Book of Revelation Update

I have updated the Welcome Bible Book of Revelation.

The Revelation of St John

I have been working on the Welcome Bible paraphrase for many years starting in 2001. This is probably my 12^th revision.

I'll continue to revise and update the other books/epistles as I have time.

Psalm 95:1 A Devotional Thought

OH come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. (Psalms 95:1, NKJV)

Psalms 95 is an invitation to come and worship God.

This verse is in parallelism. Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. Basically it is saying one thing two different ways. This is to reinforce, interpret, or even in what seems to be opposite but has a common theme. Two articles that will help are here and here.

In this verse the common idea is to sing. This is expressed in two similar ways.

1. Let us sing to the LORD.
   
2. Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
   

The words sing and shout joyfully are expressing the same idea, as are the words LORD and Rock of our salvation.

The word for sing is rânan (H7442). This word means to make a loud sound as shouting, talking, or singing loudly. So the singing is not to be to one's self but for a large group to make a large sound with their singing. The loud singing isn't because the LORD is deaf but rather as a testimony to others. It is used, for example, in Leviticus 9:24 when God's fire fell and burnt everything on the altar. The people seeing this screamed and fell on the faces. It is usually translated sing and indicates the type of singing—loud singing.

The word for shout joyfully is ruwa` (H7321) which is to make such a large sound that it splits the air, breaks something as a very loud shout to warn others of a coming disaster—LOOK OUT! It is used for example in Joshua 6:20 when the people shouted and Jericho's wall fell. It is also used in Ezra 3:11 and Ezra 3:13.

This singing is to be to the LORD. He is the only God and the psalmist wants everyone to know it. The Rock of our salvation is descriptive of God. This rock is solid and unmoving. His salvation is solid and unmoving, too. Compare Psalm 62:7. The Christian knows that this Rock is the Messiah, Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:4).

We thus can freely sing, loudly sing, for joy. Salvation has been granted, and we look forward to the time that Messiah is ruling in Jerusalem.

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty thunders, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty has begun to reign! (Revelation 19:6, EMTV)

Colossians 1:9-20 Notes

Chapter 1:9-20

 

A1 Scripture

B1 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:9-20, NKJV)

B2 For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him. Your lives will produce all kinds of good deeds, and you will grow in your knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light. --- He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. (Colossians 1:9-20, GNB92)

 

A2 Outline: The Preeminence of Christ

B1 Paul's Prayer for the Colossians' Christian Life Colossians 1:9-14

C1 Continual Prayer

D1 For them to be filled with knowledge of His will

E1 In wisdom

E2 In spiritual understanding

E2 To walk (live the Christian life)

E1 Walk worthily

E2 Fully pleasing Him

E3 Fruitful in every good work

E4 Increasing in the knowledge about God

E5 Strengthened with all power

F1 That comes from God

F2 For patience

F3 For longsuffering with joy

C2 Giving thanks to the Father who

D1 Has qualified us to be partakers of the saint's inheritance

D2 Has delivered us from the power of darkness

D3 Has conveyed us into His Son's kingdom. The Son has given us

E1 Redemption

E2 The forgiveness of sins

B2 The Preeminence of Christ Colossians 1:15-20

C1 He is

D1 The image of the invisible God

D2 The firstborn over all creation

C2 He has

D1 Created all things

E1 In heaven

E2 On earth

E3 Visible or invisible

E4 Ranks/levels

F1 Thrones

F2 Dominions

F3 Principalities

F4 Powers

C3 All things were created through Him and for Him

C4 He is before all things

C5 All things consist in Him

C6 He is the head of the body (the church)

C7 He is the beginning

C8 He is the firstborn from the dead

C9 He has the preeminence in and over everything

C10 He has all the fullness of God

C11 He is the only Savior, the Reconciler

D1 Of things in heaven

D2 Of things on earth

D3 Made peace by/through the blood of the Cross

 

A3 Notes

B1 The idea of always praying does not mean they pray 24/7/365 as if there is nothing else to do. It is a prayer life day by day whether in a scheduled prayer time or when he thinks about them.

B2 The knowledge of His will refers to knowing God's will.

C1 What God's will is. How to apply this knowledge.

C2 This can only be done by studying the Bible.

C3 The word knowledge here refers to not just knowing by rote but in knowing the ins and outs, the principles, and the application.

B3 The knowledge of His will.

C1 Knowledge of what His will is.

C2 Two possibilities

D1 To be wise and have spiritual understanding, thus how to apply God's will in whatever situation we face and to do this with wisdom and spiritual understanding.

D2 To handle this knowledge with wisdom and spiritual understanding.

B4 Wisdom is taking knowledge and using it correctly in any situation.

B5 Understanding is knowing the ins and outs of something.

C1 I can know that a certain medicine is used for an illness, but understanding would be to know why and how it works.

C2 Spiritual understanding would be the highest as in why does God offer salvation to humans, what God is against covertness.

B6 The whole purpose of knowing God's will in wisdom and spiritual understanding is to live a Christian life in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. It would also include the correct motive.

B7 Walk worthy of the Lord means life my life in such a way that God would be pleased.

B8 Fully pleasing is God is pleased. No one can do this, of course, except the Lord Jesus himself. (Matthew 3:17).

B9 Being fruitful in every good work.

C1 The result/s of our life, what we do, what we say, and what we think.

C2 Fruitful relates to the fruit of the Spirit, not material success. (Ephesians 5:9 and Galatians 5:22-23).

C3 Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit. (John 15:5)

C4 God prunes the branches so more fruit can be produced. (John 15:2)

B10 Increasing in the knowledge of God.

C1 Know more about how He thinks, does, and is.

C2 Characteristics of God.

B11 Strengthened with all might. God helps us to achieve the above. He is the one who works these things into our lives. (John 15:4-5)

B12 Patience and longsuffering. The Christian life is filled with many perils whether they are spiritual, emotional, or physical.

C1 These perils are solely because one is a Christian.

C2 We all stumble and need to realize others stumble as well.

C3 For this we need prayer and forgiveness.

C4 We need to know that God does have a standard and need to encourage each to follow this standard. C5 A particular group of people, church group, or whatever may have a standard, but that is a church or personal standard, but we need to foremost know and follow God's standard.

B13 Joy is the emotion of peace and something pleasing that has happened. The Greek stands for cheerfulness. It is hard to imagine but with God's help we can endure longsuffering with joy.

B14 The Father is the one who qualifies us to be partakers of the inheritance of God's people. We do not qualify ourselves. Qualify is to be up to a set of standards.

B15 Partakers are those who have some action in common.

C1 A group of people can each have a piece of a pizza; they are partakers.

C2 In this case the partakers are those qualified by God to each partake in the saint's inheritance, which is heaven with all its blessings. (Matthew 25:34, Acts 26:18, 1 Peter 1:2-5)

B16 In the light is opposite of in darkness.

C1 Darkness is illustrative of sin and punishment.

C2 Light is illustrative of righteousness and heaven.

B17 He, God, has delivered us from the power of darkness to convey us to the kingdom of His Son.

C1 The power of darkness is sin and the devil's way. (Ephesians 6:12, 1 Peter 2:9)

C2 The deliverance was accomplished by ministry of Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 53:12, Acts 26:18, Hebrews 2:14)

C3 Conveying is the idea of carrying from one to another.

D1 The Greek word has the idea of transfer.

D2 We are transferred from being slaves to the devil, sin, and death, so being bond-slaves of God, righteousness, and life. (Titus 3:3-6)

B18 Redemption is a buying back.

C1 We have been sold to sin by birth and deeds and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

C2 Jesus died.

C3 His blood was the atoning sacrifice for sins.

C4 No shed blood, no redemption.

C5 The wages of sin is death.

C6 Someone has to pay this debt.

C7 We cannot, so the Lord Jesus did.

C8 Sins are forgiven, because the debt, death, has been paid.

B19 Some things about the Lord Jesus

C1 Image of the invisible God. Through our various senses we connect to the world around us. God is not material so we cannot connect physically to Him. Jesus is God in the flesh which could be. (1 John 1:1)

C2 Firstborn. This is the position of special privileges. Jesus is not the first created but the creator who is the authority over everything created.

C3 The creator of everything. Jesus was not created but the creator.

C4 Jesus is the creator of everything in heaven--the angels, and everything on earth.

C5 Thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers. Most believe these to be angelic orders, ranks, positions of authority and privilege.

C6 Everything was created for Him. For His pleasure, enjoyment, and fellowship.

C7 Consist has the idea of holding together. Because of the physical laws of today's universe things run down. He is the one who holds all together. (Hebrews 1:3)

C8 Head of the body. The body is the church. The church are the believers who have placed their faith into Jesus Christ by believing in what He has done and who He is. The Epistle to the Ephesians speaks much about this. He is the Lord, the boss. He is the highest position and power.

C9 The firstborn from the dead is the fact that Jesus was the first to be resurrected who will never die again. The other resurrections died again.

C10 All these things about Christ show that He is the highest of everything and everyone.

C11 All the fullness. That is Jesus, the man, is Jesus, the Son of God--God himself.

C12 There is no reconciliation between God and man except through Jesus. No religious leader, nothing a person can do, no ritual, no assistance from us. It is Christ and only Christ--Jesus is the only Christ (Messiah). This was done because Jesus paid the penalty for sin by dying and the shedding of His blood.

Prevenient Grace

Prevenient grace is the grace that precedes.

A Calvinist believes in prevenient grace as the grace that precedes salvation. An article on the question #50 on monergism.com states, "It is true, of course, that the regenerating grace of God must come before faith, and so in that sense it is prevenient." It is believed by Calvinists that "God grants his quickening grace to unbelievers, it does not merely given them the option to be alive--it makes them alive." In other words only the elect receive this grace but the nonelect only receive hell in its fullest without any chance for salvation (for God's glory, of course).

J. I. Packer in an article on "Regeneration" from his theology book "Concise Theology" writes,

"Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is its immediate fruit, not its immediate cause. Regeneration is the work of what Augustine called 'prevenient' grace, the grace that precedes our outgoings of heart toward God."

A classical/reformed Arminian or Wesley Arminian would believe that since all humanity is dead because of sin, no one seeks God. NO ONE SEEKS GOD! So the Scripture teaches in Romans 3:9-18. God is the first. God initiates. God seeks mankind. No human seeks God. God is the one who begins and ends salvation. Every single human being would absolutely go to hell deservingly so unless God starts, initiates, begins, and seeks mankind.

A. W. Tozer wrote,

"Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man.

Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow.

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. "No man can come to me," said our Lord, "except the Father which hath sent me draw him," and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: "Thy right hand upholdeth me."

In this divine "upholding" and human "following" there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hegel teaches, God is always previous. In practice, however, (that is, where God's previous working meets man's present response) man must pursue God. On our part there must be positive reciprocation if this secret drawing of God is to eventuate in identifiable experience of the Divine. In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" This is deep calling unto deep, and the longing heart will understand it.

–Excerpted from A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, chapter 1 (this was found on evangelicalarminians org.

Thus God gets all the glory for salvation. When Jesus commanded, "Repent" a person can resist or not resist. "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, you also do. (Acts 7:51, EMTV)

Most Calvinists and Arminians preach the Gospel. Starting with the Law of God showing all that they are not good but evil and are deserving of hell fire, they proceed to the grace of God found only in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, who is the only savior.

But the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22, NKJV)

Animal Cruelty

The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)

The meaning of this verse is to treat animals with gentleness and meet their needs as best as possible.

This article shows what one person is alleged to have done. It is the absolute opposite of the Bible. It is the breaking of God's law.

Cops: Woman Drowned Puppy In Airport Toilet After Not Being Allowed To Board Plane With Animal

After Nebraska airport workers refused to allow her to board a plane with a three-week-old puppy, a woman allegedly went into a nearby bathroom and drowned the animal in a toilet bowl, police allege.

Compassion is a Christian virtue. If it is not present in a person's life, one must one about that person's commitment to Jesus Christ.

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

The times compassion is not seen in God is in judgment. When His law has been broken, He punishes. When someone crosses His line, then the time for mercy has been exhausted.

Let us show compassion to the animals.

The Many Forms of Lying

To honor the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words. (Proverbs 8:13)

False words, lying, saying one thing but meaning something else. Not only does this apply to false words but also false actions.

A tale of false actions.

A pair of farmers took out crop insurance, but then did many things to sabotage their crop. After the crop failure, they would collect on their crop insurance.

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Fraud

"Farmers can buy insurance to protect themselves in case they lose their crops to natural disasters such as floods, drought or hail. It also covers policy holders if prices for agricultural commodities decline and revenue drops. An article posted on ValleyNewsLive.com tells about two brothers who sabotaged their own potato crops in order to collect millions of dollars in federal assistance.

The story states…"

It took a while to uncover the fraud, but indeed it was. Now the farmers are going to have a little vacation—in prison.

Two other concepts from the Bible:

"But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23, NKJV). That is your sin will catch up with you and be oblivious.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7, NKJV)

All forms of lying will sooner or later be known. It is better to tell the truth.

If we all lived by God's rules, life would be better.

Parents Need to Ask Forgiveness, too

A message from Benjamin Watson

 

Today I had to ask my son for his forgiveness. Like many parents we've tried to teach our children how to treat others how they would like to be treated. We've talked about loving, sharing, and respecting each other. We teach our kids to bless others who may be less fortunate. They routinely ask us for ways they can help the homeless and hungry among us. As Christians, we teach them about the God who created them, and who sent his Son in order to bring them eternal life and relationship with himself. We pray together as a family at night and attend church regularly. Sounds pretty good huh? We are intentional about instilling values in our children because we want them to enjoy proper fellowship with their fellow man as well as their Heavenly Father. We want them to become well rounded, mature adults who are emotionally, physically and spiritually developed. AND most importantly, we don't want them to HIT, SPIT AT, FIGHT, or BITE each other, or do anything else that causes Mommy or Daddy to yell, "STOP IT" 45 times!!!!

Every few nights we sing songs before bed. One favorite goes like this,

"Be ye kind, one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another even as Christ has forgiven you. E-phe-sians four thirty two, ba dum, ba dum, E-phe-sians four thirty two, ba dum, ba dum." (Ephesians 4:32)

Honestly, when we sing that song I'm hoping THEY internalize those words and I don't have to discipline, correct or separate anyone for at least a couple hours. 
But today, I was the one who wasn't kind, or tender hearted and had to ask forgiveness from my child. Sparing all the details, I will say I became agitated because my son, instead of asking for help to get his clothes off for bath time began to cry uncontrollably out of frustration. I instructed him and implored him about what he should do and how he should ask, to no avail. The tears were in full force. At this point I became angry, my tone changed, and while I never insulted him (calling him a crybaby) I was not communicating with him in a kind, tender hearted or loving way. I was the antithesis of that song and that verse.

After quickly bathing and dressing him he went downstairs and I went to my room, convicted by the Holy Spirit. And so, I, the daddy, the teacher, the "mature" one, went downstairs and begged for my son's forgiveness. He gave me one of the best hugs I've ever had. Thank God children don't hold grudges very long!

Sometimes, parenting will drive you to your limits. These children that give us so much joy can drive us to our wits end, testing every fiber of our patience. As we teach them right and wrong we must ALWAYS be willing to DEMONSTRATE right and wrong. All the church songs, Bible verses, core values and morals will mean nothing to them as they grow older if we don't live them out in our daily lives. This includes admitting our shortcomings. We must be willing to humble ourselves and ask them for forgiveness when we mistreat them. In word, thought or deed, it will happen. Even the most devoted parents will fall short of perfection at times. When this happens we must be willing to show our children, that while they must obey us, we in turn must obey God. And if that means a 34 year old telling a 3 year old he's sorry, and asking for forgiveness. So be it.

Now I'm the one in tears.

What are the odds?

Evolution happens by just plain luck or happenstance. There is no reason, no intelligence, or guidance. So what are the odds that a functioning protein would just happen to be formed?

This article, Comparing the Odds: The Seahawks Game Versus...Evolution? explains.

"Even the most die-hard Seattle fans would agree that the odds of last week's Seahawks win were quite small. They had to come back from a 12-point deficit in the last three minutes of the game. At that point the odds for a win were only 0.1 percent.

CBS Sports said:

According to the win probability graph from ProFootballReference.com, the Seahawks only had a .70 percent chance of winning the game after Wilson's pick [interception at 5:04 to go] -- that's less than one percent.

Believe it or not though, things actually got worse after that. Seattle's chances of winning fell to .10 percent at the 3:07 mark after Wilson threw an incomplete pass to Jermaine Kearse.

So what won the game? For the Seahawks to take the championship a combination of intelligence, skill, and luck had to come together. But I'm betting it was mainly intelligence and skill that gave the breathtaking win to the Seahawks. It would be highly unlikely to have happened by chance alone.

Why? A chance of 0.1 percent…"

This is essentially improbable. To win the game took intelligence, not random happenings. Even though the Sea Hawks won against seemingly impossible odds, it was not just a random happening.

The same can be said for evolution.

Lesson 6

Lesson 6; God's Word must be the absolute authority.

 

A1 Objectives

B1 Describe Jesus's use of Scriptures to refute error.

B2 Recognize the authority of Scripture over tradition.

 

A2 Scripture

B1 Matthew 15:1-20: The Tradition of the Elders

B2 Mark 12:18-27 The Resurrection

B3 2 Timothy 2:14-26 Practical tips for living a successful Christian Life

 

A3 Notes

B1 The Tradition of the Elders

C1 The Scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to ask Jesus a question.

C2 Why don't your disciples wash their hands before they eat?

C3 Tradition of the Elders was considered equal with the Old Testament in matters concerning belief and conduct. From ISBE, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 3 classes of oral tradition.

D1 An oral tradition of quotes from Moses. These cannot be proven. Some religious groups still claim that they have traditions of Jesus's words that are not recorded in the Scriptures and they are equal to the Scriptures. Others have sayings today direct from Jesus himself.

D2 Decisions from highly respected Jewish religious judges.

D3 Interpretations of Scriptures given by a select group of highly regarded rabbis.

C4 Jesus answered their question with a question of His own.

B2 The Resurrection

C1 Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body

C2 Though they had a fool proof argument against the resurrection.

C3 Asked Jesus a question, "Who would have the wife if she had 7 husbands (each dying before remarrying)?

C4 Jesus didn't hesitate to answer that they did not know the Scripture, not the power of God.

C5 No marriage in heaven.

A4 Questions

B1 Was washing hands a commandment of God or tradition of the Elders?

C1 How they wasted their hands

D1 The minimum amount of water is 1/4th of a log (the volume of 1.5 medium sized eggs) and must reach the middle joint of the fingers. If you use more, you are blessed.

D2 With a cup/glass.

E1 The water after use must not touch the clean one.

E2 Someone else can do the pouring, or if alone must use a ritually cleanable container with two handles.

E3 The container/cup/pitcher as ceramic, metal, or plastic--basically a material that does not absorb like paper cups, etc.

E3 It is to be poured 2 (some say 3) times on one hand. (Fingers down, then fingers up)

E4 Then do the other.

E5 The right hand is cleaned first, then the left.

E6 Then rub the hands together using friction to clean debris.

E7 While you are pouring the water you must offer this prayer, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Thy commandments and has commanded us concerning the washing of the hands." (According to an article by Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs).

E8 After washing the hands, they need to be dried with a clean towel.

D3 Failure to do this is the same as unchastity or hanging out with a prostitute and is subject to be kicked out of the congregation.

D4 It was expected of Messiah to adhere to the strictest interpretations of the elders.

D5 Image:

C2 For what reasons. This list is from Wikipedia and based on the Traditions and Writings of the Elders.

D1 Some types require a special vessel and with some it is OK to use tap water.

D2 Hands

E1 Done with a blessing prior to eating

E2 Done after eating so as not to have impurities in the eyes

E3 After a full night's sleep or even a long nap.

E4 After touching

F1 Parts of the body that are normally covered as back, private parts, arm pits, etc.)

F2 Inside of the nose

F3 Inside of the ear

F4 The scalp (not just touching the hair)

F5 Leather shoes

F6 A ritually unclean animal

F7 Cutting your hair or nails

F8 Taking off your shoes

F9 Visiting a cemetery

F10 Sexual intercourse

F11 Expulsion of body fluids

F12 Participating in a funeral or coming within four cubits of a corpse.

F13 During the Passover meal before eating certain vegetables

F14 By a priest before offering a blessing on the people.

F15 Some would have before prayer, thus signifying purity before God.

D3 Body (thus a bath)

E1 A woman after her period

E2 Some Jews do on Friday afternoon before the Sabbath starts

E3 Upon conversion to Judaism.

E4 The day (eve) before certain special feasts (Passover, etc.).

E5 Before burial

E6 Before ascending the Temple Mount

C3 It is true that priests had required washings/baths before working/ministering in the Temple.

B2 Why did they put so much emphasis on the teaching of the Elders?

B3 Jesus was accused of violating the teaching of the Elders, but He showed plainly where they violating the teaching of God. How did this affect those Sadducees?

B4 Jesus calls them hypocrites. Is this the nice thing to say? (He's just telling the truth.)

B5 What does verse 11 teach us about what we say? (Certain food may defile an Jew, but certain type of talk is worse.)

B6 What do verses 19 & 20 say about defilement?

B7 How and when do we know to answer people's questions?

C1 A lot depends on their attitude. Do they want to know or are they asking a bunch of questions without even listening to the answer or worse just to trip up or make a teacher look stupid.

B8 Is the resurrection taught in the Old Testament?

C1 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27 NKJV)

C2 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isaiah 26:19 NKJV)

C3 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2 NKJV)

C4 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (Luke 24:46 NKJV)

D1 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalms 16:10 NKJV)

D2 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:52-53 NKJV)

B9 What Scripture did the Lord Jesus quote from? (Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:6 NKJV))

B7 Why didn't the Sadducees know the Scriptures of the power of God?

C1 They didn't believe God.

C2 They had a problem with their method of interpretation.

B8 What was the goal of the Sadducees in asking Jesus this question?

C1 They wanted to believe that He is not the Messiah.

C2 They wanted others to trust them rather than Jesus.

C3 They did not want to admit that Jesus was correct and they were wrong.

B9 How to we answer people with questions like this?

C1 The Scripture says...

C2 Interpret the passage in its plain, normal sense.

B10 2 Timothy 2:14. What are two things is Timothy to remind the believers of?

C1 Not to quarrel over words.

C2 Arguing does no good.

B11 How are we to apply this today?

C1 Yelling, screaming, getting in someone's face will not convince anyone. It will only harden them.

C2 Point out the truth. Speak the truth. Don't whitewash their spiritual condition.

B12 What is the word of truth? (Bible and Gospel).

B13 How do we rightly divide the Word of Truth? (A commentator, Alford, put it, "to manage rightly to treat truth fully without falsifying. Found in the Believer's Bible Commentary comment on 2 Timothy 2:15).

B14 What are profane and idle babblings? (They are nonsensical theological discussions as how many angels can dance of the head of a pin?). Where does that type of discussion lead to? (Ungodliness)

B15 Hymenaeus and Philetus taught false doctrine. They taught that the resurrection is past. How could this have been avoided?

C1 Interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense in context.

C2 Continue in right doctrine as taught in interpreting the Bible in its plain, normal sense.

B16 In 2 Timothy 2:22 what are youthful lusts?

B17 What is worth pursuing? Is this happening in the churches today? What are church people searching for today?

B18 What's the best way to correct someone in fault? (As in wrong doctrine or lifestyle).

B19 What is the snare of the devil and what does it do to people?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God Repents. What?

The Lord's Repentance


Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8, NKJV)


The word for repentance here conveys the idea of heavy breathing as in panting or sighing. It depends on the context. If it is to be understood as something good, then it will be translated comfort, etc. If the context is something negative, then it will be translated as being sorry, change the mind, etc.


In a good sense:

1. 1 Chronicles 7:22
   


2. Isaiah 40:1
   


3. Zechariah 1:17
   

In a bad sense:

1. Genesis 6:6
   


2. Job 42:6
   


3. Jeremiah 20:16
   

The basic sense, again, is an emotional change of mind, thus comfort, repent, be sorry for, etc.


So God did not commit a sin that He needed to repent, that is, change of character, rather it was an emotion of seeing things good and happy about it to seeing this evil and being sad about it.


K&D has "The force of יִנָּחֵם (nâcham), "it repented the Lord," may be gathered from the explanatory יִתְעַצֵּב` (atsab), "it grieved Him at His heart." This shows that the repentance of God does not presuppose any variableness in His nature of His purposes. In this sense God never repents of anything (1 Samuel 15:29), "quia nihil illi inopinatum vel non praevisum accidit" (Calvin). The repentance of God is an anthropomorphic expression for the pain of the divine love at the sin of man, and signifies that "God is hurt no less by the atrocious sins of men than if they pierced His heart with mortal anguish" (Calvin). The destruction of all, "from man unto beast," etc., is to be explained on the ground of the sovereignty of man upon the earth, the irrational creatures being created for him, and therefore involved in his fall. This destruction, however, was not to bring the human race to an end. "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." In these words mercy is seen in the midst of wrath, pledging the preservation and restoration of humanity." Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament on Genesis 6:6.


 

Another comment: "A peculiarly strong anthropathic expression, which, however, presents the truth that God, in consistency with his immutability, assumes a changed position in respect to changed man" (Lange). That he had made man on the earth. i.e. that he had created man at all, and in particular that he had settled him on the earth. And it grieved him at his heart. A touching indication that God did not hate man, and a clear proof that, though the Divine purpose is immutable, the Divine nature is not impassible." Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 6:6.

Impossible Questions?

"Answering Bugliosi's Unanswerable Questions

In his book "The Divinity of Doubt," former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi argues that agnosticism is the only sensible position to hold. But the book never gets to the heart of the Christian message. Instead, Bugliosi trots out the usual challenges to faith, mocking believers along the way with taunts about how his questions have never been, and cannot be, answered. Here's a sampling of his "can't be answered" questions: At the very beginning of the book, Bugliosi claims that theists have not a single fact to support their position. "By fact I mean a truth known by…" 

Are there really unanswerable questions that "prove" God cannot exist?

True Christianity is based on faith. This faith is a REASONABLE faith, not blind faith.

Most atheists that I have dealt with demand proof that has no possibility of doubt. They accept only what their senses "know". Eyewitnessed events are not accepted except from themselves and even then it might not be accepted.

Al Serrato provides the answer. A very good read!

Updates

I have updated the Sunday School series and the Bible Studies series.

3 Important Standards of Diligence

Benjamin Watson, an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints, has written an article, "Teaching Your Kids to Finish Strong." He gives 3 important points of not only starting with our best but finishing with our best. Even though the article deals with points of raising our children, the application to the Christian faith is obvious.

The 3 points are

1. Perseverance in Difficulty
   
2. Moral Character
   
3. A Commitment to Excellence
   

All Christians are called to preserve. There is no room for quitting when times get tough.

All Christians are called to have the moral character that pleases God. He watches our actions and motives. He encourages us and helps us in our race.

All Christians are called to excellence. There is no room for half-hearted Christians. It is all or nothing. Is your/my prayer life just one minute long? Is our Bible reading/studying only a couple of verses with an attitude well that is good enough?

A Christian must give it our all to finish strong. It is an attitude encouraged and helped by God Himself. Are we willing and will get to action?

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7, EMTV).

(See 1 Timothy 6:12, John 4:34 (Jesus is an example of how to finish strong), 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 3:14, and Hebrews 12:1).

Behold the Beauty of the Lord

Psalm 27:4 is a favorite of many. It reads, "One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple." (Psalms 27:4, NKJV)

The phrase "…to behold the beauty of the LORD…" to me sounds like is an egotistical, narcissistic monster who wants everyone to stare at Him and be overawed at His physical characteristics. Most Bibles translate the Hebrew with those same words.

It seems that this passage is not speaking of God's physical form, rather it refers to His character. It is not His physical beauty we are to admire but His character, His personality, and His way of life. It is just comforting and pleasant to be around Him.

Physical beauty is not to be the judge of a person (Proverbs 31:30, Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 11:22, 2 Samuel 14:25), but their character, personality, is (1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Peter 3:4, John 7:24). A pretentious lifestyle or look is not commended (Isaiah 3:16, Proverbs 30:13).

Some of God's character traits are found in Exodus 34:6, 1 Timothy 1:17 and Jude 25. Some traits worth admiring as love (John 3:16), peace (Philippians 4:7), wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:7), knowledge (Romans 11:33), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), merciful (Ephesians 2:4), strong (1 Corinthians 1:25), helpful (Jude 1:24), compassionate (James 5:11), keeps His promises (Proverbs 30:5), and doesn't lie (Titus 1:2).

These are not only worth admiring but traits we should be developing into our character. This happens by reading/studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship with other, being taught, confession of sin, and humility.

My Journey From Jew To Completed Jew

My Journey From Jew To Completed Jew.

I always like to read and/or hear someone's testimony of how they came to place their faith into Jesus Christ. This is the testimony of one woman's journey to conversion from the Jewish faith to faith in Messiah--Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

4 Things that are good for every person

1. Hear
   
2. Teach
   
3. Deliver
   
4. Wait
   

Psalm 27:7-14

Hear me

1. Means to listen. He is asking God to please listen to my prayer. It is always good to pray when there is a need or not.
   
2. Have mercy. Mercy is, even though we deserve punishment or the consequences of our wrong decisions, we do not get the punishment or consequences we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. We also need to show mercy to others since we have received mercy (Luke 10:37, Jude 1:23).
   
3. Answer. He wants a positive answer from God. God always answers prayer. The answer might be yes, no, or wait. The yes may be different then what we are expecting. We may pray to be hired for a certain job, but we may not get it, for God knows it to be better to have another one, or He wants us to learn something.
   
4. Seek. No human seeks God. Mankind as a collective or individually have no desire to seek God and do not seek God (Romans 3:11). God seeks us. He initiates the plan of salvation. He opens our eyes, mind, and heart to our true condition and the punishment for it. He then gives command to seek (Psalm 27:8, Mark 1:15). King David does, most refuse, resist (Act 7:51, 2 Timothy 8:8). In his seeking the Psalmist fears and so ask 3 things: do not hide from me, don't put me away in your anger, and don't forsake me. In faith he states that even if his parents forsake him, God will not.
   

Teach me

1. He wants to know God's ways of doing thing, His lifestyle, and His rules, to that he may also live this way.
   
2. He wants to be led by God so that he may know, understand, and obey God's rules.
   

Deliver me

1. Not to my enemies. The Christian has many enemies. Many times Christians are harmed and killed. The main enemy is the enemy of our souls—the Devil. The Psalmist knows that only God can deliver (2 Peter 2:9) and that we cannot deliver ourselves (Psalm 34:4).
   
2. Not to false witnesses. These lie so that the believer in God get in trouble Mark 14:56).
   
3. Then he shows his faith in believing that God will deliver him. Even if God does not and he dies, God receives him into heaven (Daniel 3:17-18).
   

Wait

1. We must wait patiently for answers to prayer and deliverance (Jeremiah 42:7, Acts 10:31).
   
2. We are to have courage while we wait. This courage is that God will answer when the time is right (Acts 28:15).
   
3. We need God's help to strengthen our hearts, for we need to be taught that His timing is best. It is God adding to our maturity as Christians (2 Peter 1.5-9).
   

Why Study Biblical Ethics?

This is another part in a series on Biblical Ethics.

 

Why Study Biblical Ethics?

 

A1 The Importance of Bible Study

B1 Not just reading but study

B2 This article on why we should read and study the Bible has some good reasons.

C1 It is God's Word to us.

C2 It is totally reliable and without error.

C3 We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and because mankind's nature does not change.

C4 We should read and study the Bible because there is so much false teaching.

C5 We need to be equipped to serve God.

C6 We need to see the consequences of giving into temptations.

C7 We read and study it so that we can apply it to our lives and situations.

 

A2 The importance of Biblical Ethics

B1 In light of Topic A1 we can know right from wrong.

C1 Things we must do.

C2 Things we must not do.

C3 Examples of what happens otherwise.

C4 Examples of people's choices/decisions to guide us.

C5 Principles that we can apply to situations that are not clearly labeled as right or wrong.

B2 We are to be a light to the world. The world is to look at us and see the difference between Christian living and unchristian or corrupted Christian living.

B3 We are to glorify God.

B4 We need to learn the laws of God's Kingdom.

B5 Choices do have consequences.

 

A3 The Old Testament and its laws are for a nation.

 

A4 The New Testament and its laws are for a people, a group called the church.

 

What Is Biblical Ethics?

This is a topic of a bigger work that I am laboring on.

 

What is Biblical Ethics

 

A1 Ethics is

B1 the study of moral values and rules.

B2 the study of right and wrong

 

A2 The philosophical study of ethics refers to people coming up with a rational (scientific) arguments for a code of right and wrong.

B1 Three broad views

C1 Virtue ethics has to do with the character of the person, not the act or deed.

C2 Deontology refers to strict adherence to rules, not necessarily character or deed.

C3 Consequentialism deals with rightness or wrongness from the outcome/result of the act or deed.

B2 Examples

C1 Virtue ethics would say it depends on whether the lie helps or hurts one's character or the group's character.

C2 Deontology would hold that lying is always wrong.

C3 Consequentialism would believe that lying is wrong if it hurts someone.

B3 Source of the rules

C1 Virtue ethics would rely on what would make the being of a person the best.

C2 Deontology has a number of theories one being the divine law and moral absolutes from these laws.

C3 Consequentialism bases its rules on what the outcome would be thus would be flexible or changing depending on the circumstances.

B4 What is desirable

C1 Virtue ethics would hold to desirable virtues or characteristics of one's being, however, how they derive their list of what is virtue is debated among them.

C2 Deontology would point to meeting a standard, an absolute standard. Murder is always wrong.

C3 Consequentialism often bases what is desirable on the principle of the greatest happiness. Murder would be wrong it the outcome is not for the happiness of a person, a group, a family, or society.

B5 Famous examples

C1 Virtue ethics--Aristotle taught that the greatest happiness comes from practicing virtues. Probably in the sense of having good, virtuous habits based on reason. Some of these would be reason, wisdom, justice, temperance, etc. The most common example is to meet a mean between two extremes, thus courage is the mean between cowardice and rashness.

C2 Deontology

D1 Augustine taught that humans are to seek the highest good for personal and societal happiness. This is done by loving God. If one loves God then he/she will do what God commands. God always does things according to love. Moral truth exists only in dependence of what God says, so his commands are mortality (right and wrong).

D2 Robert Adams teaches

E1 Two theorems

F1 It is wrong to do X.

F2 it is against God's laws to do X.

E2 God's laws do not explain what is moral (right or wrong) but the laws themselves show and teach what is right or wrong, thus why God made those laws.

E3 Laws and actions would have to be in agreement with God's character especially His characteristic of love.

F1 An action is wrong if and only if it defies God's character of love.

F2 God cannot command cruelty for instance because it is against His character of love. Cruelty is not loving. God is loving, thus cruelty is against God's character and is wrong.

D3 The Euthyphro dilemma

E1 Offered by Plato as, "Is X good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?"

E2 The first would imply that everything that God commands is good.

E3 The second would imply that God is subject to a law, a standard, greater than Himself.

C3 Consequentialism

D1 Basically is the end justifies the means

D2 Forms

E1 What is best for the state (government) is what is morally good. (State Consequentialism).

E2 What is best for maximum pleasure is morally good, and what is painful is morally bad. (Utilitarianism, Hedonism)

E3 What is best for me is morally good; everything else is morally bad. (Ethical egoism)

E4 What is best for others is morally good; what is best for me that might hurt others is morally bad. (Ethical altruism)

E5 What is best may be mistaken, but if the motive was good then it is morally good. (Motive Consequentialism)

E6 What is most loving (as defined by the individual) is morally good, and what is not loving is morally bad. It all depends on any given situation. (Situational Ethics)

E7 And many others.

D3 Many different adherents from Milton Friedman to Sam Harris, Peter Singer, and others.

 

A3 Biblical ethics is the study of what the Bible teaches on what is right and wrong.

B1 Philosophically Biblical Christians would be considered to be believers in some form of deontology.

B2 My view

C1 The Bible is God's revealed words.

C2 God is accurately portrayed in the Bible.

C3 God is good.

C4 God created all things good.

C5 Creation needed laws and regulations for everything to operate smoothly.

C6 Therefore, God's rules are good. (because the results are good according to the operator's manual).

 

 

The Term: Spiritual Resurrection

Note on the topic/issue/term "spiritual resurrection":

A1 Definitions:

B1 Spiritual

C1 Not physical

C2 Physical would point to the flesh, the body

C3 Spiritual would be speaking of the nonmaterial of a being

B2 Resurrection

C1 Becoming alive again

C2 Implies

D1 Something that is living

D2 Then dies

D3 Then comes alive again

B3 Spiritual Resurrection then would refer to something that is alive, then dies, then is made alive again.

A2 Bible

B1 Not taught

C1 Bible teaches that we are dead because of sin. This would be the sin nature that we are born with (original sin).

C2 Bible teaches that God initiates the salvific process, not any person.

B2 The most common Bible reference (verses) used for this is Ephesians 2:1-6

C1 Verse 1 in many translations has the words "has quickened". These words are not in the Greek.

C2 Literally translated the verse reads "and you being dead in trespasses and sins"

D1 Trespass is going or doing what we must not do

D2 Sin is to violate or break a law

C3 Verse 5: "...even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:5, EMTV)

D1 Parallel passages

E1 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (Colossians 2:13, EMTV)

E2 For as the Father raises up the dead and gives life, thus also the Son gives life to whom He wills. (John 5:21, EMTV)

D2 The word for resurrection and used in the sense of raising something (sleep, sitting, disease, or death, etc.) is egeiro.

D3 The word for made alive is zoopoieo.

D4 The word used in verse 5 is suzoopoieo, that is make alive together.

D5 Resurrection and made alive are two different concepts.

E1 Resurrection (as mentioned above) is something alive that dies, and then is raised from death.

F1 The Lord Jesus as man was alive, died, and raised to life, that is, made alive again. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

F2 Those who are trusting in God for salvation will be resurrected in the future, that is, were alive, died (physically), then raised again to life. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

E2 Make alive is something dead that is, well, made alive.

F1 The saints, God's people, are made alive, that is, existing as dead then made alive. (Colossians 2:13)

F2 Jesus was made alive in the sense that in the grave He was dead and when raised from death is alive again.

E3 They are similar in that

F1 in resurrection and make alive both have dead to being alive again.

F2 in make alive only being dead to being alive.

B3 So while not in error to use the term, it would be better to avoid especially as Gnostics and others use the term to indicate things as Jesus did not raise physically only spiritually or some other sense.

A Changed Life

This is a brief about a man named Louis Zamperini. He was full of bitterness and rage. He was torn up with addictions to alcohol. He rage had affected his marriage. All this came about in part because of the severe abuse he suffered as a Japanese prisoner of war. Here is part of his story. Read the full article here: Louis Zamperini's Story of Survival and Redemption.

When 94-year-old Louis Zamperini opened his mailbox a few months ago, he found a letter he will always treasure.

"Dear Louis," wrote Billy Graham, "My associate read me parts of the new book about you yesterday. What a life you have lived. What a description you have in the book of your conversion to Christ in 1949, and the great part that [your wife] Cynthia played in it, which I was aware of, but not in such detail. I had tears in my eyes and praise in my heart for what God has done through you."

Mr. Graham's letter is one of thousands that have poured into Zamperini's mailbox since the release of the New York Times No. 1 bestseller "Unbroken." The story about Zamperini's remarkable journey from Olympic runner to World War II hero has been hailed by TIME magazine as the best nonfiction book of the year.

And Billy Graham isn't just a consumer of "Unbroken," he plays a pivotal role in the book.

As his letter said, the year was 1949. The city: Los Angeles. Louis Zamperini was adrift and struggling with alcoholism and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following savage abuse as a prisoner of war in Japan. Cynthia was ready to saddle him with divorce papers.

It was around…

Some say there cannot be a change as this but there is such a change as mentioned in the article. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, EMTV).

Changing the political scene does very little if anything, but when God changes the person into a new creation, then society changes.

 

Prophet

Today there are millions of prophets. Are they really a prophet?

Qualifications of a prophet
Typical Today	A little tougher	Bible's list
Attend a prophet school (Search engine search for "prophet school")	Have God's Heart	True Call (Joel 1:1, Deuteronomy 18:18)
Have an experience	The Power to Create True Unity	True Message (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
	Prophetic Sacrifice (God first)	True Prediction (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
	Willing to die for the brethren	True God (Deuteronomy 13:5-6)
		True Doctrine (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
		True Life See (Jeremiah 6:13, Matthew 7:15)

 

A prophet is one who speaks for God. It is usually a message of imploring people to repent to avoid God's judgment. It rarely indicates telling the future.

Are there prophets today?

There are no official spokesmen/women for God today. Everyone who calls themselves such is either deceived or a liar.

More later…