God Pope and War

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15 ESV)

Pope Leo XIV quoted Isaiah 1:15 and says God 'does not listen' to prayers of those who wage war.

He shall say: "Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 NIV)

The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is His name. (Exodus 15:3 BSB NIV)

Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. (Psalm 144:1-2 NIV)

先講是非再講善惡

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV)

Many people said that all religions are the same. They all teach us to be good.

This is not true. We must first know if something is true or false before we talk about whether it is good and bad. If you do something good for what is false, you are helping to spread a lie.

The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him. (Proverbs 18:17 BSB, CSB)

Thankfulness

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. (Psalm 50:14 NLT)
Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me." (Psalm 50:15 Amplified Bible)

Doing Right

The danger
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' (Luke 18:11-12 ESV)

The rebuke
"Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God. I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me. (Psalm 50:7-8 CSB)

The correction
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV)

Wisdom is From the Word of God

Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice. (Job 32:9 NLT)

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. (Psalm 119:98-100 ESV)

Same Return Same Frustration

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, "Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here."

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, "You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us."

Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build. They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:1-6 BSB)

The people already living in the land when the Jews returned the first time tried to frustrate their plans. The people already living in the land when the Jews returned the second time also tried to frustrate their plans.

During the first return, the superpower of the day was Persia. For the second return, the superpower is America.

During the first return, the people already living in the land claimed that they worshipped the God of Abraham. During the second return, the people already living in the land also claimed that they worshipped the God of Abraham.

During the first return, the people already living in the land failed to frustrate the Jews and disappeared into the dustbin of history. It will be the same for the people already living in the land today.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV)

Leaves Are for Healing in the Kingdom of God

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12 NIV)

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2b NIV)

In Ezekiel, the river flow from the Temple in Jerusalem. In Revelation, the river flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

I can understand why we may need healing during the millennium. But why do we need healing when we are living in the new heaven and new earth?

And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9 ESV)