QaA_VII

Question: What does the bible say about experiencing the presence and power of God?

Answer from Polly: The Bible is ALL about the presence and power of God and you experience these things by first being saved (Romans 10:13) and then the Spirit of God will live within you (1 Corinthians 3:16), teaching you the truth of the gospel (John 14:15-27) while you are obeying God's commands (John 15:10-16).

The biblical word for presence is 'face'. Adam and Eve hid from His face or presence (Genesis 3:8); Moses would be accompanied by His face or presence (Exodus 33:14); the face or presence of God is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). God's glory shone in the face or presence of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6), through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-47) and through angelic messengers (Matthew 1:18-25). God is Omnipresent, that is all present all the time (Jeremiah 23:23-24, Psalm 139:1-16, Proverbs 15:3).

As for God's power. He and He alone has the power to save (Acts 4:12) and He and He alone has the power to send you to hell if you refuse to accept Him as your Lord and Savior (Luke 12:5, Revelation 20:15). He is Omnipotent, that is all powerful (Exodus 15:18, Deuteronomy 32:39, Mark 10:27, Isaiah 46:9-11). He is Omniscient, that is all knowing (Isaiah 48:3-5, 45:21, 46:8-11).

Question: Can you explain Proverbs 14:1 to me in detail?

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down", (NIV).

Answer from Polly: The wise woman and the foolish woman probably refer to individuals rather than to wisdom and folly personified. However in Proverbs 9:1, 13, Lady Wisdom's activities of building her house include hewing out for it seven pillars suggesting the industriousness that accompanies wisdom. The seven pillars seem to suggest that the house was large and spacious which relate wisdom to a high station in life. Folly offers immediate gratification whereas wisdom offers long-term satisfaction.

On the other hand, the word 'builds' may not refer to a literal construction of a physical house but caring for a household and causing it to flourish. A woman of wisdom builds up her household and a woman of folly lives in such a way that her household is neglected.

Bottom three lines here are; 'by wisdom a house is built' (Proverbs 24:3); 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom' (Psalm 111:10) and 'unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain' (Psalm 127:1).

Question: In Ezekiel chapter five verses 9-12 GOD gets the people to actually eat each other. What is that all about?

9 Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.

10 Therefore in your midst fathers will eat their children, and children will eat their fathers. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.

11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favour; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.

12 A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.

Answer from Polly: This is not about what God 'gets' them to do or what God 'causes' them to do but rather what God 'allows' to happen when the people become so rebellious and disobedient that they bring themselves into a desperate plague and famine. When Nebuchadnezzar's army finally broke through the city's walls, they found a population destroyed by this famine. The food shortage was so severe that the people had resorted to cannibalism. Such horrors had been predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 28:52-57) and were verified by Jeremiah (Lamentations 2:20, 4:10).

Question: Will you send me a devotional on the subject of bringing ones sins to the cross. Or what chapters go with coming to the foot of the cross? Thanks!

Answer from Polly: To bring ones sins to the foot of the Cross can be summed up in one verse; 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' (Romans 10:13).

Further study will include: The journey to the Cross begins with John 3:14-16; when we take our sins to the Cross we are lifting up the Son of Man, believing that He was sent by the Father to open the way to the Cross and eternal salvation. The Father will draw us to the Cross (John 6:44) and the Holy Spirit will convict us of our sins (John 16:8). Jesus' death on the Cross brought us all together as a family (John 19:25-27). Salvation is the Cross we take up to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24-26) leaving the world behind. We are crucified with Christ so sin might be done away with (Romans 6:6-14) and are set free from death (spiritual) which is the wages of sin (Romans 6:22-23, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Nothing is hidden from God (Hebrews 4:13) and we will all give account for our sins, therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other (James 5:16). We must set our eyes on Jesus and throw off sin that hinders us so that our names will be written in Heaven (Hebrews 12:1-24). Jesus died on the Cross that we might come bold to the throne of grace and receive mercy (Hebrews 4:16).

Question: Who is the spirit of Jezebel? And what is the spirit of Leviathan?

Answer from Polly: The spirit of Jezebel is the behavior that operates through a person in order to get control by the use of manipulation, domineering and intimidation tactics. The Jezebel spirit is controlled by evil, demonic thoughts. The spirit's purpose is to destroy God's prophets including teachers, praise and worship leaders and especially ministers because in doing so it destroys the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). This spirit is usually very 'religious' and desires to rule and control the church body. It prays for its own agenda, complains when not appreciated or given enough recognition and knows how to get sympathy.

Leviathan means something that is twisted and coiled; denotes the dragon (Job 3:8); crocodile (Job 41:1); any large animal that moves by writhing the body (Psalm 104:26); serpent (Isaiah 27:1). All of these creatures represent the devil and no natural weapon can destroy it; it will take the sword of the Lord. This spirit will attack with a lying tongue (Job 41:19, James 3:6, 8), causing miscommunication, misunderstanding and discord (Genesis 3:1-5).

Question: What does the Bible say about "sowing discord"? Can you explain it much further?

Answer from Polly: Proverbs 6:12-14 calls a person that sows discord a scoundrel and a villain who goes about with a corrupt mouth and plots evil and deceit in his heart. The word sow comes about from the words plot or plan which are translated from the word 'haras' to the term 'to plow'. From plow comes the idea of plans being thought up or devised as furrows in a field are plowed. Therefore as you sow (plant) a good seed (Matthew 13:24) an evil person will sow a 'weed' (discord) into the field. Just like this weed among the wheat goes undetected until it is full grown, so does the seed of discord. An evil person plans evil actions from a deceitful heart so that people are not aware of his intentions until it is too late. Though he pretends to be sincere, underneath he is perverted and causes dissension (quarreling), drawing others into discord or strife. The characteristics of a 'discord sowing person' are listed in Proverbs 6:16-19 and God hates them all. Read more about the causes of discord, quarreling and divisions in 1 Corinthians 1:10-15, 6:7-8, Galatians 6:7-8, Ephesians 4:31, James 4:1-6.