My Mission Statement

Mission Statement

Our mission is to preach and live the Gospel, defend the faith (apologetics), and serve God every moment of our lives.

Philosophical statement

We believe that the Bible is the only source of 100% truth. We are Christians who believe in Jesus Messiah, God the Son, and all He teaches. We are to live according to His teaching and rules. We are to serve and worship Him in love and thankfulness. Our purpose is to fellowship with God and serve Him forever.
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Action statement

We believe that we are to believe the Gospel, preach the Gospel, and live the Gospel according to the teaching of our King and Lord, Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. To this end we worship in prayer, singing, and service as He commanded. We believe apologetics are very important to answer questions about God, the Bible, the Christian faith, family, marriage, social ills, etc.

Conditions For Christian Divorce Updated

Len Gane

2017 Update 19 Apr 19

Marriage

B1 God’s will

C1 Verses

D1 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, NKJV)

D2 “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:6, NKJV)

C1 Some may not want marriage

C2 Some may want but won’t be married

D1 No one available

D2 Eunuchs for the kingdom, or by force (as from a King)

E1 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only [those] to whom it has been given: “For there are eunuchs who were born thus from [their] mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept [it,] let him accept [it.”] (Matthew 19:11-12, NKJV)

E2 Jesus answered, “This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.” (Matthew 19:11-12, GNB92)

D3 No one asked

B2 God blesses

C1 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." (Genesis 2:18, NKJV)

C2 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4, NKJV).

C3 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? (Proverbs 5:18-20, NKJV).

C4 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:9, NKJV)

C5 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 9:4-8a, NKJV)

C6 And many other verses

Divorce

B1 Not God’s will: This is another thing you do. You drown the LORD's altar with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer accepts the offerings you bring him. You ask why he no longer accepts them. It is because he knows you have broken your promise to the wife you married when you were young. She was your partner, and you have broken your promise to her, although you promised before God that you would be faithful to her. Didn't God make you one body and spirit with her? What was his purpose in this? It was that you should have children who are truly God's people. So make sure that none of you breaks his promise to his wife. “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel. “I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife.” (Malachi 2:13-16, GNB92)

B2 By permission

C1 Sexual sins

D1 Incest:

E1 The LORD gave the following regulations. Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your relatives. Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with your mother. You must not disgrace your own mother. Do not disgrace your father by having intercourse with any of his other wives. Do not have intercourse with your sister or your stepsister, whether or not she was brought up in the same house with you. Do not have intercourse with your granddaughter; that would be a disgrace to you. Do not have intercourse with a half sister; she, too, is your sister. Do not have intercourse with an aunt, whether she is your father's sister or your mother's sister. --- Do not have intercourse with your uncle's wife; she, too, is your aunt. Do not have intercourse with your daughter-in-law or with your brother's wife. Do not have intercourse with the daughter or granddaughter of a woman with whom you have had intercourse; they may be related to you, and that would be incest. Do not take your wife's sister as one of your wives, as long as your wife is living. (Leviticus 18:6-18, GNB92)

E2 Compare the sin happening in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 PickNT It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as not even pagans talk about—that someone has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up and not even grieved, so as to exclude the one who has done this deed from your fellowship. 3 For I indeed, as present in spirit though absent in body, have already judged the one who created this situation, as though I were present: 4 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you and my spirit being together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 we must hand such a one over to Satan for a destruction of the 'flesh', that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus.

D2 Adultery

E1 Verses

F1 When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, “Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?” Jesus answered, “Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? And God said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.” The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?” Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman.” (Matthew 19:1-9, GNB92)

F2 “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32, NKJV)

E2 Comment

F1 Does not mean you must divorce

F2 Does mean it is allowed. Often this is preferred.

D3 Porn

E1 Verse: “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32, NKJV)

E2 Comment

F1 The word for sexual immorality is πορνεία porneia.

F2 The word includes adultery, incest, and porn

F3 This is a serious addiction that God hates.

F4 It is adultery in the heart.

F5 Can be repented of but not common.

C2 Desertion

D1 Physical leaving

E1 Verse: But if the unbelieving partners leave, let them go. Under these circumstances a Christian man or Christian woman is not bound by a marriage vow. God has called you to live in peace. (I Corinthians 7:15 [GodsWord])

E2 Comment

F1 Not all agree with this interpretation

F2 Many do

F3 The individual must decide

D2 Spiritual leaving

E1 This is becoming an agnostic, atheist, or abandoning Christ for another religion.

E2 This is allowed, because it is a denial of one’s vows and a spiritual danger to the believing spouse.

E3 Divorce is recommended.

E4 Remarriage is allowed.

D3 Abuse

E1 This is not because the toilet paper unrolls the wrong way.

E2 It is physical, sexual, spiritual, financial, mental, emotional, verbal, etc. abuse.

E3 This is desertion of the marriage vows.

E4 Divorce is recommended.

E5 No contact to low contact is necessary.

E6 Remarriage is allowed.

E7 1 Corinthians 5:11 GW Now, what I meant was that you should not associate with people who call themselves brothers or sisters in the Christian faith but live in sexual sin, are greedy, worship false gods, use abusive language, get drunk, or are dishonest. Don't eat with such people.

C3 If you stay, you or your children may lose salvation and faith

D1 A relationship that might lead to a denial of Jesus Christ

E1 Verses

F1 All these men had foreign wives. They divorced them and sent them and their children away. (Ezra 10:44, GNB92)

F2 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land that you are going to occupy, and he will drive many nations out of it. As you advance, he will drive out seven nations larger and more powerful than you: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. When the LORD your God places these people in your power and you defeat them, you must put them all to death. Do not make an alliance with them or show them any mercy. Do not marry any of them, and do not let your children marry any of them, because then they would lead your children away from the LORD to worship other gods. If that happens, the LORD will be angry with you and destroy you at once. So then, tear down their altars, break their sacred stone pillars in pieces, cut down their symbols of the goddess Asherah, and burn their idols. Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people. (Deuteronomy 7:1-6, GNB92)

E2 Comment

F1 Marrying non-Israelite women within the boundaries of Israel was forbidden for the reason given above. Deuteronomy 7:1-6

F2 Marrying non-Israelite women outside the boundaries of Israel was allowed

G1 “When you go to attack a city, first give its people a chance to surrender. If they open the gates and surrender, they are all to become your slaves and do forced labor for you. But if the people of that city will not surrender, but choose to fight, surround it with your army. Then, when the LORD your God lets you capture the city, kill every man in it. You may, however, take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else in the city. You may use everything that belongs to your enemies. The LORD has given it to you. That is how you are to deal with those cities that are far away from the land you will settle in. (Deuteronomy 20:10-15, GNB92)

G2 “When the LORD your God gives you victory in battle and you take prisoners, you may see among them a beautiful woman that you like and want to marry. Take her to your home, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails, and change her clothes. She is to stay in your home and mourn for her parents for a month; after that, you may marry her. Later, if you no longer want her, you are to let her go free. Since you forced her to have intercourse with you, you cannot treat her as a slave and sell her. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14, GNB92)

D2 Might lead to a type of abuse, spiritual abuse.

Remarriage

B1 Not necessary

B2 If wished

C1 Allowable for

D1 Death: For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to [her] husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of [her] husband. So then if, while [her] husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (Romans 7:2-3, NKJV)

D2 Permissible reasons (listed above)

C2 Only in the Lord: A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39, NKJV)

Summary:

For sexual sins as incest (Leviticus 18:6-18), adultery (Matthew 19:1-9), porn, which is adultery (Matthew 19:1-9), desertion (1 Corinthians 7:15), if spouse causes spiritual danger (false religion, religiously militant, violent)(Ezra 10:44, Deuteronomy 7:1-6), abuse (including physical, spiritual, verbal, financial, sexual, emotional, etc. This is a desertion of marriage vows, and they always need to divorce)(see 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

My Vision Statement

Gospel

To know the Gospel, to defend the Gospel, to believe the Gospel as taught in the New Testament

Doctrine

To know doctrine, to defend doctrine, to believe New Testament doctrine

Life

To know the Christian life, worldview, and lifestyle as taught in the New Testament

A Few Thoughts About Oneness and Intimacy in Marriage

This comment was received on Love Honor Vacuum:

I’m sorry to be so blunt, but no woman in the world is worth the aggravation you guys described. It seems to me that, before marriage, women are usually “hot to trot,” but once they get control of your life and (mostly) your wallet, they turn off the spiggot, and make everything into a thankless chore. After listening carefully to the whole podcast, I admit to being a little like Aquaman. What I heard was “somethin’, somethin’, somethin’, no sex for you.”

Even men who take their “shepherding” role seriously, get to the point of desperation. We usually have ONE item on our list of Requirements-for-a-good-marriage. Women seem to have 100 or more.

And if we don’t fulfill all 100 to perfection on a daily basis, they feel justified in becoming serial refusers. It seems to me that the problem your ministry you need to work hardest to defeat with is women and their OUTRAGEOUSLY UNREALISTIC expectations. It is those unmeetable expectations that are destroying marriages today; not porn, not affairs, and certainly not “evil white men” and their “evil penises.” It’s women and their insurmountable “Prince Charming Complex.”

Bill

You can read the response at the link about.

My thoughts:

This man, Bill, is either ignorant, willfully ignorant, or evil. It appears from his last statement that he wants sex on his demand and ignores his wife’s feelings. He needs to submit to his wife’s feelings, too.

B1 Submitting to one another: Ephesians 5:21 NIV Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

B2 He needs to love his wife as HIMSELF: Ephesians 5:33 CSB To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

The Bible teaches oneness in marriage. This is oneness in body, soul, and spirit.

When we say oneness we are not referring to Eastern religious oneness. Oneness is understood to be of the same mind, the same spirit, the same goals, etc.

B1 The Trinity is one, not as oneness theology (which is unbridled heresy). John 17:21 NLT I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (Also Deuteronomy 6:4 and John 10:30)

B2 The church: 1 Corinthians 12:13 CSB For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

B3 Marriage: Genesis 2:24 NLT This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Oneness in spirit

B1 This is spiritual oneness.

B2 This is done when husband and wife pray, read and study the Scriptures, memorize Scriptures, pray, etc. together.

B3 On a greater level is when the family is worshiping in the congregation together. The oneness is the family is worshiping together.

B4 This is fellowship.

C1 Enoch with God: Genesis 5:22 NLT After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.

C2 Elkanan and wives: 1 Samuel 1:19 NKJV Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

Oneness in soul

B1 This is emotional, intellectual, oneness.

B2 This is done when we spend time together for friendship, planning, problem solving, helping each other, etc.

B3 It is for comfort and listening when in trials or the hard day at work.

B4 It is for rejoicing together.

B5 You don’t need date night. It is to be the every day experience of having each other.

B6 This is not to mean you spend every breathing moment together. Everyone needs their space. The idea is in general there is to be oneness.

Oneness in body

B1 This is physical oneness

B2 If the husband enjoys pleasure, so should his wife.

B3 If he does not give her pleasure, he is either ignorant or does not love his wife.

C1 Consider

D1 1 Corinthians 13:5 WEL love...is not self-seeking…

D2 A wife is the closest neighbor there is: Galatians 5:14 WEL For all the law is fulfilled in one saying, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.

C2 Abraham gave Sarah, his wife, pleasure: Genesis 18:12 NKJV Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

C3 The Song of Solomon

D1 This inspired book was and is to be read and interpreted in its plain, normal sense.

D2 It is a manual of oneness in physical and emotional spheres.

D3 It is part of God’s standards for husband and wife.

D4 A husband is to enjoy his wife’s beauty. Release is not the goal. Enjoying her beauty is the most important. We are not to enjoy another’s person’s beauty, but we are to enjoy our wife’s beauty. It takes more than 2 minutes. Song of Songs 1:10 NLT How lovely are your cheeks; your earrings set them afire! How lovely is your neck, enhanced by a string of jewels.

D5 Song of Songs 2:14 NLT Young Man My dove is hiding behind the rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely.

D6 All of Song of Songs Chapter 4

B4 Release is relief from the build up of pleasure. If a man releases without his wife being able to relax and have pleasure, he will not have any enjoyment of his wife’s beauty, which is most important for physical oneness in marriage.

B5 The wife has needs, too. Both husband and wife should fulfill each other’s needs: 1 Corinthians 7:3 NLT The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs.

B6 A husband does not own his wife; she can refuse. They are to help each other: 1 Corinthians 7:4 NLT The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

B7 He has an obligation to fulfill her sexual needs as well as she his: 1 Corinthians 7:3 CSB A husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband.

C1 The Greek word for duty is ὀφειλή opheilḗ.

C2 It means

D1 Cognate: 3782 opheilḗ (a feminine noun) – a specific (applied) kind of indebtedness, implying an "applied obligation" due to the debt (what is owed). See 3781 (opheiletēs).

D2 3781 opheilétēs (a masculine noun) – a debtor; someone under obligation to pay back (discharge) a debt.

C3 The husband has a debt to fulfill his wife’s sexual needs.

Love in marital oneness

B1 Love is a choice

B2 The actions of love are 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a WEL Love is very patient and kind; love is not envious; love doesn’t brag about itself, is not haughty, 5 Doesn’t behave improperly, is not self-seeking; love isn’t easily aggravated, doesn’t keep a list of wrongs, 6 Doesn’t rejoice in injustice, but rejoices in the truth, 7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, calmly endures all things. 8 Love never ends

B3 Bill does not do this. He completely and miserable fails God’s standards.

C1 This is truly a time for repentance.

D1 Confession of sin

E1 This is a public sin and needs to be publicly confessed and forgiveness sought.

E2 A sin that only God knows needs to be confessed only to God and forgiveness sought from Him.

E3 A sin that only one person knows needs to be confessed to God and that person then forgiveness sought from both.

E3 A public sin is sin know by many people. It needs to be confessed to God and publicly then forgiveness sought from all.

D2 Asking forgiveness

E1 All sin is against God’s laws.

E2 Sin can be in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

E3 We live what we really believe.

E4 Sin comes from our evil hearts. We are not compelled to sin. God does not decree sin.

D3 Change of attitude

D4 Change of life

D5 Consistency and persevering changes in public and private

B4 Ecclesiastes 9:9 NLT Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

Bill you are in great error and great sorrow. You are harming your wife.

Psalm 4 and a Few Comments

Psalm 4 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies? Interlude 3 You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude 5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.

6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. 7 You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. 8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

The Psalmist challenges his enemies: how long will you people ruin my reputation, make groundless accusations, and continue your lies?

The Psalmist then gives some advice: God knows those who are His, if you are angry, wait until morning to make a decision, offer sacrifices with a proper attitude, and trust God.

The Psalmist finally asks for God's blessings and thanks God for His gift of joy, comfort of peace in the day and at night, and the only real safety for our souls.

Examples of failure and God’s disapproval are what we are NOT to do

I have often stated that the rules in the New Testament have been given by Jesus directly or through the early church Apostles and prophets.

We learn God’s will for many situations by

B1 What we must do

B2 What we must NOT do

B3 Principles on what we we must do

B4 Principles on what we must NOT do

B5 Examples of success and God’s blessing are what we are to do

B6 Examples of failure and God’s disapproval are what we are NOT to do

Some examples of failure and God’s disapproval are what we are NOT to do

B1 People influenced by money

C1 Balaam

D1 His story Numbers 22-24

D2 The result: Joshua 13:22 NIV In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination.

D3 The warning

E1 2 Peter 2:15 NIV They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.

E2 Revelation 2:14 NIV Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

D4 A comment. God told Balaam not to go, not to curse them, and not to take money from them, but Balaam did anyway. God refused to let Balaam curse Israel. Balaam, evidently, so covetous for money, instructed Balac to entice Israel with forbidden food and sex. He was slain in battle and is given as an example of what not to do.

C2 Judas

D1 His story is in the Gospels. He spent 3+ years following the Lord Jesus, seeing what Jesus did, and hearing what Jesus taught.

D2 Influenced by money. John 12:3-6 NIV Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

D3 The result: Acts 1:16-19 NIV and said, "Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry." 18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

C3 Ananias and Sapphira

D1 Their story and greed: Acts 5:1-2 NIV Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

D2 The result: Acts 5:5, 9-10 NIV When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ... 9 Peter said to her, "How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

D3 The warning: Acts 5:3-4 NIV Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.

D4 A comment. They coveted, they lied, and they stole (they had promised to give all the money). The motive evidently was to gain admiration.

C4 Simon the Great

D1 His story is in Acts 8.

D2 His sin: Acts 8:17-19 NIV Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

D3 The result: Acts 8:20-24 NIV Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." 24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.

B2 People influenced by sex

C1 Solomon

D1 The start of his reign:

E1 His story begins with his love for God: 1 Kings 3:3 NIV Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

E2 What he should have continued in: 1 Kings 3:5, 9-12 NIV At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." ... 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

D2 The towards the end of his reign:

E1 His love for sex and women: 1 Kings 11:1-2 NIV King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

E2 1 Kings 11:4-6, 9 NIV As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. ... 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

C2 David

D1 His general character:

E1 1 Samuel 13:14 NIV But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

E2 Acts 13:22 NIV After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

D2 His sin:

E1 His lust arises. He knows she is married: 2 Samuel 11:2-3 WEB And it came to pass in an evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

E2 He rapes Bathsheba: 2 Samuel 11:4 WEB And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned to her house.

E3 Sin has many consequences:

F1 She becomes pregnant: 2 Samuel 11:5 NLT Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant."

F2 He tries to cover up his sin by ordering her husband murdered: 2 Samuel 11:15, 17 NLT The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed." ... 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.

F3 God knows and sends a prophet to confront David: 2 Samuel 12:7-9 NLT Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.

F4 God punishes: 2 Samuel 12:10-12, 14 NLT From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah's wife to be your own. 11 "This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12 You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel." ... 14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the LORD by doing this, your child will die."

D3 Today we know the principle: James 1:14-15 NLT Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

D4 Thankfully, David repented, that is, confessed his sin and never did anything like this again. Psalm 51 and 2 Samuel 12:13 NLT Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin.

C3 Jezebel (the New Testament person)

D1 Her position is prophetess.

D2 Her sin was in her teaching and action: Revelation 2:20 NLT But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.

D3 Her punishment and the consequences of sin: Revelation 2:21-23 NLT I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. 22 "Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

We have principles of what we must not do. We must not let money and physical pleasures influence our actions and cause us to sin.

Jude 1:24-25 NLT Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

A Few More Thoughts About Faith

Faith

B1 Defined

C1 I define faith as believing God.

C2 Bible verses

D1 Jonah 3:5 CSB Then the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least.

D2 Romans 4:3 CSB For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

D3 Romans 11:30 WEL For just as in times past you refused to believe God, yet now you have received mercy through their disobedience.

D4 Psalm 78:20-22 NLT Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can't give his people bread and meat." 21 When the LORD heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel, 22 for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them.

D5 John 3:18 WEL The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

B2 Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter. What faith is. Examples of brothers and sisters in faith. They show their faith by what they do. We do what we really believe. It is not just what we say we believe.

Classes of faith (from my feeble mind)

B1 Blind faith

C1 Blind faith is the faith where there is no reason to believe something other than what someone says of writes. An example might be I might someone whom I have never met before. This person tells me that they have 3 earned doctorate degrees. This person tells me something he/she has learned. I believe this person explicitly. I have never met them before. I do not know if they have any degrees. They give no reasons or logic to support their statement. I just believe it. This is blind faith. We all must have a little skepticism to test what someone claims.

C2 The common example: Too many still mention God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. They claim this was blind faith.

C3 But

D1 Abraham had many times believed God. Always it was the best choice to make.

E1 Genesis 12 Leave Haran:

F1 Genesis 12:1-4 NIV The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

F2 The rest of the chapter and following chapters show how God blessed Abraham.

E2 Genesis 15 Prediction of a son who will be the heir:

F1 Genesis 15:1-6 NIV After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2 But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

F2 Prediction of a son in about one year: Genesis 18:10 NIV Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

F3 Prediction fulfilled: Genesis 21:1-3 NIV Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

E3 Genesis 18 Prediction of judgment:

F1 Genesis 18:1, 20-23 NIV The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. ... 20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

F2 Prediction fulfilled: Genesis 19:28-29 NIV He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

E4 Genesis The test:

F1 Genesis 22:1-2, 8, 10, 13 NIV Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." ... 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. ... 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ... 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

F2 Isaac was delivered by a substitute.

D2 So it was reasonable for Abrahma to believe God in Genesis 22. Abraham had had many dealings with God. God proved faithful. What God predicted about Isaac being the heir came true. If Isaac was to die, then God would prove to be a liar or too weak. Isaac lived. Further, we know from Hebrews 11 that Abraham couldn’t understand this command but thought that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Hebrews 11:17-19 NIV By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

C4 Some articles:

D1 Biblical Faith VS. Blind Faith

D2 Christian Faith Is Not Blind Belief (Roman Catholic)

B2 Reasonable faith—is a faith that the person mentioned about might have some proof of their degrees or perhaps, we have met them before. Still, we need a little skepticism to see if they really have these degrees and need more than a little, simple support for their statements. We simply must have some evidence.

C1 Personally, I look to Jesus as the foundation.

D1 It is reasonable that He existed. See here (also read the comments as there is much more information there) and here (PDF) for examples.

D2 It is reasonable that what is written about Him is true. See here and here and here (book) for examples.

D3 It is reasonable that what He said was true.

D4 It is reasonable that He is the Messiah. See here and here for examples.

C2 The Gospel chain of custody as presented by J. Warner Wallace. It is also here.

C3 Some examples of how others twist meaning into Jesus’s words.

D1 This is from a rebuttal to a debate by atheist Richard Carrier in the David Marshall v. Richard Carrier debate.

D2 Words of the Lord Jesus:

E1 Matthew 26:60-61 NLT But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone's testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.

E2 John 2:19-21 NLT "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 "What!" they exclaimed. "It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?" 21 But when Jesus said "this temple," he meant his own body.

C4 Some other sources (I don’t necessary agree with all they teach. Always be a Berean).

D1 Is Christianity based on blind faith?

D2 The Evidence for Christianity by William Lane Craig