NEWS:    Africa:  At the beginning of the week French forces airlifted into Mali by the US and Britain launched an offense against an Islamist group opposed to the president of Mali.  In response Islamists yesterday seized a natural gas facility in the Algerian Sahara.  Today Algeria launched an attack by helicopter on the facility with initial reports indicating a large loss of life among the 41 foreign workers.

Israel:  A confrontation between a group of Palestinians and a Border Police unit guarding Rachel’s Tomb shrine in a Palestinian cemetery near Bethlehem Wednesday, resulted in  18 pipe bombs and 4 bottle bombs. One of the officers was hurt.

The site in a Palestinian cemetery is only one of several competing sites claiming to be Rachel’s tomb.

French President Francois Hollande announced that “immediately after the Israeli elections you should expect a French-brokered peace initiative in the Middle East, in order to bring Israel and the Palestinians to the negotiating table,” the newspaper “Ma’ariv” reported on Wednesday.ֲ “The year 2013 should be the decision year on the issue of peace in the Middle East,” he said.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  I have looked further into the background of amendments changing the UCG Constitution.  They have not revealed what these proposed changes are, or what the proposed changes to the proposed changes are, however I have added the following to yesterday’s post.

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The amendments changing the UCG constitution were discussed at the  last CoE meet on Dec 12 at 10 am and  new definitions for the Purpose and the Mission of UCG were discussed.  At that time some changes to the proposed amendments changing the constitution were rejected.

Since then Melvin Rhodes is gone and Roc Corbett has come in and re-tabled the changes resisted by Rhodes and friends in the wording of the new amendment, changing the constitution.  The amendment will now be reworded.  This is an important change from what was decided by Rhodes and supporters.

Please notice the remarkable swing [after Rhodes]  in the politics of this.  Under Rhodes only two [out of 12]  members wanted changes in the amendment; now support for changing the amendment is unanimous.  The anti Rhodes faction has its way.

Here are the Dec 12 Conference minutes:  I have gone back to the minutes and highlighted this section in blue there as well.

The Council then shifted to the proposed amendment about the purpose statement for the Church

(Article 3.1). Several Council members expressed the need for amending its wording. To

advance the amendment to the annual conference ballot requires the support of at least four

Council members, but it received only two. This amendment will now be sent to the GCE [Admin: As is], where it will need at least 25 percent support to be placed on the annual conference ballot.

They will now change the wording of the proposed amendment [which they were unable to do under Rhodes] to the constitution, on the purpose of UCG. This seems to be very important to them and I  wonder why.

The presently existing  constitution article which they want to change.

3.1 PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH

God’s purpose for His Church is to prepare those willing to live His way of righteousness and self-control to function as His  instruments in the administration of salvation to humanity, and to demonstrate His wisdom to His spiritual creation.

JOB 25: Bildad’s Third Discourse

Bildad continues his argument that Job has sinned, by asking Job if he can resist God?

Job 25-28 is about the wisdom and power of God.

1   Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 25:2 Dominion and fear are with him [God] , he [God] maketh peace in his high places.

25:3 Is there any number of his [limit to God's strength?] armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 25:5 Behold even to [God commands] the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

25:6 How much less man, that is a worm [maggot] ? and the son of man, which is a worm [maggot] ?

Job 26

Job agrees that God is mighty and asks:   Can you help a man against God?  can any man resist God? And speaks of the might and wisdom of God; insisting that he would not sin against God.

1  But Job answered and said, 26:2 How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?26:3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? 26:4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee? 26:5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

26:6 Hell is naked before him [God] , and destruction hath no [place to hide] covering. 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 26:8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent [does not collapse from the sky by the weight of the water] under them.

God hides the place of his throne from men.

26:9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

God has made the dry land to rise above the waters.

26:10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

The heavenly bodies are maintained by God’s power and  shake at God word.

26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

God has made the dry land to divide the sea; shall he not humble the proud commandments breakers who lean to the pathetic wisdom of mortal man.

26:12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.

God created the heavens and all that lives on the earth.

26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

We have heard only a tiny part of the greatness of God; who can understand God’s wisdom and might?

26:14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?

Job’s Parable [Instruction]

 Job 27

Job continues to exalt God as he suffers;  demonstrating his loyalty is not predicated on blessings, but is absolute during both blessings and sorrows.

1   Moreover Job continued his parable [teaching], and said, 27:2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

27:3 All the while [as long as I live] my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 27:4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

27:5 God forbid that I should justify you [by agreeing that God has been unjust, or that I have sinned against him] : till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

27:7 Let mine enemy be [adversary, Satan; be destroyed] as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Job will not be a hypocrite, by not doing what he has taught others.

27:8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained [much] , when God taketh away his soul [life] ? 27:9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 27:10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? 27:11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

Every wise man knows that the wicked shall be destroyed.  Job has taught this and now his friend try to teach Job what they had learned from him.

27:12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? 27:13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

More on the end of the sicked

27:14 If his [unrepentant]  children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

27:15 Those that remain of [the wicked] him shall be buried in death: and his [their] widows shall not weep [the end of their oppression].

Ultimately the just shall inherit the earth and the unrepentant wicked shall inherit destruction.

27:16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 27:17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 27:18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 27:19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not [enjoy his riches] be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not [dies].

Fears come up against the wicked like the continual lapping of the waves; and he has his sleep disturbed in the night.

27:20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 27:21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.

The wicked would flee from God and  the repentant  righteous shall reject the evil doer.

27:22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 27:23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

Job 28

God has created the earth and all its wealth and beauty;  This chapter is about the great power and wisdom of God:  Why should man, especially called out man; be tempted to compromise with any of God’s laws of wisdom and life?

1   Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. 28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. 28:3 He [God] setteth an end to darkness [at the dawn; and enlightens the ignorant] , and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

Even the waters are controlled by God, so that God may take them away if he so wills.

28:4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot [foot peddle powered irrigation] : they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

Job knows that the center of the earth is a fire; the ancients knew far more than some think.

28:5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

Precious stones are hidden in the earth, all made by God.

28:6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

God knows even the most secret things.

28:7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: 28:8 The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

God has the wisdom and power to resurface the earth if he so desires.

28:9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. 28:10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. 28:11 He bindeth the floods [God sets the seas and bodies of water to their places] from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

God is full of wisdom, but there is no godly wisdom in man.  Man NEEDS the spiritual wisdom of God.

28:12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 28:13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. 28:14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

Godly wisdom cannot be purchased for money.

28:15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. 28:16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 28:17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. 28:18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

28:20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? 28:21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close [hidden] from the fowls of the air. 28:22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears [but we know it not].

True wisdom is of God and begins with R E S P E C T for God and the diligent DOING of his commandments.

Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

28:23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 28:24 For he [God] looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; 28:25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

God created all things by his wisdom

28:26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 28:27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil [by obeying God] is understanding.

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