Hi William,
You wrote in another thread:
"’Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God’
"I understand that as the preaching of the gospel of Christ and the hearing of it causing faith to spring up in the hearts of people and leading to their salvation, stated very simply.
"The obvious question is this: Two people hear the same gospel message spoken by the same person under the same anointing of the Holy Spirit.
One is saved, the other not. Why?
"Does it come down to HOW each person hears, the willingness of their hearts to hear and to obey the message preached?
The parable of the sower sowing the seed in different types of earth?
"That still begs the question: Why was my heart correctly prepared and receptive and not my neighbor's?
"Why me Lord? What have I ever done......goes the old song”
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I don’t have all the answers but these are some of my own thoughts:
THE STORY OF JOSEPH
Joseph had become ruler of Egypt (Gen. 41:38-46). Then a terrible famine came and spread over all the earth (Gen. 41:56-57). Egypt alone had abundant grain because Joseph had in the 7 preceding years of plenty "stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure” (Gen. 41:49).
His brothers in the land of Canaan were dying because the famine was there too (Gen. 42:1-5).
Did Joseph feel that he was chosen for life and glory and his brothers condemned to starvation and death? Did he feel that his brothers deserved to suffer and die because of their evil hearts which made them sell him as a slave into Egypt?
Certainly not.
Gen. 50:20-21 -- "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph was chosen for glory and riches. Why him? So that through him his errant brothers would also have glory and riches.
Gen. 46:31, 34 -- Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him……that you may live in the land of Goshen……
Gen. 47:5, 6 -- Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen……
Gen. 47:11 -- So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered.
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BLESSED THAT WE MAY BE A BLESSING
Gen. 12:2-3 -- And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing……And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
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CALLED TO TURN SINNERS FROM THE DOMINION OF SATAN TO GOD
John 20:21 -- So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Luke 4:18-19 -- "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."
Acts 26:16-18 ”“ ‘……for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness…… the Jewish people and…… the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
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THE VESSEL OF DISHONOUR
1 Cor. 15:22 -- …… in Adam all die……
Rom. 3:10-12 -- as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
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THE VESSEL OF HONOUR AND GLORY
1 Cor. 15:22 -- …… in Christ all will be made alive.
Luke 3:22 ”“ "You are My Son, the beloved; in You I am well pleased."
Col. 1:19 -- For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
Col. 2:9 -- For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Eph. 1:6 (KJV) -- To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
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AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE WILL BOW
Ps. 24:1 -- The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
Col. 1:16 -- For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Dan. 7:14 -- And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
Phil. 2:10-11 -- so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Rom. 14:11 -- It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."
Isa. 9:7 -- Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
Eph. 1:9-10 (BLB) -- having made known to us the mystery of His will according to His pleasure, which He purposed in Him for the administration of the fullness of the times, to bring together all things in Christ--the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth--
Col. 1:20 -- and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
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UNFAILING SEARCH FOR THE LOST
Isa. 53:6 -- All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
Matt. 9:36-38 -- Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
Luke 15:1-6 -- Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
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RIVER OF GRACE
John 7:37-38 -- Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"
Ezek. 47:9 -- It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
Ezek. 47:12 -- "By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."
Rev. 22:1-2 -- Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
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MY HOUR HAS NOT YET COME
The majority of people are still in darkness.
John 2:3 ”“ They have no wine.
John 2:4 ”“ "My hour has not yet come."
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THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, "COME."
Rev. 21:9-10 -- "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
Rev.21:23-26 -- And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;
Ps. 86:9 -- All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.
Ps. 72:11 -- And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him.
Rev. 22:17 -- The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
Blessings