January 27, 2016

From Gary... Time for a "charge"


Obviously, this is a compilation of two pictures, one untouched and one photo-shopped. If it were real, what could do this? Nothing- this is phony!!!  But, Christian, what gets you "all charged up"? Humm, the power of God and the strong exhortation (the charge) to do something about it...

Romans, Chapter 1 (WEB)
16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

2 Timothy, Chapter 4 (ASV)
1   I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:   2 preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;   4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. 

2 Timothy, Chapter 4 (WEB)
 1 I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom:

2 Timothy, Chapter 4 (God's word)
 1 I solemnly call on you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead. I do this because Christ Jesus will come to rule the world. 

The thing is- either we will listen, understand and obey (or not).


Jesus has said...

John, Chapter 12 (WEB)
44  Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.   45  He who sees me sees him who sent me.   46  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.   47  If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.   48  He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.   49  For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.  50  I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

and

Revelation, Chapter 3 (WEB)

14  “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: 

“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation, says these things: 

  15  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.   16  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.   17  Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;   18  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.   19  As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.


I know, I know, all this about a picture that has a play on words. Sorry, that is me- I enjoy such things. However, the underlying truth is this: If God's word will not motivate you, what will? Remember vs 19 above - 19  As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

From Gary... Bible Reading January 27



Bible Reading  

January 27

The World English Bible

Jan. 27
Genesis 27

Gen 27:1 It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?" He said to him, "Here I am."
Gen 27:2 He said, "See now, I am old. I don't know the day of my death.
Gen 27:3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison.
Gen 27:4 Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die."
Gen 27:5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
Gen 27:6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
Gen 27:7 'Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.'
Gen 27:8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.
Gen 27:9 Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good kids of the goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.
Gen 27:10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."
Gen 27:11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
Gen 27:12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing."
Gen 27:13 His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me."
Gen 27:14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved.
Gen 27:15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.
Gen 27:16 She put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.
Gen 27:17 She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
Gen 27:18 He came to his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"
Gen 27:19 Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me."
Gen 27:20 Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He said, "Because Yahweh your God gave me success."
Gen 27:21 Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."
Gen 27:22 Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."
Gen 27:23 He didn't recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him.
Gen 27:24 He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am."
Gen 27:25 He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless you." He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
Gen 27:26 His father Isaac said to him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son."
Gen 27:27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
Gen 27:28 God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
Gen 27:29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you."
Gen 27:30 It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
Gen 27:31 He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that your soul may bless me."
Gen 27:32 Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."
Gen 27:33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed."
Gen 27:34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, my father."
Gen 27:35 He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."
Gen 27:36 He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?"
Gen 27:37 Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"
Gen 27:38 Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Gen 27:39 Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above.
Gen 27:40 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."
Gen 27:41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."
Gen 27:42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
Gen 27:43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.
Gen 27:44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;
Gen 27:45 until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"

Gen 27:46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?"

 Jan. 27, 28
Matthew 14

Mat 14:1 At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
Mat 14:2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him."
Mat 14:3 For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
Mat 14:4 For John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Mat 14:5 When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Mat 14:6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
Mat 14:7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
Mat 14:8 She, being prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer."
Mat 14:9 The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
Mat 14:10 and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
Mat 14:11 His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.
Mat 14:12 His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
Mat 14:13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Mat 14:14 Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
Mat 14:15 When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, "This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food."
Mat 14:16 But Jesus said to them, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat."
Mat 14:17 They told him, "We only have here five loaves and two fish."
Mat 14:18 He said, "Bring them here to me."
Mat 14:19 He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
Mat 14:20 They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
Mat 14:21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Mat 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
Mat 14:23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
Mat 14:24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Mat 14:25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
Mat 14:26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.
Mat 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid."
Mat 14:28 Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."
Mat 14:29 He said, "Come!" Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
Mat 14:30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
Mat 14:31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Mat 14:32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
Mat 14:33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"
Mat 14:34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
Mat 14:35 When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick,
Mat 14:36 and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole. 

From Roy Davison... “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).


http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/En03JC-EternalWord.html

“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8).

“The word of our God stands forever”
(Isaiah 40:8).
 

Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
The galaxies are disintegrating. Our bodies grow old and die. All visible things perish. For that reason, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Since God is eternal, His word is also eternal. “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). “The truth of the Lordendures forever” (Psalm 117:2).
In Isaiah, chapter 40, God's messenger is told to cry out. (A message from God is not to be spoken timidly. It is backed by the Creator of the universe!)
“The voice said, 'Cry out!' And he said, 'What shall I cry?'” (Isaiah 40:6). The answer is: “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:7, 8).
The eternity of God's word is contrasted with the brevity of life. Our life passes quickly. “What is your life? It is a mist that appears briefly and then disappears” (James 4:14 RD). Each day brings us one day closer to the day of our death.
Yet good news was to be preached from Jerusalem: “O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'” (Isaiah 40:9).
What is this good news that goes forth from Jerusalem? Jesus came to the cities of Judah and told His followers: “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51). “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
That really is good news! By believing in God and obeying the word of Christ, one can live forever. By obeying the truth one receives cleansing and a spiritual rebirth: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).
“The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).
We must lift up our voices and tell people that by obeying God's word they can live forever.
There is no reason to be timid. With Paul we may say: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). Jesus warned: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
We will be judged by the word of Christ. Jesus said: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
On judgment day, what will all the theological books on earth be worth? Along with the earth, they will be consumed by fire, but “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). God's word will still be there to judge us, after the heavens and the earth have passed away (2 Peter 3:10-13).
But that same word is also the word of life. When Jesus lost His popularity with the masses because His teachings were not what they wanted, He asked His disciples if they also would go away. Peter replied: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Jesus had just told them: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Jesus is the “Word of life” (1 John 1:1).
After the church was established, the apostles were commanded: “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20).
Later Paul and Barnabas traveled about proclaiming the good news of eternal life in Christ. Certain Jews rejected the message. “Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”' Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region” (Acts 13:46-49).
The word of God is not a dead letter. It is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Although our flesh is like grass that withers away, through the “living and powerful” word of God we can live forever. Let us hold fast the “word of life” (Philippians 2:16).
“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Believe in Christ, repent, confess your faith and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9, 10). Then in Christ you can live forever.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

From Jim McGuiggan... Do it for me!

Do it for me!

"For my sake!" Not because it's fashionable or prudent or rewarding or exhilarating.
"For my sake!" Not because it's the right thing to do or it's what we've always done or it's what others expect of us.
"For my sake!" Not for truth's sake or because rational argument points that way or because history proves it or because everyone will be grateful.
When Jesus said do this or that "for my sake" he made everything personal and he risked everything on himself, on how he struck these disciples, on what he could mean to them, on what he would come to mean to them. They would leave old views, cherished tradition, habits and motivations, lifelong commitments, even early view of Him—all these they would leave behind but in the process they would cling closer to Him. What they would do, what they would urge one another to do, what they would urge everyone they came across to do it would all be "for His sake." And in those days, not love of heritage, love of friends, love of ease or possessions or reputation or family or even life itself could withstand the simple, serious, profound appeal that Jesus made based on himself: "Do it for me."
Eternal truths and everlasting realities became a person in the person of Jesus Christ. The invisible person of God became visible and all that earlier truths and events had revealed were now revealed in a person. All that was lasting remained and all that was temporary passed away when they were swallowed up in this person who said, "Do it for me! Do it for my sake! Do it in my name!"
Despite his awful sinfulness David had that quality in him that enabled him to draw gallant souls around him—people who'd fight an army just to get him a drink of water from the Bethlehem well where he would have spent time as a boy (2 Samuel 23:14-17). Jesus, despite his awesome sinlessness had that quality about him too and he was certain that if he were lifted up on the cross (and in preaching/teaching) that he would continue to draw men and women to himself (John 12:32). But that's the point to be remembered—he would draw men to himself!
I grant that Jesus is more than a specific historical individual and that he means all manner of things; but the "all manner of things" that he means mean nothing—absolutely nothing—if separated from him as a person! Lose that personal element and the Christian faith withers and becomes another religious philosophy with opinions flying, bits of truth here and there, guesses filling the air and the moral dynamism of Jesus vanishes and he's another dead Buddha.
"The ancients taught you," Jesus said, "but listen to me." "Don't call yourselves 'teachers'; there's only one teacher—me—and you are all brethren." "Come unto me!" "Iam the resurrection and the life." "I am the way, the truth, and the life! Nobody comes to the Father but by me!" "If you're persecuted for my sake you're blessed!"
Trade all that in for "the Christian faith" as a system of thought and belief and something is lost without which there is no life.
And then he says this astonishing thing. "Whoever gives you a cup of cold water because you are mine—listen—that person will not lose their reward." (Mark 9:41) Something amazing happens to a simple kind act when it is inspired by the thought of Jesus. When the disciples for various reasons criticized a woman for pouring an entire bottle of costly ointment over Jesus he defended her and buried their carping simply by saying, "She did it for me!"
Keep it personal!
 ©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Do Children Inherit the Sin of Their Parents? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.



http://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=1378&b=Exodus

Do Children Inherit the Sin of Their Parents?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Understanding the nature of God’s interaction with man is no small task. The sincere Bible student often comes across things in the biblical text that are puzzling. Others, who are perhaps somewhat less sincere, twist these initially puzzling passages “to their own destruction” (as described in 2 Peter 3:16). One such idea that has been abused is the alleged contradiction between how Jehovah dealt (and still deals) with the children of sinful people. Steve Wells, author of the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, insists that there is a discrepancy in the Bible regarding this subject. He lists Exodus 20:5, which states: “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” Wells then presents Ezekiel 18:20 as a contradictory verse: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself ” (Wells, 2003).
Is there a legitimate contradiction between these verses? Or, to pose the question differently, “Is there any possible way that both these statements can be true?” The fact of the matter is that both statements can be true, without a contradiction occurring. What Mr. Wells and others who twist these verses into an alleged contradiction do not recognize is that there is a difference between bearing the guilt of a parent, and suffering negative physical and emotional consequences due to that parent’s bad decisions.
It often is the case that the children of wicked people suffer terribly. Sometimes these children suffer because the parent physically or emotionally abuses them (in direct violation of Scripture; cf. Matthew 7:12; Colossians 3:21). At other times, the child suffers as a result of the parent’s irresponsible behavior. For instance, suppose a man addicted to gambling wastes his salary on gambling, instead of using it to feed his family. As a result, his children suffer hunger, shame, and poverty.
Yet, even though the children of sinful people often suffer physical consequences, they do not inherit the sin of those parents. The book of Jeremiah provides an interesting commentary on this subject. In Jeremiah 16:1-6, God told Jeremiah that the prophet should not take a wife and/or have children in the land of Israel. God explained His reasoning to Jeremiah as follows: “For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place.... ‘They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried, but they shall be as refuse on the face of the earth’ ” (16:3-4). Why was this going to happen? Wells is quick to refer to this chapter, especially verses 10 and 11 where the children of Israel pose the question, “Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us” (vs. 10)? Wells then records Jeremiah’s answer: “ ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord” (vs. 11). Wells, however, does not cite the very next verse (12), which states: “And you have done worse than your fathers....”
These Israelites were suffering due to the sins of their fathers—and due to their own sins. Their children were going to die gruesome deaths. The skeptic is quick to seize upon this fact, and demand that any time innocent children die, it is a travesty against justice that a loving God never would permit (a fallacious idea that I have refuted elsewhere; see Butt, 2004).
Do children sometimes die horrible deaths due to their parents’ wrong decisions? Absolutely. The Israelites had adopted the practice of sacrificing their own children to a false god named Baal (Jeremiah 19:5). The iniquity of the parents, then, can be visited upon the children in the form of physical suffering. But do those children bear the guilt of that sin? Absolutely not! Ezekiel wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear theguilt of the son” (Ezekiel 18:20, emp. added).
Notice the words soul and guilt. Does the Bible ever insinuate, for example, that a child is guilty of idolatry because his parents were idolatrous? No (read Matthew 18:3-5; Luke 18:16-17). Bearing the guilt of sin is altogether different than bearing thephysical consequences of the actions of others. As is often the case, the skeptic has confused the two, and has alleged a biblical contradiction where, in fact, none exists. This is yet another example in which the allegation against the Bible fails, but “the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2004), “The Skeptic’s Faulty Assumption,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2230.
Wells, Steve (2001), Skeptic’s Annotated Bible [On-line], URL: http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/1cor/index.html.

Love is not Jealous, so Why is God? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=777&b=Exodus

Love is not Jealous, so Why is God?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

The argument goes something like this: (1) 1 John 4:8 indicates that “God is love;” (2) 1 Corinthians 13:4 says that “love is not jealous” (NAS); and yet (3) Exodus 20:5, along with several other passages, reveals that God is “a jealous God.” “How,” the skeptic asks, “can God be jealous when several verses say God is love and 1 Cor. says love is not jealous?” (McKinsey, 1992). Simply put, if love is not jealous, and God is love, then God logically cannot be called jealous. Or conversely, if love is not jealous, and God is jealous, then God cannot be considered loving. Right? How can these verses be anything but contradictory?
The term “jealousy” most often carries a negative connotation in twenty-first-century America. We pity the man who is jealous of his coworker’s success. We frown upon families who react to a neighbor’s newly found fortune by becoming overcome with jealously. And we are perturbed to hear of a jealous husband who distrusts his wife, and questions every possible wrong action that she might make, even going so far as demanding that she never leave the house without him. Add to these feelings about jealousy what various New Testament passages have to say on the subject, and one can understand why some might sincerely question why God is described at times as “jealous.” The apostle Paul admonished the Christians in Rome to “behave properly,” and put off “strife and jealousy” (Romans 13:13, NAS). To the church at Corinth, Paul expressed concern that when he came to their city he might find them involved in such sinful things as gossip, strife, and jealousy (2 Corinthians 12:20). And, as noted above, he explicitly told them that “love is not jealous” (1 Corinthians 13:4). James also wrote about the sinfulness of jealousy, saying that where it exists “there is disorder and every evil thing” (3:16; cf. Acts 7:9). One religious writer described such jealousy as “an infantile resentment springing from unmortified covetousness, which expresses itself in envy, malice, and meanness of action” (Packer, 1973, p. 189). It seems, more often than not, that both the New Testament and the “moral code” of modern society speak of “jealousy” in a negative light.
The truth is, however, sometimes jealously can be spoken of in a good sense. The word “jealous” is translated in the Old Testament from the Hebrew word qin’ah, and in the New Testament from the Greek word zelos. The root idea behind both words is that of “warmth” or “heat” (Forrester, 1996). The Hebrew word for jealousy carries with it the idea of “redness of the face that accompanies strong emotion” (Feinberg, 1942, p. 429)—whether right or wrong. Depending upon the usage of the word, it can be used to represent both a good and an evil passion. Three times in 1 Corinthians, Paul used this word in a good sense to encourage his brethren to “earnestly desire (zeeloúte)” spiritual gifts (12:31; 14:1,39). He obviously was not commanding the Corinthians to sin, but to do something that was good and worthwhile. Later, when writing to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul was even more direct in showing how there was such a thing as “godly jealousy.” He stated:
I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Corinthians 11:2-4, emp. added).
Paul’s burning desire was for the church at Corinth to abide in the love of God. As a friend of the bridegroom (Christ), Paul used some of the strongest language possible to encourage the “bride” of Christ at Corinth to be pure and faithful.
In a similar way, Jehovah expressed His love for Israel in the Old Testament by proclaiming to be “a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24). He was not envious of the Israelites’ accomplishments or possessions, but was communicating His stronglove for them with anthropomorphic language. The Scriptures depict a spiritual marriage between Jehovah and His people. Sadly, during the period of the divided kingdom, both Israel and Judah were guilty of “playing the harlot” (Jeremiah 3:6-10). God called Israel’s idolatrous practice “adultery,” and for this reason He had “put her away and given her a certificate of divorce” (3:8). This is not the “lunatic fury of a rejected or supplanted suitor,” but a “zeal to protect a love-relationship” (Packer, p. 189). Jehovah felt for Israel “as the most affectionate husband could do for his spouse, and was jealous for their fidelity, because he willed their invariable happiness” (Clarke, 1996, emp. added). Song of Solomon 8:6 is further proof that love and jealousy are not always opposed to each other. To her beloved, the Shulamite said: “Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord” (NAS). In this passage, love and jealousy actually are paralleled to convey the same basic meaning (see Tanner, 1997, p. 158)—that (aside from one’s love for God) marital love is “the strongest, most unyielding and invincible force in human experience” (NIV Study Bible, 1985, p. 1012). In this sense, being a jealous husband or wife is a good thing. As one commentator noted, married persons “who felt no jealousy at the intrusion of a lover or an adulterer into their home would surely be lacking in moral perception; for the exclusiveness of marriage is the essence of marriage” (Tasker, 1967, p. 106).
Truly, love has a jealous side. There is a sense in which one legitimately can be jealous for what rightfully belongs to him (see Numbers 25). Such is especially true in the marriage relationship. Israel was God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). He had begun to set them apart as a special nation by blessing their “father” Abraham (Genesis 12:1ff; 17:1-27). He blessed the Israelites with much numerical growth while living in Egypt (Exodus 1:7,12,19; Deuteronomy 26:5; cf. Genesis 15:5; 46:3). He delivered them from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3-12). And, among other things, He gave them written revelation, which, if obeyed, would bring them spiritually closer to Jehovah, and even would make them physically superior to other nations, in that they would be spared from various diseases (see Exodus 15:26). Like a bird that watches over her eggs and young with jealousy, preventing other birds from entering her nest, God watched over the Israelites with “righteous” jealousy, unwilling to tolerate the presence of false gods among his people (see Exodus 20:3-6; Joshua 24:14-16,19-20). Such “godly jealousy” (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:2) was not what Paul had in mind in 1 Corinthians 13:4.

REFERENCES

Clarke, Adam (1996), Adam Clarke’s Commentary (Electronic Database: Biblesoft).
Feinberg, Charles Lee (1942), “Exegetical Studies in Zechariah: Part 10,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 99:428-439, October.
Forrester, E.J. (1996), “Jealousy,” International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Electronic Database Biblesoft).
McKinsey, C. Dennis (1992), [On-line], URL: http://members.aol.com/chas1222/bepart56.html.
NIV Study Bible (1985), (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Packer, J.I. (1973), Knowing God (London: Hodder and Stoughton).
Tanner, J. Paul (1997), “The Message of the Song of Songs,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 154: 142-161, April.
Tasker, R.V.G. (1967), The Epistle of James (London: Tyndale Press).

Shall We Murder to Stop Abortion? by Brad Bromling, D.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=595

Shall We Murder to Stop Abortion?

by Brad Bromling, D.Min.

The abortion clinic’s doors closed and its staff went home. No abortions were performed that day. While rejoicing over the few lives that were spared, Christians are made to grieve over two deaths—the death of an abortion doctor and his bodyguard. Although we may find it difficult to grieve for a man who had slain so many innocent children, we must. The murders of John Britton and James Barrett were heinous acts.
Paul Hill felt differently about it. He reasoned that if children were being killed in a clinic, we would be willing to take lives to protect them. Why should we do less for pre-born children? To some, his logic sounds valid and his actions appear justified. So when Hill’s shotgun blasted Britton and Barrett into eternity, some rejoiced. Such rejoicing is an offense against God and those made in His image.
Yes, abortion is the taking of innocent human life. Even some who allow for abortion can admit that truth: “The status of the human embryo appears a simple matter. It is alive, and it is neither hamster nor chicken—it is human” (Edwards, 1989, p. 95). The shedding of innocent human blood is an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:16-19) that impoverishes any nation that practices it. Ronald Reagan put it well:
These children...will never laugh, never sing, never experience the joy of human love; nor will they strive to heal the sick, or feed the poor, or make peace among nations. Abortion has denied them the first and most basic of human rights, and we are infinitely poorer for their loss.
We are poorer not simply for the lives not led and for contributions not made, but also for erosion of our sense of worth and dignity of every individual. To diminish the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all (1984, p. 56).
America should bow its head in shame and repent of the 30,000,000 abortions it has permitted since 1973. The blood of these children cries out to God against us. God hears, and will judge us accordingly.
So, too, will He mete out judgment upon those who feel justified in employing murder to stop murder. When our Lord came to this sin-cursed planet, He had at His disposal the power of the Universal Sovereign. He could have—with a word—slain every rapist, murderer, and child molester. He could have ignited the flames of hell upon the Roman Empire until it was purged of every abortionist then living. Instead, Jesus preached the good news of peace and gave His life on a cross. Murderous Barabbas walked free.
In turn, Jesus calls His people to be a community of the cross (Mark 10:21)—to be a people willing to give their lives for others, not to take lives (1 John 3:16). Killing abortion doctors is no different than shooting drug dealers in their sleep or assassinating government officials because they supply foreign governments with U.S. military equipment to kill their own people. Might we also rob the rich to feed the poor? How does this approach appear in the face of Jesus’ statement, “whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 6:39)?

REFERENCES

Edwards, Robert (1989), Life Before Birth (New York: Basic Books).
Reagan, Ronald (1984), President Reagan’s Quotations, ed. Clark Cassell (Washington, D.C.: Baddock Publications).

Should Christians Avoid Hot-Button Issues? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1536

Should Christians Avoid Hot-Button Issues?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

In a recent interview with Associated Press reporter Richard Ostling, Billy Graham made a brief statement that has circulated the past few weeks in several major news publications and on a number of Web sites. Despite being somewhat overshadowed by the attention-getting announcement that his June 24-26 New York City “revival meeting” was probably the last one he will ever hold in the United States, this other statement still managed to cause quite a stir. It appeared on page 23 of the June 27, 2005 issue of Newsweek magazine. It made its way (as part of the Associated Press news release) into several major newspapers, including The Washington PostThe Washington Times, and The Herald (of London). It also appeared (in a positive light) on Web sites dedicated to defending and promoting the homosexual agenda (e.g., Advocate.com; 365gay.com). Just what was it that Billy Graham said? In response to a question about homosexuality, and specifically about same-sex marriage, Graham stated: “I don’t give advice. I’m going to stay off these hot-button issues” (Ostling, 2005). According to Ostling, a religious journalist who has interviewed Billy Graham on numerous occasions over the past 40 years, “Graham now seeks to shun all public controversies, preferring a simple message of love and unity through Jesus Christ” (2005).
Although Billy Graham is viewed by many as the world’s greatest Protestant preacher of the past century, his extremely weak comments concerning “gay” marriage are very disturbing. Such remarks sound more as if they came from a politician hoping to get re-elected for a second term than from a man who alleges to be a Gospel preacher. In a country dominated by pluralism and political correctness, Graham’s sidestepping of the subject of homosexuality by asserting his desire to avoid “hot-button issues” and focus on “a simple message of love and unity through Jesus Christ” is warmly welcomed by the majority of Americans. Homosexuals are delighted that Graham is “mum on same-sex marriage” and “steers clear of gay marriage debate”—phrases that served as headlines on two gay Web sites (www.advocate.com; www.365gay.com). Preachers are fond of talking about being “big on Jesus,” and “small on issues.” “Just focus on Jesus,” we are told. To survive as a “preacher” or “pastor” in the twenty-first century, most seem to think that “advice” is better given from a counselor’s office than from the pulpit. After all, preachers are controversial enough even without delivering controversial messages. Thus, the trendy, politically correct message of focusing on Jesus rather than on “issues” like homosexuality has spread like wildfire among alleged proclaimers of biblical truth.
One of the greatest Gospel preachers ever to walk this Earth was the apostle Paul. He spent days on end traveling the Mediterranean world by land and sea telling people about the good news of Jesus Christ. He taught repeatedly about the necessity of knowing Jesus and becoming immersed in His ways. To the church at Corinth, Paul wrote: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, emp. added). What was Paul’s attitude about Jesus? He counted “all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:8-9). Like Philip (Acts 8:35), Paul knew Jesus, and preached Jesus. In light of Billy Graham’s preferred “message of love and unity through Jesus Christ,” Paul admonished the church at Ephesus “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). He taught that all Christians (whether Jews or Gentiles, servants or freemen, men or women) are “one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). He preached God’s love for man as well as the necessity of man’s love for God. But, unlike many modern-day preachers, Paul’s Christ-centered, loving, compassionate, message of hope and unity, did not exclude the condemnation of sinful “hot-button issues.”
When the latest comments by Billy Graham are compared with those of the apostle Paul one cannot help but observe the stark contrast in how the “hot-button” issue of homosexuality was handled. Rather than shunning public controversy and avoiding giving “advice” on the subject, Paul condemned the sin of homosexuality in the same epistles in which he pleaded for love and unity through Jesus Christ. Many people are aware of how Paul reminded the Romans that “Christ died for the ungodly” and “demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6,8). Earlier in this same letter, however, he wrote to them about God’s wrath toward the “unnatural,” “indecent acts” and “degrading passions” of homosexuals (1:26-27, NASB). Alleged “Gospel preachers” who choose to avoid “issues” like homosexuality need to be reminded that such was not the practice of Paul—a preacher of righteousness whom we are instructed to emulate (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17-19). In the same chapter in which he instructed Timothy about “the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14), he included “sodomites” (1:10) in a list of “lawless” and “ungodly” sinners. And finally, in the letter in which he spent a whole chapter on the essentiality and supremacy of love in the life of God’s people (1 Corinthians 13), Paul also declared that fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, and male prostitutes (NIV; “effeminate,” NASB) will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
The idea that any Christian today should follow the example of some and refrain from commenting on the sin of homosexuality (or other “hot-button issues”) is completely foreign to sound Bible doctrine. Sin is sin, and people must be warned about its destructiveness, as well as encouraged to accept the gift of eternal life (cf. Romans 6:23). When Jesus was asked a question regarding the extremely sensitive and controversial issue of divorce and remarriage in the first century, did He respond by merely encouraging His audience to focus on “love and unity”? No. He taught that marriage consists of one man and one woman who remain married for life (with the one exception for divorce and remarriage being given in Matthew 19:9).
Most certainly, a “message of love and unity through Jesus Christ” should be bellowed from the mountain tops and preached throughout the world (Matthew 28:19-20). But this message of love does not exclude condemning the very thing that cost Jesus His life—sin (Hebrews 9:26). Alien sinners must be told about the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), as well as the necessity of repentance (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 26:20). We beg and plead with all who are living lives of rebellion against God (including, but certainly not limited to, those living sexually immoral lives) to “turn to God” (Acts 26:20), “repent and be baptized, every one of you” (Acts 2:38).

REFERENCES

365gay.com (2005), [On-line], URL: http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/06/061505graham.htm.
Advocate.com (2005), [On-line], URL: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail.asp?id=17766.
Ostling, Richard N. (2005), “Billy Graham All But Certain Upcoming New York Revival Meeting Will Be His Last,” CBC News, [On-line], URL: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050619/w061926.html.