Different Meanings of a Rainbow

 

What does a rainbow bring to your mind?   My first thought is of Genesis 9:13-16, where the LORD God establishes his covenant between God and “every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth”  and what is this covenant?  V13-16 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”


In this passage, the rainbow is the sign of God’s covenant that no more would the earth be destroyed by a flood as it was in the days of Noah and the ark.  How many of us since then have looked upon the rainbow and marveled at its beauty.

Then there is the old Sunday School song, Mr. Noah Built An Ark.  I wonder if children still sing this song in these days?  The latter part of the song says “whenever you see a rainbow, remember God is love.”  But of course, God is so much more than love.  When I shared this song with my granddaughter when she was little,  we used to sing “whenever you see a rainbow, remember God loves you.”  So the rainbow  had special meaning for me because my granddaughter still remembers that God loves her when she sees a rainbow.  Here is a rainbow as I like to think of it, the rainbow in the clouds, the sign of God’s covenant and his love.

But now there is a new meaning for the rainbow, and this saddens me.  The rainbow has become a symbol of the gay community.   I have no clue why they chose a rainbow and I wonder, as time passes, how many people will remember that the rainbow was originally a sign of the covenant God made, or may have heard the Sunday School song and remembered that God is love?  or will they more remember what it is a symbol for now?
It’s not my purpose in writing this piece to say anything more regarding the gay community,  except to say that  I am saddened that this beautiful rainbow has become a symbol of something which God does not approve of, enough said.

I would just like to quote the final verse from the song Mr. Noah Built an Ark..

Jesus died upon a tree
Jesus died for you and me
Go into the ark and you will be
Safe for all eternity.
Whenever you see a rainbow, whenever you see a rainbow, whenever you see a rainbow, remember God is love.

And what do these words mean?  The Lord Jesus was crucified upon a cross, shedding his precious blood and taking upon himself the punishment for sin, dying on the cross, being buried and then rising from the grave.  He is the one and only risen Saviour, the Son of God.  Go into the ark means this:  all have sinned, and you know in your heart that this means you too.  Believe that the Lord Jesus was crucified, that he shed his precious blood and took the punishment for your sins upon himself.  Trust in Jesus to save you, and you will be saved for all eternity.

So if you have followed the tag “gay community” and planned on berating me for making this post about the rainbow, I hope that instead, you have realized your need of the Saviour, and that you have trusted in him.

vcg/June 2016

Colossians 1:14 "...in Whom we have Redemption Through His Blood..."

This morning in our worship service, one of the older gentlemen read Colossians 1:14 thus “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;”.  Because I use the King James, I noticed right away that this version left out a very important phrase..  in the King James Colossians 1:14 reads thus “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”   So my question is, how can there be redemption without the precious blood of Christ.  I do not know why the translators of his particular version left out the blood, but to me that is a very important thing.  What does the bible say about the blood of Christ?  I do not know how many times “blood” is left out in other versions, but here are some verses on this subject from the King James that I think are very important, and I have a challenge to anyone who reads this..  Compare these verses with your version, and see how many times the precious blood of Christ is left out..  If it is, you have a watered-down version, and a watered-down version brings a watered -down gospel, and a watered-down gospel brings a  watered-down salvation..
Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood”

Romans 3:25 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Ephesians 2:7 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

Colossians 1:20 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”

1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

1 Peter 1:19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Revelation 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

Revelation 5:9 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Bible Women: Rahab - The Woman Who Hid the Spies

Joshua Chapters 2 and 6

This study of Rahab is taken from the book of Joshua, Chapters 2 and 6.  Rahab was a woman who demonstrated great faith, to the salvation of herself and her family.  In Joshua 2:1-2, we have Joshua sending two spies into the walled city of Jericho, "to spy secretly..to view the land, even Jericho" and they "came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there".

Someone must have seen the men come into the city and enter Rahab's house, and they knew they were of the "children of Israel"  and that they had come to search out all the country. V2 "and it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold there came men in  hither tonight out of the children of Israel to search out the country." We are not told whether or not the spies knew Rahab was a harlot, but it was surely the divine intervention of God that they came upon the house of a harlot, where it would not be unusual for men to go.  Nevertheless, the king of Jericho sends word to Rahab  V3 "bring forth the men that are come to thee which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country"  But V4 "Rahab took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were" and she further told them V5 "when it was dark that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them."  But V6 Rahab "had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof."  And the king's men V7 "pursued after them the way to Jordan...."

 Before the spies had laid down V8 "she came  up unto them upon the roof" and in Vs 9-11 Rahab gives the reasons for her actions. "I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon an Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath". Rahab knew and believed that the LORD had given them the land, that the inhabitants were terribly afraid, and that they had heard about the parting of the Red Sea, and what had befallen the Amorites.  Then she makes the great confession of faith;  "for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath".  Rahab, who is a Gentile, believes in God and exhibits saving faith.  As Galatians 3:28 says "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus".

Favorite Gospel Songs: Yes I Know

Yes I Know is a beautiful and very moving song by the Gaithers about the cleansing power of the precious blood of Christ.

The Lamb of God - The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lamb of God - The Lord Jesus Christ

This is a further meditation on the Lamb of God, but this time that perfect sacrifice enters the world as a baby, born of Mary, born a King,  the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5-11 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Why was the Lord Jesus our perfect sacrifice?  Why was He the perfect Lamb of God?  John the Baptist said upon seeing the approaching Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  (John 1:29)

In the Holy Bible, old testament, every year one would take a sacrificial lamb, without spot and without blemish, to the priest.  The lamb would be slain, his blood was shed, and the person for whom the blood was shed was thus looking forward to the Saviour to come. Hebrews 9:12,15. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us….and for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance..

When the Lord Jesus shed His precious blood and gave up His life on the cross, He was offered up Once for All.  Hebrews 10:9-10 "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.  He taketh away the first that he may establish the second.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The Gathering Storm

Psalm 32:7 "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.  Selah."

Isaiah 25:4 "For thou hast been ...a refuge from the storm..."

In 2003, my husband's brother died, and we traveled to the city where he lived for the memorial, a city known for terrific thunderstorms.  We chose not to stay in the city, but in a small motel some distance away. My husband's brothers were staying at the same motel. We wanted to avoid the heavy traffic of the city, so we went to the memorial by a quieter route that took us on the outskirts.  We took our little dog with us, and I waited outside with the dog while my husband and his other brothers were attending the memorial.   It was a very hot day, and I watched the sky as the thunderheads gathered and began to spread.  The sky grew black, it was clear that there was a big storm brewing.

My husband came out from the reception before it ended and said that his brothers were going to stay longer, so we drove back to the motel the same way we came, back along the quiet route, pausing only to video the thunderheads about to let loose. I wanted to stay and watch the storm, but my husband thought it wise to avoid the driving rain or hail that was sure to begin shortly.  As we drove away the rain started, and some small hail, and I was thankful to be out of harms way...