March 18, 2015

From Gary... Hatred






Want to serve God? Want to be the very best person you can be? If you do, you will be hated. Consider the following...

Matthew, Chapter 10 (WEB)
  24  “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.  25  It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! 

2 Timothy, Chapter 3 (WEB)
 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 

Why must these things be? Because evil does not like to be exposed for what it is!!! And if Satan hates those who follow God, those who follow Satan will hate Christians as well. There has been, and always will be a separation between good and evil. Time to choose sides: If God is not your father, then the Devil is your Daddy!!!  

From Gary... Bible Reading March 17, 18




Bible Reading  

March 17, 18

The World English Bible

Mar. 17
Exodus 28, 29

Exo 28:1 "Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
Exo 28:2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:3 You shall speak to all who are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
Exo 28:4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office.
Exo 28:5 They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
Exo 28:6 "They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
Exo 28:7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined to the two ends of it, that it may be joined together.
Exo 28:8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 28:9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:
Exo 28:10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
Exo 28:11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be enclosed in settings of gold.
Exo 28:12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulders for a memorial.
Exo 28:13 You shall make settings of gold,
Exo 28:14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them like cords of braided work: and you shall put the braided chains on the settings.
Exo 28:15 "You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, you shall make it.
Exo 28:16 It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length of it, and a span its breadth.
Exo 28:17 You shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and beryl shall be the first row;
Exo 28:18 and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
Exo 28:19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Exo 28:20 and the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
Exo 28:21 The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
Exo 28:22 You shall make on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
Exo 28:23 You shall make on the breastplate two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
Exo 28:24 You shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 28:25 The other two ends of the two braided chains you shall put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in its forepart.
Exo 28:26 You shall make two rings of gold, and you shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which is toward the side of the ephod inward.
Exo 28:27 You shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its forepart, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
Exo 28:28 They shall bind the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not swing out from the ephod.
Exo 28:29 Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before Yahweh continually.
Exo 28:30 You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
Exo 28:31 "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
Exo 28:32 It shall have a hole for the head in its midst: it shall have a binding of woven work around its hole, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it not be torn.
Exo 28:33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between and around them:
Exo 28:34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.
Exo 28:35 It shall be on Aaron to minister: and its sound shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when he comes out, that he not die.
Exo 28:36 "You shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, 'HOLY TO YAHWEH.'
Exo 28:37 You shall put it on a lace of blue, and it shall be on the sash; on the front of the sash it shall be.
Exo 28:38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall make holy in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always on his forehead, that they may be accepted before Yahweh.
Exo 28:39 You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of the embroiderer.
Exo 28:40 "You shall make coats for Aaron's sons, and you shall make sashes for them and you shall make headbands for them, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:41 You shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.
Exo 28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:
Exo 28:43 They shall be on Aaron, and on his sons, when they go in to the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place; that they don't bear iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.

Exo 29:1 "This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them holy, to minister to me in the priest's office: take one young bull and two rams without blemish,
Exo 29:2 unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil: you shall make them of fine wheat flour.
Exo 29:3 You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.
Exo 29:4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.
Exo 29:5 You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and dress him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod;
Exo 29:6 and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.
Exo 29:7 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.
Exo 29:8 You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.
Exo 29:9 You shall dress them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
Exo 29:10 "You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
Exo 29:11 You shall kill the bull before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Exo 29:12 You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.
Exo 29:13 You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
Exo 29:14 But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp: it is a sin offering.
Exo 29:15 "You shall also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
Exo 29:16 You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.
Exo 29:17 You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
Exo 29:18 You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to Yahweh; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Exo 29:19 "You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
Exo 29:20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood around on the altar.
Exo 29:21 You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
Exo 29:22 Also you shall take some of the ram's fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
Exo 29:23 and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh.
Exo 29:24 You shall put all of this in Aaron's hands, and in his sons' hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
Exo 29:25 You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before Yahweh: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Exo 29:26 "You shall take the breast of Aaron's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be your portion.
Exo 29:27 You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
Exo 29:28 and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering: and it shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh.
Exo 29:29 "The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
Exo 29:30 Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place.
Exo 29:31 "You shall take the ram of consecration, and boil its flesh in a holy place.
Exo 29:32 Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Exo 29:33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat of it, because they are holy.
Exo 29:34 If anything of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
Exo 29:35 "You shall do so to Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days.
Exo 29:36 Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.
Exo 29:37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
Exo 29:38 "Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually.
Exo 29:39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening:
Exo 29:40 and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
Exo 29:41 The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Exo 29:42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you.
Exo 29:43 There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory.
Exo 29:44 I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest's office.
Exo 29:45 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exo 29:46 They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Yahweh their God.

Mar. 18
Exodus 30, 31

Exo 30:1 "You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.
Exo 30:2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
Exo 30:3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.
Exo 30:4 You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.
Exo 30:5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exo 30:6 You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Exo 30:7 Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.
Exo 30:8 When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Exo 30:9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.
Exo 30:10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh."
Exo 30:11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 30:12 "When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.
Exo 30:13 They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh.
Exo 30:14 Everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh.
Exo 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.
Exo 30:16 You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls."
Exo 30:17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 30:18 "You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.
Exo 30:19 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.
Exo 30:20 When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Exo 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations."
Exo 30:22 Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 30:23 "Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;
Exo 30:24 and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.
Exo 30:25 You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
Exo 30:26 You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony,
Exo 30:27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
Exo 30:28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.
Exo 30:29 You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
Exo 30:30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.
Exo 30:31 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
Exo 30:32 It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any like it, according to its composition: it is holy. It shall be holy to you.
Exo 30:33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.' "
Exo 30:34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;
Exo 30:35 and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:
Exo 30:36 and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.
Exo 30:37 The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.
Exo 30:38 Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people."
Exo 31:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 31:2 "Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
Exo 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
Exo 31:4 to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 31:5 and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship.
Exo 31:6 I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
Exo 31:7 the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that is on it, all the furniture of the Tent,
Exo 31:8 the table and its vessels, the pure lampstand with all its vessels, the altar of incense,
Exo 31:9 the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, the basin and its base,
Exo 31:10 the finely worked garments--the holy garments for Aaron the priest--the garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office,
Exo 31:11 the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded you they shall do."
Exo 31:12 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Exo 31:13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, 'Most certainly you shall keep my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.
Exo 31:14 You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Exo 31:15 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Yahweh. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.
Exo 31:16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.' "

Exo 31:18 He gave to Moses, when he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written with God's finger. 

Mar. 17, 18
Mark 11

Mar 11:1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
Mar 11:2 and said to them, "Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him.
Mar 11:3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and immediately he will send him back here."
Mar 11:4 They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.
Mar 11:5 Some of those who stood there asked them, "What are you doing, untying the young donkey?"
Mar 11:6 They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.
Mar 11:7 They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.
Mar 11:8 Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road.
Mar 11:9 Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Mar 11:10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Mar 11:11 Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mar 11:12 The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.
Mar 11:13 Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
Mar 11:14 Jesus told it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" and his disciples heard it.
Mar 11:15 They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves.
Mar 11:16 He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.
Mar 11:17 He taught, saying to them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers!"
Mar 11:18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
Mar 11:19 When evening came, he went out of the city.
Mar 11:20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
Mar 11:21 Peter, remembering, said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away."
Mar 11:22 Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.
Mar 11:23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.
Mar 11:24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
Mar 11:25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
Mar 11:26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions."
Mar 11:27 They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,
Mar 11:28 and they began saying to him, "By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"
Mar 11:29 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Mar 11:30 The baptism of John-was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me."
Mar 11:31 They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
Mar 11:32 If we should say, 'From men' "-they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.
Mar 11:33 They answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

From Mark Copeland... "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS" Introduction To Christian Apologetics



                         "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS"

                  Introduction To Christian Apologetics

INTRODUCTION

1. In 1Pe 3:15, all Christians are commanded to be ready to make a
      "defense" for the reason of their hope in Christ...
   a. The word "defense" is from apologia, which means "a speech in
      defense of what one has done, or of truth which one believes"
   b. The formal use of this word is used by Paul in 
      Ac 22:1; 1Co 9:3

2. Peter, however, uses the word in the context of an informal 
   inquiry by a friend or neighbor...

   a. E.g., someone asking "Why are you a Christian?"
   b. To such Peter says that we should be ready to give reasons why we believe

3. In this series of lessons on "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS", we shall
   examine some of the evidence that exists for placing one's faith in
   Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God

4. In doing so, I hope to accomplish two objectives:
   a. To STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ
   b. To HELP PREPARE OURSELVES to be able to do the very thing enjoined
      by Peter in 1Pe 3:15

[In this lesson, I wish to establish some "BASICS" for Christian
apologetics that are important for all to realize...]

I. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS "AN INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH"

   A. IT APPEALS TO THE "MIND" AS WELL AS TO THE "HEART"
      1. God expects us to use our minds - Mt 22:36-38; Jn 8:32
         a. I.e., we do not have to commit "INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE" in
            order to have faith!
         b. This is important, for as one person said, "My heart cannot
            rejoice in what my mind rejects!"
            1) A "WEAK FAITH" may be the result of the heart trying to
               believe in something the mind cannot accept
            2) But the "STRONG FAITH" God requires involves both the
               mind and the heart
      2. So it is important that we present reasons why we believe in
         an INTELLIGENT and RATIONAL manner
         a. "We cannot pander to a man's intellectual arrogance, but we
            must cater to his intellectual integrity." - PAUL LITTLE

   B. DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN OFFER 100% PROOF?
      1. No, but there is virtually nothing of which we can be 100% sure
         (e.g., who our parents are)
      2. Yet, we often make 100% commitments with less than 100% proof;
         e.g., flying on an airplane...
         a. We cannot be 100% certain that we will have a safe journey
         b. But the statistical evidence is strong enough to convince us that we will
         c. So though we may not have 100% certainty of arriving safely,
            when we step on the plane we make a 100% commitment!
      3. So the question becomes:  IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR PROOF TO
         WARRANT MAKING A 100% COMMITMENT TO CHRIST?
         a. I believe that there is
         b. Certainly enough evidence to commit myself 100% FOR HIM,
            rather than be 100% AGAINST HIM!
            a. There is no other alternative - Mt 12:30
            b. Jesus is like an airplane; either we get on board 
               totally, or we get left behind!

[So the Christian faith is to be an INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH. As an
example, consider the next "BASIC"...]

II. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS "A HISTORICAL, FACTUAL FAITH"

   A. CHRISTIANITY APPEALS TO HISTORY, AND THE FACTS OF HISTORY
      1. "The facts backing the Christian claim are not a special kind
         of 'religious' fact.  They are the cognitive, informational
         facts upon which all historical, legal, and ordinary decisions
         are based." - CHARLES PINNOCK
      2. It will be my purpose in future lessons...
         a. To present these HISTORICAL FACTS
         b. Then demonstrate that the CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION is more
            logical than any other

   B. BUT TO BRIEFLY ILLUSTRATE THAT CHRISTIANITY IS BASED UPON HISTORICAL FACTS...
      1. Consider Lk 2:1-5; 3:1-2
      2. Notice the appeal to time, places, people and events that
         actually existed in history

   C. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, THEREFORE, IS A HISTORICAL FAITH THAT 
      APPEALS TO CERTAIN FACTS OF HISTORICAL OCCURENCE
      1. Not a PHILOSOPHICAL faith appealing to philosophies of men
      2. Not a faith based upon MYTHS and LEGENDS

[As we consider the evidences for the Christian faith, it is also 
important to bear in mind that...]

III. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS "AN OBJECTIVE FAITH"

   A. IT IS A FAITH IN AN "OBJECT":  JESUS OF NAZARETH!
      1. Faith in WHO He was:  The Christ, the Son of God
      2. Faith in WHAT He did:  He rose from the dead on the third day

   B. IT "DOES" MAKE A DIFFERENCE "WHAT" WE BELIEVE!
      1. The old cliche "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as
         you believe in something" is inconsistent with the Christian faith
      2. Consider Jn 8:24; Ro 10:9
         a. Note that it is not faith IN OF ITSELF that is important
         b. But IN WHOM (the object) our faith is based!

[And then consider that...]

IV. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS "BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF TRUTH"

   A. SUCH AS "TRUTH IS ALWAYS OPEN TO EXAMINATION"
      1. So is the Christian faith
         a. Cf. Ac 2:22 - Peter appealed to the crowd to examine what
            they themselves knew
         b. Cf. Ac 26:24-26 - Paul invited Agrippa to examine the evidence
      2. Unlike some religions (esp. "Jehovah's Witnesses" and the
         "Mormons"), the CHRISTIAN FAITH is open to honest examination

   B. SUCH AS "TRUTH IS ALWAYS OPEN TO NON-TRUTH (FALSIFICATION)"
      1. That is, it is open to be proven wrong
      2. To illustrate, if you don't believe Jesus was raised from the dead...
         a. Use the evidence that is available, and...
         b. Attempt to prove by it that He wasn't!
         c. Do this and then we shall see which interpretation of the
            facts is more logical (intelligent and rational)

[Before I close this lesson, I wish to address one last question:  "If 
the Christian faith is such an intelligent, rational, historical and 
factual faith, then why do many people reject it?"]

V. WHY PEOPLE REJECT CHRIST

   A. AS IN THE DAYS OF CHRIST, IT IS USUALLY DUE TO ONE OF THREE REASONS...
      1. IGNORANCE - Jn 7:40-43
         a. Some rejected Jesus as the Christ because they were ignorant
            of the historical facts concerning His birth
         b. So many do today for a similar reason:  LACK OF ACCURATE INFORMATION!
      2. PRIDE - Jn 12:42-43
         a. Pride in wanting to be approved by men kept them from
            confessing Jesus as the Christ
         b. Today, many do not want the RIDICULE or REJECTION one might
            face for following Christ
      3. MORAL PROBLEM - Jn 3:19-20
         a. Some people reject the evidence because it would mean having
            to change their LIFESTYLE
         b. Today, many people in efforts to justify their immorality...
            1) Accept only that evidence which supports theories which
               allows them to continue their lifestyle
            2) Reject any evidence which may support a doctrine which
               would condemn their behavior and require a change

   B. WHAT IT OFTEN BOILS DOWN TO IS THIS...
      1. The rejection of Christ...
         a. Is not so much a problem of the "MIND" but of the "WILL"!
         b. Is not so much "I CAN'T" but "I WON'T"!
      2. There is enough evidence to convince the honest and sincere seeker
      3. But there is not enough evidence to force a man against his
         will when he is determined to reject it!

CONCLUSION

1. It is with these "BASICS" in mind that I shall endeavor to give
   evidence that warrants faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the
   Son of God

2. I shall not attempt to prove anything "beyond a shadow of a doubt,"
   for that is not possible

3. But I shall try to show that it is more logical to believe in Jesus,
   than for one not to!

And we shall begin by examining the evidence that demonstrates Jesus to
be a true, historical figure, a person who actually lived!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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Resurrected “Savior-Gods” and the Prophets of Old by Eric Lyons, M.Min.




http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=1775

Resurrected “Savior-Gods” and the Prophets of Old

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Periodically, critics of Jesus question why there are so many stories of “savior-gods” (outside of Judaism and Christianity) that sound somewhat similar to the story of Jesus. Why would various civilizations (e.g., Egyptians, Greeks, etc.) that existed centuries before the time of Christ have “legends” about god-like characters who worked miracles, conquered death, and were revered by their followers? What logical answer can be given as to why stories similar in some ways to the Gospel story existed hundreds or thousands of years before Jesus?
Although several reasonable answers have already been given to the above questions in past articles (e.g., Butt and Thompson, 2001a and 2001b), another logical explanation for the presence of these stories revolves around the prophets of old. When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy, He mentioned their unrighteous ancestors and made the following statement:
Therefore the wisdom of God also said, “I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,” that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation (Luke 11:49-51, emp. added).
According to Jesus, God used prophets as far back as “the foundation of the world,” specifically from the time of Abel, Adam’s second son recorded in Scripture. The apostle Peter made a similar statement while preaching to thousands of Jews in Solomon’s Portico.
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21, emp. added).
“Since the world began,” God has revealed messages to mankind via His prophets. Sometimes these messages were regarding the coming physical destruction upon a particular nation (e.g., Jonah 3:1-10; Nahum 1-3). At other times, they were about one particular person or tribe of people (e.g., Genesis 40; 49). But no prophecies were more important (nor more prevalent in Scripture) than those concerning Christ. And, God’s spokesmen have been foretelling His Coming specifically since the earliest of times. Luke recorded how, after the birth of John the Baptizer, his father, Zacharias, “was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,”
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began (Luke 1:67-70, emp. added).
God’s prophets have not foretold the coming of a great Redeemer only since the Mosaic period, nor were prophecies concerning the Savior of the world limited to the Jewish people. Zacharias rejoiced that God was sending the Redeemer and Savior of Whom the prophets had spoken “since the world began.” Admittedly, most all of the Messianic prophecies recorded in Scripture appear after God revealed to Abraham that through his seed “all the nations of the world shall be blessed” (Genesis 22:18; 12:1-3; 49:10; etc.). Yet, one recorded messianic prophecy goes back centuries before Abraham—all the way to Adam and Eve’s tenure in the Garden of Eden. There God informed the serpent following his deception of Eve: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). In this very first messianic prophecy, a suffering, but victorious, Redeemer is pictured.
Thousands of years later, hundreds of similar prophecies about the Christ were given to the Israelites. It is logical to conclude, however, that similar messianic prophecies would have been delivered by other prophets outside of Judaism. The patriarch Enoch, just seven generations from Adam, “walked with God three hundred years” and “prophesied” (Genesis 5:22; Jude 14). His great-great-grandson Noah, whom the apostle Peter described as “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), very likely knew of the Messianic prophecies during patriarchal times, and may very well have received direct revelation from God on the matter (similar to how God spoke to him regarding the Flood—Genesis 6:13-21). Centuries later, non-Jewish, God-fearing men such as Melchizedek, king of Salem, “the priest of the Most High God” (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1), Job, and others worshipped and served the one true God.
We have no way of knowing how many of God’s spokesmen through the centuries have prophesied about the coming of a Savior. We do know, however, that some prophecies about Christ are virtually as old as the world itself, and the Bible nowhere pretends to contain every Messianic prophecy ever spoken.
One may reasonably conclude that a chief reason nations outside of Israel possessed stories of savior-gods who share many commonalities with Jesus is because they had heard either inspired prophets foretell the Redeemer’s coming, or the prophecies made “from the foundation of the world” had been passed down to them by word of mouth. Interestingly, some of the first people on Earth to recognize the arrival of the Messiah were men the Bible calls—not Jews—but “wise men (magi, NASB) from the East” (Matthew 2:1). From where did these men receive such knowledge? How did they know that a particular “star in the East” (Matthew 2:2) would indicate the Messiah’s entrance into the world? The fact is, they received Divine direction (cf. Matthew 2:1-12).
Truly, God’s scheme of redemption through a “hero” that would save the world from sin and death has been revealed since the fall of man. Simply because civilizations from the past (outside of Judaism and Christianity) possessed similar “redemption” stories and/or knowledge of a Redeemer should not be troubling or surprising. They likely were based (at least partly) on messages preached by the prophets of old.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle and Bert Thompson (2001a), “Jesus Christ—Unique Savior or Average Fraud? [Part 1],”Reason and Revelation, 21[2]:9-15, February, [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/156.
Butt, Kyle and Bert Thompson (2001b), “Jesus Christ—Unique Savior or Average Fraud? [Part 2],”Reason and Revelation, 21[3]:17-24, March, [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/475.