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.