To expand your news reach, consider advertising with our media partner, Patch Media, at https://heypapipromotionsmedia.town.news/. Patch is a nationwide news network comprising over 1,000 hyperlocal websites dedicated to community news across the United States. For press release distribution services, please call or visit https://heypapipromotions.com/advertise.
An Important Warning About A Rebellious Heart Against God
The writer of Hebrews gave a stern warning to anyone with a rebellious heart. It can happen to anyone. How can we keep our hearts and minds pure and in God’s will? Click on the link below to find out. #316 #BibleStudy #Devotions #Hebrews #Rebellious
Dan and I have breakfast together often. We’ve both been married about 40 years. One time we were just laughing about some of the things that took us years to learn about our wives. Like when your wife talks to you about a problem she’s facing. You offer her some GREAT advice. Instead of graciously and willingly accepting your ‘pearls of wisdom’, she pushes back at you, and you cannot figure out why she’s not accepting your wise counsel. I mean, she came to you for advice and now she’s not taking it. An argument ensues.
It took us years to learn that our spouses didn’t want to be “fixed”. They just wanted to invite us into their process of solving their problem themselves. What they saw as something intimate, we saw as a problem to be fixed. All we guys had to do is listen to them, offer some words of encouragement, and hug them at the end. That’s it….nothing more! No figuring out how to solve their problem. Why did it take Dan and I, like 10 years, to figure this out? Our wives are capable of figuring it out themselves. They just wanted us to walk with them on their journey of self-discovery. How intimate and awesome is that!
This is the type of thing that Dan and I would laugh about. Then it hit us! What if we could share it with couples about to be married? It may save them years of frustrations. So we went to our pastor with it and… Lo and Behold…we and our wives wound up teaching the pre-marital class at our church. While we did use prepared material, we were able to intersperse our own “nuggets of wisdom” to them throughout the course. The 8 sessions class went so well, that these couples want to get together about 6 months after they’re married just to see how they’re all doing. And we “old folks” (Dan and I and our wives) were invited too! I think we’ll teach the class next year.
It’s interesting to see how God works in peoples lives and who He chooses to do that work, as long as we’re available to be used by Him. It’s also very interesting to see how He can take our past failures and struggles and use them for His glory. Has He worked this way in your life? Are there any past struggles that He has used in your life to bless someone else? Please share them with me!
I have an idea….let’s do some math right now! What rapturous joy must be coursing thru your veins right now. Do you know that math can be used to prove that the #Bible comes from God? The math we’re going to use is the probability of fulfilled biblical #prophecy. But first, I have to teach you about exponents. Oh, stop complaining, it’ll be easy.
The number 10 can be expressed exponentially as 101 or 10 to the 1st power or the number 1 followed by 1 zero. The number 100 can be expressed as 10 x 10 or 101 x 101 = 101+1 = 102 o 10 squared or the number 1 followed by 2 zero’s. The number 1,000 can be expressed by 10 x 10 x 10 or 101 x 101 x 101 = 101+1+1 = 103 or 10 cubed or the number 1 followed by 3 zero’s. The number 1,000,000 (one million) can be expressed by 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 or 101 x 101 x 101 x 101 x 101 x 101 = 101+1+1+1+1+1 = 106 or the number 1 followed by 6 zero’s. The number 1,000,000,000 (one billion) is written as 109 or the number 1 followed by 9 zero’s. The number 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) is written as 1012 or the number 1 followed by 12 zero’s (the whole US gov’t takes in less than 3 trillion dollars in tax money each year).
So if you have 1 chance in 100 of winning something, you have 1 chance in 102. If you have 1 chance in a million of winning, you have 1 chance in 106. If you have 1 chance in a billion of winning the lottery (which only one lottery has gotten this big before), you have 1 chance in 109 of winning.
Great! Now you’re an expert in exponents.
Now I want to introduce you to two men: #Peter Stoner…M.S. degree, Department chairman of Mathematics & Astronomy at Pasadena City College until 1953 & Chairmen of the Science division of Westmont College from 1953-1957. Dr. Robert C. Newman…Phd. in Astro-Physics, Cornell University 1967, post-doctoral fellow at the Bartol Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute and assosciate professor in Physics and Mathematics at Shelton College, both from 1968-1971, S.T.M., Biblical School of Theology, 1972; Associate professor of New Testament, Biblical School of Theology, 1971-retirement.
In 1944, Professor Stoner gave 600 of his students the task of finding the chance that one person could fulfill just 8 of the Old Testament prophecies of a coming #messiah. They came up with 1 chance in 1017. That’s 1 chance in one hundred quadrillion. To illustrate this, take 1017 silver dollars and put them all over Texas. They would fill all of Texas and be 2 feet high. Mark one of them and throw it randomly into the bunch. Blindfold a person and have them pick out one silver dollar. Would you bet they would pick out the marked one? Not very likely, is it?
Scientists have defined the chance of something NEVER happening (impossible) as if it has less than 1 chance in 1053. If you don’t have 1 chance in 1053 of it happening, it’ll NEVER happen. Remember 1054 is 10 times impossible.
What if we picked 48 Old Testament messianic prophecies? The chance of one person fulfilling 48 of these prophecies turns out to be 1 chance in 10157.WOW! This number is incomprehensible. If you could count 250 numbers per minute, it would take you almost 7 TRILLION years to reach this number.
What about all the other prophecies in the Bible. It’s been said that there are about 700 total prophecies in the Bible with about 500 of them already being fulfilled. No one that I know of has calculated what the probability of them being fulfilled by chance is but I can bet it’s ridiculously past zero.
In the regard of fulfilling prophecies, the Bible in unlike any other book in existence. With this kind of mathematical proof, don’t you think you can trust God with your life? Write and tell me what you think of all this.
The Bible tells us how God showed His love to the world. It also gives us the qualities of what love is and isn't. We, however, must go beyond knowing what love is. We must allow its qualities to reign in our lives. Click on the link below to read today's post. #1John #316 #BibleStudy #Devotions
If I told you that my whole life had been changed by a run-in with an auto assembly line worker, you wouldn’t believe me. If I told you I’d known several people who had the same experience, you’d wonder what we’d been smoking. In our technologically advanced society, we tend to look down on such people.
Yet history and reality teaches us the exact opposite. Here are quotes from ‘respected’ people, all experts in their fields, who talk about a man who was only “visible” for 3 years, had no formal education and no support from leaders, shakers or movers in his day. Enjoy!
A Civil War general, lawyer, politician and atheist, Lew Wallace set out on a 6 year mission to destroy & disparage Christianity. He wrote a book as a result of his very biased research. You may have heard of it. It’s a little book. It’s called “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ”. It became the best selling novel of the 19th century and is regarded as the most influential Christian book of that era (www.christianheritagefellowship.com/ben-hur-the-conversion-of-lew-wallace/).
He said, “After 6 years given to the impartial investigation of Christianity as to its truth or falsity, I have come to the deliberate conclusion that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Jews, the Savior of the world and my own personal Redeemer”. While writing the 2nd chapter of his book, he found himself on his knees, crying out, “My Lord and my God.” The evidence was overwhelming.
H.G. Wells, a science fiction writer & historian said, “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
Napoleon, French general, politician, Emperor and also not a believer, said “I know men and I tell you Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.” Napoleon also said that while he was alive, men would die for him. But he could not believe that men would die for him after he died. And yet that is exactly what believers in Jesus were doing….dying for Jesus several hundred years after He died.
Albert Einstein, the 20th century’s most respected scientist said “I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful…No one can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.”
One man wrote, “Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30, and then for 3 years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where He was born. He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His Divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went thru the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between 2 thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Such was His human life. He rises from the dead. Twenty centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race and the Leader of the column of progress. I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.” James C. Hefley – Christian writer.
What have you done with this man? This same man, Jesus, said that He rose from the dead, conquered the grave and is coming back again to settle all scores. Do you believe Him?
Most scientists agree that our universe (space, time & matter) had a beginning (the so-called Big Bang). Therefore, it needs a beginner, a maker. It cannot create itself, so it needs a creator. Since time, space & matter didn’t exist before the creation of the universe, the ‘cause’ of the universe has to be timeless, spaceless & immaterial. You cannot keep going backward forever, saying ‘What caused this cause” or “What caused that cause”. Something had to start it all.Philosophers call this the ‘First Uncaused Cause’. We can also call it ‘God’. This won’t get us all the way to the God of the Bible yet, but it does rule out atheism as a logical explanation for the origin of the universe.
Question: Who made God? No one! He wasn’t made. He has always existed. Only finite things or things that are made need a maker. Only things that have a beginning need a beginner. It’s a category mistake to ask “Who made the unmade?” It’s like asking “Who is the bachelor’s wife?”
Question: Did God create Himself? Again only finite things need to be created. This leaves us with 3 choices; 1) He is self-created…but nothing can create itself. 2) Caused by another…only finite things are created. 3) Uncaused…God must be uncaused, even if we cannot understand it.
Question: Is there only one God? If you have 2 unlimited beings, then you have no limits as to where one stops and the other starts. So there can be only one unlimited being. -since He caused everything else, He is unlimited in power (omnipotent). -since He exists outside of time, He is eternal. -since He exists outside of space, He is omni-present (Infinite, He can exist anywhere at the same time). -since He made the universe, He is omniscient (He has all knowledge). -since His creatures have morals, He is the ultimate moral being. So God is omni-present, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent & moral.
Question: Is this the God of the Bible? The Bible says that God is… 1) Eternal…Colossians 1:17 & Hebrews 1:2 2) Omni-present (Infinite)…1st Kings 8:27 & Isaiah 66:1 3) All good (moral)…Psalm 86:5 & Luke 18:19 4) Omnipotent…Hebrews 1:3 & Matthew 19:26 5) Omniscient…1st John 3:20 & John 21:17 & Hebrews 4:13
What about the multi-verse?
The multi-verse view of the universe is that there is a universe-creating ‘machine’ that creates trillion of universes, ours being just one. First off, there’s absolutely no proof at all for this view. It’s just idle speculation that tries to get around the fact that our universe has a beginning (and hence, a beginner). Secondly, if it was true, you just haven’t gone back far enough in time. Who created this ‘machine’? Eventually, you’ll get back to a ‘First Uncaused Cause’ again.
Why couldn’t the universe have always existed?
There are 2 reasons the universe couldn’t have always existed. First…we know that our universe (space, time & matter) had a beginning. So we know it hasn’t always existed. Why couldn’t the universe have always existed? This question wrongly assumes that everything must have a cause. We only claim that everything that has a beginning needs a cause. A…Did the universe have a beginning? 1…The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says the universe is running down. Since it’s running down, it must have had a starting point that it’s running down from. 2…Math – an infinite time can NEVER be traversed. Infinitely in the past means that there is no beginning to time. So no matter how many days there were in the past, you will NEVER reach today. But since we have arrived at ‘today’, time had to have a beginning. 3…Since nothing can cause itself, the universe must have been caused by something else.
Second…if the universe had no beginning, that means that it has existed infinitely in the past.Since time is moving forward, we would NEVER have reached ‘today’. WOW! Do you feel that your mind just got stretched? Let me re-state that. Since time is moving forward and if there is an infinite number of days in the past, we NEVER would have reached ‘today’. But we have reached ‘today’, so there can’t be an infinite number of days in the past. And that means that time had a beginning. Let me explain further…by definition,an infinite number of days can NEVER be traversed…in other words, it has no beginning and no end. But since the days before today have happened, this means that the number of days in the past are not infinite but finite…a limited number of days, proving once again that time did have a beginning. I know that the concept of infinity is hard to understand. We keep wanting to think that there is a starting point somewhere. But infinity has no starting or ending points. Infinity in the past just keeps going and going and it never stops. This is why, if there where an infinite number of days in the past, we would NEVER reach today, as in this present day or right now.
Book references: “Who Made God?” by Zacharias & Geisler, page 24 “The Case for a Creator” by Lee Strobel “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” by Geisler & Turek
Do You Want God's Unlimited Resources To Empower You?
God’s unlimited resources to empower you is not going to be a lightning bolt from heaven or a zap of some kind. No, our empowerment is the fullness of life from God. Read about it in today's post by clicking on the link below. #316 #BibleStudy #Devotions #Ephesians
The African Diaspora in America has significantly progressed since slavery. We elected and re-elected the first black president. I am thankful to God for the great progression and upward mobility of Black Americans.
Notwithstanding this progression, many inner-city black men are suffering, who are the focus of our church. We focus on inner-city black men because it is our God-given mandate but also because they are facing a crisis of unprecedented poverty, unemployment, deadly gun violence, and so much more. And inner-city black men are usually unchurched.
God’s answer for inner-city black men is the Kingdom of God. He is raising up and sending Kingdom men to inner-city black men. Kingdom men are the only hope of reaching and rescuing inner-city black men from the grips of demonic destruction. Satan’s worst nightmare is the army of Kingdom men that God is developing, training and sending to inner-city black men.
Our church, Saltmakers Church, is committed to raising up and sending Kingdom Men into the Fair Park section of South Dallas. To help us meet this goal we first had to define and identify the characteristics of a Kingdom man.
DEFINING A KINGDOM MAN
Here’s our simple definition of a Kingdom man: he’s a male Christ follower who submits to the rule of God completely. He prioritizes pleasing and obeying God above all else. He rejects the world’s system for God’s order.
TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A KINGDOM MAN
What else marks Kingdom men? How do they differ from other men? Why are they capable of thwarting demonic activity? Why do they succeed when all others fail? Why do their wives and children thrive? Why do their careers or businesses prosper? The answer lies in the ten characteristics of Kingdom men:
Ten Characteristics of a Kingdom man
A Kingdom man follows Jesus
The first characteristic of a Kingdom man is that he is an authentic Christ follower, which means he is a committed, born-again, dedicated disciple of Jesus. He submits his life to Jesus completely. He patterns himself after Jesus. He wants to be like and please Jesus. He loves what Jesus loves and hates what Jesus hates. Jesus is his King.
A Kingdom man seeks first the Kingdom of God
A Kingdom man has his priorities straight. He focuses on seeking the Kingdom of God, not material things. He knows he cannot serve God and mammon. He loves God and hates avarice. The Kingdom of God is his passion and pursuit.
A Kingdom man lives life God’s way
A Kingdom man seeks the righteousness of God. This means he does things God’s way. He lives life God’s way. He doesn’t live life his way. He doesn’t do things his way. He knows God’s way is God’s Word. Hence, a Kingdom man loves the Word of God. He’s teachable and always willing to learn so he can conduct himself according to the Word of God. He wisely knows that doing things or living life his way produces failure, but obeying the Word of God produces success.
A Kingdom man creates wealth for his family
A Kingdom man prospers and creates wealth for his family because he has the BLESSING OF GOD on his life. He has multiple streams of legitimate income. He leaves enough financial inheritance after his death that two generations of his family are blessed. He works diligently and smart to create businesses and jobs for others in his community. He enjoys tithing and financing the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He joyfully takes every opportunity to bless others especially the poor and less fortunate.
A Kingdom man prays consistently
A Kingdom man loves praying and conversing with God. He understands that prayer builds intimacy with God. He knows prayer lifts burdens and is a great way to receive divine direction. He intercedes for his national and local leaders as well as his neighborhood and family. He anoints with oil and lays hands on his family members to rebuke demonic activity and transfer God’s favor. He understands spiritual warfare and can effectively use the precious Blood and Name of Jesus to exercise his authority.
A Kingdom man lives by faith
A Kingdom man lives by faith, which means he ACTS like the Word of God is true, he BELIEVES it with his heart and CONFESSES it with his mouth. He uses his faith as a powerful force to overcome the challenges of life (e.g., poverty, racism, sickness, unemployment, marital problems, etc.). Although he recognizes the reality of racism, he doesn’t use it as an excuse for failure. His confidence is grounded in 1 John 5:4, which says, “Every child of God can defeat the world (including racism), and our faith is what gives us this victory.”
A Kingdom man follows the Holy Spirit
A Kingdom man is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. He relies on the Holy Spirit for leadership and guidance. He realizes that the Holy Spirit desires to lead him to victory and teach him how to win in life. Before making major decisions he always consults the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. He tries hard to never offend and grieve the Holy Spirit in his daily life. The Holy Spirit is his best friend and comforter.
A Kingdom man leads his family skillfully
A Kingdom man happily assumes leadership of his family. If he’s married, he gladly and tenderly loves and nurtures his wife. He treats her like a jewel, never abusing or belittling her. If he has children, he protects, provides for them and prepare them for a life of following Christ. He lives for them, joyfully sacrificing his life for their well-being. He will never abandon them under any circumstances. Paul’s admonishment in 1 Timothy 5:8 rings loud in his ears, that “anyone who doesn’t take care for … his immediate family, has denied the Christian faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
A Kingdom man exemplifies integrity
A Kingdom man possesses rock solid integrity. He has his life together. He’s trustworthy and faithful. He keeps his word and pays his bills on time. He works diligently at his vocation and is blameless in his character. He is not perfect, but when he fails, he acknowledges his failures, repents and attempts to make things right.
A Kingdom man advances the Kingdom of God
Last, a Kingdom man does his part in advancing the Kingdom of God. He understands it’s his duty to spread the Kingdom of God at home and abroad. If he lives in an inner-city community, he fearlessly, selflessly and lovingly takes the Kingdom of God to the gang-bangers, drug dealers, crack addicts, etc. He refuses to allow demonic forces to ravage and overtake his family and neighborhood. He stands as a wall between his family and neighborhood against satanic forces.
Conclusion
The black community desperately needs Kingdom men. They can bring healing, renewal and the Kingdom of God to the black community which will produce peace, prosperity, and righteousness. The black neighborhoods that are without Kingdom men, however, will continue to experience poverty, death, and destruction, especially in urban areas.
My goal is to help God find, train and send Kingdom men to the black community. They will be like salt in their communities providing seasoning, preservation and disinfectant, which is why we are Saltmakers Church.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians to straighten up a problem they were encountering. In this post we’ll look at what our inheritance is and why the law is important to us. Click on the link below to read today's post. #316 #BibleStudy #Devotions #Galatians
“Religion is the most prolific source of violence in our history”. So says atheist Sam Harris (his book “The End of Faith”, page 27). “More people have been killed in the name of Jesus Christ than any other name in the history of the world” says author Gore Vidal. “Religion causes wars” says atheist Richard Dawkins.
But are these statements true? What proof do these atheists have to back up their statements? Actually, they have none. Or at least none that stand to scrutiny. Let’s consider the following; – it’s a fallacy to say all religions contribute equally to warfare. They just don’t. Islam has a history of converting at the point of a sword, Christianity doesn’t. – in the past, its pretty clear that some countries used religion to justify their own agenda. – do the core beliefs of the religion actually advocate violence? – just because a person is part of a religion doesn’t mean they speak for that religion or that they are really true believers in that religion. – secular or atheistic beliefs, like those of Stalin or Mao need to be challenged every bit as much as religious views are. – yes, its true that religions, including Christianity, have had wars. But this doesn’t mean that they are the cause of a majority of all the wars.
Phillips and Axelrod’s 3 volume “Encyclopedia of Wars” lays out the following facts: – 1,763 wars have occurred in human history. – 123 wars have been religious in nature, about 7% of all wars. – Islam has had 66 of those 123 wars, 53% of all religious wars or 3.7% of all wars. – All other religions have accounted for 57 wars, or 46% of all religious wars or 3.2% of all wars.
“The Encyclopedia of War” edited by Gordon Martel confirms this data. William Cavanaugh’s book, “The Myth of Religious Violence” explodes this myth. Atheism, not religion, and certainly not Christianity, is responsible for far more deaths. R.J. Rummel’s work in “Lethal Politics” and “Death by Government” says the following about the number of deaths under these atheistic leaders; – Stalin 42,672,000 – Mao 37,828,000 – Adolf Hitler 20,946,000 – Chiang Kai-Shek 10,214,000 – Vladimir Lenin 4,017,000 – Hideki Tojo 3,990,000 – Pol Pot 2,397,000 Total = 122,064,000 in the 20th century alone. Kind of puts a dent in Sam Harris’ argument, doesn’t it? The historical evidence is quite clear. Religion, much less Christianity, is not the number one cause of war.
What then is the cause of wars? We could say atheism and we’d be correct. But even more than that is what Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23…”For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’. James 4:1-3 says, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Sin or our fallen nature is the #1 cause of wars. This is why when our sin nature is removed in eternity, there won’t be any more killings, death or wars. Psalm 46:9 says “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth…” Isaiah 2:4 says “…They will beat their swords into plowshares…nor will they train for war anymore.”
Won’t that be something to look forward to? For a glimpse of what that will be like, take my class “Heaven and Hell” on his website.
Book references: the above listed books plus “Christianity on Trial” by Carroll & Shiflett, chapter 4.
FREE EBOOK on Love Love is the Theme of God. It is also an emphasis in February. This eBook contains 6 of my best devotions on love. Grab your FREE copy of today by clicking on the link below! You will "LOVE" it! https://christian-perspectives.ck.page/4c4f7559f9
How would you respond to the following statement: If you’re going to use Leviticus 18:22 to say that homosexuality is a sin, then you must not plant your field with two types of seed or eat any beef (Leviticus 19:26) or wear clothing made from more than one type of material (Leviticus 19:19).
A person using this argument doesn’t understand why the Law was given, who it was given to and when parts of it were to expire.
Why was the Old Testament Law given?The Jews had just endured over 400 years of slavery doing nothing but making bricks. That’s almost twiceas long as the USA has existed as a nation. They had no idea how to survive on their own.They knew nothing of farming, forming & running a government, setting up a legal code, etc. The Law gave them very detailed instructions on how to do all of this. It was also used to identify and preserve the geneaological line that the Messiah was to come from. It explained in many scriptures who the Messiah would be and why He had to come. It foreshadowed His coming. The dietary laws were to prevent food-born illnesses. Many of the ritual laws were given for safety and cleanliness. The farming laws provided for their sustenance.
Who was the Law given to? The Jews and the Jews only (Exodus 19:5,6).
What parts of the Law were temporary and what parts were permanent? There were several parts to the Law. The parts that foreshadowed the Messiah were fulfilled at His 1st coming. The civil & legal laws were needed for Israel to function as an independent country. These laws ceased to exist when Israel was conquered by a foreign nation.The legal punishments are harsh by today’s standards. But God meets us where we’re at, not where we should be. These laws were very much in line with the laws of the surrounding nations at the time. The BIG difference is that they were more redemptive in nature and served to protect the victims whereas the surrounding countries laws were harsher and meant to protect the rich and elite over the common person. But we can learn from these laws that God loves and protects us while meeting us where we’re at, not where we should be. The only laws that directly transfer are the moral laws.
The moral laws (but not their punishments) don’t change because God doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That is why the moral laws of Leviticus 18, 19 and other placesstill apply today but the other typesdon’t (Leviticus 19:19-23, 27, 28, etc.) Unfortunately, the laws were all bunched together, so it falls to us to sort them out.
Further comments on the Old Testament Law: All of Israel’s laws were designed to be a blessing to them (Leviticus 26:3-13).
Laws that begin with “do” or “do not” are what we call apodictic laws. They are direct commands. These laws are paradigmatic (examples rather than exhaustive lists meant to cover every situation). If you were to try to obey these laws, they would show you how impossible it is to please God on your own. Compared to all the Old Testament laws, they are in the minority.
Laws that are on a case-by-case basis are called cauistic laws. An example of where these laws apply is Deuteronomy 15:12-17. If you aren’t an Israelite and do not own slaves, this law doesn’t apply to you. These cauistic laws constitute a large portion of the over 600 Old Testament laws. None of them are renewed in the New Testament. Because these laws apply to Israel’s civil, religious and ethical life, they are limited in their applicability and do not apply to Christians today.
Some usual laws; “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21) or “Do not mate different kinds of animals” and “Do not wear clothing woven of two different kinds of materials” (Leviticus 19:19). What the heck is wrong with that you may ask? In Deuteronomy 14:21, this and other prohibitions were designed to forbid the Jews from engaging in the fertility cult practices of the Canaanites. They thought that by boiling a kid goat in its mother’s milk that it would magically ensure the continuing fertility of their flock. In Leviticus 19:19, the Canaanites thought that by mixing animal breeds or different seeds or materials that it would “marry” them together so as to magically produce a bountiful harvest or herd. God did not want the Israelites to be tainted with any of the Canaanites practices. Many of their practices were of a pornographic/orgiastic/sexual nature. If the Israelites were to remain pure and committed to following God’s will for their lives, they were to avoid all of these Canaanite practices.
Book references: “How to Read the Bible for all its Worth” by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, chapter 9 “Jesus is involved in politics” by Neil Mammen, chapter 20
James made a comparison of jealousy and selfishness with wisdom and understanding. He also told us how to get into the circle of wisdom. You don't know what that is? Click on the link below and read about it in today's post. #316 #BibleStudy #Devotions #James
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ...
Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Corthinians 1:1-24
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ...
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!
Proverbs 3:1-35
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ...
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Proverbs: 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
23" 'If you can" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Mark 11:22-23
22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Luke 17:6
6He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
Romans 4:17
17As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Romans 10:9
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
1 Timothy 6:12
12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 2:22
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Philemon 1:6
6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
Hebrews 6:1
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
Let’s start by defining the word ‘sin’. Sin literally means ‘to miss the mark’. To miss the mark of what? The mark of perfection. So sin is imperfection. Since none of us are perfect, we’re all sinners. But imperfect compared to who or what? Compared to God who is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4). God’s core nature is holy and pure. He cannot be in relationship with sin in any manner (Habakkuk 1:13). To do so would be to violate the very essence of who He is.
God is merciful & loving but also just. Our sins are like crimes to Him and crimes must be punished. How would you like to live in a society where rape is excused or tolerated? Wouldn’t you rather live in a society where justice prevailed? Where these acts were dealt with and you could feel safe walking the streets?
The solution lies in a combination of God’s loving mercy and His perfect justice. Mercy cannot overlook or forgive sin without it being dealt with. Unfortunately,sin never stays the same or gets less. It always gets worse, it naturally spreads. 1st Corinthians 5:6 says a little leaven leavens the whole loaf. If God were tolerant of our sin, heaven would be no better than life on Earth. And since sin always increases, in eternity heaven would be much worse than Earth is now. It is God’s just nature that sin be separated from purity, that wrongs be righted and that evil be vanquished.
Since we, being sinners, cannot pay for our own sins, God Himself came down to Earth, lived a perfect life and paid for our sins Himself. As long as we realize it by giving our lives over to Him, His justice and mercy are both satisfied (Romans 3:24,25 & 6:23, 1st John 5:11-13). By giving our lives over to Him now, when we die He will take away our sin nature completely. He will not have violated our free will, yet heaven’s purity will be maintained and we can have fellowship with Him for an eternity (Micah 6:8).
Those who do not accept His offer of forgiveness will have to pay the penalty for sin themselves. The Bible says that payment is spiritual death…separation from God forever (Romans 6:23 & Revelation 20:14,15). By their own choice, they will have rejected God. They don’t want to be in His presence for all eternity and He will honor that request. All this is why God cannot tolerate sin.
Book reference: “77 FAQ’s about God and the Bible” by Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell, page 56
In today's Psalm two shouts are recorded. One of them is us, God's people. Offer the Lord joyful praise with thanksgiving in your heart. He loves it when we lift our voices up to Him. Click on the link below to read today's post. #BibleStudy #Devotions #Psalms #worship
Let’s understand that there are 3 different types of healing. – God has built into nature, including our bodies, a self-healing process. You get a cold but your body naturally heals itself. Everyone has this ability. – God has allowed us to discover certain medical remedies, whether they are drugs or medical procedures. – God also heals miraculously but only on certain individuals. It’s the miraculous healings that we question. Why does He heal some people but not others?
There are 35 recorded miracles of Jesus in the gospels. Only 10 mention faith in Jesus. In most of the cases, faith is not mentioned as a pre-condition of the healing. So some of the miraculous healings require faith (Matthew 8:13 9:22 9:29,30 17:19,20) but others don’t (Luke 8:26-39 John 18:10).
Jesus also didn’t heal everybody. In John 5:1-5, many people at the pool of Bethsaida needed healing but Jesus only healed one, a blind and deaf man. This man didn’t have faith in Jesus. He didn’t even know who healed hm until later (John 5:12,13).
Like today in our western countries, Matthew 13:15 applies…”For this people’s hearts have become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
Some miracles are done so people will believe in Jesus. The apostles healed people as a confirmation of their message (Acts 3:1-26). There are also special gifts of healing that are given to certain people (1st Corinthians 12:11). But even then, not everyone they pray for is healed.
Miraculous healings tend to be a sign to people unfamiliar with the gospel message. In today’s world, there are more miraculous healings in unevangelized countries. Yet there are still healings in already evangelized countries. So miraculous healings illustrate Jesus’ redemptive mission. Bringing sight to a blind man, hearing to a deaf person, bringing sanity to a deranged person, feeding 5,000 people on a mountainside…these are all things nobody but God could do. These healings made people stand up and take notice of Jesus’ message in a way that nothing else could.
Here’s a couple of things to consider: 1) If God healed everybody, people would be drawn to the miracle and not to the message. We humans have a great tendency to rationalize. I think we would rationalize these miracles away. We may come to think that we’re owed healing. In Luke 16, the rich man asked Abraham to send his family special messages that they might believe. Abraham said they already had enough proof and they still didn’t believe. He said that even if someone rose from the dead (foreshadowing Jesus’ resurrection) that they still wouldn’t believe. 2) If God healed everybody, He’d be taking a consequence of our own actions. Adam and Eve had a perfect world but it wasn’t enough for them. They rebelled and brought sin into the world. Sin brought death, disease and destruction with it (Romans 5:12). So the question shouldn’t be “Why doesn’t God heal everybody?”. It should be “Why does He heal any of us at all?”.
What were the results of Jesus’ miraculous healings? Some became believers, some didn’t and some became believers until following Jesus became too hard (John 6:66). Ultimately, we don’t have a pat answer for why God miraculously heals some people but not others. But that shouldn’t stop us from rejoicing when He does miraculously heal someone. Maybe God heals some people now as a way of reminding us that a complete healing will come later on when He returns and will go on for an eternity (Revelation 21:4,5 & 22:1-5).
