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How To See Through The Deception Of Others
There is an interesting story in 1 Kings 13. It involves 2 nameless prophets. One was following the directives given by the Lord. The other deceived the first by leading him to disobey God. There were consequences. Click on the link below to read today's post.
https://www.ramckinley.com/how-to-see-through-the-deception-of-others/
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In today’s world, when the scientific consensus says something, we tend to believe it without questioning it. We have come to imbue it with an almost god-like power.
We do this for several reasons:
1…Science has given us cures, discoveries and inventions that would have seemed miraculous even just 50 years ago. Think of cells phones, the internet, taking pictures without film from a phone, etc.
2…We think of scientists as people in white lab coats who only go where the facts lead, who have no biases whatsoever.
3…We think scientific opinion is proven fact and cannot be wrong.
I challenge points #2&3 and will prove that they are not always true.
Scientists are people and people have biases.Yes, scientists should go where the facts lead but many times they don’t. They tend to fit their facts into the prevailing paradigm.
Science has been wrong many times. Here are just a few examples;
Prenology…the belief that different parts of the brain correspond to certain personality traits. The size of each part determines how powerfully we express that particular trait. A trained physician can measure the size of each part by feeling the shape of the skull above it. Believe it or not but phrenology was widely accepted in the 19th century.
Global cooling…while not all scientists agreed with it, many did in the 1970’s. The scare was very real. Read https://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/01/global-cooling-compilation.
The recent claim that man-made global warming is “settled science” is no where near a consensus. Read www.petitionproject.org and http://breitbart.com/london/2015/07/31/new-study-majority-of-climate-scientists-dont-agree-with-consensus/ and www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2013/02/13/peer-reviewed-survey-finds-majority-of-scientists-skeptical-of-global-warming-crisis/#2f3e2aa7171b.
Piltdown Man…The fossil known as Piltdown Man was discovered in 1912. It was hailed as the “missing link” in human evolution. In 1953, it was revealed to be a hoax.For over 40 years though, this was ‘fact’. To question it was to open yourself up to being called scientifically illiterate. Many scientists had access to Piltdown Man’s bones and they were studied extensively. No one saw the hoax at the time (although a few questioned it), but afterwards, it all seemed so obvious. It was clear that highly qualified scientists had seen what they wanted to see and had ignored what didn’t fit their preconceptions/biases. Read about it at http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_piltdown_man. Other evolutionary hoaxes are the peppered moths, the Archaeoraptor half bird-half dinosaur, Nebraska Man and many others. Read about some of these at http://cavern.uark.edu/~cdm/creation/shame.htm. One such dissenting list from Darwinian evolution is at http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=660. There are other such lists. One good, general article about evolution is at http://thetruthwins.com/archives/44-reasons-why-evolution-is-just-a-fairy-tale-for-adults.
Stress can cause ulcers…this was widely believed for years by the medical community. But in 1982, it was proven that a bacteria caused most ulcers and that stress had nothing to do with it. The two scientists who discovered this won the 2005 Nobel prize in medicine for it. Read about it at http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-ulcers-basic-information.
Canals on Mars…in 1877, canals on Mars were discovered using a telescope. Even American astronomer Percival Lowell believed it. But as telescopes improved and the 1st Mariner fly-by satellite observed, there were no canals on Mars.It was all an optical illusion. But, heaven forbid, if you questioned the scientific view at the time. Read about it at http://scienceblogs.com/universe/2012/09/28/the-canals-of-mars/.
Cigarettes are good for you…believe it or not, from the 17th century until the mid-1950’s, doctors prescribed tobacco as a cure for ailments like toothaches, fatigue and joint pains. An early 1950’s ad said to smoke to “fell your level best” and cigarettes were “just what the doctor ordered”. Read about it at http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/news/print/hemonc-today/%7B241d62a7-fe6e-4c5b-9fed-a33cc6e4bd7c%7D/cigarettes-were-once-physician-tested-approved.
You cannot grow new brain cells…for decades neuroscientists believed that we grew all of our brain cells in the womb and during early childhood. But evidence began to appear in the 1960’s that this wasn’t true. It took over 20 years to convince the majority of scientists that brain cells can be generated in adults.
Leprosy is highly contagious…No, it’s not! But it took thousands of years before science proved this. It wasn’t until the discovery of anti-biotics in the 20th century that corrected this myth.
The illness known as Pellagra reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. in the early twentieth century. The scientific consensus attributed it to an infectious agent or moldy corn. It turned out to be a vitamin deficiency.
Through much of the twentieth century, the conventional scientific wisdom was that the continents were fixed. When German geologist Alfred Wegener published Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane (The Origin of Continents and Oceans), arguing for the idea of continental drift, he was excoriated as a sloppy crank. Today his idea of drifting continents is the standard one in geology.
Backed by the authority of the U.S. government, the scientific establishment deemed eggs bad for your heart and pushed this narrative for years. These scientific authorities insisted eggs were bad for you, and ended up with egg on their faces.
With the discovery of radium in 1899, several products were marketed to a public fascinated with the element’s supposed therapeutic properties, such as…
–Vita Radium suppositories were sold in the USA to help revitalize ‘weakened organs’.
–Revigator was a drinking water laced with radium-266 & 288 isotopes, sold between 1918 & 1928. It was said to cure stomach cancer, among other things. It remained popular in the USA until industrialist Eben Byers died of jaw cancer after drinking a bottle a day for 4 years.
–Scortal Radiendocrinator was a product intended to increase sexual virility in men. The device consisted of radium soaked paper placed under the scrotum at night. Its inventor, William J. Bailey, died of bladder cancer in 1949.
–Radium Chocolate was sold in Germany from 1931 to 1936 for its powers of rejuvenation.
–Doramad radioactive toothpaste was sold in Germany during WWII to kill germs and whiten teeth.
–Tho-Radia beauty cream was sold in France in the 1930’s. It contained radioactive thorium & radium. It was believed that the radioactivity killed germs and promoted a healthy glow to the skin.
Also watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MuMPLoQZN4.
There are many, many more examples that I could list but these are sufficient to show that science & scientists are not always correct. Only when something has been proven to be true over a very long period of time and under many different circumstances with little or no exceptions can we have complete confidence in its hypothesis. Laws of science like the 1st & 2nd laws of thermodynamics, the law of gravity, the laws of chemical interactions (like if we add sulfur to water we’ll get sulfuric acid, etc.) are examples of ‘settled science’.
Consensus in science, after some initial test results, means little as a majority of scientists have been wrong many times before. At best, it’s a guide. Science isn’t determined by consensusbut by facts over a long period of time. So next time someone tells you something is ‘settled science’ or that a majority of scientists believe something, don’t automatically believe them.
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
Former physics, chemistry, astronomy & mathematics teacher/instructor
Former chemist, research & development lab manager & automotive engineer
The social enterprise grocery store opens its second location dedicated to improving food access and community health in underserved communities
SEAT PLEASANT, MD (September 24, 2021) – Good Food Markets, a local grocery store, opened a second location in Seat Pleasant, MD on Wednesday September 15. Good Food Markets is a social enterprise of DC nonprofit Oasis Community Partners. In 2015, they launched their pilot location in the DC neighborhood of Woodridge in Ward 5. The Prince George’s County location was selected after extensive dialogue with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (PGC-EDC) as part of their efforts to improve food access in underserved areas of the County.
Good Food Markets is located in the Addison Plaza shopping center which had been home to a Safeway grocery store until it closed in 2016 creating greater difficulty for residents, many of which are seniors or low-income, to access fresh food. Mayor Eugene W. Grant of Seat Pleasant, Maryland enthusiastically welcomed Good Food Markets and said, “For over 1,902 days since the closing of a major grocery store in Seat Pleasant my residents have suffered the effects of a food desert.” He went on to say, “Good Food Markets will have a tremendous positive effect granting many of our senior citizens, families and neighbors access to fresh, wholesome and nutritious and healthy food options that they had been denied of for a long time.”
In addition to everyday grocery access, this location will also have a full-service café with a made-to-order menu and communal seating. “Good Food Markets is truly a welcome grocery opportunity to this area of District 7/Capitol Heights and Seat Pleasant communities in Prince Georges County! We welcome the retail grocery market to help supplement our need for quality foods, meats and vegetables,” said Saundra Womack of the Peppermill Village Civic Association.
Further, Good Food Markets will host health education events for adults and children, and partner with community organizations to provide residents with tools to stay healthy. “We are more than just a grocery store,” expressed Good Food Markets Marketing Manager, Krista Carter. “We have hosted over 400 programs since opening our first location on Rhode Island Avenue, and are excited to learn what our neighbors need in order to best serve as a comprehensive health and wellness resource,” she added.
The project was funded in late 2019 through grants, a Healthy Food Financing Initiative loan from the Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF), and an Economic Development Incentive Fund loan from the PGC-EDC. The independent nonprofit organization has been able to battle through the challenging pandemic circumstances, and open this store despite rising construction and materials costs, and ongoing delays.
“Good Food Markets was founded on the fundamental belief that everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy food. The new Seat Pleasant location is the culmination of the work that numerous organizations and individuals have put in over years to advocate for policies, funding and action to expand food access in this neighborhood,” stated Good Food Markets Executive Director, Philip Sambol. He continued, “We are proud to be serving the Prince George’s County community and will continue to expand on our vision later this year with our third store in Ward 8.”
Throughout the pandemic Good Food Markets has provided emergency food to nonprofits and public sector entities, including the Prince George’s County health department, delivering over 540,000 meals worth of groceries in DC, Maryland and Virginia.
A Grand Opening celebration is scheduled on Saturday, October 2 from 10am – 2pm, with Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene Grant, and other community leaders scheduled to speak at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
About Good Food Markets
Good Food Markets is social enterprise grocery store operated by nonprofit Oasis Community Partners with the mission to improve food access and community health by providing fresh healthy food, hosting fun educational events, and collaborating with neighborhood groups.
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The Stone The Builders Rejected Is Now The Cornerstone
Jesus was the stone that the builders rejected, yet He became the chief cornerstone of our faith. Today's post is very uplifting. Click on the link below to read it as you rejoice in the Lord.
https://www.ramckinley.com/the-stone-the-builders-rejected-is-now-the-cornerstone/
Most of the bibles written today are written from only a few manuscripts. Then why do we have all these different translations? We don’t have the original manuscript of any ancient historical document. All we have are copies of them. How do we know that Julius Caesar ever existed? We have copies of manuscripts that attest to his existence. But we only have a few copies and they are dated to several hundred to more than a thousand years after when he existed. Whereas we have thousands of New Testaments, some written from 50-100 years after Jesus existed. So, we have wayyyy more copies of the New Testament than any other ancient historical document. The time frame between the event and the earliest copies is way, way less than any other ancient document. For a more complete answer, please refer to our class “How We Got the Bible” at https://www.bsssb-llc.com/video-courses-overview/how-we-got-the-bible/. Teacher notes 07-11 or scroll down to video 3-HD. So the bible documents are much more accurate than any other ancient document that we have.
When the King James bible (KJV) was written, scholars had New Testament copies that were only so old. When the slew of modern translations were written, they had older copies to translate from. But the most important thing to remember is this…no matter when the copy was written, they are almost completely identical. This can be said of no other ancient documents that we have. So, in practical terms, it really doesn’t matter too much what translation you read. They all say the same thing.
But why are there so many modern translations? There are two ways to translate anything.
– word for word…this is the most accurate way but it’s not the most readable.
– thought for thought…this is the most readable but it’s not the most accurate.
Most people want a translation that is accurate and readable. The NIV is the best for accuracy and readability. See the table below that compares several translations. As you can see, it just depends upon which translation suits you best.
You can now buy an NIV bible that has study notes geared to the subject of archaeology or apologetics (the defense of the faith) or life applications or teen-agers, etc. You can also buy large print bible or thin line bibles for traveling or bibles that have space for journaling or ones that are geared to men or women or children. There are bibles that list 4 different translations side-by-side on one page so you can compare different translations (parallel bibles). As with many things in America, there is a plethora of choices in bibles.
As of October 2017, the full bible has been translated into 670 languages. The New Testament has been translated into 1,521 languages and bible portions or stories into 1,121 languages. But the bible is NOT available in 57% of the world’s 6,901 languages.
2,195 languages (26%) are in the process of getting the bible translated into their own language. But the bible is being translated into more languages and at a faster rate than ever before.
Here are the bible translation designations:
NIV=New International Version NLT=New Living Translation
ESV=English Standard Version CEV-Contemporary English Version
NASB=New American Standard Bible MSG=The Message Version
KJV=King James Version TEV=Today’s English Version
NKJV=New King James Version RSV=Revised Standard Version
HCSB=Holman Christian Standard Bible NRSV=New Revised Standard Version
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
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From time immemorial, people have asked these three questions:
– Who am I?
– Why am I here?
– What happens when I die?
Four types of people attempt to answer these questions. These four types of people make up the entire human race.
Atheists believe that mankind evolved from chemicals randomly combining together to produce humans. That we’re just “accidents of nature”. That there is no reality outrside of the physical world. That there is no ultimate purpose in life. That our morality is just an agreed upon set of behaviors. That these behaviors can, do and will change with time. That our morals are nothing more than preferences that help us to survive. Read “Is Morality Relative or Absolute” at https://bsssb-llc.com/is-morality-absolute-or-relative/.
Philosopher Michael Ruse says that “…ethics, as we understand it, is an illusion fobbed off on us by our genes to get us to cooperate…ethics is a shared illusion of the human race.”
Philosopher William Provine says that “There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning for life, and no free will for humans either (because our genes determine our actions)”.
Atheists believe that we’re born, we live, we die and that’s it. There is no afterlife. When we die, we just cease to exist. There’s no ultimate purpose in life. Any human desire for a better life is just our brain chemicals reacting in a certain way. There is no absolute right and wrong.
Atheists would answer these three questions like this:
– Who am I? Nobody special. You’re just a conglomeration of chemicals.
– Why am I here? There’s no special purpose for your life at all. You’re just one out of several billion people on one planet out of trillions in the universe.
– What happens after I die? You cease to exist. There is no afterlife.
Polytheists believe in many gods that all merge into one god. This god is not a “he”, it’s an “it”. It is not a personal god but an impersonal one. You have somehow inherited a lot of bad deeds or bad karma. Because most polytheists believe in reincarnation, you must go thru several lifetimes where your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds. When you finally work off all of your bad deeds or your bad karma, your consciousness gets absorbed into “god”. Many polytheists describe it as a drop of water added to the ocean. Your individuality is gone. You don’t exist anymore.
Polytheists would answer the three questions as follows:
– Who am I? Your physical body is an illusion. Your consciousness is the real you. You are a part of god, you just don’t realize it yet.
– Why am I here? To work off your bad karma. They don’t explain how or why you got these bad deeds or bad karma.
– What happens to me when I die? You become part of the universal, impersonal “it”. Your consciousness gets absorbed into the universal, impersonal consciousness.
They don’t believe in an absolute right or wrong as one guru teaches one set of morals and another guru teaches another set.
Monotheists, who believe in one God, answer these three questions in a variety of ways:
– Islamists…
Who am I? You’re a creation of Allah (Quran 95:4).
Why am I here? To obey and serve Allah and to fulfill the five pillars of Islam, which are-
Shahadah – declaring and believing in one God, Allah.
Salah – Praying 5 times a day.
Zakah – giving money to Allah
Sawm – Fasting during Ramadan.
Hajj – Going to Mecca at least once in your lifetime.
Life is a test to show us who are the best in deeds (Quran 49:13 & 67:2)
What happens when I die? If your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds (and you won’t know this until you die), you’ll be welcomed into Islamic heaven. If not, you’ll go to hell (Quran 3:115-116).
– Jews…
Who am I? A creation of God, usually by evolution, to teach the world about God by loving Him and observing His commandments.
Why am I here? To fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13) . To believe in a future Messiah sent by God who will deliver the Jews.
What happens when I die? Jews believe in an afterlife. There will be a final judgement where everyone receives a forever physical body. Some people will go to heaven (if they are good Jews in this life) and others will go to a place of torment (Daniel 12:2 & Isaiah 25 & 26).
– Christians…
Who am I? We are people designed in the image of Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:28). We have infinite worth because God says we do. Our worth is not based on anything we have done. It is based on the word of the God who created us.
Why am I here? What is the reason for my earthly existence? He made us to freely choose to have a relationship with Him because He loves us. We’re free to have this relationship with Him, to tell other people about Him and to rule over His whole creation as He originally wanted us to (Genesis 1:28). In the meantime, we live as He instructed us to.
What happens when I die? Your body goes into the ground. Your spirit goes up to heaven to be with God. When Jesus returns to this Earth, everyone will be physically resurrected into a new, non-perishable body. Then God will judge everyone. If your sins have been forgiven, while you were alive, you’ll go to heaven for an eternity. If not, you’ll go to hell for an eternity. Either way, God will honor the choice you made in this earthly life.
In heaven, we’ll spend an eternity exploring the resurrected universe and using the talents God had given us to glorify Him. For specifics, take/watch my class entitled Heaven & Hell at https://bsssb-llc.com/video-courses-overview/heaven-and-hell/.
Now, I’d like to ask you the following questions:
1…Which belief system is more appealing?
2…Which belief system is true and matches up with reality?
Atheists say when you die, you cease to exist. Unless you’re an Einstein or Napoleon, you’ll be forgotten in a couple of generations. Your body will decay in
the grave.
Polytheists believe you’ll be absorbed into the great god, Brahma. Your body will decay in the grave. Your individuality will be gone. “You” will be gone. You’ll become like a drop in the ocean.
Monotheists believe in an after-life but only one guarantees a perfect life in heaven.
Atheism doesn’t match up to reality. Any ultimate purpose for our lives is illusory. We’re just one out of billions of people on this planet in this time period. Our planet is just one of trillions of planets circling other stars in billions of years. Sometime in the distant future, our universe will die a “heat death” where nothing can exist. Morality just becomes “preferences”. What’s moral in one time period may not be moral in another. There’s no purpose in our life, no reason for us to exist and when we die, we cease to exist.
Polytheists don’t explain where our bad deeds (karma) come from or why we must work it off. There is no absolute system of morality. Guru’s (polytheists holy men) often contradict each other. They cannot explain the human desire for a better life or where this desire comes from. They cannot explain why humans feel like individuals.
Only Christianity can be proven to match up with reality and is true. Read/watch my class on “Prove to me that God exists” at https://bsssb-llc.com/video-courses-overview/prove-to-me-that-god-exists/. Only Christianity compellingly answers all of these questions. We do have purpose in our life. Our “personality” and our resurrected body will exist for all eternity. We will be rewarded for what we have done in our Earthly life (Revelation 22:12). Our life has purpose and meaning and we live like it does.
Most people don’t think thru these 3 questions. But when they do, it becomes apparent that Christianity answers them compellingly and correctly.
Book reference:
“Reflections on the Existence of God” by Richard E. Simmons III
Here’s to a GREAT eternity,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
September 16, 2021 Publicist, Shawn Hay, 301-641-0814,
heypapipromotions@gmail.com
The LM Foundation's Annual 5K Walk/Run Against Domestic Violence
Landover, Maryland, September 17, 2021 – Join us for the LM Foundation's Annual 5K Walk/Run Against Domestic Violence on Saturday, October 2, 2021, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT at Prince George's Sports and Learning Center - Outdoor Track, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD 21043.
The fundraising event will help to support survivors of domestic violence by providing food, toiletries, and help to find temporary housing, etc. This Walk-a-Thon will also address and provide assistance to families on available resources, education, health, counseling, and a temporary safe haven from an
abusive environment. In support of Bethany House, VA, the Walk-a-Thon goal is to raise awareness. A portion of the funds raised will be donated to financial support the Bethany House, No. Virginia.
“The goal of this event is to bring awareness of knowing the signs of domestic violence and how to support domestic violence survivors. If I had known the signs many years ago, Iwould have been able to help my best friend. I do this now so one will have to watch someone they love go through it and not
know what to do." – Founder & CEO, Pamela Price
Event Details:
+ Duration: (minimum) 5K or 3.1 miles
+ Sponsorship Pledges/Donation: $50.00 per lap
+ Individual Registration Fee: $35.00 (non-refundable)
+ Group Registration Fee (4 or more): + $25.00 (non-refundable)
+ Tee Shirts - $15.00 Adult $10.00 Children
+ Onsite registration opens at 9:00 AM and the official start time is 10:00 AM
+ Early Bird Registration at https://thelmfoundation.org/domestic-violence-prevention-walkathon
About The LM Foundation
Our mission is to give hope to those who need it most! We aim to rebuild hope where it’s been damaged or lost. We work to rebuild and restructure with those in need, those who are underprivileged, and those who are underserved. Our focus lies on community efforts, including small-scale construction protects, shelter, food aid, community awareness, and educational opportunities. We firmly believe it takes a village to raise a child, and if you work on creating the most well-equipped society you can, so many problems simply work themselves out. To learn more, please visit https://thelmfoundtion.org.
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Psalm 106 starts with these words. Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Most of the rest of it revealed how unfaithful God’s people were in the past. Click below to read this inspiring post.
https://www.ramckinley.com/what-is-more-important-than-your-commitment-to-the-lord/
OK! Let’s give it the same tests for reliability as any other historical document. There are four such tests:
1…bibliographic – since we don’t have the original documents, how reliable are the copies we have in regard to the number of manuscripts we have and the time interval between the original and the earliest copies? The closer the time interval, the more accurate the documents tend to be.
2…internal evidence – are there contradictions or known historical errors in the documents?
3…external evidence – do other historical materials confirm or deny the documents events?
4…archaeological evidence – do archaeological studies agree with or disagree with the documents?
In fact, the Bible encourages testing. In 1st Thessalonians 5:21, it says to test everything and hold unto that which is good. Let’s look at just the New Testament for now.
Regarding test#1, the bibliographic test, let’s look at some of the most authenticated ancient documents and compare them to the New Testament.
Document: # of documents: Years since original:
Homer – Illiad 643 400
Herodotus-History 8 1350
Thucydides – History 8 1300
Plato 7 1300
Demosthenes 200 1400
Caesar – Gallic Wars 10 1000
Tacitus – Annals 20 1000
Pliny – History 7 750
New Testament in Greek 5700 50-225
New Testament in other
languages than Greek about 19000
The more documents that we have of a work, the more chance there is that there will be disagreement between the various copies. This is NOT true of the New Testament copies. They are about 99.5% in agreement. This can be said of no other ancient document.
The closer the time interval between the original & the earliest copy of a document, the more accurate the document tends to be. As you can see,the time interval for the New Testament is far less than the other ancient documents above.
It is apparent that the New Testament stands head-and-shoulders above all the other most authenticated ancient documents.
Even if we didn’t have any copies of the New Testament, we could virtually reconstruct it from the early church fathers quoting of it. Again, this can be said of no other ancient document in existence.
Regarding test#2, the internal test about contradictions and errors in it, this can be said about it..
Dr. Gleason Archer learned over 30 languages (most of them from the Middle Eastern ancient world), taught for over 30 years in the field of biblical criticism and earned a law degree (giving him a thorough grounding in the field of legal evidences) said this…
“I have dealt with one apparent discrepancy after another and have studies the alleged contradictions between the biblical record and the evidence of linguistics, archaeology and science, my confidence in the trustworthiness of Scripture has been repeatedly verified and strengthened…There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every charge that has ever been leveled against it.” The allegations of errors are usually based on a failure to recognize basic principles of interpreting ancient literature.
Regarding test#3, the external evidence about other historical materials confirming or denying the biblical events or people…
There are many non-Christian writings that confirm New Testament history, such as
1..Tacitus, a Roman considered one of the accurate 1st century historian
2..Suetonius, chief secretary to Roman Emperor Hadrian
3..Josephus, a Jewish priest, general and historian who confirms many, many Bible people and events including stating that Jesus was the Messiah who rose from the dead.
4..Thallus, who talks about the “darkening of the skies” and an earthquake when Jesus was crucified.
5..Pliny the Younger, a Roman administrator
6..Trajan, a Roman Emperor
7..Jewish Talmud, saying Jesus was crucified at Passover
8..Lucian of Samosata, a Greek writer who was very critical of Jesus, His crucifixion and Christianity
9..Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian writer
10..The Gospel of Truth, a gnostic document that confirms that Jesus was a historical person
11..The Acts of Pontius Pilate, an apocryphal document describing Jesus crucifixion.
12..All of the gnostic, pseudepigraphon and apocryphal writings. Who would write about a person that didn’t exist?
13…the Dead Sea scrolls
There are also many Christian writings…
The many early church fathers who kept very detailed records, which can be verified by other ancient documents. Church fathers like Ignatius, Polycarp, Tatian, Clement of Rome, Irenaeus & Papias. Most of these early church fathers were martyred for their beliefs. Who would die for a lie, knowing it was a lie?
Regarding test#4, archaeological evidence…
Whole books are not large enough to contain all the archaeological finds that have bolstered confidence in the historical reliability of the Bible.
Nelson Glueck, the great, late 20th century archaeologist said “It may be categorically stated that no archaeological discovery has EVER controverted a biblical reference.”
W.F. Albright said “Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history….Archaeological discoveries of the past generation in Egypt, Syria and Palestine have gone far to establish the uniqueness of early Christianity as an historical phenomenon.”
Sir William Ramsey said “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect to its trustworthiness.”
Roman historian A.N. Sherwin-White has said “For (the book of) Acts the confirmation of history is overwhelming…Any attempt to reject its basic historicity must now appear absurd.”
There have been so many archaeological discoveries that it would be too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say we have an embarrassment of the amount of proof. For a smattering of this archaeological proof, go to https://bsssb-llc.com/archaeological-confirmations-of-the-bible/
Please check out the referenced material below.
The same can be said about the Old Testament.
So if you believe anything about ancient history, like that Julius Caesar existed, etc., logically you have to believe the Bible.
All of these tests are to say that the Bible is the most historically accurate ancient book we have in our existence.
Book references:
“New Evidence That Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell
“Examine the Evidence” by Ralph O. Muncaster
“The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible” by Robert J. Hutchinson
“Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics” by Norm Geisler
For His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
Messiah is a Hebrew word that means “the anointed one”. When translated into Greek (the common language for most of the ancient world), it becomes “Christos”. This is where we get the English word “Christ” from. To the Jews, Messiah would be someone empowered by God to save people and establish God’s Kingdom on Earth.
The problem was that the Jews saw two very different pictures of the Messiah in their scriptures (the Christian Old Testament). One picture was of a Kingly Messiah who would come and set the Jews free. The other was of a suffering servant.
The Kingly Messiah (or the Son of David) is seen in scriptures likeIsaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
And Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him… They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
But the suffering servant Messiah (or the Son of Joseph) is seen in scriptures like Isaiah 53:1-5 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed…
For the Son of Joseph comparison, this is taken from https://jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/thetwocomings.htm:
-Joseph, like Jesus, was his father’s beloved son.
-Joseph was despised by his brothers.
-Joseph was betrayed for silver coins after his brethren plotted, betrayed and sold him.
-Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned.
-Joseph was imprisoned with two criminals; one lives, one dies! Likewise Jesus was crucified with two criminals – one who found spiritual life and one didn’t.
-Joseph was then exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh, authority given to Him over all Egypt. Likewise, —Jesus was exalted to the right hand of the Father and given all authority.
-Joseph then took a gentile bride. Like Jesus took a bride (spiritually) for Himself predominantly from the gentile nations.
-Later, during 7 years of hard famine, Joseph’s brothers were forced to come to him. In the future, there is still seven years of hardship (called the day of Jacob’s trouble) that Israel as a nation will have to go through. They will at this stage be brought to the place where they will acknowledge Jesus!
-At first they don’t recognize Joseph, and he treats them harshly to bring repentance.
-Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and they are reconciled amongst many tears. Likewise, there shall be great weeping once Israel finally acknowledges their Messiah Jesus. See Zech 12:10-11.
-Joseph treats his brothers with kindness saying ‘What you meant for evil, God meant for good, to accomplish… the saving of many lives.’ What a great picture of Jesus!
The Jews of Jesus’ time were confused as to how their Messiah would appear.Some believed that one person would fulfill both pictures at one time. Others believed that two people would fulfill these pictures separately. What they didn’t see was that one person would fulfill these pictures at two different times. In other words, they didn’t see one person fulfilling the suffering servant picture, then waiting a time (what we Christians call the church age), then coming back to fulfill the Kingly Messiah.
While Jesus partially fulfilled the Kingly Messiah at His 1st coming (He told of and introduced God’s Kingdom), He will completely fulfill it at His 2nd coming. But He did completely fulfill the suffering servant Messiah at His 1st coming. And that is what this study is about. To the skeptic, many of our proofs will be explained away. But when we compute the probability of one person, out of a population of the entire world, fulfilling all of the suffering servant prophecies, that is convincing to all but the hardest skeptic. In other words, there are some people, that no matter how much proof you give them, they will not be convinced.
God starts out by telling us that He will provide us with a Savior (Genesis 3:15). I will now quote you the Old Testament scripture and it’s New Testament fulfillment. Then God gets more specific and says…
-that He will be an Israelite (Israel didn’t exist at this time) from the tribe of Abraham (Genesis 22:18 & Galatians 3:16)
-He will be a descendent of Isaac, not Ishmael (Genesis 21:12 & Luke 3:23-34)
-He will be a descendent of Jacob, not Esau (Numbers 24:17 & Luke 3:23-34)
-Of Jacob’s 12 sons, He will be a descendent of Judah (Genesis 49:10 & Luke 3:23-34)
-He will be a descendent of Jesse’s (Isaiah 11:1-5 & Luke 3:23-34)
-Of all of Jesse’s sons, He will be a descendent of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6 & Luke 3:23-31)
-A messenger come before Him, to prepare the way and announce His coming (Isaiah 40:3 & Matthew 3:1-3)
-He will begin His ministry in a particular area, Galilee. Not in Samaria, Judah, Moab, Ammon, Gilead, Edom or Aram (Isaiah 9:1 & Matthew 4:12-17)
-He’ll be rejected by the people He grew up with (Psalm 69:8 & John 7:3-5 and Matthew 13:54-58)
-Leaders will oppose Him (Psalm 2:1-2 & Matthew 12:14 and 26:3,4)
–He will be rejected as God’s Messiah (Psalm 118:22-23 & Matthew 21:42)
-He will teach in many parables (Psalm 78:2 & Matthew 13:34-35)
-He will perform many miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6 & Matthew 9:35)
-He will suddenly and forcefully enter the Temple (Malachi 3:1 & John 2:15-16)
-He will come into Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9 & Matthew 21:1-5)
–He will enter Jerusalem as a King exactly 483 years after the declaration of Artaxerxes to rebuild the Jewish Temple (see https://bsssb-llc.com/daniels-prophecy-about-the-coming-of-the-messiah/)
-His message will be for everyone (Isaiah 49:6 & Acts 26:23)
-He will be a ‘stone of stumbling’ to the Jews. They will not embrace Him as their Messiah (Isaiah 8:14 & Romans 9:31-33)
-He will heal the deaf and the blind (Isaiah 35:5 & Matthew 11:5)
–He will make a new, everlasting covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Hebrews 10:15-20)
-He will be a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19 & Acts 3:18-22)
-He will be hated without good reason (Psalm 35:19 and 69:4 & John 15:24-25)
-He will do the will of God (Psalm 40:6-8 & Hebrews 10:5-9)
-He is ‘anointed’ by God (Psalm 45:6, 7 & Hebrews 1:8, 9)
-He will care for the poor and needy (Psalm 72:12-14 & Luke 7:22)
-He will speak to people in parables (Psalm 78:2 & Matthew 13:10-16, 34-35)
-He will pray for His enemies (Psalm 109:4 & Matthew 5:44)
-His Spirit will be poured out on believers (Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:16-23)
-A new priesthood is established (Zechariah 3:8 and Isaiah 61:6 & 1st Peter 2:5, 9)
–He will be raised from the dead (Psalm 16:8-11 & John 20 & Acts 1:3 and 2:32 and 13:34-37)
-He will ascend on high (Psalm 68:18 & Luke 24:51 and Ephesians 4:8)
-Death is swallowed up in victory (Isaiah 25:8 & 1st Corinthians 15:54-57)
It’s possible that one man could fulfill several of these prophecies. It’s impossible that one man could fulfill every single one of these prophecies. Because the Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70AD, the Jewish Messiah had to come before then. Otherwise, they would have no way to trace His lineage (all the lineage records were kept in the Temple. Since then, only 1 or 2 tribes can be traced and they are not the tribe of Judah) and for Him to fulfill the prophecies pertaining to the Temple. The only person before 70AD that could fulfill all of these suffering servant prophecies was Jesus. Read about the Messianic prophecies probabilities on https://www.bsssb-llc.com/prophecy-probability/.
For someone to deny that Jesus fulfilled the suffering servant prophecies would be irrational. Such a person cannot be reasoned with.
God did indeed, provide us with not only a road map to the Messiah but with an exact map to who, when and where that Messiah would appear in human history. Therefore, humanity is without excuse as to who, when and where God’s Messiah is. He has made it very clear that who His Messiah is and why He came down to Earth. All we have to do now is to accept Him into our hearts. May you have the joy of knowing Him.
For God’s Messiah,
Dave Maynard
https://bsssb-llc.com
Free eBook
Does God Really Put A High Value On Us?
A Free eBook that will help you to understand how much God loves and values you. This post is a review of each of the seven chapters which makes up the book. It also has a link so you can check out other free eBooks.
https://www.ramckinley.com/does-god-really-put-a-high-value-on-us/
God Is Still Out There, No Matter What Others Say
In many of the Psalms that David wrote, he often asked questions like, “Lord where are you?” But he always came back to a statement of victory or praise. What David understood and what we need to understand is, God is always there. Click below to read today's post.
https://www.ramckinley.com/god-is-still-out-there-no-matter-what-others-say/
If your bathroom environment is dim, then you need a smart mirror even more. Sometimes girls are anxious to make makeup in the bathroom, but the light in the bathroom is not enough, but all the skin care products and makeup are in the bathroom. At this time, you only need to turn on STANHOM. The light of the bathroom mirror can quickly apply makeup. Natural light simulates the real light source. You are not afraid of the color difference of the base makeup. You can see the true state of the makeup. The white light simulates the strong light environment, such as a spotlight or a stage, and you can clearly see the face. For blemishes and acne, the eyeliner can also be very clear. The warm light creates an atmosphere. When you come home from work and take a bath to relax, the yellow light has a warm feeling and makes you feel very comfortable.
If your bathroom environment is dim, then you need a smart mirror even more. Sometimes girls are anxious to make makeup in the bathroom, but the light in the bathroom is not enough, but all the skin care products and makeup are in the bathroom. At this time, you only need to turn on STANHOM. The light of the bathroom mirror can quickly apply makeup. Natural light simulates the real light source. You are not afraid of the color difference of the base makeup. You can see the true state of the makeup. The white light simulates the strong light environment, such as a spotlight or a stage, and you can clearly see the face. For blemishes and acne, the eyeliner can also be very clear. The warm light creates an atmosphere. When you come home from work and take a bath to relax, the yellow light has a warm feeling and makes you feel very comfortable.
Does God Really Place A High Value On Me?
Free EBook
Jesus said in John 17, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.” He loves you and His Word confirms His love for you. Click on the link below to get your free eBook.
https://christian-perspectives.ck.page/00b31bb45d
