Loving Kindness by Gary Rose

This cute little rodent is enjoying the fragrance of a flower. This was one of several pictures, but I liked this one the best because the little fella has his eyes closed while inhaling that wonderful smell. I wonder, do we spend time appreciating what God has given us? Beginning with the natural world around us, to our daily blessings of health, wealth, and just being alive, do we consider his loving kindness (or mercy)? Some of you will probably remember yesterday’s post, where I mentioned that sometimes the Bible writers repeat things several times to emphasize things of extra special importance. Well, we have another instance of this, done four times in a single passage; this time it is in a Psalm. For convenience I have emboldened those verses...

Psalm 107 ( World English Bible )

  ¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
  ² Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so,
whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
  ³ And gathered out of the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
  ⁴ They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way.
They found no city to live in.
  ⁵ Hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted in them.
  ⁶ Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he delivered them out of their distresses.
  ⁷ He led them also by a straight way,
that they might go to a city to live in.
  ⁸ Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness,
for his wonderful deeds to the children of men! 
  ⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul.
He fills the hungry soul with good.
  ¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
being bound in affliction and iron,
  ¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of God,
and condemned the counsel of the Most High.
  ¹² Therefore he brought down their heart with labor.
They fell down, and there was no one to help.
  ¹³ Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he saved them out of their distresses.
  ¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and broke away their chains.
  ¹⁵ Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness,
for his wonderful deeds to the children of men! 
  ¹⁶ For he has broken the gates of bronze,
and cut through bars of iron.
  ¹⁷ Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience,
and because of their iniquities.
  ¹⁸ Their soul abhors all kinds of food.
They draw near to the gates of death.
  ¹⁹ Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he saves them out of their distresses.
  ²⁰ He sends his word, and heals them,
and delivers them from their graves.  ²¹ Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness,
for his wonderful deeds to the children of men! 
  ²² Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare his deeds with singing.
  ²³ Those who go down to the sea in ships,
who do business in great waters,
  ²⁴ these see Yahweh’s deeds,
and his wonders in the deep.
  ²⁵ For he commands, and raises the stormy wind,
which lifts up its waves.
  ²⁶ They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths.
Their soul melts away because of trouble.
  ²⁷ They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man,
and are at their wits’ end.
  ²⁸ Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brings them out of their distress.
  ²⁹ He makes the storm a calm,
so that its waves are still.
  ³⁰ Then they are glad because it is calm,
so he brings them to their desired haven.
  ³¹ Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness,
for his wonderful deeds for the children of men! 
  ³² Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people,
and praise him in the seat of the elders.
  ³³ He turns rivers into a desert,
water springs into a thirsty ground,
  ³⁴ and a fruitful land into a salt waste,
for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
  ³⁵ He turns a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into water springs.
  ³⁶ There he makes the hungry live,
that they may prepare a city to live in,
  ³⁷ sow fields, plant vineyards,
and reap the fruits of increase.
  ³⁸ He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly.
He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.
  ³⁹ Again, they are diminished and bowed down
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
  ⁴⁰ He pours contempt on princes,
and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
  ⁴¹ Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction,
and increases their families like a flock.
  ⁴² The upright will see it, and be glad.
All the wicked will shut their mouths.
  ⁴³ Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things.
They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh. 

God’s loving kindness, how marvelous it is! 

This Psalm seems to follow a pattern to me and here it is:

1. God’s loving kindness towards the nation of Israel.   1-7

2. God’s loving kindness towards the repentant.            8-14

3. God’s loving kindness towards the foolish.                15-20

4. God’s loving kindness revealed in nature.                  21-30

5. God’s loving kindness changes things for the good.   31-41

The wise man will take the time to consider God’s loving kindness (vs. 43) and give thanks for all the HE has done towards us (vs. 1). 

One last thought:

The next time you smell a flower or experience the glory of nature in any manner, think of God’s loving kindness towards you. I guarantee that it will make your whole day seem better!

Sing to the Lord! by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/057-sing.html

Sing to the Lord!

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33).
God created man with the ability to sing. Singing gives words wings and expresses the deepest feelings of our heart.
Singing is the music God has prescribed for His church.
During the historical period of the New Testament and for six hundred years thereafter, singing was the only music used for worship in Christendom.
That is why “a capella”^a (Italian for “as in the chapel”) is the designation in music terminology for singing without instrumental accompaniment.
It was not until 666 A.D. that Pope Vitalianus I introduced instruments in the apostate Roman church.
Not only are Christians instructed to sing, they are also told to whom they are to sing, what they are to sing, why they are to sing, and how they are to sing. Not all singing is acceptable to God.

What is singing?
To sing is to vocalize words in melodious tones with rhythmic emphasis. The melody and the rhythm enliven the words, adding depth to their meaning.

To Whom do Christians sing?

Christians sing to the Lord!
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16); “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). Christian singing is heart-felt worship directed to God.
Worshipful singing was also directed to the Lord in the Old Testament. Many elements of Old Covenant worship (such as sacrificing animals, burning incense and playing music instruments) have no place in the spiritual worship of the New Testament. Singing, however, is a form of worship found under both covenants.
“I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High” (Psalm 7:17).
“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:1, 2).
“Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!” (1 Chronicles 16:9).
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples” (1 Chronicles 16:23, 24).
Christians sing to the Lord!

What do Christians sing?
We sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19).
Because these terms overlap, they are often used interchangeably. Yet there is some distinction.
A hymn is a song of praise. A psalm is a poem that is sung as worship. A spiritual song is a song about a religious topic.

Why do Christians sing?
Christians sing to glorify God not to entertain man. Although Christian singing is directed to God, it also serves as a confession of faith to unbelievers, and as teaching for believers.

Christians sing to glorify God.
As already indicated in several Scriptures, we sing to worship and praise God. When we lift our voices to God in songs of praise, the spirits of others are also lifted.

Christians sing to confess their faith to the nations.
In his victory song, David says, “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name” (2 Samuel 22:50; see also Psalm 18:49).

Paul quotes this verse to prove that the message of the Messiah would be for all nations: “And thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name’ ” (Romans 15:9 NET).

Jesus sang songs of praise with His disciples (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26) and now, two thousand years later, the church of Christ is still singing praise to God as a confession of faith to the nations.

Christians sing to instruct one another.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
In a prophetic Psalm the Messiah says: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You” (Hebrews 2:12).
Followers of the Messiah also instruct their brethren in the assembly as they sing praise to God.
Christians sing on other occasions as well: “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13).
At midnight, in a dark prison cell at Philippi, with feet fastened in the stocks, with backs beaten by many lashes of a whip, Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).
Christians sing to glorify God, as a confession of faith to non-Christians, and to instruct one another.


How do Christians sing?
Paul says, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Christians sing with the spirit.
Jesus explains that true worship must be in spirit and truth: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23, 24). Thus singing, as a form of worship, must be in spirit and truth.
Worship must come from the heart to please God. That is why Christians sing and make melody in their heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19); that is why they sing to the Lord with grace in their hearts (Colossians 3:16).
David understood that singing must come from the heart: “I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart” (Psalm 9:1).
God listens to the tone-quality of the heart, not the tone-quality of the voice.
Christian singing wells up from the heart and ascends in worship to God.
Someone who sings a religious song to glorify himself or to entertain man, rather than in the spirit to the Lord, is not singing in a way that pleases God.

Christians sing with understanding.
Christian singing is understandable melodious speech. It is “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19); it is “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16).
What does Paul mean by, “I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15)?
The assemblies at Corinth were disorderly. People were speaking in languages no one understood, and several people spoke at the same time.
In dealing with this problem, Paul emphasizes an important principle: Public worship must be understandable and edifying.
“Unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air” (1 Corinthians 14:9). “In the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19). “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
This also applies to singing: “I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Paul wanted to speak with understanding so others could be taught. Thus, to sing with understanding means to sing in such a way that people understand the words and are edified.

Sounds without meaning do not edify.
“Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Edification is a building up, an increase in spiritual insight resulting from instruction.
Through this Scripture God excludes meaningless sounds from the Christian assembly. Sounds without meaningful content do not edify.
This explains why God omitted music instruments from Christian worship. Music instruments are neither spiritual nor intelligible, they do not give instruction.
Paul compares someone without love to music instruments: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).
Sounding brass and clanging cymbals were used in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 29:25, 26), but lifeless instruments are not suitable for worship in spirit and truth under the New Covenant.
God’s requirement: “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26) and the related condemnation of meaningless sounds in the assembly also preclude hand-clapping and the imitation of instruments with the voice. Such body and throat noises are not spiritual and do not have meaningful content.
Christians use the voices God has given them to sing with the spirit and with the understanding. They do not pollute their worship with sounds devoid of meaningful spiritual content.

What have we learned?
Singing is the music God has prescribed for His church. Christians are told to sing, and they have been given precise instructions. They sing to the Lord. They sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing serves to glorify God, as a confession of faith to non-Christians, and as instruction for believers. Christians sing with the spirit and with the understanding. What is sung must be understandable. All things must be done for edification. Meaningless sounds do not edify and are unsuitable for worship in spirit and truth.
“Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:2). Sing to the Lord! Amen.
Roy Davison

Endnote:

^a Italian for "in the manner of the chapel," literally "according to the chapel," originally “alla capella” or “alla cappella.”

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

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

Teachings of Jesus (Part 37) Parable of the Minas and His Triumphal Entry by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1947

Teachings of Jesus (Part 37) Parable of the

 Minas and His Triumphal Entry

Read Luke 19:11-27

“While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

Jesus used this story or parable to talk about some pretty heavy things; things that would soon take place, and also things that will take place in the future.
– The parable makes reference to Him being rejected by His people.
– It makes reference to Him leaving and becoming the King (of kings)
– It also refers to His ultimate return and the duty of His servants during His absence. For us that’s now.
– The parable also speaks of how He will judge His servants and reward them for their diligence or for being lazy or even being His enemy.
– It speaks of the destruction of those who opposed Him.

In the parable:
– The man of noble birth who was leaving represents Jesus
– The distant country represents Heaven
– The place he’d return to where his servants were, is earth itself
– After Jesus ascended into heaven He was pronounced the King of Kings by the Father.

In Daniel 7:13-14 it says ““In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Hebrew 1:3-9 it says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

Now most of those Jewish people during that time expected a Messiah and His kingdom to begin when Jesus reached Jerusalem.
But Jesus was letting them know in this parable that He was not going to establish the His Kingdom and deal with the Romans which the Jews hated yet, but indeed He lets them know that there is a great day coming.

In this parable the master gave his servants a Mina. This was a Greek coin which was slightly more than a month’s wage. But in reality, here it represents our life’s and all that He has given us as individuals to use or invest for His Glory.

Someone once said, “The nicest thing about God is that He trusts us to do so much by ourselves.” Barclay

In the parable we read that some of his servants used that which their master had given them to use very well and produces a good return for him. But then some did not. Those who served him well were bless and given even more authority but the one that did nothing, even what he had was take away.
Most of us have heard the saying, ‘If you don’t use it, you’ll use it.’

In Matthew 25:31-46 it talks about Jesus’ return;

“31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

In this parable Jesus is making a point of teaching that He was not going to begin reign as Messiah immediately, rather He was going away and would return later to reign. But during His absence, His disciples need to be working with what God has given them for His Glory. We see that He will reward us in proportion to what we have produces for him. The parable teaches that everyone is accountable to God, and everyone will receive what he or she deserves from the King of kings. It is a warning to believers and unbelievers alike.

Now Immediately after telling this parable we see that Luke tells us that Jesus begins His trip to Jerusalem and we see the people celebrating Jesus while on the way.
The people had been waiting for the prophesied Messiah for a long time, and most of them thought that He would free them from Roman oppression; and here Jesus comes on the scene. Many declare that He is the one, the Messiah that was to come. His teachings amazed the multitudes, even the most educated teachers. He performs miracles like feeding the 1000’s, calming a raging sea, walking on water, healing the sick, the blind and demon possessed, and even raising the dead to life. And so as He comes to the Jerusalem the people are excited and celebrate Him as they would a King coming to their town.

Read Luke 19:28-44 “After Jesus had said this, (the parable of the minas) he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

The people were excited to see Him, that is except for the Pharisees who were upset and said something to Jesus about them praising Him. But Jesus lets them know that there was just no stopping them and said, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

As He travels a bit closer to Jerusalem we see that He gets a bit choked up, and Luke records this. Starting in verse 41.
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Like the servants that did not use what their master have given them to use for His glory and was condemned, Jesus knew that would be Jerusalem’s fate. In The year 70, the Romans would destroy Jerusalem.

This triumphal entry or what we call Palm Sunday was not only the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry; He lets them know it is the beginning of the end for them because of their lack of faith and refusal to obey their Lord.

The question for us today is, are we are going to be like those wise servants that honored their lord and use what He has given us for His glory, or are we going to be like the foolish servant.

God has given us all abilities, talent and possessions to enjoy and use. So the question for us today is, are you going to use them for His glory, or are you going to use them for your own interests, or not at all.

Look and see what the Lord is saying here; one way leads to blessing, and the other not so much. Today choose the right way to go.

Christians, Bible Critics, and Truth by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5613

Christians, Bible Critics, and Truth

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

No one is perfect. No one but God has ever or will ever get everything correct. Indeed, “To err is human.” The real question is, what will a person do once he makes mistakes? Is he honest enough to admit them? Is he humble enough to swallow his pride? Does he really care about the truth, or does the end justify the means?

To the Christian, truth is paramount. Everything about our God is truth, including His Spirit, His Son, His Word, His judgments, etc. (1 John 5:6; John 14:6; Psalm 19:9; 119:142,160). And the Christian’s pursuit is one of truth (John 8:31-36). The only “agenda” a Christian should have is whatever God’s “agenda” is (i.e., whatever the truthful, omniscient Creator and Savior wants us to be and do, which includes owning up to our mistakes; Luke 18:9-14; Acts 26:20).

When human beings do not acknowledge God and His truthful standard for their lives, deceit eventually rules the day, even though it is often peddled as “truth.” One glaring example of such deceitfulness is seen every day in America in the 21^st century: repeated accusations that the Bible is full of discrepancies. Outspoken critics of the Bible’s supernatural inspiration continue to claim certain Bible passages are contradictory, even though time and again many have heard and seen the passages explained in a clear, logical, and biblically consistent manner. Some skeptics have been in numerous public debates where they made allegations against the Bible writers that were truthfully and logically answered. Yet, the same skeptics continue to repeat the same unproven allegations against the Bible writers in future debates, articles, and books.

FACT: skeptics have sought to undermine confidence in the credibility, historicity, and authenticity of the Bible for 2,000 years. Yet, those who have been “set for the defense of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:17) have successfully answered every challenge with careful analysis of the text of the Bible and demonstrated that the charge was unfounded. The Bible has been shown over and over again to possess the attributes and characteristics of a supernatural production. No alleged discrepancy has gone unanswered. Convincing explanations exist for every allegation ever made.

Why would skeptics continue to cite “contradictory” Bible passages, which at the very least they would have to admit are unproven allegations? It would seem for the same reason many in today’s mainstream media continually press certain stories: the end justifies the means. They care more about their own agendas than the truth.

May God help us always to be truthful with ourselves, our God, and our fellow man.