Sinai Peninsula Pictures

Having had the opportunity recently to travel to the mid-east and follow the route of the Israelites as they escaped from slavery in Egypt and progressed to the Promised Land, I want to occasionally share some of the pictures that I took along the way. Seeing these things has heightened my understanding of the Bible and I hope that it will give the reader some insight as well.

As the Israelites left Egypt, under God's direction of course, they first crossed the Red Sea. I have included some pictures of the Red Sea here; notice that the color of the sea is similar to what we have here in the Gulf of Mexico. In a later blog, I hope to show pictures of the Dead Sea and other waters, like the river Jordan; these are totally different in color.

Just from the pictures you can see that the sea is quite large. God had no problem parting the waters, but it was a lot of water to part.

The rest of the pictures herein show examples of the wilderness in which the Israelites wandered for 40 years due to their distrust of God. It is mountainous in many places with some flat areas scattered throughout. But it is always rocky and desolate.

In many places of the Sinai Peninsula there are caves and dwelling places cut into the rocks where Bedouin Tribes have lived. There are still small tribes occupying this area, though they are scattered and sparse. It is the most difficult environment I have ever seen, don't know how anyone could eke out a living of any sort.

I have some good pictures of what is thought to be the true Mount Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments from the Lord. I hope to include these in an upcoming entry. So stay with me. There will be interesting things coming, I feel. Have a great week!

Question: Some who think they will be saved won't?

The question has been raised: Why do I say that some who think they will be saved will not actually be saved? I have said this before because this is what Jesus said. Note Matthew chapter 7. It tells us a lot about how we are to live. In verse 21, we have the specific answer to the question asked herein. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "

Earlier in the chapter Jesus says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

It is a sad thought that it is a narrow way to heaven and a broad way to destruction, or that there is a necessity for any destruction at all. We would prefer that everyone be saved. But God knows what is best and He has told us this plainly. Thus, many who think they will be saved will be sadly mistaken at that final day. We must all follow the teachings and the example of our Lord, and follow Him into heaven. It is available to us all regardless of our background or history. And the whole pattern and teaching is written clearly in the Bible, God's Word. Let's follow Him..............and do it His way! More in next week's entry.

Egypt

This will be the first blog posting to include pictures. Having had the recent opportunity to travel to Egypt, Sinai, Jordan and Israel, I saw some things there that made the Bible more meaningful. I hope to pass along a few things that will be useful to the reader. In this blog, let's talk a little about Egypt. We've all seen pictures of the pyramids, and we know that they were burial places of the Egyptian rulers. And while it was interesting to see them, they looked about like what you would expect. One picture shows that the Sphinx is aligned with a major pyramid. I never realized that there is an alignment or that the Sphinx was sitting right by the pyramids, but they are very close. And there are lots of sphinxes in Egypt, most much smaller. They kept guard over their surroundings. But there is so much more going on in the area of the pyramids. One thing that most people don't know is that behind the pyramids for miles in two directions, there is continual underground construction done by the ancient Egyptians. While much of it has not been excavated, there is a large expanse, miles of it, that is in storage pits. You can see an example in the photos shown. This apparently relates to the 7 years of plenty, followed by the 7 years of famine in Joseph's time (Genesis 41:47-49). "Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable." They had to have places to store enough food for 7 future years, so they apparently dug these pits for that purpose. A typical pit would be something like 150' long and 50' wide by 40' deep. These are my estimates, but are close enough for you to get the idea. In one photo you can see the steps going down into the pit.

One final thought has to do with the proximity of all this. I was amazed to see that all of this is just on the southern outskirts of Cairo. I stayed in the Mena House Hotel, a converted palace of old on the southern edge of Cairo. Cairo and this hotel are in the fertile crescent with lush, tropical environs with palm trees, Nile river, gardens, crops, all quite green and fertile. Just 300 yards behind the hotel were the pyramids and all that we have been discussing. It is the beginning of the desert. There is no transition; none. And once you hit the desert, there is nothing but pyramids and desert for as far as you can see and beyond.

This is close to where the Israelites dwelt for about 400 years, until Moses, under God's direction, led them out of Egypt and headed for the Promised Land by way of the Sinai Peninsula. Lord willing, we'll talk about the Sinai in the next blog. Thanks for reading!

Worship

I recently saw a person's Facebook page where under "religion", she had written, "I will pray to God on my own time and in my own home." Now, that strikes me as an attitude problem. Perhaps we should seek what God wants, to look in His Word, the Bible, to determine His will. In John 4:23,24 Jesus says, "..the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." In the Old Testament, we see that God prescribed to His people how He wanted to be worshiped. In the New Testament in the book of Acts, all that changed, and we read where "..on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread..." We see Christians coming together to take of the Lord's Supper and to worship on Sunday. In Revelation chapters 4 & 5 we are given a vision into heaven where there is continual worship occurring around the throne, chapter 4 emphasizing the Father and 5 emphasizing Jesus.
We often put emphasis on trying to live for Him, to do right, to be what we should be. And, of course, that is of critical importance to us, to our being saved. But God wants more; He wants us to worship Him. It isn't all about Us; it is about Him. And He is the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator. He holds the key to our eternal future. Let's Worship Him!

David and Jesus

There was a question about the lineage of David to Jesus. This is the skeleton on which the whole Bible is written, i.e., the genealogy leading up to Jesus. The family of Jesus actually begins with Adam, then Seth, on down to Noah, on down to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, then generation after generation through David down to Jesus. The Old Testament records all of this, and it is summarized in Matthew 1. It is interesting to me that the New Testament begins with this summary showing the importance of this family background to the understanding of Jesus Himself. Jesus is described in the N.T. as the Son of David. This is an expression meaning "descendant of", not the direct son of David. David was a type of Jesus; that is, David was a great King, Jesus was more so. And there are a lot more comparisons, Jesus always the better.


In the question it was mentioned that David is a comfort to us in that David had many faults but was also said to be a "man after God's own heart," (referenced in 1Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22). I totally agree that this gives us all hope in that we all have sinned and fallen short. On the other hand, we don't want to get too comfortable. I disagree with the questioner that David "constantly backslid." While David's sins were great, with adultery and murder among them, every indication is that David went on to become a more dedicated person and, while not a perfect person, he cleaned up his act. I also disagree with the questioner, a kind and pleasant person though he be, regarding the "probable homosexuality of David with Jonathan." There is no indication of any homosexuality in their case; they loved each other, but that doesn't make one a homosexual. In fact, we know for certain that there was no homosexuality there, for had there been, God would not have tolerated it, or at least would have called them down for it as we see in Romans 1:26,27. Yes, I know that people are sometimes attracted to their own sex, but it doesn't have to be acted upon, and God says "No." There are examples in the O.T. and the N.T. where God forbade it, and that should end the matter. But David is a comfort to us, for there is always hope as long as we seek to do God's will. And the past will be forgiven if we truly repent (change) and commit ourselves to Him.


Enough already. Thanks for reading. Have a God blessed week!

The Upper Room

In my recent trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel, there was one particular point made over and over regarding the "upper room." The leader on our trip was a retired general in the Israeli army and a leader in historical excavation in Israel; he was also a Jew who had converted to Christianity. His point was that ALL references to the upper room in the Bible are well known in Israel to be rooms above a burial place. Historically, the Jews would place a body in an open tomb for decay to begin quickly. The body would soon be reduced to bones and decay. It would then be gathered into a small bundle and placed in a container and left in a lower room for the ages. There would be a room above for relatives to come, at least once a year, visit with one another and remember the dead. This "upper room" was open for lots of uses but was a common meeting place. Over and over again we saw excavations that showed this pattern, both in Israel and Jordan. It was also noted that priests never were allowed to enter the lower room of the dead. They could only go directly into the upper room; this was in accordance with Jewish law.

As I tried to recall examples of the upper room use in the Bible, I could only think of two: Jesus and His apostles took the Lord's Supper in the upper room as they were celebrating Passover just before His death, and in Acts 1, the apostles met in the upper room after Jesus ascended into Heaven. But in further studying the matter, I found many references to the upper room use, two in particular in the New Testament. In Acts 9:36 there is the story of Dorcas who dies and is placed temporarily in an upper room. And in Acts 20:7 it says, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together." The story goes on to tell of a young man who falls out of the window, but that goes beyond our point here. They were using the upper room for a meeting place, which was common practice. And there are references to the upper room in the Old Testament as well, but that would be exhaustive, so I will stop here.

So, while this information may not change your life, it might provide a little more understanding to your reading of the Bible. Having seen these things certainly has brought better understanding and meaning to me. I hope to pass some of this on to you. Have a good week!

Question regarding Christians, Jews, and Muslims

A question has been submitted regarding Christians versus Jews versus Islamic faiths. It is true that all are descendants of Abraham. Actually, Jews and Muslims are blood kin of Abraham, Jews through the line of Isaac and Muslims (Arabs) through the line of Ishmael, Isaac's half-brother. The Old Testament (OT) teaches that Isaac was the chosen of God, and thus Jews are the chosen people of God. This does not mean that non-Jews in OT days could not find God; it just means that God chose the Jews to carry out His purpose. What was His purpose? To provide a plan of salvation down through time, a bloodline; note Genesis 12. That would ultimately bring a savior under a new covenant (note the genealogy of Matthew 1). In this age, it doesn't matter about Jew or Muslim, Jew or gentile, slave or free, man or woman (be sure to read Galatians 3:23-4:7). Everybody is an adopted relative of Abraham through Jesus Christ, if he follows Jesus.

And I must conclude EMPHATICALLY, in the emphatic words of Jesus Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). If one tries to get to God without Jesus, as the Jews do, or though Mohamed, like the Muslims do, the effort, however sincere, will be a LOST CAUSE. The New Testament is clear on this. Jesus is the only way! And there is no special provision for anyone else, Jew, Muslim, or any other who rejects Jesus as the Son of God, and who does not obey Him. This may seem narrow-minded to some, but God so loved us (John 3:16) that He sent His only son to die. That was a big gift and He means for us to appreciate it....... Hey, thanks for reading. And remember that I am happy to do private study on any of these topics. Just let me know. See you next week. m

The Holy Land

Having just returned from the Holy Land, I must say a bit about the experience compared with Bible verses. It truly is amazing to see first hand the areas that I have for so long only imagined by reading the Bible. This was a once in a lifetime trip. I didn't see it all, but saw enough to get a feel for the geography.

The trip was run by two archeologists and thereto was the emphasis. We began in Egypt, seeing Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. We started where the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and followed the travels of the Israelites as God led them out of captivity (note Exodus 13). They were led by God to Mount Sinai where Moses met God on the mountain (Exodus 19 and 20). While we cannot be exactly sure of the location, we were quite close. We climbed up the mountain just as Moses did. It was all rock, no trees, with rarely a small bush.

The most amazing and informative view of the whole trip was my first time in Jerusalem. I had seen pictures, but seeing it in person made quite an impression. We stood at a spot, high on the Mount of Olives, looking west across the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane (which is low in the valley between the Mount of Olives and Old Jerusalem), to ancient Jerusalem itself. About 65% of the Bible occurs right in this small area; so to see it is to bring to life the verses that mention this area. Here is an example: In Mark 11, it talks about Jesus walking and teaching in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem. He spent a lot of time in this temple; it was a place where he could get an audience and where the truth needed to be heard. In Mark 13:1 it says, "Then as He went out of the temple......." And in 13:3, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple..." He left the temple (right in the middle of the old, walled Jerusalem), walked down the hill, through the Garden of Gethsemane, and up the Mount of Olives. This might sound like a long hike, but actually was quite close. He could have done all of this in less than an hour, perhaps 30 minutes. The mountain, Mt. Moriah, upon which sits the city of old Jerusalem, is more like a large hill, rather steep on the sides. Jesus walking down this hill would be on rocky terrain with only a few trees and bushes. Then He would pass through the valley at the bottom of the hill, but the valley would be very narrow, likely less than 100 yards. He walked through the garden, which probably was rather thin like an orchard, and up on the Mount of Olives, which is, and likely was, rather thinly populated with trees and bushes.

These events followed the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and His driving out the money changers from the Temple. Perhaps one can see how much is going on right here in this one small area. And since I was there a couple of days ago, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. Perhaps a few more will be discussed in the next blog entry. Until then, have a blessed week.

Worship

I am reporting in from the nation of Israel, more technically, the southern tip, Eilat, which is on the Red Sea. I was with a group of Christians who worshipped on the sand by the Red Sea tonight. It was great! We have been fortunate to see some of Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, into Israel, over to Jordan to see the ancient city of Petra, and now back into Israel. More on these matters in a later blog.

I want to mention worship in this blog. There are so many places that reference worship to God in the Bible. But I want to cite Revelation chapter 4 & 5. In chapter 4 we see worship to God in a vision straight to Heaven. The creatures around the throne are saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Later it is said, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." This is a beautiful sight of worship in heaven!

And chapter 5 is just as great! Chapter 4 is to God, simply. Chapter 5 is to the Lamb, Jesus. Verse 6, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if slain..." And those around the throne were saying, "....you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." And later, "In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' "

Our Lord is worthy, for sure, to be praised and worshipped; and He wants to be. Let us do this here on earth as it is in Heaven. Praise be to God who offers us salvation through His only Son. Shalom.

We Need Each Other

We need each other. The Lord knew that and taught that. Let's look at a few Bible passages that show that to us. "No man is an island." No, scratch that. That isn't the Bible. That was John Donne around 1600 AD.

Jesus began his ministry by gathering 12 men around him. These were men who would live with Him, learn from Him and carry on His work after He was gone. That there were twelve relates to the 12 tribes of Israel as well as 1)there would be a great amount of work to be done in the years ahead, and 2)there was a need for witnesses, men who had "accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.....(and) become a witness with us of His resurrection," (Acts 1:21,22). As great as Jesus was, He needed these men. We see Him developing close friends; note His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (John 11:5) and His special relationship with the apostle John (John 20:2).

In the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus is taken captive, judged and killed, Jesus greatly needed the support of His friends. In Mark 14, He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

So far the teaching seems rather easy, but here is one that is not. James 5 says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

For sure, the Bible is clear that we need each other on an individual basis, as friends, and as supporters. But the teaching is clear that we need to be bound together as a "church" as well. Let's get the best out of this life that we can. And much of it comes from the association with God's people. Have a good week!

I will be away for 2 weeks. The computer goes with me, so hopefully I will get to post here and the blog goes uninterrupted. If not, come back in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading.

Helping Others

Comments made on the last blog posting prompt me to give some Bible references to helping others. I'll admit right up front that I do not have all the answers to this subject; but the Bible does give us direction on it. And certainly it is an important subject, probably a necessary one for each of us to face in our own lives.

First, I would like to say that we don't see the "church" being set up as a social institution. In the New Testament we see the church having a lot of functions, but it is primarily geared to spreading the Word and providing for the needs of other Christians (note 1Corinthians 16, and referenced again in 2Corinthians 8 & 9). And we don't see the "church" being fun oriented, about ball teams and parties, etc.

We can also note that it was not the primary goal of Jesus to address the social needs of the world. He came to seek and save the lost. The angel said in Matthew 1:21 to Joseph, "He will save His people from their sins." And the miracles were not done to see how many people could be healed; He could have healed the whole world, both then and for all time. That was not His purpose. Note (John 20:30-31).

On the other hand, we can get a lot of understanding about the role of the individual Christian by looking at the example of Jesus and His followers. Surely there can be no better example of helping others than Jesus' story of the good samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. The lawyer asked Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" And the neighbor was the one who went out of his way to help the wounded man, even though the helper here was a Samaritan, hated by the Jews. He had a good excuse to not help; but he wasn't looking for an excuse, only to do the right thing. The story says , "He had compassion. And Jesus sums it all up by saying, "Go and do likewise." Now that is profound.....and challenging.

So the message is clear. We must "Go and do likewise." May God help us to do just that!

Books

I recently began reading two books. One was called "The Shack"; it had been recommended by a friend. The other was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull." I have several criteria for a good book. A strong beginning is a positive. Remember that Snoopy in the comics, when he fantasized himself as an author, would always start with, "It was a dark and stormy night...", a great start. Another rule that I have is that if the book hasn't grabbed me by 100 pages, I'm done. I gave The Shack 130 pages and found that I couldn't do it. It was very Biblical; it is obvious that the writer knows a lot of Bible, but it seemed to be humanizing God too much. Then I ran across Jonathan Livingston Seagull and enjoyed the beginning so much. But the theology got heavy and inaccurate, and short though it is, I bailed. For example, it brought in incarnation (many lives) and said heaven is not real.


I came to the conclusion from these two cases that I don't want my understanding of "truth" to come from mere men. Certainly there are many good books that will encourage us, build our faith, motivate us, etc. But when it comes to philosophy, to knowing what is and what isn't, what is really true, what the real purpose of our lives is, what is the end of a man, and where we come from, I only want my teaching to come from the Bible. It can become very irritating to read some author's opinion of all this, especially when it is obvious that their opinion is tainted in some way.


Here is some Bible truth. Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36+). Note Paul's teaching to Timothy, "..continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3:14+).


I will read other books. But I will always remember that the real and only source of Truth is God's Word, the Bible. (And at the risk of seeming contentious, we can't get truth from Mohammad, or the Koran, or the Book of Mormon, or the Watchtower Society, or the myriad of other man made offerings.) See you next week!

Pivotal point of the Bible

There are a number of occurences in the Bible that could be named as critical events. One might even could argue that there are several instances that are absolutely the key most important happenings of all time; e.g., the birth of Christ and the death of Christ But I would suggest to you that the number one pivotal point of all time is recorded in Acts chapter 2. Here is the reasoning.

Up until Acts 2, all of God's people are still under the Jewish Law that was given to Moses. At the time of Jesus' birth the people were under Jewish Law. During Jesus' life, He and His family kept the Jewish Law. Just before His death, Jesus was taking the Passover feast with the 12 apostles as a good Jew would do. So, all during Jesus' life Christianity has not started. Jesus talked about it, taught them about the Kingdom to come, did lots of preaching, but He did not start His church. All through the 1st four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there is a readying but no church.

The church starts in the book of Acts. In Acts 1, Jesus ascends into heaven where He will reign over His Kingdom at the right hand of God. In Acts 2, we find the Holy Spirit ascends upon the Apostles who are waiting in Jerusalem for this to happen because Jesus told them to. And right here in this chapter, in this series of events, the whole history of man changes. Peter and the rest of the apostles stood and Peter tells the people that this is it! This is the "last days" that the prophet Joel had foretold. This is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had foretold. He told them that they had just killed the Son of God, Jesus. The people listening were "pricked in there hearts, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:37-38). In verse 47, it says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Note that there now is a "church" and the first church occurs here in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2.
If you haven't done so lately, read the first several chapters of the book of Acts. This is the beginnings of the Christian era--very important. Thanks for reading. Feel the love.

Something More Powerful

You may be familiar with the verse in I Corinthians 10:13 that says, "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." That is a powerful thought, that God makes an escape route for us; that He is personally involved in our lives that much. And as great as that is, I believe there is an even more powerful opportunity for us. Here goes:

In the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:13, Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." I am convinced for two reasons that this means that God will take us away from temptation before it ever occurs, if only we ask Him to do so. The two ways are that I understand the Bible to say that, and secondly I have seen it work too many times in my life. It works! Notice this passage in Jude 24. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless in the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen!!!" God can keep us from stumbling. The secret is to want to be kept from stumbling and then to pray about it. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." As I said at the beginning of this treatise, it is nice that we have a way of escape, but even better that He will "deliver us."

I will have to admit that there have been times and circumstances in my life when I didn't want the temptation to be removed before it ever appeared. But especially in the last few years I have prayed for deliverance and gotten it. If I saw a particular temptation coming, and often we can see ahead to a potential problem, I would ask God to just remove it. And amazingly, He took it away. I didn't even have to rely on my strength or on God's strength. It just disappeared.


God communicates with us through His word, the Bible, and He affects our lives in that way. But He also takes a direct role in our lives if only we will have complete faith in Him and if we will but ask Him. As Jude says, He will "keep you from stumbling, and present you faultless..." Praise be to God!

Thank you for reading. See you next week.

Who Impressed Jesus?

Jesus interacted with lots of people during His ministry. But who impressed Him?


Certainly He had friends like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. And there was the apostle John whom He loved. But what strangers impressed Him? When He called His apostles from their jobs and lives, He said, "follow Me." But He doesn't praise them especially; He expects obedience. The men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 had good conversation with Him, but we don't see Jesus praising them.

So who received great praise from Jesus? I like what He said to the centurion in Luke 7:1-9. The centurion's servant was near death. The centurion said to Jesus, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof....Say the word and my servant will be healed." "When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, 'I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'"

Another case is with the woman in Matthew 15:28. Her child was demon-possessed. She had a conversation with Jesus asking for mercy, and saying, "Lord, help me." (Isn't this what we often pray?) Jesus recognizing her deep faith concluded with, "O woman, great is your faith. Let it be to you as you desire."

So, to me, the answer is faith; that is what impresses Jesus. In the Bible we see that faith and trust go hand in hand. We must trust Him enough to do what He says, to live as He says live. We must not be too in love with this world, or with ourselves, or in a single word, self. As Hebrews 11:6 says, we must "believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." It sounds simple enough, but it isn't really. It means changing the whole order of priority of our lives. But remember this: He is the "rewarder." Nothing else in this world rewards like Jesus does. Let's do it!

Qestion re: Protestant Denominations

Because this blog is about the Bible and what the Bible says, I don't want to be in a position of judging various denominations. As we have noted in previous blog entries, the Bible is specific that division is not what God wants among His people. But let's look at this matter from a different perspective.



Consider that you are a completely open-minded individual with no prior knowledge or experience with Christianity. You go to the Bible to see what it says that the church is to be. Here are a few things that you would note:

1. The first church was in Jerusalem, established by the apostles, as recorded in Acts 2.

2. The first church was made up of Christians who had repented and been baptized. (Acts 2:38, 41, & 47.)

3. The first Christians remained in Jerusalem until we see persecution causing them to scatter into other areas establishing other churches in Acts 8:1.

4. Paul and Barnabus were traveling and preaching and "appointed elders in every church." Acts 14:23.

5. The early Christians were taking the Lord's Supper on Sunday. Note Acts 20:7, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread......"

Today's church needs to be patterned after the church of the New Testament. It is made up of Christians who gather to partake of the Lord's supper on Sunday, the first day of the week. There is no superstructure of management for the church, just like we see in the early church. Each church had a group of elders overseeing the local church. And each church was autonomous, responsible for itself, with no overseeing body. Division did not exist in the New Testament church. They understood that God was not accepting of myriads of varying faiths.
We need to be as simplistic. Thanks for reading. See you next week.

Question: Judging other Christians

A couple of people have questioned the subject of judging other Christians; should we judge, how can we not be discouraged by the inconsistencies of others? This has been discussed some already, but let's go a little further.

One thing that we know with absolute certainty is that people will disappoint us. They may be our friend, our spouse, a parent, our leaders, our preacher. It may even be us; we may be the one to fall and fail others. It shouldn't go that way, but it does sometimes. A very smart person close to me has always said "I won't let the actions of another person affect my faith in God." I think that is great advice.

The Bible provides us lots of examples of this. At the very time that Jesus is being taken and tried and headed for crucifixion, Peter was denying Jesus 3 times. Peter cursed and said, "I do not know the man." And yet, just a few weeks later, Peter is up in front of all preaching the first sermon after Jesus has left the earth. Peter's prior actions could have been quite a discouragement to his fellow disciples; but instead, they rallied, gathered themselves and went about the work. And Paul, what a great man he became. He had been persecuting Christians, went on to travel and preach and convert and to build. But he wasn't a perfect man. He says in Romans 7, "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do."

The answer to all this is to build our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We cannot focus on the actions or inactions of others. We must do what we should do, focusing on our own selves, and living the best that we can. We still are encouraged to associate with others through the church and to help them with their faith. And we are to evangelize, reach out to those who don't know Jesus. Remember, the only perfect person to ever live was Jesus Christ himself; He never sinned and never disappoints. Have a good week.

Denominations

God said, "Let them be one." Man said, "Let us divide." By the very term, "denomination," we admit that we are dividing, or fracturing, the church that He meant to be unified. Let's look at a few verses that give us instruction about this subject.

When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth and leave His disciples to carry on without Him, He prayed in John 17 saying, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one...", (vs 20). In Ephesians 4, it says, "...endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

I Corinthians chapter 1 is interesting on this subject. Paul says in verse 10, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me.....that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ." 'Is Christ divided?" It is obvious that the teaching of the Bible is that we are to be unified, just "Christians," and that this whole concept of denominations is not what God wanted for His people. We are not to be Paul Christians, or Peter Christians, but we are to be simply Christians.

I will grant you that it is difficult to solve this problem now that we have formed all of these different churches. But our goal needs to be for unity. We need to be part of a group that is not a "denomination" but rather simply "Christians." This is just basic New Testament teaching.

Thank you for sticking with me here. Have an excellent and blessed week!

The Gospel gets reaction

The Gospel gets reaction. Some is positive, some negative; but there will be some reaction when people are faced with it.

In Acts 7, Stephen preached forcefully to the Jews. Read verses 51-53 where he comes down hard on them. They could have been positively moved, but we see in verse 54, "they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth." They killed him. This is the first recorded Christian martyr.

In Acts 2, Peter preached much the same lesson, though shorter. In Acts 2:37, "Now when they (Jews) heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said.....'what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Here, in contrast to the story of Stephen in Acts 7, when challenged with the Gospel, people reacted with, "What shall we do?"

We see a similar contrast in Acts 17 where Paul and companions go to Thessalonica only to find trouble awaiting them. When they leave and go to Berea, the reception is completely different. Acts 17:11 says, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

That needs to be us; fair-minded, searching the Scriptures daily, believing...and following. Let's serve God and go to heaven together. Maybe I'll see you there soon......or maybe we'll just meet back here next week. In either case, feel the love.

Question about "Tolerance"

We had a question about tolerance, saying that we know right from wrong for ourselves, but how do we deal with the wrong in other people, how do we treat them? This is a very good question and one that causes us all to stretch a little. A simple answer is that we "hate the sin but love the sinner." The example of homosexuality was cited in the question.

We can note in the last blog entry regarding "Tolerance" that homosexuality is clearly taught as a sin in the Bible. Thus, in light of the question, we know that we are not to practice homosexuality. If we have these tendencies, we are not to practice, or carry them out. But what does the Bible teach that we are to do with those who do practice these things, who are violating God's teaching?

The very first point must be to note that Jesus came to save sinners, not the "perfect" people of this world! He was constantly criticized for eating and associating with the worst of people, the common people, the sinners. But He also expected them to change. Zacchaeus in Luke 19 is a good example. He was a hated tax collector, but Jesus chose to spend time with him, stayed at his house. And Zacchaeus repented of his past wrongs.

The second point is that we must sometimes treat sinners in the church differently from those outside the church, at least for a time. 1 Cor 5 gives a good summary of this, differentiating between the sinner "inside" the church from the sinner outside. The point here is that we are not even to eat with the church sinner "that his spirit may be saved." But Jesus showed us over and again that we are to reach out to sinners in "the world", vs 10.

Point three is that we are to love everyone. 1 John talks a lot about our love for others; 3:10 says, "love one another." 1 Corinthians 13 ends with, "now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

But with all of that said, we must not condone sin. The reader likely doesn't need me to cite a lot of verses regarding sin, that God hates sin, He is Righteous and has no tolerance for sin. But I'll mention one passage in Ephesians 5:1-17 that is typical of the Bible stance that God's people are not to be drawn in by sin, nor to associate with sin. Note verse 11, "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." So, in summary, we are to associate with sinners "in the world," but are not to condone their sin, and in fact, we are to expose, or speak out against, sin when the opportunity arises.

See you next week!

Question about heaven

I received a question about heaven as to how God rewards; is it done in measure, more to the one who lived better? My answer is quite limited by what God's Word says, or doesn't say, about this. But here is what I read, the most descriptive passage being in Matthew 19:16 through 20:28. Before you finish this article, take the time to read every word of this passage. Therein lies the answer. But here are a few key excerpts:

To the rich man he said, give away all that you treasure..."you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me." (19:21)

"The disciples were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?'" Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Peter says, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?" He says the Apostles will have a special place, but immediately says that "everyone who has left houses...(etc)....for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner...." He proceeds to tell a detailed story of the landowner who hires laborers at different times of the day, but ends up paying them all the same, only to have the laborers complain. Note Jesus' conclusion to this whole story: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."

"But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

So the Bible has made its own points, but I must summarize.

1. It is not for us to ask about ranking or reward in heaven, only to get there.

2. God chooses who will receive eternal life, not through our works.

3. It isn't our works, but our commitment. It is our willingness to leave all, give all, give away all if that is what it takes to be truly committed.

4. There follows a discussion of the two brothers who want a prominent position in heaven. Jesus concludes by saying, "it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave...."

5. Not many will be saved. I repeat, not many will be saved. "Many are called, but not many are chosen." Thus, ranking is not the issue; getting there is the issue.

Our job is to serve, to obey, to follow Him, commit all to Him, and do everything it takes to show our love for Him. We won't have earned eternal life, but He has promised it if we give Him our heart and obey. Sometime maybe I'll give some Bible specifics on how we can KNOW if we are in a saved condition. Until then, feel the love.....

Tolerance 1

There have been some new questions come in. We will deal with them soon. But for now let's consider this lesson, then consider the questions next week.

Tolerance. It seems like a great word. It implies kindness, acceptance, even patience. But it is not a biblical word or concept. God has always been a specific God. He makes the rules and expects us to follow them. And, of course, more than rules, He wants our hearts. But in the New Testament he said, "broad is the way that leads to destruction....narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." I would suggest that those who follow the narrow way should not be "tolerant" of the broad way as hard as that may sound to us.

So what is the broad way? There is not room here to fully describe it, but Romans 1:18-32 gives us some ideas. Here is a little of it: "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men......uncleanness, in the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies....even the women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful......." Here is another hard statement to the Corinthians, a corrupt society where just about "anything goes" and everything was "tolerated", (kind of reminds us of our society, doesn't it?). 1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

We can see that God is quick to condemn sinful practice and sinful thinking. And tolerance of the "broad way" is not God's way. The Bible is not soft on these things and neither should we be.

In a soon to be published lesson we will address the first of these specific sins, that of homosexuality. This will not be a popular position by today's standards, but it will be right out of the Bible. Be patient and open minded with me here. Thanks for reading; you are important!

Follow-up to last lesson

God has done His part and more. He has created us, given us much in this life, given us a spirit and His Spirit, His Word, forgiveness through Jesus' sacrifice, and everlasting life. Now we must do our part. What does the Bible say for us to do? I could never give a complete answer, but here are a few things:

Luke 5:7, Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi and said, "Follow Me." We must follow Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:24, Jesus taught His disciples to take the Lord's Supper, "Do this in remembrance of Me." We are to take the Lord's Supper. I do it every week.

Hebrews 10:24, "let us consider one another....not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." We are taught to assemble with other Christians.

Acts 17:10-11, the Bereans "searched the scriptures daily." We should study our Bibles.

James 5:16 says, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Pray.

1 John 2:10, "He who loves his brother abides in the light.." We must love our brother.

James 1:22, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only." We must be doers, not just hearers or talkers or dreamers or whatever.

James 1:27, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

I'm sure this could go on and on, but let's don't. None of us is perfect, but let's try to be; to be more like Jesus, to "do" what He wants us to do. Hey, thanks for reading, for joining me here. Feel the love.

Question on Judgment

So I received a question on Judgment. Why is it that all people, even Christians, will be judged when this life is over? Shouldn't Christians be automatically saved?

I want to start by saying some disclosures like, hey, I don't claim to know everything, and likely God hasn't revealed everything regarding judgment and Heaven. But, still, the Bible gives us answers so let's look at some (there must be a thousand ways to answer this, but here is mine):

Yes, there is a judgment coming:

Matt. 5:22 "Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."

"Day of Judgment"--Matt. 10:15 and 2 Peter 2:9

1 John 4:17 "We may have boldness in the Day of Judgment."

Read Matt. 10:31-46 where it concludes, "But these will go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

But if Christians have been saved, will they, and why will they, have to face judgment? (Before giving some verses, let me interject that ALL of the epistles (letters) from Romans on through the New Testament are written to Christians. So when we read warnings to not fall away, beware of sin, etc., the lesson is to those who have become Christians.)

A Christian can be tempted, can go back to sin and be lost--1 Cor. 10:12-13.

James 1:12-27--Even the Christian can fall; we must endure temptation.

2 John 8--"Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."

And finally, the book of Hebrews gives many warnings to the Christian: 2:1, "lest we drift away." 3:12, "departing from the living God." 5:1, "you have become dull of hearing." 10:26, "If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."

Thus, after we have become Christians, we must still resist temptation. We must continue to follow Jesus rather than Satan. And we must stand before God in the final judgment. But if we are sincerely trying to follow Jesus, we don't have to fear judgment. Note 1 John 5:13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."

My conclusion to all of this is that there must be a balance. Yes, we are saved by the blood of Jesus, the grace of God. But we must do our part as well.....and will be judged on whether we did so. He says, "Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and...." We must do our part. Perhaps in the next posting we will look at specific things that we are to do. But meanwhile, thanks for reading and sharing these thoughts with me. Love and peace......

Question--Afterlife

I received a question from Steve. Here's the gist: "I was looking at the Catholic channel and they were talking about Purgatory. I've never heard non-Catholics talk about Purgatory. Anyway, the Catholic bishop was saying (I thought) St. Paul talked about it...that through Purgatory a person can go to heaven and have not accepted Jesus Christ while on earth....that believers can pray for the soul in Pergatory to be accepted? into heaven."

First, know that Purgatory is not a Bible word or Bible concept. It cannot be found in the Bible. The Catholics have their own Bible and set of beliefs that have evolved over centuries. And frankly, if it isn't in the Bible, I don't want it. But, for what it is worth, my understanding of the doctrine is that if a believer dies and has unforgiven sins (not of a major type, such as murder) then Purgatory is where the dead person's sins are removed through the prayers of the living. As for Paul referring to or inferring anything regarding Purgatory, he didn't. Here are a few pertinent Bible teachings.

About the after life:
Jesus' story about Lazarus--(Luke 16:23)--'Rich man in torments in Hades'--'Great gulf between the rich man and Lazarus.'
Jesus on the cross said (Luke 23:46) to the thief, "today you will be with me in Paradise"
1 Thes. 4:13-18 tells us that "God will bring with Him those who sleep (dead) in Jesus." Chapter 5 continues with how Jesus is coming back on the "day of the Lord."
We really don't know a lot about the after life though we read a lot about Heaven, particularly at the end of the book of Revelation. But Purgatory, praying for the removal of other people's sins after they have died? No!

About straying from the Bible:
2 Timothy 3:16-17--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God....that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 John 9--"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God."
Revelation 22:18-19--"If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

So, the answer is for us all to just follow the teachings of Jesus and His followers in the Bible.
Thank you for reading! Written with love.

Baptism 2

Before deciding what we should be doing to please God, there are a few basic principles that should be established, that each of us must decide. First that there is a God; that the Bible is His Word; that Jesus is His Son; that we should pattern ourselves and our practices after what is taught in His Word. We would probably have to agree with these basic principles before looking at the practice of baptism.

Baptism is one of those things that man would not have ever come up with. It is a part of God's plan for man. But on a practical level, it doesn't seem necessarily reasonable to man. It is like the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Read this; it is great! He had leprosy, went to the prophet Elisha to be healed, was told to wash in the river Jordan 7 times and he would be healed. "He turned and walked away in a rage." Naaman thought this was ridiculous, but did it anyway, and he was healed on the seventh dip. Baptism is like that for us. We do it because He set the example...
The word "baptism" is "baptiso" in the Greek, meaning to submerge. When Jesus was baptized He came up out of the water. When the Ethiopian Nobleman in Acts 8 was baptized he came up out of the water. There is no instance of sprinkling in the Bible. We should do what they did and be submerged. Romans 6 describes it as a burial and a coming up as a new creature. Take time to read that; it is so interesting. And baptism is always described as a cleansing of sins. Note Acts 22:16, where Paul was told: "Why do you wait? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins." Acts 2:38 says: "repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...."
For purposes of not being too lengthy, I am taking excerpts. But take the time to read the context of these passages and you will see that there is a lot of teaching about the importance and even the method of baptism, that it had to do with Spiritual cleansing, removal of sins, and salvation.

This is very controversial subject matter in the religious world today. Feel free to let's talking more on this in detail if you disagree. My position is that the Bible is very clear on it, but you may want to disagree. Thanks for reading. You are important.

Baptism 1

Let's do two sessions on baptism. The first is to discuss its importance and really the necessity of it for salvation. I know that many do not agree with what is to follow. But it is biblical, straight out of God's Word.



John the Baptist was baptizing people all over (Matthew 3:5,6). Jesus insisted on being baptized (Matt. 3:13). At the end of Jesus' life He said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned," (Mark 16:15-16). Then in Acts 2, after Jesus has ascended into Heaven, Peter preached hard to the Jews in Jerusalem saying they crucified the Lord. Peter said, "repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." In Acts 8, God sends Philip to join an Ethiopian Jewish nobleman on a chariot. It says in verse 35, he "preached Jesus to him." That is all that we know that was said. But we know the result. "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the Eunuch said, 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' " The importance of baptism cannot be ignored. And in Acts 22:16, God sent Ananias to Paul. Ananias said, "Why do you wait? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins." Then read the first verses of Romans 6. This is talking about sin and tells how baptism cleanses sin. And finally, I Peter 3:18-22 tells us that just as Noah and his family were "saved through water (the flood)....baptism now saves us."


As stated before, I know that this is controversial with some people. But it isn't a controversial subject in the Bible; the Bible is very clear on the connection between salvation and baptism. It is interesting that God's word uses different expressions in regard to salvation. It clearly says that one must "believe" to be saved. Elsewhere it emphasizes the importance of "repentance" for salvation. We are saved by "faith," but we also know that we are only saved by the "blood of Jesus." All of these things are involved in salvation. But note that the blood of Jesus, while it is for everyone, isn't going to save everyone; it will save those who believe. It will save those who are willing to repent (change their lives). It will save those who obey Jesus. And it will save those who have been baptized, brought forth as new creatures as we read in Romans 6.


Thank you for reading. See you next week!

Sieze the Moment

Here is a departure from my usual article, but I want to bring something a bit different this week.

First, note that Jesus was one to "sieze the day," to do things now that needed to be done. I'm sure that many important activities were planned ahead. But much of what we read shows that Jesus' deeds were momentary ones. The healings are an example. He didn't go out and seek people to heal; He reacted to people who were around Him, like the leper in Matthew 8 who said to Him, "Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean." And He was sleeping in the boat when a great storm arose. Jesus "arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." And Zacchaeus was sitting in a tree when "Jesus...looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And, of course, we could go on and on with the momentary service events of Jesus, even to the telling of the story of the good Samaritan. But it brings me to the point of this entry.

I found this poem on the door of a professor's office, Dr. Torbert, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1970. I'm sure by now he is dead or at least not aware that the poem lives on. But I really liked it and need to post it here.

"Small change, my Lord," I say
"This that you ask in pay,
When I could give the livelong incandescent day
Could it my debt defray.
Nay I'd include the range
Of weeks and months, the change
Of seasons, not one moment only; strange
To lifetime bounty you prefer small change.
Why, not to disavow
My debt, I'd servile bow
Beneath thy yoke for eons, take a vow
To serve eternally." He smiled,
"I'll not allow
Such tribute; give one moment only,
But that moment NOW."

2/15/57 Alice C. Torbert Dallas, Texas

Feel the love. Spread the love. See you next week!

A Personal Relationship

Being a Christian is much about having a personal relationship with Jesus. I often enjoy the quips in front of church buildings. I passed one the other day that said, "Truth is not a doctrine, it is a person." Certainly there is truth in this statement, though doctrine cannot be avoided, since Jesus said, "If you love me, keep My commandments," (John 14:15). But Jesus and His followers taught the importance of having our heart connected to the Lord and to His people. Let's do a sampling of some of the teachings of Jesus, focusing on the sermon on the mount.


We see in Matthew 5 that much of Jesus' teaching had to do with relationships. "Let your light so shine before men.." (vs 16), and "Agree with you adversary quickly.." (vs 25). He says in verse 41, "whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two," and "love your enemies" (vs 44). Chapter 7:3 tells us, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in you own eye." There is much teaching about dealing with others. He gave us this rule to help us with these challenges, "..whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.." (7:12)


There is a lot about personal character in the teachings of Jesus. "I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (vs 28). And, ".. I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except.." (vs 32). He said in Matt. 6:1, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them." And, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.." (6:19). The Lord knew these things would be a problem for us so He went right to the point.


And there is much in the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) regarding our relationship with our Lord. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.....how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!", (7:7 & 11). He shows us that He loves us with the greatest of Fatherly love, that He takes care of the grass and the birds, "And are you not of more value than they....Therefore do not worry..." And He taught us to pray, and to pray in secret. (6:5), and not to make a show of it like the "hypocrites."

Finally, He concludes all of this teaching by saying, "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock..." and it stands firm under the greatest of storms. Yes, we need a personal relationship with Jesus....and we need to do what He says.

I saw this quip on a billboard: "A clear conscience is a soft pillow." How true. See you next week.

Jonah and Us

We've talked a lot about God & Jesus. Let's talk about you and me this time. I'm not perfect. I have sinned. And, frankly, I feel terrible about it. I often feel as Paul said, "I am the chief of sinners" (ITimothy 1:15). But I am not alone in this confession. Romans 3:23 says "all have sinned...". Without Jesus we would all be in the same boat. Speaking of boats, it reminds me of Jonah. God said to Jonah, "go preach to Nineveh" (Jonah chapter 1). Nineveh was East. Jonah thought this was a very bad idea since Nineveh was a very powerful and evil city, capital of the Assyrian Empire. So instead of traveling by land to the East, Jonah got on a boat going West. Everybody on that boat was in danger, headed in the wrong direction, with a storm brewing. Aren't we like that sometimes; headed just opposite from where we should be headed. But God saved Jonah because He loved him and had a plan for him. And God saved us (Jesus) and has a plan for us. But while He wants us all to be saved (I Peter 3:9), and He made a plan for all of us to be saved, He left it to us to obey and follow Him, to follow Jesus. The choice is ours not His. He did His part, but what about us? Have we made that good commitment. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "


Jonah was slow to come around to God's way. But he finally did what God wanted. We can be just as stubborn. We can run from God, but we cannot hide. He must be followed and honored and worshiped.


"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (I Timothy 1:17)

Response--Hagar and Ishmael

I will use this week's blog entry to respond to a question posed by Steve S a couple of blog entries back, and a very good question it was. The question had to do with Hagar and her son Ishmael being cast away from the family because Ishmael was not the child of promise (Isaac was) and there was great dissension between Sarah, Abraham's wife, and Hagar, the handmaiden. The question had to do with the fact that God saved Ishmael who went on to be the father of the Arab nation. Restated, the question asks if we then should be tolerant of the Islamic faith since God is responsible for creation of the Arab nation.

The Bible is very clear on some points that relate to this:

1. It is true that God played a key role in Ishmael's reestablishment (Gen. 21:17) and growth as a nation (Gen. 21:18).

2. Ishmael was promised 12 princes (Gen. 17:20). This compares to the 12 tribes of Israel.

3. The descendants of Ishmael settled into the areas that we now refer to as the Arab world.

4. Galatians 4 uses this story in a symbolic way to compare bondage (Hagar) under the Jewish law to freedom (Sarah) that we find in Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

Here are what I consider to be necessary conclusions to all of this:

1. God never encouraged anyone to form a separate faith, and certainly did not do so with Ishmael. God saved him, sent him off to form a separate nation, but never wanted them to form a new faith and never gave any support to the Islamic faith. Ishmael was the father of the Arab nations, but the Islamic faith followed of their own creation.

2. God is no longer "tolerant" of the Jewish faith, nor should we be. Galatians chapter 3 gives a good summary of the God's plan through the Bible, how the Promise was given to Abraham, then the Law to the Jews and finally Faith came through Jesus. Note Gal. 3:24 on, "Therefore the law (Jewish) was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith (in Jesus) has come, we are not longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek...." The Jewish age is over, and the Bible is clear on that. Acts 2:36 says, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." We now must follow Jesus.

Finally, I would like to state that "tolerance" sounds like a beautiful word and is practiced widely in our country today. But the Bible never condoned tolerance in regard to various religions that man creates. The world is full of various religions that fit the desires of man but do not follow the teachings of God. We need to be kind to one another for sure, but not tolerant. Revelation 22:16 says, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." And vs 18, "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the Book of Life." The only way is through Jesus..........On a brave day you might mess with Texas, but don't mess with God. See you next week.

Friends

I have to stop the flow of this series of Bible thoughts by inserting this entry about friends. People are so important to us in this life, to me personally and to you as well.


The Bible tells us of such great relationships. The two people who stand out to me as I look at the Bible are David and Jesus. And it seems appropriate to look at the personal friends of these two because Jesus was known as the "Son of David" (Mark 12:35). David, who would become the greatest King of the Old Testament, loved his best friend so much. Note I Samuel 18 & 20 for more on this, but I Sam. 18:3 says Jonathan "loved him as his own soul." These two were bonded.


In the New Testament we see the love that Jesus shared with Martha, Mary and Lazarus, three siblings. John 11 and the first part of 12 show us the depth of love and emotion that these four people shared. It was over in Luke 10:38-42 that Jesus said "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part..." But in John 11:5, Martha is named first, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." It was Martha who invited Jesus into their house in the first place (Luke 11:38). But it was Mary who anointed Jesus' feet with costly oil, using her hair (John 12:3). This was right before Jesus' death and the fragrance likely stayed with Him throught the death process; such love. And we see that through the sequence of events where Lazarus dies and Jesus raises him, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). The bond between these four was amazing. And we share these kinds of bonds in this life..........(There are other examples in the Bible such as Jesus and the disciple whom He loved, John. And there was Paul and Barnabus, Paul and Timothy and more.)


As we get older we realize more and more that it isn't where we are but who we are with. It isn't places and things that matter, but it is people that matter. My mother loved the beach more than any place on earth. But late in life we couldn't get her to go because she wanted to be close to her friends. That is how it is. And we all know that sometimes the people who matter the most to us are those we don't even see or talk to very often.


And finally it is important to remember that the best friend of all is Jesus. And one of these days, and not very long, we will all get to be together....with Him.....forever......if we have truly been His friend. Feel the love.
__________________________
I want to do what's right,
For already Heaven's in sight.
Come and go with me; I want you there
In that beautiful home so fair. mw

The entry this week is a bit of departure from the usual in that I happened across an article in a magazine published by the organization "Friends of Israel" (FOI). I am not a member of FOI and disagree with a pre-millenial position that they promote. Lord willing, more on that another time. But much of their teaching is straight Bible; and this article is impressive. The reason for mentioning it here is threefold: 1) it is interesting, 2) they are "christians" trying to convert Jews, and 3) it fits with our last lesson. So read the following excerpts quoted directly from "Friends of Israel" (Jan/Feb '09), written by Steve Herzig:

"Is there only one way to God?....'Orthodox Rabbi Schmuley Boteach told Larry King in 2000, "I cannot accept that there is a morality, in a spiritual system, which denigrates me as a Jew and says that I am going to burn in hell even though I have lived a good life... This barbaric element which has entered into religion has got to be put aside.'.......(The writer continues) There is no middle ground when answering the question, 'Is there only one way to God?' The reply must be either yes or no. And the Bible is the only place that contains the correct answer......To obey Jesus often brings rejection. To publicly claim He is the only way to heaven will ensure you a reputation of being narrow-minded, unkind, hateful, and intolerant. However, Jesus is not the only subject on which the Bible takes a narrow view. There was only one way for Adam and Eve to remain in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God and were expelled. There was only one acceptable sacrifice for Cain and Abel.......In the days of Noah there was only one avenue of deliverance from the worldwide flood: the ark.....In Egypt God gave Pharaoh one option: 'Let My people go'. At the Passover in Egypt, only the blood of the lamb on the door saved the firstborn in each family from death.......There was only one way to move the Ark of the Covenant (I Chron. 13:9-10) and only one way by which the Syrian commander Naaman could be cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19). The Old Testament, in fact, is filled with restrictions and instructions that show God had a precise way He wanted things done. Any other way was unacceptable to Him. Why, then, does it seem strange that there is only one way today for people to come to God?.........There is only one way to God, Larry (King). Through faith in Jesus Christ."

This is just one man's summary of what the Bible teaches. But anyone who knows the Bible will agree that this is a true and accurate summary. God has shown us over and again that His way is the right way--Not man's way, but His way. It seems narrow to some, but it still is the Truth--God's way! Listen to Jesus, "Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13,14)." See you next week!

Jesus is the only way

So far we've been dealing with basics, about God and His plan. Nothing is more basic and fundamental than to note that Jesus Christ is the only way. Thomas said in John 14:5, "...how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Also note John 5:22-24, "...the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgement to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into Judgement, but has passed from death into life." These are simple statements, but they control everything we know about religion.

We often hear people say "we all are heading to the same place, just doing it in different ways." I've heard it said "all religions worship the same God; they just call Him by different names." But God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" If you are in a religion that doesn't honor Jesus, you are wrong. He is the way. He is the Son of God. He alone is the Savior. There are a lot of good, honorable people who are religious and who worship. But without Jesus there is no hope!

A final thought about controversy. This blog is not seeking controversy, but in fact is controversial. There are many religious people and religious groups who would argue these basic Bible principles. But know this, while peace and unity are beautiful and I seek them, truth, God's truth, is even more valuable. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, the life...........keep my commandments."

See you next week. (Be sure and come back because I have some interesting information coming from "Friends of Israel".)

God is!.....and God DID! Let's expand this second thought a bit and look at what God did throughout the Bible. God made a great plan!

What if we were asked to give an answer to this question: "What is the Bible about?" A good answer is: "The Bible is a record of God's plan for taking care of His people". From the very beginning (Creation) it was God's plan to take care of His people and eventually bring Jesus to save His people. Actually, the plan began even before creation. A friend of mine pointed out to me just the other day the passage in 1 Peter 1:20 which says: "He (Jesus) was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

So many times people read the Bible in snatches, a story here, a passage there. But the Bible flows with great continuity and has overall meaning. Sometimes we hear someone say, "well, thats your interpretation." There is a time and place for interpretation, but note this: the Bible is understandable without us having to put our own slant on it. It makes sense, it is practical, it will change our lives, it will save.

Note the development of God's plan: God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), He created man and woman (Gen. 2:7,18), He saved Noah and his family from the flood (Gen. 8:1), and God made a special covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 12 He promised Abraham that "in you all the families of the earth will be blessed". This blessing comes to us as shown in the New Testament in Galatians 3:14 "...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

And so goes the development of God's plan through the Old Testament. After Abraham God deals with Isaac, then Jacob and his sons, especially Joseph. Then God directs Moses to be a type of Savior to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. Then there are Judges, and Kings, all bringing us to the time when God's promise to Abraham would be fulfilled in the person of Jesus!

What a great plan God made for us! Come back next week and we will see that the Bible is clear that the only salvation is through Jesus....only through Jesus......no other way.

Our first lesson was "God Is"! That was the most powerful thought in all the Bible. The 2nd most important message is God Did! It is significant that the Bible begins with "In the beginning God created...." We can talk more about creation another time, comparing it with modern theories. But for now let's look at more examples where God Did.



In the case of His people, Israel, (Deuteronomy 4:20), "the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the fiery furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day." Note this excerpt from Joshua 24:6-8: "...I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued...He..brought the sea upon them...Then you dwelt in the wilderness for a long time. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand...." He said it again in a number of places, but one was I Samuel 10:18, "..I brought up Israel out of Egypt.." Note that God Did and He does that for us today. He brings us out of slavery (sin), through the sea and the wilderness, helps us win our battles, and ultimately takes us into the promised land (Heaven). But how do people often respond to His great blessings? Often like Nehemiah says in Nehemiah 9:18, "...they made a molten calf for themselves, and said, 'this is your god that brought you out of Egypt.." The real and only God placed great importance on the fact that He brought His people "out of Egypt." But instead of appreciating it, His people worshipped and gave credit to a homemade calf idol. Sometimes we are just as misguided.



So many examples; this could go on and on. Notice the New Testament. God always had a plan. It unfolded all through the Old Testament. We see that it culminated with Jesus Christ. John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." God Did!.................God Is, and God Did!



That's enough for this week. But tune in next week for more about God's plan for you and me, how it was developed through history and why of all men (and women) we are most privileged.

God said: "I AM"

I woke up recently at 3am with the thought that I needed to do a blog on Bible truth. Just the truth, no opinions, nothing shaded or interpreted, just basic Bible facts. Feel free to comment, but remember that opinions don't count. Here we are seeking the truth.

We should start with the most powerful thought in all the Bible. Of course, all thoughts in the Bible are powerful, but the most powerful thought of all is: GOD IS. In Exodus 3:14 Moses said to God: when I go to the people to lead them and they say "what is His name? what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses "I AM who I am", then "I AM has sent you to them."

This is the meaning of God's name in Hebrew, YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah). It is a form of the verb "to be", or "the present One." Always present! Over and over again God said "I AM the Lord". In Genesis 26:24 to Isaac "I am the God of your father Abraham."

GOD IS! Not God was.......not God will be......GOD IS! It is important to God that we first recognize and acknowledge His Supreme position. In our prayers, in our lives, in our life struggles..........GOD IS!