Rehoboth Bible Seminars

South African officials facilitate fraudulent immigration and issue supporting documentation. This is treasonous behavior.

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I look better at 70 than I did at 30 – here's how Fitness expert Liz Hilliard shares her secret to her super-sculpted body at 70

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Jesus our High Priest / Hebrews 5:5-20 / Sandile Swana / NMC

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Jesus Christ is a priest in the order of Melchizedek
By Sandile Swana
Noordheuwel Methodist Church. Krugersdorp
2024-03-18
Hebrews 5:10
New International Version - UK
10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5:9-10
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
9 And, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him,
10 Being [a]designated and recognized and saluted by God as High Priest after the order (with [b]the rank) of Melchizedek.

Jesus became the Author and source of eternal salvation to those who obey Him.
Jesus was recognized by God as a priest after the Order of Mechizedek- this order was always superior to the order of Levi and superior even to Abraham.
Hebrews 7:8-22
New International Version - UK
8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Jesus like Melchizedek
11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:
‘You are a priest for ever,
in the order of Melchizedek.’[a]
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
‘The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest for ever.”’[b]
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
A. Melchizedek and Jesus Christ represent indestructible life- you and I join God in eternity and immortality as invisible spirits through union and obedience to Christ. In fact eternal life starts straight away, once you live in communion with Christ you have entered eternal life and the indestructible life-
John 17:3
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
3 And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.
B. The order of Mechizedek falls outside the law of Moses relative to each believer and also relative to the priestly order itself- the priestly order of Levi which was announced by Moses is based on a biological lineage. Christianity and the order of Melchizedek traces no genealogy, that order of Melchizedek was already in operation from before the beginning of time, long before Moses and Aaron, and is based on an oath from God and it is eternal , it is permanent. The Christian Priest ( the Annointed One = Christ) if you like never dies and starts an indestructible life in us.
Hebrews 7:1-4
New International Version - UK
Melchizedek the priest
7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace’. 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest for ever.

4 Just think how great he was: even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!

Before Levi and the Levitical Priestly order was born- The eternal priestly order of Christ- the order of Melchizedek was already in place. God never wanted a priesthood based on any particular genealogy or human rules or human order. Everything that relates to God must be done by faith in Spirit and in truth, and nothing must be achieved because of the will and efforts of man without faith and the energy of the Holy Spirit. You must not be too quick to link spirituality to biology without first establishing a link to the timeless, eternal and immortal lineage of Christ the last Adam.

C. Our lives are not harmonised with God through laws and human effort but through faith and obedience to that faith. Jesus prayed to God and he went through many temptations and suffering regardless of his impressive prayer life and prayers, but even in those hardships and temptations he was still fully persuaded about God, the love of god, the mercy of God and the grace of God towards Christ and towards all of humanity.
Hebrews 4:15
New International Version - UK
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.

God believes in Christians who win the trials, tribulations, and temptations. You and I must also hand ourselves over to Christ regardless of any temptation, tribulation, or trial- that then is obedience that is learnt to through suffering. You cannot become perfect without practice. Confronting temptations, trials and tribulations matures you and makes you proper and reliable.

Matthew 4:1-4
New International Version
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

Do not pray for trials and tribulations, learn more of your lessons by practicing the word of God.

D. Christ obeyed God because of faith and Adam disobeyed God because of lack of faith. We are also told that we have no excuse because God gives faith to us as a free gift so that you or me cannot boast that through human effort we have this great faith- No. faith is a free gift from God. But that order of Melchizedek terminates all the unbelief and disobedience of Adam. Jesus is the last Adam, a new foundation once and for all time.
Romans 5:18-19
New International Version - UK
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Hebrews 5:8-9
New International Version - UK
8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

Faith and obedience go together- we obey because we have complete confidence in God, His love. Mercy and grace. Without obedience there is no fellowship and there is no family of God. Regardless of what you feel or think , you must make sure you understand the word of God
and obey it and do it.
1 John 3:10
New International Version - UK
10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
E. Jesus in reality restarted human spiritual life- the scripture talks about two Adams, anything in between Adam and Jesus the Christ had to be subjected to a complete restart or a reformat and reboot. Christians are New Creations on every continent, in every language and culture- based on Christ the man whose priestly order is not based on any lineage and it unites kingship and priesthood. That is what makes us a royal priesthood across all continents and across all nations and cultures, introducing the kingdom of God in all affairs of humankind.
1 Corinthians 15:45
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life].

Once you become a Christian, you become part of the Royal family of God and also part of the Priesthood of Christ of the Order of Melchizedek. You do not become a priest by committee or by belonging to any particular clan or language group.
1 Peter 2:9-10
New International Version - UK
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Order as part of Good Governance
By
Sandile Swana
2024-03-18

1 Corinthians 14:40
English Standard Version
40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

A. As people, in the church or anywhere in society governance requires that all things be done according to good order. The bible calls us to do all things according to order and decency.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Order
ORDER
or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein ( diatassein, taxis, tagma)):
"Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate
(1) arrangement in rows,
(2) sequence in time,
(3) classification and organization,
(4) likeness or manner,
(5) regulation, direction or command, or
(6) the declaring of a will.
1 Corinthians 14:37-40
New International Version - UK
37 If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.[a]
39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
In this case there was disorder in how the gifts of speaking tongues and prophecy were being used haphazardly without proper benefit to the church nor a good understanding what the gifts are for.
The order would then come about when:
a. Occasions when a particular gift should be used- when speaking in tongues without interpretation, that should only happen in private. Used only for individual edification.
Speaking in tongues with interpretation is for the edification of the church with fruitful understanding.
Paul issued a command on behalf of Christ- declaring the will of Christ in the situation. The consequence of the command was that anyone who ignored the command would also be ignored by the church. Order clarifies what must be done and what must not be done concenrining a particular matter.
B. Order often creates clarity in that which we believe, so that we are not chaotic or misled or even deceived very easily in order that we fall outside the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. Maturity, is part of order because maturity creates stable behaviour and settledness. Christians must always be able to see the difference between false doctrines and the authentic gospel of Christ- that creates order in the church. Furthermore misniters and elders must operate according to their respective offices and functions as they supply edification and nourishment to the church.
Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

C. In addition all believers have offices and functions in the Christian Church that operates and functions under the kingdom of God to deliver services to human society. These offices require that each believer has a realistic picture of who they are and how much faith they have.

Romans 12:4-8
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

D. Order also deals with how people in different age groups and categories such as widows, children, young men etc ought to behave. In human society old men must behave to the godly standard for old men, young men the same, widows and young women also must know how to proceed in society for the sake of Good Order.
1 Timothy 3:15
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

Governance: Christian Justice in a South African context
By
Sandile Swana
Radio Pulpit
2024-03-11
Christ came around to introduce social justice for all peoples on earth, to remove earthly and spiritual bo***ges and oppressions on all of humanity. Christ points at poverty as an enemy to be destroyed or what many call economic justice, poverty is an economic injustice. Poverty damages the image of God in each poor human being and limits the flourishing of their Gd given gifts.
He points to the release of all those who may have been enslaved, human trafficking, false imprisonment, and intimidation that limits the freedoms of humans in their local communities terrorised by corrupt politicians, police, magistrates and by organised crime among other things that limit freedom.
Christ talks about the destruction of ignorance so that the eyes of our understanding may be opened, this talks to free access to data, facts, knowledge, and wisdom that opens our eyes. The bible tells us that in all your getting get understanding. This means the child in White City Jabavu, Soweto, must have the access to knowledge and wisdom as the child in Randburg. The child in Qwaqwa must enjoy the same access to knowledge and wisdom as the child in Bloemfontein- that is epistemic justice or knowledge justice.
Christ also came to announce the year of Jubilee, where freedom for all people and across all spheres of human life comes about- those who are down-trodden are raised and set free, those who are door mats in their homes, workplaces and communities are raised back to be in the fullness of the image of the Son of God.
Luke 4:18-19
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],
19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day [a]when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound].
Christ also taught that all of us must learn and practice forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration. Those people we have wrong must also be repaired by us with our own resources and efforts. Christian justice is restorative justice, it repairs what was damaged.
Once through Christ and the bible you discover your injustices and sins against fellow humans and heathens, then you must restore, restitute and reconcile properly and a tangible and measurable way.
Luke 19:1-10
New International Version
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Do not invent excuses why the victims of your sins deserve to be robbed or r***d etc, no!!. Confess your sins, ask for forgiveness from those you damaged, repair at your own cost what was damaged, and also repair the damaged relationship.

Christ warned leaders not to be hypocrites, punishing small crooks and while rewarding and promoting the bigger crooks. He warned that we must not do small things that make us look holy while in reality after dark we do the most outrageous crimes and injustices secretly and claim credit for inconsequential things.
Matthew 23:23-24
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cu**in, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law—right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.
24 You blind guides, filtering out a gnat (insect) and gulping down a [a]camel!

Even in public affairs we must raise the standard of morality and justice. When the enemies of Daniel investigated him and all of his work they could not find fault anywhere, not in his private life and not in his public and professional life.
Daniel 6:4-5
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
4 Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion [to bring accusation] against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion or fault, for he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion [to bring accusation] against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

Our leaders have written the most pure provisions in our laws, but like hypocrites they do the opposite. Look at the Public Finance Management Act in South Africa section 50:
50. Fiduciary duties of accounting authorities.—(1) The accounting authority for a public entity must— (a) (b) exercise the duty of utmost care to ensure reasonable protection of the assets and records of the public entity; 46 act with fidelity, honesty, integrity and in the best interests of the public entity in managing the financial affairs of the public entity;

These words were voted for by our members of parliament and passed into law and then disobeyed year in year out. These are double standards that create many injustices in South Africa where in reality the leaders do not render to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar, that is they do not render to the communities and the nation what duly belongs to the nation and the communities due to conflict of interest.

Amen.

Africa

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Love and blessing between siblings.
By
Sandile Swana
2024-02-03
Adam as a father had done his job of introducing godly worship to his sons, but was the job thorough and complete?? Adam had even trained his sons to live productive lifestyles- the one was a crop farmer working with plants, Cain the first born and Abel the second born was farming with sheep. But were both boys thoroughly groomed in the faith, were they taught to live by faith and by faith alone.
Genesis 4:1-8
Good News Translation
Cain and Abel
4 Then Adam had in*******se with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, “By the Lord's help I have gotten a son.” So she named him Cain.[a] 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling;[b] but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”
8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out in the fields.”[c] When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

God created humans and gave them commands and guidelines how to live a successful life on earth. The father is always supposed to teach his entire household so that they are aware of the commands of God, and are competent in carrying them out.
Everything in the kingdom of God is righteous only because it is done by faith and faith itself works by love. Adam taught his sons to live by faith and to do all things by faith – Abel is the first correct template of faith, quoted as such by Jesus Christ and by the book of Hebrews, but his elder brother did not take the lesson on faith in. So, any child needs to operate their profession and trade by faith- in the present case cain was a cropper or plant farmer and Abel a shepherd of the sheep or animal farmer. The giving of first fruits or offerings to God is part and parcel of the training of young workers and businessman and all of that must be done by faith. Only the best must be given to God by faith.
The bible is clear, anything that is not done by faith is sin.
Romans 14:23 AMP
But he who is uncertain [about eating a particular thing] is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin [whatever is done with doubt is sinful].
The fuel of faith and what compels us to act on the commands of God is love for God and love for our fellow human beings, nothing else. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of Love. Love energises and activates faith and faith energises action, both faith and love are demonstrated when our actions agree with the Word of God.
Galatians 5:6
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.
Faith comes when we hear the word of God, first and foremost the father must teach his children the undiluted Word of God. Teaching must be by both word and by correct example. The word of God when it is heard it produces faith and that is the gift of God to us. Faith itself is a gift from God.
Romans 10:17
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
17 So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).
Romans 10:17
New International Version - UK
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

So then it becomes clear that Abel became a hero of the faith, ahead of His elder brother , Cain, because he heard the Word of God from his father and continued to act on it. Cain heard the same word of God but never took action on it, the word of God never became the automatic lifestyle of Cain. So faith improves through regular use or regular practice and renewing of the mind.
Hebrews 11:4
4 [Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
So clearly Abel was able to prepare a pleasing sacrifice to God because his heart was aligned with that of God and hence he knew what it is that God calls an offering, a righteous offering. The Word of God must be believed and acted upon as it is , not diluted and without doubt and without hesitation.
Hebrews 4:2
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
2 For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bo***ge came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with [a]the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; [b]neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).

So the pattern of scripture is that God has much greater and decisive preference for those who believe, those who have faith but God rejects those who do not have faith. So, Caleb and Joshua in essence had the spirit of faith just like Abel but the majority of the elder Israelites did not believe the report about the promised land and the promises of God they were rejected just like Cain.
Hebrews 4:2
New International Version - UK
2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a
Jesus taught that Abel was righteous, because he had faith inside and his good deeds outside were prompted by faith and hence were righteous, but the teachers of the Jews always wanted to look good outside while they harboured murderous thoughts inside. So the teachers of the Jews were like Cain. We must also then teach our own children not to be double minded and two faced but to rely only on God by faith and by love.
Matthew 23:35
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
35 So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous ([a]those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar [of burnt offering].
1 John 3:12
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
12 [And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother’s were righteous (virtuous).
Cain, had not benefited from the training of his father- and could not see that simply by correcting his attitude and practices he could also be on good terms with God. Cain ignored clear guidance from God, which was going to make him successful instead he decided to murder his successful brother out of jealousy. Jealousy must be rooted out of young children and never tolerated thereafter.
Genesis 4:6-8
New International Version - UK
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’[a] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Remember that no child becomes good by himself but the child must be trained and the child must obey the training.
‘ Give me a child till he is seven years old,’ said St Ignatius Loyola, ‘ and I will show you the man.’
The founder of the Jesuit Brotherhood was way ahead of his time. For most of human history, serious-minded adults paid scant attention to the under-sevens. After all, small children have no obvious economic worth. They’re also difficult to control and apparently impervious to reason…
But neuroscience has proved Loyola right. Children’s experiences in those first seven years – when formation of the neural networks is governed largely by emotion – will affect their behaviour throughout life. As an international organisation determined to mould human souls for its own purposes, the Jesuit Brotherhood was spot on in targeting the very young .

Proverbs 22:15
Good News Translation
15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.
God teaches us that training and development goes hand in glove correction and punishment, the very things Abel was hostile to. A wayward child must be corrected when they are still young, waywardness must not be regarded as cuteness or anything else, it must be corrected harshly.
Hebrews 12:7-11
Good News Translation
7 Endure what you suffer as being a father's punishment; your suffering shows that God is treating you as his children. Was there ever a child who was not punished by his father? 8 If you are not punished, as all his children are, it means you are not real children, but bastards. 9 In the case of our human fathers, they punished us and we respected them. How much more, then, should we submit to our spiritual Father and live! 10 Our human fathers punished us for a short time, as it seemed right to them; but God does it for our own good, so that we may share his holiness. 11 When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad, not glad. Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life.