So Great is His Love for Those Who Fear Him

This is one of the most loved Bible verses from the Old Testament.  I see it all the time on the blogs of Christian writers.

Skeptics might view that verse in a totally different way from how believers in Christ see it.  They may think, “why would anyone think that the God of the Bible is a God of love because we are to “fear” Him?”  It is a good question, actually, and one that I will attempt to answer in this post.

When you look up the term “fear” as it is used in Psalm 103:11, we learn that the root Hebrew word [yare’]means both “to frighten – affright, be (make) afraid, dread” as well as “fear (be had) in reverence.”

When we look up the term “reverence” in the dictionary and view the word origin and history, we find:

Word Origin and History for rev-er-ence

n.

late 13c., from Old French reverence “respect, awe,” from Latin reverentia “awe, respect,” from revereri “to stand in awe of, respect, honor, fear, be afraid of; revere,” from re-, intensive prefix (see re- ), + vereri “stand in awe of, fear,” from PIE *wer- “to be or become aware of, perceive, watch out for” (cf. Old English wær “aware, cautious;” see wary ).
v.

late 14c., “treat with respect, honor; venerate, pay pious homage to; esteem, value; bow to (someone); do honor to,” from reverence (n.). Related: Reverenced ; reverencing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid (or, at least tried to hide) themselves from God because they now feared Him (the “frightened,” “dreaded” kind of fear).

Prior to The Fall, the relationship between God and the first man and woman was one of “treat with respect, honor; venerate, pay pious homage to; esteem, value; bow to (someone); do honor to,” from reverence.”

Today, we have the free-will choice to either remain “afraid of God,” or to “treat [Him] with respect, honor; venerate, pay pious homage to; esteem, value; bow to (someone); do honor to,” from reverence.”

God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the bridge between sinful man and Holy God.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and proceeded to indwell the apostles.

Recall that most of them ran away (except John, Mary M. and Mary the mother of Jesus)  out of fear for their earthly lives  when Christ was crucified!  Thomas doubted that Christ had been risen and wanted proof by seeing Him, and putting his fingers into the nail scars on Jesus’ hands and at his side.

So what changed them so drastically that they feared no more and steadfastly spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to 3,000 in one day?

Answer:  The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit – promised by Jesus Christ!

Read the account about the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

Dreaded fear became the more positive reverent fear in the name of Jesus Christ!

And this happens to this very day when we repent of our sins and accept Christ as Lord and Savior in our lives; thus inviting Him into our hearts through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit!

Where do YOU stand with God?

In Christ’s service,

Christine

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

Revisiting “The Unforgivable Sin.”

 

Yesterday my husband, son and I attended a wonderful service at Life Mission Church.  The topic was “The Unforgivable Sin,” also known as “The Sin Unto Death.”

Previously, I brought over a post on this topic from my former blog and posted it here on 2/3/15.  A good discussion began in that comment thread!

My goal here today is to share a brief opinion about the approach to this topic, share Pastor Jobey’s outline and some of my own notes, and Scriptures related to the topic.  I welcome comments, questions, and even challenges from each of  you, dear readers,  regarding what is written.

What I liked about Pastor Jobey’s initial discussion was his humbleness in saying that this topic – the unforgiveable sin – is very difficult.  We are taught in Christian faith that all sin can be forgiven through belief and repentance of sin via Christ’s death on the cross at Calvary.  However, the passage in Matthew 12:30-32 describes that there is an unforgivable sin.

Outline:

WHAT IS THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN?

Matthew 12:30-32

Mat 12:30

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Mat 12:31

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

Mat 12:32

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus says there is a sin that is unforgiveable, but what is it?  Let’s first get some context to help us see what He is speaking about.

This was during another confrontation with the Pharisees.  What are they doing?

*  Before:  The Pharisees were knowingly and willfully hardening their hearts, not simply toward the miracles, but toward Him, denying the very facts that were plain before their eyes.  They are “denying His power.”

*  After:  Jesus then continues to talk about recognizing true believers from those who claim to be believers.

What it is Not:

*  Not simply a Christian’s momentary denial (like Peter).

*  Nor is it even a guarantee that a non-believer who is totally opposed to Jesus is beyond salvation (like Saul of Tarsus).

What it Seems to Be:

*  A sin that an unbeliever commits, not just once but perpetually until death.

*  An ongoing and persistent rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit, when someone is willfully and adamantly denying, as the Pharisees were, the true nature of who Christ is, they stand in a troubling position of potentially blaspheming the Holy Spirit’s work.

*  When someone who is plainly and clearly admitting, to some depth, who Jesus is (the Pharisees admitted Jesus was a miracle worker, Judas followed Jesus as the Son of Man, etc.), but still, in the end, reject Him by hardening their hearts towards the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:4-12

Heb 6:4

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

Heb 6:5

and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

Heb 6:6

if they fall away, [fn] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Heb 6:7

For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;

Heb 6:8

but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

Heb 6:9

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.

Heb 6:10

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of [fn] love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Heb 6:11

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

Heb 6:12

that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

 

WHAT SHOULD CONCERN US?

For both those who don’t believe in Christ, and for those who do call themselves a Christian, Jesus’ words, “whoever is not with me is against me,” are sobering ones.

There is no neutrality with Christ.

Jesus’ claims leave no room for that.

The cross demands a response.

2 Timothy 3:1-17

 

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A pause from the outline.

 

There are weeks worth of study in 2 Timothy 3:1-17!  However, just reading it through once gets a clear message across regarding in Whom we need to trust vs. those who would appear to be “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” We are warned, “And from such people turn away!”

The rest of the verses describe exactly HOW we can avoid error, heresy, and apostasy – which the book of Jude also warns us about!

Pastor Jobey mentioned that “people are not saved through cultural Christianity.” It is NOT just “head” knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It requires something much deeper…namely the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the heart to bring us to remembrance of all that Jesus has said in the Scriptures as well as all that is written within the Bible in its entirety.

Contrast these two verses:

Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Note Proverbs 24:16 –

Pro 24:16

For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

We are also told in Proverbs 24:17 –

Pro 24:17

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles

Jesus desires that ALL people come to repentance! However, after sharing the Gospel with those who refuse to believe, there are times when we must “shake the dust from our sandals” and go on to the next person. Not all will desire to know the truth – which COULD set them free. But we do our job when we share; despite the rejection of some. The celebration when just one person comes to Christ is big in heaven! We rejoice as well!

Why?

Because we know the truth!

There is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God once born-again through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and once the Holy Spirit indwells the heart!

However, defiance of knowing what is true – which is a willful, wicked rejection of Christ and the Holy Spirit leads to “whoever is not with me is against me” mentality!

Very sobering!

Perpetually denying who Christ is, what He accomplished for us via the cross, and rejecting the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling the heart leads each individual to the “sin unto death.”

As the end of the verse in Romans 6:16 says, “OR of obedience unto righteousness.”

That is the ultimate choice that we have!

Continuing with the outline:

HOW CAN WE FIND HOPE AND ASSURANCE?

For those who don’t believe, or for those who say they believe but their lives don’t look like it, you are invited to cry out for God’s grace and forgiveness toward you. He tells us that is we “confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9,10). This Jesus is real. He really walked this earth, He really died so that you could live.

The ultimate purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to bring a message of mercy, grace, forgiveness and love! We all must answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”

Islam and Christianity Present Two Very Different Deities

H/T for graphic:  michaelosborn.files.wordpress

My Sunday has been blessed by reading a heartfelt and truthful post that also contains documented, historical evidence over at Kingjester’s Blog. The writer is described as a Christian American Conservative and the essay he has written is entitled, A KJ Sunday Morning Rebuttal: The Crusades, Radical Islam, and American Christianity.

The post is excellent and the points made are so desperately needed to be shared in these days where confusion often abounds.  People (especially Christians!)  need to become educated on the truth of such  matters so that they can teach others. There is so much disinformation being spread these days!  Therefore,  it’s vitally important to “do your homework” and seek out the truth to dispel the errors being propagandized into the minds and hearts of our fellow Americans.  In addition, millions all around the world also desire to know the truth!

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE: With President Barack Hussein Obama, his Administration and his sycophantic, misinformed followers on the verge of allowing our National Security to be sold out to the Mad Mullahs of Iran, I thought that it would be appropriate to revisit a study I had recently done, concerning the Liberal argument involving their attempts to draw a false equivalency between “Radical” Christianity and Radical Islam.

I hope this helps.

In early February, after President Barack Hussein Obama’s incendiary and decidedly anti-Christian remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, Reverend Franklin Graham spoke truth to power:

Today at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President implied that what ISIS is doing is equivalent to what happened over 1000 years ago during the Crusades and the Inquisition. Mr. President–Many people in history have used the name of Jesus Christ to accomplish evil things for their own desires. But Jesus taught peace, love and forgiveness. He came to give His life for the sins of mankind, not to take life. Mohammad on the contrary was a warrior and killed many innocent people. True followers of Christ emulate Christ—true followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed.

It’s as simple as that.

It has been both maddening and amusing to watch Liberals attempt to rewrite history over the last couple of months, in defense of their fallen messiah.

Actual history shows that

The Crusades were started by the Muslims in the year 630 A.D. when Muhammad invaded and conquered Mecca. Later on, Muslims invaded Syria, Iraq, Jerusalem, Iran, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Italy, France, etc. The Western Crusades started around 1095 to try to stop the Islamic aggressive invasions. Islamic Crusades continued even after the Western Crusades.

You can go to Kingjester’s blog to read the entire post plus the historical listings of dates of Islamic crusades (I would call them jihads).

I recall the Reverend Franklin Graham appearing on Greta Van Susteren’s show where he actually made a call out to Muslim terrorists to confess and repent of all their sins – including murder; then, he urged them to turn to Christ because he died on the cross and rose again to forgive their sins and to be their Savior. Franklin emphasized that God loves them and doesn’t want anyone to perish, but for all to come to eternal life and be redeemed through the shed blood of His Son.

That isn’t an exact quote, but it describes the gist of what Rev. Graham had said during the show.  It took a lot of guts for him to “put himself out there” and ask radical Islamic terrorists to turn from their prophet and their god, “Allah.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to learn that a brief gospel message like that actually reached some terrorists, and realized their need to repent of their sins, thus they ended up dropping the jihad for the sake of following Christ?

More from the essay:

Islam and Christianity present two very different Deities, who may share some similarities, but who have different identities and ultimately different standards. To pretend they are the same is not only to be clueless of the faith of 76% of the citizens of this nation, but, to be ignorant of an integral part of our American Heritage, the legacy of Christian Faith, which our Founding Fathers bequeathed us.

The author is absolutely correct! Please read the post below which explains why Muslims and Christians do not worship the same God.

Hat tip:  Kingjester’s blog: A KJ Sunday Morning Rebuttal: The Crusades, Radical Islam, and American Christianity.

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Why Muslims Don’t Worship the Same God as Christians

While sharing comments at Sarah Palin’s Face Book page, I pointed out to a young man who had written that “Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same God” that he is incorrect. I referred him to an essay I had written back in 2006 at my Talk Wisdom Discussion Forum. I thought that it might be a good idea to share it on this blog so that when you encounter people (even some Christians!) who state that “we all worship the same God,” you can be armed with the truth.

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

The short answer is no! The bottom line is this – Hal Lindsey does not believe that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews and I agree with him and his reasoning on the subject.

However, I also realize that some Christians do differ on this issue. In fact, President Bush once stated (incorrectly, IMO) that Islam worships the same god as Christians and Jews. I disagree and I will share many reasons that will explain to you why this is not possible.

First, a summary:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heavens glory and will return again, to earth, to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13.)

The Koran denies that Jesus is the Son of God although it describes the virgin birth in a passage similar to Luke 1:26-38 (Surah 3:45-47) (Note: Surah is in the Koran).

The Koran calls Jesus a prophet, equal to Abraham, Jonah and others, but places Him in rank far below Muhammad. Surah 4:171 says that “Jesus…was only a messenger of Allah…Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son.”

Muhammad totally ignored the claims that Jesus made about Himself. Jesus said, for example:

“I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
“Before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58).

The Bible also states that God Himself called Jesus His Son (see Matthew 17:5).

Demons trembled as they recognized the Son of God (see Matthew 8:29).

Doubting Thomas acknowledge Him as “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

John identified Christ as the author of creation (John 1:1-5); so did Paul (Col. 1:15-17) who also said, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Col. 2:9).

The only way to deal with this kind of evidence is to do what Muhammad did – simply ignore or deny it. Islam denies Jesus Christ’s Deity so they do not worship the same ‘god’ in their god of Allah.

Next, a response to someone who thinks Allah and Yahweh are one in the same.

In response to an individual who was attempting to equate Allah with Yahweh, I wrote the following response and included some comments from others who agree with my stance:

What Muslims believe:

“Christ, the son of Mary [note: not as the “son of God”], Was no more than A Messenger; many were Messengers that passed away Before him [here, equating Jesus with mere Messengers, or perhaps prophets, but certainly not the Son of God]. Sura 5:75, Abdullah Yusef Ali, 10th ed. reprint, 2001.

“The similitude of Jesus Before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust . . . “. Sura 3:59. A subsequent “created” man, like Adam. Not God.

What Christians believe:

However, “And the angel [being Gabriel, the same angel that allegedly dictated the “Holy Koran” to Muhammad] answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35, KJV).

The Scriptures refer to Christ as “the seed of the WOMAN,” knowing that no woman has any seed. The seed has to come from the male; Christ, as the Word incarnate (John 1:14), in an INCORRUPTIBLE SEED (1 Pet. 1:23) not like unto “corruptible MAN” (Rom. 1:23). Not like Adam, a created man who was not the son of God.

Thus, it comes down to a choice between these two disparate positions.

Either God showed up in the flesh, or he did not.

At this point in history, that makes you either believe God’s inspired Scriptures testifying of himself in the flesh, or Allah’s declaration that he did not visit in the flesh nor will he return once again.

The Koran indicates there WAS AND IS NO SON OF GOD in the flesh at any time. Muhammad thus cuts off the Isaac line through David to Jesus by God acting through Mary, and substitutes the illegitimate Ishmael to substitute himself for Jesus Christ as the New Testament “Comforter”.

Jesus would then have been the son of Joseph (a corruptible man, dead and buried without resurrection), and therefore could not be the Son of God.

What does that make Muhammad?

I realize that some readers will regard this as harsh. I am just sharing the truth of the matter.

We are warned about such non-scripture by Paul when God cursed Muhammad (and any angel with whom he was consorting) for preaching “another gospel” (Gal. 1:8-9).

Below, are more differences that I have gathered through other’s postings. (I will include first names or screen names only)

1. Muhammad sought earthly power and riches, including women from conquest. Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not of this world, and he gave up His life, via a gruesome Roman execution, so that we all might live again in the Kingdom of heaven, with all the angels and saints. And a final human act of murder and self-destruction will not gain one access to that Kingdom of Heaven, much less 72 dark-haired perpetual virgins. No, Allah and God are quite different beings, with different requirements for believing in them. (contributed by John)

2. No Muslim believes that Jesus Christ in the trinity is one with God and God. Therefore they do not worship the same God. Allah does not reflect John 1:1 at all. Hence the reason one can not preach the teachings of Christ around Mecca. (contributed by Merle)

3. It is TOTALLY ILLOGICAL to say the god of Islam and God of the Jews and Christians are one and the same. Islamic scripture KORAN and Hadith is rife with Allah’s disdain and hate of the  Jews and Christians. It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to hate the people (Jews and Christians) He created. Therefore Allah of Islam and God are not the same. (contributed by Paul)

4. To base arguments on the superficial use of the word ‘God’ misses the mark entirely. Even cults use the word ‘God’. It is true that Judeo-Christian and Islamic beliefs have Abraham in common. From there though, Islam takes every Judeo-Christian belief and turns it upside down. (contributed by Terry)

5. Perhaps I can fill you in on some key points as to why I have trouble (with anyone who holds the opinion) that Allah is the same God of the Bible – God of Christians and Jews. First we need to be careful to resist our natural urge to claim common ground for the sake of unity and peace. Instead we need to look at historical facts and religious aims to see whether such commonality is possible. And we need to proceed LOGICALLY. The question we are asking is : Who is Allah? Here we are asking who Allah, the God of Islam is. We are asking who is the Allah god Muslims worship to?

The Koran points out that Allah is the same as the God of Jews and Christians ( “the People of the Book”) And Muslims claim their faith as “the faith of Abraham” in one Creator God. So the question is settled? Well, not so fast!

As well meaning religious people, we like to see unity and peace. And we like to establish commonality with our neighbors. However to answer this key question, we need to be more objective. So let’s clear up our mind and approach this question from the standpoint of a new Muslim convert who is being introduced to Islam. What is the most important statement of Islam? It is the Shahada: That there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. This all important pledge states that Allah is the only God there is and Muhammad is his prophet. If you say this before two witnesses, you become a Muslim. This all important claim of Islam DEFINES Allah.

Note that there are two parts to Shahada – “Allah is [the] only God that exist[s]” and “Muhammad is Allah’s prophet”. In other words, Shahada states “There is only Allah” but who is this god, Allah? “Allah is Muhammed’s God” because Muhammad is his spokesman (prophet).

So the fundamental axiom of Islam DEFINES who Allah is. Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped! And this is a point that ALL MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, AND JEWS CAN AGREE ON.

Allah is the god Muhammad worshipped. This is how we should clarify who Allah is. This statement: “Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped daily” is a statement we all agree on.

Now we examine cold and hard historical facts.  Was Muhammad ever a Jew? Nope. Was Muhammad ever a Christian? Nope. In fact, historians would agree that Muhammad was an Arab pagan who worshipped at Kaaba temple of Mecca. And he worshipped the supreme deity of Arab paganism – Allah of Mecca. We know that there is connection between the God of Christians and the God of Jews BECAUSE JESUS HAS BEEN A JEW AND SO WERE ALL EARLY CHRISTIANS. We can safely say that Christianity is a branch, if you will, out of Judaism because all early Christians were Jews and Christians accept Jewish Old Testaments VERBATUM.

By the same key criteria, we cannot say that Islam is a growth out of Judaism nor Christianity. Muhammad had never been a Jew nor a Christian and Muslims do not accept the Bible verbatim. Instead Islam AIMS TO REPLACE THE BIBLE WITH THE KORAN. Because they believe that the Bible is full of errors while the Koran is the perfect book from the Heaven.

So let us summarize the above point why Allah is not the same as the God of Christians and Jews.

a. “Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped.” If you want to talk Islam, you have to start from the Shahada. If you are unwilling to see the meaning of Shahada, we are talking at cross purpose. Shahada says that Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped and he is the only God there is. All other deities are idols to be denied and oppressed. (This is a point that all Muslims, Christians, and Jews can agree on. )

b. Muhammad was an Arab pagan who worshipped at Kaaba temple of Mecca. (This also is a point that all can agree on. ) He was and never had been a Christian nor a Jew.

c. Therefore, Allah is NOT the God of Christians and Jews. (contributed by Jay)

I am very politically aware of what is going on in the world today. In fact, here in America, as long as your god is just a word, the world has no problem with you. However, mention the name of Jesus Christ and they do have a problem. Why is that? Why is Jesus so offensive to those who do not believe in him?

Perhaps you already agree that we Muslims and Christians do not worship or serve the same God.

Christians believe in the Trinity (I John 5:7). God the father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

“If you have seen me you have seen the Father” (John 14:9).

In non-theological words, Jesus is God revealed to us in the flesh. Muslims do not believe in the same god, that is the God of the New Testament Bible. Let’s just call it like it is. People must not try to trivialize our differences for the sake of peace.

When I was debating an individual about this topic, at the very beginning I had stated, “Since you are using a book – Koran – that I view as an improper addition to the Bible, anything I might say to rebut your allegations will probably not be accepted by you.

I do not say that the Koran is an improper addition to the Bible with a mean-spirited goal, it is just the truth as I see it being a born-again Christian. The Bible gives us a double warning in Revelation 22:18,19 not to add nor subtract from what is written, therefore, any book written after Revelation would be adding (and, in some cases subtracting, according to what is written in them) to God’s Word which we are told not to do according to these verses.”

With that said, I will share a few points regarding his dismay when I called Ishmael illegitimate.

I am currently in the middle of a Bible study on the book of Genesis. Here is a partial recap of chapter 16:

Here we find Sarai and Abram frustrated by the passing years without a son. So they devise their own strategy for “fulfilling” God’s promise–and reap the consequences. Read Genesis 16.1.

It has been ten years since Abram and Sarai entered Canaan. What action does Sarai how suggest (16:1-2)?

Suggested Abram sleep with her maidservant to build a family through her.

2. What do you think this indicates about their trust in God?

They doubted that His promise would be fulfilled without them stepping in and “helping it along” the way. Sarai influenced Abram to commit adultery. (Another point to recognize is the name changes of both Sarai and Abram to Sarah and Abraham before Isaac was born; but even more significantly this occurred after Ishmael was born. A name change in Scripture is quite significant in that it indicates a great change in the path of the person. We see this in the New Testament when Saul was renamed Paul after his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and thus his conversion from not only just Judaism, but from being a persecutor of Christians to becoming one of the greatest apostles for Christ!)

3. How can our impatience with God’s timetable lead us into unbelief and even disobedience?

It led to the sin of adultery in order to get the child they so desperately wanted. In fact, God did come through later with the conception and birth of Isaac.

7. Ishmael means “the God who hears.” What does that reveal about the outcome in 16:15-16?

The Lord heard the child and Hagar’s misery. Even though He told her the good news that He would increase her descendants so that they would be too numerous to count, He also told her the bad news; that Ishmael would be Gen 16:12- “And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

This is indicative of the hostility we have seen between Arabs and Jews throughout the centuries. We also see it in the radical fringe of Arab/Muslim terrorism going on around the world. (This is not to say that ALL Arabs/Muslims are terrorists because of course they all are not, but to point out that the hostility predicted in this Biblical account has come to fruition down through the generations and can be seen today as a result of this prophetic description of Ishmael in Genesis 16:12.)

I WILL REPEAT FOR ABSOLUTE CLARITY. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ALL MUSLIMS/ARABS ARE TERRORISTS!

In Chapter 17 we see that God’s one and only covenant is revealed through Isaac. I have already included the Bible verses in previous posts.

Lastly, at my Bible study this past Tuesday, we ran across the following verse that reveals an astonishing truth about which son God Himself recognized as Abraham’s “only son.”

In Genesis Chapter 22 verse 2 we read:

“Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Of course, we know that God provided a substitute for Isaac at the last moment by providing a ram caught in in a thicket by its horns (verse 13). This was a foreshadowing of the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind at the cross.

But notice also that God said that Isaac was Abraham’s only son. Thus, we recognize Isaac’s line in succession to Jesus Christ, not Ishmael’s line of descendants.
__________________
Christine

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

 

For It Is Written…

H/T for graphic:  Biblepic.com

Sunday evening I had the chance to watch The Bible:  In The Beginning which was made way back in 1966.   It had been decades since I last saw this film so it was enjoyable to see it again. I really appreciated the fact that the movie held to what is written in Scripture!   Rather than taking the usual “license” that today’s filmmakers (i.e. the movies “Noah” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings”) often do while making false advertising claims that they are “biblically sound” versions of events in the Bible, director John Huston made the good decision to stick to what is written in God’s Word.

One of the 46 reviews of the epic classic states that, “The Film Deserves Better Recognition.”

The movie started with Adam and Eve, and ended after Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed, but the ram caught in the thicket was the substitute; so that the promise of Abraham’s descendants through Isaac would be fulfilled.  Abraham’s obedience, despite the anguish he went through, was rewarded because of his willingness to carry out God’s command.  This was a foreshadowing of the sacrificial death that the coming Messiah would fulfill.

In my previous post, a comment made by GMPilot stated:

“Of course we all fail the so-called The Good Test. The questions are rigged, and we are set up to fail. Jesus himself probably couldn’t have passed it.”

There are excellent comments made in that thread by Steve of Cry and Howl and Ciria which both counter GMPilot’s assertions.

Here, I’d like to share how Jesus did pass the test.  First, we need to briefly review how sin entered into the world.

When we go back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we see that they failed to obey God when they both chose to eat of fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In Tuesday’s Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional, we read:

When the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food (the lust of the flesh), and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Despite the fact that Adam and Eve could eat of all the other trees in the garden, they chose to disobey God’s command to not eat of that certain tree.

Why?

Well, Eve blamed it on the serpent who “beguiled” her, Adam blamed it on Eve who brought to fruit to him, and the serpent stated, “you surely shall not die;” which was a twisted lie against God’s original admonition to Adam and Eve.

So, how can we get right with God?  Fast forward to the New Testament.

The devotional goes on, describing Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the desert during his forty days and nights fasting:

When the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (the lust of the flesh). But he answered,…it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.–the devil sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life). Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan.

Here are the verses in Matthew that describe the three times that Jesus was tempted:

Mat 4:5

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

Mat 4:6

and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” [fn]

Mat 4:7

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” [fn]

Mat 4:8

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

Mat 4:9

And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Mat 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, [fn] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” [fn]

Notice that Jesus used Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy to counter the devil’s temptations!  Even the devil’s attempt to use the exact terms “it is written” were countered by Jesus when he stated, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ “

NKJV Footnotes

(4:4)

Deuteronomy 8:3

(4:6)

Psalm 91:11, 12

(4:7)

Deuteronomy 6:16

(4:10)

M-Text reads Get behind Me.

(4:10)

Deuteronomy 6:13

What’s more, when Jesus used the Scriptures and stated, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve,” the devil left Him!

Mat 4:11

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The point is that Jesus was tempted like us [we are, yet] without sin.

Devotional:

We were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. –Who his own self bare* our sins in his own body on the tree.

Therefore, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

It is interesting to note what the term “bare” means here:

*Word Origin and History for bare [From Dictionary.com]
adj.
Old English bær “naked, uncovered, unclothed,” from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (cf. German bar, Old Norse berr, Dutch baar), from PIE *bhosos (cf. Armenian bok “naked;” Old Church Slavonic bosu, Lithuanian basas “barefoot”). Meaning “sheer, absolute” (c.1200) is from the notion of “complete in itself.”

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Jhn 14:15

“If you love Me, keepfn My commandments.

Keeping the commandments doesn’t save us – Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins does.   But the effort we make to keep the commandments  shows that we believe and trust in Him and His promises given to us at the moment of our salvation!

The devotional concludes:

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

[Le 1:4; 1Pe 1:18,19, 2:24; Eph 1:6; 1 Pe 2:5; Ro 12:1; Jude 1:24,25]

We can absolutely trust Jesus!

Jhn 8:42

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

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Hat tips to all links.

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

The Question of Goodness

As a Christian, have you ever been confronted with questions regarding the goodness of people?  I have.  Many times I’ve heard, “well, I think that most people are good, don’t you?”  It can be difficult to quickly answer such a question.  If I had replied, “yes, most people are good” then I would be rejecting the truth of Christian doctrine.  If I had replied, “no, most people (or all people) are not good” then the non-Christian who asked such a question would most likely get upset and call me names – if not to my face then silently within his or her mind.

One of the Bible verses that can be bothersome to non-Christians is:

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?”

That verse certainly doesn’t fit the narrative that “most people are good.”

When a guest that we brought to our church stated that it was offensive for the pastor to make the claim that “all people are bad” (because the pastor quoted that verse), I tried to ease the situation by sharing the very next verse:

Jer 17:10

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

Jesus Christ reiterated this truth about goodness while answering the rich man’s question.

Mat 19:16

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good [fn] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

(19:17)

NU-Text reads Why do you ask Me about what is good?

(19:17)

NU-Text reads There is One who is good.

Mat 19:17

So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? [fn] No one is good but One, that is, God. [fn] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Mar 10:18

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

Luk 18:19

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

It helps to read the entire account in Matthew 19. We find out that the rich man claimed to “keep the commandments” that Jesus listed. [Notice, “do not lie” wasn’t in the examples]. So the rich man asked, “what do I lack?”

Jesus challenged him even further, knowing that this young rich man was relying on his riches and possessions.

Mat 19:22

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Mat 19:23

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 19:24

“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

You see, we can’t be perfect, as only God is perfect. The Sermon of the Mount challenges us to be perfect, but if we are honest with ourselves, we all fail The Good Test. This is the entire reason why Jesus Christ had to come to this earth to die for our sins, rise from the dead, and tell us our need to be spiritually born again. The Gospel needs to be shared all around the world for the salvation of men.

Back to the goodness question.

I would like to share an essay written back in 2010 at my former blog.  It may help explain the goodness question.

~  Christine

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[Originally written October 1, 2010 and updated]

Now, this post will not be an extensive expose’ on “the question of goodness.” That would take many pages. However, what I want to share here may help explain why what man regards as “goodness” within himself, may not be in line with what God describes as Good in His Word.

I realize that non-believers who make the claim of people being good may be thinking in more of a socially acceptable, politically correct motivated type of  reasoning;  which is meant which is meant for the purpose of  bringing people together in a positive way.  I mean, people DO good things in this life.  We all like praise for our good deeds.  We have our good actions and  instances in life.  However, don’t we all need to admit that we also have our bad instances and choices in this life too?  No matter how good someone claims to be (or how good a person acts in front of the public eye),  can any of us match up to the holy and righteous goodness of God?  The Bible says something very different about our “goodness.”

Please see The Good Test at NeedGod.com in order to understand the details about our spiritual condition without Christ.

This week, I started reading Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God written by Francis Chan. I have only completed reading chapter one, but the message fits with this post.

Chan encourages us to stop talking at God for a while and instead, take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word.

I read that section on Wednesday night. By Thursday evening, I was on my way, in traffic and in the rain, to pick up something that I would much rather have picked up on another day. The situation was such that I was told that I must get these items today. [Grrr….!]

During the drive, I said to myself, “If the person asks me ‘how are you today?’ I thought about saying, ‘Do you want a typical response of fine or the truth about how I’m really feeling?'” I had a complete diatribe ready to be unleashed towards the unfortunate person who would be handing me the items that I really didn’t want to pick up in the first place.

My trip already started out bad. First, the road to the freeway was jammed and backed up. Who leaves their house at 5:00 p.m. during rush hour traffic and expects not to hit traffic? Then, it started to rain again on the way there. Next, the sun started to break through the clouds and the glare into the car and on the wet pavement as I was driving west on a side road made it difficult to see. I proceeded to turn left again and traveled the speed limit of 25 mph around a park playground area. My final turn approached and I headed up the hill to my destination. I had just about completed what I was going to say in my mind, but became absolutely awestruck when I witnessed one of the most beautiful (and complete!) rainbows I have ever seen! I chuckled to myself. My heart melted my pride, anger, and annoyance that had built up over the 35 minute ride to my destination. I got out of my car and tried to take a picture of the rainbow with my old and crappy cell phone camera (small voice: complaining again, Chris?) Of course, I could not capture the beauty in a photograph that I was witnessing! A man approached and was saying how awesome the rainbow looked! He asked me my name and went inside to get the items that I came to pick up.

When he and an assistant came back out to the car to put the items in my trunk, he asked, “so how are you today?” “How is your family?” My planned diatribe turned into a confession that some individuals in my family were experiencing difficulty, but God is so good! Look at that rainbow! It is a symbol of His eternal promises for us.”

God — He’s something isn’t He??? He keeps teaching me every single day. That rainbow was a gentle reminder that I am slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry.

Francis Chan writes:

The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. It may seem a hopeless endeavor, to gaze at the invisible God. But Romans 1:20 tells us that through creation, we see His “invisible qualities” and “divine nature.”

I realize that how a rainbow forms can be explained scientifically. But can its beauty be explained? Or, is it a representation of God’s “invisible qualities” and “divine nature?”

Chan goes on to describe how God is holy, God is eternal, God is all-knowing, God is all-powerful and God is fair and just. He quotes Colossians 1:16 – which tells us that everything was created for God: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

Chan asks:

Can you worship a God who isn’t obligated to explain His actions to you? Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?

Wow. That gives each of us a verbal whoopin’ – doesn’t it?!

But the Bible takes it even further:

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” – Daniel 4:35

Chan asks:

Do you really believe that compared to God, “all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing,” including you?

These are hard sayings. But some might wonder, can it get any worse?

Answer: yes. Just take a look at Chan’s section about God is fair and just:

One definition of justice is “reward and/or penalty as deserved.” If what we truly deserved were up to us, we would end up with as many different answers as people who responded. But it isn’t up to us, mostly because none of us are good.

Let’s hold up here for just a moment.  Chan disagrees with the typical claim that “most people are good.” Again, it is possible that when anyone uses the term “good,”  it is a political term and not in the moral or spiritual sense. We all want to perceive ourselves as good, but compared to Holy God, we are not good.

Chan:

God is the only Being who is good, and the standards are set by Him. Because God hates sin, He has to punish those guilty of sin. Maybe that’s not an appealing standard. But to put it bluntly, when you get your own universe, you can make your own standards. When we disagree, let’s not assume it’s His reasoning that needs correction.

It takes a lot for us to comprehend God’s total hatred for sin. We make excuses like, “Yes, I am prideful at times, but everyone struggles with pride.” However, God says in Proverbs 8:13, “I hate pride and arrogance.” You and I are not allowed to tell Him how much He can hate it. He can hate and punish it as severely as His justice demands.

God never excuses sin. And He is always consistent with that ethic. Whenever we start to question whether God really hates sin, we have only to think of the cross, where His Son was tortured, mocked, and beaten because of sin. Our sin.

No question about it: God hates and must punish sin. And He is totally just and fair in doing so.

In the final segment of Chapter One, Chan describes the reactions of both John in the book of Revelation and Isaiah who saw God on His throne. We learn that there are many facets of God that expand beyond our comprehension. God cannot be contained in this world, explained by our vocabulary, or grasped by our understanding.

I would imagine that each and every one of us will be speechless at first – admiring the King of the Universe with awestruck silence when we see Him! Both John and Isaiah found it difficult to describe seeing God in mere words. They tried to describe Him and the experience in ways that they, and we, could relate to and understand. For example – in Revelation, John describes the One seated on the throne with two gems, “jasper and carnelian,” and the area around the throne as a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

Isaiah describes the seraphim appearing above and said they called out to one another saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Yes! It certainly is! And we only get just a glimpse of His glory in all that He has created!

Recall that Isaiah’s reaction was, “Woe is me…I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

Isaiah didn’t feel worthy. But as the Scriptures report, one of the seraphim touches Isaiah’s mouth with a hot coal and tells him that his guilt is taken away.

Mercy is God withholding what you (we, I) deserve.

Grace is God giving you (us, me) what you don’t deserve.

As Isaiah believed in God the Father and was waiting expectantly for the Savior of the world, he reminds us of what our only response to God’s provision for our salvation – Jesus Christ – should be!

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

Spiritual Drought

In a previous post, I linked to a blog called “Possessing the Treasure.” The excellent essay over there discusses 3 of the 7 different churches from the book of Revelation, and reveals the apostate church of Laodicea and how it compares to the apostate church(es) in our time. After reading it again today, I thought that it deserved a post all of its own.

The author shared what the book of Revelation stated regarding three different churches. Briefly, the church at Sardis (Revelation 3:1-2 NASB)- is called “the dead church”, Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-12 NASB) – had no condemnation because they were “not compromising with the pressures of apostasy, but are overcoming or conquering in their obedience and faithfulness”, and Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-21 NASB) – “They claim they are the ones doing Christianity the right way, but are blind or deceived into not seeing the truth of their spiritual bankruptcy, which is that they are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

He also shared a letter written by his great aunt to his grandfather, sometime in the 1940’s – 50’s.

Within that letter, his great aunt writes about the spiritual drought happening at that time, yet a good preacher who stands with God and upon God’s Word and doesn’t stray into apostasy can “strengthen the faith and bring joy into their hearts knowing that He (Christ) is coming soon.”

Each generation needs to be strengthened in this way because we do not know the day or hour of Christ’s return.

The author at that blog, Mike Ratcliff, writes:

The apostasy that my grandfather and his sister were discussing had to do with a temporal focus within churches. People were simply being religious. There was little evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit in the people’s lives while at the same time there were counterfeits and charlatans running amok with their false, man-focused “gospels” of “health, wealth, and prosperity” confusing many. In the midst of all this, in genuine churches the transforming work of Sanctification (Romans 12:1-2) was not in evidence. Churches may have been stable in growth or even growing, but the focus within was on religiosity rather than the Cross of Christ and preaching the Gospel and the spiritual growth of believers.

There are an alarming number of churches where the pastors refuse to present, study, or even mention what is written in the book of Revelation. A friend of mine is concerned that her adult daughter is in one of them, and thus she is missing a key portion of God’s Word in her life.

Why would a church purposely keep the information from its congregation – especially when that particular book of the Bible that states that “you will be blessed” by reading it…both at the beginning and also at the end of the book? Dr. David Jeremiah states that it’s one of satan’s ploys that (apparently) has captured the minds of some pastors and preachers, so that they deem the book “too hard” to preach about or to even teach to their own congregations. Of course we know that satan wants lost souls to stay that way.  In fact the devil wants to keep all away from the Bible in its entirety.   But why would this book be even more hated by God’s adversary? Probably because we learn of satan’s doom in that book!

The letter written by Mike’s great aunt was truly accurate and prophetic. The apostasy is much worse in our time, but she noticed that it was growing way back in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

I was born in 1954, and have seen the exponential deterioration of so-called “Christian” churches over the course of my own lifetime. Churches that I once attended in the past unfortunately turned away from the truth and went the seeker-sensitive, prosperity route.  They noticeably lost their way and lost many attendees because of it.

The cross-less gospel is popular in a lot of leftist churches that excuse the sin of Sodom (among several other sins like abortion) and ignore the judgment that is to come due to un-repentance.

One church that I used to attend even went so far as to remove the huge name of Jesus (which was formerly displayed across the center front of the sanctuary behind the pastor’s podium), and replaced it with a big screen!

 

What was very odd and shocking (to me) about this move is that there were existing big screens placed years ago on the wall at either side behind the podium!  I discovered this “change” last year on Good Friday and it bothered me immensely then, as it still does now! Who in their right mind ( minds which were supposedly guided by the Holy Spirit?) would do such a thing!? I cannot, in good conscience, ever go back to that church! The convenience of attending their once per year Good Friday service won’t bring me back. I’d rather drive an hour down to the Rock Church for their evening Good Friday service this year!

We need to remain diligent in this time of heresy and apostasy, and point out what the true church should be like and doing (e.g. the church of Philadelphia in Revelation).   We need to continue to speak out against those “churches” and “preachers” who would turn people away from truth of the Gospel of Christ and God’s Word, the Bible,  towards the evil of error, heresy and apostasy.

Hat tip:  “Possessing the Treasure.”

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How To Know God Personally [Click on link to discover the principles!]

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?

You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.

The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ…

The Importance of “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.”

H/T for graphic:  biblicalproof.files.wordpress

My television DVR is set to record the Jack Van Impe program on the Daystar network.  Last night, I had the time to view the Saturday, February 21, 2015 episode and it was one of the best I’ve ever seen!

Each program from this ministry is generally very enlightening and educational.  I don’t think that there is anyone in ministry today who has the ability to discern the signs of the times and relate today’s news to the warnings in the Bible (and Bible prophecy) better than Dr. Van Impe. He always backs up his claims with Scripture! THAT is THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of Christian Apologetics and  teaching!

To view the program online, click here:

 

Jack Van Impe Ministries: 2/21/15 Episode.

 

SOUND DOCTRINE is so IMPORTANT these days because there are many who are GUILTY of preaching a false gospel; and thus are drifting away (and taking others with them!)  from the true faith and gospel of Jesus Christ! Dr. Van Impe isn’t talking to non-believers here, he is talking to Christians! At least he is using the admonition to “rightly divide the Word of truth.”

2Ti 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Notice that verse in 2 Timothy says to be a WORKER who does not need to be ashamed! And WORKERS for Christ are born-again, Bible-based believers! As WORKERS, we are to “rightly divide the word of truth!” Those who do not – are guilty of heresy and apostasy!

You will notice that Dr. Van Impe talks to EVERY denomination of Christianity – including Catholics! In past videos, he has shown much admiration for Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict. However, he has doubts about the Jesuit priest who became Pope Francis, and he points out this pope’s errors in this video!

Dr. Van Impe also calls out the evangelicals who are not “rightly dividing the word of truth.”

If you are a Christian – of any denomination – please do yourself a favor and view the video at the JVM Ministries link!

There are many verses that instruct us to be diligent, discerning, biblically accurate, rightly dividing the word of truth and to preach proper and sound DOCTRINE!

H/T for graphic:  sounddoctrine.org

 

How do we discern proper and sound doctrine?

By reading, studying, discerning, following, and sharing the truth – according to God’s Word, the Bible, and The Living Word and Son of God – Jesus Christ!

We are called to exhort, and convict, as Titus 1:9 tells us here:

Tit 1:9

holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Hat tip: Jack Van Impe Ministries