Safe at last by Gary Rose

Thirty years ago, I worked in a laboratory in Sayreville, New Jersey. The building was a newer one and great place to work. But, we had one problem – someone liked to steal lunches out of the refrigerator in the lunch room. After awhile, I stopped putting food in the fridge and just brought things to eat that I could keep in my desk. We never did find out who the culprit was but after all these years, it is not really important anymore.

Still, no one likes having their food stolen (or anything else for that matter). And the “Anti-Theft Lunch Bags” would have been a nice solution to an irritating problem. Now, I know that nothing ever seems to last- things rust, break, become obsolete, get misplaced or even worse, stolen. But, what if you could have something that could NEVER be changed? The apostle Paul writes…

Romans 8 ( World English Bible )

Rom 8:35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36, Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Rom 8:37, No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Rom 8:38, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

Rom 8:39, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And the answer is… The love of Christ! Nothing can separate us from Jesus’ love; absolutely NOTHING! This is NOT A TRICK (like that Anti-Theft Bag). Jesus’ love trumps EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE! Jesus never changes his decision to love us; we can decide not to follow him anymore, but Jesus’ decision towards us will never, ever change.

Accept it, appreciate it and love him back. You will be eternally glad you did!

Bible Reading March 11, 12 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading March 11, 12 

World  English  Bible

Mar. 11

Exodus 21

Exo 21:1 "Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

Exo 21:2 "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

Exo 21:3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exo 21:4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

Exo 21:5 But if the servant shall plainly say, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;'

Exo 21:6 then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

Exo 21:7 "If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

Exo 21:8 If she doesn't please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her.

Exo 21:9 If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

Exo 21:10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

Exo 21:11 If he doesn't do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

Exo 21:12 "One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

Exo 21:13 but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

Exo 21:14 If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

Exo 21:15 "Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

Exo 21:16 "Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Exo 21:17 "Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

Exo 21:18 "If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn't die, but is confined to bed;

Exo 21:19 if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

Exo 21:20 "If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Exo 21:21 Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

Exo 21:22 "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman's husband demands and the judges allow.

Exo 21:23 But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,

Exo 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Exo 21:25 burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

Exo 21:26 "If a man strikes his servant's eye, or his maid's eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

Exo 21:27 If he strikes out his male servant's tooth, or his female servant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

Exo 21:28 "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

Exo 21:29 But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

Exo 21:30 If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.

Exo 21:31 Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

Exo 21:32 If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

Exo 21:33 "If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn't cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

Exo 21:34 the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

Exo 21:35 "If one man's bull injures another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

Exo 21:36 Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Mar. 12

Exodus 22

Exo 22:1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

Exo 22:2 If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.

Exo 22:3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt of bloodshed for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

Exo 22:4 If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.

Exo 22:5 "If a man causes a field or vineyard to be eaten, and lets his animal loose, and it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field, and from the best of his own vineyard.

Exo 22:6 "If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

Exo 22:7 "If a man delivers to his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man's house; if the thief is found, he shall pay double.

Exo 22:8 If the thief isn't found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out if he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods.

Exo 22:9 For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, about which one says, 'This is mine,' the cause of both parties shall come before God. He whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

Exo 22:10 "If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured, or driven away, no man seeing it;

Exo 22:11 the oath of Yahweh shall be between them both, whether he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.

Exo 22:12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.

Exo 22:13 If it is torn in pieces, let him bring it for evidence. He shall not make good that which was torn.

Exo 22:14 "If a man borrows anything of his neighbor's, and it is injured, or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.

Exo 22:15 If its owner is with it, he shall not make it good. If it is a leased thing, it came for its lease.

Exo 22:16 "If a man entices a virgin who isn't pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.

Exo 22:17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

Exo 22:18 "You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

Exo 22:19 "Whoever has sex with an animal shall surely be put to death.

Exo 22:20 "He who sacrifices to any god, except to Yahweh only, shall be utterly destroyed.

Exo 22:21 "You shall not wrong an alien, neither shall you oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Exo 22:22 "You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.

Exo 22:23 If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry;

Exo 22:24 and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Exo 22:25 "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor; neither shall you charge him interest.

Exo 22:26 If you take your neighbor's garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down,

Exo 22:27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

Exo 22:28 "You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Exo 22:29 "You shall not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. "You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me.

Exo 22:30 You shall do likewise with your cattle and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother, then on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

Exo 22:31 "You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs. 

  

Mar. 11, 12

Mark 8

Mar 8:1 In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and said to them,

Mar 8:2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.

Mar 8:3 If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way."

Mar 8:4 His disciples answered him, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?"

Mar 8:5 He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."

Mar 8:6 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.

Mar 8:7 They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.

Mar 8:8 They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

Mar 8:9 Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.

Mar 8:10 Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

Mar 8:11 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.

Mar 8:12 He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."

Mar 8:13 He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.

Mar 8:14 They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them.

Mar 8:15 He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

Mar 8:16 They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."

Mar 8:17 Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?

Mar 8:18 Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember?

Mar 8:19 When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Twelve."

Mar 8:20 "When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Seven."

Mar 8:21 He asked them, "Don't you understand, yet?"

Mar 8:22 He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him.

Mar 8:23 He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

Mar 8:24 He looked up, and said, "I see men; for I see them like trees walking."

Mar 8:25 Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.

Mar 8:26 He sent him away to his house, saying, "Don't enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village."

Mar 8:27 Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"

Mar 8:28 They told him, "John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets."

Mar 8:29 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

Mar 8:30 He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.

Mar 8:31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mar 8:32 He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

Mar 8:33 But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men."

Mar 8:34 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mar 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.

Mar 8:36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

Mar 8:37 For what will a man give in exchange for his life?

Mar 8:38 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Prove All Things by T. Pierce Brown

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Brown/T/Pierce/1923/allthing.html

Prove All Things

In the Lord's church, as in all other groups, there is a tendency to take the word of someone of whom we think highly instead of studying the word of God for ourselves. Although it is very dangerous, there may be some value in this, for each of us is ignorant of many things. For example, although I have been reading the Bible for over 60 years, there are some subjects I have not studied as deeply as I might have. If I discover that Foy Wallace, Gus Nichols, Guy N. Woods and N. B. Hardeman expressed the same specific view of the subject, I confess that until I have had a chance to study the subject in more detail, I would probably adopt their view as the most probable one. I am neither ashamed nor proud of that, but am stating what I think is a valid attitude. A child generally should accept what his parent believes and teaches him until he has a chance to examine the evidence for himself. The danger comes when one has an opportunity to study God's word in depth on some subject, but relies instead on one or more scholars for their conclusions.

The subject of this article was suggested to me as I was reading in some scholarly book by a premillenial author about how to interpret prophecy. He suggested that there are only two methods: the allegorical and the literal. He properly points out some dangers in the allegorical method. He defines the literal method as "that which gives each word the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary customary usage." Then he makes this statement, "When the Old Testament is used in the New it is used only in the literal sense. No prophecy which has been completely fulfilled has been fulfilled any way but literally." He admits, "figures of speech are used as a means of revealing literal truth," but does not properly apply that knowledge in his interpretation of prophecy. Since the whole of his 633-page book is built on that assumption, I decided to test it, for Paul says, "Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5:21).

Let us notice a few of the prophetic passages that are plainly taught as fulfilled in specific cases in the New Testament. First, note Isaiah 40:3-4, "The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain." Jesus made it clear in Matthew 5:3, Mark 1:3 and Luke 3:4-6 that this had reference to John the Immerser. In the light of the assertion made by this author, J. Dwight Pentecost on page 10 of "Things to Come" let us ask the question: Did John literally exalt every valley, and literally make every hill low? Was John operating a bulldozer to prepare a way for a king? Of course figurative language reveals a literal truth. The questions are, "What is the literal truth to which this prophecy pointed? Were the words used in a figurative sense, or did John literally fill up a valley, move a mountain, and make a straight road for the King?" One does not need to be a scholar or write a doctoral dissertation to answer that.

In Matthew 12:18-20 there is the following statement of a prophecy from Isaiah 42, "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles hope." Who is so blind that they cannot see that if Jesus had literally broken a bruised reed this would not have meant the prophecy did not come to pass? It is plainly not true, as the author asserted, that the language of the prophecy had to be fulfilled by Jesus literally failing to break a bruised reed or put out smoking flax.

In Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17 we find a quotation of a prophecy from Psalm 118:22, "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." Surely one does not have to be a scholar to realize that Jesus was not speaking of a literal stone, or literal builders. To say that the prophetic language of the Old Testament is used in the New only in a literal sense is utter nonsense. Yet this is the very basis of the whole book of J.D. Pentecost and the premillenial concept which he is attempting to uphold.

The question, "Are the prophecies to be interpreted literally or figuratively?" implies something that the Bible shows is not so. The answer to the question of how the prophecies are to be interpreted is, "As Jesus and the inspired apostles showed they were to be interpreted." Some are literal; some are figurative. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he was literally fulfilling Zechariah 9:9-10, but he did not literally "cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem" as verse 10 says. To say that it was not fulfilled any way but literally is the height of absurdity. It is a mark of wisdom to interpret it as Jesus did.

If one reads Zechariah 13:7-10, which begins with, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered," he could not possibly know whether that prophecy was to be fulfilled in a literal or figurative way if he did not read Matthew 26:31 or Mark 14:27. In fact, he would not even know that it was a prophecy if Jesus had not revealed and interpreted it for us.

The fact that the Jews rejected Jesus because they had a false notion of the meaning of prophecy should make us aware that anyone who interprets the scriptures as they did is wrong. Jesus plainly tells his disciples, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" and a few verses later in Luke 24:44-45 we find, "These are my words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures."

Paul emphasizes the same thought in Ephesians 3:3-5, "how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit." Anyone who reads the New Testament with even the most elementary understanding can see that the Jews in general, including the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts 8, and the Apostles before they received the Holy Spirit, did not properly understand the prophets. If all their language was to be understood literally, this could not have been so.

We should not reject some truth we may learn from someone just because he is premillenial, or because he belongs to some denomination. Truth is truth, from whatever source it may come. However, we should recognize a very important principle. That is, rat poison may be 98% corn or peanuts. It is the 2% that does the damage. If one habitually drinks from contaminated wells, the chances are very high that he will suffer damage. This means that we should be very careful as we study the writings of any person, denominational or otherwise. If we know the basic premise on which he operates, it may help us to discern the falsity of his doctrine more easily. We need to continue to "Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good" and never be afraid to re-examine any doctrine we have been taught, regardless of who taught it.
T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

What We Are – SHEEP (part 4b) by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1543

What We Are – SHEEP (part 4b)

What We Are – SHEEP (part 4b)

In the first part of this lesson on sheep, I began to share how we have been compared to them over and over in the Bible.

Not to insult anyone’s intelligence, but humans like sheep at times aren’t the smartest beings in all creation. Even though we have acquired a tremendous amount of facts, knowledge, and wisdom, part of the definition of intelligence is, applying that knowledge to our life. And many times that’s where we fall short. .

As I began to talk about sheep last week, I also mention the fact that they can become a bit restless at times. Some will just wander off not only from their food source and water, but also from the rest of the flock. Sometimes they will even lead others astray with them. (Does that sound like anyone you know?)

This is dangerous because #1, sheep have no sense of direction and will get lost easy, and #2, because they are totally defenseless they are easy prey to their predators.

In Isaiah 53, it states that, “we like sheep have all gone astray”.

My two favorite discourses concerning us being like sheep are seen in Psalm 23, which is written by David who was a shepherd before he became a king, and Jesus’ discourse in John chapter 10.

These two accounts not only address us as sheep, but more importantly they speak of our relationship with a good Shepherd, our Lord.

Recently I read this story: ‘Two men were called in a large classroom, to recite the 23rd Psalm, one was an orator trained in speech Technique, and drama. He repeated the Psalm in a powerful way. When he finished the audience cheered and asked for an encore that they might hear his wonderful voice again.

The other man repeated the same words, “the Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” But when he finished, no sound came from the class. Instead, people sat in a mood of deep devotion and prayer.

Then the first man stood to his feet. “I have a confession to make,” he said, “the difference between what you have just heard from my friend, and what you heard from me, is this: I know the Psalm, but my friend here knows the Shepherd.”

Of all the things that Jesus could have called Himself, ‘the King of kings’, ‘the Almighty God,’ ‘the Lord of Lords,’ He simply calls Himself the Shepherd here – the good Shepherd. And we are his flock, his people, in his pasture.

 Read:  John 10:1–18   (Click on verse to read)                                                                                    

Two caretakers are mentioned here in this text, the hired hand, and good Shepherd. The hired hand has no real connection with the sheep, he is just a hired laborer. It’s just a job for him. And then there’s the good Shepherd. More than likely he is the one that owns the sheep. He has a special a relationship with them. Most owners did not have a lot of sheep. A flock of 100 sheep was considered huge number. Most flocks were no larger than 25 sheep.

Sheep were more like valued pets. Do you remember the when Nathan went to David and told him the story how this man had a lamb and how they treated that lamb like a part of the family, bring it into their home. But then how a rich neighbor who owned many sheep, came and took this lamb, and butchered it to serve a visiting guest. That story infuriated David and he was ready to kill that rich man. You see David knew exactly how important that lamb was to that family. But then David was floored and shocked into repentance when Nathan told him that he was the culprit when he took Bathsheba away from her husband having many wives of his own already.

Most of the time sheep were precious and prized possessions to the owners. They were important and they had a lot invested in them. It is said that of all farm animals sheep require the most care and attention. Jesus, our good Shepherd, paid a big price for us as well on the cross. Therefore we are very precious to Him. So He’s going to continue to watch over and take care of us. Just as the a shepherd knows what his sheep needs to flourish, our Shepherd knows what we need.

So let’s look at a few more facts about sheep:

In the last lesson I mentioned the fact first of all that – they are not very smart. – They can also be a bit stubborn – they get restless and will wander – they get lost easy because they have no sense of direction. – and they are weak and totally defenseless against any predators.

Here’s something else I did not know: When their fur or wool gets thick and heavy, they can get a bit top heavy making them clumsy on their feet. As a matter of fact, if they fall down they might not even be able to get up by themselves. They just lay on the ground with your feet up kicking and squirming around and they need the help of the Shepherd to put them back on all fours. If they don’t get help, they can die like that. Sometimes they will stumble and fall into pits or off cliffs. That is why the Shepherd has a staff with a hook, so he can reach down into a pit and pull them out.

It amazes me how we as Christians can also become overburdened and stumble about. We get so burdened by things in our life, many times we crash and fall and we need a Savior to get us back up on our feet. Thank goodness we have Jesus. You may not even realize how much you need Him until you are there and you feel so lost and hopeless.

Initially, He did not save us with a hooked staff but rather with a wooden cross, and He continues to help us over and over. I believe that is why its important to appoint good shepherds in the local church; they are to be the Lord’s hands in the field.

In Matt 11:28ff Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” God does not want to burden us. We do that to our self.

Sheep also need plenty of water and green grass. I would imagine in arid areas, like the holy lands, and considering how warm that wool coat must be, sheep probably need plenty of water. I also read that they have a very hard time drinking out of fast running water because the water would shoot up their nostrils. That is why a good Shepherd will lead them to still waters.

A good Shepherd also goes out of his way to lead his sheep to places that had the greenest pastures for his sheep to graze. But sheep cannot stay in the same pasture for an extended period of time to graze. Otherwise they would consume parasites which were left behind in their own stools would cling to the remaining grasses. A good Shepherd will move his sheep and not return to that pasture where they’ve been for at least 60 days so that they will not get sick. But he will return to that pasture because that the manure will make its grass even greener.

The analogy for us may be that we need to go to the green pastures to feed God’s Word is the richest places we can feed ourselves spiritually. But we also have to be careful not to focus and feed on only one doctrine or listen only to one teacher or preacher because that could cause us to fall into spiritual error if they are in error. I think it’s important to examine all of God’s word for our self and not just focus on some parts or hang on to one man’s words..Time and time again we need to go back to the Bible and reread it because certain verses may even be more nutritious for us at a later time.

Green pastures, and green grass is living food and not stale, dry, or dead. And like many other animals, sheep prefer fresh grass. And likewise we need to feed on fresh spiritual food as Christians. If we do we will keep coming back to the pasture for more. That’s why I like to preach new, original lessons, and not the same old ones that are preached over and over in churches. That is why it is also good to read and listen to new spiritual material to enrich your life. Otherwise all this church stuff can get a little stale.

In Psalm 23:2, it states that the good Shepherd will make his sheep lie down in green pastures. Sheep are ruminants – they have four stomachs and they chew their cud. They do not have teeth like we do. They have bottom teeth that tear the grass up and then they grind it against their hard palate.

Initially the food is only lightly chewed and combined with saliva to form a small ball or bolus of food which they swallow and it enters their first stomach. Then later they regurgitate the food (or cud) into their mouth and chew it very thoroughly and then swallowed again. Chewing this cud takes place off and on throughout the day and takes about six hours to accomplish. After that the food passes through the next three stomachs which break it down even more. Because of this process, sheep can digest cellulose that humans cannot. The good Shepherd gives them time to relax digest their food.

The analogy here is that after we feed on spiritual food (God’s Word or a good lesson), it is good if people take time to meditate on what they’ve taken in so that they can properly digest it. Many claim that this is achieved better in a smaller setting, like in home churches rather than in a big congregation where people simply hear lessons and run out the door after church and go to lunch. Taking time to talk or discuss a subject in Bible study or after church is very beneficial and something that good Shepherd’s should provide.

Sheep were not only companions, they were used for sacrifice, and for their meat and milk. Sheep skins and their wool were considered their cash crops. But it did not come without cost. A lot of time, energy, and care go into raising sheep. Sheep skin is full of oil called lanolin. The lanolin comes through the skin and coats the coat of wool to condition the wool so that the animal is protected from the elements, especially cold weather. But this oily wool is also a very effective dirt magnet. Every time they lie down, or brush against something they get covered with grass, burrs, dirt, dust, and everything else including dung. If you even seen sheep out in the pasture they are not fluffy white puff balls, rather their coat looks clumpy and dirty. And they do not have any way to clean themselves like a cat or other animals. A good shepherd will clean his animals and make sure no parasites are no them as well.

And sheep do not shed their own fur, or wool. They have to be sheared to be freed from that heavy burden. This all kind of reminds me of how Jesus, our Shepherd, cleanses us and removes our burden of sin. There is nothing we can do about it on our own, so He does it for us. I don’t care how dirty you are or what you’ve gotten in to, He can clean you up.

Here in John 10, Jesus uses the metaphor of being the Shepherd as he attempts to teach his followers and the Pharisees as to His role in their lives, as well as his future with them.

Verses 1-10 Jesus refers to himself as the gate that separates the sheep from danger. During this time in history there were different kinds of sheep pens some actually had walls. But here Jesus was letting them know that He was the gate and no one was going to get to His sheep unless they came through Him.

He is the good shepherd and he loves his sheep and He goes on to say in verses 11 – 18, that He is different than hired workers because He was willingly to lay his life down for his sheep. He is not like the hired man who would simply run away at the first sign of danger.

When it came close to His time and He knew He was on His way to the cross, Jesus could have turned and ran. He could have headed for the hills. But no, He goes right into Jerusalem and laid down His life for His sheep.

He also tells them here in this text, that He has other sheep that are not of that sheep pen. He said that one day He will bring them into His fold, and it will be one flock with one Shepherd over them all.

I believe he is referring to all of us, from different nations, of different nationalities, over the generations that would hear His voice calling and who respond in faith to Him as their Lord and Savior.

He goes on to say that He would lay His life down for all of us, but would take it up again, I believe, to lead us on to even greener pasture in the Glory land of Heaven.

I believe these discourses on us being sheep are less about our weaknesses as humans, as it is about the fact that we are precious to Him. We are like that coveted baby lamb that He loves and want to care for.

I would like to encourage you to find peace and solace in this fact. He want you clean you up and remove those things that burden you; because if you remember, there in John 10 He said that He came so that you can have life, and life to the full, not onte that stinky and burdened.

We are so blessed to have a a God who care for us so.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

Dawkins Is An Atheist Because He Wants To Be by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2496

Dawkins Is An Atheist Because He Wants To Be

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Richard Dawkins has become internationally famous for his caustic criticism of religion. He is an atheist, and he wishes everyone else would join his “enlightened” cadre of fellow non-believers. In The God Delusion, Dawkins declared the purpose of his book: “I am attacking God, all gods, anything and everything supernatural, wherever and whenever they have been or will be invented” (2006, p. 36).
Dawkins attempts to make atheism appealing by claiming that atheists are devoted to the truth, wherever it may lead. He stated: “We believe in evolution because the evidence supports it, and we would abandon it overnight if new evidence arose to disprove it. No real fundamentalist would ever say anything like that” (2006, p. 282). [NOTE: His statement is patently false, because the alleged evidence in support of evolution has been definitively disproved by many (Jackson, et al., 2007; Thompson, 2004.] Notice Dawkins’ rhetorical tactic, implying that atheists are unbiased, completely objective observers of facts.
In dealing with religious people, he suggests that their beliefs are tainted by what they desire to think or feel, and not by objective reasoning and observation. In his chapter titled “The Roots of Religion,” Dawkins attempted to discover the reason why people believe in an afterlife. He stated: “The idea of immortality itself survives and spreads because it caters to wishful thinking. And wishful thinking counts, because human psychology has a near-universal tendency to let belief be coloured by desire (‘Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought’, as Henry IV Part II said to his son)” (2006, p. 190, emp. added).
A critical look at Dawkins’ reasoning reveals the pitfall into which he has plunged himself. Dawkins discounts belief in the afterlife because he claims that it is only held because people want to believe it. So why does Dawkins hold the belief that there is no god? Could it be the near-universal tendency to let his belief be colored by his desire? One can think of a host of reasons why an atheist would not want to believe in God. With God out of the picture, a person can behave how he wants, without feeling that he will ultimately be accountable for his actions. Without God, no regulations on sexual activity hinder a person’s unbridled lust. Furthermore, Dawkins’ atheistic writings and teachings have made him a very rich man. If there really is a God, and Dawkins wrote about His reality, what would separate Dawkins from so many other religious writers? Make no mistake, the concept of atheism is a very appealing, lucrative belief for Dawkins.
In some sense, Dawkins is right: most people let what they want to be true dictate what they believe. Many people hold false religious views because they desire to think or act in a certain way. But in at least one aspect of his thinking, Dawkins is tragically wrong. His atheistic belief is certainly not immune from this “near-universal” tendency. In fact, the Bible warned that atheism would survive only because of false belief based on a desire for godlessness. The apostle Peter wrote about scoffers who would deny God’s existence. Concerning these atheistic thinkers, Peter wrote: “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old” (2 Peter 3:5, emp. added).
Dawkins is an atheist—but not because he adheres to a dogged determination to follow the evidence where it leads. Dawkins is an atheist because he wants atheism to be true. His desire for godlessness has produced his “willful” ignorance of the evidence of God’s existence.
It should be the goal of every individual to jettison personal desires and strive for absolute truth. If a person truly does that, he or she will arrive at the inevitable conclusion that there is a God. The realization of and obedient adherence to this fact is the only thing that can truly make a person free (John 8:32).

REFERENCES

Dawkins, Richard (2006), The God Delusion (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin).
Jackson, Wayne, Eric Lyons and Kyle Butt (2007), Surveying the Evidence (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).
Thompson, Bert (2004), The Scientific Case for Creation (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press), [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/scfc.pdf.

Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3788

Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

In his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth, Richard Dawkins declares that “the ‘theory’ of evolution is actually a fact—as incontrovertible a fact as any in science” (2009, p. vii). He wrote the book because he noted that in his previous books he “realized that the evidence for evolution itself was nowhere explicitly set out, and that this was a serious gap” that he “needed to close” (p. vii). In his failed attempt to close that gap, Dawkins delineated the kind of “evidence” that he would be relying upon. He noted that much of the “evidence” for evolution is necessarily not direct, eyewitness evidence. He stated:

Obviously, the vast majority of evolutionary change is invisible to direct eye-witness observation. Most of it happened before we were born, and in any case it is usually too slow to be seen during an individual’s lifetime.... With evolution, as with continental drift, inference after the event is all that is available to us, for the obvious reason that we don’t exist until after the event. But do not for one nanosecond underestimate the power of such inference (p. 16).

Along those same lines, Dawkins wrote: “I shall never again be tempted to give eyewitness testimony an automatic preference over indirect scientific inference” (p. 15).
The important point to notice in this regard is that often the creationist is criticized by the evolutionary community for suggesting that creation at the hand of a supernatural Creator is a scientific idea. We are told that since scientists cannot touch, see, taste, hear, or smell the Creator directly, here and now, then that “hypothesis” simply cannot be considered scientific. Yet such an assessment of Creation is inaccurate. Creation is simply, in the words of Richard Dawkins, “inference after the event” that deserves as much or more credit, according to Dawkins, as “eyewitness testimony” (cf. Butt, 2007).
In fact, the biblical explanation of Creation clearly defines the concept almost exactly as Dawkins has defined acceptable evidence. Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world His [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” A cursory look at the verse shows that (1) people in Paul’s time (as well as our own) were not around to directly observe the act of Creation, (2) the evidence available to Paul’s readers (and modern people) is enough to positively infer the concept of Creation and the existence of a Creator, (3) improper scientific inference from the available evidence would result in a complete misunderstanding of the origin of the Universe.
Dawkins is exactly right that real scientific inference based on indirect observation is an excellent way to arrive at facts and knowledge. Sadly, he is woefully incorrect in his assessment that such inferences substantiate evolution. The fact of the matter is, all properly formulated scientific inferences based on factual scientific evidence establish the conclusion that a supernatural Creator designed our amazing Universe.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), “Indirect Observation,” http://apologeticspress.org/articles/3243.
Dawkins, Richard (2009), The Greatest Show on Earth (New York: Free Press).

Design Rules by Jerry Fausz, Ph.D.

 

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2182

Design Rules

by	Jerry Fausz, Ph.D.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article was written by one of A.P.’s auxiliary staff scientists. Dr. Fausz holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech and serves as liaison to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. (All images in Dr. Fausz’ article are Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories, SUMMiTTM Technologies, www.mems.sandia.gov.)]

One of the most fascinating areas of modern engineering research is the development of what has become known as MicroElectroMechanical Systems, or MEMS. Imagine a closed-cycle steam engine no bigger than a pinhead that operates on a single drop of water (e.g., Frechette, et al., 2003, pp. 335-344), or mirror mechanisms for micro-optical systems with structures that can be obscured by a single dust mite (McWhorter, 2001; McWhorter, 2006). These devices are so miniscule that their operational performance has to be verified through a microscope. MEMS devices are used to actuate airbags in automobiles, precisely control optics in digital projectors and video cameras, and perform a variety of other functions (see “SAMPLES Program,” 2005; “MEMS Technology,” 2006). Yet, we have barely scratched the surface of possible applications for MEMS.

Spider mite on mirror assembly

The fabrication process for MEMS devices is the epitome of exacting, painstaking effort, requiring the highest levels of intricacy and precision. Built on technology developed to fabricate integrated circuits, the procedures for building MEMS must follow methodical rules and be carried out in a tightly controlled environment. This requires very expensive, high fidelity robotic assembly lines operating in clean rooms with extremely low contaminant concentrations (one speck of dust could be the proverbial monkey wrench for these mechanisms). As in the case of micro-chips, MEMS fabrication controls must be followed strictly for the devices to have any chance of carrying out their design functions once their fabrication is complete (“SAMPLES Program,” 2005).
Thus, in the design, fabrication, and operation of MEMS devices, it is clear that “small” is not synonymous with “simple” or “easy to understand or fabricate.” As seen through the microscope, MEMS parts are easily as complex as their counterparts on the larger scale, if not more so. Furthermore, due to the strict requirements imposed by the meticulous fabrication process, the MEMS designer must exercise much more care in laying out the configuration of his design than would a designer working on a larger scale.

The incredible MEMS clutch mechanism. The miniscule gears are 50 microns across. Keep in mind that there are 25,400 microns to an inch.

To aid the designer in accounting for the tight constraints of a particular MEMS fabrication process, the developers of that process typically provide him a set of design rules to follow in laying out the design. In turn, these rules usually are incorporated within the fabrication process itself through software that checks designs against these rules, and will not admit a design that violates them (“SAMPLES Program,” 2005). So, we see that the design rules and the fabrication process work together to produce devices that ideally will fulfill the desire of the designer throughout its operational life. The design rules characterize fundamental aspects of the fabrication process and, thus, leave an indelible imprint of those process characteristics on each and every new design. These design rules, then, represent a bridge between the mind of the designer and the finished product, in a sense “guiding” the design through the fabrication process.
It is amazing that many of the engineers and scientists who have worked to make MEMS technology a reality believe that the vast, intricate, mechanical workings of the Universe, a Universe that appears to conform to immutable natural laws, came about through mostly random processes. They have witnessed the microscopic complexity of MEMS, yet they admit reasoning that suggests the galaxies, solar systems, planets, and stars evolved from “simpler” particles of matter that somehow came into existence at the beginning of time. They hold these beliefs in spite of their understanding of the painstaking process that is required to design and fabricate a single MEMS mechanism.

Fully-functioning MEMS transmission

Scientists continue to discover with increasing clarity that the elementary particles of matter that make up everything in the observable Universe, though extremely small, are far from “simple.” In his book, A Brief History of Time, well-known physicist Stephen Hawking states:

Up to about twenty years ago, it was thought that protons and neutrons were “elementary” particles, but experiments in which protons were collided with other protons or electrons at high speeds indicated that they were in fact made up of smaller particles. These particles were named quarks by the Caltech physicist Murray Gell-Mann, who won the Nobel prize in 1969 for his work on them.... So the question is: What are the truly elementary particles, the basic building blocks from which everything is made? (1988, p. 65).

Since science so far has been incapable of even identifying the most elementary components of the Universe, it is unreasonable to conclude that “small” means simple or easy. Given this unexpected complexity at the sub-microscopic (quantum) level, it is incredible that otherwise reasoned thinkers would conclude that everything we observe resulted from random processes.

Close-up view of one vernier; the teeth are two microns wide and the spaces between them measure four microns.

Likewise, small structures in biological study exhibit extremely high levels of order, complexity, and information content. Now that scientists actually are able to observe single-cellular life, accounts of the immense complexity in these “simple” life forms are becoming increasingly abundant. Consider Dean Overman’s summary of the research of Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe in his monograph, A Case Against Accident and Self-Organization:

Sitting atop some MEMS gears, this spider mite is the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

Because there are thousands of different enzymes with different functions, to produce the simplest living cell, Hoyle calculated that about 2,000 enzymes were needed with each one performing a specific task to form a single bacterium like E. coli. Computing the probability of all these different enzymes forming in one place at one time to produce a single bacterium, Hoyle and his colleague, Chandra Wickramasinghe, calculated the odds at 1 in 10^40,000. This number is so vast that any mathematician would agree that it amounts to total impossibility.... [T]he total atoms in the observable universe are estimated to be only approximately 10⁸⁰ (1997, pp. 58-59, emp. added).

The performance observed in such a system (a bacterium) is so intricate and complex on such a small scale, that so far humans are incapable of duplicating it—MEMS is about as close as science has come to doing so. Yet, in stark contradistinction, many scientists seem to accept that a “simple” life form must have organized by accident and, in turn, given rise to all of the life that we observe on Earth.

Complex MEMS ratchet mechanism

The complexity inherent in MEMS, especially in comparison to larger scale systems, suggests a more natural conclusion regarding the existence of the Universe. If one were looking through a microscope in a science class, or working in a laboratory, and unexpectedly saw tiny gears turning or pistons moving, what would he conclude? This scenario actually has been used as a story line in multiple science fiction shows, and the conclusion reached was not that the microscopic machines had evolved naturally through random processes. Besides the fact that such a conclusion might make for a rather boring story, it is simply an unsound conclusion under the circumstances. Complexity on such a small scale, as we have noted, is not easy to design, so why would we ever conclude that it came about by accident? As in the science fiction scenario depicted, the intricate complexity that we observe on such a small scale is not only evidence of a designer, but also evidence of an incredibly advanced design capability—not of undirected random processes.

The world’s smallest functioning triple-piston steam engine. One piston is five microns across or 1/5080 of an inch.

The fact that the Universe operates under seemingly immutable natural laws is further evidence of a designer. We have noted that MEMS designers utilize design rules to ensure the viability of their designs. While science has not fully characterized the rules that govern the Universe, or even proved their existence, scientists firmly believe in them. Countless observations and experiments have demonstrated that the Universe appears to behave in repeatable and predictable ways, indicating that there is an inherent yet unobservable constraint being enforced on that behavior. Similar to MEMS design rules, the natural laws of the Universe determine what structures can viably exist in the system (Conservation of Matter and Energy), how they will behave (Causality, Laws of Motion, Relativity, etc.), and how long they will last (Thermodynamics). It simply is no more reasonable to assume that random processes gave rise to the behavior of the Universe than to assume that random fabrication processes could give rise to operational MEMS devices.

Drive gear chain and linkages, with a grain of pollen (top right) and coagulated red blood cells (top left, lower right) to demonstrate scale.

Indeed, experience with MEMS illustrates that the ordered complexity we observe at every level within the Universe, but especially on the small scale, is indisputable evidence of a Designer whose capability far exceeds human accomplishment. MEMS research is impressive and fascinating, but pales in comparison to what we observe at the microscopic level, and what we theorize at the sub-atomic level. The science and engineering of mankind has not come anywhere close to duplicating the intricate functional complexity that exists in the realm of nature’s small scale. The Designer responsible for these micro- mechanisms fully understands the fabrication process parameters that are required to bring them into existence and sustain their operation, and has used that process to its utmost effectiveness in the creation of everything we observe. Furthermore, the “design rules” that have been employed to accomplish this are nothing less than the natural laws that, in turn, continue to constrain and direct the ongoing operation of His design.

REFERENCES

Frechette, L.G., C. Lee, S. Arslan, and Y.C. Liu (2003), “Design of a Microfabricated Rankine Cycle Steam Turbine for Power Generation,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress, International Meeting on Energy Conversion Engineering, pp. 335-344, November.
Hawking, Stephen (1988), A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes (New York: Bantam).
McWhorter, Paul (2001), “Intelligent Multipurpose Micromachines Made at Sandia,” Sandia National Laboratories, [On-line], URL: http://www.sandia.gov/media/micro.htm.
McWhorter, Paul (2006), MEMS Image Gallery, [On-line], URL: http://www.memx.com/image_gallery.htm.
“MEMS Technology” (2006), [On-line], URL: http://www.memx.com/technology.htm.
Overman, Dean (1997), A Case Against Accident and Self-Organization (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield).
“SAMPLES Program” (2005), Sandia National Laboratories, [On-line], URL: http://mems.sandia.gov/samples.