon you, and purely purge away your dross [the pollution of men’s misleading ideas], and take away all your tin:
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks [the men they call upright] which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens [the places you chosen as your protection] that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water [without this word of God].
31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
The word “trouble,” in verse 14 above, is the twice used word torach, meaning “a burden,” which refers us to the one other time it appears, in Deuteronomy 1:12, rendered “cumbrance.” It is from the once used (Job 37:11) word tarach, “a primitive root; [meaning] to overburden:–weary.”
In the use of these words, we understand they are a burden (water and light) delivered from the cloud by the one filled with understanding of the word of God, who empties himself in the name of the LORD.
In Isaiah 1 above, in the context of these words, the LORD is speaking of His ways not being heard in the assemblies, because the “princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves.” These are those whose positions were created to be where this “judgment” would be further expanded (in the firmament) and propagated, producing good after its own kind.
Before further explanation, I must reiterate the root cause of the current degeneration and perversions: the reversal of good and evil. It lies in popular prejudices: cultural opinions that contradicted historically proven (repeated experiences proving then true) standards of good and evil, taught when God’s people became silent of these truths.
In this most modern version, they (the darkness) convinced good people to stop “forcing” (meaning teaching as truth) their standard of morality on society. Surrendering to these demands, falling for the lie there is such a thing as a society without a moral standard, is one of the greatest sins of God’s people. What resulted (from this sin) is historically recorded as when “the earth became without form, and void,” when darkness rushed in (to the void) and covered all deep understanding.
As we know, when the above quote is recorded in Genesis 1:2, the words used are hayah (became), tohuw (without form), and bohuw (void), the latter two only appearing two other times together. The first of these is in Isaiah 34:11, where they are translated as “confusion” and “emptiness,” respectively speaking of the line used to lay the foundation, and the stones built (the wall of lies upon lies) upon it. The other is in Jeremiah 4:23, where they are rendered identical to Genesis 1:2, but here (the LORD in) Jeremiah precedes the description with (in verse 22) saying, “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
Here is how (the LORD in) Jeremiah 4 describes the pattern now proven again in our time, which is the LORD speaking it for our enlightenment. The chapter begins with His call to return from these abominations put in His place; to Him, who is the standard now raised, as Moses did the serpent in the wilderness. This appearance is what Genesis 1 records as the Spirit moving upon the waters (the word still present in the darkness), the LORD God working unknown, to bring comprehension to the ignorant, understand which is the light created.
Jeremiah 4
4 If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return unto me: and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove.
2 And you shall swear, The LORD lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns [misleaders].
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart [remove your self-created ideas and ways, the corrupt foundational ideas upon which you base all your thoughts and actions], you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem [the current corrupt crop of leaders, and those they’ve misled]: lest my fury comes forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 Declare you in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow you the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves [into ONE BODY], and let us go into the defensed cities.
6 Set up the standard [nec – the “pole” {Numbers 21:8 & 9} upon which Moses lifted the brazen serpent, as the son of man must be lifted – per John 3:14] toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north [from the darkness], and a great destruction.
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles [those who don’t know God] is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make your land desolate [by these abominations put in God’s place]; and your cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Then said I, Ah, LORD God! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches unto the soul.
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I [as the judge of the earth] give sentence against them.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds [full of this word of God and the ancient understanding that left the earth], and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind [from where His Almighty Spirit is heard against all opposing Him]: his horses [His strengthened people in whom He appears – see Zechariah 10:1 thru 3] are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you mayest be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from Dan [declaring God’s judgment], and publishes affliction from mount Ephraim [the high places of God’s people in this generation].
16 Make you mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country [the messengers watching for their opportunity to destroy God’s people, by replacing Him with their perverted opinions: the proven ways of destroying people and nations], and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, says the LORD.
18 Your way and your doings have procured these things unto you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reaches unto your heart [the corrupt foundations of the national mind].
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound [qowl – the voice of God’s messenger – the archangel] of the trumpet [calling all to gather to the LORD, in His ONE BODY, His army], the alarm of war.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
21 How long shall I see the standard [nec – the son of man lifted up], and hear the sound [qowl – voice] of the trumpet [this voice of the archangel calling all to gather]?
22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was [hayah – has become] without form [tohuw], and void [bohuw]; and the heavens [the places where understand should be], and they had no light [no understanding].
24 I beheld the mountains [the high place of the earth], and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no [Spiritually living] man, and all the birds of the heavens [all who soar by the strength of God’s understanding] were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus has the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black [without understanding]; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise [qowl – the voice of false prophets] of the horsemen and bowmen [ramah – the deceivers causing the delusion and insanity of our time]]; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30 And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you rent your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child [the first light], the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewails herself, that spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers [as it is this day – their evil solution is always the mass murder of the innocent].
John 3
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say unto you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
32 And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; and no man receives his testimony.
33 He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
36 He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Zechariah 9
12 Turn you to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto you;
13 When I have bent Judah [My elect remnant] for me, filled the bow with Ephraim [My people at large], and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece [those among you still wallowing the mire they’ve stirred to cloud the waters], and made you as the sword of a mighty man [from whose mouth comes this word of God].
14 And the LORD shall be seen [lifted up] over them, and his arrow [His people at large] shall go forth as the lightning [with understand]: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet [calling all to gather to Him in His army, His ONE BODY], and shall go with whirlwinds [His Almighty Spirit against those opposing Him and His word] of the south.
15 The LORD of hosts [who is a man of war] shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls [filled with the word of God, the blood of His sacrifice, pouring His life into the dead world], and as the corners of the altar.
16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign [a sign of the end of the old and corrupt heaven and earth] upon his land.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn [this feast of His goodness] shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine [changing the minds of] the maids.
Zechariah 10
1 Ask you of the LORD rain [his word from heaven] in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds [from where lightning, understanding, comes again to the earth], and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field [bringing new life on the earth].
2 For the idols [who men have put in God’s place] have spoken vanity, and the diviners [false prophets who’ve said they see what was coming, when they saw nothing but fictions] have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no [good] shepherd.
3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats [the misleaders who put themselves in the place of God’s good shepherd]: for the LORD of hosts [who is a man of war] has visited his flock the house of Judah, and has made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every governor together.
5 And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire [the enemies have stirred to cloud the waters] of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded [the deceivers shall not reach the end they sought].
6 And I will strengthen [with understanding] the house of Judah [the elect remnant], and I will save the house of Joseph [Ephraim – God’s people at large], and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.
7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine [because their minds have been changed]: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.
Job 37
1 At this also my heart trembled [the foundations of my mind were shaken as He shook the man created ideas from it], and is moved out of his place [and my mind was changed].
2 Hear attentively the noise of His voice, and the sound that goes out of His mouth.
3 He directs it [as He wills] under the whole heaven [from where He sends understanding], and his lightning [He gives understanding] unto the ends [ending the old and beginning the new] of the earth.
4 After it a voice roars: he thunders [the sound of the light] with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously [opening the eyes of the blind] with his voice; great things does he, which we cannot [without His epiphany] comprehend.
6 For he says to the snow [His word reserved, frozen, in heaven for this time of war – sent unto fire and the perdition of ungodly men], Be you on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He seals up [chatam – makes an end of] the hand [the works] of every man; that all men may know His work.
8 Then the beasts [without His Spirit] go into dens, and remain in their places [and don’t put themselves in His place].
9 Out of the south comes the whirlwind [His Almighty Spirit]: and cold out of the north [in the darkness of men’s ignorance His word is frozen].
10 By the breath of God frost is given [by His voice the frozen things are sent again]: and the breadth of the waters is straitened [and the things men made crooked are straitened when He melts them].
11 Also by watering [by sending his word through many carriers] he wearies [tarach – unburdens] the thick cloud [‘ab – ending the darkness]: he scatters [puwtz – breaks in many pieces – as the LORD broke the loaves] his bright [‘owr – His illuminations] cloud [held in the cloud]:
12 And it is turned round [back to Him] about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commands them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job [my people who are hated by this evil world]: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God disposed them, and caused the light [understanding] of his cloud to shine [out of the east to west]? [As is the coming of the son of man, to as many as receive him gives he power to become the corrected children of God]
16 Do you know the balancing of [miphlas – the things poised there in] the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
17 How your garments are warm, when he quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 Have you with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass [by which He sees all these things]?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness [ignorance].
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak [against Him], surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 And now men see not the bright light [the understanding] which is in the clouds: but the [south] wind passes, and cleanses them.
22 Fair weather comes out of the north [out from the darkness]: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that [think they] are wise of heart [in their own opinions].
Deuteronomy 1
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.
9 And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, and, behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
11 (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!)
12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance [torach], and your burden, and your strife?
13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
14 And you answered me, and said, The thing which you have spoken is good for us to do.
15 So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
17 You shall not respect persons in judgment; but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.
19 And when we departed from Horeb [desolate desert – wilderness], we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which you saw by the way of the mountain [the high places] of the Amorites [the sayers – those who exalt their words above God’s], as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea [to holiness].
20 And I said unto you, You are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God does give unto us.
21 Behold, the LORD your God has set the land before you: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has said unto you; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22 And you came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
23 And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
24 And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol [clusters of fruit], and searched it out.
25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God does give us.
26 Notwithstanding you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
27 And you murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims [men you saw as giants] there.
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30 The LORD your God which goes before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
31 And in the wilderness, where you have seen how that the LORD your God bare you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came into this place.
32 Yet in this thing you did not believe the LORD your God,
33 Who went in the way before you [to prepare], to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in a cloud by day.
34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and swore, saying,
35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers.
36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh [who saw I went before you to prepare the place for you]; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he has trodden upon, and to his children, because he has wholly followed the LORD.
37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes [when Moses refused to declare it was the LORD in Him speaking and working], saying, You also shall not go in thither.
38 But Joshua the son of Nun [Jesus, who declares He is Jehovah’s salvation in the flesh, who is the son of God and man in perpetuity], which stands before you, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
39 Moreover your little ones, which you said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
Romans 1
[Timothy], a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ:
7 To all that be in Rome [to who He has given strength through understanding], beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the LORD Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks [those who think they are civilized], and to the Barbarians [and the uncivilized]; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first [Judah, the elect remnant first], and also to the Greek [the civilized world at large].
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the un-corruptible God into an image [a creation] made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
John 1
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
Psalms 75
1 Unto you, O God, do we give thanks, unto you do we give thanks: for that your name is near your wondrous works declare.
2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.
4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn [power to rule]:
5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck [against God].
6 For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he pours out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
9 But I will declare forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
