Greetings to all who receive our Mini-Despatch,
may God bless you!
                                          1. Mardi Gras
                                      2. Israel God's Nation

1. AUSTRALIAN MARDI GRAS

Australia has recently seen the homosexuals' Mardi Gras "celebrated" in the streets of Sydney.
Three quarters of a million people watched the march through Sydney, people from all over the world were
there. The lewd, wicked exhibition by the homosexuals and lesbians was stunningly dramatic. Costumes of
brilliant colours, spangles and tinsel sparkled from dancers, near naked bodies gyrated obscenely, thousands
of the "gay" community members flaunted their sexuality with arrogant perversity. Dykes with bikes raced
through the streets with their riders naked to the waist in some cases. This year the former enemies of the
homosexual and lesbian community, police officers both men and women, marched along with the gaudy,
godless Mardi Gras, showing their support. Two floats were entered by the Uniting Church, yes, overseas
readers, that church supported the homosexual Mardi Gras! One of the Images leaders of the horror floats of the
Uniting Church was Dr. Dorothy McMahon, Uniting Church minister, confessed lesbian, who has a live-in lover.
Both are middle-aged to elderly, dull as ditch water in looks (it appears to me) and their "affair" makes both
seem, not even plain wicked, just foolish old biddies.

The Mardi Gras always features an enormous float with a massive head of the Rev. Fred Nile of the Uniting
Church residing on a plate. Fred Nile is a militant opponent of homosexuality. The inclusion of the Uniting
Church floats has prompted Rev. Nile to leave that denomination, naturally enough (we do not know the final
outcome). This year a huge head of the political activist, Pauline Hanson, was also triumphantly borne through
Sydney streets by the Sodomites - to the cheers of countless families with children in tow, ruffians and drunks,
ordinary people of Australia and foreign visitors galore.

It appears that new laws are on the drawing board for Australia, anti-discrimination laws which will make it a
criminal offence to criticise or denounce any homosexual or homosexual "life-style" (read here "SIN").
Churches, schools, organizations of every kind will be required to observe these laws - or else! Well, God has
spoken in His Word and shown His displeasure (mild word) on Sodomy, and His Word is Sovereignly decreed.
I almost expected a great chasm to open in Sydney's streets during that evil Mardi Gras, and the whole lot,
dancers, spectators and all, to drop in. "Dear God of Grace, send a movement of the Holy Spirit to convict of
sin, righteousness and JUDGEMENT to come, that many who were there at that Mardi Gras might be saved
from the Tribulation to come."

     "But the men of Sodom (Sydney?) were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly."
     (Gen.13:13).
     "And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom (Sydney?) and Gomorrah is great, and because
     their sin is very grievous." (Gen.18:20).
     "And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of
     heaven." (Gen.19:24).
     "For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. For their vine is
     of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah, their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters
     are bitter: Their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of asps." (Deut.32:31-33).
     "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves
     over to fornication...are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
........(Jude1:7).
     "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections, for even their women did change the
     natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use
     of the man, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
     unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even
     as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to
     do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
     wickedness, covertness, maliciousness: ...haters of God... Who, knowing the judgement of God,
     that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
     pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:26-32).
 
 
 

2. ISRAEL - GOD'S GRACE NATION.

"What a fascinating nation Israel is, the Nation which shows forth the Grace of God, and His wonderful Love, to
a sinful, hopeless humanity. Chosen because of love, chosen because of unmerited favour on the Almighty's
part. Once I knew a secular Jew, he obviously had hardly ever read the OT Scriptures, and yet he seemed to
think his designation "Jew" made him an expert on the Hebrew Scriptures. He told me once that God had
chosen the Jews because God understood that the Jews were the only people on earth that would keep
Jehovah's commandments. No, this is not the case, the history of the Jewish people in the Scriptures is one of
failure, judgement, rejection of Jehovah, disobedience and many disgraces! Yet, God's Grace extended
towards them in Love, right through the necessary punishment, dispersions and bondages under the Gentile
powers. The Jewish nation is a GRACE NATION - a credit, not to them, but unto a Merciful Creator. And Israel
is an example to the all world that the God of the Bible wants to be gracious to all sinners.

ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE RESTORATION

"I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely;
for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew upon Israel; he shall grow like the lily,
and cast forth his roots like Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
and his smell like Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return;
they shall revive like the corn, and grow like the vine;
the scent of it shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?
I have heard him, and observed him;
I am like agreen fir tree.
From me is thy fruit found." (Hosea 14:4-8).

1. Abraham's calling is found in Gen.11:31; 12:1; Acts 7:2.

2. He had to leave his family and familiar surroundings, his own father's house at Ur, and go out to a land he did not know - all at God's command. What faith he had!

3. His commission is significant, found in Gen.12:2; Acts 7:3. It was seven-fold: (a)I will make of thee a great
nation. (b)I will bless thee. (c)I will make thy name great. (d)Thou shalt be a blessing. (e)I will bless them that
bless thee. (f)I will curse him that curseth thee.(See the book of Esther). (g)In thee shall all families of the earth
be blessed. (This led into the Coming of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Matt.1:1.)

ABRAHAM'S FAITH
Abraham was not, of course, the first man to believe in God, but his "faith" is a pattern in
the Bible for all future believers, he was the first man of FAITH. It does not mean that Abram pleased God all the
time, that he was sinless, but his example was that Abraham BELIEVED God, that was his "faith". (See
Romans 4; Galatians 3:6-9; Hebrews 11:8-10, 17,19).

In Abraham we see what the Biblical word translated "imputed" means - to credit to one's account. By FAITH
Abraham received God's righteousness credited to his account. As though a rich man put money into another's
bank account, free of interest - it is added to his (or your) own account. Galatians 3; James 2:21-26; Romans
4:6,8,11,22,23,24. This is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed upon the believing sinner.

IMPUTATION IN THE BIBLE IS THREE-FOLD
This "imputation" is not only seen in righteousness. There are
three Images imputations in the Scriptures, someone else putting into the account of another. There is the above
imputation of undeserved righteousness, as shown first in Abraham. There is also: 1. The imputation of the sin
of Adam upon the whole world, Adam's fallen race (Roman 3:23; 5:12). 2. The glorious imputation of that fallen
race's sin upon the Lamb of God, the Saviour Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:5,6; Heb.2:9; 11 Cor. 5:14-21; 1 Pet.
2:24.

GOD GAVE A SEVEN-FOLD PROPHECY TO ABRAHAM
(Outline from Willmington's Guide to the Bible).
God's prophecy always comes to pass, the Almighty never fails in His prophetic word. All seven came to pass
in time:

1. That Abram's descendants would be strangers in a foreign land (Gen.46:2-4).
2. That they would be servants in that land (Ex.1:7-14).
3. That this servitude would last some 400 years (Ex.12:40).
4. That God Himself would later judge that nation which enslaved Israel (Ex.7-12).
5. That Abram would be spared all this (Gen.25:7,8).
6.That after spending four long generations in Egypt, Israel would return to Canaan (Ex.6:16-20).
7. That Israelwould come out of Egypt with great substance (Ex.12:35, 36; Psalm 105:37).

GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
(Genesis 15:1-21). In Genesis 15:1 we read for the first time the lovely
words, "fear not." God tells the one who has made a lot of powerful enemies because of his actions, as shown
in Genesis 14, "Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, and thy exceedingly great reward."

Back in the story, Abram reminded God that he and Sarai still did not have a child, God once again promised
Abram his old servant a child, (See Genesis 12:7). This time God adds the wonderful words: "Look now toward
heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be"
(Gen.15:5). Compare the Covenant confirmed in Genesis 22:17, and note the inspiration of God's Word. Who
would have ever have believed in those days that there were as many stars in the sky as there are grains of
sand on the seashore? Both are impossible to count.

Abraham was also promised he would father other nations (Gen.17:6,20). This was fulfilled principally through
Ishmael and Esau. The Ishmaelites came from Ishmael, and Esau cast his lot with the Ishmaelite tribes, drove
the Horites out of Mount Seir, and settled in that region. Esau finally left Canaan permanently and became a
wealthy chief in Edom (Gen.26:34,35; Gen.28:8,9).

When God had finished, Abram "believed in the Lord; and it he counted it unto him for righteousness." This is
the first Biblical mention of the three words for redemption "believed" "counted" and imputed "righteousness".

THE STRANGEST ANSWER IN THE BIBLE
When Abraham asked God how he could be sure that all the
things God promised him were true, God ordered His servant to gather some animals and birds. Dr. Donald
Barnhouse writes about this answer: "This in one of the strangest answers ever given to a question. Yet, it was
the only possible answer. The question was, 'How am I to know I shall possess the promised land? The answer
is, 'Bring me a heifer!' One might think the dial of the radio had slipped from one program to another. The
question is asked on a program of legal advice. The answer from a broadcast of a department of agriculture.
But as we shall soon see, both the heifer and the inheritance are bound together in the mind of God."
("Genesis", Vol.1).

WHAT HAVE WE HERE??
Today if we made an agreement with someone, perhaps to sell them our house, we
would sign a contract, both must sign to make it legal, solicitors would advise, and so on. In Abram's day the
two parties to an agreement would slaughter some animals, cut them in pieces, and arrange the pieces in two
lines. Then the two parties would solemnly walk together down the middle of the lines. What they were doing
was pledging in the presence of blood, suffering and death, that they surely intended to keep the terms of the
contract.

There are three kinds of legal covenants in OT Scripture: 1. The covenant of blood (Gen.15:10; Jer.34:18,19); 2.
The covenant of a shoe (Ruth 4:7,8); 3. The covenant of salt (Num.18:19; 11 Chron.13:5).

UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES
That Israel today has been promised the Holy Land is shown right from the
Covenant of the Almighty with Abraham, who believed God. God Himself made a covenant in blood to that
effect! There were no heavenly strings attached, Abraham and his seed's possession of Palestine and its
wealth was:
1. ANNOUNCED in Genesis 12:1-4;
2. CONFIRMED in Genesis 13:14-17;
3. And legally RATIFIED in BLOOD in Genesis 15:8-18.

Abraham was put into a deep sleep by God, and as he slept, God's presence actually passed through the
covenant pieces of animals ALONE. Abraham did not have to walk between the bloody lines, why not?
Because there were no conditions, nothing for Abraham to do. It was GOD who ratified the promise by Himself.
He will never break that contract with His Chosen Nation, He will never cast them away forever, or give the
Promised Land to any other peoples. He has pledged in BLOOD!

WHY "ABRAM" AND "ABRAHAM"?
Two names, same man. Abram's name was changed to "Abraham" which
means, "Father of a great multitude." Abram becomes Abraham in Genesis 17:4-5. In chapter seventeen the
Abrahamic Covenant is confirmed again, this time by God as EL SHADDAI, Almighty God.

God commands Abraham to circumcise himself and all the male children of his household (17:9-14). And each
future male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day of birth. Abraham was the first man to be
circumcised. Circumcision of the flesh, without circumcision of the heart, was seen by Abraham himself as
worthless, and is shown so in Scripture (Deut. 10:12,16). The Christian Church set aside circumcision in Acts
15:29.

SCOFIELD COMMENTS:
"God's promises to Abram and his seed certainly did not terminate at Sinai with the
giving of the law (Gal.3:17). Both OT and NT are full of post-Sinaitic promises concerning Israel and the land which is to be Israel's everlasting possession (Ex.32:13; 33:1-3; Lev. 23:10; 25:2; 26:6; Dt 6:1-23; 8:1-18; Josh. 1:2,11; 24:13; Acts 7:17; Rom.9:4). But, as a specific test of Israel's stewardship of divine truth, the dispensation of Promise was superseded, though not annulled, by the law that was given at Sinai (Ex.19:3ff)."

In Abraham's life-span the first mention of the "Angel of the Lord" appears in Scripture. Many Biblical scholars
state that this "Angel of the Lord" is another name for Christ Jesus, His appearing before His incarnation, called
a "Theophany". The passage shows our Lord's love and compassion toward sinners, it is a lovely one indeed!
Abraham had compromised (Genesis 16:1-15). Sarai had talked Abram into fathering a child with her Egyptian
maid Hagar, so that they could adopt the child. Ishmael was born when Abram was 86 years old. Hagar was
very arrogant during her pregnancy, resulting in her dismissal from the household by Sarai. God, by the way
never approved polygamy, He only permitted it in the OT (Gen.2:23; 1 Tim.3:2; compare Gen.16:5).

Hagar was found by the Angel of the Lord (the Lord Jesus Christ) beside a desert spring, and he commanded
her to return to Abram and Sarai. Ishmael, the child of Sarai and Abram, was the progenitor of the Arabs,
Muhammed, the founder of Islam, came from the line of Ishmael. The line of Ishmael has always been
traditionally the enemy of Israel. Abram's lapse into unbelief brought a heavy penalty."

(Extract from the Bible Study Diploma Course,
see our Website for the whole course).

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