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Test 9 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

“Praise the Lord,” or, “Glory Hallelujah.” I have That is the deadliest mental and spiritual
known many people whose TALK is SO very POISON. We must LOVE even our enemies
“spiritual” -- but whose hearts were as far from who perpetrate the greatest outrages -- though
YEHOVAH God as the prophet Isaiah describ- we do not condone their evils.
ed. If you ever think I’m wrong about
Yeshua the Messiah was a perfectly anything, DON’T GET SOUR OR BITTER
SPIRITUAL man. But he did not go about using ABOUT IT -- let YEHOVAH GOD correct and
such mushy language. He was NOT a girlish, punish me -- vengence is HIS, you know. Re-
effeminate, sentimental or emotional weakling. sentment against me won’t either punish me or
He was a strong, virile, masterful, yet kind and benefit you, but it could consign YOU to ETER-
gentle MAN. He possessed LEADERSHIP, NAL punishment! Whether YOU believe it or
STRENGTH, PURPOSE, A SUPREMELY not, I have come, by years of experience learning
STRONG WILL -- and yet these masculine the HARD WAY, to have supreme faith that
qualities of strength and power were perfectly YEHOVAH GOD will never neglect to correct
blended with wisdom, judgment, knowledge, or punish ME whenever I deserve it! You may
understanding, justice, and also patience, com- TRUST HIM to do it.
passion and mercy. He was filled with PEACE, Remember what a GLORIOUS GOAL
LOVE and FAITH. And his WILL, strong as it we have before us!
was, was totally yielded and obedient to How GRATEFUL we ought to be! How
YEHOVAH God. All this was the character of our hearts ought to be FLOODED with love and
YEHOVAH God. gratitude to the Great God and Yeshua the
He is our PATTERN. We must imitate Messiah for their matchless LOVE toward us.
him -- copy him. I’m sure we don’t “grasp what a supreme price
Look at the men of YEHOVAH God in the Messiah paid to make it possible. He wants
the Old Testament. Abraham, Noah, Joseph, us to be CHANGED -- to overcome and root out
David, Daniel, Elijah. They were all different this debasing rotten carnality we all have in us --
from the Messiah in one respect -- in which you and to GROW into his Father’s righteous that we
and I must also be different -- they had human may SHARE His GLORY.
weaknesses, and all did sin, yet these men all And, you know, I believe YEHOVAH
repented and strove to overcome. But they were God wants and LONGS to share the supreme
all men of strong PURPOSE, strong WILL GLORY that He has with YOU! Make it your
guided by YEHOVAH God, all possessed supreme overall life VOCATION, and WORK
leadership, but also love and faith and a HARD AT IT!
consecrated OBEDIENCE to the will of YEHO- The Japanese spy who stealthily and
VAH GOD. But they were not effeminate, secretly obtained all the information the
sentimental men indulging in an affected, put- Japanese needed to bomb Pearl Harbor said that
on, religious-sounding way of talking. he was not a very brilliant man, and learning
Look at the apostles Peter and Paul. They came hard to him. BUT HE WORKED HARD
were the same. You don’t find any of this pseudo AT IT, relentlessly, with zeal, and with purpose,
“spirituality” in them -- yet they were the truly and with diligence. He SUCCEEDED -- in
SPIRITUAL men, devoted to obeying YEHO- terrible DESTRUCTION -- in plunging the
VAH God and serving the needs of the people. United States into World War II -- and, finally,
But one thing to watch and guard against in the ignominious defeat of his own nation.
every second, in the way of attitude, is resent- Let US work hard AT OUR CALLING
ment, bitterness, hatred. Don’t let ANYTHING, AND MISSION of being real Christians. We
no matter how unjust, make you sour and bitter.