Lately I have been discussing the seven troubles during my studies and sermons. The seven have indeed permeated the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Check it out. This is what I posted today.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Wellspring of Doubt, May We Together Stamp It Out!
Birthdays today, Rev. Laura – 40 years (ironic, as you will note in a moment.)
Tara (Wayne Bartosh’s daughter)
In the past two sermons, both Wednesday and Sunday, I spoke on the wellspring of the seven troubles, from whence one became seven. That one is DOUBT. In my studies, I found thirty-three verses involving the word DOUBT as written, and known. The last of the thirty-three verses will be gone over on Wednesday, the remainder of the New Testament will open your eyes that much further. Working with me are not one, not two, not three, but FOUR of you who are my most frequent listeners, and contacts. For this reason, and for reasons revealed since writing Sunday’s sermon, I believe that we must discern all that can be found in regard to doubt.
Doubt is defined as being a lack of faith, and conviction; questioning.
How often do we question God? We do, you realize, sometimes we do so every single day.
Here are the synonyms for DOUBT, there are forty – ah, bet you weren’t expecting that:
1 agnosticism, -0 – we will seek coinciding words for these three.
2 ambiguity, -0
3 apprehension, -0
4 confusion, -25 verses check this out.
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=confusion&searchtype=all&version1=9&spanbegin=1&spanend=73 5 demurral, -0
6 difficulty, -0
7 diffidence, -0
8 dilemma, -0
9 disbelief, -0
10 discredit, -0
11 disquiet, -8 verses I Samuel 28:15; Psalm 38:8; Psalm 39:6; Psalm 42:5; Psalm 42:11; Psalm 43:5; Proverbs 30:21; Jeremiah 50:34
12 distrust, -0
13 dubiety, -0
14 dubiousness, -0
15 faithlessness, -0
16 faltering, -0
17 fear, -501 verses (I hope you don’t expect me to put them all in, LOL. Seek answers here.
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=fear&searchtype=all&version1=9&spanbegin=1&spanend=73 )
18 hesitancy, -0
19 hesitation, -0
20 incertitude, -0
21 incredulity, -0
22 indecision, -0
23 irresolution, -0
24 lack of confidence, -0
25 misgiving, -0
26 mistrust, -0
27 perplexity, -3 verses! Isaiah 22:5; Micah 7:4; Luke 21:25
28 problem, -0
29 qualm, -0
30 quandary, -0
31 rejection, -0
32 reluctance, -0
33 scruple, -0
34 skepticism, -0
35 suspense, -0
36 suspicion, -0
37 uncertainty, -0
38 vacillation, -0
39 wavering – 2 verses! Hebrews 10:23; James 1:6
40 dispute – 7 verses! Job 23:7; Mark 9:33; Mark 9:34; Acts 9:29; Acts 17:17; I Corinthians 1:20; Jude 1:9
In your messages in your inboxes, those of you who have given them to me that is, I have sent you a huge list considering the various forms of doubt. Those include what are listed here. To discover how many of the forty have links in the Scriptures, I had to do further exploration. I want you to see these various verses. In order for us to wipe doubt from our behavior, from our existence and from our psyche, we must learn how doubt disguises itself.
Did you notice something intriguing? There are only six of the forty words that have verses to coincide. Remember, God worked six days and rested on the seventh, naming that seventh day the Sabbath. One of the seven troubles bore the remaining six. The fact that we are learning all of this gives us so much to continue checking into. The path that we walk together now is one of perilous pursuit. It is the hard way to find that truth, but we MUST find it. We MUST fight our DOUBT, and we MUST share what we learn. Of these verses, these stand out for me. Today I will share with you some of the verses for CONFUSION, DISQUIET, and FEAR. Tomorrow I will share with you the verses in the remaining three choices.
Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. (Ezra 9:7 KJV)
If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; (Job 10:15 KJV)
In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. (Psalm 71:1 KJV)
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (Psalm 42:11 KJV)
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: (Proverbs 30:21 KJV)
Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:34 KJV)
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. (Genesis 21:17 KJV)
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:11 KJV)
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14 KJV)
Sometimes we feel confused about Scripture. This is why we discuss the various avenues that the prophets and scribes who wrote these sacred words through God’s Inspiration through the Holy Spirit. There are many, many secrets to be found in Scripture. There are also many patterns that we must be watchful for. Brother Lloyd notes patterns in the numbers, and in specific numbers. Brother Wayne has noted there is a definite discernable path upon which we have been exploring. Brother Cal too has been seeing many traces that would be, to my scriptural mind, worthy of pursuit. Our tendency toward DOUBT must be corrected, but, in order for us to do so, we have to find how DOUBT hides in the rest of Scripture. I would enjoy, sincerely, learning about what you find. May the Lord bless us with wisdom in knowledge through this study, Amein and so it shall be. Let’s seriously think about it.
Rev. Laura A. Neff
The Rainbow Minister
Covenant of Hope Ministries
http://www.covenantofhopeministries.poetic-expressions.net/index.html (live sermons page)
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http://www.mychurch.org/rainbowminister http://www.covenantofhopeministries.webs.com/ (videos page, Covenant of Hope Ministries Live)
http://www.stickam.com/covenant_of_hope