February 1, 2019

Bible Reading February 1 and 2 by Gary Rose


Bible Reading February 1 and 2

World  English  Bible


Feb. 1
Genesis 32

Gen 32:1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Gen 32:2 When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's army." He called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Gen 32:3 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
Gen 32:4 He commanded them, saying, "This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: 'This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.
Gen 32:5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.' "
Gen 32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau. Not only that, but he comes to meet you, and four hundred men with him."
Gen 32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies;
Gen 32:8 and he said, "If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape."
Gen 32:9 Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,'
Gen 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
Gen 32:11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children.
Gen 32:12 You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.' "
Gen 32:13 He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for Esau, his brother:
Gen 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
Gen 32:15 thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
Gen 32:16 He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd."
Gen 32:17 He commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?'
Gen 32:18 Then you shall say, 'They are your servant, Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.' "
Gen 32:19 He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, "This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.
Gen 32:20 You shall say, 'Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.' " For, he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me."
Gen 32:21 So the present passed over before him, and he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Gen 32:22 He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of the Jabbok.
Gen 32:23 He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.
Gen 32:24 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.
Gen 32:25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled.
Gen 32:26 The man said, "Let me go, for the day breaks." Jacob said, "I won't let you go, unless you bless me."
Gen 32:27 He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."
Gen 32:28 He said, "Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Gen 32:29 Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." He said, "Why is it that you ask what my name is?" He blessed him there.
Gen 32:30 Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Gen 32:31 The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.
Gen 32:32 Therefore the children of Israel don't eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Feb. 2
Genesis 33

Gen 33:1 Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two handmaids.
Gen 33:2 He put the handmaids and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
Gen 33:3 He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Gen 33:4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.
Gen 33:5 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Gen 33:6 Then the handmaids came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
Gen 33:7 Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Gen 33:8 Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
Gen 33:9 Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours."
Gen 33:10 Jacob said, "Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.
Gen 33:11 Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." He urged him, and he took it.
Gen 33:12 Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you."
Gen 33:13 Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
Gen 33:14 Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir."
Gen 33:15 Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of the folk who are with me." He said, "Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."
Gen 33:16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
Gen 33:17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Gen 33:18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.
Gen 33:19 He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money.
Gen 33:20 He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.


Feb. 1
Matthew 16

Mat 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
Mat 16:2 But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'
Mat 16:3 In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!
Mat 16:4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah." He left them, and departed.
Mat 16:5 The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.
Mat 16:6 Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Mat 16:7 They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."
Mat 16:8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?'
Mat 16:9 Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
Mat 16:10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
Mat 16:11 How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Mat 16:12 Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mat 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
Mat 16:14 They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
Mat 16:15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Mat 16:17 Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."
Mat 16:20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ.
Mat 16:21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
Mat 16:22 Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men."
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.
Mat 16:26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
Mat 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
Mat 16:28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

Feb. 2
Matthew 17

Mat 17:1 After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
Mat 17:2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
Mat 17:3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
Mat 17:4 Peter answered, and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let's make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
Mat 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him."
Mat 17:6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.
Mat 17:7 Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up, and don't be afraid."
Mat 17:8 Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
Mat 17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Don't tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."
Mat 17:10 His disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
Mat 17:11 Jesus answered them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,
Mat 17:12 but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn't recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them."
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.
Mat 17:14 When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, saying,
Mat 17:15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
Mat 17:16 So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him."
Mat 17:17 Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me."
Mat 17:18 Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.
Mat 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, "Why weren't we able to cast it out?"
Mat 17:20 He said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Mat 17:21 But this kind doesn't go out except by prayer and fasting."
Mat 17:22 While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
Mat 17:23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up." They were exceedingly sorry.
Mat 17:24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the didrachma?"
Mat 17:25 He said, "Yes." When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?"
Mat 17:26 Peter said to him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Therefore the children are exempt.
Mat 17:27 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you."

Chapter 10 WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? by CA Feenstra

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Feenstra/C/A/1931/ch10.html

Chapter 10
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Q. Does GOD'S WORD teach that God is sovereign and that He controls and rules over all the affairs of men?
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen. 1:1
"Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all." Psalm 103:19
"Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever." Ex. 15:18
"Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." 1 Chron. 29:11-12
"And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" Dan. 4:34-35
Q. If God is sovereign, does man have the right to make and to choose the conditions for his own salvation from sin?
Q. If God is sovereign, must man to be saved, subject himself to the conditions plainly outlined by this sovereign God in His WORD?
Q. Does man have the right to teach that man is born too totally depraved to obey the conditions of salvation given by the sovereign God in His WORD?
Q. What are the conditions of salvation given by the sovereign God in His WORD?
"Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people." Acts 3:22-23
"God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son." Heb. 1:1-2
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Matt. 17:5
"And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matt. 28:18-19
"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." Mark 16:15-16
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5
"He (Jesus) became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation." Heb. 5:9

"Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31

"Repent ye therefore ... that your sins may be blotted out." Acts 3:19

"With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10:10b

"Be baptized, and wash away thy sins." Acts 22:16

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." Rev. 2:10
Q. Can we understand from these five scriptures that there are five ways for man to be saved?
Q. Is the way of salvation "multiple choice"?
Q. Does man have the right to choose one of these or any combination of these, as the way in which he wishes to be saved?
Q. Is any one of these more important than any other?
Q. Is the person who says that he is saved by "faith only", any more saved than a person who would say that he is saved by "baptism only"?
* * *
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4
"Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son." II John 9
Q. Does GOD'S WORD teach that a man, to be saved, must have a good and honest heart and a love for truth?
"The seed is the word of God...
And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience." Luke 8:11, 15
"Them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." II Thess. 2:10
"Jesus therefore said...
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 3:31, 32
"Thy word is truth..." John 17:17
* * *
Q. How many times in GOD'S WORD is the all important question, "What must I do to be saved?" asked and answered?
"What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" (the rich young ruler) Matt. 19:16
"What must I do to be saved?" (the Philippian jailor) Acts 16:30
"What shall we do?" (the men on Pentecost) Acts 2:37
"What shall I do, Lord?" (Saul of Tarsus) Acts 22:10
Q. According to GOD'S WORD, when persons living under the law of Moses asked, What must I do to be saved?, what answer were they given?
"And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he (Jesus) said unto him ... if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matt. 19:16-19
Q. Did Jesus himself also live under and keep the law of Moses?
"But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law." Gal. 4:4
* * *
Q. According to GOD'S WORD, when a heathen unbeliever who had never before heard of Jesus and His gospel, asked, What must I do to be saved?, what answer was he given?
"And he (the Philippian jailor) called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God. Acts 16:29-34
Q. According to GOD'S WORD, when men who had been made believers by hearing the gospel preached, asked, What must we do to be saved?, what answer were they given?
"Now when they (the men on Pentecost) heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?
And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:37-38
"They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls ... And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved." Acts 2:41, 47
"But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12
Q. According to GOD'S WORD, when a man who had been made a repentant believer asked, What must I do to be saved?, what answer was he given?
"And I (Saul) said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do." Acts 22:10
"And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ...
And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. ...
And the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth." Acts 9:5-6, 9, 11
"And he (Ananias) said ... And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." Acts 22:14,16
Examples of Conversion from GOD'S WORD
PreachingBelievedRepentedConfessedBaptizedSaved
Pentecost
Acts 2:14-41

repent
v 37-38

baptized
v 38, 41
remission of sins,
saved v 38, 47
Samaritans
Acts 8:5-13
believed
12


baptized
12-13

The eunuch
Acts 8:35-39
believed
36-37

confessed
37
baptized
38-39
rejoiced
39
Saul
Acts 22:14-16



baptized
9:18
sins washed away
22:16
Cornelius
Acts 10:34-48
believed
43


baptized
48
remissions of sins
43
The jailor
Acts 16:30-34
believed
31


baptized
33
rejoiced
34
Lydia
Acts 16:13-15



baptized
15

Corinthians
Acts 18:8
believed
8


baptized
8

Hearing
Rom. 10:14, 17
Faith
Heb. 11:6
Repentance
Lk. 13:4
Confession
Rom. 10:10
Baptism
Gal. 3:27
Salvation
II Tim. 2:10

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

THERE PROBABLY IS NO GOD Ancient Whales Gave Birth on Land By Jeanna Bryner, Senior Writer

https://web.archive.org/web/20160426090805/http://jimmcguiggan.com/nonbelievers2.asp?id=77

THERE PROBABLY IS NO GOD

Ancient Whales Gave Birth on Land
By Jeanna Bryner, Senior Writer

“(Feb. 4) -- More than 47 million years ago, a whale was about to give birth to her young ... on land. That's according to skeletal remains of a pregnant cetacean whose fetus was positioned head-down as is the case for land mammals but not aquatic whales. The teeth of the fetus were so well-developed that researchers who analyzed the fossils think the baby would have been born within days, had its mom not died…Recently discovered fossilized bones from a pregnant whale show that the water-based animal gave birth on land. The rare find provides a vital scientific link in the evolution of the seafaring mammal.”

My, my—isn’t that amazing?

There’s one brand of “science” at work. Forty-seven million years ago, give or take a few weeks, a whale whose baby was due to be born within days was faced in an unusual direction. The whale ended up on land and died there but its death was not in vain for it has provided “a vital link in the evolution of the sea-faring mammal.”
Hmmm.

A host of human babies face an unusual direction near-birth time. Maybe ancient humans birthed their babies feet first.

From the skeleton the experts were able to tell “ancient whales gave birth on land.”

From the skeleton the experts were able to tell that the “mom” deliberately headed for land to birth the baby on land.

We see a lot of whales on land, dying, and people try to get them back in the water. It seems the rank and file think the poor creature has lost its bearings.

I’m tempted to think that this poor creature lost its bearings and if it hadn’t ended up on land it might not have died and birthed its baby in the water as usual.

“A vital link” in the whale’s evolution, Hmmm. How does that work? I’ve long suspected that the “links” in the evolutionary chain are as weak as this one.

From this one skeleton of a pregnant whale that might have been thrown up on land against its will by some force of nature or might have been so sick from some internal problem that in its confusion it flopped up on land (as many do)—the experts now know that “Ancient Whales Gave Birth on Land”.

These are the kind of people who put banners up on buses: There probably is no God.
[p.s. I love it when animals are called “mom” to a “fetus”. I wonder do these people ever talk that way about humans.]

When God Is In The House by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/07/page/3/

When God is in the house, two or more are worshiping in His name. When God is in the house, we are teaching His doctrine. When God is in the house, we are abiding by His authority. When God is in the house, we are worshiping in Spirit, and in truth. When God is in the house, we speak where the bible speaks, and we are silent where the bible is silent. When God is in the house, we sing, we pray, we preach, we give, and above all we remember our Lord’s death. If God attends your house of worship, then so does His Name, His Word, His Doctrine, and all His Authority.
Mt 18:20; 2 Jn 9; Mt 28:18; Jn 4:23,24; 1 Pet 4:11; 1 Cor 4:6; Eph 5:19; 1 Cor 14:15; 2 Tim 4:2-5; 1 Cor 16:1,2; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:24,25;  

Memorial Day 2014 by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1469

Memorial Day 2014

Memorial Day 2014
The purpose of Memorial Day is a day primarily to remembering those who have died, first of all those who have died for their country and later it became a time to remember friends and family member who have died before us.
The Bible is full of memorial events and places where believers were instructed to remember certain things. These memorial sites and days and instructions to remember were part the Israelites national history.
As we celebrate Memorial Day, on one hand, we remember those who have died before us, but on the other hand it is a celebration of being alive and having the freedoms we have. We are alive today and have a certain quality of life because others made great sacrifices and died for us and this country. Even though this country is far from being perfect, I’m glad we still have the freedom and right to preach God’s word freely. We have the right to pursue peace, prosperity, and happiness in our communities. We have to right to assemble together in this building without special permission to worship and thank God for Jesus and what He did for us. Some don’t have these freedoms
While many people see this holiday simply as an extra day off from work, a three-day weekend, a time for picnics and camping trips, and or the date to begin planting their garden, we should never forget those who have went before us. It is more than a day off and a time to go camping and such.
This past week President Obama was in NYC at the dedication of a new museum that opened there ground zero. It is called the September 11th Memorial Museum. It stands on the site where the twin towers fell and now houses the largest display of artifacts and videos of what happened on that sad day which is described as a day that America will never forget. It has been called a sacred place and has been filled with things owned by and tributes offered to those that were killed on that day. And there in one section of the building there is a wall of faces, pictures of those who lost their lives, dads, moms, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, children, firemen, policemen, and others who tried to rescue those in danger that day. It is said that this museum will take its rightful place alongside the field of Gettysburg, the waters of Pearl Harbor, and the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial wall in Washington. There are some things that people should be reminded of so that we do not forget.
Memorial Day started many years ago in the 1800’s, but there are a few different ideas on how it got started. Some say that…. – In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi after decorating the graves of her two sons who served during the Civil War as Confederate soldiers, an elderly woman also decorated two mounds at the corner of the cemetery. An observer asked, “What are you doing? Those are the graves of two Union soldiers.”
Her response was, “I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours.” Some believe this lady and a few others set in motion what became known as Memorial Day.
– Others claim that the custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war dead began a few years later on May 5, 1866 in Waterloo, New York. Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
– But according to Professor David Blight of the Yale University’s History Department, he claims that the first Memorial Day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic Washington Race Course (today the location of Hampton Park) in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave site for Union soldiers who died in captivity.
The grateful freed slaves re-interred the dead Union soldiers from the mass grave to individual graves, fenced in the graveyard and built an entry arch declaring it a Union graveyard. This was a daring action for them to take in the South shortly after the North’s victory. On May 30, 1868, the freed slaves returned to the graveyard with flowers they had picked from the countryside and decorated the individual gravesites, thereby creating the first Decoration Day.
Many soldiers have died to protect this land so that we may have a life of freedom and hope for the future. But long before, Jesus died that we might have life to the full, and hope of eternal in heaven.
In the story of the Passover, the blood of a lamb marked the door posts of the Israelites so that the angel of death would ‘passed over’ those households in Egypt marked with that blood. The blood saved their life.
For the Jews, celebrating Passover every year was a memorial celebration where they would take time out to remember how they got their freedom and who gave it to them. When God commanded them celebrate the Passover every year, He was letting them know that this was something they should “Never Forget.” …Because God obviously thought it was important for them to remember who they where, where they came from, who actually saved them, hoping that they would be forever be grateful, and life good lives accordingly.
That whole event, Passover, and the blood that was spilled to save and free them foreshadowed and represented the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God would spilled for each and everyone of us.
He died to free us from the our captivity which is sin. He was sacrificed so that we might escape our slavery, ruin and death to give us a new life (like those Israelites), but not only here but also with life forever in God’s kingdom.
Our soldiers died for our country’s freedom for our personal freedoms, but Jesus died for so much more, for in John 8:36 Jesus said, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Even if our country is someday overthrown, and you are captured and enslaved as a Christian we will always be free in God’s kingdom. In Luke 12:4-5 Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during that Passover meal so long ago, He broke the bread and told His disciples that it would now represent His body and the cup of wine now represented His blood, not the Passover lambs of Moses time. And then He commanded His disciples by saying, , “Do this in remembrance of me.” In other words, “Never Forget.”
So what’s the big deal? Why do we have these memorials? Why are they important?
The most important reason is, they help us to remember…
– They help us to remember the sacrifices that were made for us…
– They help us remember what it cost for our freedom, less we forget or take it for granted.
– A memorial should remind us of the dedication, and love of those who gave their life for us.
– Memorials should also remind us of the bond that we have between us.
– Memorials should also remind us, and teach us, and motivate us to learn from the past, from history and press forward stronger and wiser.
In Hebrews Chapter 11, we have an extended list of those OT characters that lived by faith; from Abel to Enoch and Noah, and Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph to Moses and even Rahab. The writer goes on and continues to write of these men and women of old.
I believe this chapter is a memorial to these men and women of faith. And why is it here? I believe we can see the answer in the following verses in Chapter, Read Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
When we remember those who went before us (including Jesus) and consider their faith, their love, their devotion, it re-kindles a fire in our bones… to become better, to try harder, to whine less, to live the life of faith that we have also been called to…and maybe make some sacrifices of our own to help others!                         It’s important   that    WE   never forget.
Paul Harvey told a story of an old man who visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.
Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. Captain Eddie recorded, “Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food . . . if I could catch it.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. The rest was used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. He never forgot; and every Friday evening, about sunset, on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast, you could see an old man walking . . . white-haired, bushy-eye browed, slightly bent. His bucket was filled with shrimp to feed the gulls, to remember that one, which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle.Just as Eddie Rickenbacker never forgot the gull that gave its life, we should never forget the soldiers of our country who gave up their lives. Eddie got a second chance at life, and because many brave men and women have died in the armed services fighting for our country’s freedom, we too have a chance at life – a life of freedom. Both freedom and life never come without a price. The blood of many fine soldiers paid for the freedom that we have today, just as the blood of tiny lambs at Passover paid for the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelites.
A price has to be paid for freedom and life, and that price is the death of another. Someone, or something, has to die in order that we might have a chance to live.. As we prepare to enter into a day to remember those who died for liberty, it is also fitting to remember the One who died to set us free from spiritual tyranny (someone who died for us because He loved us) Jesus.  Every Sunday is to be a memorial day for us as we come to celebrate our life in Christ.
Why?   So we will Never Forget. So that we remember how important we are to God and what our salvation actually cost.

Words Fitly Spoken on Judging by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/words_fitly_spoken_on_judging.html

Words Fitly Spoken on Judging

“Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). There are probably few other passages in the Bible more widely quoted and misused. Once again, an old question has resurfaced, this time regarding the appropriateness of rebuking others in sin: “Are we to never judge anyone under any circumstances? If we should, when should we and why?” Many good exchanges are being held on Facebook, blogs, forums, email lists, and other internet-based mediums; however, they are not the first discussions on this matter. It was not too many years ago that this question was hotly debated. Many good sermons, writings, and debates were produced during this time, deeply probing the issue. Like Isaac, who “dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father”, and who “called them by the names which his father had called them”, we may benefit from “words fitly spoken” by restudying and reacquainting ourselves with wisdom produced through wars of recent generations past and thereby hopefully avoid fighting again the same battles (Genesis 26:18; Proverbs 25:11).

JUDGING SELF

JUDGING OTHERS

These articles were rediscovered using their respective Scripture and word indices.
 Trevor Bowen

Forgiveness of sin in Old & New Testament! by EE Healy

http://www.eehealy.com/commentary/page21.shtml

Forgiveness of sin
in Old & New Testament!


The following are some thoughts I had while answering a Bible Question I received in an email recently.

Subject: Forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament

Question: Recently, there was a heated discussion in our congregation between two long time preachers over forgiveness of sin in the Old Testament. One of them held to the "sins being rolled forward" view and the other saying that sins were forgiven at that time. I am currently studying the matter and would appreciate any material that you would be willing to share with me.

Thanks a lot!!!!
Bible Student

Dear Bible Student,

I scanned through some of the material you sent regarding your question and it appears that you have a very good collection of views.

I am sure that there are many thoughts and arguments supporting the different views.

Let me start by saying this should not become a point of fellowship in the church.
If that ends up being the case then I think that those maintaining their different views should really consider the scriptures with a new and clear mind.

All scripture should be approached with an open mind and pure heart.
Context! Context! Context!
Is the first item of consideration.

Now what are my thoughts?
Below I will outline my thinking as best I can to keep it simple.
I am a simple person and try not to think too deeply these days. ;-)

1. God is eternal.

2. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are eternal and are 100% God as is the Father.

3. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created time and all that it includes (Gen 1:1ff).

4. Man was created in time.

5. Created man is limited in time.

6. Since the fall of man his days have been numbered.

7. God has an Eternal Purpose and Plan to redeem man from the consequence of the fall.

8. God has been and continues to work out His plan of redemption in time for each generation.

9. This working will continue until Jesus comes again and there is the resurrection. 
(1 Cor.15, 1Thes.4:13f)

10. ALL forgiveness of sins is based upon the “death burial and resurrection” (DBR) of Jesus in the fullness of time 
(Gal.4:4) 

11. From the beginning of time God has required faithfulness.

12 All of mankind is and has been saves by Grace through Faith.

13. Mankind can only view time and has a hard time understanding eternity. 
We try to describe it in time terms but are limited.

14. In time all are saved by Grace through Faith whether before or after the DBR of Jesus Christ.

15. Jesus was and is eternal and became flesh in time to redeem mankind.

16. All was/is in the eternal knowledge of God who knew and worked it out in time.

17. In eternity God saw and knew all of time for He created time, beginning to end.

18. So man before the Cross had faith and it was commended as righteous.
(Heb.11)

19. Man after the Cross has faith and it is commended as righteous.
(Rom.4-5)

20. Mankind thinks in linear terms limited by time.
Therefore to understand we use the terms before and after the Cross, the event in History/Time (Gal.4:4) 

Man tries to put the event of the (DBR) in human terms limited to time and thus we say, rolled forward or back.

21. God is not limited to time so in the mind of the eternal God Sins are forgiven in Eternity based upon faith.

22. Faith, Hope and Love are great motives/attributes but only Love is eternal for God is Love. 
(1Cor.13:1-13)

23. When time is no more Faith and Hope will be realized and only the Love of God will be.

Conclusion:

1. Sins are forgiven based upon the (DBR) of Jesus Christ. 
The (DBR) is shared through the preaching of the Gospel, the Good News.
(Rom.1:8-17, Eph.1:2-2:22) (Gal.3:1-4:7)

2. Is the forgiveness of sins before the Cross "rolled forward" or "rolled back" after the Cross?
No! Sins are forgiven in eternity based upon God's Grace through our faith provided in the redemption God provides in the (DBR) of Jesus Christ.

3. Those back to Adam forward are found righteous based upon God's Righteousness provided though Jesus Christ.

4. Nothing rolled back and nothing rolled forward. All faith is based upon the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:22f)

5. Biblically based faith is a saving faith that requires obedience. 
(John 3:36, Rom.1:1-7, 8-17, 16:25-27, 2Thes.1:3-12) There are many more scriptures.

6. Final thought in Hebrews chapters 8-10.
I think the KEY word to consider is ETERNAL.

All the offerings of the OT were merely a shadow of the substance which was Christ our ETERNAL sacrifice.

All was by Gods plan in eternity and carried out in time.

The "Shadow" was a focus on the flesh/material (time bound) the "Substance"
is the Spiritual/Eternal not bound by or limited in time.

Understanding the eternal nature of God is the main point.

One must see it clearly, the eternal, spiritual nature of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to understand the full application of the scriptures both OT and NT.

I think those who fail to see the full nature of God tend to have conflict in the application of many scriptures to life. Thus they limit God and His eternal power to forgive in time and eternity.

Thoughts by EEHealy